The next day, Si Weimin asked w.a.n.g Guo about the man. Since he slept at Xu Jia Li's apartment to make sure that she would be alright, he didn't get the chance to see the man.

"Boss, he still doesn't want to talk."

Si Weimin eyed w.a.n.g Guo with a stern look. He clenched his jaw before he said, "Continue the interrogation. Just make sure to keep him alive. We need to get something from him."

"Yes, boss."

"I'll be there later."

"Okay, boss."

After w.a.n.g Guo left, Si Weimin stared absentmindedly at the doc.u.ments on his table for his perusal that needed his approval and signature. However, he wasn't in the mood to go through them. The image of the man made him want to wring his neck just to make him talk.

He closed his eyes in despair as he ran his hands over his face. 'What's really happening now?'

Things were getting out of hand. He still hadn't figure out Thomas' disappearance. Then, a footage of him getting the woman out of Beijing Family Hospital and now, there was someone who wanted to hurt Xu Jia Li.

If these things were connected, who was behind them?

****

Xu Jia Li proceeded as usual to the shooting location. This time, she was more cautious and aware of people around her. She didn't tell everything that happened to Shen Linqin because she was afraid to make her worry. Only Zhen Nian knew about it.

The shooting went well and the scenes were done in a flash. There was nothing that happened so far. Jian Ran still came to the Production Team as if nothing happened. She was still observing her and who could have been the person behind her.

Li Yun, on the other hand, still came to her to give food or drinks which she tried to refuse every time. But Li Yun became adamant to do what he liked. She just shrugged her shoulders as she continued with her work.

"Li-jie, Jay Chou called earlier. He wants to meet with you on Sunday but I still didn't give him any answer since it's your birthday on that day."

"I don't celebrate my birthday so it's okay."

"But Li-jie, the film crew talks about celebrating your birthday on Evergreen Hot Spring and Resort. I thought maybe we can celebrate there."

"You can enjoy the place starting tomorrow, Linqin," she smiled at the sulking Shen Linqin.

She really didn't want to celebrate her birthday. In the previous years, she would either spend her birthday in a concert tour or just by staying in her apartment. Since her mother died, everything seemed to lose their appeal to her.

However, every year, during her birthday, there was a certain gift that she came to look forward to. It was a box of candied plum that tasted like her mother's homemade plums. It had been eight years since she started receiving that during her birthday.

It was always anonymously sent with a letter that said, 'A dream delayed is not a dream denied.'

It always put tears to her eyes. In the past years, it was the only thing that made her excited for her birthday. She tried to know who the sender was but it seemed that the sender didn't want to get known.

"Li-jie, can we please stay on the resort until Sunday?"

"I'll see what I can do, okay?"

"Li-jie…" Shen Linqin continued with her sulking as she poked Xu Jia Li's shoulder.

Xu Jia Li just glanced at Shen Linqin before she continued reading her script. She really didn't know what to say because she really wanted to go home and receive the candied plum.

****

It was already eight o'clock in the evening, Si Weimin strode fast after he alighted his Maybach Exelero. One of his men took his car to a hidden parking.

Earlier, he already informed w.a.n.g Guo that he was on his way and would do the interrogation himself.

He entered inside the private elevator that led to the secret bas.e.m.e.nt that the Si Family specifically built for this kind of incident. It was only made known to him when he took over the company. He didn't know that his family hid something so dark like a torture chamber, as what his grandpa told him.

Since the acquisition of different sister branches and the sudden growth of the Si Corporation, many people tried to possess the company. The dark history of the company was kept hidden by his grandfather. According to Grandpa Si, intense measure was needed to deal with those kinds of people. Only in dealing with them with steal hands would the company guarantee its amity.

The bas.e.m.e.nt was under a small brick house outside the city. It looked like a hermit's house with ivy vines climbing on the wall and roof. It looked inconspicuous.

Once you go inside, the interior looked the same as other small brick houses in the outskirt of the city. There was a wooden door opposite the small kitchen. Behind it was a double bra.s.s door that only opened through whole body scanned. There wasn't any b.u.t.ton to press. It automatically opened once it detected the authorized person. Aside from w.a.n.g Guo and him, only few of his trusted men could go inside the bas.e.m.e.nt.

Once he reached the chamber, he was greeted by the smell of blood wafting in the air. His eyes ran around and saw the man sitting in the middle – arms and feet tied. The man's chest bled caused by whipping.

"Boss, this guy is really tough," one of his men said – a short belt- like whip in hand.

"He doesn't want to talk, boss," w.a.n.g Guo approached Si Weimin and handed him the small syringe, "I already injected him the drug but he still refused to talk."

The drug that w.a.n.g Guo talked about was very potent. It was injected to someone to make him lose himself. It caused excruciating pain before it made one lose all his senses. It was used in interrogation to make one speak his hidden thoughts.

The man seemed to be used to the drugs that he wasn't affected at all. Or he already injected the antidote.

Si Weimin chuckled as he gazed at the man before he took a thin needle like blade on the table beside him. It was about 10 centimeter long. He took a chair and sat in front of the man.

"You won't make me talk. I've experienced more than that," the man hissed as he tried to get out of the chain on his arms and feet.

"Hmm, very well. Then, I think all I have to do is to give it a try."