"Don't worry, once we have the money, we won't hurt anyone! But we're not very patient. You have two hours. If the money isn't at the designated spot by then, don't blame us!"
You Rong pursed his lips, his expression grim. "Alright! I'll deliver the money on time. But you remember my words: if you dare to lay a single hair on her, I will never let you go! And… I demand to speak with my fiancée now. I need to know if she's safe!"
"Hmph! No! In short, I've made my position clear. You obediently put the money down and leave. We'll release her once we have the money! Otherwise… if you dare to call the police or pull any tricks, we'll kill that girl immediately!"
"You wouldn't dare!" You Rong gritted his teeth and managed to squeeze out the words.
"There's nothing we wouldn't dare to do. If you don't want your fiancée to get hurt, you better behave!"
After the other side finished speaking, they hung up the phone with a click.
You Rong held his phone, his gaze darkening. He immediately dialed Uncle Wang's number. "Prepare five million yuan. Now. Send it to the south of the city for me!"
"Yes, young master. I'll send the money over right away!"
You Rong hung up. The police officer looked grave. "We'll immediately deploy our men to stake out the unfinished building in the south of the city. The thugs told you to leave after dropping the money, we suspect a trap!"
You Rong's eyes were cold. "Whether it's a trap or not, even if he takes the ransom, it doesn't matter. I have only one request: her safety must be ensured!"
"You can rest assured about that. We will prioritize the hostage's safety."
You Rong nodded. "Then let's get in the car. We'll go to the south of the city to meet my housekeeper. He'll be bringing the ransom."
The police officer said, "Alright, let's go now."
You Rong got into the police car. The officer in charge of the case received a call. After answering, he looked surprised. "Are you serious? It's really located? Okay… I'll be there immediately!"
As soon as he hung up, You Rong eagerly asked, "Did you locate the perpetrators?"
The police officer replied, "No, it's Miss Wen who suddenly remembered. She had someone specially customize a miniature GPS tracker for her pet dog, but hadn't had a chance to use it yet. She happened to have it clipped to her phone as a pendant. Now, the GPS shows a location in a remote, small farmhouse. It's not the same place the thugs mentioned for the exchange. We suspect the hostage is being held there. We've decided to split up. I'll go to the GPS location, and the others will go to the unfinished building in the south of the city."
You Rong pondered for a few seconds. "I'll go with you to the GPS location!"
He also felt that Lin Qinghe was more likely to be held there!
"Alright! Then we'll head there now. It's only about an hour's drive from here."
-------------------------------------
An hour later.
You Rong and the police officers got out of the car about a kilometer away from the GPS location. Over a dozen people tiptoed, stealthily approaching the small farmhouse.
By the time they reached the dilapidated courtyard wall, they could already see a dim, yellowish light inside the house.
A police officer whispered, "Can you confirm how many thugs are inside? Is the hostage being held there?"
"From the window, I only saw one man pacing back and forth. The hostage isn't visible, perhaps her movements are restricted. We've surveyed the area outside the farmhouse. There's a window at the back that we can directly break through to quickly subdue the thugs and rescue the hostage!"
The police officer who brought You Rong carefully considered and nodded. "Good! We'll proceed according to plan. You take two men and sneak to the back of the farmhouse. We'll observe from the front. When the time is right, you break through the window immediately!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The police officers split up. You Rong wanted to rush in with them but was refused. The police officer insisted that he must stay outside, as his presence could disrupt their operation.
Although You Rong was burning with anxiety, he knew he wasn't a professional and going in could only cause trouble. He had to suppress his impatience and wait outside.
With everything prepared, they crouched outside the courtyard wall and saw the man's figure walk to the window, holding his phone as if he were making a call.
The police officer immediately pressed his walkie-talkie. "Now! Break through the window!"
"Received!"
With a loud crash, the sound of breaking glass echoed. The police officers lurking outside the courtyard also rushed in.
Inside the room.
Just as Huang Mao was about to call his third brother and the others, he heard the commotion of the window being broken from behind. A police officer lunged at him. He reacted quickly, grappling with the officer and kicking him away. He then swiftly grabbed Lin Qinghe from the corner of the room, pressing a small knife against her throat.
Huang Mao shouted, "Don't come any closer! All of you, stay back! Otherwise, I'll kill this girl right now! Back off… all of you, back off!"
At this moment, the door was kicked open, and the rest of the police officers swarmed in, all pointing their guns at Huang Mao.
Seeing this, Huang Mao became extremely agitated. "Get lost! If you don't want this wretched girl to die, get out of my way. Don't come any closer…"
In his extreme agitation, the small knife in Huang Mao's hand pressed tightly against Lin Qinghe's skin, drawing a bloody line that trickled down her neck.
Lin Qinghe, exhausted and in pain, her vision blurred, could barely hold on.
Seeing this, the police quickly retreated, trying to calm him. "Calm down. Don't be rash. As long as you don't harm the hostage, we can discuss whatever you want…"
"Get lost! Let me out! You get out…"
Huang Mao, holding Lin Qinghe hostage, forced the police to retreat step by step, and he too walked step by step towards the courtyard exit.
You Rong, waiting outside the courtyard, saw Lin Qinghe's pale face and his own color drained. His heart leaped into his throat.
You Rong ran over, his breathing rapid. "Don't hurt her! If you let her go, whether you want money or anything else, I'll agree to it!"
In his extreme fear, Huang Mao held the small knife tightly against Lin Qinghe's neck and roared, "I want a car! Get me a car immediately! Do you hear me!"
He didn't believe these police officers' lies. If he got caught, he was finished. He wanted a car to escape!
The leading police officer immediately agreed. "Alright! You want a car, right? I'll have someone bring one over right away. It'll only take a few minutes! You must stay calm and not harm the hostage…"
"Stop your damn nonsense! Where's the car! Hurry up and get someone to bring the car here, or else… I'll kill this wretched girl right now!"
The leading police officer said to his colleague behind him, "Hurry, go get a police car. Pacify the thug first!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Someone went to drive the car, and the leading police officer continued to calm Huang Mao.
Lin Qinghe, enduring the pain in her neck, opened her eyes. In the dim light, she met You Rong's gaze.
Lin Qinghe gritted her teeth, deciding to take a gamble!
She blinked at You Rong, three times in a row. You Rong seemed to notice her intention and subtly nodded back.
Lin Qinghe closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. She blinked three times in a row, then strained her body to push backward.
Huang Mao, caught off guard, stumbled, loosening his grip on Lin Qinghe. Seeing this, Lin Qinghe immediately ran forward.
Huang Mao, his face contorted with rage, lunged at Lin Qinghe with his knife. "Wretched girl!"
With a "bang," a gunshot rang out. Huang Mao was shot in the right shoulder, and the small knife fell to the ground.
Lin Qinghe, running forward, felt her legs give way. She lost her balance and fell forward into a chest with a crisp, clean scent.
So tired…
Lin Qinghe was so exhausted she couldn't even open her eyes. Before she completely lost consciousness, she vaguely heard a frantic voice.
"Qinghe, wake up… Lin Qinghe! You can't be hurt, Lin Qinghe…"