The summer night clung to the city with an oppressive humidity. The city lamps perfectly shone the road, casting warm, golden light onto the bustling roads. Although it was nighttime, the street was full of chaos as there were lots of people on the road. All of them were busy with their own deeds. Some hurried home, others lingered, just hanging out after finishing work for the day. Shops were alive with activity, their doors wide open as they welcomed the rush of evening customers.

A little farther from the hustle bustle, stood a palace-like mansion. Though set apart from the city's heart, it was still full of people, teeming with life. So many lights, adorning every corner, making the grand house outstanding and shining, sparkling as if it was a jewel against the night. The vast garden, surrounding the house, usually tranquil, was now filled with cars parked haphazardly across the lawn.

Inside, the mansion was even more gorgeous and stunning. It was decorated so finely with opulent decorations that one could live there forever. As the owner of the house hosted a party, the space buzzed with the energy of excitement of high-society guests. Ladies looked very beautiful in their elegant dresses and men in sharp suits filled the rooms. They were busy with glasses in hand, engaged in light conversation. Children ran around playing, their laughter occasionally rising above the hum of voices.

The party was for a boy who had just turned twelve. The cake had been served, the guests complimented how delicious and wonderful it was. Despite the cheerful atmosphere and the many birthday wishes, the boy felt utterly alone. He went to his mother to tell her he wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest. She shot him a stern glance, silently commanding him to stay and behave. At that moment, a cute little girl in a beautiful dress with a swinging ponytail approached him. She was also with her mom as she dragged her here even though she was playing with the other kids to introduce her to the boy's mother.

"Hello, Mrs. Ahn! You look absolutely stunning in that dress! I wish I could steal just a little of your beauty, Haha!" The girl's mother greeted her with a wide smile and a cheerful voice.

"Oh, stop it! You're also looking dashing! How have you been? I haven't seen you around much lately," Mrs. Ahn replied warmly.

"Ah, about that! Just busy with my youngest. This is my daughter, by the way." She gestured to the little girl beside her.

"Go on, say hello to your auntie," she introduced her daughter for the first time with the family. She urged gently, giving her daughter a soft pat on the back.

"Hello! I'm Han Ma Ri! I'm eight years old," the girl said, bowing deeply, nearly ninety degrees.

"Aw! How cute! She must take after you," Mrs. Ahn gushed as she was clearly captivated by Ma Ri's cuteness. She fought the urge to scoop the girl up in a hug, remembering she needed to restrain herself as there were a lot of people and she couldn't act like her normal self.

"And this is my eldest son, Ahn Jiang Seok. You've met him before, right?" Mrs. Ahn grinned, pulling her son closer to introduce him.

"Hello," Jiang Seok mumbled, bowing slightly while fidgeting with his fingers as he was totally uncomfortable.

"My, My! Look, how you've grown! I remember when you were so tiny and adorable. Now you've become so handsome!" The woman exclaimed with a playful tone. Embarrassed by the attention, Jiang Seok quickly hid behind his mother, peeking shyly at the unfamiliar faces, wanting to flee away from there as soon as possible.

Mrs. Ahn leaned down while her dress was still clutched by her son, and smiled at Ma Ri. "So, you're Ma Ri, right?"

"Yes! But you can call me Mary!" Ma Ri replied with a firm voice as if she just granted the woman official permission to use her nickname.

"Oh, really?" Mrs. Ahn beamed, her heart completely melted at the girl's confidence.

"Yes! My English teacher gave me the name!" Ma Ri nodded enthusiastically, making her ponytail swaying messily from the movement, though it only made her more endearing to the adults around her.

Okay, kids! You can go and play. Let the old ladies chat for a while since we've met after a long time!" Jiang's mother tried to send the kids away to have a proper conversation with Ma Ri's mom.

"Mom!" Jiang tugged at her dress, reluctant to leave her side.

"Ahn Jiman!" She shot him a glare. Little boy understood his mom was angry at him. Realizing he had no choice, he released his grip. Looked downward with a sullen expression on his face as he shuffled away.

"Oppa! Would you like to play hide and seek with us?" Ma Ri asked exuberantly as she was playing hide and seek with the other kids.

"Piss off and go play on your own! I'm not a child anymore!" He scowled, making a face as if he was a fully grown up man and didn't have time to play with children.

"It'll be fun!" Ma Ri grabbed his hand, trying to pull him along.

"Tsk! Fine, go hide. I'll start counting," he frowned his eyebrows, smirking as he only agreed to get her out of his hair.

"Okaaaay!" The little naive girl ran off to hide. She went straight outside of the mansion and Jiang watched her until she disappeared from his view.

"Such a fool," he muttered. He went upstairs to take a rest, but his room was occupied by his grandma who was sleeping. He sighed and went to the balcony instead. From his vantage point, he saw Ma Ri climbing into a car's trunk. He smirked, thinking he could successfully trick her. At that instant, he saw his uncle, who was his favorite amongst his three uncles, going to the yard. He was curious as well as delighted as he thought he could finally get a chance to talk with him. Excited for a chance to chat, Jiang dashed downstairs, only to find the yard empty.

Disappointedly, he turned to go back inside, but felt someone's presence behind him. He spun around, but before he could react, someone pressed a chloroform-soaked cloth to his face which made him lose his consciousness within no time.

When Jiang opened his eyes, he found himself in a dim, shabby space. His hands and feet were tied and he couldn't see anything clearly. His heart raced with fear. He couldn't understand why and who kidnapped him. His eyes were restlessly looking for a way to escape from there. The room's door creaked open as someone entered inside to check if he woke up or not. Seeing him moving, he turned on the light and shouted,

HEY! GUYS! THE KID IS AWAKE!" The man's shout echoed through the room, followed by the entrance of two more thugs.

"Oh my! Look how the little thing is squirming," one thug with a bulky physique crouched in front of Jiang.

"W-who are you? Why did you kidnap me? My dad could throw money at your face if you asked him gently. There was no need for all this drama!" Despite struggling hard to untie himself, he started blabbering nonstop.

"Wow! Such a tough nut! What do you think? We could make a lot more money if we sell him, don't you guys think so?" He laughed, glancing at his companions.

"Hold on! Boss is calling." Another thug raised his finger to his lips, signaling silence.

"Yes, boss! He's awake… Huh? You want us to keep him locked up? What about our money? Huh? …By ourselves?" After hanging up, he whispered something to the thug beside Jiang.

"WHAT THE FV3K! IS HE FOR REAL? HOW THE FV3K WOULD WE IMBIBE MONEY FROM HIS FAMILY?" The burly thug roared, stomping the floor in frustration.

Why don't we ask him? He's not too little to remember his dad's address or phone number, right?" A thin guy who was silent until then, spoke up.

"Right! Hey, kid! You said your dad is gonna throw money at us, is it true? Then give us his contact info." The angry thug tried to control his temper and leaned in closer.

"Why should I? Shouldn't you have secured that before kidnapping me?" Jiang gave him a cold look, managing to sit up despite his dizziness.

Look at this little fox! He's asking for a good beating!" Saying that he kicked Jiang's stomach so hard that he sprang back, groaned out loudly.

"Hey! Are you nuts? The boss ordered us not to harm him! Don't you remember?" The thug who had received the call hurried to intervene, blocking the attacker.

"Listen, kid! We don't have anything to do with you. Get it? But we need to make some cash. So, help us out or we might start considering cutting off a limb or two. Imagine being crippled for life. I bet, you don't want to be a burden on anyone, ain't I correct? Just give us your dad's number, and once we get the money, we'll let you go. It's a win-win, right?" The thin, cunning man crouched down, smirking as he threatened Jiang.

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The mansion, where a party was in full swing, grew somber and tense as they received a call from the kidnappers demanding fifty million dollars. They threatened to kill Jiang if their demands weren't met or if the police were involved. The once lively atmosphere turned grim as everyone tried to console Jiang's mother and strategize with his father.