VIP private room at Junlan Club.
A race against time continues.
On the online computer screen, a black car with the license plate ending in 4123 was stationary on the East Second Ring Road.
According to the message from Zheng Fang, the car has been abandoned. This means that the people were transferred here, and Xue Qiandai and Rong Xiao have already been moved.
"Old Huo, the surveillance cameras on the main road near the alley have been hacked, but there are too many vehicles passing by, so we can't make a judgment," Qin Shu said in a voice message.
Yes, Huo Yunchao and Qin Shu joined forces to hack into the Beijing traffic police's monitoring network. However, the information was cut off at the East Second Ring Road, and they currently have no leads.
"Check each vehicle one by one, paying attention to the back seats, especially large vehicles," Huo Yunchao instructed.
If Dai Dai and Rong Xiao are together, they will inevitably have to sit in the back, meaning the other side will theoretically have at least one escort. If the other side places even greater importance on them, then there will be more guards, requiring a vehicle with more seats.
"Okay," Qin Shu replied.
At that moment, Huo Yunchao's phone rang. It was a virtual call with the address hidden, and there was no name on it.
He answered immediately. "Hello, this is Huo Yunchao."
The voice on the other end of the phone was a male voice, altered by a voice changer. "Mr. Huo, you've been waiting impatiently, haven't you? Listen, your girlfriend, Xue Qiandai, is in our hands..."
Before he could finish speaking, Huo Yunchao interrupted him, "Don't hurt her. I will accept all the conditions you have offered."
A hearty laugh came from the other end. "Mr. Huo speaks his mind so frankly. First, don't call the police, otherwise we can't guarantee what your little beauty will suffer."
Huo Yunchao turned on speakerphone, allowing him to share voice messages with Qin Shu, making it easier for Qin Shu to locate the phone's address. "Go on with the second point."
"Second, prepare one billion and deliver it to our designated location before six o'clock this morning."
Less than five and a half hours remained until the time specified by the kidnappers.
Huo Yunchao gasped. After selling Happy Farm, he became the youngest billionaire in China. His foray into the Bitcoin market yielded another fortune, which he converted into shares in Huading Fund. And one billion was essentially his entire net worth. "You're all talking big. Even if I sold all my Huotuan (a type of Bitcoin), I couldn't possibly raise that much in such a short time."
That's the absolute truth.
“But you are Huo Yunchao! I’ll show you a way out. At the Sotheby’s auction on New Year’s Day, there will be a $150 million closing lot. No matter what methods you use, I need to get that lot by six o’clock. Otherwise, you can expect to be collecting your girlfriend’s corpse.”
At the current exchange rate, $150 million is roughly equivalent to $1 billion.
He's playing a clever game.
Huo Yunchao said in a deep voice, "As you wish. I want to hear my girlfriend's voice and have Dai Dai say a few words to me."
He heard a scream, and Dai Dai's voice, like a wind chime in the night, resonated in his heart. She spoke rapidly, each word a desperate cry, her voice hoarse yet filled with longing for the future. "My beauty, you promised me a lifetime of peace, to greet each new year's sunrise with me, to spend the next half-century hand in hand. My beauty, save me..."
Xue Qiandai's voice was cut off. The kidnapper's disdainful voice came from the other end, "Beauty, what a unique title. As expected of a rich heiress, still thinking about romance and heartfelt confessions at a time like this. Huo Yunchao, you don't have much time left. Keep your phone on and wait for my instructions."
The call ended abruptly.
Huo Yunchao held his phone to his heart, savoring Dai Dai's words.
Chang'an, the historical city of Chang'an, derives its name from the phrase "long-lasting peace and stability." The central axis of the capital is Jiu'an Avenue. The New Year's sunrise rises in the east, eastward.
The next half-century, half a century fifty years, fifty?
Huo Yunchao believed that Dai Dai wouldn't speak without reason; she would definitely take the opportunity to convey some information to him.
So Dai Dai told him that she was on Dongjiuan Street, about a 50-minute drive or 50-kilometer drive away.
His girl, indeed, remained calm in the face of danger and was a person of great wisdom.
He immediately contacted Qin Shu, "Old Qin, help me analyze the locations of all possible hiding people on Dongjiu'an Street, within 50 minutes and 50 kilometers of the East Second Ring Road."
Qin Shu obeyed orders like a soldier, replying, "Yes."
The next priority is to acquire Sotheby's final auction item.
*
Next door to the private room, Zhao Jiequn had already arrived at Junlan Club and met up with his father.
By now, the hot tea on the coffee table had gone cold, and he paced back and forth in the room.
"Dad, you should make a decision. Are we just going to sit here and wait to die? Or should we call the police?"
Zhao Sheng remained unmoved, his expression unchanged even as Mount Tai crumbled. "What you can think of, Huo Yunchao is already doing. I've already had my assistant and butler send people to track the lanterns along the way, and they'll notify us immediately if there's any news."
“I can’t wait any longer, I have to go find Dai Dai.” Zhao Jiequn pounded his head hard, his eyes red. “I’m the one who lost her. If I can’t find her, my death won’t be enough to atone for my sins.”
"Sit down. Where in this vast capital city can you possibly find someone?" Zhao Sheng snapped.
Just then, Zhao Jiequn heard the door to the next private room open. He ran over excitedly and saw Huo Yunchao's gloomy face. "Beautiful Huo, where are you going?"
Huo Yunchao glanced at Zhao Jiequn, who was clearly filled with guilt.
"I will go and raise the ransom."
Zhao Jiequn knew that although Huo Yunchao had started from scratch, he was definitely not short of money. If he needed to raise funds, then the kidnappers' ambitions must be enormous. He took out a black card from his wallet and handed it to Huo Yunchao, saying, "It's password-free, and I'll keep a share of the ransom."
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