There was nothing in the empty room except for tatami mats and some simple furnishings.
What did that woman want to do here?
Judging from the behaviour of the man and woman just now, it was not likely that they would go to an empty room for nothing.
Qin Shu exited the room, still bearing doubts. She gave the room another once over but did not find anything noteworthy.
She stared in the direction where the woman had left. She mulled over her options and decided to go after the woman.
–
Qian Mo got his subordinates to stow Ling’er and Xiao Jiu in two boxes and shipped them out of Camel Mountain, instructing the driver to take them to Bellemont.
The boxes were packed into a minivan and soon carted off to their destination. In the background, a stereo played the current most popular songs.
The light in the van’s cargo hold was dim. A sudden flash of cold light pierced through one of the boxes. Upon closer inspection, the light was actually refraction caused by a dagger’s edge as it peeked through the tape sealing the cardboard box. The box had been sliced open from the inside, drawing a long cut from one end to the other.
Suddenly, the dagger disappeared, and two small hands poked out of the opening like a pair of meerkats. Then, a small head popped out.
Xiao Jiu looked around to ensure it was safe before climbing out. His small figure hid in the box’s shadow as he eyed the driver in the driver’s seat. Beside the driver was another man. The two men were not paying attention to their cargo and did not notice how one of their deliveries had managed to wheedle its way out of the box.
Xiao Jiu blinked, wondering where they were taking him and his grandmother.
Looking around the van’s limited space, Xiao Jiu noticed another box nearby and quietly crawled his way towards the other with his dagger clamped between his teeth. A quick cut, and the box was unsealed. He did not attract any attention, any noise he might have made being drowned by the booming stereo.
Xiao Jiu called out softly, “Grandma.”
He gestured quickly at the two men seated in front and put his finger to his lips, indicating the need for silence.
Ling’er was still a little dizzy, but she knew they were in a very dangerous situation. Seeing Xiao Jiu’s gesture, she could roughly guess its meaning.
However, she was curious. How did Xiao Jiu free himself so quickly when they were both drugged?
It was a question for another time.
She mimed Xiao Jiu’s gesture and crawled out of the box quietly. She did not want them to be discovered if the driver checked his rearview mirror to investigate any commotion he might have heard.
Xiao Jiu took out a small slingshot from his pocket and handed it to Ling’er. He held marble in his other hand, indicating that she should use it to beat up the bad guys.
Xiao Jiu’s martial strength was not great, and his marble would not be able to pierce through the van’s seat even if he shot it using his slingshot. Still, it was a suitable weapon for his Grandma.
Ling’er looked at the slingshot and marble in Xiao Jiu’s two small hands. She did not expect him to bring these things. When she was in the President’s manor, she often saw Xiao Jiu shooting at a target with this thing.
Ling’er nodded at him, indicating that she understood what he meant. She picked up the slingshot and marble with both hands. It was her first time playing this, but she felt a sense of familiarity when she held them in her hands.
There was something nostalgic in the pull of an elastic band and the smooth surface of marbles in her hand. It felt like she had played with them before, a long time ago.
She first aimed at the man in the passenger seat, releasing the built-up tension and shooting the marble in the man’s back. The man’s head tilted to one side. He was most likely dead. His eyes remained open but unseeing.
The driver did not notice the change in his companion and continued driving while humming along to the sound of the stereo.
Ling’er primed another marble, aiming it at the driver, but did not fire her glass projectile. The man was speeding down the road. If she killed the man now, it could lead to a chain of accidents.
Xiao Jiu saw through his grandmother’s hesitance, guessing her thoughts. Perhaps he could climb into the driver’s seat without being noticed… If the man looked into his rearview mirror while Xiao Jiu clambered his way over, problems would arise.
Everything would be fine if the man did not check his rearview mirror, but if he did…
Xiao Jiu took action. It was pointless overthinking the situation. He climbed from the cargo hold into the backseat successfully without drawing attention to himself.
Ling’er watched as Xiao Jiu sprung into action, and she had an idea of what he was doing. It was too late to stop him now. All she could do was kill the driver before he discovered Xiao Jiu.
Just as he was about to climb into the driver’s seat, the driver turned to his companion and asked, “Hey man! Are you sleeping?”
Xiao Jiu gripped his dagger tightly, preparing to strike.
When Ling’er saw the driver turn his head, she fired her marble, penetrating the man through the seat’s cushion.
Xiao Jiu was quick to react. He shoved the man aside and took the steering wheel. Even though he had never driven a van before, it could not be much different from a bumper car… could it? Except this bumper car was moving at 90 kilometres and an hour.
Ling’er jumped over the seats and turned off the stereo. She could not remember driving a car before, so she did not know how to stop it.
“Grandma, I’ve seen how Uncle Ye Luo drives. I think he pressed this…” As Xiao Jiu spoke, he pressed the indicator and spun the wheel, veering off to the side.
Ling’er helped where she could. The most important thing was to stop the van.
Somehow, by some stroke of luck, the two of them managed to wrestle the van to the side of the road, pulling to a stop. When they got out, they each heaved sighs of relief.
“Xiao Jiu, let’s leave this place. We don’t know if they are tracking the van or if they’ll send pursuers after us.”
Ling’er did not know who had ordered their kidnapping, but she was sure they would not allow them to escape easily.
Xiao Jiu’s legs were short, so Ling’er bent down and picked him up. The seemingly weak Ling’er was still strong enough to pick up Xiao Jiu.
Xiao Jiu did not struggle. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his grandmother’s neck, allowing her to carry him. They were both in danger, and if he wasted time being wilful or selfish, it could put them in even greater danger.
“Grandma, let’s go find Grandpa. That way, we’ll be safe.”
“We must tread carefully. These people might not know of our relationship, and people could be watching him. We shouldn’t endanger your Grandpa more than necessary.”
“But Grandpa is the President! Wait. Do you think these people are trying to hold us hostage to get Grandpa to do whatever they want?” Xiao Jiu gasped as the realisation hit him.
Xiao Jiu had read many history books about power struggles, so his guess was not overly far-fetched.
“We can’t rule out the possibility.”
Ling’er had also arrived at the same conclusion. Five of the Feng family’s nine sons died due to power struggles. Ziqing still had three other siblings and no sons or daughters. There were bound to be those dissatisfied with him, both within and without the family.
The position of the President was indeed…
“Grandma, should we go to Camel Mountain or return to the President’s manor?” Xiao Jiu asked.
Ling’er weighed her options and said, “Let’s go to Camel Mountain and get ahold of the situation before we do anything else.”
Xiao Jiu ruffled through his pockets. They were all empty, and not even change was left. “Hmm… Grandma, do you have any money?”
Ling’er stopped in her tracks and checked herself. She did not have her purse or a mobile phone, and she never left the manor without her phone. Their captors must have taken the liberty of removing anything of worth from them.
Without money or her phone, their options became far more limited.
Ling’er eyed the van. Maybe her phone would be somewhere inside?
