CHAPTER 329: CHAPTER 329: WORTH IT

"Remove your belts, pair up, and tie each other up," the kidnapper said.

"Xu Ke!" Sheng Wenhao couldn’t stay calm upon hearing this command. Losing his phone and gun didn’t matter much, but losing his freedom of movement meant zero chance of turning the tables. How could he save anyone with his hands and feet tied? Wasn’t this just like meat on the chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered?

"What’s all the noise? Shut up, or I’ll shoot this woman!" the kidnapper said impatiently, pointing the gun at Lin Mengyao’s face.

"Do as he says." Xu Ke pressed down on Sheng Wenhao’s mouth, preventing him from speaking further, and then silently took off his own belt, tying Sheng Wenhao’s hands. With Xu Ke taking the lead, the others followed suit, tying up their partners. In no time, only two people remained untied: the somewhat frail-looking Xu Ke, and the visibly strong security guard.

"Tie me up," Xu Ke said, almost without hesitation, extending his hands.

"No, I can’t let him tie you. You go tie him up," the kidnapper quickly interjected as the security guard was about to take a belt from someone else’s waist to tie Xu Ke’s hands.

What a joke—a weakling and a muscled strongman. Even a fool should know to restrict the strong combatant’s movements and leave the obviously non-threatening one free.

"Just let him tie me," Xu Ke said, looking at the belt already around his wrists, as a fleeting glint of cunning flashed in his half-lowered eyes.

"Shut your mouths. Do what I say immediately. You don’t have the right to refuse! And if you keep babbling, I’ll cripple this woman’s tendons!" the kidnapper roared in Xu Ke’s direction with his gun in hand.

Xu Ke closed his mouth, showing a look of frustration, reluctantly took the belt from the kidnapper, and slowly fastened it around the security guard’s hands, tightening his fingers. No one knew how much excitement Xu Ke was hiding behind his seemingly frustrated facade.

If there’s such a fool, he wouldn’t mind a few more. Give him some time, and he was confident he could rescue everyone without harming Lin Mengyao. Xu Ke thought about it while tying up the last person.

"Big brother, could you loosen the rope on Yaoyao’s hands? If Yaoyao stays tied like this, she’ll go mad. She needs to paint with her hands, and she’s just a woman. She won’t do anything to you. Could you untie her hands, please?" Xu Ke said with a pained look, gazing at the swollen half of Lin Mengyao’s face and her hands likely turning purple behind her back.

"What did you just call me?" The kidnapper made a gesture as if digging his ear, tilting his head and speaking with a touch of smugness.

"Big brother," Xu Ke repeated without hesitation. "I beg you, her hands can’t be ruined."

"Ha, I never thought in my life I’d be called ’big brother’ by the head of the Xu Family. I’m really living it up. Say it again," the kidnapper said, coyly, like teasing a cat or dog, not mentioning anything about untying Lin Mengyao’s ropes.

Xu Ke showed a look of humiliation and shouted it again in front of the man.

The man laughed heartily at Xu Ke’s expression.

"Hahaha, say it again."

"Big brother."

"The rope on Yaoyao’s hands..." Xu Ke said again just as the man was laughing joyfully.

"Why do you have so many issues?" the man said impatiently, suddenly pointing the muzzle of his gun at Xu Ke’s face.

"Don’t you dare!" Sheng Wenhao, with his hands bound, looked at the gun in the man’s hand, his eyes almost bursting with anger.

"What won’t I dare? I’m a desperado. If you push me, I’ll kill you all and escape abroad. What can you do?" the man replied arrogantly.

"If you kill him, you won’t get on the plane. Without him, their family’s helicopter won’t let anyone onboard," Sheng Wenhao said, eyeing the man’s gun.

"If he dies, the entire Capital City will be in chaos. Once the authorities investigate, you won’t be able to escape from China’s territory," Sheng Wenhao continued, seeing the man hesitating to shoot.

"What you said reminded me—I can’t just leave China empty-handed. The Xu Family has plenty of money, right? If you transfer all your money to me, won’t I live without worries for the rest of my life?" the kidnapper said, eyes gleaming with greed, visible even through the black fabric covering his face.

"Transfer all the money to me, all of it, quickly!" the man demanded, pointing the gun at Xu Ke.

"I have too much money. The bank won’t handle a transfer of such a large amount in one go," Xu Ke said calmly.

"I don’t care about that. None of it concerns me. Just transfer all your money to me. If you don’t, I’ll harm her," the kidnapper threatened again, pointing his gun at Lin Mengyao, forcing Xu Ke to act according to his wishes.

"Alright, alright, don’t get agitated and don’t harm her. I’ll do it. Although one bank won’t handle it, I can transfer using several banks, that’ll do. But I need my phone to contact my butler, and I’ll need your account details," Xu Ke said, eyes wide with fear, as he looked at the kidnapper pointing a gun at Lin Mengyao.

Xu Ke’s compliance pleased the man, or perhaps it was Xu Ke’s panicked expression that made him happy. The kidnapper’s eyes were filled with undeniable smugness, even whistling to express his good mood.

Just as Xu Ke was about to retrieve his phone under the man’s direction, Lin Mengyao, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, "Xu Ke, is it worth it? Haven’t we already made it clear before? Why are you still doing so much for me?" Lin Mengyao’s voice was shaky and hoarse, and she raised her head for the first time, fully exposing her face to Xu Ke’s gaze, including the tears in her eyes.

"That’s only what you think, not me. You are my wife, and you always will be. Our family has no tradition of taking a second wife," Xu Ke said, looking into Lin Mengyao’s eyes with a determination both strong and gentle. "You ask if it’s worth it, I tell you, it is. Everything I’ve done for you is worth it. As long as you’re safe and happy, I’m willing to do anything."

"Clap clap clap!" The sound of applause suddenly erupted, shattering the atmosphere created by Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao.