Chapter 296: A Ransom of 500 Million?

That night.

7:30 PM.

The police quickly sealed off any news, ensuring that not many people were aware of the situation. Even the employees of Xinyue Group were completely unaware of what had happened.

“Hello, this is Xinyue Group’s Scar Healing Cream hotline. How can I assist you?” the customer service representative answered.

“Tell your CEO that his daughter has been kidnapped! If he wants her back, he must go to the company within 20 minutes. I’ll call this landline again then!” Old Six deliberately lowered his voice, and after finishing the message, he immediately hung up.

The customer service representative was left stunned.

The CEO’s daughter has been kidnapped? They’ll call again in 20 minutes?

Not knowing what else to do, the representative reported this immediately to her supervisor. The head of the department wasted no time in escalating the matter to Shen Fei.

Upon hearing the news, Shen Fei rushed to Xinyue Group. A drive that typically took 30 minutes was completed in just 15.

Before the kidnappers called back, Zhong Qi and his team had already set up their tracking equipment.

Just as they finished, the phone rang again.

Zhong Qi wanted to give Shen Fei some instructions, but Shen Fei had already pressed the speakerphone button.

“I am Shen Fei,” he said firmly.

“Ah, CEO Shen! I’ve heard a lot about you. To confirm, your daughter is with us,” the man on the other end sneered.

The next moment, Shen Jiayue’s crying could be heard through the receiver. Hearing his daughter’s sobs, Shen Fei’s heart tightened.

“CEO Shen, is that your daughter?” the kidnapper taunted.

Shen Fei’s face darkened. “How much do you want? Three hundred million!”

“Tsk tsk, CEO Shen, is your daughter only worth 300 million?” the kidnapper teased, clearly enjoying the moment. After a brief pause, he got straight to the point.

“What we want is simple: the formula for the Scar Healing Cream! Hand it over, and we’ll release your daughter immediately.”

“The formula for the Scar Healing Cream? If you’re not in the skincare business, it’s useless to you…”

Before Shen Fei could finish, the line was abruptly cut off.

The atmosphere turned heavy.

The police officers with Zhong Qi removed their headsets, shaking their heads bitterly.

“The call was too short. We couldn’t pinpoint their location,” one officer reported.

Hearing this, Shen Fei sat heavily into his chair, his face grim.

—

At the abandoned building.

“Old Six, why’d you hang up? Didn’t we just lose the chance to negotiate?” Baldie asked in confusion.

As soon as he spoke, Baldie was met with a flying kick from Scarface.

“Are you stupid? Haven’t you learned anything from TV shows? Keeping the call short ensures they can’t track us! This is just being cautious! Why do you always act like an idiot?”

“Oh, I get it now!” Baldie rubbed the spot where he had been kicked. “I’ll stop watching women and start watching more TV shows instead.”

—

At Xinyue Group’s customer service department.

The atmosphere was extremely heavy.

Five minutes later, the phone rang again.

Shen Fei quickly answered it.

“Five hundred million! The Scar Healing Cream formula—fine, I’ll give it to you! But if you’re not in production, it’s useless. At least with 500 million in cash, you’ll have something to spend!”

“CEO Shen, I think you’re mistaken about who’s in control here! Your daughter is in our hands. We asked for the formula, and you’ll deliver it!”

“So, if I give you the formula, you’ll release my daughter?” Shen Fei asked coldly.

“Yes.”

“I need time to prepare it,” Shen Fei said sternly.

“Fine. Give me your phone number. I’ll send you an email address later. In two hours, I need to see the Scar Healing Cream formula! If not, your daughter’s life will be in danger. Don’t waste time—I’m not that patient!”

The voice on the other end was icy and threatening. Shen Fei gave his phone number, and the call ended abruptly.

—

In the abandoned building.

“Old Six, isn’t two hours too rushed?” Scarface frowned.

“Boss, this is all Baldie’s fault! Even though he didn’t wear the headgear, there’s still a chance he made a mistake. If the other party really wants to save their daughter, they’ll comply. I bet they’ll deliver the formula in less than two hours,” Old Six murmured.

“And if they don’t deliver the formula after two hours?” Scarface inhaled sharply. If it came to that, all their efforts would have been wasted!

“Well, that’ll be their fault!” Old Six said viciously.

“We should’ve kidnapped the mother instead,” Baldie muttered as he gnawed on duck necks. “At least we could’ve had some fun before killing her! Now, we might end up with nothing!”

Scarface could no longer tolerate Baldie’s comments and began beating him again.

—

At Xinyue Group.

Shen Fei moved to a nearby conference room, his face filled with tension as he called Tang Xingwen.

Two hours—such a tight deadline.

He couldn’t afford any mistakes. Even the thought of giving a fake formula was too risky. If anything went wrong, the kidnappers might harm Shen Jiayue.

“Shen, what’s the rush calling me this late at night?” Tang Xingwen asked while packing up his things. He had just bought a new house and was settling in.

“Old Tang, I need you to organize the Scar Healing Cream formula and send it to me immediately!” Shen Fei said urgently.

“What? Why do you need it now?” Tang Xingwen asked, puzzled.

“I need it now! Quickly—it’s urgent!” Shen Fei’s voice grew colder.

“Okay, but didn’t I already give you a copy before?” Tang Xingwen asked.

“Old Tang, just prepare another one. Can you get it to me within 10 minutes?” Shen Fei pressed.

Though confused and filled with questions, Tang Xingwen agreed. He hurried into his study to organize the formula.

—

At Chengyou Technology’s General Manager’s office.

Jiang Tiancheng had already mobilized all his connections, his face equally tense. He was just as worried about Shen Jiayue as Shen Fei. To him, the little girl was like a daughter.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

Jiang Tiancheng sat upright and quickly answered the call, his heart racing with anticipation.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 297: When You’re Rich, You Can Do Anything!

“Speak quickly!”

The moment the call connected, Jiang Tiancheng immediately pressed for information.

“Mr. Jiang, we’ve located that van, but apart from that, there are no other clues! This was clearly a case of abandoning the vehicle to mislead us!”

Hearing this, Jiang Tiancheng snapped irritably,

“Then why are you calling me? Just to tell me you’ve found nothing?”

“No, Mr. Jiang, we discovered something else!” the other person quickly clarified.

“Then hurry up and say it!” Jiang Tiancheng urged impatiently.

“Although we didn’t find clues in the van, there’s something unusual about a small food street behind a bus stop. A suspicious man wearing jeans had a pink hood sticking out of his back pocket. Apparently, the kidnapper was seen wearing a similar hood during the abduction!” the caller reported in detail.

“Then what are you waiting for? Investigate this clue immediately! The sooner, the better!” Jiang Tiancheng ordered.

“Understood! We’ve already sent people to check it out!”

Before the other party could hang up, Jiang Tiancheng added,

“Listen to me carefully: better to wrongly investigate a thousand times than let a single suspect slip through! Lock in the location and identity of the suspect on that food street immediately. Report any updates to me at once!”

“Got it!”

Hanging up, Jiang Tiancheng’s face was tense. He interlaced his fingers, staring at his phone in deep thought.

Just then, his other phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, Jiang Tiancheng took a deep breath and feigned calmness.

“Grandpa, why are you calling me?”

“Tiancheng, tell me the truth—has Xiao Shen’s daughter been kidnapped?” Jiang Anbang asked gravely.

“Uh?”

“Don’t try to fool me!”

Hearing his grandfather’s tone, Jiang Tiancheng reluctantly admitted,

“Yes, Grandpa. But where did you hear about this?”

“I have plenty of sources. Although the authorities are investigating, their progress is slow due to procedural red tape. I know you have many contacts in Shen City. Use every single one of them. You must find Xiao Shen’s daughter as quickly as possible!” Jiang Anbang urged.

“Yes, Grandpa. As soon as Brother Fei told me about this, I immediately sprang into action!” Jiang Tiancheng replied honestly.

“Good. Remember this—our Jiang family owes everything to Shen Fei. Without him, we wouldn’t have the success we enjoy today. We must repay this debt of gratitude. Xiao Shen is family, and we must help him!” Jiang Anbang said emphatically.

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I won’t forget!”

At that moment, Jiang Tiancheng’s other phone rang again.

“Grandpa, I have to go—there’s probably a new lead!”

With his grandfather’s permission, Jiang Tiancheng quickly ended the call. His expression turned sharp and focused.

“Speak!”

“Mr. Jiang, we’ve uncovered new information! A witness reported seeing three men acting suspiciously at a pavilion across from the Windmill Kindergarten. These men did nothing all day but sit there smoking, eating, and chatting. They also had a van parked nearby. Witnesses say these men knew the kindergarten security guard and even spoke with him. Today, one of them was seen pulling out several hoods, which matches the description of the kidnappers!”

The person on the phone reported seriously.

“Damn it! Finally, a lead! Act immediately before they realize they’re exposed!” Jiang Tiancheng growled.

“Understood!”

“Find that kindergarten security guard and call me immediately!”

“Will do, Mr. Jiang!”

…

At the pavilion across from Windmill Kindergarten.

A man known as Brother Li had no idea he’d been exposed. At that moment, he was shining a flashlight around the pavilion, carefully checking for any overlooked evidence.

Satisfied that everything was clean, he stepped out of the pavilion, preparing to return to the kindergarten.

Suddenly, a black Volkswagen blocked his path.

Brother Li’s heart sank, and he immediately turned to flee in the opposite direction.

Before he could take more than a few steps, two burly men got out of the car and stopped him. Without giving him a chance to react, they dragged him back into the car.

The entire process took less than ten seconds.

By the time Brother Li realized what had happened, the Volkswagen was already speeding toward an unknown location.

…

Meanwhile, Jiang Tiancheng received the update and rushed out of the office at Chengyou Tech.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at a hidden corner near an arcade.

Jiang Tiancheng pushed the door open and entered.

“What do you people want? Why are you grabbing me? I haven’t done anything!”

“Let me go! This is a law-abiding society—you can’t just abduct people!”

“What little girl? I don’t know anything about any little girl!”

“I’m just a kindergarten security guard! How could I remember every kid I see? Please let me go!”

Bound hand and foot, with a blindfold over his eyes, Brother Li was trembling. A foul smell filled the air, heightening his anxiety and fear.

“Mr. Jiang is here!”

The men in the room all stood to attention as Jiang Tiancheng walked in.

“Still not talking?” Jiang Tiancheng asked coldly.

“No—he’s still denying everything,” one of the men replied.

Jiang Tiancheng raised his brow and tilted his chin slightly.

Immediately, fists began raining down on Brother Li.

The man’s screams echoed through the room.

“I’m giving you one last chance. Where did your men take the little girl?” Jiang Tiancheng asked, his voice calm but laced with menace.

“What girl? I swear, I don’t know!” Brother Li cried out in pain.

“Still playing dumb?” Jiang Tiancheng scoffed.

“You’re just a ‘regular guy,’ huh? You think I don’t know? You started working at that kindergarten just two weeks ago. The scar cream formula only became popular recently. You’ve been seen hanging around the pavilion with those three men—chatting, smoking, acting suspiciously. Those same three men were involved in the abduction. And one of them was seen buying hoods, identical to the ones used in the kidnapping! You think I’m blind?”

Hearing this, Brother Li froze. He hadn’t expected their supposedly foolproof plan to have such a glaring weakness.

“Pathetic! Only idiots like you would carry out such an amateur kidnapping,” Jiang Tiancheng sneered.

Seeing Brother Li still refusing to cooperate, Jiang Tiancheng smirked coldly.

“What kind of man are you? Kidnapping a helpless three- or four-year-old child? Do you have kids? Do you have family? How would you feel if they were kidnapped?”

Hearing no response, Jiang Tiancheng leaned closer and whispered menacingly,

“Listen carefully. You don’t sound like you’re from Shen City. I have money—lots of it. If you don’t release that girl, I’ll make sure your family doesn’t live in peace for a single minute! Believe me or not, in seconds, I can track down where your family is. When you have money, you can do whatever you want.”

—————- END —————-

Chapter 298: I’ll Confess Everything!

Hearing Jiang Tiancheng’s words, even though Li Ge was trembling with fear, he still put on a brave front and said,

“You’ve got the wrong guy! I really don’t know anything!”

He was still resisting, completely unprepared for the fact that in less than three hours, he’d already been captured. This clearly demonstrated the power of the people interrogating him.

“Still playing tough?” Jiang Tiancheng’s face darkened.

“Mr. Jiang, what do you want me to say? From the moment you grabbed me until now, I have no idea what’s going on! Even if you’re in a hurry, you can’t just grab the wrong person!” Li Ge said dejectedly.

“Fine! Keep being stubborn. Let’s see how long you can keep it up!” Jiang Tiancheng stood up and sneered coldly before adding,

“This guy’s accent sounds like he’s from Shandong. Immediately contact people in Shandong. Find out his family’s address—how many people are in his family, everything! And get them!”

This was mostly a bluff by Jiang Tiancheng.

Even with his influence, Jiang Tiancheng’s power was largely limited to Shenzhen. Expanding his reach to other areas was not easy, and even if he had the resources, he would not dare to cross that line in a lawful society.

That said, Jiang Tiancheng’s men understood his intent—it was all to scare Li Ge into talking.

“Mr. Jiang, I’ll call Tiger and Leopard in Shandong right away!” one of the men stepped forward, seemingly serious, even mentioning the notorious figures Tiger and Leopard.

“Good! Ask Tiger how much it would cost to wipe out this man’s entire family. Is fifty million enough?” Jiang Tiancheng said lightly.

“Got it! I’ll ask now!”

Hearing this, Li Ge—who was lying on the ground—started trembling uncontrollably.

Tiger and Leopard were infamous names in Shandong: Bai Hu (White Tiger) and Hei Bao (Black Leopard), ruthless and feared criminals who would do anything for the right price.

Although Li Ge had never interacted with them directly, their reputations were enough to terrify him.

Before he could calm down, another man asked,

“Mr. Jiang, what should we do with him now?”

“This guy? Let me think… Do we still have that Tiger Bench? Strap him on it and use the ancient punishment of ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’!” Jiang Tiancheng said coldly.

“If he faints, pour white wine on him to wake him up!”

With that, Jiang Tiancheng turned to leave the room, radiating a chilling authority.

Although he left, Jiang Tiancheng’s mind remained tense.

At this point, he couldn’t be certain if Li Ge was working with the other suspects. But from all the evidence so far, it was clear that this man was more than just an ordinary kindergarten security guard.

He feared that Li Ge might be particularly stubborn, refusing to talk no matter what. If that happened, the only option left would be to hand him over to the police.

Just as Jiang Tiancheng stepped out of the room, a desperate cry came from inside.

“I’ll confess! I’ll confess everything!”

Hearing this, Jiang Tiancheng’s expression lit up. He had gambled right!

Suppressing his smile, he turned back into the room.

“Where’s the hideout?” Jiang Tiancheng asked urgently, looking at the crumpled Li Ge on the floor.

“I—I don’t know!” Li Ge stammered, shaking with fear.

“What? Are you messing with me?!” Jiang Tiancheng roared, his anger flaring. He kicked Li Ge hard, drawing another painful scream.

“Beat him!” Jiang Tiancheng commanded, pointing at Li Ge.

As fists were about to rain down on him again, Li Ge cried out, begging,

“Mr. Jiang! What I said is true! I was only helping them with information—I don’t know the exact hideout!”

Hearing this, Jiang Tiancheng signaled for the men to stop.

“Fine! Then tell me everything you do know!”

“I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything! I was only responsible for passing information to them. I don’t know their full plans or what else they’re doing! Mr. Jiang, please! Take it all out on me, but spare my family!” Li Ge pleaded desperately.

By now, Li Ge had fully realized the immense power of the man before him. Within such a short time, they had tracked him down, dug up so many clues, and even mentioned Tiger and Leopard. These were people he simply couldn’t afford to provoke.

“Alright. I’ll take you at your word for now. I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself! If you cooperate, I’ll spare your family!” Jiang Tiancheng said coldly.

“Get their hideout location!”

“Alright, I’ll do it!” Li Ge sobbed, nodding frantically.

At that moment, the phone in Li Ge’s pocket rang.

Jiang Tiancheng’s assistant pulled it out. On the screen was the name Boss.

“Mr. Jiang, it’s his boss calling!”

“Is that so?” Jiang Tiancheng pulled off Li Ge’s blindfold and showed him the screen.

“Yes, that’s him!” Li Ge nodded hurriedly.

“Good. Calm yourself down and get their location from him. Otherwise, your family…” Jiang Tiancheng let the words trail off, the threat heavy in the air.

“I understand! I know what to do!” Li Ge nodded frantically, trembling.

“Hmph, as long as you understand. I’ve got money to burn,” Jiang Tiancheng sneered.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Jiang! I’ll help you save the girl!” Li Ge said.

“I don’t need your help—just get me their location!” Jiang Tiancheng replied sharply.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Li Ge pressed the answer button under the watchful gazes of Jiang Tiancheng and his men.

He also enabled the speakerphone at Jiang Tiancheng’s signal.

—

At the same time, all the activities of the bald man after abandoning the van, including his purchase of a pink mask and his suspicious movements, had been thoroughly investigated and compiled into a detailed report.

Inside the small room, just as Li Ge finished speaking with the gang, Jiang Tiancheng received the report.

All the clues had now come together clearly.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 299: Something Really Feels Off!

“Mr. Jiang, the bald man in the footage returned to the abandoned construction site on the southern section of Xiuzheng Road after buying food at the snack street. That place has been untouched ever since the developer fled a few years ago! Although it’s abandoned, there are several unfinished buildings inside. If we search floor by floor and building by building, it might alarm them, and it will be very challenging!”

Hearing the report, Jiang Tiancheng’s heart lit up with satisfaction.

The man they had captured earlier mentioned an abandoned construction site during his call with his boss. He said their hideout was on the top floor of the last building after entering the site.

Now, it seemed this lead was highly credible.

“Send me the bald man’s photo,” Jiang Tiancheng ordered calmly.

“Yes, Mr. Jiang!” the man on the other end replied.

As soon as the call ended, Jiang Tiancheng’s phone vibrated.

Glancing at the screen, Jiang Tiancheng handed the phone to someone nearby, who grabbed Li Ge’s collar and barked, “Do you know this guy? Tell the truth!”

“I know him! I do! That’s the second-in-command!” Li Ge nodded frantically.

Hearing this, Jiang Tiancheng finally felt relieved. He raised his eyebrows and stared at Li Ge.

“Does anyone in your group have guns?”

“Guns? No way! We’re just regular people; we wouldn’t dare! Besides, in this country, possessing a real gun is illegal. If a gun accidentally goes off, we’d end up in prison! It’s a serious crime! At most, they have fake guns,” Li Ge replied sincerely.

Unbeknownst to him, his statement was only half true. The gang actually did possess a real hunting rifle that Old Six had bought from a farmer. However, they left it behind during this operation because it was cumbersome to carry, and they were overly confident in their plan. Instead, they only brought a few baseball bats.

Jiang Tiancheng nodded in satisfaction at Li Ge’s response. If the gang were armed with real guns, the situation would be far more complicated, and he’d have no choice but to involve the police. But now, the matter seemed much simpler to handle.

“You better hope everything you’ve said is true, or else…” Jiang Tiancheng trailed off ominously, giving Li Ge a cold stare.

Li Ge quickly understood and pleaded, “It’s all true! Please, Mr. Jiang, I’m begging you—spare my family!”

“Hmph! Now you regret it?” Jiang Tiancheng sneered and turned away, signaling his men to take action.

Although calling the police would have been the most effective solution, Jiang Tiancheng didn’t want to go that route. The matter involved Yueyue, and he believed only Shen Fei’s direct involvement would show the greatest respect to Shen Fei’s family. Besides, calling the police would make things unnecessarily complicated.

Jiang Tiancheng’s efficiency was remarkable. Within half an hour, over a hundred people were already on their way to the abandoned construction site on Xiuzheng Road.

At this point, only forty minutes remained until the deadline given by the kidnappers. It had been three hours since Shen Jiayue was kidnapped.

…

“Damn it!”

After hanging up the phone, Old Six grew increasingly uneasy. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and yelled, “Something’s wrong!”

“What’s the matter, Old Six?” The bald man, chewing on a duck neck, sniffled and looked at him in confusion. Even Scarface, startled by the sudden outburst, was taken aback.

“Li Ge’s acting suspicious! He’s never been involved in this stuff. Why would he suddenly ask for our location?” Old Six said, his voice trembling with alarm.

“Tsk, what’s so weird about Li Ge asking? It just means he’s concerned about us. You’re being way too paranoid, Old Six!” The bald man rolled his eyes dismissively.

Even Scarface seemed to agree, though he remained silent for a moment.

“Old Six, why do you feel this way? Li Ge has been with us all along, but he’s always stayed in the background. The cops wouldn’t have noticed him. Even if they did, they don’t have any evidence, right? Without evidence, there’s no way they can arrest Li Ge!” Scarface reasoned.

“Boss, that’s exactly the problem! Li Ge never gets involved, so why would he suddenly ask for our location? Don’t you think that’s odd?” Old Six pressed, his tone serious.

“Old Six, you’re just too tense. We contacted him first, remember? He probably asked out of concern—nothing more!” Scarface said with a smile, trying to calm him.

But Old Six’s unease only grew stronger.

“Boss, listen to me this time! Something feels off. We need to move now!” Old Six urged.

“Move? Where would we even go?” Scarface shot back.

“Anywhere! As long as we stay off the cameras, we’ll be fine! There’s only half an hour left. Once we get the formula for the scar ointment, we’re done!” Old Six growled.

Before they could take action, the sound of blaring car horns echoed from the distance.

“Damn it!”

Old Six’s face twisted with anger as he cursed loudly.

“Baldy, go check the window! See who’s coming and how many people there are!” Scarface said, now visibly panicked.

“Ah? Okay, okay!”

The bald man wiped his greasy hands on the pink hood and ran to the window. Leaning out, he looked down toward the ground floor.

They were on the second floor, and the height wasn’t too great. One glance was enough for the bald man to see the crowd of people gathering below.

He quickly pulled his head back, dropped to the floor, and pointed shakily outside.

“Boss! Old Six! There are so many cars! They’re not cops, but there are over a hundred of them, and they all look like serious thugs!”

Old Six’s expression darkened. He growled through clenched teeth, “Damn it! That idiot Li Ge really sold us out!”

“Old Six, what do we do now? It’s just the three of us, and there are over a hundred people outside! We didn’t even move locations earlier… we’re trapped!”

—————- END —————-

Chapter 300: Turn Back While There’s Still Time!

At this moment, Old Two was already pale, trembling from head to toe under the intimidating presence of the hundreds of people outside.

“We really shouldn’t have taken this job in the first place! If it were the cops, at least we’d have a chance to survive. But this isn’t them! They’ll probably beat us to death right here!”

Tears were already welling up in Baldy’s eyes as he spoke.

“Shut your mouth, Old Two!” Scarface scolded angrily.

As the leader of the three, he forced himself to stay calm and spoke with a cold voice, “Things have come this far, so we’ll face it head-on! The kid is still in our hands, so that’s our advantage!”

Before his words could settle, the blaring sound of car horns erupted outside.

Fifty cars of various types had completely surrounded the building.

The deafening noise shook the ground.

Seeing no movement from upstairs, Jiang Tiancheng stepped out of his car holding a loudspeaker, his voice booming across the area:

“The three of you upstairs, I’ll give you one chance: come out willingly! If I have to bring my men in, your ending will be much worse!”

“I’ll count to three. Get down here!”

“Three—”

“Two—”

Before Jiang Tiancheng could finish counting, three figures appeared at the stairwell.

Old Six was holding Shen Jiayue tightly, keeping her restrained.

The moment the little girl saw Jiang Tiancheng, she could no longer hold back her emotions. If it weren’t for the tape over her mouth, she would have already burst into tears.

Seeing this, a wave of rage surged through Jiang Tiancheng’s heart.

“Damn it! Are you even human? Kidnapping a three-year-old girl—what a bunch of scumbags!”

“Cut the nonsense! So you’re here to save the kid? Fine! I’ll give you a chance. Prepare five million in cash and a car. Once the time is right, I’ll let her go!” Old Six growled with a twisted expression.

“Five million in cash? A car? And when you feel like letting her go? You think that’s possible? If I was willing to play by your rules, would I have brought this many people?” Jiang Tiancheng shot back with disdain.

“Fine! So you won’t agree, huh?” Old Six sneered, pulling out a black gun from behind his back.

“Looks like this little girl’s fate isn’t good. Maybe I should just send her off to her next life!”

At these words, a chilling glint flashed in Jiang Tiancheng’s eyes. Without hesitation, he gestured to someone nearby.

Immediately, a group of men opened a car door and dragged out Li Ge, who was still bound and gagged. They threw him to the ground at Jiang Tiancheng’s feet.

Seeing Li Ge, Scarface became enraged.

“Damn it, Li! So this is how loyal you are? You sold us out!”

Li Ge’s face fell instantly, and he pleaded bitterly, “This wasn’t what I wanted! Boss, Old Two, and Six—please, just surrender! Jiang only cares about the girl’s safety. If we release her, he won’t pursue us any further! Please, stop now!”

“Humph! Li, do you really believe him? We kidnapped the girl—do you think he’ll just let us go? That’s impossible!” Old Six sneered coldly, glaring at Li Ge with hatred. “And don’t forget, this was your idea in the first place! Now you’re the one who betrayed us!”

Listening to the exchange, Jiang Tiancheng finally pieced together the full story. Without wanting to waste more time, he looked at the three men coldly.

“You really think you’re fearless, huh? But I hope your families are just as brave! I have plenty of money, and Shen Fei, the creator of the scar cream, has even more! They say money can make the devil work for you—let’s see if your families can withstand a little… pressure.”

Jiang Tiancheng’s voice was intentionally vague, considering Shen Jiayue’s presence.

“You’re threatening us?!” Old Six narrowed his eyes.

“Technically, it’s not a threat—it’s a warning. Look at the men behind me—do they look like reasonable people? If you don’t care about your families, why should we?” Jiang Tiancheng’s tone was playful but chilling.

“You dare?” Baldy shouted anxiously.

Ignoring him, Jiang Tiancheng kicked Li Ge lightly.

“Tell me their names and where they’re from!”

Li Ge hesitated, his face conflicted.

“Speak up!” One of Jiang’s men, impatient, kicked Li Ge hard in the stomach.

Groaning in pain, Li Ge relented. “I… I understand.”

“Li, do you even consider us brothers anymore?!” Old Six roared.

Lowering his head, Li Ge spoke bitterly, “They’re all from Thirteen Village in Cao County, Heze—Li Jiafu, Li Tieniu, and Li Liu.”

“Damn you, Li!”

“Traitor!”

The three of them erupted in fury. Their identities being revealed meant their families were now at risk. No matter how tough they acted, they couldn’t remain indifferent to their loved ones’ safety.

Jiang Tiancheng turned to his man. “Old Zhao, you got all that?”

“Yes, Jiang. Don’t worry!” Old Zhao nodded quickly.

Meanwhile, little Shen Jiayue’s big eyes were filled with tears, a sight that pained Jiang Tiancheng deeply. Yet he forced himself to stay composed, not wanting to show weakness in front of the kidnappers.

At this moment, Li Ge’s voice broke through, pleading with heartfelt sincerity.

“Boss, Old Two, Six—turn back now, before it’s too late! Stop this madness! You know we can’t win against him! Boss, didn’t you want your wife to live a good life? Tieniu, your brother still needs money for his treatment! And you, Six, your wife is pregnant—what if something happens to the baby because of this?!”

Tears streamed down Li Ge’s face as he spoke, his voice cracking with emotion.

Scarface and Baldy were visibly shaken, exchanging uneasy glances with Old Six.

Their families were their Achilles’ heel. No matter how fearless they acted, they couldn’t ignore the consequences for their loved ones.

After a long struggle, Old Six’s expression finally softened. Reluctantly, he released Shen Jiayue from his grip.

“I’ll let her go! But you have to give us a way out. If you don’t mind, the three of us can work for you from now on!” Old Six said with all seriousness.