Chapter 45 Kidnapping: I Just Wanted to Make a Phone Call
Xiao Bin's current round of intensive chemotherapy has ended, with acceptable results, but the child has been severely weakened and needs further rest while waiting for his physical indicators to recover. At the same time, he is also waiting for the faint hope of the China Marrow Donor Program.
Looking at the less-than-ideal test results, Dr. Liu frowned slightly and carefully instructed, "There's no other treatment available in the hospital right now, so you can go home and rest. At home, pay special attention to protection to avoid infection. Eat clean, nutritious, and easily digestible foods. Have your checkups on time. If the indicators remain stable, continue chemotherapy. Next step… once we have news from the bone marrow registry, we can prepare for the transplant. Ms. Lin, have faith."
Dr. Liu's words were filled with sympathy and goodwill, but to Lin Rong, all that remained was the endless anxiety brought by "waiting" and the enormous emptiness behind "hope".
Hope requires money to pave the way, and money is what she lacks most.
Lin Rong silently wrote down the doctor's instructions, but her movements were slightly stiff, revealing a resolute determination to fight a desperate battle.
After the doctor left for rounds, Lin Rong sat by the bedside, gazing at her son's pale face for a long time. Her fingers gently traced the top of his head, which was bald from chemotherapy, and her eyes reddened.
Kidnapping Jinbao!
This clear yet crazy idea grew wildly in her heart, eventually devouring all hesitation.
There were still many things to do to complete the discharge procedures, such as waiting for the doctor to write the discharge summary, the diagnosis certificate, and to settle the treatment fees... Taking advantage of the breaks, Lin Rong kept observing the activity in Jinbao's ward.
She noticed that after Jinbao's condition stabilized, he often sneaked out to play because he felt stuffy in the ward. Meanwhile, Wang Fugui was busy with his company and rarely came to the hospital. Li Chunjuan, who was taking care of him, liked to watch TV, play on her phone, and eat snacks, and she was often negligent.
Taking advantage of the absence of nurses at the station, Lin Rong quickly memorized the mobile phone number of Wang Fugui, the contact person on Jinbao's medical record card.
She rehearsed in her mind: using a public phone, speaking in a hoarse voice, briefly demanding the ransom. She calculated the cash Wang Fugui could immediately produce, devising an amount that would solve the immediate crisis without driving him to desperation—500,000 yuan.
If Wang Fugui can afford to spend one million to buy his daughter Jin Na's bone marrow, then spending five hundred thousand to save his son's life shouldn't be a problem, right?
She wanted to use their son to save her own son's life.
As for whether or not to kill the hostage, Lin Rong had not yet decided.
She desperately wanted to kill Jinbao, to make Wang Fugui and Li Chunjuan suffer unbearable pain, and to make these heartless rich people weep bitterly. But when she thought that Jinbao was just a child about the same age as Xiaobin, and that he had the same disease as Xiaobin and was suffering from chemotherapy, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
After finally completing all the discharge procedures, Lin Rong, carrying a large bag, slowly walked out of the ward, holding Xiao Bin's hand. Just as they stepped out of the inpatient center, Xiao Bin whispered that he wanted to go to the small garden in the backyard to sunbathe.
Lin Rong's heart skipped a beat, and she agreed.
There weren't many people in the small backyard garden. Lin Rong sat on a bench with Xiao Bin, her gaze occasionally sweeping towards the entrance. Sure enough, not long after, Jin Bao, wearing a hospital gown, strolled out alone, followed by Li Chunjuan, who was chatting with her best friend on her phone.
When Jinbao saw Xiaobin, his eyes lit up and he ran over: "Hey, sickly guy, you're out for some fresh air too?" His tone was as domineering as ever, but more like a childish attempt to strike up a conversation.
Lin Rong forced a gentle smile: "Oh, it's Jinbao. Our Xiaobin is being discharged from the hospital and going home."
Jinbao looked somewhat disappointed. He had suffered a lot during his illness, and his previous mischievousness and domineering nature had dissipated considerably. He felt a bit attached to Xiaobin, a fellow patient of about the same age who always tolerated his bad temper.
Upon hearing the news that Xiaobin was being discharged from the hospital, Jinbao reluctantly reached out and grabbed Xiaobin's clothes, saying, "I want to go home too. In the hospital, I always have to take those bitter medicines, get painful injections, vomit, and lose my hair. I don't like hospitals!"
Xiao Bin sighed like a little adult: "But we need to get treatment. Jinbao, don't be afraid, you can be discharged in a few days."
Jinbao shook his head: "My parents won't let me leave the hospital. They say the hospital has good facilities. They won't let me run or jump, and they force me to drink milk. I hate them!"
Lin Rong suddenly spoke, her voice dry: "Then, why don't you come home with us? Let Brother Xiaobin keep you company while you watch TV and read comic books, okay?"
Jinbao smiled brightly, his pale face suddenly coming to life: "Great! I'll go home with you. I don't want to stay in this hospital, I want to be discharged."
Lin Rong lowered her voice: "Don't tell your mother, or she definitely won't let you come with us."
Xiao Bin looked up at Lin Rong with some confusion in his eyes, as if asking: "Mom, are you really going to take Jinbao to my house?"
Lin Rong didn't dare look Xiao Bin in the eye. She lowered her head, took Jin Bao's hand, and said in a seductive tone, "Let's go, let's leave the hospital together with Brother Xiao Bin."
Jinbao looked at Xiaobin, then at Li Chunjuan who was sitting in the distance, engrossed in making a phone call and laughing so hard she was doubled over, and nodded emphatically: "Okay, I'm going to your house, but I won't tell Mom."
Lin Rong, holding Xiao Bin's hand and leading the excited Jinbao, hurried towards a corner of the garden. As they passed through a cluster of roses, their view obstructed, she quickly pulled the two children away through a side gate, disappearing into the crowd outside.
Along the way, she held her two children's hands tightly. Jinbao was still chattering excitedly about the "adventure," while Xiaobin, sensitive to his mother's unusual tension, pursed his lips and remained silent.
Back in the dimly lit rented room, Jinbao wasn't scared at all. Instead, he looked around with great curiosity: "Sickly guy, this is your home? Your house is so small, your bed is so small, don't you have a big wardrobe? Where are your toys? Where are your comic books? Oh dear, you don't have a refrigerator or a TV, your family is so poor..."
Lin Rong locked the door, leaned against it, gasped for breath, and trembled all over. Looking at Jinbao, who was chattering away and not at all shy, she was overwhelmed by a huge sense of guilt and panic, making it hard for her to breathe.
"Stop arguing!" Her voice was sharp with tension. "My family is just this poor, not as big or as wealthy as yours. You stay put and wait for your father... to send you back!"
Jinbao was a little confused. When he met Lin Rong's bloodshot eyes, he instinctively hid behind Xiaobin and whispered, "Sickly boy, your mother looks so scary. Shall we go read some comic books?"
Lin Rong forced herself to calm down and wanted to explain to her son, but she couldn't utter a single word no matter how long she opened her mouth.
Xiao Bin sensed his mother's unease. He walked up to Lin Rong, took her hand, and asked, "Will Jinbao's mother be worried if we bring her back?"
Lin Rong squatted down and hugged Xiao Bin tightly.
Xiao Bin stood there passively.
Lin Rong's body was trembling, which frightened Xiao Bin. He called out "Mom" several times, and his voice involuntarily became tearful as he called out.
A mother's heart is connected to her son's; Lin Rong's fear and worry were also transmitted to Xiao Bin, who was very scared.
Lin Rong seemed to have made up her mind. She let go of Xiao Bin, stood up abruptly, and forced a smile: "Don't worry, you stay home and play with Jinbao. Mom will go out and make a phone call to have Jinbao's mom come pick him up, okay?"
Xiao Bin blinked and looked steadily at his mother: "Okay, Mom, come back soon."
Lin Rong walked out of the house, locked the door, and walked heavily downstairs, out of the residential area, to a public telephone booth by the roadside.
With trembling hands, she picked up the IC card she had prepared beforehand and inserted it into the public phone. Outside, the sky was darkening; the hospital should have already discovered Jinbao was missing.
She took a deep breath, her finger hovering over the button, her mind racing with the words she wanted to say. Five hundred thousand… old bills… not consecutive serial numbers… don't call the police…
Just as her finger was about to press the first number—
A hand reached out and hung up the phone.
Lin Rong's heart was pounding. She turned her head stiffly to look at the person who had hung up the phone.
It's Chu Yanxi!
Lin Rong was so frightened that her IC card fell to the ground with a "thud".
She didn't expect Chu Yanxi to find her so quickly!
"Sister Lin, are you confused?" Chu Yanxi said, both anxious and angry.
Lin Rong didn't know what to say, and after a long while she stammered, "I, I just wanted to make a phone call."
Chu Yanxi asked coldly, "Make a phone call? To whom?"
Lin Rong's eyes darted around, and she refused to say a word.
Chu Yanxi asked again, "Where is Jinbao?"
Lin Rong shook her head desperately.
Chu Yanxi's gaze was sharp as a knife, and his voice was deep: "Lin Rong, you took Jinbao away without permission and then made a blackmail call? Do you know what you're doing? This is kidnapping! This is a crime! Once you take this step, there's no turning back!"
With her scheme exposed by Chu Yanxi, Lin Rong's eyes were vacant as she murmured, "I can't help it, I don't have the money to save Xiao Bin. They have money, they can buy their lives..."
Chu Yanxi interrupted her, her words sharp as knives: "You think getting the money will save Xiaobin? Do you think Wang Fugui will let it go? Do you think the police are pushovers? You took Jinbao away from the hospital, and countless eyes were watching you the whole way. It's no secret at all. Once you make that call, all that awaits you is handcuffs and prison! What will happen to Xiaobin then? He'll be bedridden with illness, while his mother goes to jail! Is this the future you want for him?!"
"I..." Lin Rong was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions, covering her face and breaking down in tears, "What am I going to do?! What about Xiao Bin?! I can't wait any longer! I really can't wait any longer!"
The pent-up despair, grievances, fear, and resentment burst forth like a flood at this moment. She cried her heart out, her whole body trembling.
Just then, a piercing police siren rang out in the distance.
Lin Rong panicked and grabbed Chu Yanxi's arm: "The police are here! Wang Fugui called the police! What should I do? What should I do?"
Chu Yanxi calmly said, "Don't panic."
If it were the Chu Yanxi of the past, given her unwavering defiance of evil, she would have handed Lin Rong over to the police and allowed her to face legal punishment, even if the kidnapping attempt failed.
But now Chu Yanxi's heart has softened, she understands the complexities of human nature, and she can see Lin Rong's grievances, resentment, and struggle. She whispered, "Luckily you didn't make the extortion call, there's still time. Just say you're taking Jinbao home to play for a while, and you were just about to call your parents to pick him up."
Lin Rong was now so frightened that she was completely disoriented, trembling all over. She nodded and shook her head intermittently, stammering, "I, I'm scared! I'm not... I didn't think that much, I really didn't think that much."
Chu Yanxi picked up the SIM card she had dropped and quickly dialed Wang Fugui's number. The phone was answered after only one beep, and Wang Fugui's extremely nervous voice came from the other end: "Hello?"
Chu Yanxi's voice was clear and steady: "Are you Jinbao's father? I'm Chu Yanxi from Anning Community Work Station. Lin Rong asked me to tell you that Jinbao is at her house, playing with Xiaobin. If you have time, please come and pick up the child. It's apartment 301, Building 7, Kangleyuan."
On the other end of the phone was Wang Fugui's voice, almost distorted with excitement: "Great! I'm coming right away!"
After hanging up the phone, Chu Yanxi dragged Lin Rong forward and quickly walked towards Building 7 of Kangleyuan.
When we arrived downstairs, the police car was parked at Building 7.
Upon seeing the flashing lights of the police car and the uniformed officers getting out, Lin Rong's legs went weak, her body trembled, and she felt completely out of her mind. Her previously firm and insane criminal thoughts vanished when she actually faced the police.
It was only at this point that Lin Rong began to regret her actions, wishing she could slap herself twice.
How dare she kidnap someone?
How dare she bring Jinbao home so openly?
If Chu Yanxi hadn't hung up the phone in time, the extortion call, with its demand for a ransom of 500,000 yuan, would have meant her imprisonment and jail time.
If she goes to jail, what will happen to her Xiaobin?
Xiao Bin, separated from his mother, was like a fallen leaf, not knowing where the wind would blow him.
Will Xiao Bin survive?
Chu Yanxi remained calm and whispered in Lin Rong's ear, "Cheer up! Don't let the police see that you're guilty. Think of Xiao Bin, think of him!"
Chu Yanxi's words immediately jolted Lin Rong awake. She took a deep breath, then suddenly held it until she couldn't breathe anymore before she could breathe again.
Lin Rong finally composed herself and walked towards Wang Fugui, who had jumped out of the police car, with a smile: "Jinbao's father, you came so fast. I just had Xiao Chu make the call, and you're here right away."
Wang Fugui angrily pointed at Lin Rong: "Officers, it's her! This crazy woman kidnapped my son! Arrest her right now!"
As soon as Li Chunjuan saw Lin Rong, she screamed and pounced on her, reaching out to scratch Lin Rong's face: "It's you! You stole my Jinbao! Give Jinbao back to me!"
The police stepped forward.
Chu Yanxi stepped in front of Lin Rong and quickly explained, "Officer, there's a misunderstanding. Ms. Lin is the mother of Jinbao's fellow patient. Her child came to play voluntarily, and there was no kidnapping. Ms. Lin is somewhat disoriented because her child is seriously ill, and she only remembered to notify the parents after the child got home. She didn't know Wang Fugui's phone number, so she came to me and asked me to pass on the message."
The police officer leading the group looked slightly relieved: "Take us to see the child first."
Lin Rong led everyone upstairs and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, Li Chunjuan pushed past Lin Rong and rushed into the room. She grabbed Jinbao, who was playing a game with Xiaobin, and cried out, "Jinbao, you scared your mother to death! If you disappeared, how could your mother live?"
Jinbao, who was being held tightly by Li Chunjuan, saw the police, his eyes darted around, and he suddenly broke free from his mother's embrace. He ran up to the police and said loudly, "Uncle Policeman, don't arrest Auntie! I wanted to come back and play with them myself. My mom kept calling and calling, and I was so annoyed, so I played with Xiaobin. Xiaobin wanted to go home, so I secretly followed him. Xiaobin is very nice; he tells me stories and plays hide-and-seek with me. I like playing with him."
The child's innocent and eager words stunned everyone.
Li Chunjuan tried to say something, but Wang Fugui slapped her across the face: "You damned woman! I told you to watch the child, and this is how you watch him? Make a phone call, I'll let you make a phone call!"
The police officer in charge was experienced, and after questioning the officers, he concluded that it was "a misunderstanding due to untimely communication."
The police officer said to Wang Fugui, "Mr. Wang, it seems this is just a misunderstanding, not a kidnapping. The child is fine, you see..."
Wang Fugui's face turned ashen; he didn't believe Lin Rong's words.
The hospital wasn't big, and Li Chunjuan was right next door. If they wanted to take Jinbao away, they should at least have asked her first, right? What nonsense about Jinbao secretly following them? That's utterly absurd.
Wang Fugui is wealthy and has only one son, so he is still wary of such things.
But with Chu Yanxi mediating and Jinbao speaking up for Lin Rong, he couldn't press the matter too hard. He glared fiercely at Lin Rong: "You're crazy! You're lucky! Touch my son again, and I'll kill you!"
After saying that, Wang Fugui grabbed the sobbing Li Chunjuan and the bewildered Jinbao and hurriedly left.
The controversy did not subside.
The next day, a heated argument erupted from the office of the head of the hematology department, attracting the attention of many people in the corridor. Chu Yanxi happened to be there to discuss Xiao Bin's follow-up treatment plan with Dr. Liu and approached upon hearing the commotion.
The door was ajar, and Wang Fugui's furious roar could be heard clearly: "What do you mean by 'not meeting the standards'? Malnutrition? Zhou Yumei! What kind of mother are you?! Nana is your daughter, and you feed her pig swill?! You've delayed Jinbao's transplant, can you take responsibility?!"
A weak but agitated middle-aged woman's voice retorted, her voice trembling with tears: "Wang Fugui! Do you have any conscience?! Nana is only twelve years old! Have you given her a single penny of living expenses these past few years? I have no income and can only sweep the streets, earning just a few hundred yuan a month. How can I afford anything decent? The doctor said that before donating bone marrow, she needs to receive mobilization injections, which may cause bone pain, fever, and even affect her future... She's so young, do you treat her like an object?!"
Through the crack in the door, Chu Yanxi saw that Zhou Yumei looked haggard and was tightly holding her daughter Jin Na. The girl was thin and pale, clinging to her mother and trembling slightly.
Li Chunjuan's shrill voice joined the fray: "Zhou Yumei, stop playing the victim! The promised million, you'll get it all! What's wrong with Nana donating some bone marrow? She won't die! The doctor said she'll be fine with proper care! You're just doing this on purpose, you can't stand to see Jinbao doing well! You're jealous that I'm Mrs. Wang now, aren't you?"
"Shut up!" Zhou Yumei suddenly looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, years of pent-up resentment erupting like a torrent. "Li Chunjuan, you shameless mistress! If you hadn't seduced Wang Fugui, would he have abandoned my daughter and me? I've been your slave for over ten years, serving my in-laws, raising Wang Fugui's younger siblings, and what did I get in return? Now that he's rich, you've instigated him to kick me out! You won't even pay child support for Nana! Now that he needs bone marrow, you remember us? One million? One million to buy my daughter's health? Dream on!"
She turned to Wang Fugui, her voice trembling with extreme anger: "Wang Fugui, let me tell you, we're not donating bone marrow! Not for any amount of money! You have money, you figure it out yourselves! Nana is my daughter, and I won't let her suffer for your precious son."
Wang Fugui was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. He pointed at Zhou Yumei's nose and yelled, "You've gone too far! Zhou Yumei, let me tell you, Jinna is my daughter. If I say I'll donate, I mean it. You have no say in the matter! You have to take that million yuan, whether you like it or not. Otherwise, you won't see a single penny of it in the future!"
"Then you try it!" Zhou Yumei straightened her hunched back, like a mother beast driven to the brink of despair to protect her cubs. "Go ahead and sue! Let the whole world know how you, Wang Fugui, abandoned your wife and daughter after getting rich, and how you used money to force your own daughter to donate bone marrow to save your illegitimate child! See how those people who do business with you will view you!"
"You..." Wang Fugui was speechless. After all, he still had his pride, especially in the business world.
Dr. Liu and the head of the department tried to smooth things over, but the atmosphere had already become tense.
Jin Na suddenly started sobbing softly. Zhou Yumei quickly hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face as well: "Nana, don't be afraid, Mom is here. Mom will never let you suffer like this."
Chu Yanxi watched this scene quietly, her heart filled with turmoil. Zhou Yumei's outburst reminded her of Lin Ya in another story in "Breaking the Cocoon," a woman who was betrayed and subjected to emotional abuse by her husband for a long time, and ultimately went to extremes in despair.
These women have endured too much injustice and betrayal in their marriages and families. Their anger has been suppressed for a long time until it explodes at a certain breaking point. They yearn to be seen, to be understood, to receive support, and to have those who have harmed them punished.
Zhou Yumei's resolute decision was perhaps the first time in her life that she had bravely fought for herself and her daughter. And her struggle, inadvertently, cut off Jinbao's most ideal transplant path—a fully matched transplant. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Wang Fugui and Li Chunjuan.
Chu Yanxi did not go in, but left silently.
She returned to Lin Rong's house and saw Lin Rong sitting blankly on a bench downstairs, staring vacantly at her own window.
Lin Rong turned her head and saw Chu Yanxi. Her pale, chapped lips moved, but no sound came out.
Chu Yanxi walked over and sat down next to her, without saying anything immediately.
After a long while, she spoke softly and told Lin Rong about Zhou Yumei's refusal to donate bone marrow because her child was malnourished.
Lin Rong trembled, finding it all unbelievable. She looked at Chu Yanxi in bewilderment: "How could this be? He's so rich, why won't he give a little to his ex-wife and daughter?"
Chu Yanxi snorted coldly to express her dissatisfaction: "Perhaps it's because they favor sons over daughters and think that daughters will always belong to someone else's family in the future, so they are unwilling to invest a single penny."
Lin Rong's lips twitched; she wanted to laugh, but her heart was too heavy to bear, making her expression seem sarcastic: "Cause and effect, good and evil are rewarded accordingly. I wonder if Wang Fugui regrets his actions now? If he had treated his daughter better and taken better care of her, perhaps Jin Na wouldn't be malnourished, and she wouldn't have refused to donate bone marrow."
Chu Yanxi nodded: "You see, those who bully others by relying on their power will eventually encounter resistance. Anything gained through exploitation, deception, and harming others will not be secure."
Lin Rong trembled slightly, feeling a little guilty, and secretly glanced at Chu Yanxi.
Chu Yanxi wasn't angry. Instead, she continued in a gentle tone, "The law punishes evildoers, which requires evidence and a process. But sometimes, the judgment in people's hearts comes even faster."
Lin Rong's feelings were very complicated at this moment.
There was a mix of lingering fear from almost being arrested and imprisoned, relief at stopping in time to avoid serious consequences, a secret satisfaction at hearing about the villains being tortured, and above all, a deep concern for Xiao Bin's health.
“But, Xiaobin…” Lin Rong’s tears welled up again at the thought of her son.
"We'll keep trying to find a way to treat Xiaobin." Chu Yanxi held her cold hand, her voice gentle. "Sister Lin, you have to believe that there's always a way out. We'll move forward step by step, but we have to stay on the right path. If we go astray, there's really no turning back."
Lin Rong gazed into Chu Yanxi's clear and resolute eyes for a long time before finally nodding heavily. She then buried her face in Chu Yanxi's shoulder and began to sob silently and in suppressed sobs.
Tears soaked her shoulder as Chu Yanxi gently patted Lin Rong's back, her gaze fixed on the window of her living room.
The lake-green curtains sprinkled with gold flowers were gently lifted by the wind, like ripples on a pool of spring water.
The road ahead remains difficult. But at least, she pulled Lin Rong back from the brink of crime.
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