Danger is coming

In the following days, whenever Chen Wei'er saw me, she acted as if she didn't recognize me at all, quickly walking past. I really wanted to stop her and ask what was going on, but with so many people around, I could never find the right moment.

Could it be that everything that happened that night was just a dream? Maybe Chen Wei'er never had feelings for me, and that hug was nothing more than my own imagination? But even if it was a hallucination, her attitude towards me shouldn't be so indifferent. We used to at least exchange a nod or a greeting when we met, but now, what happened? Women's hearts are truly like needles at the bottom of the sea!

Just when I had made up my mind to find Chen Wei'er after school and get to the bottom of it, something unexpected happened.

That afternoon, my pager suddenly went off. Who could be calling me at this time? Only a few people, like Zhao Yanyan and Uncle Zhao, had my pager number. Even my parents didn't know I had one. Normally, if it wasn't something urgent, they wouldn't call me while I was at school.

I quickly walked to the back of the classroom where no one was around, crouched down, and answered the call.

"Hello, Liu Lei, it's Chen Yong!" came the voice on the other end.

I frowned. "What's up? I'm at school. Is something wrong?"

"It's bad! My sister's been kidnapped!" Chen Yong shouted through the phone.

"What? You mean Chen Wei'er? What happened?!" I was jolted, standing up immediately. In my panic, I almost dropped my pager.

"Wei'er was taken away at noon!" Chen Yong said, frantic.

"Who took her? Tell me exactly what happened!" I demanded, trying to stay calm.

"Okay," Chen Yong took a deep breath and continued, "At noon, Chen Wei'er went to the market to help my mom with the spicy skewers. Then suddenly, a van drove up. At first, we didn't think much of it. But then, a few big guys jumped out of the van, grabbed Wei'er without a word, and threw her into the van, speeding off."

"What were you doing at the time?" I asked, feeling irritated. How could a brother let his sister be taken in front of him like that?

"The situation escalated so quickly, I didn't react in time. By the time I realized something was wrong, the van was already dozens of meters away," Chen Yong said, his voice full of guilt.

"That's terrible. Did you get the license plate number?" I asked, trying to focus.

"Yes, I got it, it's A519XX!" Chen Yong replied.

"Okay, I'll look into where that car is from right away. By the way, did you call the police?" I asked.

"No, it's just happened. My mom said I should call you to discuss it first!" Chen Yong's family treats me as if I'm their savior.

"Okay, stay at the spicy skewers stall, I'll head over now!" I said, without wasting a second.

I hung up the phone and immediately called Jiang Yongfu. I asked him to check the license plate number Chen Yong had just mentioned. Then, I ran out of the school, hopped into a taxi, and headed straight for Caishikou.

During the ride, I received a call from Jiang Yongfu. After checking, he informed me that the license plate was fake, and the car model didn't match; it was actually a taxi. It was clear someone had stolen the plate.

Jiang Yongfu asked if I needed his help, but I declined for the time being. I already had a strong suspicion about the mastermind behind all this. The only person with a grudge against the Chen family was Yang Shuguang. After Guo Qing taught Yang Kaiyuan a lesson, Yang Shuguang had failed to deliver the 50,000 yuan as promised, which meant he was now gearing up for a retaliation.

Upon arriving at Caishikou, I spoke to some of the local vendors to get more information. The situation was mostly the same as what Chen Yong had described. Chen's mother was crying non-stop, and seeing me gave Chen Yong some comfort. In his eyes, I had always solved his family's crises before, so he was certain I'd help them out again.

Unable to gather any further information, I decided to leave Caishikou. If Yang Shuguang was behind this, his main targets would likely be me and Guo Qing. There was no point in rushing; all I could do was wait for Yang Shuguang to make the next move.

At least Yang Shuguang's perverted son was still in the hospital; otherwise, I would've been more worried about Chen Wei'er's safety. As Guo Qing had said, whether Yang Kaiyuan would ever be able to get it up again was still a big question.

"Who are you?" Chen Wei'er struggled and asked.

"You don't need to know that!" one of the kidnappers replied.

"Then why did you kidnap me?" Chen Wei'er asked again.

"To be honest, we don't know either! We don't ask questions about orders from above!" the kidnapper answered.

"Can you at least tell me where you're taking me?" Chen Wei'er pressed.

"No comment!" This time, the kidnapper was even more terse.

Realizing she wasn't getting any answers, Chen Wei'er fell silent.

"Go inside. We don't want to make trouble with women. Don't even think about running. You can't escape here," one of the kidnappers said, leading her into a small building in a large compound. Once inside, he locked the door with a loud clang.

"Liu Butler, the person has been brought in!" one of the kidnappers spoke into a walkie-talkie.

"Is that so? Good! Keep an eye on her, and don't let anyone touch her without my orders. Understood?" Liu Butler's voice was calm but firm.

"Yes, understood!" the kidnapper replied quickly.

As part of Liu's private security team, the kidnapper knew well that Liu Butler's words were commands, not to be disobeyed. This was stricter than a real army. In a regular military unit, you might get a beating or even be dismissed for a mistake, but here, Liu Butler could have you killed on a whim.

"Master, the girl has been brought back. Should we notify Yang Shuguang?" Liu Butler asked the elderly man lying on the bed with his eyes closed.

"Mm, go ahead. But remember, that girl is just bait. I don't want innocent people to get hurt. The Liu family might have power and influence, but I don't want people to say we're bullying common folks," the elderly man said slowly.

"I understand. I've already given the orders," Liu Butler nodded.

After leaving the old man's room, Liu Butler dialed Yang Shuguang's number. Though he was reluctant, he knew he had to follow through as instructed. He told himself it was for the sake of the late young miss—he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and regret at the thought of her passing.

Yang Shuguang, on the other end, was pleased to hear everything was going smoothly. He hung up the phone and sneered coldly. "Liu Lei, I'll settle the old and new scores with you together!"

He knew that as long as he made his move, Liu's family wouldn't ignore him. Even if Liu didn't care about him, Yang Kaiyuan was his grandson, and he couldn't just let that go.

"Hmph, Liu Lei, no matter how strong your background is, what does it matter? The Liu family isn't weaker than anyone else!"

In the afternoon, Jiang Yongfu called me and informed me that the owner of the taxi with the license plate A519XX had reported the plate as lost. He also asked if I was encountering any trouble.

After thinking it over, I decided to tell him about the kidnapping. After all, Jiang Yongfu had a background in law enforcement, and his judgment on such matters would likely surpass mine. So, I said, "Director Jiang, I am indeed in some trouble!"

"Trouble? What's going on? Let me know if I can help!" Jiang Yongfu replied. From his perspective, I was seeking his help despite his low rank compared to other influential people I knew, and that made him feel respected.

"A friend of mine has been kidnapped," I continued.

"Kidnapped?! Are you serious? This is a big deal! Why didn't you tell me about it earlier? Have you reported it?" Jiang Yongfu, being a former police officer, immediately focused on the essential question: whether I had reported the incident.

"Of course, I am reporting it now," I said.

"You're still joking around at a time like this? Hurry up and tell me what happened!" Jiang Yongfu urged anxiously.

I explained the situation that had occurred earlier that day, laying out the details and also mentioning my suspicion that Yang Shuguang was behind it.

"Mm... if things are as you said, Yang Shuguang would indeed be the prime suspect. He's the only one with a grudge against the Chen family. But I don't think Chen Wei'er is his intended target. Kidnapping her is just a way to get at you and your friend," Jiang Yongfu said after a moment of thought.

"Exactly! That's what I'm worried about, but I still haven't received any calls from the kidnappers," I replied. I couldn't help but admire Jiang Yongfu's sharp police instincts, as he immediately saw through the situation.

"You don't need to worry. Yang Shuguang just wants to target you. Chen Wei'er should be safe. Besides, Yang Shuguang used to be a community defense captain, and he understands the law. He knows the limits—if the situation escalates, it won't benefit anyone," Jiang Yongfu said, analyzing the situation with his usual calm. Then, he added, "But..."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" I asked, sensing that Jiang Yongfu might have something more to say.

"Have you ever heard of Liu Zhenhai?" Jiang Yongfu asked after a brief pause.

"Liu Zhenhai? You mean the warlord from before the liberation, the one who ruled over this area?" I responded, surprised that he would bring up that name.

"Yes, the very same. He was a warlord who controlled the Songjiang area for years, swallowing up many small military groups!" Jiang Yongfu replied.

"But we're in the post-liberation era now, why bring up this name?" I asked, still confused about Jiang Yongfu's line of thought. If I remember correctly, Liu Zhenhai had even fought alongside the Eighth Route Army during the war against the Japanese, because even the worst bandits wouldn't tolerate foreign invaders.

"After liberation, Liu Zhenhai officially disbanded his forces and quietly returned to the Northeast, settling in his former homeland for his later years. In hindsight, that was a very clever move, otherwise, he wouldn't have survived until now," Jiang Yongfu continued.

"But what does this have to do with..." I began to interject.

"Let me finish," Jiang Yongfu interrupted me. "Although Liu Zhenhai may no longer be a warlord in name, most of his old subordinates followed him back to the Northeast. You could say that those former soldiers could form a small army now."

"A private army?" I blurted out the words without thinking. How did I not know that such organizations still existed in our country?

"Yes, you could say that," Jiang Yongfu confirmed. "But most of his old subordinates have now become wealthy businessmen, and their families primarily serve as bodyguards. Locally, no one interferes with the Liu family's affairs, because they've kept a low profile. We rarely hear of any illegal activities involving them, which leaves a lot of face for the local authorities. Since the liberation, the Liu family has retained some elite forces, but most of them have been quietly distributed to business ventures. Now, many important economic sectors in the country are under their control. To put it bluntly, the Liu family is now the wealthiest family in Songjiang."

"Jiang, I still don't understand why you're telling me all this," I said, feeling a bit confused after Jiang Yongfu's historical lesson.

"What I'm trying to say is that Yang Shuguang is the second son-in-law of the Liu family," Jiang Yongfu explained.

"What!?" I blurted out, shocked. I hadn't expected Yang Shuguang to be linked to such a powerful force. I never imagined that Yang Kaiyuan was a big shot himself. Does that mean this whole situation has gotten much bigger than I thought?

"Don't worry, though. Liu family's second daughter has been dead for more than a decade! Yang Shuguang is just an outsider now," Jiang Yongfu clarified.

"So you're saying that the Liu family is behind Chen Wei'er's kidnapping?" I immediately understood what Jiang Yongfu meant.

"There's a chance. Yang Shuguang has fallen from grace, and with his connections, the local thugs wouldn't be looking for revenge on him anymore—no one would come to his aid. And like you said, the kidnappers seem to be professionally trained. Everything was methodical and calm, not like when regular criminals are involved. This points to a mastermind behind the scenes," Jiang Yongfu analyzed.

"If that's true, things are going to get more complicated," I hesitated. I thought with Zhao Grandpa as my backing, I could handle anything, but now another hidden power had surfaced.

"I doubt the Liu family knows about your background. Yang Shuguang probably hasn't said anything, or might even try to hide it. I think even if they capture you, they won't harm you once they know who you are. Don't forget, the Liu family wouldn't oppose the government over an outsider, even if Yang Shuguang is involved. Moreover, I've heard the Liu family is unhappy with him, so helping him might just be about saving face," Jiang Yongfu explained. His ability to analyze the situation was impressive, which was why he had become a director.

"I understand now. Jiang, do you have any detailed files on the Liu family?" I asked. As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle." If I could learn about Liu family's weaknesses beforehand, I would have the advantage when the time came.

"I have some, but not very complete. Come by later, and I'll give them to you. Also, your driver's license is ready," Jiang Yongfu added.

"Alright, I'll see you soon," I said, hanging up the phone. My mind was racing with thoughts. Things were getting more complicated.