Chapter 208: Kidnapped
Yu Linna was led away through another door. Ye Zhiyun waited outside for a long time, but when she didn’t return, her patience wore thin and she went inside to check. She couldn’t find her anywhere. A call to Yu Linna’s phone went straight to a message saying it was turned off.
This was strange.
A bad feeling crept over Ye Zhiyun. Something felt very wrong. By all rights, Yu Linna would never leave without a word; it wasn’t in her character.
So, where had she gone?
Standing in the convenience store, Ye Zhiyun stared at the flowing tide of people. She felt like a little girl trapped by high walls, searching for an exit only to find every path blocked.
Meanwhile, Yu Linna had been taken away by the man in the black coat. She didn’t dare move, let alone make a sound. Fear is a basic human instinct, and Yu Linna was no exception. Being held at gunpoint for the first time in her life was definitely not a fond memory. Besides, she had no grudges against anyone; she couldn’t imagine why this was happening to her.
The man in black took Yu Linna to a factory, whispered a few words to a contact, and then led her inside. She saw very few people along the way, and those she did see were bundled up tightly, their faces deliberately hidden by masks, creating an aura of mystery.
It was clear these were not good people. Yu Linna wasn’t stupid; these people had specifically sought her out, but she doubted they were targeting her directly. After all, she was a stranger in Shanghai and had no connections here.
The most likely possibility was that they were after Ye Zhiyun.
“Big Brother, I brought her.”
“Mm, she looks just like the photo. Tie her up and take a picture.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yu Linna was bound with ropes, coil after coil. She didn’t resist at all, remaining perfectly still. Her face was calm, and though fear churned within her, she maintained her composure, ready to adapt to whatever came next.
“This girl is quite obedient. Don’t worry, we’ll let you go when this is all over. We’re not monsters, after all.”
The man addressed as “Big Brother” was dressed in a sharp suit and wore glasses, looking deceptively civilized. But Yu Linna knew he was no good.
“Who are you?” Yu Linna asked quietly from her corner.
“You don’t need to know. We’ll naturally let you go when we’re done.”
It seemed learning their identities was out of the question.
But these people didn’t seem like ordinary kidnappers.
Ye Zhiyun searched the convenience store for a long time but still couldn’t find her. She went back out to the street, but her search was fruitless. Panic began to set in. Shanghai was a massive city, and they were in an unfamiliar area. Where could she have run off to? She had no reason to run. Where could she be?
“Miss Ye.”
Suddenly, a low, masculine voice from behind put Ye Zhiyun on high alert. She squared her stance, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
“Don’t be nervous, Miss Ye. We’re not here to cause you trouble,” the man said with a smile.
“Hah, not here for trouble? You approached me deliberately. If it’s not for trouble, it’s for something sinister. Spit it out. What do you want?”
The man just kept smiling, not rushing to answer.
In Shanghai, Ye Zhiyun was a person of status. As the daughter of the Ye family, she naturally attracted the attention of those with ill intentions. But Miss Ye was a skilled fighter; ordinary people couldn’t touch her. Moreover, she was often shadowed by bodyguards in Shanghai. Who would dare lay a finger on her? This was Miss Ye’s territory.
Making a move on her was unrealistic. But Yu Linna, who had no background or power and was always close to Ye Zhiyun, was a different story.
“Please take a look at this.”
The man took out his phone, opened his photo album, and showed her a picture.
On the screen was a blonde girl, hands and feet bound, sitting on the ground. Though her expression was calm, her pale face and colorless lips were visible. There were no distinguishing marks in the background, just a bare wall. The blonde girl looked utterly helpless, but she was still trying her best to remain composed.
Snap.
The last thread of reason in Ye Zhiyun’s mind broke. In an instant, she was seized by the impulse to tear this man limb from limb. In fact, her body moved before her brain could even process a response. She lunged forward and grabbed the man’s throat, her face a mask of terrifying fury, transforming her into a demon from hell.
“What! Did! You! Do! To! Her!”
Her grip was immense. If not for the sliver of sanity she had left, she might have actually choked him to death.
Ye Zhiyun had never been so angry, never been so frantic. All she knew was that Yu Linna had been kidnapped. She couldn’t calm down. She wanted to destroy the entire world.
“Miss Ye, the girl is in our hands. If you do this, we can’t guarantee her safety,” the man choked out, using Yu Linna as a hostage to threaten her.
Ye Zhiyun had no choice but to let him go. The man coughed violently, straightened his collar, and looked at her. Her face was still ashen, but she was visibly struggling to control herself. He smiled again.
“Miss Ye, I never thought I’d see you like this. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you make such an expression. It’s truly wonderful.”
“Tell me what you’ve done to her. If a single hair on her head is harmed, I swear, you will not leave Shanghai alive.”
“Is that really the right way to talk? The person is in our hands. Do you still think this is your territory?”
“…Where is she?”
“Oh, what was that you said? I don’t think I heard you clearly.”
“…Please, I’m begging you. Tell me where she is, how she is now. Please.”
Ye Zhiyun had to bow her head, to cast aside her pride and dignity, and beg him to tell her Yu Linna’s whereabouts.
She had never imagined that she would one day be this afraid—afraid of losing Yu Linna. Now that Yu Linna was in their hands, her fate was uncertain. These people had sinister motives; kidnapping Yu Linna was clearly a way to get to her.
Ye Zhiyun was the daughter of the Ye family. Her status was extraordinary, and her family was wealthy. Countless people coveted their fortune. How many people dreamed of getting rich overnight?
But the Ye family’s security was too good. They had never succeeded in getting to Ye Zhiyun, and they couldn’t find a weak point. Until Yu Linna appeared.
They noticed that Yu Linna was very close to Ye Zhiyun, even living in her home. She had no combat ability and no background. She was the perfect target.
“How about we make a trade?”
“What trade? Name it.”
At this point, she no longer cared about dignity or pride. She just wanted Yu Linna to be safe and sound. She was terrified that these people were ruthless killers who would end it all with a single gunshot. Then they would truly never see each other again. As long as Nana was okay, she would do anything.
“How about we swap hostages? You take your friend’s place, and I’ll let her go. What do you say? A good deal, right? You wouldn’t want to drag your friend into this. She’s not your family. She came here and probably doesn’t want to leave with too many bad memories.”
“…”
Ye Zhiyun was eighty percent certain that these people were after her family’s money.
Men die for wealth as birds die for food. Humans were such simple creatures.
It wasn’t the first time people had targeted her family’s fortune over the years, but none had ever succeeded. The Ye family’s security had always been excellent; she and her brother had never come to harm. Even her mother, Li Yuexin, had been targeted for a time after marrying into the family. But she was fearless. Ignoring her in-laws’ pleas to stay home, she boldly went out shopping. Of course, the family had arranged for bodyguards, and Li Yuexin was famously tough back then, so few dared to mess with her, afraid of provoking someone they shouldn’t.
But over the years, some people never gave up on eyeing the family’s assets. After all, this was the Ye family, worth hundreds of millions. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that?
“I’ll give you one hour to consider. Once you’ve made up your mind, come to the locust tree by Route 42 in the suburbs. I’ll be waiting.”
The man left, leaving Ye Zhiyun standing alone on the sidewalk. She watched the crowds come and go, watched the man turn into an alley, and then looked at the empty space beside her. She felt a profound fear.
She was afraid something would happen to Yu Linna. She was truly afraid. If she had known this would happen, she never would have brought her to Shanghai. She would have been fine on her own; no one dared to touch her. But Yu Linna was different. She had come as a friend, with no background, no backing, and certainly no bodyguards to protect her.
That was precisely what they had noticed, and why they had targeted her. They saw her as a convenient tool. Even if Miss Ye didn’t care whether the girl lived or died, it was no loss to them. At worst, they had grabbed the wrong person. They could just eliminate her. They were desperate men, after all.
But it was impossible for Ye Zhiyun to ignore her fate. This was Yu Linna, the Yu Linna she cared about most. How could she not care if she lived or died?
She was so scared, so afraid that something would happen to Nana.
“Dammit…”
In that moment, she hated herself, hated her own powerlessness. If only she weren’t Miss Ye. All she had wanted was to be with her, to get closer to her. She had never wanted to drag her into this. Now, all she felt was guilt.
At that moment, Yu Linna was tied up in the factory, staring at the empty, sealed room. The occasional sound of conversation drifted in from outside. For some reason, she felt a strange sense of familiarity. She stared at the wall, her heart unable to find peace.
(“Don’t you cry! Cry again and I’ll gouge your eyes out.”)
(“Can’t you even watch one person? Still can’t sell her?”)
Strange memories surfaced in her mind. Yu Linna wondered if these were memories she had buried long ago.
She had been abducted by traffickers as a child and had suffered a head injury, but she still had vague memories of being with them, however few. She only knew she had lived with strangers for several years, though she couldn’t remember how long. They weren’t good memories, so her subconscious had automatically chosen to forget them.
Now, tied up here, staring at the surrounding walls, it really did feel like the past. But she didn’t know where she had lived back then, whether she had been tied up or left to roam, whether she had faced a wall or a view from a window. She didn’t know.
Right now, she felt a profound sense of loneliness and helplessness. It was a feeling very much like when she was first abducted as a small child, and it was slowly causing fragments of those memories to return.
