Qin Lin answered the phone: “I’m Qin Yuancheng’s son. If you have something to say, you can speak to me.”
But the person on the other end wasn’t buying it: “Get President Shi on the phone, or I’ll tear up the hostage right now!”
Qin Lin’s whole body trembled, his face drastically changed. “Don’t be rash, we can talk—”
“This is the last time I’ll say it. Get President Shi on the phone!”
In the end, Qin Lin didn’t even get a chance to try persuading them. With shaking hands, he could only return the phone to the elderly lady.
Shi Qingzhi took a deep breath. “It’s me.”
The voice on the other end asked, “Is the money ready?”
“It’s being processed, going through financial channels. We agreed on five days—today’s only the third, there are still two days left.”
“That’s right, two days remain. I advise you not to play any tricks!”
Shi Qingzhi’s breathing tightened.
Jiang Fuyue quickly typed a message on her phone and showed it to her: Stay calm, they’re bluffing.
Only then did the old lady stabilize herself. “My husband is still in your hands—what tricks could I possibly pull?”
“Smart woman. On the day of the transaction, I’ll give you an account number. You wire the money over, and once we confirm receipt, we’ll naturally release your husband. Straightforward deal!”
Qin Lin’s heart sank heavily.
So it really was a bank transfer…
He looked toward Jiang Fuyue, but she just stood there, arms folded, not sparing him even a glance.
Qin Lin’s face burned like fire.
Shi Qingzhi tried suggesting, “Could we do it in cash instead…”
As soon as she said it, the voice on the other end exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: “There’s no room for negotiation! Giving you five days was already generous. Keep babbling and your man’s gonna suffer for it!”
“Don’t do anything rash—we’ll wire the full amount to your account in two days!”
“Hmph! Now that’s more like it. Let me warn you—if you want the hostage alive, you’ll do exactly as you’re told. Otherwise, I’m not afraid to go scorched earth!”
Click. The line went dead.
“Hello? Hello?! B*stard—!” The old lady trembled with rage, eyes red.
Qin Lin lowered his head, utterly dejected. “Sorry, Yueyue, I…”
“There won’t be a next time. If you don’t trust me, I can quit right now.”
Qin Lin’s expression shifted. “I’m sorry. I was too stubborn.”
What a slap in the face.
He’d been so confident before. Now, he couldn’t feel more humiliated.
“Alright, then from now on, we do things my way. Any objections?”
Qin Lin shook his head.
The old lady certainly had none. She’d trusted Jiang Fuyue from the start and never wavered.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Jiang Fuyue glanced sideways at Guan Yiling and spoke calmly: “Everything’s already arranged.”
But she didn’t elaborate.
Suddenly—
“Excuse me, where’s the restroom?” Guan Yiling stood up suddenly.
Han Yunru got up to guide her personally. “This way, follow me.”
“Thank you.” Once inside, Guan Yiling left the door half-closed. “You go on ahead, I’ll be out in a moment.”
“Okay, let me know if you need anything.”
Guan Yiling locked the door, walked to the innermost stall, and flushed the toilet to cover sound.
Amid the rushing water, she pulled out her phone, swapped out the original SIM card for a new one, and dialed a number.
“It’s me.”
…
Fifteen minutes later, she returned. The discussion had already ended.
Jiang Fuyue had gone upstairs to her room. The old lady was continuing to arrange fund transfers through the company.
Jiang Da had already left for the shop.
Han Yunru stayed with the old lady, gently comforting and guiding her, afraid she might break down, which would only worsen the situation.
…
Night fell. Qin Lin decided to remain at the villa and told Guan Yiling to return to the hotel.
“You’re not helping by staying here. Little Ru even has to take care of you—it’s just extra trouble.”
The woman’s heart twinged, but she said, “I want to be with you.”
“No need. I can handle it.”
“That’s not right. If it’s because Sister Han still holds a grudge and doesn’t want me here, I’ll go talk to her and clear things up…”
“There you go again,” Qin Lin rubbed his forehead. “Little Ru’s not petty like that. It was my decision to send you back—it has nothing to do with her.”
Guan Yiling clenched her teeth. “If that’s the case, then I definitely can’t leave. Dad has always been good to me. Now that he’s at death’s door, even if I can’t help, I can’t just walk away! At the very least, I want to be here to hear the good news when he’s safe!”
“…Fine. Whatever you want.”
“Honey,” Guan Yiling leaned lightly on his shoulder, “We’re husband and wife. No matter what happens, we face it together.”
“Mm.” The man sighed and patted her hand.
…
Upstairs in Jiang Fuyue’s room.
Two computer screens glowed brightly, remotely connected to the Qianjige intelligence network, with S-rank access specifically granted by Niu Chunhua.
At the moment, the feed showed an abandoned factory hidden deep within the jungle—an excellent hiding place.
Niu Rui reported, “Luckily the factory’s old surveillance system wasn’t totally busted. I took control remotely. It’s now the perfect monitoring tool. The kidnappers are currently in Warehouse 2.”
Jiang Fuyue switched the feed over.
Sure enough, five scruffy men in minimal clothing could be seen—
Two were standing, two sitting, and one leaning against a concrete pillar, head down, smoking.
“They seem to be discussing something,” Niu Rui said, “but unfortunately, the equipment’s ancient. The cameras don’t have audio.”
So they could only watch, not hear what was being said.
“Zoom in,” Jiang Fuyue instructed. “Split the screen into five panels, one for each person’s face.”
Niu Rui was puzzled. “Why?”
“Lip-reading.”
“Uh… but they’re speaking Nanyue dialect.”
“And?” Jiang Fuyue arched an eyebrow. “You think I can’t understand Nanyue dialect?”
Niu Rui: “……”
You win. You’re still the most impressive.
