58: Chapter 58: A Ransom of One Hundred Million!

Downtown Yuezhou, the top-floor conference room of the Chen Building.

Su Wu's black Volkswagen screeched to a halt in front of the building, the tires screeching against the pavement.

Su Han unbuckled his seatbelt and looked up through the car window at the forty-plus-story glass-walled building, the sunlight reflecting off the glass in a blinding glare.

"Third Grandpa, we're here." Su Wu's voice was tight, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.

Su Han nodded, noticing the fine beads of sweat on Su Wu's forehead. "Big Brother, don't be too nervous. Let's understand the situation first."

The two walked quickly into the building. The receptionist immediately approached upon seeing Su Wu. "President Su, Chairman Chen is waiting for you in the top-floor conference room. The private elevator is ready."

Inside the elevator, Su Wu kept tapping his thigh with his fingers, his tense face reflected in the metal walls.

Su Han reached out and pressed his shoulder. "Take a deep breath. Panicking won't solve anything right now."

"Third Grandpa, you don't understand."

Su Wu's voice was hoarse. "The Chen Group is one of our biggest clients. If something happens to the eldest Miss Chen, the company's reputation will be ruined. And..."

He closed his eyes in pain. "The one who got hurt was Old Zhao, a brother who's been with me for eight years."

The elevator doors opened, and the two stepped into a corridor lined with thick carpeting.

Two bodyguards in black stood before the conference room. They nodded slightly upon seeing Su Wu and pushed open the heavy solid wood doors.

The atmosphere in the conference room was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

At one end of the long table, Chen Zhiyuan, the chairman of the Chen Group, stood before the floor-to-ceiling window with his back to the door. His straight-backed figure in a sharp suit radiated suppressed fury.

Several people who looked like executives sat on both sides, their expressions tense.

At the other end were three uniformed police officers talking in low voices.

"Chairman Chen." Su Wu stepped forward, trying to keep his voice steady.

Chen Zhiyuan turned slowly. This business tycoon in his fifties looked grim, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening.

His sharp gaze swept over Su Wu first, then lingered on Su Han for a moment.

"President Su, I need an explanation." Chen Zhiyuan's voice sounded like it was squeezed through his teeth. "I pay your company three million in security fees every year, and yet my daughter was kidnapped right under your people's noses?"

Su Wu's Adam's apple bobbed. "Chairman Chen, I am very sorry. I have already sent people to investigate the specifics and will definitely give you an account."

"An account?" Chen Zhiyuan slammed the table, making the teacups rattle. "My daughter's life is hanging in the balance right now. What kind of account can you possibly give?"

He pointed out the window. "The media has already caught wind of this. Tomorrow's headline will be 'Chen Heiress Kidnapped, Security Company Useless'!"

An elderly police officer stepped forward. "Mr. Chen, please calm down. We have already identified the kidnappers' vehicle and are pursuing it with all our resources."

He turned to Su Wu. "I am Liu Ming, Captain of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment. Based on preliminary investigations, the kidnappers are very professional and avoided most surveillance. Of your two bodyguards, one died on the spot, and the other was seriously injured and sent to the hospital."

Su Wu's face turned pale instantly. "Old Zhao... is he still alive?"

"He's in the hospital being resuscitated," Officer Liu said. "But the situation isn't optimistic."

Officer Liu continued, "Mr. Su, the police are now in full charge of this case. I hope your security company doesn't act on its own to avoid alerting the enemy."

Just then, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated.

Everyone's eyes immediately focused on the glowing phone.

A strange number was displayed on the screen.

Officer Liu immediately raised his hand to signal silence, quickly put on his headphones to connect to the monitoring equipment, and then nodded to Chen Zhiyuan. "Answer it, and try to stall for time."

Chen Zhiyuan's fingers trembled slightly as he pressed the answer button and turned on the speakerphone. "Hello?"

"Chairman Chen." A mechanical voice processed by a voice changer came from the other end, sounding cold and eerie. "Your daughter is in our hands."

You could hear a pin drop in the conference room. Chen Zhiyuan's face turned pale instantly. "How is my daughter? I want to hear her voice!"

There was a rustling sound from the other end, followed by a young girl's tearful cry: "Dad! Save me! They—"

The voice cut off abruptly, and the voice changer spoke again. "Miss Chen is safe, provided you cooperate."

"What do you want?" Chen Zhiyuan asked through gritted teeth.

"It's simple: one hundred million. In cash, non-consecutive old bills." The kidnapper's tone was as casual as if they were discussing the weather. "Have it ready by 12:00 PM tomorrow and wait for our notification on the trade location."

"That's impossible!" Chen Zhiyuan blurted out. "The bank can't possibly mobilize that much cash in such a short time!"

"That's your problem," the kidnapper sneered. "Remember, don't call the police and don't play any tricks. Otherwise..."

Miss Chen's scream came from the other end, followed by the sound of a sharp slap.

"Stop!" Chen Zhiyuan almost crushed the phone. "I'll give it! But you must guarantee my daughter's safety!"

"A wise choice," the kidnapper said calmly. "Wait for our call tomorrow. Oh, by the way..."

His voice suddenly became sinister. "I heard you hired a security company? What a foolish decision. That dead bodyguard is what happens when people poke their noses where they don't belong."

Standing to the side, Su Wu clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white.

The call ended, and a deathly silence filled the conference room.

Officer Liu quickly took off his headphones. "The call was too short to track the exact location, but we've confirmed the signal came from the direction of the East City Industrial Zone."

Chen Zhiyuan slumped into his chair, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

He looked up at Su Wu, his eyes filled with anger and despair. "Did you hear that? Because of your incompetence, my daughter's life is now hanging by a thread!"

Su Han stood to the side, calmly observing everyone's reactions.

He noticed a flicker of doubt in Officer Liu's eyes, as if he had suspicions about the call.

"Chairman Chen," Su Han suddenly spoke, his voice calm and powerful. "The kidnappers are extremely well-informed about the security company's situation. This is very unusual."

Chen Zhiyuan frowned and looked at this unfamiliar young man. "And you are?"