Chapter 156: Zhang Mei’s Abduction 7 (Tang Ziyi Helps)
As Ding Chengxi exited the room to carry out Sun Lixia’s orders, the atmosphere within the living room remained tense. Li Yanyan, her brows furrowed, turned to Sun Lixia with a thoughtful expression.
"Do you trust him?" Li Yanyan asked, referring to Chen Yunlong.
Sun Lixia sighed, a mix of concern and uncertainty etched across her face. "I don’t know, but I think Li Chen does."
Li Yanyan nodded, acknowledging the complexity of the situation. "Okay, but we have to keep an eye on him. There is something about him I can’t explain."
Sun Lixia understood Li Yanyan’s wariness. The mysterious old man’s sudden involvement in Li Chen’s affairs raised more questions than answers. However, with limited options and the urgency of the situation, they found themselves navigating through uncharted territory.
Ding Chengxi, now back in the room, interrupted their contemplation. "Ma’am, what about the girl?"
Sun Lixia’s eyes reflected determination as she spoke, "Get everyone to keep searching. Search each and every abandoned warehouse in the city."
Ding Chengxi acknowledged the order with a brisk "Yes, ma’am". Li Yanyan suggested, "Leave Ren Zirui and Xu Zhonhao behind. Take as many other men as you want."
With a nod of agreement, Ding Chengxi left the two women deep in thought. The weight of uncertainty pressed upon them as they grappled with the unknown, searching for answers in the shadows that threatened to engulf their lives.
Tang Ziyi entered the living room and found Sun Lixia and Li Yanyan seated, their expressions etched with worry and tension. Their late-night vigilance hinted at something troubling brewing in the air.
"Hey, Aunt Lixia, why are you both awake at this hour?" Tang Ziyi questioned, his usual upbeat tone subdued by the gravity of their situation.
Sun Lixia sighed, her eyes reflecting concern. "Zhang Mei has been kidnapped."
Tang Ziyi’s shock was palpable. "What? When... we shouldn’t have allowed her to go by herself," he lamented, burdened by a sense of responsibility.
Li Yanyan sought to assuage his guilt. "It’s not your fault, Ziyi. If they wanted her, they would’ve taken her regardless."
Before they could delve deeper into their worries, Li Chen’s voice startled them. "Don’t worry, Tang Ziyi, I will bring Zhang Mei home safely."
Sun Lixia voiced her concern, "Li Chen, you just woke up. You should rest."
Li Chen, seemingly unperturbed, insisted, "I feel better, Mom, don’t worry."
Li Yanyan pressed further, "Be honest, how do you feel?"
Li Chen maintained his composure, repeating, "Really, Aunt, I’m fine."
Sun Lixia and Li Yanyan continued to exchange wary glances, the mysteries surrounding Li Chen’s current state lingering in the air. Tang Ziyi, sensing the unspoken tension, looked between them, realizing that more was at play than met the eye. As the weight of the situation hung heavy in the room, they prepared for the challenges that lay ahead, with Li Chen determined to rescue Zhang Mei from the clutches of those who sought to harm her.
Tang Ziyi pondered for a moment and then said, "Surely she had her phone with her when she left. I can use it to track her location."
Li Chen, eager to explore any avenue that might lead to Zhang Mei, responded, "Xu Zhonhao tried, but we keep getting a wrong location."
Tang Ziyi, realizing a crucial detail, asked, "Wait, was he tracking the caller’s number or Sister Mei’s number?"
Li Chen clarified, "The caller’s number."
Tang Ziyi swiftly made up his mind. "Let me get my laptop."
Sun Lixia, hopeful that they might have a breakthrough, encouraged Tang Ziyi, "If there’s a chance, try it. We’re running out of time."
Tang Ziyi rushed to fetch his laptop, and in the meantime, Sun Lixia and Li Chen exchanged worried glances, the uncertainty of Zhang Mei’s situation weighing heavily on them. Li Yanyan, determined to help, pulled out her phone and dialed Xu Zhonhao, instructing him to join them inside the villa. Moments later, Xu Zhonhao entered the room, ready to assist in the tracking efforts.
Tang Ziyi returned with his laptop, and he and Xu Zhonhao collaborated to trace Zhang Mei’s phone location. The room was filled with tense anticipation, the hope of finding Zhang Mei growing with every passing moment.
Tang Ziyi and Xu Zhonhao engaged in a rapid exchange of words, their conversation filled with technical jargon that left everyone else in the living room baffled. Suddenly, amidst their discussion, Xu Zhonhao exclaimed, "Shit, why didn’t I think of that?"
Li Chen, desperate for any positive development, eagerly asked, "Is it working?"
Xu Zhonhao replied with a spark of optimism, "I think it will. The bastard altered his own location, but forgot to change Zhang Mei’s. We can find the last place her phone was."
Li Yanyan, impatient and worried for her friend, urged, "Then do it."
The room fell into a focused silence as the sound of keys being pressed echoed through the spacious living room. Tang Ziyi and Xu Zhonhao worked diligently, determined to extract the crucial information. After about an hour of intense concentration, Tang Ziyi suddenly screamed in triumph, "Got it!"
Li Yanyan, Sun Lixia, and Li Chen rushed closer to the laptop, their eyes fixed on the screen displaying a red dot indicating the location. Hope surged within them as the potential breakthrough provided a glimpse of where Zhang Mei might be.
Li Chen, fueled by the urgency to rescue Zhang Mei, declared, "I am going to get Zhang Mei." Li Yanyan, however, intercepted his impulsive move, saying, "Wait a moment."
She turned to Xu Zhonhao and issued instructions, "Get everything ready. Tell Ding Chengxi to meet you there." Xu Zhonhao acknowledged her orders with a simple, "Okay," and promptly left to make the necessary arrangements.
The exchange left Tang Ziyi perplexed. He had initially sensed that Li Chen’s mother and aunt were not ordinary individuals, and now, his suspicions were growing. The mysterious circumstances surrounding their actions fueled Tang Ziyi’s curiosity, making him question the true nature of the situation he found himself entangled in.
