“Yueyue, how’s it going?” Shi Qingzhi stared nervously at her granddaughter.
“The audio picked up by the voice analyzer still needs post-processing before we can extract any usable information. It’ll probably take… two days.”
“In the meantime, you need to begin mobilizing the group’s funds. It’s okay if the movement is noticeable—as long as the kidnappers see we’re actively raising the money. That’s the only way to ensure Grandpa Qin’s temporary safety.”
“Alright,” Shi Qingzhi nodded. “I know what to do.”
“Once the money is ready, don’t transfer it overseas just yet. Delay it as long as possible.”
“Yueyue, I don’t understand. If the kidnappers find out we’ve raised the money but aren’t giving it to them, what if they get angry and hurt Old Qin…”
Jiang Fuyue shook her head. “This is a cross-border kidnapping. They only gave us five days, so clearly they don’t intend to trade face-to-face. If my guess is right, they probably plan to use a space account to swallow the money directly.”
“In this situation, there’s no way to execute a ‘money-for-hostage’ exchange. Do you really think once they have the money, they’ll risk returning Grandpa Qin to China and getting caught?”
Kidnappers don’t play by rules like “honor among thieves.”
They’re more like wolves—everything revolves around getting the ransom.
The moment the ransom is received will also be the moment Qin Yuancheng loses his life.
Once that realization hit, Shi Qingzhi was overwhelmed with terror. Her body went limp, nearly fainting.
She clutched Jiang Fuyue’s hand like it was her last lifeline. “Yueyue, I only have you now. You must help Grandma…”
Jiang Fuyue gently patted the back of her hand to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Grandpa Qin will come back safe.”
Shi Qingzhi took a deep breath and steadied herself again. “Aside from raising the money and delaying the transfer, what else can I do?”
“Think back to the call just now. Did you miss any key information? Especially in the two sentences Grandpa Qin said.”
“Key information…” Shi Qingzhi frowned.
“For instance—who is ‘fat boy’?”
It sounded like a pet…
But Jiang Fuyue believed that Qin Yuancheng wouldn’t have brought it up unless it was important.
However—
Shi Qingzhi looked bewildered. “‘Fat boy’? What fat boy? I don’t know what that means.”
Jiang Fuyue’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “Then that’s the clue Grandpa Qin left us!”
“He left a clue?”
“Mm. That’s also why the kidnappers wouldn’t let him say more.”
After all, the more you say, the more mistakes you can make. Sometimes a single simple phrase can become the biggest leak.
Shi Qingzhi murmured, “Fat boy… what did Old Qin mean?”
Jiang Fuyue couldn’t figure it out either. But there was one thing she could plan for in advance—
“To prevent them from killing him after getting the money, we can demand they release the hostage at a designated location. We’ll send someone to pick him up from a safe distance. That way, we can maximize safety. Otherwise, any unexpected situation could provoke the kidnappers—and we’ll have no way to respond.”
“Alright! I’ll go! I’ll book the flight now—”
“No!” Han Yunru and Jiang Fuyue spoke in unison.
“Mom, at your age and in your current state, how could we possibly be at ease?”
Shi Qingzhi said anxiously, “But this is when your Uncle Qin needs me most! I must be by his side!”
Jiang Fuyue shook her head. “Blind courage only brings more casualties—”
“Yueyue!” Han Yunru scolded.
Shi Qingzhi trembled all over. “Let her speak!”
“Meaningless sacrifice is just adding to the chaos. There’s no need for that. More importantly, if you leave, who will manage the funds and keep the kidnappers’ attention?”
Isn’t that the same as announcing to them, I’m not raising money, I’m charging into your base alone?
Jiang Fuyue didn’t hesitate to press harder: “You wouldn’t be saving anyone by going—you’d be harming them.”
Shi Qingzhi staggered, tears welling in her eyes. “Then who should go? If I stay here to manage the money, and Old Qin’s two assistants went to Nanyue with him and are now missing… I don’t trust anyone else…”
Jiang Fuyue paused for a moment. “I can arrange someone—but only if you trust me.”
Shi Qingzhi was stunned, then overjoyed: “You’re my own granddaughter—how could I not trust you? It’s just that this trip is full of uncertainty, danger at every turn. The kidnappers are strangers to us—will they be willing?”
Han Yunru added, “Don’t worry. Yueyue… has a few friends.”
Shi Qingzhi knew her daughter too well—if Jiang Fuyue lacked the ability or was just bluffing, Han Yunru would never say something like that.
If she said it, she meant it.
“Yueyue…” Shi Qingzhi grasped her hand tightly, tears brimming. “Grandma entrusts your Grandpa Qin’s life to you. Just do your best. If he’s lucky enough to be rescued, that would be wonderful. But if…”
She inhaled deeply and steadied her voice, “If something unforeseen happens, and it can’t be helped, then it’s just fate—we can’t blame you. So Yueyue, go all out. Don’t worry about anything else.”
That she could still think to comfort Jiang Fuyue at this time truly surprised her.
And moved her.
Maybe this is what real family means—not swayed by time, not changed by disaster, not exposed as ugly by life-and-death interests.
Always believing. Always unwavering.
“Okay,” Jiang Fuyue answered solemnly.
That night, she contacted Liu Jinzhong to mobilize Feng Group’s local personnel in Nanyue, putting them on standby.
She also told Niu Rui in Kyoto to activate Qianji Pavilion’s newest intel system to monitor movements in Nanyue.
Niu Rui: “Do you have a specific location?”
Jiang Fuyue: “No.”
“Then at least give me a general area?”
“None.”
“…Are you messing with me? Nanyue covers over 300,000 square kilometers. Without even narrowing it down, finding someone is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Even with the latest intel system, without sufficient exclusion data, we can’t pinpoint anything.”
“No need for precision. Cast a wide net. Filter clues as they come in. Once I get results, I’ll notify you immediately.”
“Make it fast,” Niu Rui emphasized.
“Mm.”
Just as they were about to hang up, Jiang Fuyue suddenly remembered something: “Wait—”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know what ‘fat boy’ means? Something related to Nanyue.”
“Related to Nanyue…” After a moment of thought, he said, “In the past ten years, there’s been a trend among the noble class there to raise infants in captivity. Some of them were even trafficked from China—fed luxuriously until age three, plump and fair. As long as they’re cute and adorable, they’re carried around like pets to show off. If it’s a girl, they’re called Guai Nan (good girl). If it’s a boy—they call him fat boy.”
Jiang Fuyue’s eyes narrowed. “Check which regions in Nanyue have a strong infant-rearing trend—especially those that prefer boys.”
“Got it!”
…
Half an hour later, Jiang Fuyue received a private message on the internal S-SA network.
Professor Lake: [The audio clip you uploaded was processed with special effects. It’s very difficult to extract useful data, but I can give it a try. There’s about a 60% success rate, but it’ll take some time.]
Jiang Fuyue clicked his profile—internally verified:
Lake Watson, Professor of Acoustics, University of Munich, D-Country. Director of DID Acoustic Research Institute.
Globally, there was no more authoritative figure in acoustics than him.
She replied at once:
Jiang Fuyue: [How long will it take?]
Lake: [Two days.]
As expected.
I Live With A Worried Heart: [Alright, thank you.]
Lake: [Don’t worry. I handle over a hundred different kidnapping cases every year, and I’ve analyzed countless ransom audios. I know how urgent this is—I’ll get results as soon as I can.]
Jiang Fuyue: [Thank you.]
Lake: [Are you Chou herself?]
Jiang Fuyue: [Mm.]
Lake: [Oh my God! I can’t believe it… Can I add you as a friend?]
She sent the request. He accepted instantly.
After that, no more small talk. They agreed on a specific time, and Lake went offline.
Rescuing someone is like fighting a fire—time is of the essence. Now that they were connected, there would be plenty of opportunities for deeper exchange.
With both key clues—the audio and fat boy—set in motion, all that was left was to wait for results…
That night, no one slept well.
The next morning, Shi Qingzhi called the finance department to begin pulling funds.
Jiang Fuyue personally monitored the pace.
Not too fast, or the kidnappers would become greedy. Not too slow, or they’d grow impatient.
She applied for a leave of absence from school and took command at home.
Han Yunru and Jiang Da took turns—one managing the household, the other handling business.
At 2 p.m., Jiang Fuyue received a call from Niu Rui.
“…Mm, take your time explaining.”
As she spoke, she turned and headed upstairs to grab her computer.
Just then—the Jiang household’s front door was shoved open violently.
A figure swept in like the wind.
“Brother Lin?!”
