Chapter 323: Chapter 323

Zheng Yun had just stepped out when she was bagged with a black sack; her world turned instantly dark, unable to see anything, helplessly dragged forward by these brawny men without a hint of gentleness.

The darkness and her stumbling heightened Zheng Yun’s fear; she wanted to ask what was happening but couldn’t utter a word.

Xiao Bai paced the room restlessly, having walked dozens of rounds already, occasionally glancing at the composed Jiang Kechu beside him, who was flipping a lighter over and over. The hand holding the lighter showed bulging veins, revealing an agitated state of mind.

"When will they get here?" Xiao Bai asked this for the tenth time.

The moment the words fell, the sound of footsteps came from outside, followed by the door next door being opened.

Xiao Bai quickly went over to a hidden window to peer through it, seeing Chen Ke and three other big men bringing Zheng Yun in with a black sack over her head.

The next second, Chen Ke lifted the bag off with a swift motion, kicking Zheng Yun down to the floor.

As her eyes suddenly met with light again, Zheng Yun recoiled in panic and, upon adjusting to the brightness, discovered herself in a desolate room. At the top of one of the walls was a tiny window; besides her, three menacing-looking big men stood in the room.

"Wh-wh-wh..." She tried to speak but could only make mute-like sounds.

Chen Ke winked at one of the big men beside him, who then approached Zheng Yun, frightening her into shrinking back, her cries growing louder.

The big man disregarded her attempts to escape and yanked her hair, forcibly tilting her chin upward.

Zheng Yun immediately felt a sour pain next to her mouth, afraid to complain she endured the pain and asked persistently, "Who are you? Why have you kidnapped me?"

Chen Ke just watched her coldly, silent.

The room was momentarily filled only with Zheng Yun’s trembling voice, the atmosphere growing tenser and more terrifying.

Finally, Zheng Yun could no longer hold back and burst into tears: "Please let me go, I have money; I can pay you, please I beg you, let me go. I was wrong. Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do it."

Xiao Bai scoffed to himself, thinking her courage was so lacking despite being involved in a kidnapping. He questioned whether Jiang Kechu had made a mistake. He turned his head and saw Jiang Kechu still sitting emotionless and unresponsive, seemingly having full trust in Chen Ke.

Any sound made in the next room could be heard crystal clear in this one.

Chen Ke stepped forward, placing his foot on Zheng Yun’s right ankle.

"Ah!" Zheng Yun screamed in pain and fear.

"Tell me honestly what you did yesterday," Chen Ke’s bone-chilling voice rang in Zheng Yun’s ears, paralyzing her like a thunderclap, cutting her scream off abruptly.

Zheng Yun soon recovered, the last bit of her courage pushing her to confess eagerly:

"I’ll talk, I’ll talk, yesterday morning... I slept until nine before I woke up, had a small quarrel at home with my mom... Felt upset, so... I went to Guangmao Mall, had a cup of coffee to feel better, then bought a cake, went back home... made up with my mom, and then stayed at home all afternoon, didn’t go anywhere. Everything I’m saying is true, really, you can check."

After speaking, Zheng Yun shook like a leaf, staring at Chen Ke with eyes full of urgency and fear, pleading for belief.

Chen Ke still expressionless, just coldly locked eyes with her. Their gaze held an inescapable oppression, enough to drive one to the edge of nerve breakdown.

But in just a few seconds, Zheng Yun lost her composure; she lowered her head, no longer daring to meet Chen Ke’s eyes.

The next second, a piercing pain shot through her ankle.

Zheng Yun screamed again, frantically crawling on the ground, trying to wriggle her ankle free from Chen Ke’s foot, only to find that the more she moved, the more intensely her ankle throbbed with pain.

Zheng Yun trembled and immediately fell silent, desperately controlling her throat to not make the slightest noise, just panting non-stop and looking at Chen Ke with horror.

"Give you one more chance, say it again," Chen Ke’s gaze and voice turned icy and ruthlessly sharp.

Zheng Yun’s last bit of courage finally shattered, and she pleaded pitifully: "I’ll say it, I’ll say, I met Wan Chu’er at the Guangmao Café, and I made a phone call, telling them Wan Chu’er’s location."

In the next room, Xiao Bai clenched his teeth with rage.

It’s true what they say about a woman’s venomous heart! He wished he could carve up Zheng Yun, who was lying there like a lump of mud.

Jiang Kechu’s fist clenched tighter, and his eyes grew colder. He spoke into the Bluetooth headset in a low voice, "Break one of her legs," then got up and left the room. Xiao Bai, with a solemn face, immediately followed him, and soon after they left, yet another blood-curdling scream from Zheng Yun could be heard.

They waited in the car outside for a while, and then Chen Ke came out.

Jiang Kechu calmly ordered Chen Ke: "Go catch that criminal."

Xiao Bai raised an eyebrow and asked: "Where to next? Aren’t you going after the criminal? Chuchu is likely in his hands."

Jiang Kechu gestured for Chen Ke to leave first, and only after Chen Ke had walked some distance away, Jiang Kechu said, "The person who kidnapped Chuchu is not simple. I don’t think it’s something a recently released convict could do, so I’m going back to the crime scene to look it over again."

Xiao Bai snorted coldly, finding Jiang Kechu somewhat ridiculous and said, "Then I’ll go with your man to chase down that criminal."

Zheng Yun had already confessed to paying for the kidnapping, and the time and place matched up. Now Jiang Kechu was casting doubt, which Xiao Bai couldn’t comprehend. But since everyone has their own expertise, and Jiang Kechu wanted to investigate something else, he wouldn’t stop him.

"Alright." Jiang Kechu simply agreed, gave Chen Ke a few instructions, and then sped off with a press of the gas pedal.

He first visited the small road where yesterday’s incident happened, carefully checking all the traces once again, then drove to the Northern Suburb where Wan Chu’er’s phone and bag had been found, and finally, to the burnt-out van site in the Southern Suburb.

After making these rounds, he drove back to the Northern Suburb, made calls to Chen Ke and the old master, and headed north in pursuit.

Three hours later, Chen Ke, with Xiao Bai, found their man in a dilapidated mud hut in a rural area a hundred kilometers from Beijing.

The man was already breathless.

Chen Ke examined the body and said indifferently, "He’s dead, for at least ten hours or more."

It was evident that this man had been used as a scapegoat, made to take the fall for someone else.

Xiao Bai let out a low growl and ran out.

Could it be that the trail ended here?

Chen Ke carefully examined the surroundings, collected some evidence, and had the evidence taken back to Beijing with Xiao Bai, while he himself chased after Jiang Kechu to the north.