Chapter 209: Enormous Reward

The house had been in chaos all day, and as night fell, the situation escalated further. Several elderly people, exhausted, were waiting indoors for Li Xian's return. Hearing the commotion in the yard, they rushed out. Seeing that Su Ya was unharmed, everyone was relieved.

Su Ma, overwhelmed with joy, embraced her daughter and lamented how she would have managed if something had happened. Observing Su Ma's emotional state, Zheng Weishi quickly went over to comfort her, while Wu Shengli sighed and stood quietly beside her.

Amidst the tearful embrace of mother and daughter, Xiao Ji ordered the surly and cursing Gao San to be taken away before bringing the large wolfdog to Li Xian.

After a whole day of running around, Xiao Ji appeared exhausted, his face lined with fatigue.

"Mr. Li, the suspect has been confirmed to have escaped back to Bangye. County Head Liu is concerned about the potential danger to you, so he specifically asked me to bring more people for protection."

He waved at the two uniformed officers behind him. "Xiao Li, Xiao Zhou, you two will stay at the residence for the next few days and ensure Mr. Li and his family are safe."

The two young, sturdy officers immediately saluted Li Xian and shook hands.

Li Xian felt reassured. He had been considering precautions in case the suspect had escaped.

After thanking Xiao Ji, Li Xian eyed the large wolfdog he was leading.

The dog, clearly afraid of Li Xian, cast furtive glances at him before sneaking behind Xiao Ji.

Realizing the dog's fear, Li Xian chuckled and pointed at it. "Old Xiao, sometimes a dog is more useful than people for guarding. How about leaving this dog here for a few days?"

The two officers, clearly dismayed by the suggestion, looked green. If it weren't for the County Head Liu's late-night call requesting their protection, they would have turned and left immediately.

"Damn it, you're worse than a dog!"

"Your whole family is worse than a dog!"

The officers were furious, their faces reddened with frustration.

Xiao Ji, feeling awkward about Li Xian's choice of guard dog, said, "Mr. Li, this dog... it's quite mischievous."

"Mischievous?" Li Xian smirked. "In my life, I fear nothing more than mischief!"

After Xiao Ji left, looking back multiple times, Li Xian seized the wolfdog's jaw and, with a smile at its panicked expression, said, "I'm tired today, but I'll deal with you tomorrow!"

The wolfdog whimpered in distress, its rear end tightening.

---

Early the next morning.

Li Xian felt completely drained, as though all his strength had been sapped. He lay in bed, feeling sticky and uncomfortable, with no part of his body at ease.

Struggling to get up, he felt something was off. He was extremely weak, even the effort to get out of bed was a challenge.

"Su Ya!"

He weakly called out, but received no response.

After forcing himself out of bed and reaching the door, he saw the four elderly people in the yard having breakfast.

Seeing him awake, Old Wu quickly approached. "Oh no! Your face is so pale!"

Old Wu touched his forehead and exclaimed, "This is bad! Su Ya fell ill this morning, and it seems you're not well either! Quickly, get a doctor!"

As Old Wu shouted for a doctor, Li Xian felt his last bit of strength drain away, his head spinning. He collapsed to the floor.

This is definitely a severe cold.

It must have been from running around in sweat yesterday and then getting drenched and startled.

Outside, the wolfdog, lying in the sun, suddenly bounded over to him and nudged him.

Damn, you might be a bit stupid, but you still have some empathy.

Watching the wolfdog nudge him, Li Xian felt a twinge of guilt for the planned dog torture he had prepared for the night before.

But unexpectedly, after a few nudges, the wolfdog darted into the house.

It sniffed around on the floor before leaping onto the table and grabbing a square object, quickly darting out of Li Xian's sight.

In a fleeting glance, Li Xian saw the dog had snatched something from the table and his eyes widened in shock.

"Damn it!"

He cursed loudly and then passed out.

At the front gate.

Officers Xiao Li and Xiao Zhou were smoking and watching the passersby. Hearing a commotion behind them, Xiao Li turned around.

He saw the wolfdog, drooling and puffed up, scattering pieces of something all over the place. He went over to investigate.

Picking up a piece from the pile, he was stunned.

"Wow! Brother Zhou, come here and look, this is incredible! The dog vomited ivory!"

---

After sleeping for more than three hours, Li Xian finally recovered.

Seeing Xiao Li and Xiao Zhou, who were barely containing their amusement, presenting a partially chewed ivory pen holder with an expression that seemed to say "Not even a dog is as good as this?" almost made him pass out again.

Damn it!

That was an antique!

As he lamented the loss of the pen holder, Xiao Ji came again—regarding Gao San's issue.

Lying on the bed, listening to Xiao Ji explain the situation, Li Xian exploded, "Released?! Insufficient evidence?"

Seeing Li Xian's enraged face and his readiness to confront him, Xiao Ji quickly restrained him, awkwardly saying, "Mr. Li, the evidence we have shows that Gao San does not have a direct connection to the kidnapping case."

"And what about him forcing Yang Shuzhen?!" Li Xian slammed the table.

"Well... he admitted to it himself, but it's hard to determine the specifics..." Xiao Ji was more troubled.

Seeing Xiao Ji's discomfort, Li Xian realized there was more to the story. He calmed down and asked directly, "Who is protecting him?"

Xiao Ji glanced around and, seeing no one else, lowered his voice. "The protection is substantial, from the provincial level. They called directly to Director Hu."

Li Xian swore angrily, "So, they let him go?"

"Yes, for now, he had to be released." Seeing Li Xian's displeasure, Xiao Ji hurriedly added, "But don't worry, once Zhao Er has been captured and if he's confirmed to be related to the kidnapping, no one will be able to protect Gao San. County Head Liu has emphasized that this case must be dealt with strictly."

Hearing this only made Li Xian more frustrated.

It's been nearly a day, and Zhao Er hasn't been caught yet. If this guy escapes, it will be a disaster.

"Well, there's no helping it. Police resources are limited. We've sealed off all the roads and mobilized the local security teams and officers for searches."

Listening to Xiao Ji's complaints, Li Xian pondered.

"It's just about catching one person. Is it really that difficult?"

"Mr. Li, it's not about making excuses for the public sector, but Bangye isn't small. It covers over 4,000 square kilometers, with five towns and nine townships. It's not just finding a needle in a haystack; it's quite challenging."

Li Xian waved dismissively, unconvinced.

"Here's the deal. I'll personally offer 100,000 yuan. Whoever catches Zhao Er will get the reward. Providing direct information that leads to his capture will earn 50,000 yuan. I'll arrange for the money to be delivered to your police station, and you can publicize this in Bangye, the Forestry Bureau, and Hailin."

Xiao Ji was taken aback.

100,000 yuan, what a concept!

Currently, the highest reward for A-list fugitives is only a few thousand!

---

In the afternoon, the police issued the reward notice across various communities and townships.

When this substantial reward, enough to marry three wives in Bangye, was announced, the whole area went berserk.