Chapter 41 [VIP]

"Waaah!" Pei Xingzhi's mouth was gagged, and he could only express his resistance to his kidnappers with muffled sobs.

Since they knew his name, it must have been a premeditated kidnapping. He considers himself a model citizen, someone who wouldn't even dare run a red light. Who could be so jealous of such an outstanding and kind person as to kidnap him?

"Mr. Pei, please be patient, we'll be there soon."

The person leading the way treated him with respect, which made Pei Xingzhi even more confused.

If it wasn't because of a grudge that he was kidnapped, then what was it for? His family isn't some wealthy or powerful clan, so kidnapping him wouldn't yield a large ransom. Besides, he's just an ordinary college student; although he's usually quite academically gifted, he's not at the point of being kidnapped and subjected to some kind of special experiment, like in novels and TV dramas.

After thinking it over and over, he still couldn't figure out why these people had kidnapped him and yet treated him so well.

Could it be that he has some special physical condition, allowing him to perform special experiments?

Pei Xingzhi let his imagination run wild, even connecting the kidnapping to the fact that it was because of his brother.

He hadn't heard from Boss Pei for a long time. His connections were limited, and the people he contacted only verbally agreed to help him look for him, but months had passed, and he still hadn't obtained any useful information. Even the most difficult mission shouldn't have disappeared for so long.

Could it be that his brother made some enemies, and these people are taking revenge on his family?

Pei Xingzhi frowned unconsciously, his little face full of annoyance and anger. That damned Pei Laoda, he's disappeared and still can't give him a break! He'll definitely give him a good beating when he comes back.

The assistant standing to the side watched Pei Xingzhi's changing expressions. The richness of his facial expressions was so great that even professional actors would probably be ashamed of themselves. In just a few minutes, he switched between more than a dozen emotions, as if someone had created a GIF on his face, which could be viewed with a variety of vivid performances.

Although he had done many shady things with his boss, most of those were psychological tactics; this was his first time engaging in direct kidnapping. To avoid Pei Xingzhi struggling and causing unnecessary trouble, he had even prepared anesthetics and various binding tools, but Pei Xingzhi was quite cooperative, not making a single move of resistance except for trying to get close to him. If one didn't realize they were being kidnapped, judging from Pei Xingzhi alone, they might think they were filming some kind of TV drama.

As the saying goes, a wise man knows when to yield, but Pei Xingzhi seems to be a little too pragmatic.

But his cooperation did save him a lot of trouble. Before the two had even exchanged many words, the assistant had already developed a liking for Pei Xingzhi, who appeared rebellious but was actually a well-behaved kid. He led the man to the boss's study, sat him down in the central chair, and untied the rope binding his hands.

"Mr. Pei, we've arrived."

As Pei Xingzhi was lost in thought, he was led to his destination. His senses told him that he was in a room, and the incense in the air suggested that the person he was about to meet was of considerable wealth.

The person behind him untied the ropes binding him and removed the black cloth that had been covering his eyes.

As light returned to his eyes, Pei Xingzhi squinted uncomfortably before surveying his surroundings.

Just as Pei Xingzhi had anticipated, the decor here leaned towards an oriental style. Various sizes of porcelain vases were displayed in the showcases. Although Pei Xingzhi knew nothing about antiques, he could still discern the value of the items. In front of him was a screen painted with green bamboo. Behind the screen, someone seemed to be sitting; Pei Xingzhi couldn't see who it was, but he guessed this was the mastermind behind today's kidnapping.

Why would someone so rich want to kidnap him? Are all rich people these days out of their minds?

Although there was a screen between them, it was still impolite to stare directly at him. Pei Xingzhi looked around, trying to find some clues about the person in front of him.

"Pei Xingzhi?" the man said, though he only uttered Pei Xingzhi's name briefly, there was an inexplicable pressure that made Pei Xingzhi feel suffocated.

Depend on!

Are all Alphas these days crazy?! Why do they release pheromones so indiscriminately?

"Why...why did you kidnap me? I don't think I've ever offended you." Pei Xingzhi took a deep breath to steady himself and asked the question in a trembling voice.

Even if you kidnapped him, you should at least give him a reason. What kind of nonsense is it to kidnap him for no reason and then use pheromones to bully him like this?

"It seems you really are just a Beta." The man withdrew his pheromones. It seemed he wasn't alone behind the screen; Pei Xingzhi heard several deliberately hushed voices, and then silence.

"What else could I be but a Beta? You can't kidnap people like this without being reasonable! What do you want? I'm a Beta, I don't have glands; my family is poor; kidnapping me is useless to you. But if you want the entries for the competition, I can give them to you." The key to negotiation is maneuvering. He first stated his value; saving his life was the most important thing.

“Mr. Pei, you’re overthinking it. We don’t care about that.” A man who looked to be in his thirties emerged from behind the screen. His hair was neatly combed, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses, looking every bit the elite. He adjusted his glasses and slowly walked up to Pei Xingzhi.

"So what do you want?" He has no other value. If these people aren't here for the competition, then what are they here for?

“We want you to agree to marry the young master,” the man said clearly, bowing slightly. “If you agree to marry him, we will let you leave immediately.”

"What?"

If the man hadn't repeated it again, Pei Xingzhi would have almost doubted whether he was hallucinating.

Where did this young master come from? And where did this marriage come from?

Was he poisoned by the chemical reagents in the laboratory? How could such an absurd thing happen in real life?

Who would kidnap a Beta for no reason and then force him to marry some young master of theirs? This isn't a novel, and he's not some pregnant runaway wife.

What exactly is this person saying?

"Don't worry, we don't want you to marry the young master right now. This is just an engagement; the wedding can wait until after you graduate. Of course, if Mr. Pei can accept that, the sooner the better..."

"No, no..." Pei Xingzhi interrupted the man, completely bewildered. "What marriage are you talking about? Have you got the wrong person? I'm a Beta!"

Isn't this a bit too surreal?

Call him a bit extreme if you will, but after Xie Nanyi's incident, he's developed PTSD regarding the word "marriage." What terrible mistake did he make to deserve being plagued by so many lunatics!

"Why should I marry your young master? You kidnapped me here just to force me to marry you? I don't even know you! This is human trafficking! Human trafficking, don't you understand?!"

Pei Xingzhi became more and more agitated as he spoke. If someone hadn't been pressing down on his shoulders from behind, he probably would have pounced on the man behind the screen and given him a good beating.

“Young Master Pei, please don’t be too agitated. We will explain everything to you.” The man waved his hand, signaling his assistant to steady Pei Xingzhi and make sure he couldn’t move before continuing, “If we remember correctly, Mr. Pei and your brother have lost contact for several months now.”

"You even kidnapped my brother?!" Upon hearing news about his brother, Pei Xingzhi struggled to sit up, but the man pressed him back down.

"Mr. Pei, please don't worry. We're not some kind of criminal gang, so why would we commit the illegal act of kidnapping your brother?"

Upon hearing the man's words, Pei Xingzhi couldn't help but glare at him.

If they aren't ***, then who's holding me hostage right now?

The man caught Pei Xingzhi's gaze and smiled calmly.

"Mr. Pei's situation was an accident, so we should be allowed some exceptions."

"Where did my brother go!" Pei Xingzhi wasn't in the mood for his "joke"; all he wanted to know was where his brother had gone.

"Mr. Pei witnessed the Omega gland trading scene last year, didn't he?"

"How did you know!" Pei Xingzhi's expression changed. He had only told his brother about this, but his brother wouldn't reveal such things casually. Or rather, their positions were higher than his brother's, so they would know these things.

But if that's the case, then what are they trying to do by kidnapping me?

"So you deliberately arranged for my brother to be involved in that mission so that I could marry your young master?" Pei Xingzhi clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, leaving a row of bright red marks. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him; he needed to remain calm to negotiate.

"Mr. Pei, you think too little of us. This mission was volunteered by your brother, who is an excellent soldier." The man's tone showed no respect for soldiers, as if he were casually joking about a fight between a pet cat or dog.

"Where is my brother now?" Pei Xingzhi suppressed his emotions. Right now, nothing was more important than finding out his brother's whereabouts. Since they brought it up, they must have news of him. "Why hasn't he come back for so long?"

"Infiltration isn't something that can be done in a day or two, especially in such a long industry chain. How can you expect to get a return without putting in a lot of effort?"

"You mean if I don't agree, you're going to do something to my brother?"

“That’s right, it’s really a pleasure to talk with Mr. Pei. You always seem to be able to guess what we’re going to say next.”

The man's nonchalant tone made Pei Xingzhi grit his teeth. His brother's life was nothing more than a worthless bargaining chip in the mouths of these people.

"You say you want me to marry your young master, then you should at least tell me who your young master is." Pei Xingzhi looked at the man, his usually beautiful eyes revealing a rare hint of ruthlessness.

“Young Master Pei should be quite familiar with our young master. I thought I didn’t need to introduce you.” The man scratched his head and couldn’t help but chuckle, “It turns out our young master is just being presumptuous.”

Judging from the man's tone, Pei Xingzhi tucked the communication device into his sleeve and continued, "The young master you're talking about... could it be Xie Nanyi?"