The next morning, Jian Jing went to Second Sister Si's house and chatted privately with her for a while.
Second Sister Si's face was pale, with dark circles around her eyes. Her eyeballs were covered in red veins, looking as if she hadn't slept well all night. Even her voice was much hoarser, no longer as tough as yesterday: "Miss Jian, please tell me the truth, will he hurt Cong Cong?"
"The probability is low," Jian Jing analyzed. "Yesterday when he knew you called the police, he only starved Cong Cong instead of immediately taking action. Before achieving his goal, he probably won't tear up the deal."
Second Sister Si was visibly relieved. She didn't actually fully believe Jian Jing's judgment, but needed someone to keep emphasizing this for her heart to stop twisting into a clump and struggling to breathe.
"So we should keep waiting? We can't find someone directly?" She asked full of hope, "I heard from Yingjie that you helped Fang Liming find his kidnapped son before. Can you also directly find where Cong Cong is?"
Jian Jing shook her head.
When Boss Fang's son was kidnapped last time, first, it was done in a hurry, leaving many clues behind. Second, the two kidnappers weren't professionals, full of mistakes and oversights, so she just got lucky and caught them red-handed.
But the one who kidnapped Cong Cong was crafty and cautious, without any flaws so far. Other than fight back when attacked, there was no other way.
Disappointment was written all over Second Sister Si's face.
"Sis, no news is good news right now," Si Yingjie comforted. "Let's eat breakfast first. You barely ate anything yesterday. If you don't eat again today, you really won't be able to carry on."
Second Sister Si gave a bitter laugh. "Your uncle always complained that your dad was spoiled by his parents since he was little, hard to deal with during meals. I almost got mad at him for being so picky about food. Now I wish I didn't restrict him so much. If only I knew earlier..."
Her voice was choked with sobs.
Si Yingjie hurried to comfort her.
Jian Jing tactfully exited. She encountered Yuan Nanny head-on. Yuan brought Jian Jing a plate of freshly cut fruits, hesitating over whether to speak.
"What's the matter?" Jian Jing asked curiously.
Yuan Nanny asked, "When will Cong Cong come back?"
Jian Jing shook her head and said, "Aren't you guys on vacation now? Why are you still here?"
"Oh dear," Yuan Nanny gave a wry smile. "I just can't stop worrying about Cong Cong. Although the child was a bit mischievous, after all, I took care of him for so many years. Now like this..."
She was visibly worried. "Who could hold a grudge against a child? Dear me."
"I also find it strange," Jian Jing pretended to be puzzled. "Money isn't a big deal after all. Just hope he doesn't tear up the deal. I heard Cong Cong is the only child. This family would be too pitiful if anything happened to him."
The nanny deeply agreed. "It took them seven or eight years to have him. Don't know what they'll do if they really lose him."
Jian Jing was curious. "How did this happen?"
The nanny lowered her voice and revealed gossip. "I heard it was a physical problem. They did IVF."
"The father or the mother?"
"You wouldn't know about this," the nanny spoke matter-of-factly. "It was the mother's problem. They divorced long ago. Must be the father who insisted on doing IVF."
Jian Jing: "That makes sense."
This could explain why the father doted on the child so much while the mother was stricter.
"Jingjing!" Si Yingjie ran downstairs quickly and waved to her. "Phone call."
Jian Jing immediately let go of her thoughts and leapt up the stairs in a flash.
Si Yingjie only felt a shadow flash across his eyes. In a blink, she was already in the living room upstairs.
Only when Jian Jing arrived did Second Sister Si nervously pick up the phone.
Kidnapper: "Got the stuff ready?"
"It's too rushed to take out so much. Around 100 million worth of diamonds plus wire transfer, okay? We won't shortchange you one cent. Don't hurt Cong Cong. Let me hear his voice." She glanced at Jian Jing, sincere emotions flowing out. "Let him say something to me. What can a photo prove?" Her tears as a mother were almost instantaneous. "I want to hear him call me! If you don't let me talk to him, I won't give you a single cent. Who knows if he's even...even..."
Her voice was already choked with sobs.
The kidnapper was silent for a while, then flatly said, "You think I don't know wire transfer will leave a paper trail for you to track me down? No way it'll be that easy."
Second Sister Si tried hard to explain, "It's really impossible. Ask anyone in the industry. What family has this much inventory on hand? The next batch from Botswana won't arrive for another month."
The kidnapper paused, then compromised, "No diamonds, gemstones will do too. A wealthy madam like you must have some valuable jewelry, right?"
Second Sister Si looked to Jian Jing.
Jian Jing wrote a few lines on paper.
"If it's jewelry..." Second Sister Si carefully said, "How about antiques? I have a Southern Song dynasty painting bought for over 90 million. It must be worth over 100 million now. One of a kind."
The kidnapper coldly said, "Antiques are all unique. Too eye-catching. Let me repeat myself one last time. I only want jewelry, gemstones, pearls, jade. All fine. Madam Si, I've already been very lenient with you. Don't make me cut off your son's ear before you can take out the ransom."
Second Sister Si's breath hitched.
After a while, she finally said, "I'll try my best...please let me hear my child's voice...I'm begging you."
The other end of the call was quiet for several seconds, before the kidnapper finally compromised.
Soft footsteps, the squeak of a door opening, followed by Cong Cong's heart-wrenching wails. "Wah--" His crying voice was hoarse, vocal cords dry and harsh, clearly from crying too much.
Second Sister Si was desperate to speak, heart nearly jumping out of her throat before her words, "Baby? Cong Cong, can you hear mommy's voice?"
"Mommy--" Cong Cong hiccupped from crying so hard, "I don't want to stay here, I, I'll be good--"
Second Sister Si forcefully held back her grief, comforting him, "Mommy will come get you very soon. Listen, listen to uncle."
Cong Cong: "Mm, I--I will listen--"
Snap. The call abruptly ended.
Second Sister Si looked around in panic, "What happened? Bad signal?"
Jian Jing shook her head. "He got suspicious."
"What do we do now?"
Jian Jing asked back instead of answering, "Any texts?"
Second Sister Si looked down and indeed there was a new message: [Be at the People's Park at 2pm today with the stuff ready, only one person can come. If anyone comes with you, the deal is cancelled immediately.]
And another: [Your son still hasn't eaten today.]
She immediately called her brother-in-law and told him about today's contact.
The brother-in-law was also very anxious, "The goods are ready. I'll head back right away and we can discuss more."
Second Sister Si could no longer speak. She arduously responded in acknowledgement, phone in hand, looking around blankly.
Si Yingjie asked, "Jingjing, what's next?"
"Make the exchange." Jian Jing answered without hesitation. "You go."
Si Yingjie was baffled. "Me go?"
She nodded.
But Second Sister Si said, "No, I'll go. I'll go in person."
"You can't," Jian Jing vetoed. "You're not in the right state of mind. If the kidnapper threatens you, can you guarantee you'll make rational choices?"
"Rational? Of course I can't be rational," Second Sister Si suddenly stood up in hysterics. "My son could be in danger any time. How can I be rational? I don't want to be rational. I just want my son back safe and sound."
"He won't hurt your son for now. That's his trump card," Jian Jing said.
"What do you mean?"
"Why is he starving Cong Cong? Just to threaten you? Anyone knows not eating for two or three days won't kill you," Jian Jing calmly analyzed. "But after some time, who knows. As long as no one knows where the child is, he can keep bargaining with you."
Si Yingjie understood, "You mean he wants to drag this out so we don't dare get the police to catch him?"
"Yes, it's a delay tactic. If the child was injured and could die any time, the parents might go all in to catch him first then interrogate. But if it's just starvation without immediate danger, you wouldn't dare take the risk."
Second Sister Si slowly nodded, finally calming down, "You're right."
Soon, the brother-in-law rushed back, holding a security box. Inside were dozens of diamonds large and small. The big ones were 5 or 6 carats, the small only 2 or 3 carats. They weren't cut yet so the brilliance wasn't high.
Second Sister Si said, "I'll have Yingjie go to the bank to get the gems. He'll make the exchange later."
"Or I should go," the brother-in-law said. "I'll go in person, avoid the kidnapper getting suspicious."
That was also reasonable. She looked to Jian Jing, seemingly seeking counsel.
Jian Jing said, "There is no need to argue. I feel the People's Park is just a decoy. Given the professionalism of the kidnappers, it is impossible for them to reveal the real location outright."
"Are you saying they might switch locations midway?" Sister's husband asked.
She said, "It's very likely. They may jerk you around for a long time. Both of you are not in good condition, and the kidnappers only asked for one person to go. If anything unexpected happens along the way, it's prone to accidents."
Sister's husband hesitated, "It's not that I don't trust Yingjie, but that's still my son after all. I want to go personally. Otherwise, asking me to wait idly here, I really..." He smiled wryly, "I really can't stay put."
Since the father said so, Jian Jing could not say much more, and nodded in agreement.
After a hasty lunch, at 1 pm in the afternoon, Jian Jing informed everyone, "I'm going to the People's Park to see if I can help later."
Si Yingjie said, "I'll go with you."
"You stay home with Sister's husband and wait for any news. Contact me anytime." Jian Jing rejected him and left alone.
At 1:30 in the afternoon, Sister's husband also set off.
He wore a microphone and locator, put a signal transmitter in the safe box, and slowly drove towards the People's Park.
At 1:50, he arrived at the parking lot to wait for the next instruction.
Right on time at 2 o'clock, the phone rang.
"Hello?"
He picked up nervously.
The kidnapper got straight to the point, "Come to the bridge over the central lake in the park alone. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
Sister's husband immediately got out of the car, holding the box, and hurried to the designated location.
It was now the scorching summer. The park was rarely visited during the day. As he walked along the path, he hardly encountered anyone. When he arrived at the bridge and looked around, there was only the buzzing of cicadas. He couldn't see anyone to make the exchange with at all.
The phone rang.
"Are you there?"
"I'm here, I'm here." Sister's husband wiped his sweat.
"You are very cooperative." The kidnapper's tone eased up. "Now, walk forward, turn left, and under the second row of seats on the right, there is a box. Take it out."
Sister's husband did as he was told. He fished out a box about the size of a palm from under the seat.
"Open the box and put the diamonds in."
Sister's husband couldn't help but look around, but found nothing. He had no choice but to do as told, opened the safe box he brought, and poured in the prepared jewelry.
"Put your box in and take mine."
Sister's husband swapped the two boxes.
"In half an hour, deliver the box to Cherry Blossom Avenue. When you get there, I'll tell you what to do."
The phone hung up.
Sister's husband hurried back to the parking lot and called his wife to update her on the progress.
"I heard everything," said Second Sister Si, clasping her hands. "Seeing there's no police, he should feel more at ease. Maybe after handing over the money this time, Cong Cong can come back."
Sister's husband heaved a sigh, "Alright, I'm going over now. Any news from Ms. Jian?"
"She just called us saying she found traces of suspicious figures and plans to tail them. Should I notify her to go to Cherry Blossom Avenue?" Second Sister Si relayed.
After thinking about it, Sister's husband said, "Forget it, let her keep following. What if she can find the place?"
"You're right," said Second Sister Si.
