CHAPTER 327: CHAPTER 327 EXCHANGE

When the minute hand pointed to twelve and the hour hand to three, Xu Ke’s phone screen suddenly lit up. Before the phone alarm could sound, Xu Ke quickly pressed the answer button.

"Has your person arrived in Huangpu District?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, how do you want the items delivered?" Xu Ke’s voice remained flat, seemingly indifferent.

"Take pictures of the documents in your hands and text them to me. Once I confirm everything is real, I’ll tell you how to proceed with the exchange," the person on the other end replied, indifferent to Xu Ke’s cold tone.

Xu Ke hung up the phone and sent the photos as instructed. Upon receiving them, the kidnapper sent Xu Ke an address, but Xu Ke called right back.

"I’ve shown you what you wanted to see, you’ve verified the goods, but I haven’t seen Mengyao yet. Without seeing her in person, how can I be sure you really captured my wife and not someone else? Or that you haven’t captured anyone at all," Xu Ke’s voice transmitted through the phone, causing a brief pause on the other end.

"So what do you want?" the kidnapper asked after a brief silence.

"Video call. I need to see the hostage unharmed before I proceed with our agreed plan. Otherwise, forget it. What I have will never fall into your hands," Xu Ke replied coldly.

"A video call is out of the question, but we can let you hear your wife’s voice, or even see a video if you prefer," the leader calmly said.

The mechanical voice transmitted into Xu Ke’s mind through the receiver.

"You’d better decide quickly. I can’t guarantee we won’t do something to your wife if you hesitate any longer," the leader said, his eyes drifting to Lin Mengyao, who had just been gagged.

Though she performed well earlier, the leader took precautions to prevent Lin Mengyao from saying anything she shouldn’t.

"I want both. Let me speak to Yaoyao now. Let me say a few words to her," Xu Ke said, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

The phone was moved in front of Lin Mengyao, and the leader pressed the speakerphone button, crouching in front of her. "Know what to say and what not to say, or we’re not nice guys. We’ve spilled enough blood not to care about one more, got it?"

The phone between them dutifully transmitted the leader’s warning to Xu Ke’s ears.

Where Xu Ke couldn’t see, Lin Mengyao nodded, and the foul-smelling rag in her mouth was pulled out by the leader.

"Xu Ke." Lin Mengyao’s eyes instantly reddened, but she lowered her head, using her forehead to shield her expression from the leader’s view.

"Yaoyao, are you okay? Don’t worry, I’ll come to save you soon. Don’t be anxious or scared, I won’t let anything happen to you," Xu Ke’s voice remained as calm and steady as ever, calming Lin Mengyao’s anxious heart.

"Who asked you to help? I have nothing to do with you, no need for you to sacrifice yourself and act noble!" Lin Mengyao suddenly exploded, taking everyone by surprise. The leader reacted swiftly, cutting off the call before Xu Ke could hear everything she said.

A slap came without warning, landing on Lin Mengyao’s face. The leader grabbed her hair, forcing her to lock eyes with him. "I really underestimated you, little lady. Trying to mess with us with such words. Seems I was too gentle with you just now, made you forget your situation," the leader said, his voice dripping with menace as it squeezed through clenched teeth.

"What do you plan to do to me?" Lin Mengyao’s face bore a huge slap mark, which quickly swelled and reddened. Her scalp felt like it was being torn away, her graceful neck arched in pain. Yet Lin Mengyao stared defiantly at the masked man in front of her.

"Heh, of course, I’m going to teach you a lesson, show you what it means to behave," the leader rudely shoved Lin Mengyao’s head toward the ground.

Lin Mengyao gritted her teeth, refusing to make a sound, only letting out a few muffled groans when the pain became unbearable.

Before today, Lin Mengyao had never known what it felt like to have her head slammed against the ground, but now she did. It felt like her spirit and body were torn apart, her vision spinning wildly. Though she could hear voices around her, she could do nothing, like a machine with a malfunctioned central system.

"Boss, stop hitting her, she’ll die if you keep going," a subordinate pleaded, stepping in to stop the leader.

"No worries, I know my limits, she won’t die. I’ve never been screwed over by a woman before, can’t swallow this," the leader spat on the ground, glaring venomously at Lin Mengyao, whose eyes lost focus while lying on the ground.

Xu Ke, left hanging on the abruptly ended call, nearly lost his mind. The helplessness of knowing Lin Mengyao was in danger and being unable to do anything almost drove him insane. Soon, the specially bulletproof-treated car window bore bloody fist marks.

At that moment, Xu Ke’s phone rang again, "Negotiations on the video are off the table. That call should have convinced you that your wife is indeed in our hands. You have an hour to place the items at the address I gave you. If by then I don’t see what I want, or if my people are followed, I can’t guarantee your wife’s safety. I’m quite capable of dealing with a woman," the leader’s attitude had worsened considerably compared to earlier.

Xu Ke’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, blood seeping from his wound onto his black pants, blending in, "Don’t harm her. I’ll do as you say, but if anything happens to Yaoyao, I’ll make you all regret ever coming into this world."

This time, Xu Ke was the one who hung up first. The black sports car shot off like a black panther, leaving only exhaust fumes in its wake.

As Xu Ke raced through the streets of Huangpu District, Sheng Wenhao’s distinct ringtone sounded. Xu Ke immediately picked up the call.

"Xu Ke, I’ve found where your wife is being held. Do you want to come now? We’re in the East Suburb of Shangjing," Sheng Wenhao said, licking his dry lips.

Even as he called Xu Ke, Sheng Wenhao’s eyes never left the abandoned warehouse nearly a thousand meters away.

"Send me the exact address, I’m on my way now," Xu Ke immediately responded to Sheng Wenhao’s words. The black sports car came to a sudden halt, leaving a black skid mark on the road. Xu Ke’s body lurched forward from the inertia, but he didn’t care, his entire focus on the call with Sheng Wenhao.

Sheng Wenhao sent Xu Ke the location, then ended the call, shifting his gaze away from the now dark screen.

"How’s the observation going? Do you have a rescue plan?" Sheng Wenhao softly asked the security team leader beside him.

"We have a preliminary rescue plan, but I need to refine it with my team," the security team leader replied.