Chapter 18 — The Beggar Husband Turns Out to Be a Dragon

The morning after the tense meeting on the riverbank, Giang Chan Hung, after hearing Bach Tranh recount part of the dangerous situation, was so careful that he asked a friend who worked in the jewelry industry to attach a tiny tracking device inside the necklace that Tuyet Nhi still wore every day, a gift he gave her on her wedding occasion, in case something unexpected happened.

"Just wear it regularly, just as a preventative measure." He advised his daughter, trying to keep his voice gentle so as not to make her too worried, even though his heart was still heavy with a vague insecurity.

Tuyet Nhi nodded, although she did not fully understand the severity of the situation, she could also feel the tension surrounding her these past few days.

"Dad, do you think this will all work out?" She asked, her voice filled with a bit of anxiety that rarely showed on the outside, her hand unconsciously twirling the new necklace fitted with a tracking device.

"I believe in Bach Tranh." Giang Chan Hung replied, his eyes looking at his daughter were full of reassurance. "Even though I don't understand everything yet, he has proven many times that he will do everything to protect you. You just need to be a little more careful during this time."

Those words somehow helped Tuyet Nhi feel more confident when she left the Anh Duong villa to go to the office as usual, although she could not have imagined that afternoon would be the biggest challenge she had ever faced in her life.

That afternoon, Tuyet Nhi went to the charity fund office as usual, with a new bodyguard assigned to closely guard her. But when she left the office to go home at dusk, passing through the building's deserted basement parking lot, the bodyguard who was a few steps ahead of her suddenly collapsed to the ground without a sound, as if being knocked down by someone invisible.

"What's wrong..." Before Tuyet Nhi could react, a hand tightly covered her mouth from behind. A strong anesthetic smell rushed straight into her nose, causing her to quickly sink into darkness, unable to make a sound.

Ngao Viet Phong stood looking at the unconscious girl in his arms, his eyes did not waver, even though he felt a little vaguely guilty in his heart. He lifted Tuyet Nhi up, moved at lightning speed out of the parking lot, and took her to a small truck that was waiting at the exit behind the building, where the security camera had been disabled in advance.

The car drove straight to an abandoned warehouse at the old port on the outskirts of the city, which used to be a storage yard but had stopped operating for many years. The surrounding was deserted, only the sound of waves hitting the stone embankment and the wind whistling through rusty iron frames.

When Tuyet Nhi woke up, she found herself tied to an old iron chair in the middle of a large, dark room. The only light was a light bulb hanging from the ceiling, emitting a weak yellow light. Her head was still dizzy from the effects of the anesthetic, but she tried to regain her composure and observe her surroundings.

"Are you awake?" Ngao Viet Phong's cold voice rang out from the corner of the room, as he stepped into the light, holding a phone in his hand, seemingly preparing to call someone.

"Who are you? Why did you arrest me?" Tuyet Nhi asked, trying to keep her voice calm even though she was extremely scared, her hands and feet still tried to discreetly test the strength of the rope.

"You don't need to know who I am." Ngao Viet Phong replied, his voice still remaining terrifyingly calm. "You just need to know that your safety right now depends entirely on your husband's decision."

He dialed Bach Tranh's number, turned on the speaker so Tuyet Nhi could hear, then brought the phone closer to her. "Say a few words to your husband, let him know you're still safe, at least for now."

On the other end of the line, Bach Tranh, who was on his way home after receiving news from his bodyguard about Tuyet Nhi's mysterious disappearance, picked up the phone immediately, his voice filled with a rare panic. "Tuyet Nhi! Are you okay?"

"Mr. Bach Tranh." Tuyet Nhi spoke up, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible even though she was trembling. "I was arrested, but I'm okay. Don't do it because of me..."

"That's enough." Ngao Viet Phong interrupted and grabbed the phone. "Your Highness, you probably already know the current situation. The Regent gives you one last chance: hand over the Dragon Seal and announce the renunciation of the throne, or your wife will suffer the consequences. The location is warehouse number seven in the old port area east of the city. You have six hours to think, until morning."

After speaking, he hung up immediately, not giving Bach Tranh a chance to answer or negotiate further.

Bach Tranh stood dumbfounded on the street, his hand clutching the phone so tightly that it almost broke, anger and extreme fear flared up in his heart at the same time. I know, this is the worst thing I've been fearing all this time, and now it has come true.

His hands shook with both anger and fear, a feeling of helplessness that he had never experienced since that fateful night six years ago, when he had to flee from Long Uyen without being able to save his father. He immediately called Chuong Dich Pham, his voice urgent. "Tuyet Nhi has just been kidnapped, and is being held at warehouse number seven in the old eastern port area. Can you accurately determine that location, and tell me the structure inside?"

"I will find out soon, your highness." Chuong Dich Pham replied, his voice also full of worry. Just a few minutes later, he called back with information about the old port, along with confirmation of the positioning signal from the necklace Tuyet Nhi was wearing, exactly as the location Ngao Viet Phong had stated.

Meanwhile, at the abandoned warehouse, Tuyet Nhi was still trying to stay calm, her mind working non-stop to find a way to escape or at least buy time until Bach Tranh could come to the rescue. She realized that, although the rope was strong, it was somewhat loose on the left wrist, perhaps because Ngao Viet Phong underestimated the resistance ability of a normal human girl.

She also noticed that, in the corner of the room, there was an old, rusty fire extinguisher, and a few empty metal drums stacked on top of each other, perhaps remnants from when the warehouse was still in operation. She carefully memorized their locations, a hunch told her that those seemingly useless items could become useful tools if she had the opportunity to act.

“What are you thinking?” Ngao Viet Phong, standing guard nearby, suddenly spoke, his sharp eyes observing her. "Don't have any foolish thoughts, you can't escape from here with the strength of a normal person."

"I was just wondering." Tuyet Nhi replied, trying to keep her voice calm, even trying to smile slightly even though she was trembling inside. "You serve a man who harmed your own brother. Have you ever wondered if one day you will be treated the same way if you are no longer useful?"

Ngao Viet Phong slightly froze, his eyes flashed a bit of agitation very quickly, but then he quickly hid it, turned and walked out of the room, leaving Tuyet Nhi sitting alone in the cold darkness, continuing to silently make her own plans.

She told herself, she must not let fear paralyze her reason. She remembered the evenings when Bach Tranh told her about the basic tactical principles he had learned, about how strong people often underestimate what seems weak, and that recklessness is the biggest loophole that can be exploited. She took a deep breath, tried to keep her heart rate steady, and began to silently calculate each step, from how to escape the ropes, to how to take advantage of old objects in the corner of the room to create an advantage, even if only for a short moment.

She looked up at the old wall clock that had stopped running a long time ago, but still tried to estimate the time through the faint light filtering through the warehouse door, silently telling herself that she would not just sit still and wait to be saved. If Bach Tranh had to risk his life to rescue her, she would also do her best to help him, so that they could both get out of this place safely.

Outside, night had completely fallen, and Bach Tranh, after understanding the warehouse's location and layout from Zhang Dich Pham, was preparing for the most life-or-death battle of his life, a battle that he knew would force him to reveal the true power he had hidden for six long years, in front of the wife he loved most in the world.