She shouted loudly, “Ten million… I’ll give you ten million right away if you let me go.”
In this critical situation, Fang Mian had no choice but to make up a story on the spot.
Sure enough, the three men exchanged glances, all visibly tempted.
The leader asked suspiciously, “You’ll really give us ten million?”
Ten million was enough for them to take a break and enjoy themselves for three years.
This deal was absolutely worth it.
“Really!” Fang Mian said with utmost sincerity. “Give me your bank account number and hand me my phone. I just need to make one call, and the money will be transferred immediately.”
The leader: “Fine, but I’ll only let you go after I receive the money!”
“Okay.”
“Second Brother, give her the handbag.”
Fang Mian tried her best to put on a harmless smile. “Could you untie my hands first? Otherwise, it’ll be hard to enter the lock screen password.”
None of them spoke.
“Don’t worry, I won’t run. There are three of you men—are you really afraid you can’t keep an eye on one woman?”
That made sense.
“Third Brother, untie her.”
Once her hands were free and she could move them freely, Fang Mian felt much more comfortable.
She took the handbag and gave them a grateful smile.
Every woman keeps some self-defense items in her bag for protection.
Hidden in her bag was a multi-functional self-defense pen.
From the outside, it looked no different from an ordinary writing pen.
But inside, it held a secret.
At this moment, all three men were focused on her phone, and no one paid attention to the pen in her hand.
Fang Mian casually twisted the switch open and asked with a smile, “What’s the account number? Let me write it down with the pen first, so you won’t suspect I’m calling the police if I use my phone.”
The leader pulled out a card from his wallet. “662835…”
Second Brother: “That’s wrong, it’s 662685… This is ten million we’re talking about. Don’t mess it up and send the money to someone else’s account.”
“The lighting isn’t great. Turn on your phone’s flashlight…”
Taking advantage of their distraction…
Fang Mian seized the moment, pressed the mechanism, and stabbed Third Brother hard with the pen’s blade.
“Ah…” Third Brother clutched his arm in pain.
She quickly opened the door, jumped out of the car, and sprinted down the mountain.
“Catch her, damn it!”
As she ran, Fang Mian turned on her phone.
As soon as it powered on, a call came in immediately.
She swiped to answer.
“Fang…”
Her voice trembled. “Gu Tingye, come save me, quick!”
Gu Tingye instantly sensed something was wrong and hurriedly asked, “Where are you?”
Fang Mian’s vision blurred with tears of fear. “I don’t know! They’re about to catch up—what should I do?”
“Describe the surroundings around you.”
“There seem to be mountains, power lines, and a winding road. It’s very dark around… Ah…”
“You bitch, still trying to run!”
The phone fell to the ground with a crash, its screen shattering into pieces and going black.
Fang Mian’s long skirt was stepped on, and she tumbled to the ground.
Her foot was grabbed by Third Brother.
Seeing that Second Brother and the leader were about to catch up, Fang Mian used all her strength to jab him with her other stiletto heel—again and again.
In her frantic kicking, two strikes landed right on his previous wound. Third Brother grimaced in pain and loosened his grip.
Trembling all over, Fang Mian stood up and hurled her high heels in their direction.
Then, barefoot, she accelerated her run.
Suddenly, a speeding car approached from ahead.
Fang Mian couldn’t dodge in time and was struck by the front of the car, instantly tumbling down into the chaotic woods on the mountainside…
The first, second, and third thugs, seeing a car approaching, quickly retreated and fled.
The driver who caused the accident was terrified out of his wits upon realizing he had hit someone.
But noticing the desolate, remote mountains with no surveillance around, he stepped on the gas and sped away.
“I’m sorry, the number you have dialed cannot be reached at the moment. Please try again later.”
Gu Tingye, who had lost contact with Fang Mian, wore a dark, cold expression, his entire body radiating a fierce, violent aura.
Daring to touch someone under his protection?
Seeking death!
He had never used his special connections for anyone before, but now…
Gu Tingye dialed a number he had saved in his contacts for a long time but never used: “Help me find someone, and make it fast…”
He described the basic road conditions and features.
The person on the other end laughed: “With such vague geographical details, where do you expect me to look?”
Gu Tingye snapped angrily: “If I knew the exact location, would I still need you?”
“Don’t get so worked up! At least tell me, is the person you’re looking for a man or a woman?”
“Woman.”
“Oh, a woman? Has your iron tree finally bloomed?”
“Keep spouting nonsense, and I’ll flip your hideout upside down!”
“No, no, no! I’ll start searching right away.”
After hanging up, Gu Tingye still felt unbearably anxious.
He suddenly remembered the man who had struck up a conversation with Fang Mian.
Tonight’s banquet was hosted by President Chen. Without an invitation, ordinary people couldn’t get in.
So everyone who managed to enter here had some connection, however small, to President Chen.
Gu Tingye’s sinister eyes were filled with bone-chilling coldness.
An aura of destructive, violent energy emanated from his entire being.
His fierce and icy demeanor made everyone around him keep their distance.
President Chen hurried over to ask: “What’s wrong, President Gu? What’s going on…”
Gu Tingye spoke coldly: “My assistant has gone missing at your event. I hope President Chen can give me a clear explanation. Otherwise… those little fish and shrimp you’ve just managed to reel in might not live much longer—they’ll all die!”
With that, Gu Tingye strode away.
President Chen stood rooted to the spot, glaring at his retreating figure with gritted teeth.
The Gu family’s influence was deeply entrenched and formidable, so much so that no one dared to speak of it lightly.
The world only knew of Gu Tingye’s renowned success in the business world, unaware that the Gu family held even greater prestige and power in political and military circles!
In Long Country, no one dared to offend the Gu family lightly.
Except for the Gu family members themselves…
Half an hour later.
Gu Tingye, following the address obtained from the intelligence search, led his men to Lion Ridge.
He shone his flashlight around as he searched: “Fang Mian… where are you… Fang Mian… answer if you can hear me!”
If he had known this would happen, he shouldn’t have let her leave his sight earlier.
If he had known, he shouldn’t have brought her on this business trip.
“Miss Fang…”
“Miss Fang…”
“President Gu, come quick! There’s blood here!”
Gu Tingye’s pupils contracted, almost afraid to step forward and check.
It couldn’t be!
Not long ago, she was smiling so happily at another man.
Besides, she still owed him ten debts, and hadn’t repaid a single one.
How could she die?
“Found it! Found it!”
Gu Tingye’s heart leaped with joy.
“We found Miss Fang’s phone and handbag.”
Gu Tingye took the items with a sense of disappointment.
They were indeed Fang Mian’s.
But where was she?
They had already searched the roads here back and forth two or three times…
He suddenly turned his head to look at the deep mountain shaped like a concave.
Could it be…
He narrowed his eyes. “Search down the mountain.”
“President Gu, visibility is poor in the middle of the night. Should we wait until dawn to search?”
Their team was only dispatched by President Chen to cooperate and put on a show.
Unlike that SWAT team, who selflessly serve the people.
“Ten thousand per person per hour. All of you, search down the mountain.”
The man was instantly overjoyed. “Yes, yes! We’ll race against time and find Miss Fang immediately.”
“Brothers! Step on the gas right away. President Gu said ten thousand an hour, everyone move quickly.”
Gu Tingye snatched an off-road motorcycle from nearby, put on a helmet, stepped on the throttle, and rushed down the mountain.
“President Gu, you mustn’t!”
“President Gu…”
Two legs were too slow.
He had to be faster, even faster…