Chapter 423 - Race Against Time (1/2)

Fu Minginally pretty face had been disfigured; her lips were turned outwards due to swelling Her eyes were dark with bruising and they were swollen too Her chest and torso had knife wounds and these wounds were still bleeding

The nature of her injuries were clear at first glance - so theatre, anger flared in Xia Lei’s heart after he used his X-ray vision and saw the situation inside He took out his ain, but her phone was still switched off

Xia Lei had called Shentu Tianyin’s mobile phone nuet through to her

Now, Fu Ming table and she was obviously not able to tell hiht then, Xia Lei felt like his eyes had been covered, his ears deafened, and like he had been thrust into a tight space, unable to get the information he needed

After some hesitation, Xia Lei called Shentu Ren “Father…”

“Lei? What is it?” Shentu Ren seemed happy to receive a call from Xia Lei

Xia Lei held his worry and anxiousness in check and spoke calmly “Father, I called to ask if Tianyin is ho with you and hasn’t been back since I called Mingh,” said Shentu Ren

Xia Lei froze He abruptly realised that the phone the doctor had found on Fu Mingmei was not her phone at all, but a phone someone had deliberately left on her The doctor had also said that he was the only contact on the phone

“Lei? What’s happened?” Shentu Ren grew nervous

“Nothing, it’s fine No need to worry They’re probably in a zone with no reception All right, I’ll go look for her; I knohere she is I’ll call you right ahen I find her,” said Xia Lei

“Okay Drive safe,” nagged Shentu Ren

Xia Lei hung up He had not received any sort of communication but he more or less knew for sure now - Shentu Tianyin had been kidnapped!

Ring ring ring, ring ring ring…

The phone in his hand rang all of a sudden

It was from a number he’d never seen before

Xia Lei took a deep breath and picked up “Who is this?”

A deep male voice came from over the line “Xia Lei?”

“This is he,” said Xia Lei “Let’s be calm How much do you want? Name your price”

“Heh heh, looks like you already knohat happened,” said the man “Listen carefully, I won’t repeat myself Shentu Tianyin is in our hands Do not contact the police Prepare 200,000,000 in cash i two hours later I will contact you again in two hours”

“Two hours for 200,000,000? The banks are closed now - how a hours, there’s no way I can withdraw such a large suet to Baoding Would a bank transfer work? You provide an account number and I’ll transfer the money to you immediately when I see Shentu Tianyin,” said Xia Lei

The man was silent for a bit, then said, “A transfer works too, but the ranso in two hours Re her corpse!”

“I won’t call the police Let me hear her voice” Xia Lei tried to keep himself calm

“Whuuh… Xia Lei… No…” Shentu Tianyin’s voice came from over the line but disappeared quickly

The man’s voice was heard a few seconds later “You’ve confir up

Xia Lei put his phone away and started running to the hospital’s carpark

The night was dark and the neon lights of the city flashed as cars came and went on the roads A Chevrolet Suburban dashed ht like a ra beast

Xia Lei’s broere locked in a frown in the car, his thoughts heavy He thought of calling either Long Bing or Tang Yuyan to get Bureau 101 to help This seeh he’d decided to do so

He couldn’t

In that instant, his brain functions sped up to itsthen Fu Mingmei would have been able to fend it off Whenever Shentu Tianyin went out, she had four uards of hers were no ordinary people either - no regular kidnappers would be able to kidnap Shentu Tianyin with the level of her bodyguards!

If they weren’t normal kidnappers, then ere they?

If he did not know the eneet Bureau 101’s help, he s worse!

‘The man who called degested a bank transfer He’s obviously thought of this possibility If it’s a bank transfer then he could ask for 1,000,000,000, or even more The one he’s kidnapped is Shentu Tianyin after all But he only asked for 100,000,000 more… Why?’ Question after question popped up in his head and he couldn’t answer the, analysing

‘There was the sound of hen theearlier Not a lot of timei was discovered too, so does thiswith Shentu Tianyin? Was the wind sound I heard froap in the car ? If it’s like that, then why du too What are they hiding?’ Xia Lei grew increasingly afraid thethat this was not a nor and that the kidnappers had some motive other than money And they likely knew his identity too - they were asking for the exchange to take place in Baoding to avoid Bureau 101!

Xia Lei felt even less inclined to contact Long Bing and Tang Yuyan at that thought