She sighed before speaking out in a whisper, “My… my family wants to send me overseas, this will involve me staying there for years. I refused, but no matter how much I pleaded or throw a tantrum, I could not get the decision pulled back. So, I…”
“Is this what people call running away from home?” Chen Xiaolian smiled.
“Something like that.” Yu Jiajia sighed and continued, “My friends all live in Hangzhou. If I were to run to my friends’ there, it would be a simple matter for my family to track me down. After thinking about it, I thought about you. During the few times that we met, I had gotten the impression that you are not just an ordinary person. You have skills; additionally, you are also very kind and generous. Back in my school, you were willing to extend a helping hand to even someone like Da Gang. Besides, since you are not living in Hangzhou, my family likely will not be able to find this place…”
Chen Xiaolian narrowed his eyes and looked at Yu Jiajia.
He was seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
Yu Jiajia felt rather nervous.
Chen Xiaolian sighed and spoke up, “Let me ask you something… do you think that by running here, your family would be unable to find you?”
“It is very likely that they will not be able to find me.” There was a seemingly confident look on Yu Jiajia’s face.
Chen Xiaolian smiled and asked, “When you are coming to Nanjing, you should have stayed in a hotel somewhere, right?”
“I used my friend’s ID. My family won’t be able to find my name.”
“Mm, you do know how to use your brain a bit,” Chen Xiaolian replied coolly. “What about your car then? Just now, that foolish girl had said that you drove here?”
“I rented the car in Nanjing using cash. I did not use credit card… I am a smart person. When I ran away, I brought cash along with me and did not use card for anything because I fear that my family would be able to find me. Even for my journey here, I had first bought a ticket from Hangzhou to the capital city. Halfway there, I got off in Nanjing. If they checked it, they would most likely assume that I had gone to the capital city.”
Chen Xiaolian was amused. “That’s quite an anti-tracking mind you have.”
Yu Jiajia felt somewhat proud of herself.
Chen Xiaolian looked at her and suddenly said, “How much cash do you have with you?”
“I still have forty six thousand…” Yu Jiajia casually replied. However, she suddenly tensed up and hastily clutched her bag. “You, why are you asking this?”
“Don’t worry, I am not a robber.” Chen Xiaolian said coolly. “If you want to stay here, you can stay in the same room as the foolish girl. You can use the bed and have her sleep on the floor. About the accommodation fee… I’ll charge you 100 per day. If you want to eat three meals per day here, there will be a separate charge of 50 per day. So, a total of 150 per day. Additionally, you are to do your own housework. Take care of your own clothes and clean your own room. Don’t cause trouble for me, don’t ask questions and don’t randomly go out… if you lose your way, I won’t be responsible for you.”
“You, you are going to charge me money?” Yu Jiajia stared with widened eyes.
“How naïve are you?” Chen Xiaolian spread open both his arms and said, “Did you think my home was given to me by the real estate company? I had to use my own money to buy it, so why should I allow you to stay for free?”
“… all right!” Yu Jiajia gave a harrumph. “150 per day? Fine!”
“Pay once per month. I will have to trouble you to pay up this month’s money first. Consider it a form of deposit.”
Yu Jiajia was so furious her face had turned white. She angrily pulled out her purse and calculated out 4,500 and gave it to Chen Xiaolian. “Take it! I did not expect you to be such an avaricious person! 150 per day! That means 4,500 per month! Take it!”
Chen Xiaolian accepted the money and slipped it into his pockets before moving his body to the side. “Go upstairs then. Roddy is cooking right now. You’re in luck today. My friend had brought some mutton from the grasslands and we’ll be having mutton hotpot for lunch. After you go up there, remember not to put on your Big Miss temper and help out with cleaning the table.”
“… … …” Yu Jiajia looked at Chen Xiaolian. Then, she forcefully flicked her arm, causing her bag to dangle to her back before striding forward alone. After taking a few steps, she turned around to look at Chen Xiaolian and asked, “Why aren’t you coming?”
Chen Xiaolian casually replied, “I’m heading to the supermarket to buy some beer. Since I’m having guests at home, it is only right for me to entertain them.”
Chen Xiaolian then watched as Yu Jiajia walked into the corridor. After that, he sighed and raised his head to observe the sky. “What a pain…”
He then walked forward until he reached the entrance of the residential complex. With both his hands in his pockets, he glanced around.
Next, he walked toward a black car that was parked beside the road.
There were two men wearing black jackets inside the car. After reaching the car, Chen Xiaolian rapped the surface of the car’s window.
The man seated on the driver’s seat brought down the window with a displeased expression on his face. “What do you want?”
Chen Xiaolian smiled and said, “Bro, borrow me a lighter.”
“Don’t have it!”
Chen Xiaolian looked at the two fellows inside the car and said coolly, “Cars will always have cigarette lighters, no? How could you say you don’t have it?”
The face of the other fellow in the first passenger seat turned dark and he said, “If we say we don’t have it, that means we don’t have it! Now scram.”
Chen Xiaolian sighed and turned his head left and right. After seeing that there was no one around, he abruptly pulled the door of the car. In a flash, he had made his way into the back seat of the car.
The two fellows in the car were shocked!
Because, the doors were all locked! Chen Xiaolian had forcefully pulled the door open! As of now, the lock on the door had become deformed!
Chen Xiaolian had quickly made his way into the back seat and sat down. The two fellows in front panicked; one of them reached his hand into something beneath his jacket while the other one was reaching out to push open the car door.
“Don’t move.”
Chen Xiaolian was smiling. He raised up both hands to reveal that he was holding onto a gun in each hand. The black muzzles of the guns were aimed directly at the two fellows.
“If you don’t want to die here, then let’s talk.”
There was a relaxed smile on Chen Xiaolian’s face.
The two fellows in front turned pale. The driver released his grip on the door handle while the other one pulled his hand away from his jacket.
“Brother, don’t get too emotional. Is there a misunderstanding?” The driver forced himself to laugh.
Chen Xiaolian wiggled the muzzle of his gun and said calmly, “A misunderstanding? Maybe, but I would still like to speak what I have in mind first.”
“Go ahead.”
“Yu Jiajia is staying in my place,” Chen Xiaolian said with a look of indifference.
A change flashed across the two fellows’ faces.
The driver then gritted his teeth and said, “I don’t understand what you are saying.”
“Of course you understand.” Chen Xiaolian sighed and continued, “Yu Jiajia is a fool. She don’t understand anything; she thought that she had managed to shake off her family. Just by watching some dramas and movies, she thought that she could come up with measures to counter being tracked. Not using credit card, buying a full journey train ticket and getting off halfway through… those are all tricks to deceive kids. It is actually very easy for her family to find her. Before she came here, she must have called me before. As long as they checked the list of recent calls, they would be able to find a clue.”
“How did you know we…”
“How did I know you are here for her?” Chen Xiaolian smiled. “Let me take a guess… she had left home for more than a day, yet she had yet to be escorted back… clearly, the ones at home that could rein her in are not at home. Those at home are probably just some ordinary bodyguards or the likes. Thus, you can only follow her, monitoring and protecting her in secret as you wait for someone with sufficient authority at home to make the decision. Either that or wait for that big shot to personally come and take her home.
“Right?”
The two fellows fell silent
Chen Xiaolian sighed and continued, “Looks like I hit the mark. Is Qiao Yifeng not here in the country?”
The two of them twitched.
“Mm, he is not here. So, you fellows can only follow Yu Jiajia and protect her secretly to make sure nothing happens to her, right? Right, you fellows must be curious about how I knew that you fellows were keeping watch on her, right?”
“… … …” The two fellows exchanged glances. However, it was obvious from their expressions that they were indeed thinking about that.
Chen Xiaolian sighed and said, “This road is a one-way road. However, the one-way sign at the intersection was knocked down a few days back. The locals know about this road being a one-way road but outsiders don’t. Your car is parked in the wrong direction, cars don’t usually enter this way. Also, this place you fellows are parking at does not allow parking. All the locals here know about it. They also know that the traffic police frequently check this place. That’s why they don’t park here. Only outsiders like you two would be dumb enough to park here.
“Next, when I rapped your window earlier, I had simply wanted to probe you. The moment you open your mouths, I could hear the Hangzhou accent coming from you fellows.
“The last point… the moment you rolled down the window, I could smell the thick scent of cigarettes smoke, instant noodles and drinks from far away… and you in the driver seat, how long has it been since you washed your face? You’ve got discharge on both ends of your eyes. And you, how long has it been since you washed your hair? Your hair is practically sticking together.
“Keeping watch is a tough job, isn’t it? Following the Big Miss, you’ve had to suffer for the past two days, right? Sleeping and eating inside the car.
“Sigh, you fellows sure have it tough,” said Chen Xiaolian who then sighed.
There were looks of vigilance on their faces and they asked, “You, who are you?”
“You see, I am here to help you fellows.” Chen Xiaolian who was seated in the back seat looked at the two men and said, “Listen up, from now on, there is no need for you two to keep watch on her. After going back, call up your superior. Yu Jiajia, I am taking over.”
“Take, taking over?” The two of them were left dumbfounded.
“You don’t understand?” Chen Xiaolian smiled, revealing a row of white teeth. He looked at the two fellows and then moved his body forward. “What I meant by taking over is… she is now… Kidnapped. By. Me.”
“What?!”
“Don’t get so excited.” Chen Xiaolian smiled and waved the gun in his hand. Seeing that, the two fellows hastily sat back down obediently.
Chen Xiaolian coughed out before saying slowly, “You see, this way, you two will be free. There will no longer be a need to keep an eye on the Big Miss. Just go back and report it to your superiors. This is no longer something that you can deal with. Just go back and report to your superior that Yu Jiajia is now in my hands.”
“What do you want?” The driver cast a sharp glare at Chen Xiaolian and asked, “Do you know who you are messing with right now?”
“Of course I know, of course,” said Chen Xiaolian calmly. “Qiao Yifeng, very rich and famous. Of course I know.”
“And yet, you kidnapped Miss Yu, you…”
“Don’t bother with the threats. See this? If I was an ordinary person, would I have this thing in my hand?” Chen Xiaolian waved the gun in his hand again and continued, “Do you think a normal person would be able to get hold of this?”
“… … …”
“When you are reporting to your superiors, just tell them the truth. As for what happens later, that is no longer something that you can deal with.”
After saying that, Chen Xiaolian who was about to get off the car suddenly slapped himself on the head and said, “Aiya, look at this memory of mine, I nearly forgot something. Since this is a kidnapping, I must naturally tell you what my conditions are.”
He kept the guns and pulled out his mobile phone. After making the calculations, he raised his head and said, “Tell your superiors… mm, it would be best for you to directly tell Qiao Yifeng. Tell him my conditions are simple. First, I want money.”
There were no looks of surprise on both their faces – since this was a kidnapping, it was only natural that money be part of the condition.
“The amount of money I want… mm, a total of 134,682… not a single bit less… right, I’m not talking about RMB, but dollars, remember that!”
The two fellows were stunned.
What kind of bloody kidnapper was this?
What’s with all those numbers in the amount of ransom?
“That was my expenses during my last trip to UK, the flight tickets and various other expenses. You fellows don’t understand but Qiao Yifeng do. Honestly though, the reason why I went to UK is also something that Qiao Yifeng knows about. That is why, these expenses should be on him. As for the amount of time I had to waste, I will just be generous and ignore it,” Chen Xiaolian said calmly. “Second, other than money, I want people. I won’t be telling you who I am talking about. Qiao Yifeng knows who I mean.”
Chen Xiaolian observed the two fellows. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and gripped the car’s gearshift. Then, he gave a light twist!
The gearshift was like a noodle in his hand and it immediately became bent!
The two fellows looked on in stupor as Chen Xiaolian retracted his hand.
“This is so that you fellows won’t get any stupid ideas and get yourselves into trouble,” Chen Xiaolian said coolly. “Now, surely you’ve understood? I have guns. And even if I am not armed with guns, I am not someone that either of you could handle. So… be obedient and just go back home and report this.”
After saying that, Chen Xiaolian smiled and got out of the car. Then, he rapped the window and said, “Let me give you another advice, cut down on instant noodles. That this is not nutritious.”
Seeing Chen Xiaolian move away with both hands in his pockets, the two fellows then lowered their gazes to look at the gearshift that had become twisted. Then, they looked at each other and saw terror in each other’s eyes…
…