Chapter 49: Hostage

Chapter 49 Hostage

On the small boat.

"...I don't advise you to follow his instructions." Jian Yu, who had rushed over, looked at Jiang Xun. "His hostility toward you is obvious. Sending you to rescue the hostage might just add another victim."

"We can't play by his rules. We have to—"

"But he's streaming live." Jiang Xun watched the synchronized broadcast. "This shows he has a strong desire to perform. If I face him, at the very least, he won’t kill me on sight. He must have something to say."

"I’m not being irrational, Minister Jian Yu. I’m figuring out the safest way."

Liu Hai glanced left and right, trying to interject: "Taking me along is the safest—"

Jiang Xun patted his head down. "From what we can see, Dr. Kong Tela isn’t being mistreated. I think his focus is on that black cloth-covered box."

"Since he went to all this trouble to prepare this, we should at least give him a chance to perform."

Jian Yu frowned deeply. "Dr. Jiang Xun, this isn’t—"

Liu Hai popped up stubbornly. "I told you, just take me and—"

Jian Yu reached out and pushed his head back down. "You helped us find this place—though I still don’t know how you did it—but we’re already grateful, Liu Hai. I can’t let you take risks."

"But it’s not dangerous at all!" Liu Hai pushed her hand away with effort. "It’s hard to explain, but there are just a lot of unexplainable things about me!"

Jian Yu instinctively recalled the anomalies—his miraculous survival in the ancient sea, his unidentifiable DNA, his astonishing strength, his ability to communicate with different species... and his rumored ability to guide paths by summoning creatures from the ancient sea, though she hadn’t witnessed it herself.

Even though she’d long known Liu Hai wasn’t a real mermaid, the thought suddenly struck her—could he actually be one?

These inexplicable abilities were almost like those of a true mythical creature.

Jiang Xun looked at her. "You’re not actually wavering, are you?"

Jian Yu snapped out of it—Kong Tela was still being held hostage. She didn’t have time for such wild speculation.

She took a deep breath. "No, of course not—"

A special ringtone interrupted her thoughts.

—It was a call from the boss.

Jian Yu glanced at Jiang Xun and answered. "Boss."

"Understood."

She put it on speaker as instructed.

"Jiang Xun, it’s been a while." The boss’s voice remained steady. "As per the other party’s demand, the company has ensured his livestream won’t be interrupted."

"He needs you to appear."

"I know," Jiang Xun said shortly. "I’ll go."

"That’s a great help." The boss sighed softly. "The Kong family elders are practically at the company’s doorstep in tears. Of course, I understand their anxiety—their golden child has been taken hostage."

"But I’ve also received word from your mother."

Jiang Xun chuckled. "What, is she going to cry at the company too?"

"No." The boss laughed. "She said she respects all your choices."

Jiang Xun: "..."

"From my position, Jiang Xun, I need you to go and end this circus properly." The boss’s tone was as composed as ever. "But you also have the right to refuse."

Jiang Xun: "I said from the start—I’ll go."

"Next time, I hope our communication can be more efficient, especially during such troublesome moments."

The boss chuckled. "Alright, alright. You’re still the same as ever. Then—"

Liu Hai hastily cut in. "Wait! I’m going too!"

At least the boss couldn’t reach through the phone to push his head down this time.

"You?" The boss sounded surprised. "Ah, Liu Hai? This is my first time speaking with you."

"Are you worried about Kong Tela too?"

"Yeah!" Liu Hai said seriously. "That guy keeps talking about mermaids, right? Since this whole thing started because of me, I have to go!"

"And I can’t let Jiang Xun go to such a dangerous place alone!"

"Let me protect him!"

Jiang Xun sighed. "Of course not—"

"Fine." The boss agreed cheerfully. "You can go together."

Jiang Xun’s expression darkened. "Don’t joke about this. You—"

"Hmm? Why not?" The boss chuckled. "You’re not actually acting as his guardian now, are you, Jiang Xun?"

"Earlier, you said you wanted to protect his rights. Shouldn’t you respect his choices too?"

"And—"

The boss’s tone left no room for argument. "Mermaids bring us luck."

"Jian Yu, get them prepared."

Jian Yu exhaled heavily. "...Understood."

Jiang Xun seemed about to say more, but Liu Hai tugged his sleeve. Their eyes met, and Jiang Xun fell silent.

He knelt down to Liu Hai's level. "...You have to stay safe."

Liu Hai patted his shoulder. "That’s what I should be saying to you."

"Trust me, Jiang Xun. Every promise I make is one I can keep."

"I know." Jiang Xun glanced at the bustling crowd around them and helplessly pinched Liu Hai’s cheek. "But I don’t want you going to dangerous places."

Liu Hai asked, "Why?"

He rested his chin on Jiang Xun’s knee. "I’m not weak at all. I’m really strong."

He could understand Jiang Xun’s concern. In his home world, he’d also worry about other seal pups getting into trouble—getting chased by polar bears, killer whales, or great white sharks.

But that's because they're weak and defenseless against those natural predators.

He felt that although he wasn't quite used to this era yet and occasionally made some blunders, he had already demonstrated his strength.

Why was Jiang Xun still so worried?

Liu Hai blinked in confusion.

Jiang Xun ruffled his head, while Jian Yu approached them with a stern expression: "Take this communicator. If he asks you to take it off, do as he says."

Jiang Xun nodded, and Liu Hai responded eagerly: "Should I wear one too?"

"Probably not." Jian Yu said tactfully, "We might need some... subtler communication later."

A kid like Liu Hai, whose face gives everything away, wearing one might just complicate things.

Liu Hai might not have caught her meaning, but he obediently nodded anyway.

Once everything was ready, Jiang Xun and Liu Hai boarded Blackstone Island.

Liu Hai skipped along beside Jiang Xun: "Wish I’d brought the wheelchair!"

"But the ground here is so bumpy, the wheelchair wouldn’t do much good anyway..."

Noticing Jiang Xun’s tense expression, he patted his shoulder, "Don’t be so nervous, Jiang Xun! I’ll protect you!"

Just as Jiang Xun was about to speak, the door of the island’s vacation cottage swung open, as if welcoming them.

Liu Hai peered around curiously and asked Jiang Xun: "He opened the door, so why isn’t he showing himself?"

Jiang Xun: "Probably worried there’s a sniper outside."

"Let’s go in."

"Okay!" Liu Hai bounded after him.

The two reached the cottage entrance. Jiang Xun politely knocked on the already open door and scanned the interior.

The cottage was small, barely any space to hide anything.

A camera was aimed at Kong Tela, who was tied to a chair. Wang Yiliu stood beside him with a gun, while a large black cloth-covered box occupied the other side. There was nothing else in the room.

Kong Tela’s expression was complicated: "You actually came..."

Before he could finish, Liu Hai squeezed into the room, bouncing: "Jiang Xun, move in a bit."

Jiang Xun obliged and took two steps inside.

Kong Tela gaped: "Have you lost your mind?! Why did you bring him here?"

"Liu Hai! Get back! This isn’t a place for you!"

Liu Hai sighed in relief: "Good, he’s still lively."

Kong Tela: "...Is this really the time to worry about me?!"

"Quiet, Dr. Kong Tela." Wang Yiliu pressed the gun against his temple, "You’re wrecking my carefully prepared opening."

"Tch." Kong Tela gritted his teeth but fell silent.

Wang Yiliu smiled: "First, welcome—Dr. Jiang Xun, the charlatan, and... the fake mermaid."

Liu Hai widened his eyes innocently and ducked behind Jiang Xun guiltily: "I... I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Heh." Wang Yiliu let it slide. "There’s something I’d like to ask of Dr. Jiang Xun."

"Or rather, two things."

"First, I want you to go on record saying that you never discovered a mermaid—since the fake mermaid is here, he can admit it himself if it comes to that."

"Second, I want you to prove that *I* discovered the real mermaid."

Jiang Xun glanced at the black cloth-covered box.

If there was any place here that could hold a mermaid, it had to be that box.

Jiang Xun spoke calmly: "My being here means I’ll agree to all your demands."

"You’ve got a lot to get off your chest. Should I help you start?"

"For example, why you’re doing this... or why you’re so obsessed with mermaids."

Kong Tela drew a sharp breath: "Tell me, who in their right mind sent you to negotiate..."

Jiang Xun shrugged: "The one holding a gun to your head."

"You *know* he’s pointing a gun at me!" Kong Tela’s temple twitched, "And you’re *still* egging him on?!"

"Did you come here to finish me off yourself?!"

"Ah." Wang Yiliu sighed, "Doctor, mind keeping it down for a moment?"

"Now you’ve thrown off my timing."

Jiang Xun offered politely: "Should I ask again?"

"No need." Wang Yiliu raised his eyes, "We’ll start with the mermaid."

"Why am I so obsessed with mermaids... Because this is my life’s work."

"Slogging through years of study, enduring failed experiments, facing letdown after letdown—all for the sake of mermaids."

"Every time I wanted to give up, I swore I could hear the mermaid’s whispers..."

His face twisted with fervor, "I must have been chosen by the mermaid! I submitted my resume to Siren Company twenty-three times before finally getting in. I thought, as an employee of Siren Company, they’d surely understand my mermaid obsession."

"But in the end, they were all talentless hacks."

He sighed, "Dr. Kong Tela, I thought you’d understand me."

"I thought you could hear it too—their song..."

Jiang Xun raised an eyebrow: "The mermaid’s call? Kong Tela can hear it too?"

"Impossible!" Kong Tela spat, "I thought it was just figurative speech! A way to express longing for mermaids! Turns out he was *literally* hearing things!"

"Really heard it?" Liu Hai was baffled and ventured cautiously, "Did you not sleep well?"

"They say humans need eight hours of sleep. Miss sleep, start seeing things."

Wang Yiliu: "..."

Kong Tela sighed, "Why are you suddenly worried about the kidnapper who's against you?"

"Exactly," Jiang Xun nodded lightly. "And if he's been hearing it for so long, he's probably lost his mind."

"You too!" Kong Tela was losing it. "Don't provoke an armed kidnapper!"

"Did the company send you two here to get me killed?!"

"For God's sake, just get out!"

Author's Note:

Kong Tela: Nothing but trouble, I swear!