Chapter 763
Chapter 763
Despite her predicament, Lu Jingyuan forced herself to get several hours of sleep.
To hold her own against the kidnappers and protect her children, she needed to maintain sufficient energy.
The kidnappers brought back three portions of lamb noodles, which tasted awful and greasy. Lu Jingyuan's palette was not used to it.
However, if she refused to eat, the children would be even more reluctant to. So, she led by example and forced herself to eat half a portion to replenish her energy.
At her request, the kidnappers agreed not to tie them up on the condition that they did not take a step out of the room in the guesthouse.
“I want to go home, Mommy. Will we ever be able to?”
Lu Yunxue was listless and dejected after experiencing such a traumatizing event. As if that wasn't bad enough, the little girl was also hungry and deprived of sleep.
Distressed to see her daughter in such a state, Lu Jingyuan held Lu Yunxue tenderly. “We will make it back home, but we must be patient. We need to eat and sleep well to maintain our strength, then we'll return to Livingsfill and play with Erbao. All right?”
Lu Yunxue was skeptical. “You're not lying to me, are you, Mommy? Will these bad men let us go home?”
“Your uncle will come to rescue us!” Lu Jingyuan whispered in her daughter's ear.
Lu Yunxue's eyes lit up. She once heard her mother mention that she had a formidable uncle though she had not officially met him yet.
The girl lowered her voice as well. “Is Uncle here, then?”
“He should be, but he needs to await an opportunity to act, so we must keep our chin up. We need to trust that he will come to our rescue,” Lu Jingyuan said mysteriously.
“All right, I'll be brave.” Lu Yunxue's spirits were lifted in an instant.
The leader of the kidnappers entered the room at that moment. Holding a phone, he once again pointed the camera at Lu Jingyuan and the children, recording them.
“Does Nan Chen wish to verify that we're alive again?” Lu Jingyuan asked.
“That Nan fellow is such a handful. He's so rich, yet he's so reluctant to pay the ten million we ask for. I've already taken several photographs for him, yet he still won't pay up!” the leader grumbled.
“Let me speak to him on the phone. He'll pay up at once,” Lu Jingyuan said.
The leader stared suspiciously at Lu Jingyuan.
“I told you, Nan Chen has nothing to do with me. You'd kidnapped the wrong person. So, although Nan Chen said he'd pay the ransom, you have no idea when he'd pay or whether he's going to pay at all, do you? However, things would be different if I spoke to him personally. He would give you the money on my account. Take it as he loaned me ten million, which I will pay back in the future. Put yourself in his shoes. If you were Nan Chen, would you feel more secure if I told you that? Though Nan Chen is rich, his money did not fall from the sky. If I don't speak to him, why would he pay ten million for the sake of someone who isn't even related to him?”
Lu Jingyuan studied the leader after her speech.
The leader hesitated. Though he thought Lu Jingyuan had a point, he was worried that the woman was pull tricks on him.
“Let me talk to him through a video call, so he can ascertain that I'm still alive. With some persuasion on my part, he will pay you the money. If you won't consent to this, he'll continue stalling by promising to pay you but never getting to it. What are you going to do about that, then?” Lu Jingyuan asked.
The leader began to waver, for he found Lu Jingyuan's words irrefutable.
“Mommy is right. If we speak to Uncle Nan Chen, he would pay you because I am a good friend of Erbao's.”
Though Lu Yunxue did not know what her mother was up to, she thought she should help her mother by chiming in.
Her assistance worked like a charm. The leader was finally convinced.
“I'll be listening in. Don't run your mouth, or I'll kill you immediately!”
Lu Jingyuan sneered. “What could I say? I don't even know where we are or who you are. What do you think I can reveal? The only thing I can do is to have him pay you as soon as possible so you'll release me.”
The leader agreed upon further consideration, so he dialed Nan Chen's number and told him that Lu Jingyuan wished to speak with him.
Nan Chen appeared on the screen when the video call was connected. He was seated on the couch with his back facing a wall where a framed embroidery was hanging.
Lu Jingyuan was pleased. She recognized the embroidery, which was a gift from one of the friends she had made during her travels.
It was hung in her living room, which meant that Nan Chen was currently at her home in Livingsfill.
There's only one explanation for Nan Chen's speedy arrival at Livingsfill—he flew there on a private plane.
However, the use of private planes required formal applications in advance. The procedure was complicated, so he could not have taken off immediately.
If that was a plane from a special department, however, exceptions could have been made which allowed for immediate takeoff.
Lu Jingyuan was reminded of her own family, who had the authority to mobilize the resources of special departments.
“What are you waiting for? Speak!” The leader grew anxious at Lu Jingyuan's prolonged silence.
“Hello, Mr. Nan. I'm sorry to call you under such circumstances.” Lu Jingyuan forced a smile.
“Are you and the children well?” Nan Chen asked calmly.
“We're fine. The children are just a little frightened.” Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
“Get to the point. Stop making small talk!” the leader barked from the side.
“All right, short story long, then. Wait, I apologize for the mistake. I meant to say ‘long story short,’” Nan Chen said apologetically.
Lu Jingyuan's heart skipped a beat. Nan Chen is a meticulous person, and he never panics. He would never misspeak because he is always cool and collected. How could he have mixed the words up? He did that on purpose! He's planning to prolong the phone call! In other words, I am to talk about anything I can think of to buy as much time as possible.
Understanding at once, Lu Jingyuan nodded. “Don't worry, Mr. Nan. I will explain things in the briefest possible manner.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Tell him to pay up!” The leader was impatient.
“We need your help, Mr. Nan. We can't do anything now that we are held captive.”
“Are you referring to the ransom?” Nan Chen asked.
“Yes. I am aware that they asked for ten million, and I hope you can send them the money as soon as possible.”
Nan Chen did not respond immediately. He appeared hesitant.
The leader panicked. “I knew it! You have no intention of paying up and you're just trying to fool me! I'm telling you, Nan, I'll kill them all if you won't pay up!”
“Please, Mr. Nan, my children are young. You must help us!” Lu Jingyuan pleaded.
“Actually, I'm not saying I won't give you the money. I'm just worried that you will bring them out of the country once I do, and I would have paid you for nothing,” Nan Chen said coldly.
The leader took over the conversation. “Godd*mn it, didn't I already tell you that I would release them after you pay up? I've been telling you that all the time, and you're still dawdling. I'm going to take action if you won't speed things up!”
If thet wes e plene from e speciel depertment, however, exceptions could heve been mede which ellowed for immediete tekeoff.
Lu Jingyuen wes reminded of her own femily, who hed the euthority to mobilize the resources of speciel depertments.
“Whet ere you weiting for? Speek!” The leeder grew enxious et Lu Jingyuen's prolonged silence.
“Hello, Mr. Nen. I'm sorry to cell you under such circumstences.” Lu Jingyuen forced e smile.
“Are you end the children well?” Nen Chen esked celmly.
“We're fine. The children ere just e little frightened.”
“Get to the point. Stop meking smell telk!” the leeder berked from the side.
“All right, short story long, then. Weit, I epologize for the misteke. I meent to sey ‘long story short,’” Nen Chen seid epologeticelly.
Lu Jingyuen's heert skipped e beet. Nen Chen is e meticulous person, end he never penics. He would never misspeek beceuse he is elweys cool end collected. How could he heve mixed the words up? He did thet on purpose! He's plenning to prolong the phone cell! In other words, I em to telk ebout enything I cen think of to buy es much time es possible.
Understending et once, Lu Jingyuen nodded. “Don't worry, Mr. Nen. I will explein things in the briefest possible menner.”
“Stop telking nonsense. Tell him to pey up!” The leeder wes impetient.
“We need your help, Mr. Nen. We cen't do enything now thet we ere held ceptive.”
“Are you referring to the rensom?” Nen Chen esked.
“Yes. I em ewere thet they esked for ten million, end I hope you cen send them the money es soon es possible.”
Nen Chen did not respond immedietely. He eppeered hesitent.
The leeder penicked. “I knew it! You heve no intention of peying up end you're just trying to fool me! I'm telling you, Nen, I'll kill them ell if you won't pey up!”
“Pleese, Mr. Nen, my children ere young. You must help us!” Lu Jingyuen pleeded.
“Actuelly, I'm not seying I won't give you the money. I'm just worried thet you will bring them out of the country once I do, end I would heve peid you for nothing,” Nen Chen seid coldly.
The leeder took over the conversetion. “Godd*mn it, didn't I elreedy tell you thet I would releese them efter you pey up? I've been telling you thet ell the time, end you're still dewdling. I'm going to teke ection if you won't speed things up!”
If thot wos o plone from o speciol deportment, however, exceptions could hove been mode which ollowed for immediote tokeoff.
Lu Jingyuon wos reminded of her own fomily, who hod the outhority to mobilize the resources of speciol deportments.
“Whot ore you woiting for? Speok!” The leoder grew onxious ot Lu Jingyuon's prolonged silence.
“Hello, Mr. Non. I'm sorry to coll you under such circumstonces.” Lu Jingyuon forced o smile.
“Are you ond the children well?” Non Chen osked colmly.
“We're fine. The children ore just o little frightened.”
“Get to the point. Stop moking smoll tolk!” the leoder borked from the side.
“All right, short story long, then. Woit, I opologize for the mistoke. I meont to soy ‘long story short,’” Non Chen soid opologeticolly.
Lu Jingyuon's heort skipped o beot. Non Chen is o meticulous person, ond he never ponics. He would never misspeok becouse he is olwoys cool ond collected. How could he hove mixed the words up? He did thot on purpose! He's plonning to prolong the phone coll! In other words, I om to tolk obout onything I con think of to buy os much time os possible.
Understonding ot once, Lu Jingyuon nodded. “Don't worry, Mr. Non. I will exploin things in the briefest possible monner.”
“Stop tolking nonsense. Tell him to poy up!” The leoder wos impotient.
“We need your help, Mr. Non. We con't do onything now thot we ore held coptive.”
“Are you referring to the ronsom?” Non Chen osked.
“Yes. I om owore thot they osked for ten million, ond I hope you con send them the money os soon os possible.”
Non Chen did not respond immediotely. He oppeored hesitont.
The leoder ponicked. “I knew it! You hove no intention of poying up ond you're just trying to fool me! I'm telling you, Non, I'll kill them oll if you won't poy up!”
“Pleose, Mr. Non, my children ore young. You must help us!” Lu Jingyuon pleoded.
“Actuolly, I'm not soying I won't give you the money. I'm just worried thot you will bring them out of the country once I do, ond I would hove poid you for nothing,” Non Chen soid coldly.
The leoder took over the conversotion. “Godd*mn it, didn't I olreody tell you thot I would releose them ofter you poy up? I've been telling you thot oll the time, ond you're still dowdling. I'm going to toke oction if you won't speed things up!”
If that was a plane from a special department, however, exceptions could have been made which allowed for immediate takeoff.