122: kidnapping

Scarface skillfully took the money and weighed it in his hand.

"Don't worry, Young Master Shan. This isn't our first time working together. I guarantee she'll be lying obediently in your bed."

The other two subordinates followed with a chuckle, their eyes full of lewdness.

Li Weishan looked coldly in the direction where the Audi had disappeared. Recalling the humiliation of Liu Nansheng's public rejection last night, a surge of anger rose in his heart again.

"Giving you face and you don't want it,"

he cursed under his breath, gritting his teeth. "Refusing a hundred thousand a month, forcing me to use force.

Tonight, I'll let you know that in this GaoCheng County, there hasn't been a woman I, Li Weishan, have set my sights on who could escape my grasp."

Scarface stuffed the banknotes into his pants pocket and gave his two subordinates a look: "Go get the car and the gear ready. Move out now."

After the three left quickly, Li Weishan stood alone, pulled out his phone, and looked at Liu Nansheng's photo.

In the photo, Nansheng was smiling at Chen Li, a smile so beautiful it was intoxicating.

"Just you wait, beauty."

He lightly stroked the smiling face on the screen, his eyes dark and sinister. "After tonight, you won't be able to smile anymore."

In the distance, Chen Li's car had long since disappeared into the flow of traffic, completely unaware of the impending danger.

The white van was parked quietly in the shadows of a street corner, the interior filled with smoke.

The man with puffy eyes in the passenger seat suddenly sat up straight and said in a low voice, "Boss, they've entered the Shopping Mall."

In the back seat, Scarface unhurriedly blew smoke rings, squinting his eyes as he looked toward the Shopping Mall entrance:

"What's the rush? Let them take their time. Just keep a close eye on that Audi; we'll get our chance eventually."

He stubbed out his cigarette, thinking about the profit from this deal.

After finishing this job, another hundred thousand would be in hand. His two children's tuition, cram school fees, and the living expenses for the next few months would all be covered.

At this thought, the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

"Looking at the car those youngsters are driving, their family should be quite wealthy. But no matter how rich they are, can they compare to that rich second-generation, Li Weishan?"

...They followed Chen Li and Liu Nansheng all the way from the Shopping Mall to a restaurant, but they could never find a suitable opportunity to strike.

It wasn't until dusk that the opportunity finally arrived.

Chen Li took Liu Nansheng to a century-old shop hidden deep in an old street. This small shop, famous for its Roasted Suckling Pig, was in a relatively remote location with few pedestrians on the street.

Scarface's eyes lit up instantly, and he signaled his subordinates to get ready.

The enticing aroma of roasted meat drifted from the shop. Chen Li and Liu Nansheng were enjoying the freshly Roasted Suckling Pig with great relish.

The golden, crispy skin and the tender, juicy meat left the two completely immersed in the food, oblivious to the approaching danger.

"I've been craving this place for a long time; I finally got to eat it today," Chen Li said contentedly, picking out the tenderest piece for Liu Nansheng.

Liu Nansheng took small bites, her face brimming with a happy smile.

The dim yellow light in the shop shone on her face, making her look exceptionally gentle.

Half an hour later, the two walked out of the shop satisfied and headed toward the Audi parked by the roadside.

No one noticed the white van nearby; its windows were covered with dark film, making it impossible to see inside.

Just as Chen Li reached the driver's door and Liu Nansheng was about to open the passenger door, the unexpected happened.

The van door slid open violently, and two burly men rushed out like lightning.

One covered Liu Nansheng's mouth from behind while the other grabbed her legs. Amidst her terrified whimpers, they quickly stuffed her into the van.

"Nansheng!" Chen Li turned pale with shock. Without time to think, he rushed forward and firmly grabbed the last kidnapper who was about to get into the car.

The two scuffled. Although Chen Li was nearly 1.8 meters tall, he was no match for these thugs and hired muscle.

Several heavy punches landed on his abdomen. He bent over in pain but still held onto the man's leg tightly.

"Let go! You're fucking asking for death!" The kidnapper kicked and beat him viciously, but Chen Li gritted his teeth and refused to let go.

He had only one thought in his mind: he must not let them take Liu Nansheng away like this.

As long as he held onto one person, they would have to have some misgivings.

"Quick! Get this kid in the car too," Scarface shouted anxiously from the van. "Stop dawdling."

Another thug jumped out from the driver's seat, and the two of them roughly dragged Chen Li into the van as well.

The entire process took less than two minutes. By the time a few pedestrians on the roadside reacted, the van had already sped away, leaving only the harsh sound of tire friction.

"Was that... a kidnapping?" A delivery guy holding a takeout order stood there dumbfounded.

An old woman at a roadside stall hurriedly pulled out her phone: "Hello, 110? Someone's been kidnapped here!"

Several passersby stared in terror in the direction the van had disappeared. Some were still trying hard to remember the license plate number,

but the dark windows completely obscured the interior, and they couldn't even see clearly how many kidnappers there were.

Inside the van, Chen Li and Liu Nansheng were roughly pinned down on the back seat. Liu Nansheng was pale with fear, her whole body trembling.

In the cramped back of the van, Chen Li's hands were tied behind his back, and he was curled up on the jolting floor of the vehicle.

Every shake of the vehicle caused him to hit the cold metal wall. Pain came in waves from his abdomen, but he endured it without making a sound.

His mind was a mess; this was the first real kidnapping he had encountered in his life.

Although he had been in fights in High School, those were just small conflicts between students, nothing like the crime before him.

Calming down to think, the other party was clearly after Liu Nansheng.

If he hadn't desperately held onto that kidnapper's leg, only Liu Nansheng would have been kidnapped.

This made him even more uneasy—if the target was Liu Nansheng, the motive was all too obvious.

With her looks, he didn't dare think about what would happen to her in the hands of these people.

Chen Li forced himself to take deep breaths, trying to judge their location from the jolting direction and the sounds outside.

But the windows were all tightly covered. Aside from feeling the car turning, he couldn't distinguish anything.

Sitting next to him, Liu Nansheng was terrified, tears welling in her eyes but not daring to cry out loud.

Looking at the bruises on Chen Li's face and the blood at the corner of his mouth, she felt both heartache and guilt.

Clearly, these people only wanted to kidnap her. It was because Chen Li rushed forward regardless of his safety that he ended up kidnapped as well.

This action moved Liu Nansheng deeply, but she became terrified again at the thought of their current situation.

In her extreme fear, a thought suddenly calmed her down:

If they were really going to die, dying together with Chen Li didn't seem so scary anymore.

This thought made her miraculously steady. She quietly moved her bound hands and lightly touched the back of Chen Li's hand.

Chen Li felt her icy fingertips, conveying silent comfort. This subtle interaction made both of them feel a bit more at ease.

Scarface glanced back at them and said coldly to the thug driving: "Drive around in circles for a few laps. Make sure no one is following before we go to the old place."

As the night deepened, the white van soon disappeared into the intricate alleys...