Chapter 58 Forced Love from My Archrival 7

Chapter 58: Forced Love from My Archenemy 7

"Huaiqing, where are you?"

"I'm around... what's up?"

"I've been kidnapped. Can you... come and bring the ransom?" Lu Yuting's voice came through the phone, choppy, as if she was scared out of her mind.

Lin Huaiqing almost thought he was getting a scam call, but after asking a few more questions, he was sure the person on the other end was indeed Lu Yuting.

But his first instinct was still to call the cops.

"Are you okay right now? How much are they asking for?"

"10 million. My dad really can't scrape together that much. You're the only one who can help me! Please don't call the police. I'm scared they'll... off me." Lu Yuting was already choking up, her voice soft and whiny, and Lin Huaiqing couldn't help but feel for her.

After all, Lu Yuting was the original host's first love. Besides, 10 million wasn't exactly pocket change for the Lin family.

If the original host were here, he'd have run straight to his dad for the cash without a second thought.

"Alright! Hang tight! I'll grab the money and come get you!"

He hung up and immediately called Lin Zhen.

"Hey, Dad! Gimme 10 million!"

"...beep... beep..."

The other end just hung up. Lin Huaiqing, not believing it, called back.

"Dad! Why'd you hang up on me? Can you send me 10 million? I need it ASAP!"

"How the hell did I raise such an idiot? All you're good for is blowing cash?!"

Lin Zhen had just wrapped up a meeting and immediately started chewing him out over the phone.

"Dad, didn't we agree you wouldn't call me an idiot..." Lin Huaiqing said, sounding a little hurt. "Just 10 million, and I'll skip my allowance this month."

"Fine, fine! I'll send it! If you blow it, I'll whoop your ass!"

"Thanks, Dad! You're the greatest!"

After hanging up, Lin Huaiqing couldn't help grinning.

He'd never felt such heavy-duty fatherly love before.

That was 10 million! How many worlds would he have to grind through to make that much?

And his dad just handed it over like it was nothing.

No wonder people with dads say fatherly love is like a mountain—turns out it's a mountain of cash.

Lin Zhen hung up, got in touch with his personal finance guy, and wired 10 million into Lin Huaiqing's account.

"President Lin, the company's profits have been down lately, and cash flow is tight. This 10 million..."

Lin Zhen's personal secretary was a guy in his late thirties who'd been with Lin Zhen for years and had earned his complete trust. The two of them were more like friends than boss and employee.

"Sigh... He's my only son. The Lin family business will go to him eventually. It's just 10 million, not like he's asking for the stars."

Lin Zhen had been a widower for years. His late wife had left him with just Lin Huaiqing, who'd been diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability at six.

He'd never remarried, partly because the company was just starting out and he had no time or desire, and partly because he was scared a new wife might bully his simple son.

Women came and went like water, throwing themselves at him, but he ignored every single one.

Before he knew it, it had just been the two of them all these years.

Thinking about how Lin Huaiqing had lost his mom young and was a special case, Lin Zhen had doted on him since he was a kid, spoiling him a little too much.

But every time he thought about whether Lin Huaiqing could handle the Lin Group after he was gone, it gave him a headache.

"President Lin, the young master isn't a kid anymore. It's time to start having him take over company matters. If we keep letting him run wild, the Xue family might..."

That hit a nerve, and Lin Zhen frowned.

"That kid really is too out of line. Have him come to the company tomorrow and learn the ropes from you."

"Don't worry, President Lin. I'll make sure to teach Huaiqing well."

Meanwhile, Lin Huaiqing withdrew the 10 million in multiple transactions, turned it into cash, and nearly filled the whole trunk of his car. He parked it in a remote, deserted spot.

Then he headed to the meeting spot with the kidnappers, alone.

Inside an abandoned factory, a young woman was tied to a concrete pillar with a rag stuffed in her mouth, tears streaming down her face—a heartbreaking sight.

"How dare you come alone? Where's the money?" the masked kidnapper demanded, glaring at empty-handed Lin Huaiqing like he wanted to burn holes through him.

"I'm here, so the money's no issue. Untie her first, and I'll tell you where it is."

Lin Huaiqing might be slow, but he wasn't completely stupid.

If he'd really shown up alone with the money, he'd probably end up dead in a ditch somewhere.

Seeing how scrawny Lin Huaiqing was, the kidnapper didn't take him seriously. With that many guys on their side, they weren't worried about the two of them getting away.

So he went ahead and untied Lu Yuting.

Lu Yuting, all tear-streaked and pitiful, threw herself into Lin Huaiqing's arms, sniffling:

"Huaiqing, you finally made it. I was so scared..."

Lin Huaiqing wasn't about to turn down a willing beauty, especially since he'd dropped 10 million!

"Don't worry, everything's gonna be okay."

"Kid! You gonna tell us where the money is now?"

"In the woods by the river. Go find it yourselves."

The kidnappers immediately sent someone to the woods by the little river, and sure enough, they found a Range Rover.

"We found the car. So where's the cash?"

"In the trunk, obviously. But I hid the keys. Let us go, and I'll tell you where they are over the phone."

But the kidnapper leader flew into a rage, grabbed Lin Huaiqing by the collar, and slammed him to the ground.

Lin Huaiqing landed face-first, scraping the skin off his cheekbone, and beads of blood welled up. He looked somewhat disheveled.

"You son of a bitch, you think you can mess with me? Who says the keys are even there? What if there's no money in there?"

Lin Huaiqing just sat down on the ground, wiped the blood from his face, and spread his arms:

"If you don't believe me, you can search me. The keys aren't on me. The money's in the trunk. My family's loaded; I have no reason to lie to you. We just want to get out of here in one piece."

The kidnapper glanced at the Range Rover sitting nearby. Even if there was no money in it, the car alone was worth a fortune.

"If you're lying to me, you're dead!" After the threat, the kidnapper shouted, "Let them go!"

After they'd walked about five hundred yards, Lin Huaiqing revealed where the keys were hidden. The guy went quiet, presumably heading to fish them out from the riverbed.

"Huaiqing! Did you really put ten million in that car?!"

"Yeah, spend money to avoid disaster."

"I don't even know how I'll ever repay you. My dad's company is just getting started; I'll have to pay you back slowly."

Lu Yuting, having narrowly escaped danger, looked somewhat timid. Her eyes were red-rimmed, like a bullied little rabbit.

It stirred an inexplicable sense of pity in Lin Huaiqing's heart.

"It's okay, no rush. Do you know who kidnapped you? How did you get involved with these people?"

Logically speaking, Lu Yuting was also a marginal figure. How could she have provoked these people?

She had only been back in the country for a few days before being targeted. Could it be someone she had offended in the past?