BF Chapter 22

Within half an hour, Xu Ziren and the others who had received the news returned one after another, and the kidnappers’ second phone call came through as well.

Xu Ziren answered and put it on speaker. The kidnappers raised only two demands over the phone: prepare 30 million while waiting for their notification and no police involvement. Otherwise, they would kill the hostage.

Xu Ziren requested to hear Xu Shiji’s voice. The other party cursed “troublesome,” followed by the sound of tape being ripped apart over the phone and then the sound of Xu Shiji’s raspy cough.

“You heard it. Prepare the money quickly and don’t try anything funny.”

The call was already disconnected, and Xu Ziren’s face was extremely grim.

Qin Su was utterly bewildered: “What should we do now? How could something like this happen…”

Xu Ziren questioned Xu Shen: “Didn’t you two go out with Father today? Why didn’t you come back with him? Where were you all day?”

Xu Shen answered him calmly, “After coming out of the hospital, Father said he was going to the Guanyin Temple, and later went to Sham Shui Po as well. When leaving, Father said he still wanted to go worship Mazu and wouldn’t let us follow along; he and the driver Old Chen went together.”

Xu Ziren’s brows were tightly furrowed: “Why go to a temple for no reason? And Sham Shui Po is a place where who knows what kinds of people mix in, why would you go there?”

Xu Shen’s words seemed to carry a heavy implication: “Father said the house wasn’t peaceful, so he went to seek some peace of mind. As for going to Sham Shui Po, Father was in a bad mood, so he went to reminisce about the past.”

Xu Ziren choked up a little; the lack of peace in the house and the bad mood were caused precisely by the trouble made by them, the sons and grandsons.

Barely suppressing his indignation, he asked again, “Didn’t you sense anything unusual having gone to so many places? Was anyone following you?”

“I didn’t notice,” Xu Shen said, turning his head to ask Zhan Shili, “Did you notice anything?”

Zhan Shili apologized to Xu Ziren, “My apologies, Second Young Master. I didn’t notice either. It was my oversight.”

Xu Ziren was furious, but he too was at a loss.

Qin Su said anxiously, “Let’s not talk about this for now, think about what to do now first!”

The room fell silent; at this moment, no one dared to make a decision except for Xu Ziren.

In the middle of their stalemate, the butler rushed in with the driver, Old Chen, who had just returned. Xu Ziren strode forward and asked, “What happened, exactly? Didn’t you go to the Mazu Temple with my dad? Why did you come back alone?”

Old Chen explained with red eyes: “When the Master finished worshiping Mazu and came out to get into the car, several culprits wearing black hoods suddenly came over. They covered my mouth and nose with a towel that smelled foul, and I was knocked out very quickly. By the time I woke up, the Master was already gone and only his phone was left in the car. I asked the people in the temple and they all said they didn’t see what happened. I didn’t dare delay, so I drove back as fast as possible.”

“Useless wretch!” Xu Ziren cursed angrily.

Xu Zikang’s face was full of worry, too: “Second Brother, what should we do now?”

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Ziren made up his mind and said, “Call the police and prepare the ransom first.”

“No, we can’t call the police,” Qin Su hurried to stop him. “If we call the police and they really do kill the hostage, what then?”

Xu Zikang also chimed in: “Second Brother, how about considering it further…”

Last year, a wealthy tycoon in the city was kidnapped; after the family called the police, the kidnappers killed the hostage and dumped the body. Something like this was bound to make people wary.

“I agree with what Second Brother said about preparing the ransom first,” Xu Shen said. “As for whether to call the police, let’s hold off for now. If the kidnappers only want money, 30 million is nothing. Giving it is giving it, as long as Father is able to return safely.”

The others chimed in to persuade Xu Ziren as well. With an ashen face, Xu Ziren ultimately didn’t insist.

Assistant Liu also rushed to the mansion upon receiving the news. Entering the door, he asked Xu Ziren, “Second Young Master, has the boss not returned yet? What did the kidnappers say over the phone?”

Xu Ziren spoke a few words noncommittally, and Liu Bingzhong’s expression changed slightly, a glint of bad intention flitting past in his eyes. Xu Ziren, who was frowning and feeling irritable, failed to notice.

Catching a glimpse of it, Xu Shen nodded at Zhan Shili, turning around to walk over to the kitchen area.

He brewed himself a cup of coffee, and Zhan Shili came over: “Only you would still have the leisure to drink coffee.”

“Don’t you have some too?” Xu Shen asked, “Want one?”

Zhan Shili nodded, so Xu Shen brewed a cup for him as well.

“What’s going on with this Assistant Liu?” As he worked, Xu Shen kept his voice down and asked, “His reaction is strange. Does he know something?”

“Not sure,” Zhan Shili said. “I doubt anyone else is in the right mind to pay attention to him either.”

“What about you?” Xu Shen handed over the brewed coffee, looking at him as he asked, “My father was kidnapped, yet you seem remarkably calm, not surprised at all.”

Zhan Shili took a sip of the coffee; the taste was just right. “What reaction do you think I should have? Should I be flustered and enraged like the Second Young Master, or should I be absent-minded like everyone else?”

“Fair enough,” Xu Shen said understandingly. “After all, you’re not a member of the Xu Family; it wouldn’t get to that point for you.”

Zhan Shili set down the coffee cup, leaning close to Xu Shen’s ear, saying, “Young Master Shen, aren’t you just watching the show too?”

Xu Shen laughed: “Yes, today was a day full of exciting shows with ups and downs, quite satisfying.”

The kidnappers’ third call came in the middle of the night, specifying the time and place for the ransom to be paid the following afternoon, and demanding that Xu Shiji’s son go in person.

Hearing this, Lin Meina instantly panicked: “Ziren, you can’t go! You’re the company CEO. Father’s already been met with trouble. What if you go and something happens to you as well?”

Qin Su was deeply dissatisfied: “Lin Meina, what do you mean? Shiji was kidnapped, and as the eldest son and daughter-in-law right now, do you want to wash your hands clean of it and ignore everything? Are you itching for something to really happen to Shiji?”

“Can you not speak so harshly?” Lin Meina retorted indignantly, “Of course I don’t want anything to happen to my father-in-law, but we have to consider the bigger picture—”

“What bigger picture? You’re just selfish and terrified of death!” Qin Su blocked her back with a single sentence.

Xu Ziren’s face turned increasingly unsightly, but he remained silent. Xu Zikang interjected at an opportune moment: “How about letting me go…”

“How can you go?” Qin Su said irritably, “You still need to sit in a wheelchair just to move, what can you even accomplish by going?”

Xu Zikang felt somewhat embarrassed: “I also just want Dad to come back as soon as possible…”

“I’ll go,” Xu Shen interrupted them, saying calmly, “Second Sister-in-law makes a point as well. Second Brother is the company CEO; Father has already met with trouble, so we can’t let him take any risks. Third Brother’s legs make it inconvenient so he can’t go either. It’s most suitable for me to go.”

“Are you sure you can handle it?” Xu Ziren asked, his tone considerably better than when he had questioned him earlier.

Xu Shen said, “No problem. I think those kidnappers only want money, so they probably won’t make things difficult for me.”

“I’ll accompany Young Master Shen,” Zhan Shili offered. “The kidnappers didn’t say that only one person could go. More people mean more help.”

Xu Shen glanced at him and did not refuse: “Thank you.”

Zhan Shili nodded.

Since he offered to help on his own initiative, Xu Ziren naturally wouldn’t stop him.

Hearing this, Xu Zikang couldn’t help feeling anxious, but in front of everyone, it wasn’t appropriate for him to say anything, much less stop Zhan Shili.

In the end, Xu Ziren said, “We won’t report it to the police, but I’ll make a private phone call to Deputy Commissioner Zong to privately ask him to have his people help investigate and see if they can find any clues.”

30 million in cash was a small sum, and was prepared very quickly.

At 3 P.M. the next day, Xu Shen and Zhan Shili set off carrying the bag packed with money according to the kidnappers’ instructions.

As usual, Zhan Shili drove while Xu Shen sat in the front passenger seat.

There was no formal police report, but Xu Ziren privately used his connections with the deputy commissioner of police, and the police station discreetly sent several officers to help.

Xu Shen had a Bluetooth headphone in his ear to stay in touch with the kidnappers. They called intermittently, guiding them to designated locations.

These kidnappers were very cautious; every time they reached a location, a call would immediately come to assign the next spot, taking them on endless loops around the streets—from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, and then to the New Territories, from dawn till dusk.

“The sun is about to set.”

Xu Shen threw the item he had just retrieved from the location designated by the kidnappers onto the armrest box; it was a signal jammer.

He took off his headphone and said, “They led us around the streets to shake off the police and made us put this in the car. Now we can’t even contact the outside world.”

“Worried?” Zhan Shili glanced at the navigation, continuing to drive toward the next location provided by the kidnappers.

“Not worried,” Xu Shen said. “I also find those police officers annoying. My second brother is really making a fuss over nothing.”

Zhan Shili said: “You’re really quite bold. Second Young Master didn’t even want to come, yet you actively volunteered.”

Xu Shen turned his head to ask him, “Why don’t you mention the fact that the Third Young Master had wanted to come as well? If he were the one who had come, would you have gone with him too?”

Zhan Shili refused to answer this kind of hypothetical question.

Xu Shen snorted: “Knowing full well he’d be dissuaded by everyone if he said he’d come, he still insisted on bringing it up just to let Father know afterward that he’s a dutiful, good son too. Believe it or not, that was his goal; if he had really been asked to come, he wouldn’t dare come at all.”

Zhan Shili didn’t refute him: “If you say so. I believe you.”

“Nic, you’re so perfunctory.” Xu Shen complained.

“How else do you want me to respond?” Zhan Shili asked, “You’d be even more upset if I said that I didn’t believe you.”

“You really are being perfunctory with me.”

“No,” Zhan Shili said, “You have your reasons, and if you say so, I’ll believe you.”

Xu Shen stared at his profile, which was focused on driving: “You trust me that much?”

Zhan Shili said frankly, “Believing you can make you happy, and I’m too lazy to think too much about it myself. There’s nothing wrong with sparing myself from a bit of thinking time.”

Xu Shen let out a “tch,” amused by him.

The last place where Zhan Shili parked was deep in a mountain in the New Territories.

Reaching the end of the mountain trail, there was no longer a road and they had no choice but to stop.

Zhan Shili took a glance at the dark forest outside and motioned to Xu Shen: “Get off”

Xu Shen got off, carrying the travel bag containing the money. There was a small path in the mountains that could only be traversed on foot.

Zhan Shili turned on a flashlight and walked ahead.

Xu Shen followed behind him, and after walking for a stretch, he suddenly said, “Nic, let’s rest for a bit. I can’t walk anymore.”

Zhan Shili stopped in his tracks and turned around, seeing Xu Shen already sitting on the rock tapping his legs. He stepped down and said, “You came to deliver the ransom for your father and you’re still being this perfunctory?”

“I’m very tired, I really can’t walk anymore. Let him wait.” Xu Shen looked up at him, beckoning with his finger.

Zhan Shili bent down and leaned closer, only for his neck to be embraced by Xu Shen.

Xu Shen scrutinized his face closely with a hint of amusement in his eyes: “Don’t you find it strange?”

Zhan Shili asked, “Find what strange?”

“With a net worth and status like my father’s, who kidnaps him for just 30 million? Even 300 million wouldn’t be considered much, right?”

The corners of Xu Shen’s lips curled up, his finger gently caressing the back of Zhan Shili’s neck: “Nic, what do you think?”

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