65: Chapter 65 Liu Ruyan has been kidnapped?
Inside the black sedan belonging to the Liu family, Liu Zhengguo stared at the sycamore trees receding outside the window and suddenly spoke, "Mingxuan, today we must make Liu Ruyan return to the Liu family."
Rubbing his still-aching wrist, Liu Mingxuan looked hesitant. "Dad, Zhang Fan and his people are numerous, and they even recorded a video. If we use force... won't that be breaking the law?"
"Breaking the law?" Liu Zhengguo turned his head sharply, his eyes overflowing with ruthlessness. "The Liu family is on the verge of bankruptcy, and you're worried about breaking the law? Even if you have to kidnap her, you must bring her back to the Liu family today! The engagement with the Lin family must succeed; we cannot lose that 80 million investment!"
Zhao Lan sat in the passenger seat, twisting the hem of her skirt, tears falling silently onto her lap, yet she dared not say a word of opposition. In this household, no one could ever change Liu Zhengguo's decisions.
The night grew deeper, and the hotpot restaurant in Jiangcheng still glowed with warm yellow light. Liu Ruyan walked out of the shop with her colleagues, including Zhang Fan, Zhou Yurou, and Gu Jingshen, clutching the small trinket Gu Jingshen had given her—a keychain shaped like a mini keyboard. Just moments ago, Gu Jingshen had patted his chest and said, "Hang this on, and your coding will go smoother."
"See you tomorrow." She waved with a smile and turned to walk toward the apartment complex where she rented.
The evening breeze brushed against her hair. Thinking of the warmth of the hotpot and her colleagues' jokes that night, the smile on her lips had not yet faded when two dark figures suddenly rushed up from behind.
"Mm!" A cloth soaked in ether covered her mouth and nose. Before her consciousness instantly blurred, she only saw Liu Mingxuan's ferocious face and the reflecting keyboard trinket in her own hand. "Brother... let me go..."
Exhausting her last bit of strength, she fell to the ground like a leaf. She was carried by the two burly men and shoved into a van parked at the alley entrance. The van door slammed shut with a "bang," and they disappeared into the night.
At eight o'clock the next morning, Zhou Yurou arrived at Singularity Technology on time. The office area was empty, and Liu Ruyan's workstation remained exactly as it had been yesterday. The keyboard was neatly arranged, and the screen was still displaying the starry sky scene from "stardust leap."
Her heart skipped a beat. Liu Ruyan was always the first to arrive; even if she had worked overtime the day before, she would never be more than half an hour late.
She took out her phone and dialed Liu Ruyan's number, but a mechanical female voice came through the receiver: "The user you are calling is temporarily unavailable..."
Zhou Yurou immediately called Zhang Fan, her voice laced with anxiety. "Zhang Fan, Ruyan didn't come to work, and she isn't answering her phone. Could something have happened to her?"
Almost simultaneously, just as Zhang Fan opened his eyes, a glaring red notification popped up in his mind: [Urgent Intelligence: Last night, Liu Ruyan was forcibly kidnapped by Liu Mingxuan to the Liu family home and is being forced to prepare for the engagement with the Lin family. Her personal freedom is restricted.]
"Damn it!" Zhang Fan sat up abruptly and said to Zhou Yurou on the other end of the line, "Ruyan has been kidnapped by the Liu family! We're going to call the police right now, and we'll call Old Gu too!"
Half an hour later, Zhang Fan, Zhou Yurou, and Gu Jingshen arrived at the University Town Police Station.
In the reception room, a young woman in a police uniform was looking down, organizing documents. She had neat short hair and delicate features, yet she exuded an aura of "keep away"—this was none other than Qin Xue, who had just transferred from the anti-drug unit.
"Officer, we need to report a crime! My colleague was kidnapped by her family!" Gu Jingshen rushed in, his tone impatient, nearly knocking over the document rack at the door.
Qin Xue snapped her head up, her eyes sharp as knives. "What's the panic? Follow the procedure! Register the information first, and clearly state the time, location, and the relationship between the people involved!"
Her voice was fast and crisp, carrying an unquestionable force. Gu Jingshen was choked up for a moment. Looking at the policewoman before him—who clearly looked like a thorny rose, yet had a temper harder than a riot shield—he couldn't help but mutter, "This is a kidnapping, and you're still talking about procedure? What if something happens to my colleague?"
"Comrade," Qin Xue put down her pen and leaned slightly forward, her eyes scanning him with scrutiny. "Kidnapping is a criminal case; we are more anxious than you are, but we must verify the authenticity of the information to avoid wasting police resources. First, tell me, what is your colleague's name? Who kidnapped her? Do you have evidence?"
Zhang Fan hurried forward and handed over a copy of Liu Ruyan's work ID. "Her name is Liu Ruyan. She was kidnapped by her brother, Liu Mingxuan, around 10 o'clock last night on her way home. The Liu family has repeatedly tried to force her into a proxy marriage, and they even broke into our company yesterday to cause trouble. This is the video evidence we recorded."
Qin Xue quickly reviewed the video, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper. At that moment, her desk phone rang; it was the household registration department. "Qin Xue, the household registration information for Liu Ruyan you requested is ready—she was never added to the Liu family's household registration after birth, so legally, she has no kinship with the Liu family."
"Alright, I understand." Qin Xue hung up the phone, grabbed her police jacket from the back of her chair, and shouted to her colleague behind her, "Xiao Li, grab the gear! We're going to the Liu family villa; this involves suspected kidnapping and illegal restriction of personal freedom!"
Gu Jingshen followed behind, watching Qin Xue's efficient movements, and couldn't help but run his mouth again. "Officer, your speed is okay, but you were just too dawdling earlier."
Qin Xue turned around and glared at him, her tone laced with gunpowder. "I was dawdling? Do you know how long the anti-drug unit has to wait for intelligence before a mission? One extra minute of waiting could mean one less sacrifice! Procedure is for efficiency, not for you to use as a target for your complaints!"
Gu Jingshen was left speechless—he hadn't expected this policewoman to have such a fiery temper, and she even brought up the anti-drug unit. Just as he wanted to retort, Zhang Fan quickly held him back. "Old Gu, don't argue with the officer. Saving Ruyan is what matters most."
The police car drove at high speed. Qin Xue sat in the passenger seat, her fingers unconsciously stroking the handcuffs at her waist—these were left behind by her father. Her father had been an anti-drug officer, and she was only ten when he sacrificed his life.
Her mother, Li Lu, fearing something might happen to her, had cried and begged her to transfer from the anti-drug unit to a regular Police Station, but the drive in her heart wasn't something that could be reined in just like that.
When the police car stopped at the gate of the Liu family villa, the gilded patterns on the carved iron gate shimmered with a cold light in the morning sun. Just as Qin Xue stepped out of the car, the intercom by the gatepost rang, and an elderly voice came through: "May I ask who is there?"
"Officers from the University Town Police Station, here for a routine investigation." Qin Xue flashed her police badge. The officer behind her, Xiao Li, quietly tugged at her arm and lowered his voice, "The Liu family has a listed company background and has dined with district leaders before. We need to be careful with our boundaries."
Qin Xue didn't say anything, her eyes only growing colder.
Soon, Mother Zhang, dressed in a black maid's uniform, opened the iron gate and bowed as she welcomed them. "Chairman Liu and his wife are waiting for you in the living room. Please come in."
Zhang Fan, Zhou Yurou, and Gu Jingshen tried to follow, but were blocked at the door by Liu Mingxuan.
He was wearing an ironed silk shirt, a far cry from his disheveled state yesterday, and his tone was arrogant. "We will cooperate with police investigations, but outsiders cannot enter. This is a private residence; you entering would count as illegal trespassing."
"We are Liu Ruyan's colleagues! She was kidnapped by you last night, and we have the right to know her situation!" Gu Jingshen was so angry he wanted to shove him, but was held back firmly by Zhang Fan.
Now was not the time to be impulsive; if the Liu family turned the tables and accused them, it would only delay the rescue.
"Wait outside." Qin Xue looked back, gave a signal, and walked into the villa first.