Content Warning: This chapter contains scenes of intense violence and torture that may be distressing for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Ransom
“10 million, no more.” He still called Feng Jianguo.
There was silence for a moment on the other end of the line. “Aren’t you afraid that the kidnappers will really kill your daughter?”
“I am.” Lin Youyuan spoke frankly. “I’m even more afraid of losing both my daughter and my money. I don’t want to relive what happened 26 years ago. So, I can only give 10 million. The rest is up to you.”
Feng Jianguo rubbed his temples and stood by the window, almost wanting to curse. “You businessmen are always trying to maximize your profits while minimizing your risks. Don’t forget how Lin Cheng died.”
Lin Youyuan smiled without smiling. “One Lin Cheng died, there’s still Lin Yan. Lin Yan died, there’s still Lin Ge. At worst, I can just adopt one from an orphanage and give him the surname Lin. But Jingtai is the only one. If I give out 100 million today, how many subsidiaries will go bankrupt and how many employees will be laid off? Lin Yan can die, but Jingtai must live.”
Butterfly effect, Lin Yan is just a fuse. The second round of financing has just passed, and the situation is still unstable. The economy is in recession and the market is in a cold winter. The capital that has been invested cannot be recovered immediately.
This 100 million yuan is really a major blow. He cannot take this risk and bet on Jingtai.
“Hurry up, hurry up! Decode the IP address, Old Zheng, Old Zheng!”
Duan Cheng was almost holding a megaphone to cheer him on.
Zheng Chengrui was already fat, and he was sweating all over when he was anxious. His hands were shaking so much that he couldn’t even hold the mouse. He failed to click several times in a row.
He took a deep breath and started over.
Duan Cheng stared at the progress bar intently, and Fang Xin looked at the computer screen with anxious eyes.
90%, 93%, 95%, 99%… 100%!
Everyone held their breath in anticipation.
After a short silence, a line of gibberish appeared on the screen.
Zheng Chengrui threw his glasses on the table and shook his head dejectedly. “It’s no use. The server is overseas. I can’t parse it.”
Duan Cheng punched the table, his eyes red. “Damn it! Then… then what should we do now…”
Fang Xin released her bitten fingers and stood up. “We can’t just sit here and wait for death. We need to find some clues and see how Forensic Doctor Lin disappeared.”
* * *
“Buzz–” The phone, pressed against her flesh, vibrated. Ignoring it, Song Yuhang charged into an empty room, the laser beam from the gun cutting through layers of mist as it swept back and forth.
She raised her hand. “All clear, no targets found. Let’s retreat.”
“Buzz–” The phone vibrated again.
Song Yuhang’s heart tightened. She remembered the call Lin Yan had just hung up. She slowed her steps, signaling the SWAT team leader to take the lead. She slung her sidearm over her back and pulled out her phone from her pocket.
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Two video clips.
She opened it and instantly went crazy. She bit off her tactical glove and dialed Director Feng’s number.
The other end roared, “I’m damn stressed too! Why are you questioning me?! Lin Yan is such a big shot, who can stop her? God knows what she’s up to!”
Song Yuhang lowered her voice, took a deep breath, and her heart twisted in pain. “How much time is left until the agreed ransom exchange?”
“An hour.”
She couldn’t help but shout, “Then why didn’t you tell me earlier?!!”
The group turned back to look at her. Song Yuhang removed her helmet and night vision goggles, unplugged the communication mic from her ear, and turned to run downhill.
“Captain Song, Captain Song…” Others tried to stop her, and Feng Jianguo heard it, cursing loudly.
“Song Yuhang, can’t you have a little backbone? Don’t forget the military order you just made with me! You’re supposed to take responsibility for protecting the entire Jiangcheng City. And now? Are you going to be a deserter just for Lin Yan? Don’t forget, you’re the highest on-site commander. Can you live up to your rank?!”
Song Yuhang pushed her disheveled hair back, turned around several times, and took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. “What about Lin Yan? Who’s protecting her?! She’s also in danger!”
Feng Jianguo hesitated for a moment before saying, “We’re already on our way to the ransom exchange.”
“How much does the kidnapper want?”
“100 million.”
“And the Lin family?”
“They only gave 10 million.”
Song Yuhang was almost grinding her teeth: “Isn’t this nonsense?!”
“Whenever something related to Lin Yan happens, you always seem to be particularly emotionally volatile, Song Yuhang. Don’t say I’m heartless; I’m giving you a chance. You can come back to save her, but there are conditions. Either bring the suspect to justice, or take off your police uniform and return to act heroically. It’s your choice.”
After hanging up the phone, Song Yuhang remained silent for a long time. The others had already dispersed to continue searching the entire hospital, as lives were at stake here.
She leaned her head against the cold wall and watched the two video clips again. When Lin Yan’s face contorted in pain and she screamed, tears streamed down Song Yuhang’s face as well.
She knew why Lin Yan had left the team without informing her. It must have been because during the autopsy, she discovered similarities with the Chu Nan case. Only this reason would be enough for her to go after the killer alone.
The “White Whale Case” and the “Fen Yang Wharf Dismemberment Case” had similarities, but also many differences. Regardless of whether the perpetrator was acting alone, Song Yuhang felt connection to it.
The urgent task is to find the killer, which means Lin Yan is not far away.
Chen Chu Nan is her weakness, so she’ll be her armor.
Song Yuhang wiped away her tears, sniffled, put on her helmet, quickly fastened the buckle, and headed upstairs with her gun.
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Lin Yan, wait for me.
* * *
“Still, no one is coming to save you.” Blood flowed into her eyes, making her already blurred vision even less clear.
The man who had beaten her disappeared, and she was once again suspended in mid-air. She could only hear a cold, emotionless mechanical voice.
Lin Yan’s lips curved slightly in a mocking smile.
But then, she couldn’t laugh anymore.
“Why don’t you hit me, scum, idiot, big fool!” The familiar voice instantly transported her back to that afternoon 26 years ago. The boy kicked her to the ground, stepped on her chest, twisted her fingers, and took the two yuan tightly clenched in her hand, tearing it to pieces.
“Bah, you bastard also wants to take my father’s money, do you deserve it?! Just as cheap as your mother, get lost! “The ten year old boy was already sturdy like a chubby little guy, and kicked her against the wall with one kick.
Lin Yan’s head landed on the ground, and when she woke up again, she was tied to Lin Cheng, and the water from the ceiling hit her face drop by drop.
Before she could regain consciousness, the man wearing a mask whipped her hard.
“Cry, everyone! The louder you cry, the better. Let your wealthy father see how his children have been tortured by me!”
The whip was whipped on their body, causing pain. Lin Cheng cried loudly, but Lin Yan was already used to it, gritting her teeth and keeping silent.
“Oh, she’s quite stubborn, but her small face is quite cute, that look in her eyes… ” The man lifted her chin and looked around.
“Very fierce.”
After speaking, he whipped the corner of her eyes.
Lin Yan closed her eyes and trembled all over. Tears flowed unconsciously, but she still didn’t cry out.
The man became interested and said, “Don’t be a mute.”
The others chimed in, “Mute is good, mute is good, she can’t speak anyway, so it’s a good idea to strip naked and show her father, and let us see how different this rich man’s daughter is from us poor people.”
There was a sound of clothes tearing.
Lin’s eyes were full of tears, the sound seemed to come from all directions and returned to her ears through the echo of the warehouse.
Her hands and feet are tied, unable to block her ears, her eyes are getting redder and redder, she hissed, the sentence that she said is mixed with broken air sound.
“You… who the hell are you? Come… come out!”
“It doesn’t matter who I am, what’s important is that you’re going to die, no one came to save you when you were little, and it’s still the same when you grow up.”
“Lin Yan, Lin Yan, what a pathetic life you have lived.”
The steady mechanical voice unexpectedly let out a sigh, which was incredibly creepy.
Lin Yanwas hanging in mid-air, turning her neck with difficulty, her whole body ached when she pulled a hair, and blood flowed from her head, irritating her eyes with raw pain.
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She tugged on her arms, the iron chain rattled, Lin Yan narrowed her eyes slightly, “Wanting me to die, it’s not that easy, I’ve always relied on myself, I’ve never relied on anyone else.”
The voice chuckled, a sound devoid of emotion, like the monotonous speech of an NPC in a video game. Lin Yan couldn’t quite discern whether it belonged to a man or a woman, or if it was even human at all.
“Take a look at your current situation,” it said. “This iron chain descends 6 centimeters every 5 minutes. In half an hour, if I don’t see the ransom at the designated location, there won’t be anyone left to save~”
As the words hung in the air, the chain suddenly slackened, and Lin Yan felt weightless. She closed her eyes slightly, only to be held in place by an invisible force.
The sparkling sea water surrounded her as she hovered above a transparent glass tank.
Lin Yan’s pupils contracted. The voice spoke again.
“Now, our clever Forensic Doctor Lin, calculate how far you are from the water’s surface, how long until you suffocate, and whether they’ll actually come to your rescue~”
LP: Some parts are confusing but either way, Song Yuhang hurry up and save Lin Yan!
On another matter, there seems to be popup ads according to a reader! I don’t get any at all so I was unaware, I apologize. I don’t know where the ad code is, so I’ll just deactive some plugins where it might possibly be. If you don’t see any popup ads anymore, it means that I got rid of it, but if not, please tell me!
BRO how many chapters until Lin Yan is saved my goodness i can’t take it anymore
the ads are good now, thank you <3 !! also thank you for your hard work!
Oh holy hell. Lin Yan is always so damn reckless.
Oh holy hell. Lin Yan is always so damn reckless.
BRO how many chapters until Lin Yan is saved my goodness i can’t take it anymore
the ads are good now, thank you <3 !! also thank you for your hard work!