Chapter 53 The Devil! She is the devil!
“Miss Jiang, we have found He Yan’s whereabouts. He has been kidnapped. His kidnappers are demanding a ransom of 3 billion yuan from the He family and that the transaction take place at 7 p.m. tomorrow. We have not yet been notified of the transaction location.”
Yan Qian dropped a bombshell, leaving Jiang Mingyue stunned.
He Yan's life was worth 3 billion in ransom; an ordinary person would have to work from before Christ to earn that much, and it still wouldn't be enough.
“Three billion is no small sum. Which bank can withdraw such a large amount of funds without obtaining approval from its head office?”
Yan Qian couldn't help but look at her with newfound respect: "Miss Jiang is intelligent. We won't prepare a ransom of 3 billion. They are demanding a transfer, and once that money is transferred overseas, it will be very difficult to track it back. We will only prepare 30 million in cash to mislead them first, and then transfer the money after they release the person."
Yan Qian didn't go into details about what happened after the transfer, and Jiang Mingyue didn't bother to ask, since it wasn't her concern anyway.
"President Yan, now that you've found the person and have a solution, you could have simply called the police to resolve the issue. Why are you coming to me?"
Brother Yan never fights a battle unprepared. The villains here are cunning, and time is of the essence; he doesn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble.
"I have a favor to ask: I would like to have Miss Jiang as my bodyguard. We will go to the transaction location together. I will ask the production team for leave for you and send you back before the preliminary round on Friday noon. The fee for two days is five million. Miss Jiang, please consider it."
The fee for two days of bodyguard service is five million!
Once the money arrives, the penalty for breach of contract with Xinghui Entertainment will be paid off in one lump sum. She will still have half of the money left over, enough to go back to her hometown and live a normal life, which will be sufficient for her retirement.
Jiang Mingyue found it hard not to be tempted, but there's an old saying, "People die for wealth, birds die for food," and these five million were clearly not so easy to obtain.
"President Yan, I really don't understand. The He family and you should have many skilled bodyguards around you, so why bother contacting me?"
If five million doesn't sway her, Yan Qian is willing to raise the price further.
“Miss Jiang is a woman, so those people won’t have too many concerns about having you as a bodyguard. Besides, Miss Jiang rescued the missing Liao Tingting on West Island, didn’t she?”
Jiang Mingyue's eyes widened. Yan Qian had actually found out about Liao Tingting's matter. His network of connections was far more complicated than she had imagined.
This man is terrifying.
"Mr. Yan came prepared, but I dislike being threatened or made things difficult by others!"
Faced with Jiang Mingyue's stern rebuke, Yan Qian accepted it all. If he angered her, things would become difficult.
Yan Qian patiently continued to persuade her, “Miss Jiang has misunderstood me. I never threaten or make things difficult for anyone. Miss Jiang is chivalrous and warm-hearted, and has a compassionate heart. I know that you only agreed to meet me because of He Yan.”
Wow, that's flattering her, but it's certainly a fitting compliment.
Jiang Mingyue snorted coldly, "You know it. Since you came to wait for me at four o'clock, fine, I can help with this. The five million after-tax reward will be transferred to my account in one lump sum today."
Seeing that she agreed, Yan Qian readily agreed, "No problem, I'll get it done for you within an hour when the bank opens this morning."
After agreeing on the deal, Jiang Mingyue asked Yan Qian to wait for her in a while, as she needed to go upstairs to pack her luggage.
Unable to participate in the program these past two days, Wei Lai and the others certainly can't keep it a secret from them.
Jiang Mingyue went back upstairs and left a message in the group chat, saying that she was going out to run errands for two days, without giving any details so as not to worry them.
When Don Juan saw the message in the group chat early in the morning, he immediately called Jiang Mingyue.
"Mingyue, someone from the He family is looking for you?"
It must be said that Don Juan had a keen intuition.
Jiang Mingyue didn't want to hide it from him, so she told him directly, "Brother Tang, He Yan has gone missing. His older brother's childhood friend, Yan Qian, came to me for help and offered me five million as a reward."
Yan Qian!
The family feasted.
Don Juan paused, his handsome face furrowing. She was unwilling to ask them for money, but she accepted Yan Qian's request.
Ultimately, it's all about repaying Xinghui Entertainment's breach of contract penalty as soon as possible.
Don Juan respected her choice, but couldn't help saying a few words, "Have you thought about it? The higher the reward, the greater the risk. He Yan's disappearance is something the He family can worry about. Yan Qian shouldn't have gone to you."
"Although we know your abilities, we are very worried about you."
"Brother Tang, don't worry, I'll protect myself first." Jiang Mingyue didn't have the spirit of sacrificing herself to save others. People are selfish, and she was no exception. She still had many things to do.
“I have never met Yan Qian, but I know him. He is an upright man and never shows any kindness to women. He shouldn’t bully you.”
Jiang Mingyue smiled upon hearing this, "Brother Tang, the man in this world who wants to bully me hasn't been born yet!"
Don Juan couldn't do anything about her; she's always been very opinionated.
“I know, I just want you to be a happy, ordinary person, instead of always rushing to the front lines when there is danger, so that we can protect you instead of you protecting us.”
Jiang Mingyue hummed in agreement, then muttered to herself, "Perhaps this is what they mean by 'with great power comes great responsibility.'"
Don Juan chuckled. This girl.
Even after ending the call, Tang Huang was still worried. He Yan's disappearance was no small matter. Even Yan Qian was helpless and knew to seek help from Jiang Mingyue, which shows how dangerous it was.
Don Juan immediately contacted his agent to inform them that he was canceling his activities for the next two days, as he needed to go home.
Thousands of miles away, on the sixteenth floor of a high-end residential building in the suburbs of Beijing.
When Tang Guozhong and his wife Wu Cuifang returned home from get off work, they were quite surprised to see Tang Huang sitting on the sofa.
Wu Cuifang hurriedly hung her canvas bag on the coat rack in the entryway, changed her shoes, and went inside. "Don Juan, aren't you working in Haicheng? What brings you back today?"
Don Juan is an only child. Since entering the entertainment industry ten years ago, he has been so busy all year round that he can hardly go home.
He earns enough money for the old couple to last several lifetimes, but his colleague's grandson is old enough to run errands, while his son is still single.
As parents, we naturally hope that our children will get married soon, so that they will have a caring and considerate partner at home when they come home at night, instead of feeling lonely and isolated.
Tang Guozhong and Wu Cuifang urged him several times, but it was no use. Later, they got too lazy to care anymore and decided to ignore it.
Tang Juan stood up, smiling as he took the vegetable basket from Tang Guozhong's hand. "Dad, Mom, it's been a long time since I've come back to see you. I'm just taking advantage of the fact that I'm not busy these past two days to come back. In a few days, I'll be going to the South Island to film a movie and will be staying there for a month. I'm afraid I won't be able to come back to spend New Year's Eve with you."
Tang Guozhong was very adaptable. "Then your mother and I will go to the South Island to spend the New Year with you. We happen to have time off."
The elderly couple were used to it; their son was a very busy man, and it was normal not to see him during the Chinese New Year.
However, in recent years, Don Juan has gradually reduced his on-screen work and started to work behind the scenes. He goes home more often than before, and each time he comes back, he can stay for a week or two.
Wu Cuifang asked him how long he would stay this time.
Don Juan took the shopping basket to the kitchen. "I have to leave tomorrow night."
"You're back at just the right time. Your dad and I bought a fish at the market on our way home from work. There are also some vegetables in the fridge. By the way, why don't you stay home for dinner tonight? You don't have any other engagements, do you?"
"No, I'll cook tonight. You guys take a break and try my cooking."
You know your own son best; you won't visit someone unless you need something.
Wu Cuifang looked at Tang Huang suspiciously, "Oh my, the sun must have risen in the west today. Tell me, what do you need from us?"
Don Juan's parents were university professors who taught not the humanities, but research, and had a large number of students.
Since Wu Cuifang had asked, Tang Huang didn't need to waste any more time and said directly, "Mom, there's something I need your help with. I need you to make a phone call."
"What is it?" Wu Cuifang took an apron, handed one to Don Juan, tied one on herself, and went into the kitchen to help him prepare vegetables.
The elderly couple usually live and eat at their workplace, only occasionally coming back to stay for a few days. Don Juan really happened to run into them today.
Don Juan took out a cleaned mandarin fish from the shopping basket, and used a kitchen knife to scrape off the scales. "Mom, did you and Dad ever watch the live stream of 'The Adventure'?"
Speaking of the variety show, Wu Cuifang nodded, "I didn't watch the live stream, we can't stay up all night, but I've watched a few videos online."
The elderly couple doesn't usually follow the entertainment industry; they read the news and newspapers in their spare time, but they do pay attention to their children's shows.
"You know, on the last day we returned to China, all the guests on our bus were saved by Jiang Mingyue."
Wu Cuifang naturally knew about this. When she saw the news, she was so worried that she couldn't eat dinner. She was relieved when she received a call from Don Juan.
When she spoke with Don Juan on the phone, she mentioned that she would like Don Juan to bring the little girl to Beijing to visit sometime, so that they could give her a proper welcome.
"What, does the matter you need my help with have something to do with that little girl?"
Wu Cuifang couldn't remember what the little girl looked like, but she was quite pretty, with intelligent-looking eyes.
Don Juan placed the cleaned fish on the draining rack. "The Yan family asked her to do something, and I was afraid they would neglect her. Mingyue's parents died early, and she only has her uncle's family in her hometown."
Yan Qian's second uncle was Wu Cuifang's student.
Wu Cuifang saw through it but didn't point it out. Her son had finally found someone he cared about, and such a kind-hearted and helpful young girl at that. She was determined to help.
"I'll call Yan Er right now."
"Come on, stop with the pretense, go wash the vegetables first."
Wu Cuifang was decisive and efficient. She put down the onions she was holding, turned around and left the kitchen, and went upstairs to the study to call the second son of the Yan family.
Hearing the commotion, Tang Guozhong quietly followed, only to be turned away when he found the door locked by Wu Cuifang!
A few minutes later, Wu Cuifang opened the door and saw her husband eavesdropping.
She glared at him. "Why aren't you helping in the kitchen? What are you doing up here?"
Tang Guozhong coughed, his face full of gossip, "What does your son want with you?"
Wu Cuifang walked past him and went downstairs. "Hey, don't pry into our mother and son's affairs. Don't meddle in other people's business. Don't you want to waste your brain cells?"
"Alright, alright, alright, I don't care, you two have such a good relationship." Tang Guozhong quickly followed.
Despite Tang Guozhong's dignified demeanor in front of his students, he becomes increasingly unable to keep secrets as he gets older. Wu Cuifang certainly couldn't tell him; what good would it do to tell him something that was still far from being settled, lest things fall apart later?
"Old Wu, you're really not going to tell me?"
"It's nothing important."
Tang Guozhong didn't believe it. It wasn't anything important, so why would his son fly all the way back and even ask Wu Cuifang to make a phone call?
Hmph, fine, he'll find out sooner or later.
…………
When Yan Qian received the call from his second uncle, he was already on the highway to Linjiang County.
My second uncle warned me on the phone to be nicer to Miss Jiang and not to neglect her, so as not to embarrass him in front of his teacher.
My second uncle's teacher was the highly respected Professor Wu. Professor Wu had a son who worked in the entertainment industry and was quite famous.
Don Juan.
Yan Qian's eyes flickered slightly. He hadn't expected that Tang Huang would use his parents' connections to take care of Jiang Mingyue.
On second thought, the reason why Jiang Mingyue was so highly regarded by Don Juan was because she treated them with empathy; she saved them in Luo City.
"Second Uncle, don't worry. Miss Jiang is a guest I personally invited, so I will naturally take good care of her."
"Yes, I trust you. Once the matter is settled, you must bring the person back safe and sound."
Jiang Mingyue, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Yan Qian in the back seat through the rearview mirror upon hearing this. Why was his second uncle being dragged into this again?
She is currently Yan Qian's temporary secretary, and she is dressed in a business suit: a lake-blue cotton shirt with black trousers and a camel-colored wool coat.
The people who kidnapped He Yan sent the transaction location, which was Linjiang County in the province next to Haicheng, on the No. 1 Riverside Highway.
Yan Qian hung up the phone, glanced at the rearview mirror, and met Jiang Mingyue's questioning gaze.
He offered to explain, "Don Juan asked someone to contact my second uncle and told me not to neglect you."
Jiang Mingyue smiled, her eyebrows raised. Tang Ge was still worried about her, no wonder he had used so many connections. Now she owed him a favor again.
The first time Yan Qian saw her smile, she was very beautiful. Her smile instantly dispelled the coldness in her eyes and matched her real age. She no longer pretended to be mature.
"You have a very good relationship with Don Juan."
A confident tone.
Jiang Mingyue raised her chin and snorted, "Of course, our anti-Japanese task force went through 15 days of hardship together in a foreign land and forged a deep friendship."
Yan Qian did not comment on her boasting, but he had to admit that she had some attractive qualities, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to fool He Yan.
Since he met He Yan, he had never heard of him spending 1.5 million yuan to buy himself anything. It wasn't that He Yan's parents were strict, but rather that the boy had never lacked material things since he was a child. Precisely because he had nothing to lack, he wouldn't spend money extravagantly.
More than an hour later, the group finally arrived safely at the No. 1 Riverside Highway.
The eastern entrance to the highway is closed due to road construction, preventing ordinary tourists from entering.
Jiang Mingyue sat upright in the passenger seat, casually surveying her surroundings through the windshield.
Linjiang is half mountain and half coast. Around six o'clock in the evening, there was not a ghost in sight, only the rushing river water lapping against the large rocks along the shore.
The distant island in the middle of the lake isolates the sea from the ocean, the surface of which is pitch black, with only a few scattered lights flickering on the nearby island.
Yan Qian leaned back in the back seat, holding He Yan's phone in his hand, his gaze fixed on the view outside the window.
The atmosphere was terribly oppressive.
Ten minutes later, a convoy of cars slowly approached from behind, and the driver announced, "Boss, Mr. He and Mrs. He are here."
Jiang Mingyue glanced at her rearview mirror and saw that the first car was a Hummer. The people in the Hummer didn't move. Someone got out of the second Bombardier. The person in front was a man in his sixties, dressed in a suit and tie. Behind him was a very fashionable woman in a black dress. The woman was about forty years old and looked very similar to He Yan.
Jiang Mingyue didn't get out of the car. She had agreed to come and rescue He Yan, but she didn't want to have any contact with his parents.
Yan Qian glanced at her and, seeing that she was sitting still, instantly understood her meaning, so he got out of the car first.
Mr. He handed over the prepared 30 million yuan in cash to Yan Qian, who was then received by Yan Qian's bodyguard.
Father He held Yan Qian's hand tightly, his face haggard, and said solemnly, "Yan, I'm entrusting Xiao Yan to you."
Madam He stood to the side, her eyes reddening, desperately trying to hold back her sobs. "I'm sorry Xiaoqian had to suffer without your eldest son. Come back to our house later, and I'll treat you to some good food and wine."
The appointed time was approaching, and Yan Qian, not wanting to talk much with He Yan's parents, offered them a few words of comfort and then advised them to return to the hotel and wait for news.
The two understood that staying would only be a burden, and despite their unease, they had no choice but to obey Yan Qian's words and leave first.
Yan Qian received a phone call as soon as he got back to his car. The voice on the other end sounded strange, clearly indicating that someone had deliberately used a voice changer.
“He Yan’s parents are such cowards. They don’t dare to deliver the money themselves, but they insist on sending you, an outsider, over.”
Yan Qian was not stupid; in fact, he was very calm. “You’re all after money. It doesn’t matter who comes.”
After a moment of silence, the other party instructed them to remove the roadblock and continue driving in. The transaction location was next to a large red stone pier three kilometers away.
"After you arrive, wait for a call."
Yan Qian gestured for the driver to get out of the car and move the barrier.
A moment later, their vehicle continued driving in.
Five minutes later, they successfully found the large red stone block, and the phone rang immediately.
"Leave your bodyguard in the car. You take the money and get out. Walk five minutes forward, near the gate, there's a metal trash can. Put the money in it."
Jiang Mingyue and Yan Qian exchanged glances in the front mirror. Yan Qian gestured for her to hold back and continued to ask, "I can't push four suitcases. My secretary will come with me. Besides, how can I make sure you will release them as promised after you take the money?"
A rustling sound rang out, and the speaker became He Yan, "Brother Yan, save me! Save me! I'm on Highway 1, on a small boat on the river!"
Yan Qian's breath hitched, and he gripped his phone tightly. "How can we prove it wasn't pre-recorded if we can only hear the voice but not see the person?"
"You can have a few words with him."
"He Yan, where is the Fox Jade? Did you take it with you?"
He Yan said on the phone that he didn't know, that he hadn't taken it with him, and that it should still be in the hotel.
The other party didn't give them a chance to continue the conversation and quickly hung up the phone.
Yan Qian's face darkened. "Let's go, let's get out of the car."
Jiang Mingyue got out of the car, went around to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and took out four suitcases. She handed two of the suitcases to Yan Qian.
Yan Qian took the box and walked ahead first.
Jiang Mingyue immediately followed.
There was no one by the river late at night. The streetlights were spaced far apart and barely illuminated the river. Apart from the sound of two people walking and the sound of the river water on the bank, there was no other noise.
The atmosphere was both quiet and terrifying.
Jiang Mingyue looked around. To her left was the surging river, and to her right was a dense forest hillside. Who knew how many people were hiding there?
Where are your people hiding?
Yan Qian replied irrelevantly, "Miss Jiang, when you see He Yan later, please be sure to save him immediately."
Jiang Mingyue initially thought he was a cold-blooded person, but she never expected him to care so much about He Yan's life and death.
"I don't understand why the He family didn't send his own brother over."
“He Yan only has one older brother. His brother had surgery abroad and needs to rest in bed after the surgery, so he can’t come back for the time being. The other brothers don’t have the same mother, so they naturally don’t care about his life or death.”
Jiang Mingyue clicked her tongue twice. The life of the wealthy is indeed exciting; no wonder it has become a topic of conversation among ordinary people.
About fifteen minutes later, the two successfully reached the vicinity of the gate and saw the metal trash cans in the temporary parking lot.
Yan Qian stood still and waited patiently. Sure enough, three seconds later he received another call. The other party asked them to open the box and take out ten banknote counting machines from the trash can to check the banknotes on the spot.
"Since the He family has agreed to give money, they won't prepare any [illegible]."
“We don’t trust the He family. According to the rules, we must verify the money on the spot.”
“It will take a long time to verify 30 million, so you should release the person first.”
“Look behind you.”
A small boat was moored on the river not far away, and a person was standing on the boat. A light flashed by, and that person was He Yan.
"We'll take him to shore once the tests are completed."
Yan Qian and Jiang Mingyue exchanged a glance and had no choice but to do as they were told. They opened their suitcases and found a whole suitcase full of cash inside, which was conspicuous and glaring.
To be on the safe side, Jiang Mingyue told Yan Qian to stay where he was while she went to the trash can to get the money counters. Fortunately, the people hadn't done anything wrong. Jiang Mingyue made several trips and brought ten money counters to the streetlights.
The two men squatted down to begin verifying the banknotes. Half an hour later, the verification of all 30 million yuan in cash was completed.
The phone rang again. "Alright, everyone step back, hands up, and don't try anything funny!"
Yan Qian and Jiang Mingyue raised their hands and retreated nearly a hundred meters. The next instant, a gray van sped towards them from the opposite direction and quickly snatched away the four boxes.
At the same time, the small boat carrying He Yan had reached the shore. He Yan was pushed into the water. He Yan didn't have time to think and, relying on his survival instinct, waded all the way to the shore.
The riverbank was covered with all sorts of jagged, strangely shaped rocks, making it difficult to walk. Yan Qian jumped down immediately, his movements quick and precise. Ignoring the rocks that hurt his feet, he ran swiftly towards He Yan.
Suddenly, Jiang Mingyue's ears twitched, and she threw a pebble with her right hand. The force was immense, and it instantly blocked the silent shot that was fired from the shadows, just in time to take a bullet for He Yan!
Immediately afterwards, she used her water manipulation technique, and the surging river water suddenly rushed towards the shore, instantly forming a dense wall of water, creating a natural protective barrier that shielded He Yan and Yan Qian.
The sniper hiding in the dense forest opposite cursed, "What the hell?!"
Jiang Mingyue lightly touched the ground with her toes, concealing her figure as she sprinted along the riverbank. At the same time, she chanted an incantation, and the banknotes filling four suitcases instantly burst into flames. The fire was so fierce that it engulfed the suitcases in an instant, forcing the van to stop.
The people on the bus were so frightened that they ran off the bus and rolled on the ground.
The group of people hiding all around were stunned by what they saw. Damn it, they'd been tricked!
Where is that woman?! How could she have vanished without a trace?! Where did Yan Qian find her from?!
The next second, Jiang Mingyue flashed into the sky above the dense forest, her silver needles shooting towards a group of people. Then she leaped towards the leader and kicked him.
"You bastard, you're wasting my time!"
Those who were hit by the silver needles were unable to speak or lift their hands, and were all nailed to the spot, unable to move. They could only watch helplessly as their leader was unilaterally beaten by the woman who fell from the sky.
She's a devil! She's a devil!
Dealing with these vicious thugs, Jiang Mingyue's moves were all deadly and brutal. She grabbed one of them by the neck and demanded, "Where is He Yan's Fox Jade? Who gave you permission to take it?"
The man couldn't see the woman's face clearly, but he remembered her bloodthirsty eyes. Her ghostly methods left him speechless with fright.
Jiang Mingyue slapped him hard several times, "Speak!"
"Really? You're so stubborn, you're just making me want to beat you up again!"
Jiang Mingyue dragged the man to the ground and slammed him to the ground. After a brutal beating, the man cried out, "I'll talk! I'll talk! I resold that jade. I sold it to a broker surnamed Chen."
"That thing is worth two million. You either give it back to me or you give me back the money. It's your choice!"
On the other side, Yan Qian's men and the He family's bodyguards arrived. They glanced at the scene and were all stunned.
They don't need to lift a finger!
Jiang Mingyue glanced at them distractedly, "Take those people away first."
Yan Qian's bodyguard immediately signaled everyone to get to work.
Seeing that things were not going well, their accomplices on the river steered away in their boat. They didn't catch them, but they were just small fry and not worth worrying about.
"Oh dear, where would I get two million? If I had two million, would I have done such a bad thing?! Let me go, and I'll go get it back for you!"
Jiang Mingyue took out the dagger tucked into her waistband, pressed down on the man's right hand, and gestured with his five fingers, "I want it now. If you don't find a way to give it to me, I'll chop off your hand."
The man was terrified and cried. This woman was too damn strange. She could even block that bullet. With that kind of ability, she could make money anywhere. Why was she chasing after him for that jade fox?
Author's note: Haha, this was so enjoyable to write!
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