Chapter 76 Kidnapping

Even though Li Ji has caused a huge uproar in public opinion both in the outside world and on the Internet, his expression and mood remain unchanged. Instead, he sipped his red wine quite calmly.

The man held the wine glass between his fingertips, his eyes slightly lowered, his crow-feather-like eyelashes covering the emotions in his eyes, and his expression seemed obscure and unclear under the dim light and shadow.

Ever since the public opinion erupted, Li Ji's phone has been ringing non-stop. Duan Jingrui sent him a series of calls and text messages, calling him shameless, and the public relations team of Sheng Group called him to ask him to come forward and explain - but there was no call from Sheng Zhao.

Li Ji was waiting to see what Sheng Zhao would do.

Should he abandon him in this quagmire of public condemnation, allowing his future to be ruined, and fall from the glamorous first-line star to the bottom of the pit, or...

Li Ji's thoughts paused for a moment.

He curled up slightly and closed his eyes.

He could hardly bear this anxiety anymore. The unique pampering and love made him feel like he was walking on a single-plank bridge. If he took a wrong step, he would be afraid of Sheng Zhao's cold face.

His thoughts, his emotions, and his feelings were firmly controlled by Sheng Zhao, and he was completely unable to control himself.

He is Sheng Zhao's puppet, and just as Chen Shuoxing said, he will abandon him after Sheng Zhao loses interest.

Because she is like a bad child who gets a favorite toy. She will love it and treasure it, but she will also throw it away the moment she loses interest.

...That's really bad.

Li Ji sneered slightly, tilted his head back and poured the remaining wine into his mouth. The spilled wine drops flowed down his chin to his sexy Adam's apple, and finally disappeared.

“Hmm—”

His eyes were slightly dazed and his pupils were unfocused as he stared at the corner. In the moment when he was lost in thought, someone suddenly grabbed his throat, covered his mouth and nose, and he fell into unconsciousness before he could even struggle.

——————

The air in the abandoned warehouse was damp and sticky, with a pungent and unpleasant smell. A handsome unconscious man was casually thrown in a corner, his brows furrowed, as if he was not sleeping well.

Li Ji slowly woke up as he heard people walking around him. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by the covetous gazes of the women around him.

"Boss, he's awake."

The woman looked at Li Ji and swallowed, staring at him intently, muttering, "This is the big star on TV, so handsome, I have never seen such a good-looking man in my life."

"Boss, wait a minute, after we finish this, don't kill him yet. Can you give him to us as a reward?"

The masked woman called the boss didn't say anything. She walked over slowly, squatted down, picked up Li Ji's bony hand, and gently stroked it with her fingertips.

Li Ji's expression was solemn. The effect of the medicine made him feel weak all over. Looking at the surrounding environment and several tall and strong women with evil expressions, it was obvious that the situation... was not very good.

He lowered his eyes slightly, thinking.

At this time, the woman known as the boss spoke softly, her voice slow and filled with sneer and hatred, "These hands are really beautiful, worthy of being our big star - if I cut off a finger and sent it to Sheng Zhao, she would definitely be heartbroken."

...This voice was vaguely familiar. Li Ji paused, suppressed the coldness in his body, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"...Shen Jiaoye?"

"Heh." The woman sneered, "It seems you still recognize me. I'm not just a pretty face."

"Sheng Zhao destroyed my Shen family, and you, a bitch, also contributed!" Her voice suddenly lowered with a piercing hatred, "You've been with Sheng Zhao for so long, and she likes you so much, so much so that she repeatedly attacked the Shen family for you. Just think about it..."

"I've already sent a message. Do you think she'll come single-handedly to rescue you?"

"If she doesn't come..."

Her voice was filled with a desperate smile and madness. "I'll have someone gang-rape you, film it and send it to Sheng Zhao. She'll be furious. Then I'll send him two of your fingers. Such beautiful hands will become stumps... What do you think Sheng Zhao will do?"

"I finally found an opportunity where you didn't have any bodyguards or agents around you. You're really stupid. As Sheng Zhao's man, you're staying alone. Aren't you afraid of being sought after for revenge?"

Li Ji paused.

The air around us was sticky with the smell of the sea, obviously we were near Haikou.

It seems that they want to escape by sneaking through Haikou after the mission is accomplished.

He pursed his lips, his voice hoarse and dry, "...Don't let Sheng Zhao come."

"What?"

Shen Jiaoye paused slightly, lowered his head and leaned over to listen to his murmur, "...Don't let Sheng Zhao come."

"A normal person would have been scared to death by now, and you still want to save Sheng Zhao?" Shen Jiaoye seemed a little unbelievable. She pinched Li Ji's neck viciously, "If she doesn't come, I will torture and kill you and send the video to Sheng Zhao. I bet she will remember the miserable sight of the man she loved turned into a pile of rotten meat for the rest of her life."

Li Ji was strangled by her and couldn't breathe. His voice was intermittent and weak, making it difficult to hear. "Aren't you afraid that she will seek revenge?"

His words suddenly stimulated Shen Jiaoye, and she raised her voice and almost shouted.

"That bitch made everything I had disappear! I have nothing left! The Shen family, the position of the head of the Shen family, the power, the wealth! All were taken away by that bastard! What am I afraid of?! What am I afraid of?!"

She pinched him even more angrily, almost with her eyes bulging.

Then she suddenly grabbed Li Ji's hair, pointed the camera at herself and Li Ji, who had purple marks on his neck, and spoke in a vicious voice.

"Sheng Zhao! I sent you a text message half an hour ago. Are you afraid to reply? Half an hour has already passed in the three-hour period. If you haven't come here in person in two and a half hours, your man will be in trouble. I will torture him with the most brutal punishment and record it in a video to send to you. I guarantee that even a cold-blooded woman like you will never forget it."

"You know what the consequences are if you call the police."

After Chen Jiaoye finished recording the video, he threw Li Ji away.

“Cough cough cough——”

Li Ji coughed heart-wrenchingly, and the purple marks on his neck made it almost impossible for him to breathe. The man was pale and curled up in the corner, gasping for breath.

As soon as the video was sent out, the women beside him paused and hurriedly called Shen Jiaoye, "Boss, Sheng Zhao sent a message."

Li Ji raised his eyes and looked at those people who were scrambling to look at the things sent by Sheng Zhao.

That’s also a video.

Chen Jiaoye had a bad feeling in his heart, paused, and clicked it anyway.

Sheng Zhao's light and leisurely voice filled the entire dark warehouse. "Jiaoye, long time no see. I went to do some things in the past half hour, so I was delayed. Of course, it's not because I'm afraid of death as you said. It really makes me sad that you misunderstood me like this. After all, we are old friends. Don't you know me? I'll be there in about half an hour. Don't worry, I came here alone. I know you are a principled woman who would not make a move on a man..."

"But you know I'm a very vicious woman—"

Her voice suddenly took on malice.

In the video, Sheng Zhao's voice laughed softly, and then the boy's crying voice was heard, "Sister - wuwu - let me go, let me go! What are you going to do?! Let me go!"

It was Shen Moyi's voice.

Shen Jiaoye was stunned for a moment.

"I promised Shen Moyi that I would treat him well and ensure he would have enough food and drink for the rest of his life. Of course, I'm not a kind person. I made this promise because I was afraid you would do something bad and use your dear brother as a bargaining chip."

Sheng Zhao's voice was calm, yet threatening.

Shen Jiaoye was stunned for a moment, then laughed again, "I don't care about this stupid brother anymore. He has done so many stupid things that harmed the Shen family. What right does he have to live..."

Before Shen Jiaoye finished talking to himself, Sheng Zhao in the video spoke again, "Of course I know what you will say. Shen Moyi is a fool. It doesn't matter whether he is alive or dead. You don't care."

"But I know you. You're a very responsible woman. Before you did this, you hid the rest of the Shen family abroad, didn't you? What a pity! I know where they are. It's truly pitiful. The former head of the Shen family, the old woman, had never suffered hardship in her life, but she couldn't stand having a gun to her head. Look, she was so scared she had a heart attack and is about to die. I hope the medicine will make her feel better."

Her voice was filled with pity and concern.

The video cuts to another angle, where the foreign mercenaries with guns bring out the trembling members of the Shen family one by one, with their cold gun barrels pointed at their heads. The old lady in the lead, the Shen family member, is holding her heart and gasping for breath, looking like she is dying.

"You! Sheng Zhao!" Chen Jiaoye's eyes were wide open and his back teeth were grinding.

At this time, Sheng Zhao's voice came softly again, but it was extremely cold.

"I'm actually afraid that you'll follow my example and choose to abandon your family as a coward, so I have a gift in my hand."

"...Jiaoye, save me." The man's hoarse voice was filled with fear, and his handsome and cold face, which was bound, was full of fear and attachment.

——It’s Sheng Cehan.

"You're crazy! You're crazy! You're threatening me with your own brother?!!!"

Shen Jiaoye was almost incredulous, "How is it possible, how is it possible, that's your brother!"

It is almost common knowledge in the circle that Chen Jiaoye likes Sheng Cehan. She has pursued Sheng Cehan for a long time, but has never been accepted by him.

"Sheng Zhao! Are you so cold-hearted?! Are you crazy?!"

Even though this was a pre-recorded video and there was no possibility of an answer, Shen Jiaoye continued to question, his voice hoarse.

"Of course, you'll ask why I can't attack my brother..." Sheng Zhao sneered suddenly, with a bad arrogance and indifference. "To be honest, I've wanted to get rid of him for a long time. He doesn't have a trace of Sheng blood in his body. If you touch Li Ji's finger, I will chop off two of his fingers - you know I can do it."

"If Sheng Cehan dies, I'll pin the blame on you. I'll use the Sheng family's financial resources to heavily subsidize the government's pursuit of transnational criminals and issue high-priced mercenary bounties... Of course, I'll also kill your brother and the Shen family. You'll lose your brother, your family, and the people you love. You'll spend your whole life hiding like a rat, never feeling at peace."

"...Do you like this kind of life?"

Sheng Zhao chuckled, and then the video ended.

Chen Jiaoye lowered his head weakly, his eyes full of thoughts. Even Sheng Zhao's clear and smiling voice just now made him feel a bit cold.

Mad man, crazy woman.

Who can defeat her? Who can escape the control of this madman?!

Failed again, failed again...

Shen Jiaoye collapsed weakly on the ground.

Li Ji, who had been lowering his head and breathing weakly, listened to Sheng Zhao's words in the video, and then listened to her slightly rising ending tone as usual, her thick ink-like hair covering her eyebrows and eyes, and then she lowered her head and chuckled.

...As expected of Sheng Zhao.

“Snap—”

Then suddenly, a slap hit Li Ji's face viciously.

Shen Jiaoye heard the barely audible chuckle, and the biting coldness and anger in his body found an outlet. He slapped her so hard that even her palm trembled slightly.

"You stinky cousin! What are you laughing at?!"

Li Ji was hit and his head turned sideways, and a clear slap mark suddenly appeared on his face. There was even blood at the corner of his lips, which flowed in a winding manner at the corner of his lips, and his mouth was full of the taste of blood.

He was trembling slightly, his face was pale, his hair covered his eyebrows and eyes, making it impossible to see his emotions. He was breathing softly and licked the blood from the corner of his lips with difficulty.

She regretted it as soon as she slapped him.

Chen Jiaoye didn't dare to think about what would happen if such a hard slap hit Sheng Cehan in the face. She suppressed her emotions and continued to send messages to Sheng Zhao. Her voice was obviously much more honest and she closed her eyes.

"Sheng Zhao... I'll release Li Ji, and you release the Shen family and Sheng Cehan. Let me take Cehan away, and I promise I won't appear in front of you again."

She spoke with difficulty, emphasizing each word, "...Our grudge ends here."

"That's it?"

The iron door of the warehouse at the door was gently pushed open by the woman. Sheng Zhao lowered his eyes slightly and looked at everything in the warehouse. The creaking iron door of the warehouse was particularly loud and harsh in the silent warehouse.

Sheng Zhao checked his watch and said casually, "You arrived ten minutes earlier than I said. You were driving too fast. I'm sure the traffic police will give you a ticket."

The men hired by Shen Jiaoye suddenly pointed their guns at Sheng Zhao.

Sheng Zhao seemed not to notice those cold and terrifying guns, and walked towards Shen Jiaoye step by step.

Shen Jiaoye looked a little scared as he saw her approaching step by step, but he still raised the corners of his lips and smiled awkwardly, "I lost... Sheng Zhao."

"Take Li Ji away, and release Ce Han and the Shen family."

Sheng Zhao lowered his eyes for a moment, his emotions unclear, and his voice was devoid of any emotion. "You have a weakness, yet you do something like kidnapping. How ridiculous... How stupid."

She reached out and gently stroked Shen Jiaoye's face. As Shen Jiaoye looked fearful and resistant, the cold muzzle of a gun suddenly appeared at his sleeve.

Shen Jiaoye was stunned.

The muzzle of the gun was against her head. In an instant, the atmosphere became tense, and the mercenaries' guns, which had just relaxed, suddenly pointed at Sheng Zhao again.

"Sheng Zhao! I already agreed to reconcile, what are you doing?!"

"Reconciliation?" Sheng Zhao paused and chuckled. "I don't trust anyone. Who knew that a bullet would take my life when I turned around?"

The cold muzzle of the gun pressed hard against Shen Jiaoye's head. She leaned close to Shen Jiaoye's ear and whispered, "Tell your men to lay down their weapons, or you will be the one to die."

Chen Jiaoye closed his eyes and signaled everyone to lay down their weapons.

Everyone looked at each other, but finally obeyed the order and piled their weapons in the corner.

"...Are you satisfied now?"

It is not a pleasant feeling to have your life threatened. Shen Jiaoye's life, the lives of the Shen family, and even Sheng Cehan's life are all in Sheng Zhao's hands.

Cold sweat broke out on Shen Jiaoye's forehead.

"That's enough, Sheng Zhao! Let Sheng Cehan out, and we'll be even."

"uh-huh?"

Sheng Zhao remained silent. The moment they put down their weapons, a group of armed policemen suddenly rushed in from the door. The well-organized police made the so-called reconciliation scene become ridiculous in an instant.

"You!" Chen Jiaoye's eyes were about to burst, "You even called the police?!"

Sheng Zhao paused, chuckled, and lowered his voice with a strong sense of teasing, "...I already said I'm a bad woman."

Shen Jiaoye's men wanted to resist, but they were surrounded by police and had no room to resist. For a moment, they were escorted out in an orderly manner.

She handed Shen Jiaoye in her arms to the leading police officer with a look of disgust.

Officer Chen, with a smile in his eyes, held Shen Jiaoye in his hand and said, "Thank you Comrade Sheng for your achievements. Nine guns were seized, ten criminals were arrested, and the celebrity kidnapping case, which had not yet attracted public attention, was solved."

"It would be great if there were more people like Comrade Sheng in the world. He believed the kidnappers' words that someone was coming, but he didn't realize that criminals are unreasonable. Seeking help from the police in a timely manner can better solve the problem."

Sheng Zhao listened obediently with a smile on his face.

Then, as if remembering something, he said, "By the way, comrade police officer, I have some personal grudges to deal with."

Officer Chen paused, and before he could say anything, Sheng Zhao's slap suddenly landed on Shen Jiaoye's incredulous face.

“Pah-pah—”

I slapped him twice in a row, and my hand was in pain.

"hiss--"

"Comrade Sheng, you..."

Sheng Zhao shook his hands in pain, then looked at Officer Chen with a smile. Officer Chen paused, his face filled with shock. Before he could say anything, the secretary in charge of taking notes hurriedly took Officer Chen away to deal with the matter.

Li Ji was still curled up in the corner. The ambulance had arrived and medical staff came in one after another and were arranging treatment in a hurry.

Sheng Zhao turned and walked towards Li Ji, then lowered his head and hugged him in his arms.

The warm body temperature made Li Ji's eyes sore and moist, but he just pursed his lips, suppressing his trembling breath and sobs. His hair covered his eyebrows and eyes, making it difficult to see his expression. After a moment, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "What about the gun in your hand? Aren't you going to hand it over?"

"...I'm a conscientious businessman and I wouldn't keep a gun privately. That's a replica model."

Sheng Zhao replied with no emotion in his voice.

Li Ji buried his face tightly in Sheng Zhao's chest.

“…I’m so scared.”

The man's voice was hoarse and trembling.

"I'm afraid you won't come because you hate me...but I'm also afraid you'll come alone."

Sheng Zhao didn't answer him, but just asked softly, "...Does it still hurt?"

"pain."

Li Ji's voice was trembling with sobs. When he heard her ask him if it still hurt, a bitter feeling of grievance suddenly filled his entire mouth and eyes.

After the warmth of peace of mind came the tiredness that he had forced himself to endure. He slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep, but his hands were still tightly clutching Sheng Zhao's clothes, and even the medical staff who wanted to take him to the hospital could not pull them free.

“Hmm—”

The early morning light shone on Li Ji's slightly furrowed brows. He did not sleep well. The nightmare of falling into the abyss and the kidnapping yesterday made him break out in cold sweats.

He suddenly woke up and found that he had arrived at the hospital.

The unique smell of the hospital made him feel safe and warm. He looked out the window in a trance and saw birds chirping and jumping in the dense leaves.

The weather is very nice today.

The nurse who came in looked at Li Ji, who had a bandaged wound on his face and woke up with a confused look on his face, and chuckled as she changed the infusion bottle for him.

"Mr. Li, you're awake. You took a large amount of anesthetic and slept for a whole day. The wound on your face has been treated with medicine, so it won't leave a scar. The infusion is due to hypoglycemia. You should eat something—"

The young nurse paused for a moment, and then said hesitantly and shyly, "Then... Mr. Li, can you sign an autograph for me? I'm a fan of yours and have liked you for a long time."

He scratched his head again, his voice getting lower and lower, "Of course, it's okay if you don't sign it."

Li Ji was in a daze for a moment. The turbulent public opinion and malice that day overwhelmed him. He paused and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"...Do you still like me?"

"Ah?" The young nurse seemed a little confused. He quickly declared his love, "Of course, my favorite is the TV series you starred in. And you are so amazing. You are actually in a relationship with Mr. Sheng. It's that Mr. Sheng—"

The young nurse's voice was filled with envy and anticipation.

Li Ji paused, his groggy head making it difficult for him to breathe. His weak body suddenly erupted in trembling suppression. He hurriedly took out his bedside phone, and today's trending search was clearly displayed -

Mr. Sheng responded that he and Li Ji were in a relationship.

——"@隶寂 and I are in a relationship. We have been together for a long time. He is not being kept by someone else, nor is he a mistress."