Chapter 48 (Revised)

Chapter 48 (Revised)

Yue Zhentao had heard about Huo Sicheng’s temper. After Yue Liquan was imprisoned, he had been afraid of being implicated. Despite repeated reassurances from those around him that he shouldn’t worry too much—since the Yue family was a well-known clan with vast business interests, and one wrong move could upset the whole applecart—Huo Sicheng wouldn’t go so far as to wipe them all out.

The next day, he got word from someone inside the procuratorate that they were about to file a public prosecution against him.

This lit a fire under Yue Zhentao.

He cared more about money and reputation than anything else. Messing with his money was like messing with his life.

In a moment of impulsiveness, he started planning a kidnapping.

Everyone knew Huo Sicheng doted on his wife and child—this was his only weak spot.

He had people stake out Dong Sheng Island. After Huo Sicheng left, he noticed half the security detail had been pulled away to escort Huo Sicheng to the airport. This was a golden opportunity.

He immediately told his men to move.

He took Zhong Xi and the child to an abandoned factory. The security team reacted too late and quickly surrounded the factory, but it was already over. Yue Zhentao sent a message to the Blue Rock Base Office.

He demanded to be let go, or they’d all go down together.

Huo Sicheng slammed the table and shot to his feet.

Looking at the photos sent by Yue Zhentao, his eyes turned bloodshot, and his whole body shook uncontrollably. The man who could strategize in close combat was now just panicked and helpless. He couldn’t even speak.

Zhong Xi and Huo Xiaobao had been kidnapped.

Those words kept spinning in his head.

Then his mind went blank.

"Where is Lin Feng? Where is he?"

"Since you rushed back to the base, Director Lin sent most of the police to escort you to the airport. Who knew Yue Zhentao would take advantage of the opening."

Huo Sicheng’s figure swayed slightly.

It was his fault.

He’d been too cocky. He thought Zhong Xi would return soon.

He thought that by going to Dong Sheng Island, he could bring Zhong Xi and the child back. He never thought Zhong Xi might not come back, so he didn’t remind Lin Feng to strengthen security before leaving.

He fell into a state of extreme guilt.

It was Aide Wen who first calmed down. He said, "Chairman, I will now notify the armed police and special police to urgently go to the island."

.

Zhong Xi woke up from unconsciousness.

When he was knocked out, he and Huo Xiaobao were returning from the market, carrying a bag of decorations for the small wooden house. Huo Xiaobao was hopping around, telling Zhong Xi that he had already learned to count from one to ten.

As soon as Huo Xiaobao finished speaking, a car came speeding towards them. Zhong Xi, alert, picked up Huo Xiaobao, but before he could change direction, someone from the car sprayed them with a liquid.

Then he lost consciousness.

He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a yellowed suspended incandescent lamp, the bulb already gone.

His first thought was to look for Huo Xiaobao.

Luckily, Huo Xiaobao was lying next to him, still out cold. Zhong Xi leaned over to check his breathing and felt the little one's steady breaths, which slightly eased his worries.

He’d been kidnapped.

Even though he was scared, it wasn’t a total shock. Before Huo Sicheng was suddenly assigned to the Blue Rock Base, there had been a period when he was frequently followed and trailed. Everyone knew that once Huo Sicheng became the Chairman of the Blue Rock Base, he would be one step closer to the position of Alliance Governor. Some folks tried to scare Huo Sicheng by targeting Zhong Xi, but Huo Sicheng had discovered it in time and dealt with it directly.

Three years later, Zhong Xi had gone from being on edge to relaxing his guard.

Who would’ve thought the real danger was just starting.

He made himself stay calm.

He began to observe his surroundings.

It was an abandoned warehouse, roughly fifteen square meters. The floor was littered with trash—notebooks, empty cigarette packs, and stacks of flour bags piled high. But the dates on the bags were all from three years back, indicating that this was once a flour storage warehouse. There were two doors, one on the left and one on the right. The left door had light seeping through the cracks, while the right one was slightly darker.

This meant the left door was likely the exit, while the right one probably led to a small room or another warehouse.

A guard with a gun stood by the left door, confirming Zhong Xi’s hunch.

Zhong Xi squinted, taking a closer look at the right door. He saw that it was slightly open, with a rusted handle.

Maybe the right side was his way out.

Zhong Xi’s hands and feet were taped up.

He knew exactly where he stood. Huo Sicheng might’ve already shown up, or maybe not.

Snatching Zhong Xi and Huo Xiaobao was clearly about threatening Huo Sicheng. Zhong Xi had no clue who was behind this or what they hoped to gain by threatening Huo Sicheng, but he knew he couldn’t just sit and wait.

He didn’t want to be a pawn in their game.

He also didn’t want Huo Sicheng to cave in for him, agreeing to crazy demands that would just come back to haunt him.

He didn’t want to be stuck with this mess of grudges forever.

He had to figure a way out on his own.

He looked around but was quickly stopped by the guard: "Stay put!"

Zhong Xi stopped.

The guard was big and brawny, all in black, with a mask hiding his face except for his eyes.

Zhong Xi straightened up, staring the guard down, and asked coolly, "You know what’ll happen if you keep me here?"

"Stop talking and stay put."

Zhong Xi asked again, "Who is behind this? Is it... the Yue family?"

The guard snapped, "I said shut it."

Zhong Xi had a rough idea. "The Yue family is already at the end of their rope. Even if Huo Sicheng doesn’t rise to power, it won’t be the Yue family’s turn. And once Huo Sicheng does rise, you people will be left with no place to bury yourselves. Don’t you know Huo Sicheng’s methods?"

The guard visibly panicked but still pointed the gun at Zhong Xi, saying, "Shut up!"

Talking wasn’t getting him anywhere, so Zhong Xi dropped the idea of a peaceful way out for now.

He looked around and suddenly thought of the broken incandescent lamp above. The bulb should be on the ground. Sure enough, he soon found the shattered bulb not far from him.

A very old incandescent bulb, with broken glass.

It was perfect for cutting through the tape.

Zhong Xi pretended to be angry with the guard: "Huo Sicheng and I are already divorced. He left Dongsheng Island and returned to the Alliance. What does that mean? He gave up. He’s going back to the Alliance to resume his high-and-mighty governor role, leaving me and our child behind. You idiots, what’s the point of kidnapping me? Let me out!"

He twisted his body, pretending to struggle to stand up.

The guard immediately rushed over, kicked Zhong Xi in the shoulder, and shouted, "Shut up! Keep still!"

Zhong Xi seized the moment to grab the bulb and concealed it beneath him.

Even though the broken bulb pierced his palm, he didn’t make a sound, his face remained calm.

He returned to Huo Xiaobao’s side, and while the guard turned away, he used the edge of the broken bulb to methodically slice through the tape.

His hands were free now.

At that moment, Huo Xiaobao woke up.

Zhong Xi immediately lay down beside him and whispered, "Don’t be scared, Xiao Bao. We’re playing a game."

Huo Xiaobao gazed at Zhong Xi blankly, who smiled at him, kissed him gently, and said in a light tone, "The islanders are welcoming us with a game. They said if we can escape from this house, we’ll get a big gift. What would Xiao Bao like?"

Huo Xiaobao felt the unfamiliar danger, but with his mom beside him, he wasn’t as scared.

He said, "I want kids to play with me."

Huo Xiaobao’s simple wishes always tugged at Zhong Xi’s heart.

In truth, Huo Xiaobao was just as lonely as Zhong Xi had once been when he watched the stars alone as a child.

Zhong Xi smiled and said, "Sure, as long as we escape from here, lots of kids will come to visit us."

The moment he finished speaking, the left door opened.

Zhong Xi swiftly concealed his freed hands.

A man dressed in black came in from outside and informed the guard inside, "Huo Sicheng is here. Stay alert. Check the windows to ensure the SWAT team doesn’t breach them. We’re all guarding outside. If things get critical, take the child away. Remember, only act when you hear the boss’s signal. Don’t do anything rash."

The guard replied, "Got it."

At the news that Huo Sicheng had arrived, Zhong Xi sighed in relief, but he knew he couldn’t just wait for Huo Sicheng to rescue him.

Even if Huo Sicheng had arrived, he was likely still negotiating with Yue Zhentao. Zhong Xi’s biggest worry was that the longer this dragged on, the greater the psychological trauma it would cause Huo Xiaobao, something Zhong Xi couldn’t bear.

On top of that, Yue Zhentao was now desperate, and no one could be sure if he would make any extreme, impulsive decisions.

Zhong Xi touched noses with Huo Xiaobao and whispered, "Xiao Bao, are you scared?"

Huo Xiaobao choked back tears and said, "No."

"My little crybaby," Zhong Xi told him, "No matter what happens, Mom and Dad will always protect you."

While the guard stood on a chair to check the windows, Zhong Xi quickly moved to the pile of flour bags, used the broken bulb to cut one open, and immediately a large amount of flour spilled out. The guard noticed something was wrong and rushed over, asking, "What’s going on?"

Zhong Xi looked innocent and said, "I don’t know. Maybe the bag just gave out from age."

The guard checked around but found nothing unusual, so he went back to reinforcing the windows.

Zhong Xi held his breath and continued cutting the bag, causing flour to cascade down like a waterfall, filling the warehouse with clouds of dust.

There was a confined space, and there was dust.

Now all they needed was fire.

At that moment, Zhong Xi spotted a cigarette pack not far away, containing composite aluminum foil.

Huo Xiaobao called out, "Mom," and Zhong Xi immediately lay back down, asking, "What's wrong?"

Huo Xiaobao shook his head, his eyes red at the corners. Zhong Xi asked, "Does your hand hurt?"

Huo Xiaobao nodded pitifully.

"Turn over, let Mom see."

Huo Xiaobao kicked his little legs, struggling to turn over on the dirty ground. Zhong Xi first saw the child's tender arms, red and swollen from the tape, and before he could feel heartbroken, he noticed the electric launcher on Huo Xiaobao's wrist.

Wait, an electric toy.

With batteries.

Zhong Xi immediately thought of the cigarette pack nearby.

There was a way.

Zhong Xi shushed Huo Xiaobao, took out the battery, and grabbed the cigarette pack nearby. While keeping an eye on the guard's movements, he carefully peeled off the aluminum foil.

Using the conductive properties of the composite aluminum foil, he connected the battery's positive and negative terminals to create a spark. He tried once, and a spark emerged. Although it burned his fingertip, he didn't feel any pain and instead felt increasingly calm. He quickly composed himself.

The guard had a gun and seemed skilled.

Zhong Xi's combat skills were never great, and they had deteriorated rapidly after graduating from military school. With Huo Xiaobao by his side, Zhong Xi couldn't afford to confront the guard directly. But he knew one thing for sure: the guard wouldn't dare harm him.

If they really wanted to hurt him, they wouldn't have sent just one guard. Their target was Huo Sicheng.

He had to find a way to break the situation before Huo Sicheng compromised.

Time ticked by.

He said to Huo Xiaobao, "Baby, close your eyes. No matter what you hear, don't open them."

Despite his fear, Huo Xiaobao obediently closed his eyes.

Zhong Xi cut the tape binding his legs, then mustered all his strength and ran toward the door on the right. He slammed his shoulder into the rusty door, stumbling and falling inside. He crashed to the ground.

The guard quickly rushed over and grabbed him.

Zhong Xi saw that the warehouse was indeed connected to an empty room on the right, a large space with no door, only a window.

Before Zhong Xi could take in the room's layout, the guard's gun was already pressed against Zhong Xi's head. Zhong Xi froze.

The fear of a bullet is uncontrollable. Even though Zhong Xi had prepared himself, when the cold, hard muzzle pressed against the back of his head, he still clenched his lips in fear, his heart pounding like drums. While observing the corners of the empty room, he said, "I'm not running. This room has no door; I can't escape even if I wanted to. Don't make a sound, don't scare my child."

The guard escorted Zhong Xi back to Huo Xiaobao.

After confirming the explosion method and escape plan, Zhong Xi began casually chatting with the guard.

"Do you want money? Let me go, and I can give you more money. You can have as much as you want."

The guard didn’t budge.

Usually, accomplices like this either have hostages or are just desperate men. People don’t usually risk their lives just for cash. Zhong Xi knew this approach wouldn’t work, so he asked, "Where did you get that gun?"

Zhong Xi narrowed his eyes, observing the gun’s model, and added, "A Model 924. The way you hold it—you were in the Alliance Army, right?"

The guard was momentarily stunned.

"A soldier turned into a kidnapper?"

The guard, embarrassed and angry, snapped, "Why all the questions?"

"I don’t know who your boss is, but here’s the deal: whether Huo Sicheng agrees to your boss’s demands or not, I’ll walk out of here safe, but you might not."

The guard remained silent.

"Let me go, and I’ll make sure you’re safe."

"Trusting you or them—what’s the difference? I’m a million in debt from gambling. It’s either life or death," the guard took a deep breath and sneered, "Might as well go out with a bang."

Indeed, a desperado.

Zhong Xi knew persuasion was futile.

He pretended to lose it, yanking down the flour bags nearby, filling the air with a cloud of dust.

The guard thought he’d lost it.

But in a flash, Zhong Xi had freed Huo Xiaobao. He picked up Huo Xiaobao and stood by the right door.

The guard, a step behind, quickly aimed his gun at him, "Get back! Now!"

Zhong Xi murmured to Huo Xiaobao, "Xiao Bao, don’t be afraid."

Huo Xiaobao echoed, "Xiao Bao, don’t be scared."

The guard grabbed the walkie-talkie, ready to call for help, when Zhong Xi suddenly spoke up, "You know what I studied in college?"

The guard was stunned.

Zhong Xi answered himself, "Explosives engineering. First class? Explosion theory. I aced that class."

Before the guard could move, Zhong Xi tossed the lit foil into the flour dust.

The dust exploded in a flash. Zhong Xi, clutching Huo Xiaobao, ducked into the corner. He shielded Huo Xiaobao’s ears and held him close.

With a deafening bang, the glass shattered everywhere.

The shockwave blasted into the room, and in an instant, everything crashed onto Zhong Xi’s back. Zhong Xi didn’t make a sound, only tightly covering Huo Xiaobao’s ears, repeating, "Xiao Bao, don’t be afraid. It’s just a game. Mommy’s here."

His consciousness gradually blurred.

Soon, he felt a sense of safety approaching.

The explosion interrupted the negotiation between Huo Sicheng and Yue Zhentao. The special forces waiting nearby rushed in immediately.

Zhong Xi, mustering his strength, crouched in the corner.

It hurt. His back burned like it’d been hit by a fireball.

His eardrums were ringing, and for a moment, he couldn’t hear anything. All sounds became distant.

He leaned down, pressing against Huo Xiaobao’s soft hair, murmuring, "Xiao Bao, don’t be afraid. Mommy’s here."

Only when Huo Sicheng arrived did he release his stiffened arms and collapse into Huo Sicheng’s embrace.