Chapter 46: Kidnapping

Chapter 46: Abduction

He casually opened a social media app. As expected, everyone was fervently discussing "mermaids," a frenzy ignited by a message from Kontreras.

"I regret to see how, in these times, people are ensnared by lies, forgetting the scientific spirit of seeking truth, and indulging in a false 'mermaid' craze."

"I initially thought they were merely misinformed. I believed that if the truth were presented, they would surely awaken and realize this was not a real mermaid."

"But I was wrong. They already knew this wasn’t a real mermaid, yet they chose to perpetuate the lie. How ridiculous—amidst such joyous and lively entertainment, no one dared to speak the truth, no one realized this was an utterly baseless disaster for real mermaids!"

"But upholding the truth when no one else speaks is a researcher’s fundamental principle. If no one dares to say it, then I will."

"Dr. Jiang Xun, the charlatan deceiving the public, did not bring back a mermaid from the ancient sea!"

"And I have found the real mermaid."

He attached an image at the end: a girl with a human torso and a fish tail, curled up in a cramped tank, tears streaming down her face, her expression melancholic.

Jiang Xun was slightly surprised, not by the impassioned declaration, but by the image itself.

*…A real mermaid?*

That seemed highly improbable.

A Yu also picked up his phone, his expression growing increasingly grave with each scroll.

With a splash, Liu Hai, oblivious to the unfolding drama, emerged from the sea clutching two sea urchins. "Found them! Sea urchins, sea urchins!"

"Xiao Jin says we can eat them raw. A Yu, help me open one!"

A Yu was still lost in thought.

"A Yu?" Xiao Jin swam to the boat and splashed a handful of water at him. "How dare you! Ignoring our Mermaid King!"

"Ah!" A Yu snapped back to reality, forcing a weak smile. "Sorry, I was just distracted…"

Liu Hai slowly set down the two sea urchins, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"

"It’s nothing," Jiang Xun said, putting down his phone. "It seems there’s some trouble with Kontreras."

A Yu glanced back uneasily, his eyes asking—*Should we really tell him?*

"The situation isn’t clear yet," Jiang Xun answered truthfully. "Jian Yu will likely follow up soon. Until then… Liu Hai, could you give me your communicator?"

Liu Hai blinked in confusion. "You want to use mine?"

"Not to use," Jiang Xun gently shook his head. "It’s just that, given the current situation, it’s best if you don’t see those messages."

He was certain the post wasn’t made by Kontreras himself. But regardless of who sent it, judging by the chaotic online discussion, their objective had largely been achieved.

Those defending Liu Hai, accusing the company of lying, questioning Jiang Xun, supporting Kontreras…

It was utter pandemonium.

Jiang Xun worried that the young one, who had never experienced such an onslaught of information, wouldn’t be able to cope with such complex malice. He hoped Liu Hai could simply stay offline for a while.

Leaning on the boat’s edge, Jiang Xun lowered his gaze to meet Liu Hai’s, patiently explaining, "Someone has stirred up some trouble, so… people online might say bad things about us."

Liu Hai nodded in understanding and obediently handed over his communicator. "Understood."

A Yu was surprised. "You agreed?"

"Mhm." Liu Hai tilted his head. "I’m always easy to get along with!"

"Besides, just looking at Jiang Xun’s face, I can tell he’s worried about me."

"Though there’s no need to worry too much. I know not everyone will like me—even back home, there were killer whales who wanted to play ball with me…"

"But it’s only natural to feel sad hearing bad things, so avoiding them is fine too."

Liu Hai patted Jiang Xun reassuringly. "You shouldn’t take it too much to heart either!"

Jiang Xun smiled faintly. "Don’t worry, I don’t pay much attention to such things."

Xiao Jin was bewildered, only vaguely sensing the shift in atmosphere. "What’s wrong with you all? Did something big happen? Why the serious faces?"

A Yu gave her a deep look. "Perhaps it’s better if you don’t know for now. I’d hate for you to worry so much you can’t eat."

"Especially since Liu Hai caught such a big fish…"

He exhaled, a hint of helpless amusement in his smile. "Don’t waste it."

"Saying that only makes me more curious!" Xiao Jin grumbled. "I’ll sneak a peek later!"

"Then you should give your communicator to Jiang Xun too," Liu Hai said, turning to her. "No matter how big the problem, we still need to eat properly!"

"Alright, alright," Xiao Jin hesitated, then finally tossed her head. "Fine! I’ll hand mine over to the boss too!"

"Today is for swimming with Liu Hai! There are still so many sea urchins down there! I’m going to play my fill and eat my fill! Then I’ll gather my spirits to face all the troubles!"

She suddenly clenched her fists with determination. "Bring it on! Anyone who wants to bully Liu Hai will have to get past me first!"

A Yu clapped expressionlessly. "How impressive—"

Xiao Jin giggled. "But honestly, I’m not that tough to get past. I’m not exactly a powerhouse."

"Alright, enough talk. Get a knife over here, I’ll open the sea urchins for Liu Hai!"

"Yay!" Liu Hai excitedly raised his hands. "Sea urchins!"

Xiao Jin crowded next to him, instructing, "Open it like this. And these black parts aren’t edible—I’ll scoop them out for you."

Liu Hai nodded eagerly. "Mhm, mhm."

…

Meanwhile, after receiving Jiang Xun’s message, Jian Yu quickly messaged Kontreras.

But before getting a reply, she saw Kontreras’s mermaid post online.

"Yes, this is currently Dr. Kontreras’s personal action. Siren Company has not secretly conducted mermaid research, nor would we keep secrets from our partners," Jian Yu answered the phone with a smile. "Yes, unfortunately, Dr. Kontreras is not at the company at the moment. Yes, we will contact him as soon as possible. Until the company releases an official statement, please do not believe any rumors online."

"Of course, I know you value honesty, so we will be transparent with you."

She handled the call smoothly. "If someone else asked me, I would probably just say—company confidential, temporarily classified, please await the official announcement."

Though what she was saying now was essentially the same, phrasing it differently made it much more palatable.

Clearly, the other party’s tone softened, like a cat being stroked.

Jian Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Good, this call could be ended for now.

She glanced at the incessantly ringing phone, rubbed her temples in frustration, and typed one-handed, instructing personnel to immediately proceed to the *Siren* and locate Kontreras.

…

Meanwhile, in a resort cabin on Black Rock Island.

"Damn it!" Kontreras forcefully pressed on the unconscious girl’s chest. "Hold on!"

The mermaid tail beneath her shimmered, but her face was a deathly pale, far more fragile than in the photograph.

Kontreras pried open her eyes, then couldn’t help but turn and pound on the cabin door. "Open up! Wang Yiliu! You’re insane, she’s sick, her condition is critical! Didn’t you want the world to see a real mermaid? You can’t just let her die!"

The door was abruptly pulled open, revealing Wang Yiliu standing outside.

He sighed, hanging up a call, and looked at Kontreras. "Quiet down, Dr. Kontreras."

"How can I be quiet? Look at her!" Kontreras’s usually meticulously combed hair was disheveled, his clothes torn. He emotionally pointed at the girl lying on the floor. "You shouldn’t have left her in that tank overnight. She’s caught a cold, and if you don’t get her treated…"

"What are you talking about?" Wang Yiliu sighed. "She’s a mermaid. Mermaids belong in the water."

"Just be quiet for a moment, Dr. Kontreras. I have some very important matters to attend to."

He pulled out a foul-smelling handkerchief from his pocket and firmly pressed it over Kontreras’s nose.

"Stop…" Kontreras desperately clutched at his clothes, fighting the encroaching unconsciousness. "She’ll… die…"

His resistance was futile. He slowly slumped to the ground.

Wang Yiliu looked down at Kontreras with condescending pity. "I’ve always admired your kindness, Dr. Kontreras, but it’s precisely because of that they’ve been able to brazenly distort the facts, pushing our dreams further away time and again."

"Forgive me, I had to use this method. There isn’t much time left…"

He turned to look at the mermaid lying on the ground, his eyes alight with obvious fanaticism. "Let me fulfill our wish! Let the world see a real mermaid!"

…

The *Siren*.

"Damn it." Jian Yu hung up the call from the security team that had unexpectedly arrived at the *Siren*, leaning back heavily in her office chair, her face grim.

They hadn’t found him on the ship. Kontreras had vanished without a trace. The last time any other researchers on board had seen him was still yesterday. A full day’s head start…

Jian Yu silently stared at the marked search radius, a headache throbbing behind her eyes.

This was bad.

The phone rang again—a distinctive ringtone signaling a call from a special contact. Jian Yu instinctively sat up straight and answered. "…Boss."

"Your voice sounds a bit hoarse." A gentle male voice came from the other end of the line. "It seems you’ve expended a lot of effort today. I’ve ordered drinks for the kids in the publicity department; remember to tell them to drink up."

Jian Yu exhaled slightly, a faint smile touching her lips. "Hearing you so composed puts me a little more at ease."

"The Kong family has come to visit." The boss’s tone remained calm. "The researcher who kidnapped Dr. Kontreras contacted the Kong family, identifying himself. He claims to have abducted Dr. Kontreras, and his ransom demand is quite simple."

"He wants us to acknowledge that mermaid."

"Of course, the Kong family is willing to do anything to protect that child, but I haven’t responded to him yet."

"What do you think I should do, Jian Yu?"

"Agree," Jian Yu swiftly replied. "Then tell him we will arrange the grandest possible press conference for him. This is the treatment a mermaid deserves, at least on a larger scale than when Dr. Jiang Xun found Liu Hai."

"So we’ll need a little time."

The boss asked lightly, "Oh? Will he agree to that?"

"Sounds like the purpose of delaying is quite clear."

"Yes," Jian Yu admitted. "But he will agree."

"If he hesitates, mention Dr. Jiang Xun’s name a couple more times."

"His article, while seemingly targeting Liu Hai for 'usurping' the 'mermaid' name, is actually truly aimed at Dr. Jiang Xun."

"Very well, I will respond to him that way." The boss agreed. "But he probably won’t give us much time, Jian Yu. Go all out, help me find Kontreras."

"If a researcher gets kidnapped during a business trip and we don’t rescue him, no one will dare to apply for jobs with us in the future."

"And… he’s always been a good kid."

Jian Yu replied earnestly, "Yes, I understand."

Author's Note:

Kontreras: Feed me peanuts.