Chapter 140: Returning

Along the way, Zhang Junyi and Shu Miaoyan chatted and laughed, completely devoid of the aura of kidnap victims; they looked more like a young couple skipping along in high spirits.

Unexpectedly, a car slowly approached them.

The vehicle came to a sudden, screeching halt. The window rolled down, and a man peered out, looking them over. "Hey there, little ones, where are you from? Where are you headed? Let me see if I’m going your way so I can give you a lift. Did you run away from home?"

Shu Miaoyan turned to look. Seeing that the man was quite refined with a gentle, scholarly air, her guard dropped slightly, and she felt a sudden sense of trust. She nodded and asked, "Which direction are you heading?"

"I’m going into the city. Do you two live in the city or the countryside?" Zhang Hai’s eyes held a faint smile, though he sneered inwardly.

He had just been released from prison and had been wondering how to find work, never expecting to run into Shu Miaoyan on the road. He recognized her, but she did not recognize him.

"We’re going to the city, so that would be a help, but how do I know if you’re a good person or a bad one?" Shu Miaoyan looked at him with some wariness. Ever since her recent ordeal, she had become much more cautious than before.

Zhang Hai chuckled, patted his car, and said, "Do I look like someone who’s short on money? Only those who are desperate would do something wicked like that. Don’t worry, hop in. You can take down my license plate number, and if you have a phone, you can call home. Consider me doing a good deed by taking you back."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Junyi shook his head. He tugged at Shu Miaoyan’s sleeve and whispered in her ear, "I think we shouldn’t. It’s not that far anyway; we can just walk and consider it exercise. I have a bad feeling about this car."

He pointed to the trunk as he spoke. "Look, there’s some red stuff leaking out of the trunk. You don't think that's blood, do you?"

Zhang Hai heard him clearly. Although the boy had lowered his voice, they were very close. Zhang Hai sneered internally, patted the trunk, and said, "You’re talking about the trunk? I accidentally hit a rabbit on the road earlier. If you don't believe me, feel free to take a look. I was just about to take it home to cook."

With that, Zhang Hai let out a laugh.

Shu Miaoyan nodded, walked up to the trunk, and pressed down on it firmly. With a click, the trunk popped open.

However, neither Shu Miaoyan nor Zhang Junyi expected that while they were focused on seeing what was inside, Zhang Hai had quietly slipped out of the driver's seat and was standing right behind them.

As the trunk fully opened, a bloody, severed hand was revealed inside.

Startled, Shu Miaoyan and Zhang Junyi screamed and scrambled backward in terror.

But it was too late. Zhang Hai shoved them forcefully from behind, pushing both of them directly into the trunk.

"You little brats, did you really think you could stand up to me? I can do whatever I want with you. Now that I’ve stuffed you in, let’s see who can get you out." Zhang Hai chuckled again, slammed the trunk shut, and patted it.

He then hummed a tune, slowly climbed back into the car, his eyes filled with triumph.

Meanwhile, Shu Yiming’s men had searched far and wide, but had found absolutely no sign of them.

This time, Shu Yiming could no longer remain calm. Every factory was brought to a standstill, all available manpower was dispatched, and the police were even alerted.

Shu Yiming made a direct phone call to his superior.