Shen Liuyun frowned and glanced at his watch. “No problem. Whatever else you have, state it now. I do not have time to waste with you; my brother’s safety is my priority.”
The kidnapper on the other end chuckled. “As for the rest? Well, it is not exactly a requirement. Do not call the police. If you do, you know the consequences. Move fast because I cannot guarantee he will still be alive if this drags on.”
Shen Liuyun paused while gripping his phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “I understand. Send the time and location immediately. Let me repeat: you must ensure my brother’s safety. Otherwise, you will not get a single cent.”
“I will send it right over. Just wait for it. The fewer people who know about this, the better. Think of it as the Shen family paying to resolve a calamity—money for a life.”
The call ended with a dial tone.
Shen Liuyun looked at Lu Huainan beside him with an apologetic expression as he struggled to compose himself. “Huainan, it seems the celebratory dinner tonight cannot continue. I must go see Muyun. I…”
Lu Huainan felt a sudden and inexplicable palpitation. He blurted out, “It is fine. I will go with you. But, can the Shen family afford the ransom? Do you need financial support from the Lu family? Waiting for the banks to open takes too long; our primary goal is ensuring Muyun’s safety. As for the helicopter they demanded, I will apply for the flight path. We must act as quickly as possible.”
“Huainan, you know the Shen family’s cash flow is tight right now, mainly due to the North City project development and some smaller projects wrapping up.”
Lu Huainan smiled. “Do not worry. Given our friendship, I will help however I can.”
Shen Liuyun was stunned for a moment before snapping back to reality. “Thank you so much.”
“No time to lose. The address just came through. Let us move.”
Elsewhere, Shen Muyun was lying quietly in the back seat of the car while calculating how he could determine their specific location. He could only feel continuous and bumpy movement, likely on a dirt road. His eyes were covered, and leaving a mark was unrealistic. Besides, the car had been driving for a long time, so they must be quite far from the city. Even if he did leave something behind, Shen Liuyun probably would not find it; it would be a futile effort.
“Stop the car! My stomach hurts! It is unbearable!”
The kidnapper in the passenger seat immediately brandished a knife at Shen Muyun. “Shut your mouth! We will let you handle your business when we reach the destination.”
“I cannot! I cannot take it anymore! You would not want to be sitting in a cabin full of stench later, would you?”
“Shut up! If you whine again, do you believe we will finish you off right now?”
“Finish me off? What about your 50 million? Or was your employer planning to kill me from the start, and you are just taking the opportunity to extort the Shen family?”
The driver slammed on the brakes. Thud. Shen Muyun’s head collided directly with the back of the front seat.
“Second, get out and watch him. Do not let him pull any stunts.”
“Boss, that is against the rules. What if…”
“There are no what ifs. Do as I say. What, do you have other ideas? Be quick about it.”
“Boss, of course not. How could I have other ideas?”
Shen Muyun rubbed his aching forehead and heard the car door open with a click.
He could tell the person coming over was just a lackey. “Look, I have no strength left. Could you help me?”
The kidnapper glanced at Shen Muyun and grabbed his arm. “Get out. You are such a hassle.”
Shen Muyun was pulled along, and his feet felt the sharp gravel. He was right; it was indeed a dirt road, though he could not figure out where they were. He followed the man a few more steps.
The kidnapper stopped and pulled him. “Right here. There is a tree in front; you can take care of it. I am watching you, so do not even think about any tricks. You cannot escape.”
Shen Muyun unzipped his pants. With his eyes completely covered by the black cloth and the night being pitch black, he could not see anything. The air carried a sticky, damp, and uncomfortable smell.
“Hey, can you help me untie this blindfold?”
“Stop talking nonsense. Letting you out is already the boss being generous. What, you want to see where we are to report us?”
“How could that be? Big brother, it is pitch black; I cannot even see your face, so how could I know where this place is?”
Shen Muyun calmed his mind. Reporting them might just drag more people into danger. He had thought about trying to escape, but it seemed safer to just follow along and avoid unpredictable situations. After he was finished, he followed the kidnapper back to the car.
“Alright, hurry up. The contacts on the other end are urging us, and we still have to get to the next location. You are so slow.”
The kidnapper kicked Shen Muyun in the calf. He winced, legs buckling, and stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance. He was then shoved rudely back into the car.
“Brother, we have no grudges. You just want money, right? Why are you handing me over to other people? Hiss, my leg.”
Shen Muyun felt a throbbing pain.
The kidnapper in the driver’s seat laughed. “Ask what you are told to ask, and keep your mouth shut about the rest. That is not your business.”
Shen Muyun was helpless. He had clearly met a tricky bunch. He could not get any information out of them, so he resigned himself to his fate and lay quietly in the back seat. After a bumpy ride and a sudden stop that almost threw him into the front seat again, they arrived.
“You, take him to the contact. Keep a close eye on him.”
The kidnapper from the passenger seat got out and dragged Shen Muyun by the arm. “Be sensible and follow me. These people are not like our brothers; have some sense.”
Shen Muyun felt the pain in his arm but nodded. He did not believe they would just hand him over so easily. If only I had not let the system go to sleep, he thought. Wait, even if the system is asleep, I can still summon it, right? I will try later.
“This is the person you wanted. We have delivered him. Everything else from here on has nothing to do with us. Also, do not forget the 50 million we told you to extort. Do not go back on your word once it is done.”
A strange voice drifted into Shen Muyun’s ears.
“Fine. You two move fast. Here is the 5 million we promised. As for the 50 million, you will get that in your hands first. We were worried you would just run off, but I do not think you will; your brother is still here helping, so consider him half a hostage. Anyway, leave the rest to us. Get moving and meet up with Shen Liuyun. Remember, do not try any tricks.”
“Alright. The person is delivered. Remember to say hello to Brother Shui for me.”
“No problem.”
Shen Muyun felt a numbness in his calf as he was kicked again. It was a fresh injury on top of an old one. “Move! Those two brothers were easygoing, but our group is not.”
Shen Muyun nodded. “What is it that you actually want?”
“What do we want? You will find out when you go inside.”
The man dragged him inside. The air was filled with a greasy and heavy smell; it was likely an abandoned chemical plant.
“Brother Shui, the person is here. How should we handle him?”
“Tie him up and wait for the call. No rush. Shen Liuyun will not abandon his brother.”
Shen Muyun realized the person who had met them outside must be Brother Shui’s subordinate. “Big brother, please be gentle. I have been drugged; I cannot run.”
“Shut it, kid. Let me tell you, do not try any tricks. We have people everywhere inside and out. Even if you escaped this room, you would not make it out of this area. If you do not want to suffer, stay quiet and you will have it easy. If you do not, well, that is another story.”
Beep, beep, beep.
A phone rang. Shen Muyun knew it must be Shen Liuyun.
Brother Shui answered the phone and put it on speaker. “Hello? Who is this?”
Shen Liuyun’s voice came through immediately. “Where is my brother? Is he safe? I am almost at the location you specified.”
Shen Liuyun felt a surge of panic. This was not the voice of the kidnapper from before. A realization flashed through his mind, but the situation left him no time to think.
Brother Shui laughed. “Oh? Him? He is quite safe. Do not worry; our goal is just the money. The hostage is just a bargaining chip to threaten you.”
“You must ensure my brother’s safety! Where is he? Let him speak!”
Shen Muyun was tied up uncomfortably with a cloth gag shoved into his mouth. It felt like a drowning fish; even breathing was difficult.
“Bring him up. Let him listen.”
“Mmph, mmph.” Shen Muyun struggled to make a sound.
“How do I know this is my brother? Just from these muffled noises? I need to see him alive.”
Brother Shui ordered his men to remove the cloth from Shen Muyun’s mouth.
“Brother! Brother, I am fine! Here, there is a smell of gasoline.”
Before Shen Muyun could finish, the cloth was stuffed back into his mouth.
The kidnapper grabbed his hair and glared viciously. “Oh, his eyes are covered, but his nose is quite sharp. How about this? Let us cut off his nose and send it to Shen Liuyun as a souvenir.”
Shen Liuyun heard this clearly and said coldly, “If you dare touch him, you will not just lose the money; the Shen family will stop at nothing to eradicate you. Remember my words: do not touch him!”
Brother Shui clapped loudly, and the surrounding lackeys whistled. “Oh, the young master of the Shen family has guts. But even if you chase us to the ends of the earth, your brother will be deaf, blind, or missing limbs. Are you okay with that? If we do not touch him, you need to show some sincerity.”
Brother Shui gestured for his men to take Shen Muyun aside.
“You!”
Lu Huainan tapped Shen Liuyun on the shoulder and signaled for the phone.
“Hello, I am the CEO of the Lu Corporation, Lu Huainan. State your demands. We have only one request: ensure the safety of Shen Muyun.”
“Hiss, what kind of wind blew in today? An east-south wind? How did it blow the eldest son of the Lu family here? Does this Shen Muyun have that much charm? Is he not the one abandoned by your social circle? Or did I get it wrong? It seems gossip is not reliable.”
Lu Huainan did not take the bait, only smiling. “The affairs of our circle are not for you to discuss. If you want money, we can provide it. We have not called the police, just as you asked. As for anything else, bring it on.”
“The young master of the Lu family is straightforward. Here is the deal: I heard your recent North City contract was won with the Shen family. Our boss is not too happy with that contract; you understand what we mean, right?”
“Fine. Your boss is not happy with that contract? Simple. We will terminate it. Shen is right here with me; that condition is easy. Anything else?”
“You are a straightforward man. Arrange a plane, too; we have many brothers here.”
“No problem. I have already applied for the flight path. Everything will be done according to your wishes, but you must guarantee the personal safety of Shen Muyun.”
“Of course. We are just here for the money; we do not want to take any lives. Wait for the money and the plane. See you then.”
Shen Muyun listened quietly while curled up in the corner with his hands tied behind his back. Fortunately, he could still move his fingertips. Though he lacked strength, it was a start.
System, are you there?
He waited, but there was no response. Could the signal be bad? Regardless, he had to think of a way.
His fingers scraped against the ground. There was a lot of dust; not many people came here. He felt around and touched something hard—metal. He did not know if it was sharp, but he leaned back while trying to hook the object.
“Hiss.” His fingertip was cut. He was overjoyed. It felt like a piece of tin with a sharp edge. If he could file the rope against it discreetly, it might snap.
Seeing him lean back, a lackey kicked him hard. “Do not move! What are you trying to do? You cannot escape from here.”
“Big brother, I am just stretching. My body is stiff.”
Shen Muyun moved, feeling the rope behind him loosen slightly. The guards were near the corner, and he was in a blind spot. He began to rub the rope against the sharp metal with all his might.
Outside, there was a rustling sound.
“Brother Shui, are we really going to let this kid go? He heard our voices, will he not…”
The leader laughed. “We promised the other side. Once the money arrives, we will release him. As for whether he can actually get out, that is a different story.”
Shen Muyun paused. He understood; they never intended to let him go. That meant he had to work even harder. He wondered if Shen Liuyun had been lured elsewhere.
Beep, beep, beep.
Shen Muyun’s phone rang again. Brother Shui checked the screen and answered.
“I have arrived at your designated location. Where is the money? Where is my brother? One hand delivers the money, the other releases the person. You would not go back on your word, would you?”
“Do not be so anxious. Keep walking forward. You will see a red paint bucket; just place it on there. As for your brother, we will send him back in a bit. What about the plane you prepared? Where is it?”
A subordinate held another phone while broadcasting the feed.
Shen Muyun struggled violently. “Mmph, mmph.”
Before he could do more, a lackey kicked him in the abdomen. Shen Muyun felt a sharp pain. “Hiss.”
“What have you done to my brother? Where is he? No, I want a video confirmation of his condition!”
Shen Liuyun looked at the factory area. It was deathly quiet, the entrance leading into endless darkness. Muyun definitely was not here. There were so many warehouses; if he had to search them one by one, he dared not think further.
“Fine, I will let you see him. I promise he will not be harmed as long as he stays quiet and does not do anything strange. We do not want to hurt anyone; the money is what is most important.”
Shen Liuyun hung up and started a video call.
Inside the dim warehouse, only one light was flickering and buzzing loudly. It was an abandoned factory, but something felt wrong.
“Where is my brother?”
Brother Shui threw the phone to his subordinate. “Let him see his brother.”
The man walked into a deeper and even darker room.