Chapter 87

Chapter 87

When Shen Muyun awoke, a chilling sensation enveloped him, as if he were trapped in an ice chamber. He surveyed his surroundings: the familiar dim, yellow light. It seemed he was once again the victim of a kidnapping—why was his luck always so terrible?

He glanced to the side, where the car’s driver was also bound and immobile. Shen Muyun’s gaze then fell upon the shadowy figure before him. Whose handiwork was this time? Could it be his brother’s? The possibility wasn't entirely out of the question.

“Oh, you’re awake. And here you are, on-site, even when you’re sick.”

The voice that reached Shen Muyun’s ears was a distorted, mechanical sound—utterly preposterous. This kidnapping, he thought, was beyond words.

“Who are you people? What do you want?”

The leader looked at Shen Muyun. “Actually, there’s no grand purpose. We just want Young Master Shen to disappear. Then, do you think that Mr. Lu from the Lu family would come looking for you?”

Shen Muyun chuckled. “I don’t know. I doubt it.”

“Oh? Are you truly that certain?”

Shen Muyun nodded. “What’s there to be certain about? Our relationship is merely a facade. Do you genuinely believe there’s anything between us?”

The kidnapper paused, taken aback. “Well, that’s true. In families like yours, it’s hard to say what peculiar habits you might have. It’s all quite conventional, really.”

Shen Muyun smiled. “Good that you understand. Even if he did come, what good would it do? The White Head Village project is already concluded. How would that benefit you?”

The kidnapper remained silent.

——

“Have you managed to contact Brother Yun?” Lu Huainan anxiously questioned the butler.

“Ah, Young Master, no. Earlier, I thought Young Master Shen had merely gone for a stroll. I wasn’t aware he left the villa alone.”

Lu Huainan stared at the location on his phone, filled with deep regret. Why hadn’t he installed a tracker on the tablet as well?

He repeatedly dialed Shen Muyun’s phone, but it consistently went to a busy signal. Regardless, he needed to hear something—any demand would suffice. Lu Huainan hoped the kidnappers would speak, but no call came.

“Officer Zhou, I’ll have to trouble you again.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll see what I can do.”

The signal from Shen Muyun’s tablet vanished in a forest not far from White Head Village.

Lu Huainan drove to the woods. He had never imagined Shen Muyun would take this particular route, rather than any of the usual ones. In his heart, Lu Huainan continuously called out Shen Muyun’s name, but to no avail.

Driving a little deeper, he spotted an abandoned car by the roadside, empty. Lu Huainan examined the contents inside—a tablet, unmistakably Shen Muyun’s. Without a doubt, Shen Muyun had been taken from this very spot.

“Huainan, we’ve also pinpointed the location here, but the trail seems to have gone cold.”

Lu Huainan moved to open the car door for a closer inspection but was stopped by Officer Zhou.

“We don’t have a search warrant. We can’t proceed like that.”

Lu Huainan could only gaze anxiously around him. Tree branches twisted and gnarled, and the sky was beginning to darken.

When the first raindrop touched Lu Huainan’s cheek, he felt an urge to scream.

“Officer Zhou, is there any other way? The kidnappers still haven’t called. Could it be they have no intention of keeping the hostage alive?”

Officer Zhou had considered this possibility, but based on the available evidence, it didn’t seem to fit the situation.

“Let’s wait a bit longer. If—”

Before Officer Zhou could finish, a phone ringtone shattered the tense silence.

“Hello, who is this?!” Lu Huainan could no longer suppress the rage simmering within him.

“Young Master Lu, no need to be so aggressive. Shen Muyun is here, having tea with me. Nothing serious—I’m merely acting on someone else’s behalf.”

“Whatever you want, I’ll agree. Just name it.”

The voice on the other end paused briefly. “Young Master Lu is certainly straightforward. Actually, it’s quite simple. The White Head Village project has obstructed our employer’s interests, so…”

“It’s too late now. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is over. What else do you want?”

“That’s simple too—just cancel the contract. With the Lu family’s vast wealth and influence, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Lu Huainan was silent for a moment. “It’s not a problem. What about Shen Muyun? Let me speak to him. I need to confirm his safety.”

The kidnapper handed the phone to Shen Muyun.

“Huainan, listen to me. Don’t abandon this project because of me. You’ve poured your heart and soul into it. Do you hear me?”

Lu Huainan shook his head. “What does that matter? Brother Yun, you’re more important.”

“Enough, there’s no time to waste chattering here. Lu Huainan, prepare 10 million and bring it to the warehouse in the northern part of the city. I know you’ve called the police. Don’t let any cops follow you. Only you can come.”

Lu Huainan chuckled softly. “So it’s just about money. That’s simple. You can have as much as you want, but you must guarantee Brother Yun’s safety.”

“Of course. We’ll exchange the money for the person simultaneously. I wouldn’t want to shortchange him.”

Then, the line went dead with a busy signal.

The tied-up driver suddenly awoke. “Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? Help!”

The driver looked around in terror, never having witnessed such a scene before.

“If you want to blame anyone, blame your passenger. It’s because of him that you got dragged into this.”

Shen Muyun rolled his eyes at the kidnapper.

“You didn’t need to kidnap him to catch me. Do you have some kind of twisted desire?”

The kidnapper tapped the knife handle against Shen Muyun’s chin. “Perhaps I do. Do you have a solution?”

Shen Muyun felt a shiver of revulsion run down his spine.

“And what’s more, I might even kill you and turn you into human-filled buns.”

The driver couldn't withstand the robber's intimidation. “What kind of lunatic are you? Let me go! I have a family to support. Taking me hostage is useless!”

“You’re too naive. If you hadn’t removed my mask back then, I might not have captured you. But since you saw my face, what choice did I have? This is no small matter. So, you deserve this—understand?”

Shen Muyun understood. The driver was indeed collateral damage, only here because he had seen the robber’s face.

“I can pretend I know nothing, saw nothing. Please, let me go!”

The robber laughed. “The last person who said that… well, let’s just say it was quite amusing.”

“Let him go. I’ll agree to any terms.”

Shen Muyun didn’t want anyone to suffer because of him, but there was nothing he could do.

“Terms? Once you’ve seen something, you can’t unsee it. So, only the dead can keep secrets. That’s the end of it—understand?”

Shen Muyun jolted, realizing there was no way to argue against the robber’s logic.

He could only glance at the driver and say, “Brother, I’m truly sorry.”

The driver, however, smiled back at him. “It’s okay. We’ll be rescued. I’m sure of it.”

——

Lu Huainan stared at the location tracker, consumed by anxiety.

“Huainan, you don’t need to be so tense. Most likely, it’s the northern district project that’s threatening their interests, which led to this.”

Lu Huainan had a bad feeling—no, more than vague. Something was definitely wrong.

“Officer Zhou, this project has been in development for nearly three years now, and nothing has ever happened before. Looking at it now, things are far more complicated than they seem. What should we do?”

Lu Huainan couldn’t help but sigh. There was no way out.

Following the kidnapper’s demands, Lu Huainan prepared the check.

The police decided to set up a perimeter around the area.

“Beep, beep, beep…”

Lu Huainan’s phone rang again.

“Lu Huainan, I see your cars. You still brought the police. What should we do now? How about this?”

The robber waved to his underlings, followed by a sudden cry of agony.

A series of cracking sounds, like bones breaking, echoed through the phone.

“Hear that, Young Master Lu? This is the consequence of bringing the police. Do you think broken limbs can ever fully recover?”

Lu Huainan was on the verge of losing it, but his rationality commanded him not to break down.

“Don’t touch him. I’ll agree to whatever you ask. Just name your terms.”

Lu Huainan’s voice grew hoarse, tinged with a low, suppressed anger.

“My demands? I’ve already stated them—money and the White Head Village project. You’d better figure it out. I’m preparing to move. Tell those police to stay away. I won’t hesitate to use the one in front of me as a shield.”

“Fine, I’ll go alone.”

The robber hung up without warning.

Lu Huainan glanced at Officer Zhou beside him.

“I’ll go. It’s fine. To them, I still have value.”

“Huainan, you can’t take this risk. Besides, you’re the only one in the Lu family—”

“The only one what? I have a sister. Worst case, she can manage the company. But I absolutely cannot let anything happen to Brother Yun.”

Lu Huainan stopped the car, got out, and looked around. They were almost at the warehouse—truly, just a little further.

“I’ll go alone. You all stay in the surrounding area.”

Officer Zhou immediately repositioned the police forces.

Lu Huainan walked toward the warehouse alone.

——

“The things you asked for will be delivered soon. Can you release the driver?”

Shen Muyun looked at the driver, who had now passed out. He never expected that he himself would be spared while the driver suffered instead.

“No. I already told you—none of you are getting away. You ruined me. How could you possibly escape?”

Shen Muyun jolted. “Who are you? Who ruined you? Are you related to Liu Dawei?”

“Seems you’re not entirely stupid. Yes, I am. What did my brother do wrong? All you people care about are your own interests, isn’t that right?”

Shen Muyun’s face darkened. “That wasn’t our fault. I already went and tried to mediate.”

“Oh really? So you still think you’re in the right? Wasn’t it only after my brother caused a scene that you started paying attention?”

“This matter… it was indeed our mistake. And aren’t you already in the process of being relocated? What more do you want?”

“Of course it’s not enough. You have to suffer what we’ve suffered these past five years.”