Afternoon, 5 pm.
Dong Xuebing, who had gone out to buy groceries, returned to the City Party Committee Family Quarters. Everybody was giving him weird looks, including the guards at the main gates, the Leaders, and family members returning from work.
“Director Dong.”
“Mrs. Liu.”
“I heard your goddaughter is safe.”
“Not yet. We still have not located her.”
“She will be fine.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Liu.”
A few family members in the same building greeted Dong Xuebing as he walked up the stairs.
After Dong Xuebing walked past them, they started discussing him softly.
This was normal as everything that happened around Dong Xuebing was too bizarre. Wan Sizhao had tried to rape his cousin and forced her to jump out of a building. Two days later, Wan Sizhao fell out of the same private room of the same restaurant. Li Taibo and Xu Dabing, who had given false statements and fabricated evidence, were arrested for killing Wan Sizhao. Li Taibo escaped from the detention center and kidnapped Dong Xuebing’s goddaughter. They heard Li Taibo call this morning to tell Dong Xuebing he was going to throw his goddaughter into the sea. However, one second before he acted, he died for an unknown reason.
This was too bizarre.
Dong Xuebing’s apartment.
Xie Huilan had returned to work, and only Qu Yunxuan, her parents, and Luan Xiaoping were home.
Dong Xuebing placed the groceries on the coffee table. “Mum, I bought the groceries.”
Luan Xiaoping was still angry with her son and ignored him. She took the groceries into the kitchen.
Qu Yunxuan’s mother put down the newspapers and went to the kitchen to help Luan Xiaoping.
Dong Xuebing quickly followed. “Mum, I will help too.”
“No need!” Qu Yunxuan’s mother snapped and slammed the door behind her.
Dong Xuebing sighed. Qu Yunxuan was resting in the room, and he did not disturb her. He stood by the window and lit a cigarette. After that call, they lost contact with Little Qianqian. No one knows where she is. Although she escaped from Li Taibo, she was still on a smuggling boat.
Where is my daughter?
How am I going to save her?
Xie Huilan returned before dinner.
Luan Xiaoping rushed out of the kitchen. “Huilan, do you have any news of Qianqian?”
Qu Yunxuan’s parents were looking at her, and Qu Yunxuan staggered out of the room.
Xie Huilan closed the door and replied calmly. “The Police had located the last signal. Li Taibo’s phone signal indicated he was on the sea near Fujian province.”
Dong Xuebing was shocked. “Fujian Province?”
Xie Huilan nodded. “It should be a smuggling ship.”
Qu Yunxuan asked anxiously. “Have the Police contacted the local authorities?”
“It was reported, and they are discussing it now. We still don’t know if we can find her.”
Everyone was disappointed.
No one said anything during dinner. Other than Xie Huilan and Qu Yunxuan’s father, who had taken a few bites, no one else touched their chopsticks.
How could they eat when Qianqian was still missing?
After dinner, Xie Huilan and Dong Xuebing made calls to ask about the progress.
Xie Huilan called home, while Dong Xuebing called Xu Yan.
“Hello, Sister Xu. Do you have any information about Qianqian?”
“I’m sorry. I am not powerful enough to be one of the higher-ups.”
“I heard the Police had located Li Taibo’s phone signal. Although we don’t have the exact location, it should be on the sea near Fujian Province.”
Xu Yan frowned. “Fujian sea? Are you sure?”
Dong Xuebing replied. “Yes. That’s what the Police say.”
Xu Yan replied in a serious tone. “If that’s true, I have a piece of bad news.”
“What happened?” Dong Xuebing’s got nervous.
“I am not sure about the accuracy of Fen Zhou City Police’s investigation. But when I was asking around for you, I heard a Chinese smuggling ship was hijacked by pirates this afternoon east of Fujian Province Sea.”
“Huh?!” Dong Xuebing gasped. “Pirates?!”
“Yes. We received news the people on the ship had retaliated against the pirates, and eight smugglers were killed. The rest were taken, hostages. Around an hour ago, they demanded ransom from our country. The news should be reporting about it soon.”
“This…. Qianqian should be on that ship.”
“Lots of cargo ships sailed around that area, and there’s not a lot of smuggling activities there. If the signal indicated Li Taibo was on the sea around that time, it might be the ship the pirates hijacked. I cannot confirm it, but you must be prepared.”
Dong Xuebing was in a daze when he hung up the phone.
Suddenly, Qu Yunxuan’s mother screamed. “Come and watch the news!”
Dong Xuebing, Xie Huilan, Qu Yunxuan, and the rest rushed to the living room.”
“At around 12.40 pm, a Chinese smuggling ship was hijacked by pirates off Fujian Province. The pirates killed seven crew in a shootout, and three men were taken hostage. The Pirates had demanded a ransom.”
The news confirmed what Sister Xu said.
Luan Xiaoping stood up. “Fujian Province’s smuggling ship?! Qianqian must be on that ship!”
Qu Yunxuan turned pale. “Seven men were killed, and only three survived. What about my daughter?!”
Qu Yunxuan’s mother took a deep breath. “Impossible. They must have hijacked another ship. Qianqian must be on another smuggling ship.”
Luan Xiaoping tried to comfort herself. “Yes…. My granddaughter is blessed. Nothing will happen to her.”
Everybody was upset and did not want to accept it.
Xie Huilan had not said anything since she called home. Suddenly, the fax machine on the table sounded. She went over quickly and pressed it. She seemed to be waiting to receive some important documents. After a while, a few pictures were printed. Her face was terrible when she looked at the pictures. She looked at the rest in the living room and passed the pictures to them.
Dong Xuebing asked. “What are these?”
“Just look at it first.” Xie Huilan said.
Everyone’s face changed when they saw the pictures.
These pictures were the pictures of the pirates and hostages. The Pirates pointed their guns at a few Chinese hostages bound by ropes. The background was a rundown hut with only a dirty table inside. The floor was covered with dirt and grass. These were not the reason why Dong Xuebing and the rest were shocked. A black man was holding a crying baby and looked like he was about to throw the baby on the grass.”
That baby was Dong Xuebing’s daughter!
Dong Xuebing was heartbroken. Qianqian was still wearing the same clothes. He was the one who changed her, and one of her shoes was missing. Her top was torn, and her face was dirty.
Qu Yunxuan cried. “Qianqian!”
Dong Xuebing was furious. “Huilan! Do the pirates capture Qianqian?”
Luan Xiaoping wiped her tears. “Why did this happen? Sob… sob…. Why?!”
Xie Huilan sighed. “I just found out after calling a friend in Central Government. He is in charge of such issues. When I heard a ship was hijacked off Fujian Province, I called him immediately. The pirates were demanding ransom and had sent pictures of the hostages over. I asked him to fax the pictures to me immediately. Qianqian is on that boat now. Including Qianqian, there are four hostages.”
Luan Xiaoping grabbed Xie Huilan’s hand. “Huilan, your family has a strong network and knows many higher-ups. Ask them to save Qianqian now.”
Qu Yunxuan’s father looked terrible. “That is a smuggling ship. Will the Government care?”
Qu Yunxuan’s mother cried. “I don’t care! My granddaughter is in those pirates’ hands! They must save her!”
Xie Huilan replied. “I contacted my family and am waiting for my father’s call. If Qianqian can survive for a while, she should be fine. There’s no problem with the ransom.”
Qu Yunxuan was holding back her tears. “What do you mean by for a while?”
Xie Huilan explained. “The last time pirates kidnapped Chinese crew, they released the hostages one year after the ransom was paid.”
“One year?!” Luan Xiaoping dropped onto the sofa.
They had heard about this incident and knew Xie Huilan was not lying.
Even if they paid the ransom, no one knew when Little Qianqian could come home.
One year?! How was Little Qianqian going to survive for one year? She is only three months old. The pirates are from impoverished countries, and the death toll from illness and diseases is ridiculously high. How can a baby survive there? They also can’t expect those ruthless pirates to care for her well. Without proper food, she will not even survive one month, let alone one year.
She would be dead if the pirates refused to release Qianqian after getting the ransom.
These pirates! Dong Xuebing punched the table.
Translator notes: Pirates? Lol…. The author’s imagination is out of this world.
Fujian
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian
