Chapter 657 - 425: Gang
Gruus?
The old woman’s expression froze the moment she heard the name.
This subtle change did not escape Feng’s eyes. He clearly caught the flash of disappointment and helplessness in her gaze.
"Laura, don’t be nervous. I know Diego is a good kid. He wouldn’t hurt Jenny."
The old woman turned to the panicked, heavy-set woman beside her, trying to ease the tension with a look of reassuring trust.
Then, the old woman looked at Diego again, her gaze sharpening. She stared into his eyes, searching for any crack in his expression.
"Are you sure it was Gruus who gave Jenny a ride?"
Diego nodded fearfully, his head bobbing frantically. His eyes were full of terror, desperate to distance himself from the situation immediately.
"Yes, ma’am. That day, the road was covered in snow, and I drove my car into a ditch. I happened to run into Brother Gruus driving back to the ranch, so I asked him to give Sister Jenny a ride."
The young man’s voice was choked with sobs, and his body trembled slightly, revealing his extreme nervousness.
"Oh, and Uncle Jose knows about this too! He was the one who came and towed my car out of the ditch."
Diego added this hastily, as if grasping at straws, trying to use more details to prove he was telling the truth.
By the end, he was so scared he was on the verge of tears.
His lips trembled slightly, his eyes welled up with tears, and his voice carried a pleading tone.
"Ma’am, I swear on the Holy Mother Mary, everything I’m saying is true! I really didn’t hurt Sister Jenny!"
"My child, of course I believe you!"
The old woman comforted Diego in a soft voice, patting his shoulder gently, her eyes showing a motherly affection.
Sitting off to the side, Feng was starting to understand the situation.
The disappearance of Jenny and the others had nothing to do with her parents. Instead, that guy Gruus was the prime suspect.
’Looks like there’s more to this than meets the eye.’
’Since the divination showed the women aren’t in danger, I might as well play along. I can help Jenny take out the trash around her while I’m at it. It’ll save her from running into more trouble the next time she comes home.’
Thinking this, Feng, still sitting on the sofa, cut in and asked.
"Where is this Gruus now?"
"Blue Cloud House. Gruus is usually fooling around over there." The old woman sighed softly, a look of helplessness in her eyes.
Feng stood up at once, exuding an air of confidence.
He gave the old woman a slight nod. "Ma’am, I’ll go bring Jenny back first. She’ll be fine, please don’t worry."
After speaking, he turned his gaze to the teary-eyed, curly-haired young man and asked in a calm voice, "Friend, can you show me the way?"
The old woman no longer had the valiant posture she’d held while carrying the rifle; now, she looked more like a helpless mother.
She lowered her head slightly, a hint of worry in her eyes. Then, with a slight tremor in her voice, she tried to make excuses for Gruus, while also hoping to offer Feng some help.
"Gruus is my disappointing son. He’s a pitiful child. I don’t believe he has the guts for this; he must have been forced into it. If you need, you can take some of the men from the ranch with you."
"Thank you, ma’am, but the men I brought are enough. I’ll see you in a bit!" After leaving her with these words, Feng patted the curly-haired young man’s shoulder and turned to walk out of the cabin.
Outside the cabin, Yves and the veterans stood in one group, and the ranch hands in another, both sides facing each other.
Both groups kept their distance, their gazes wary. The atmosphere was still tense.
When Feng appeared, Yves stepped forward. "Boss!"
"Let’s go. We need to find someone first," Feng said simply, then started down the hillside with Yves and the others following behind.
Just as Feng’s group was about to leave, the ranch hands saw Diego wedged in their midst and instantly grew tense.
They raised their guns, shouting emotionally.
"What do you think you’re doing? Why are you taking Diego?"
"Let him go, you bastards! What are you doing to Diego?"
"Diego, get back here!"
Seeing the others raise their weapons, Yves and the veterans reacted quickly, raising their own guns without hesitation.
In an instant, the two sides were locked in a standoff again. The tension was so thick it felt like a taut string about to snap.
Realizing the situation was getting out of hand, Feng gently patted Diego’s shoulder and said in a low voice, "Friend, you’d better go explain."
Diego nodded repeatedly and hurried over in a panic to explain to the ranch hands.
When they learned that Jenny, the ranch’s "Princess," was missing, the ranch hands became agitated, their faces filled with anxiety.
They lowered their guns and crowded around, all speaking at once.
"Man, take us with you to find her."
"We can’t let anything happen to Jenny! We’re going with you!"
"You have to bring her back safely."
"Yeah! If anyone dares to hurt Jenny, I’ll kill them!"
Feng didn’t want this group getting involved. It would likely complicate things; a bigger crowd would just get in the way.
So, he politely declined the ranch hands’ offer of help and got into the car with Diego.
With a ROAR of engines, the convoy sped away from Melon Ranch.
"Sir, are you guys in a gang?" Inside the car, Diego glanced at the AR-15 lying on the seat. His eyes showed a mix of fear and curiosity as he timidly asked Feng, who was sitting beside him, his voice trembling.
"Of course not. We are Crown Land Chiefs," Feng said with a gentle smile, trying to ease Diego’s tension. He pulled open his jacket to reveal the bulletproof vest underneath and pointed to the badge on his chest. "See? This is our identification."
Sheriffs?
Diego’s eyes widened slightly. He scrutinized Feng and the others in the car. ’They really don’t look like it.’