It was after some time when Nian finally calmed down and prevented his anger from getting the best of him. Xing Bi was in danger, but it was the time to be cool headed and not take any step in haste.
Chyou had also arrived at the base, her fingers already rapidly pressing her laptop's keyboard buttons to track Hou Lin as soon as possible.
"Did you find anything?" Nian asked, trying to control his urge from punching something.
"I am trying. Both of their phones lost signal from some ice cream shop. I am trying to track the possible places where they could have gone after that."
"Do you see his car in any CCTV?"
"That's what I am doing. But he is driving weirdly. It's as if he has but also doesn't have any particular destination in his mind. But after a certain point I don't see his car anymore."
Jian sneered. "He is smart because he knows we will track him that way."
Nian gritted his teeth. "Haven't the guards we dispatched found anything! What is taking them so much time!?"
It was at that time when Jun's phone buzzed and he saw an incoming call from an unknown number. "I think this is Hou Lin."
Chyou hurriedly said, "Quick! Connect your phone to my laptop. I will switch on the tracking software."
He did so and switched on the call. "Hello."
"Sir."
Ai was quite puzzled to hear that the tone of Hou Lin's voice still exuded a sense of respect as if he was still an employee under Jun.
Before Jun could answer, Nian spoke first, his voice frigid cold and quiet. "You do know that touching Xing Bi is my bottom line, right?"
"...I do."
"Then you also don't expect to continue living for long if I am correct."
Jian glanced at Chyou to check if she was successful in tracking him. But as expected by her, Hou Lin was using a burner phone number to talk. But she didn't lose hope and kept digging into finding his location.
Hou Lin replied to Nian's provocation on the other side, "My life is irrelevant."
Jun slightly widened his eyes.
"It should be after how you even dared to think to take Xing Bi away," Nian gripped the phone in his palm with such strength that brought it close to breaking the screen. "If I see so much as a tiny scratch on her body, I swear your death will be a nightmare."
Hou Lin still sounded unfazed. "As I said, my life or death is irrelevant. What is important is that you have something that I want and I have something that you want."
The temperature sharply dropped.
"You want us to trade Zhan Yahui with Xing Bi."
"Yes," he calmly replied. "You bring Yahui to a location that I will tell you. Then you will leave. Naturally, you won't bring any guards with you, nor let any guard hang around the place after you have left. After two hours, I will set Miss. Xing Bi free and let you know the location where you can find her."
"Bullshit!" Nian exclaimed, banging his fist on the table, "You think I will believe your nonsense!?"
"I only want Yahui back. I have no reason to hurt Miss. Xing Bi unnecessarily."
Ai slightly furrowed her brows.
"Wait a minute," Hou Lin said and after a few moments, a voice came, "Nian…?"
Nian froze and grabbed Jun's phone in a heartbeat. "Xi-Xing Bi! You are okay, right? He didn't hurt you, right? I know it's terrifying but trust me that I will find you at any cost!"
"Xing Bi!" Ai rushed beside Nian too and leaned towards the phone. "Xing Bi…" her voice choked as tears fell from her eyes, "Xing Bi, tell me that you are alright please…"
She anxiously said, "Stop, stop you two! I know that you are worried about me, but trust me. I am fine. Hou Lin hasn't hurt me at all. In fact…I am not even tied up by any rope or cuffs. The only reason I cannot leave is I don't know where the hell I am and what kind of creepy men might be loitering outside."
That took them back in shock. Ai seriously questioned Hou Lin's intentions at this point.
Is he really a kidnapper?
Considering how badly Zhan Yahui played with their lives in the past, Hou Lin's actions felt calm and poised on the opposite end.
Nian was far from convinced. "Don't put your guard down, Xing Bi. He is just a wolf in sheep's clothing who fooled us all the time…Xing Bi, I will definitely get you back, okay? Will you be strong until then?" He urged her.
"Hey hey I am older than you! Don't underestimate me, Liu Nian!" Nian could hear her flaring her nostrils, making him weakly chuckle.
From the side, he heard Hou Lin's voice mumble, "Can I have the phone back please?"
What is with his…respectful voice? Hou Lin's behavior bewildered Ai once again. She thought that he would rudely snatch the phone from her.
Instead, he is politely asking it back…
Nian's countenance turned cold once again as Hou Lin was back on the line. "As you have heard now, Miss. Xing Bi is perfectly okay. If you do as I say, I will get Yahui back and you will get Miss. Xing Bi back. There is no need to hurt anybody here."
"It was Zhan Yahui who came barging into our lives first, trying to destroy everything," Nian snarled. "Don't fucking act defensive."
"But didn't the Liu family give her the reason first?"
"Oh?" Jian sneered. "And what reason did she tell you? That the Liu family killed her father?"
"And indirectly her mother and unborn sibling too."
Jun froze. The words hammered in his mind like a vicious poison flowing into his veins.
Mother and unborn sibling…?
An eerie silence descended, making the twins exchange glances.
The burden of Ouyang Haitao's death already weighed heavily upon Jun for years and now to know that Zhan Yahui's mother and unborn sibling had indirectly died because of him shook him to his core.
As his expression was rapidly losing color, a deep voice came accompanied by the sound of boots clicking on the floor. "That's far from the truth."
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