Chapter 294: The Foolish Woman

There was silence on the phone for a moment before the kidnapper’s voice came through: "I only talk with family members. You police should mind your own business. If you dare to butt in again, I’ll tear up the ticket immediately."

"You’ve got it wrong, I’m Tang Shiyun’s brother, so I’m not an outsider. My aunt has a weak heart, she can’t handle the scare, so from now on, I’ll be the one fully responsible for communicating with you."

At this point, Xia Mutong took a card with a name written on it from the technician and handed it to Ling Chen.

Zhuang Qian!

Ling Chen nodded silently; the technicians had already identified the kidnapper’s identity through voice recognition.

At that moment, Zhuang Qian said impatiently: "I don’t care if you’re her cousin or a cop, I want the ransom by ten o’clock, or else, be ready to collect Miss Tang’s corpse." Then the other side hung up the phone.

Ling Chen looked at Xia Mutong, who shook her head and said: "No, we’re ten seconds short. They timed it very precisely; we didn’t have enough time to locate them."

"Mr. Ling, when ten o’clock comes, should we deliver the ransom?"

"No, keep stalling. Officer Xia, tell the police to step up the search; we have to find their whereabouts."

"I’ve already contacted all the stations and airports and increased the patrols at the exits of the city. They won’t be able to escape East Sea City."

"Don’t be complacent; East Sea City is right by the sea. They could escape by boat. Call your informants and ask if anyone is heading out to sea tonight." After speaking, Ling Chen went behind the technicians. "Play the call recording again, remove the conversation, amplify the background noise, and see if we can find any valuable clues."

...

An hour passed in the blink of an eye.

At ten o’clock, the phone rang on time. Ling Chen answered the call, and before the other party could speak, he said: "I’m sorry, Mr. Kidnapper, the money is not fully raised yet; can we delay it a bit more?"

Zhuang Qian coldly said: "Kid, do you think I don’t have the guts to kill the hostage?"

"No no no, of course, I hope to rescue the hostage safely, but we really can’t raise that much money. How about this, give me a little more time, and we’ll definitely manage to gather 30 million for you."

"Sorry, you’ve already broken your word once; I won’t trust you again. Get ready to collect your cousin’s corpse."

Doo doo doo!

Hearing the busy tone from the phone, everyone’s complexion changed drastically. Yao Li, in a frenzy, lunged at Ling Chen, cursing: "Ling, you beast, you killed my daughter!"

Zhu Yansong and Yang Chengfeng nearby quickly held her back, trying to calm her down: "Miss Yao, please calm down for a moment."

Yao Li glared at Ling Chen with a resentful face, gritting her teeth: "Ling, if my daughter suffers any harm, I’ll make sure you pay with your life; your whole family will not die well."

Xia Mutong slightly frowned, anxiety in her eyes with a hint of disappointment. She had put too much trust in Ling Chen’s ability, thinking he could rescue Tang Shiyun, but by stalling for time, she had actually put Tang Shiyun in danger.

After hesitating for a moment, she spoke: "Ling..."

Before she could finish, Ling Chen raised his head and gave her a smile: "Don’t worry, nothing will happen."

As soon as the words fell, the phone rang again.

Ling Chen answered the call with a calm expression, and Zhuang Qian’s sneer came through immediately: "Everyone, was that stimulating just now? Don’t worry, Miss Tang is still alive, but..."

Just as Zhuang Qian was about to continue, Yao Li suddenly broke free from Zhu Yansong and Yang Chengfeng, rushed to the table, and cried out loudly: "Mr. Zhuang, please, don’t kill my daughter! I’ll give you whatever amount of money you want."

"Shut up!" Ling Chen’s face changed drastically, and he quickly shouted, but it was a step too late.

On the other end of the phone, Zhuang Qian asked coldly: "Do you know who I am?"

Ling Chen’s mind raced, thinking of how to explain, but Zhuang Qian had already hung up the phone. He looked at Yao Li, his face turning livid with rage in his eyes. Suddenly, he raised his arm, and a loud slap landed crisply on Yao Li’s cheek, showing no mercy.

Yao Li covered her cheek in disbelief, speaking sharply: "You... you dare to hit me?"

Ling Chen said coldly: "Congratulations, you have successfully killed your daughter."

"It’s you! It’s clearly you who killed my daughter! Don’t think about shirking the blame."

Listening to Yao Li’s angry scolding, Ling Chen sighed, no longer wanting to argue with her, and sat down in a chair with a dejected expression.

After several minutes of continuous scolding, Yao Li’s mouth was dry; seemingly exhausted, she leaned on the couch, covering her face, and began to cry in pain.

Feeling the heavy and oppressive atmosphere in the conference room, Yang Chengfeng couldn’t help but speak: "Mr. Ling, isn’t there any hope at all?"

Ling Chen gave a wry smile: "Those kidnappers already know that we have their identities; whatever they plan to do, we’re aware of it. Whether there is a ransom or not, Shiyun is doomed, so they know we won’t pay the ransom."

Xia Mutong curiously asked: "How did you know they would call again?"

"That’s not hard. There are three kidnappers: Guan Long, Zhuang Qian, Zhou Lin. The first two are in it for money; Zhou Lin is seeking revenge for his son. If Guan Long and Zhuang Qian don’t get money, not only will their efforts be in vain, but they will also have to live on the run with the stigma of kidnapping and murder, which they naturally won’t accept. Therefore, until the money is firmly in their hands, they won’t easily give up. Moreover, as long as we don’t pay the ransom, Shiyun will not be in danger. They are afraid that we will request to speak with the hostage to ensure her safety. Therefore, even if Zhou Lin can’t wait to kill Shiyun right away, Guan Long and Zhuang Qian will not allow him to do so."

After hearing Ling Chen’s analysis, everyone admired him a little more, and Xia Mutong’s eyes flashed with appreciation. This man, usually so carefree, turned out to be so meticulous in thought, even grasping the kidnappers’ mindset; no wonder he was so bold earlier, without any fear for Tang Shiyun’s safety.

At this moment, Yao Li, who had been sobbing softly, also lifted her head. She had taken in every word of Ling Chen’s, and reflecting on her impulsive actions just now, she couldn’t help but regret it. There was still a glimmer of hope before, but now not even the slightest hope remained.

Thinking she would never see her daughter again, she couldn’t help but burst into tears again.

"Ling Chen, what do we do now?" Xia Mutong asked worriedly. "Is there really nothing we can do?"

Ling Chen shook his head and said: "There’s nothing we can do; all we can do right now is wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for hope."

With those words, Ling Chen closed his eyes, silently praying that if everything went as he guessed, perhaps Tang Shiyun might still have a chance for survival.