Chapter 21
Wang Changyou was still lost in the dream of success.
He and Jiang Lin stayed in the living room, while Jiang Chen was locked in the small bedroom. The window was protected by safety bars, so no one needed to watch over him, and the child couldn't escape.
"Brother Wang, we've agreed that you'll give me all five million when the time comes."
Jiang Lin mentioned it, which immediately displeased Wang Changyou.
This woman is really greedy; she can be so happy to betray her own relatives.
To be honest, Wang Changyou looked down on this kind of person.
Now that Jiang Chen has been tricked out, this guy is useless now, and he still doesn't know how to keep a low profile, making all sorts of demands on him.
The more Wang Changyou thought about it, the more he disliked Jiang Lin.
“That’s what I said at first, but you didn’t want to extort Hu Zhenzhen, and I did all the work, but you took all the money. That doesn’t make sense.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Lin instantly understood that he wanted to back out.
"That's not how it works. Before picking up Jiang Chen, you clearly said you didn't want the money and would give it all to me!"
She usually won arguments with her neighbors, and for a moment she forgot that she was facing a strong and burly man. She stood up and wanted to argue with Wang Changyou.
Just as Jiang Lin was about to throw a tantrum, Wang Changyou slapped her, leaving her stunned.
"Damn it, two million. If you don't agree, you can stay here with this kid and compost forever."
Jiang Lin was jolted awake by the slap, realizing that the man in front of her was not someone she could intimidate as before, and she shrank back in fear.
"Two million is fine, two million is fine too."
However, her weakness did not win Wang Changyou's favor.
He stared at Jiang Lin, beginning to think about his escape route.
Kidnapping and extortion are not the same crime as ordinary threats, and the sentences can differ greatly if they are discovered.
However, he still wanted to continue working as a leader at Sanniu Milk Company, and this matter must not be discovered by others.
Wang Changyou's gaze slowly changed.
Who would keep his secret?
Of course, only a dead person would keep quiet. Ideally, a criminal who committed suicide out of fear of punishment would die and the money would disappear, making the matter easier to resolve.
Wang Changyou hatched a plan.
Jiang Lin shifted restlessly under his gaze. "Brother Wang, how are we going to get the money?"
“It’s not us who’s going to take it,” Wang Changyou said slowly. “It’s you who’s going to take it.”
"Me?" Jiang Lin was stunned. "Am I supposed to go get it by myself?"
“I’ll be waiting for you nearby,” Wang Changyou said casually. “What are you worried about? Do you think I wouldn’t want three million?”
The mention of three million caused Jiang Lin a pang of pain, but also brought her a great deal of relief.
Yes, who could easily give up such a huge temptation?
"So, should I pretend to be something I'm not?"
Wang Changyou nodded. "Whatever you want. Don't say anything yet. I'll call that guy surnamed Hu again."
Whenever he mentioned Hu Zhenzhen, Jiang Lin felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction and revenge.
She didn't know Hu Zhenzhen was so rich at the time, and she signed the severance document casually, which made her so angry that she had high blood pressure and had to be hospitalized.
Now, she can finally let Hu Zhenzhen taste the bitterness of losing money.
Jiang Lin felt a sense of satisfaction just thinking about it.
She obediently shut her mouth and waited expectantly for the call to connect.
When Hu Zhenzhen received the call, the car had already arrived at the entrance of the residential area where Wang Changyou was hiding.
She glanced at the surveillance footage Xiao Jin was playing, confirmed that Jiang Chen was still sitting alone in the room, and pressed the call button.
"Hu Zhenzhen, you should be sensible and prepare five million."
Wang Changyou's every word was brimming with arrogance.
Chen Kai, sitting next to Hu Zhenzhen, frowned as he listened, while Hu Zhenzhen herself seemed indifferent, simply humming in response.
This sound displeased Wang Changyou.
He already has the hostages in his grasp, how can these rich people with a little money still be so arrogant?
He took a couple of sips of wine and recalled all the times he had been bullied by his superiors.
The anger of the past is reignited by the sparks of today.
In the past, he was always the one being trampled underfoot. This time, he has the upper hand. Do these people still think they can deal with him at will?
"Damn it, don't be so arrogant. Your son is still in my hands. If you don't speak to me respectfully, I'll step on his head and talk to you. Let's see if you can even speak properly!"
He stepped on Jiang Chen's head to talk to her.
Chen Kai glanced at the boss carefully and noticed that Hu Zhenzhen's slender fingers were so taut that the veins were bulging.
Her expression grew even colder, like a volcano churning with only a calm surface.
"Of course I'll speak politely, after all, Xiao Chen is still in your hands."
Hu Zhenzhen got out of the car and took the lead.
Chen Kai, who was behind her, quickly led his men to follow, fearing that his boss's safety might be in danger.
"Please tell me, as long as you don't hurt Xiao Chen, I will agree to any request."
Hu Zhenzhen's words immediately made Wang Changyou feel better.
He loved the feeling of trampling on those with status.
Under the influence of alcohol, Wang Changyou became a little tipsy. He grinned and opened his mouth, "Then why don't you bark like a dog a couple of times?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
Bark like a dog!
Jiang Lin, who was standing next to her, laughed when she heard this.
"What? You don't want to?"
Wang Changyou's voice suddenly lowered a lot, "I think your son is about the same height as a big puppy. How about I get a dog cage and put him in it, and feed him dog food every day?"
Hu Zhenzhen on the other end remained silent.
Wang Changyou imagined the scene of her being angry and frustrated, and finally having no choice but to submit to him, and laughed heartily.
"If you bark like a dog twice now, I might let your son off the hook. Otherwise, the poor little boy will become a poor little dog."
Jiang Lin laughed along with him.
The next second, the door to the room was blasted open.
Amidst the smoke and dust, Hu Zhenzhen spoke.
"If you bark like a dog twice now, I might let you off the hook. Otherwise, you'll become a pitiful big dog."
Wooden security doors are not as sturdy as metal ones, especially since they are abandoned. In addition, Chen Kai ordered his brothers to be fully armed, and they all carried some tools with them.
I hit the joint of the door panel a few times, and the door opened with a slam.
Wang Changyou felt guilty, so he chose a secluded location to do this.
This is an abandoned residential building.
There used to be many migrant workers here, so several buildings were specially built to rent out to them.
Later, due to the economic downturn, the place was completely abandoned, and occasionally homeless people would come to spend a night or two there.
Wang Changyou didn't know how he was exposed.
But in that instant, fear was enough to sober him up.
"It's impossible. How could you have found me? It's impossible. I must be drunk."
He subconsciously denied reality, but the collapsed door panels and the acrid smoke and dust told him it was true.
Hu Zhenzhen's lips curled up slightly, but there was no real smile on her face.
"I think you're about the same height as a large dog. If you put you in a dog cage and feed you dog food for a few days, you'll probably turn into a dog too."
The bodyguards behind her entered one after another. They were all tall and burly, and only then did Wang Changyou realize he was afraid.
"I didn't, I didn't mean to," he said, but his words lacked conviction. His eyes darted to Jiang Lin, and he instantly felt like he had found a savior.
"It's all her fault! This woman is greedy and wants to blackmail you!"
How could you say that!
Jiang Lin was hiding to the side, afraid that Hu Zhenzhen would notice her. How could she let Wang Changyou drag her out to take the blame?
"I didn't do that, Zhenzhen. Xiao Chen is my nephew. How could I do such a thing? This man forced me to do it."
Dogs fighting, a mouthful of fur.
Hu Zhenzhen knew perfectly well that neither of them was clean.
She gave Chen Kai a wink.
"Jiang Chen is in that small room. Go and comfort him first, and I'll go in later."
When she said this, Hu Zhenzhen's voice was relatively gentle.
Wang Changyou clung to a sliver of hope, saying, "I truly know I was wrong, Mr. Hu, please forgive me this time. I'm just an ordinary citizen with a livelihood to live on; I have elderly parents and young children to support..."
He shuffled over from the ground and grabbed Hu Zhenzhen's trouser leg tightly.
Hu Zhenzhen tried to move her legs, but couldn't shake off his hand.
"I remember you just said you wanted to stand on my son's head to talk to me?"
Hu Zhenzhen raised her other leg and placed it on his head, slowly stomping down on him. "Is this how you stomp on him?"
The position wasn't very painful, but it was extremely humiliating. Within seconds, Wang Changyou's entire face turned red, and he still had to agree with Hu Zhenzhen's words.
"That's not true, I didn't hurt him, really."
Hu Zhenzhen knew this, of course. On her way here, she hadn't taken her eyes off the surveillance footage provided by Xiao Jin.
“If he gets injured, do you think you’ll be completely unharmed?” Hu Zhenzhen glanced at his posture. “Would you be lying here perfectly unharmed?”
Wang Changyou was a reckless and unruly person.
After begging for forgiveness for so long, he realized that Hu Zhenzhen had no intention of forgiving him at all.
The effects of the alcohol started flowing up my veins again.
He opened his mouth and suddenly said, "I should have taken action earlier. Anyway, you weren't planning to let me off the hook. I wouldn't have lost out if I had taken that brat with me. Now, I'm the one who lost out."
Not to mention Hu Zhenzhen, Liu An was furious upon hearing these words.
Wang Changyou had just been trampled to the ground by Hu Zhenzhen when Liu An pulled him up again in the blink of an eye. "You fucking try saying that again?"
Hu Zhenzhen took two steps forward and, to Liu An's slightly surprised look, slapped Wang Changyou.
"His mouth is too dirty, wash it for him."
This sentence made Liu An's eyes light up.
A group of drivers who hadn't found work yet rushed forward. Several of them lifted Wang Changyou's upper body, while others held his lower body, and carried him to the toilet.
The sound of running water came from the toilet.
And the muffled pleas for mercy from people.
The various sounds combined were like background music from a horror movie, lingering in Jiang Lin's ears.
The moment Hu Zhenzhen looked over, she rolled her eyes and fainted.
Hu Zhenzhen disliked her more than she disliked Wang Changyou.
She was Jiang Chen's aunt, one of the few remaining blood relatives he had, and yet she did such a thing.
How much damage will this do to a child's mind?
Previously, Hu Zhenzhen had always treated Jiang Chen like a little cash cow, but even a cat or dog would develop feelings after being cared for for so long, let alone such a well-behaved child as Jiang Chen.
Before she knew it, Hu Zhenzhen had come to regard him as family.
She was especially angry when facing Jiang Lin.
There was only one broken sofa in the room, which Wang Changyou had just sat on, and it was covered in dust that hadn't been cleaned.
Hu Zhenzhen avoided the conversation with disgust, saying, "Wake her up."
With only Xiao Wang left behind, upon hearing Hu Zhenzhen's words, he rushed to the restroom.
Inside the toilet, eight people took turns prying open Wang Changyou's mouth to brush his teeth. They brushed not only his teeth, but also his cheeks and tongue.
Wang Changyou never imagined that brushing his teeth could become such a torturous experience.
His tongue had already been scrubbed five times, and the tip of his tongue felt like it was on fire. He was laughing as if he had eaten a pound of chili peppers and was still feeling uncomfortable.
When the driver, Xiao Wang, went inside, his eyes suddenly lit up, thinking that his torment was finally over.
Unexpectedly, the first thing Xiao Wang said when he walked in was, "Brothers, keep busy, don't worry about me. I'll get a basin of water and wake up the guy outside for the boss."
Liu An immediately understood what was going on.
Having navigated the complexities of society for so many years, I've seen this kind of trick countless times. It's nothing more than pretending to be nervous when things get tough, rolling your eyes back, and fainting in an attempt to get others to overlook it.
The toilet was really crowded, and Liu An was worried about the outside, so he simply followed Xiao Wang out.
Xiao Wang splashed a basin of water on Jiang Lin's face.
The person on the ground trembled slightly, but kept their eyes tightly shut.
Liu An stared at her, then immediately snorted coldly.
"If he still doesn't wake up, go to the toilet and scoop some urine out of the toilet bowl. Splash it on him and he'll definitely wake up."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Lin immediately opened her eyes.
"He's quite good at playing dead," Liu An scoffed. "Boss, what should we do with this guy?"
Jiang Lin couldn't help but shiver. Judging from their tone, were they going to kill her?
Just minutes ago, when Wang Changyou made things difficult for Hu Zhenzhen by making her bark like a dog, Jiang Lin was still chuckling to herself. Who would have thought that retribution would come so quickly? She hadn't been laughing for more than a few minutes before it was her turn to cry.
"Miss Hu, you...you're still my sister-in-law! You can't treat me like this! Miss Hu, I know I shouldn't have brought Jiang Chen out, please forgive me this time. Murder is a crime! Jiang Chen can't live without his mother..."
Hu Zhenzhen looked away from her with annoyance.
"Who said I was going to kill someone? We live in a society governed by law. I would never do such a thing."
Jiang Lin's heart immediately settled back into her stomach.
Who knew that Hu Zhenzhen would say again, "But I really won't be happy if I don't get back to you."
Jiang Lin's heart, which had just settled down, jumped again.
“Miss Hu, I won’t do it again. I will definitely abide by the agreement from now on. Jiang Chen has nothing to do with me anymore, and he has nothing to do with our Jiang family anymore. Really, if you tell me to get out, I will get out right away.”
"You want me to get lost?" Hu Zhenzhen said softly, "Wouldn't that be too easy on you?"
"I remember you love money the most, right?"
Hu Zhenzhen gave a malicious smile, "Then let yourself lose what you love most."
After saying that, she took a step back and said to Liu An, "Call the police and tell them we've caught the kidnapper."
Jiang Lin, who was lying on the ground, shivered.
She wanted to beg Hu Zhenzhen to let her go, but when she looked up, she found that Hu Zhenzhen was no longer in front of her; only her burly subordinates were still guarding her side.
Wang Changyou was dragged out of the toilet.
Seeing his pitiful state, Jiang Lin dared not make a move and waited anxiously in the hall.
From the moment they entered the room, Chen Kai was sent by Hu Zhenzhen to go inside and comfort Jiang Chen.
He didn't close the door properly when he entered the house. While he was hugging Jiang Chen and comforting him, the child was lying on his shoulder, staring intently out through the crack.
Jiang Chen remained calm throughout, and despite Chen Kai's attempts to comfort him, Jiang Chen barely uttered a single word.
Just as he was wondering about it, the old wooden door creaked open.
Hu Zhenzhen came in from outside the door.
Jiang Chen, who was nestled obediently on his shoulder, burst into tears, the sound of which pierced Chen Kai's eardrums.
His shoulders stiffened, and he even suspected that he had hurt the young master, which was why the young master was crying so loudly all of a sudden.
But Jiang Chen's subsequent actions told him that he was overthinking it.
Jiang Chen placed both hands on his shoulders and pulled him towards Hu Zhenzhen.
Chen Kai understood perfectly well, and immediately turned around and put him on the ground.
As soon as Jiang Chen's feet touched the ground, he started running towards Hu Zhenzhen, rushing into her arms and crying even louder.
Hu Zhenzhen gently patted his back, "It's alright, Xiao Chen, Mom is here to take you home."
Jiang Chen then began to speak.
"I thought, I thought I would never see you again, Mom."
He cried so hard that his voice became hoarse, and Hu Zhenzhen felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.
In fact, the moment Jiang Chen came out of the classroom and saw Jiang Lin, he realized that something was wrong. However, his aunt had already asked for leave for him, and Jiang Chen didn't like to cause trouble for others, so he obediently followed her.
He thought that this time, it was just his aunt asking him to do something.
He never expected that what awaited him was a stranger kidnapper and an exorbitant ransom.
Wang Changyou was making a phone call outside, while Jiang Chen sat inside listening. He heard about the five million yuan and also heard Wang Changyou's insults towards Hu Zhenzhen.
If it weren't for him, my stepmother wouldn't have had to be threatened by him at all.
If it weren't for him, my stepmother wouldn't have had to spend so much money and be insulted like this by him.
Jiang Chen was filled with regret. He bit his lower lip tightly and sat on the bed without moving.
For a moment, his fear seemed to overflow from his eyes.
He was afraid that his stepmother would abandon him and refuse to pay the five million, but he was also afraid that his stepmother would actually pay the five million for him.
Then the debt he has is one that he can never pay off.
He was afraid of dying, and also afraid that these two people would harm Hu Zhenzhen.
Jiang Chen remained in the room for as long as he was terrified. Like a frightened bird, he listened intently to the sounds outside the door, and even the slightest noise could startle him.
When he heard Wang Changyou call and ask his stepmother to bark like a dog, he felt a sense of despair.
Only by repeatedly telling himself to be strong could Jiang Chen barely maintain his composure and avoid a breakdown.
What happened next felt like a dream.
His stepmother burst into the room, defeated the kidnappers, and punished his aunt who had tricked him into coming out.
When Jiang Chen was being hugged and comforted by Chen Kai, he even felt that it was all in his imagination and had no sense of reality at all.
Until I saw Hu Zhenzhen.
At that moment, Jiang Chen's dried-up tear ducts were revived.
He didn't know why he was crying, but he couldn't suppress the grievances that welled up inside him.
Only when he nestled in Hu Zhenzhen's arms did he resemble a hedgehog returning to its nest, finally able to shed his quills and reveal his soft belly.
She came to take him home.
This was the first time Jiang Chen had truly realized that he was also a child with a family.
He had a lot to say.
He wanted to thank Hu Zhenzhen for saving him, wanted to ask her if she had given the money to that bad guy, and wanted to tell her how scared he was.
But all that came out of her mouth was crying.
When people cry loudly, they are prone to oxygen deficiency, and it is difficult to stop crying immediately if they cry for a long time.
Jiang Chen didn't know how long he had been crying. When he did remember, Hu Zhenzhen's clothes were soaked through with tears.
His nose was completely blocked, and he could only breathe through his mouth.
Looking at his tear-streaked face, Hu Zhenzhen felt both sorry for him and wanted to laugh. She took a handkerchief from Chen Kai and wiped his face.
"Oh my, where did this little kitten come from?"
Jiang Chen stared at her for a long time, just when Hu Zhenzhen thought he was going to say something about dependence.
Jiang Chen said, "Mom, I don't like robot warriors anymore."
There are no robot warriors in the world who will come to his rescue; his mother is his hero.
Hu Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow, not understanding why he suddenly disliked robots.
However, when the child looked at her with such dependence, she didn't want to ask any more questions. Anyway, there were plenty of cartoons available, and her son could choose whichever one he wanted!
"Okay, then how about Mom takes you to the store to pick out a new puzzle tomorrow? You really like the pirate ship puzzle, right? Mom will buy you the biggest one tomorrow!"
"Mmm!" Jiang Chen answered loudly, feeling a little like crying again.
But before the tears could fall, a roar startled them back down.
"Don't move! Police!"
It's no wonder the police misunderstood; when they called the police, they said a child had been kidnapped, and the caller immediately stormed into the kidnappers' hideout.
The police naturally placed the person who reported the incident in the position of the weaker party.
The drivers who pinned Wang Changyou and Jiang Lin to the ground became suspects in the kidnapping.
Liu An was quick-witted and immediately realized something was wrong. He raised his hands and said, "It's a misunderstanding, officer! It's a misunderstanding! The one on the ground is the kidnapper!"
Are the people on the ground kidnappers?
After working for so many years, this is the first time I've ever finished work at a crime scene.
The police officer countered, "Who reported this?"
Liu An stepped forward, pointed to his nose, and said, "It was me. I called the police. The person who was kidnapped is our boss's son."
Hu Zhenzhen led Jiang Chen out of the house. The child's face was swollen from crying, and the adult's eyes were also red.
It was clear at a glance.
But the tour leader was cautious and deliberately squatted down to ask the child, "Were those two people on the ground the ones who kidnapped you?"
Jiang Chen nodded and subconsciously snuggled closer to Hu Zhenzhen.
Well, they really made a mistake. The officer in charge waved his hand, and someone took over the driver's position and detained the prisoner.
He stood up and said to Hu Zhenzhen, "Please come back with us; we need to take a statement."
After speaking, the police officer glanced at the number of people at the scene with a troubled expression.
They only brought two vehicles, and the number of people on site was clearly overloaded.
Chen Kai was the first to notice his predicament and took the initiative to speak up, "Officer, we came by car. Could we follow the police car to the police station?"
"Okay," the team leader said. They could go straight to the police station without having to do anything, essentially getting a huge credit for free. The team leader was very easy to talk to.
He even had the mood to joke, "Or if any of you want to try what it's like to ride in a police car, you can squeeze into our car."
Hu Zhenzhen chuckled dryly, "Haha, then no need."
“We don’t usually get to ride in this car, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Seeing the tense atmosphere, the police officer tried to ease the tension, saying, "Don't the guys in the back want to give it a try? We don't get many chances like this."
Chen Kai shook his head, but Liu Anzhen seemed interested. "Officer, do I need to wear handcuffs when I get in the police car with you?"
"You're just taking statements, of course you don't need to. Come on, this is a rare experience."
They went downstairs, and Chen Kai opened the car door for Hu Zhenzhen, letting the boss and the young master get in first.
The team leader, who had been walking alongside them, swallowed hard. "This car, is it yours?"
A luxury supercar, especially a limited edition, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Who wouldn't want to try it out?
He patted Liu An on the shoulder, "Hey, little brother, didn't you want to try riding in a police car? Why don't you switch with me? I'll ride in this one for you!"
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