Summer Kiss

Chapter 166 The Kidnapper's Identity

The man lifted Jiang Yuning's chin with his hand, his slender fingers caressing her jawline.

His eyes were sinister and ruthless, radiating a suffocating aura of terror.

"When Fu Xicheng arrives, I'll deal with him first, and then I'll deal with you. I'll send you two to the underworld as a pair of star-crossed lovers."

Jiang Yuning was filled with doubt: "???"

He was Fu Xicheng's enemy, so why would he want to kill her too?

Jiang Yuning felt increasingly uneasy; the man before her harbored intense hostility towards her.

She didn't know what conspiracy the man was plotting, but her intuition told her that he seemed willing to risk his life to kill them.

She asked cautiously, "If I break up with Fu Xicheng, will you let me go?"

The man stopped sharpening his knife and began brandishing the sharp dagger at Jiang Yuning.

His sneer was laced with contempt. "What do you think? You two caused my family to be ruined and my life destroyed. Do you still have the nerve to come here and beg me to let you go?"

Jiang Yuning was utterly shocked. When did she cause his family's ruin? How come she didn't know?
“I don’t know you at all, and I have never done any of the things you’re talking about.”

The man remained unmoved; his gaze was as sharp as a knife.

“I said you did it, so you did it. Don’t try to play any tricks on me. If you weren’t useful, I would have already plunged the dagger into your chest.”

Jiang Yuning felt wronged; she hadn't done anything, yet this man had forced her to take the blame.

She was unconvinced and said firmly, "Even if I die, I must die knowing why. I believe I have not done anything illegal. If I have, you can call the police and have them arrest me."

Shi Tianyi curled his lips coldly, his eyes devoid of any smile.

"Your boyfriend caused Shijiu Group to go bankrupt, and you are also indirectly responsible for Shijiu's death."

Jiang Yuning stared at the man in front of her. She only knew that Shijiu Group had a rich young lady named Shijiu, and had no idea that Shijiu had other brothers and sisters.

She told them what she knew.

"Shi Jiu was killed by someone sent by Fu Tian. If you want revenge, you can go find Fu Tian."

Shi Tianyi retorted, "Then what about Shijiu Group? Are you sure your boyfriend wasn't involved? If it weren't for your rampage, I could have inherited Shijiu Group next year."

Jiang Yuning's gaze was fixed on the man; she seemed to have guessed his identity.

She argued forcefully, "If Shijiu Group operates with integrity, even if Fu Xicheng intervenes, he will not be able to shake the entire company."

Shi Tianyi didn't want to continue arguing with Jiang Yuning, so he angrily retorted, "Enough, I don't want to hear your useless nonsense."

He resealed Jiang Yuning's mouth with the tape.

"Once Fu Xicheng appears, I'll let you all have a proper reunion."

Shi Tianyi took out his phone from his pocket and dialed Fu Xicheng's number.

Fu Xicheng saw an unfamiliar phone number displayed on the screen, and he guessed that the kidnapper might have changed his phone number.

He didn't dare hesitate and answered the call immediately.

Shi Tianyi's voice was hoarse, and he spoke very quickly, "I've suddenly changed my mind. Tonight at 11 o'clock, have your money ready and come alone."

Before Fu Xicheng could even speak, the other party hung up the phone.

Xu Yansheng shook his head at him, "The call was too short to pinpoint his location."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Fu Xicheng's phone received a multimedia message.

A photo of Jiang Yuning being kidnapped appeared on the phone screen. The kidnapper seemed to pay great attention to detail; he cropped the image, leaving only a close-up of Jiang Yuning's face.

When Fu Xicheng saw Jiang Yuning's face, his anger flared instantly. He clenched his fists and slammed them angrily on the table.

Xu Yansheng walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Didn't you say the transaction would take place at 11 p.m.? Don't worry, he'll definitely call again."

A flash of crimson crossed Fu Xicheng's eyes as he struggled to control his emotions.

At this point, if he panics, problems are very likely to arise.

"Where did the people sent out go to conduct searches?"

Xu Yansheng recounted the locations that had been searched, and said helplessly, "No progress whatsoever."

Fu Xicheng looked at Xu Yansheng, his voice firm, "We can't just sit here and wait to die; we must take action immediately."

Xu Yansheng frowned, clearly aware of the urgency of the situation.

He suggested, "Should we call the police?"

Fu Xicheng nodded, examining the photo repeatedly, hoping to find a clue.

Just then, a sudden ringing of a bell interrupted their thoughts.

Xu Yansheng quickly walked to a computer and his fingers flew across the keyboard.

"Don't answer yet, I'll locate it right away."

Fu Xicheng waved his hand. "It's Lu Zhiqian on the phone."

Xu Yansheng paused in his movements, stood up, and leaned against the table.

Fu Xicheng answered the phone.

Lu Zhiqian's voice reached my ears.

"Fu Xicheng, you were the one who introduced Yuecheng Company to Jiang Yuning, right? Just now, their company's representative asked to cancel the contract. What exactly happened?"

Fu Xicheng recalled the phone call Lin Yuecheng had made to him. Did she cancel the cooperation just because he hadn't lent Xu Yansheng to her?

He doesn't have time to deal with this right now. He'll settle accounts with Lin Yuecheng after he's finished dealing with Jiang Yuning's matter.

"You know, women are petty. I don't have time to deal with Lin Yuecheng right now. You can handle this yourself."

Lu Zhiqian asked in surprise, "What happened? I feel like your tone is a bit off."

Fu Xicheng looked terrible, his face full of worry. "Ningning was kidnapped in the capital and her whereabouts are still unknown. I have sent people to search some abandoned places in the suburbs, but so far we have found nothing."

Lu Zhiqian pondered for a moment, thinking about what Fu Xicheng had just said.

"Don't limit yourself to these places. Kyoto is such a large area, there must be other places where people can hide. Think carefully about whether there are any places you have overlooked."

Fu Xicheng had thought of everything he could think of, but he was now in a terrible headache and had no idea what to do.

He was depressed and sighed repeatedly, "I really can't think of anything else."

Lu Zhiqian believes that Fu Xicheng, being caught up in the situation, may not see things clearly.

He suggested, "If you were a kidnapper, think about where you would hide. This place is inconspicuous and easy to escape from. You know Kyoto better than I do. Think about whether there is such a place in Kyoto."

A place where you can escape, and also in an unexpected way?
Fu Xicheng closed his eyes, and a map of the layout of various places in the capital appeared in his mind.

Suddenly, a place came to mind, a place he didn't seem to have searched.

"Lu Zhiqian, thanks. I think I have a new idea."