Chapter 32. Part 3. You Are All Playing Me

Before the movie even finished, Ansel had slumped to one side, head tilted, and was fast asleep. Zhou Jinru draped a blanket over him and, by chance, noticed a crumpled ball of paper lying next to Ansel’s backpack. Out of curiosity, he picked it up and smoothed it out. The crumpled paper contained several exchanges, mostly regarding Ansel mentioning that Liang Chao had invited him out to a late-night movie and a midnight snack.

He figured this shouldn't count as prying into someone’s privacy; Ansel had already proactively told him what had happened. It also solved a mystery Zhou Jinru had been harboring: their communication was conducted through writing, likely because Liang Chao had asked Ansel for his contact information and been rejected, forcing him to resort to such measures.

Having eaten too many snacks, Zhou Jinru got up to get a glass of water. He thought about how Ch'en, upon leaving Rhodes Island and returning to Lungmen, had been promoted to Chief of the Lungmen Guard Department. She had even single-handedly cracked several major cases, becoming a figure who could shoulder great responsibility. In a mobile city as wealthy, free, and powerful as Lungmen, the population was naturally a mix of the good and the bad, and it was no small feat that she had achieved such a position.

But the problem Zhou Jinru now faced was dire: as a Doctor who had been reduced to his current state, how was he supposed to retrieve his lost Operators?

It was frustrating.

Gurgle.

Thump, thump, thump.

Another knock came at the door. Who was it this time? Could that infatuated Liang Chao have circled back to ask Ansel for more life advice?

Feeling a bit groggy and not thinking much of it, Zhou Jinru opened the door, intending to send Liang Chao away if it were him and tell him to wait until morning.

The door swung open, but there was no one there. Zhou Jinru scratched his head in confusion and stepped outside, assuming the person had left when no one answered. Little did he know that someone was lying in ambush by the wall. A black fabric bag was shoved over his head, and at the same time, something resembling a gun was pressed against his waist.

"Don't move! If you don't want to die, stay still!"

What the hell!

Blood instantly rushed to Zhou Jinru’s head. One moment he was in his room eating snacks and watching "Tales of the Lungmen Police," and the next, he was being bagged the moment he stepped out. Was this a movie?

He cautiously chose to comply with the kidnappers, letting them bind his hands without a fight. He wasn't an elite Operator with a shield value; at this range, taking a bullet might mean his journey through this world would end prematurely. This was no laughing matter.

"Move! Don't try anything funny!"

With his head covered by the black bag, Zhou Jinru couldn't see a thing. The footsteps sounded chaotic, meaning there were at least three kidnappers. How had they even managed to get into the Champs-Élysées Hotel?

According to Liang Chao, this grand hotel on Golden Peony Street in the heart of Lungmen was officially designated by the city for hosting foreign dignitaries. Although it was a hotel, it was fully equipped with everything: a small hospital, a cinema, bars, a gym, a shooting range, and even a fighting ring. If these kidnappers could get in here and hold him at gunpoint, had his identity been exposed? Did they know he was the Doctor from Rhodes Island?

Or was someone working against the Guard Department and using him as a bargaining chip?

Or perhaps this was all a setup, and Lungmen had lured him here to lock him away in secret?

Were you all working together to play me?

Zhou Jinru could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He was led down the stairs, nearly missing a step, but two people caught his arms and hoisted him up, carrying him all the way outdoors. Everything went as smoothly as a Hollywood crime thriller.

"Who's there?!"

Suddenly, someone in the distance shouted. The kidnapper beside him fired a shot immediately. The blast shattered the silence of the night, and the surrounding commotion grew louder. He was shoved into a car, with a captor on either side pinning him in the middle.

Strangely, no one asked who he was, nor did anyone talk about money. It didn't feel like a kidnapping, and it didn't feel like they were out for his life.

If it were an assassination, they would have shot him on the spot; there would be no need for this much trouble.

"Let's go!"

The car roared to life, the tires leaving black streaks on the pavement as it sped onto the wide road. The roar of the engine echoed far into the silent night.

...

Ansel was jolted awake by the gunshot. He had undergone training at Rhodes Island and could wake up quickly even from deep sleep. He saw Red step out of the room barefoot, glance around the living room, and then bolt toward the door.

By then, Ansel was fully awake and realized the Doctor wasn't in the room; only the characters on the TV were still reciting lines. He hurried to the door, only to find the hallway empty and Red nowhere to be seen.

Click.

The door next door opened, and a young Fortac stepped out, looking at him with a blank expression. "Miss, what happened?"

Ansel shook his head. He didn't know anything, but he had a bad feeling.

Red did not return, and Ansel searched every corner of their accommodation, but there was no sign of the Doctor. Realizing that he might be in deep trouble, he immediately dialed the Lungmen Police Department.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

A vague voice came through the receiver.

Ansel didn't dare hesitate and quickly recounted what had happened. Upon hearing his story, the person on the other end replied in a strange tone: "Sir, did I hear that correctly? You are staying in a VIP suite at the Champs-Élysées Hotel? That’s the most luxurious place in all of Lungmen, with the most complete facilities—a place a small fry like me wouldn't even dare to dream of. The security measures there are also top-notch; their firepower is twice as good as those arrogant inspectors at the Guard Department. Do you really think someone could abduct your companion from such a heavily guarded place?"

"I wish you a pleasant evening."

Click.

The call was disconnected.

Ansel stood there, bewildered, staring at the messy coffee table before him. He quickly dialed another emergency number.

...

The car drove for a distance and took two turns. Zhou Jinru’s heart settled; since he was already here, he might as well see what cards they were holding.

A blunt voice came from beside him: "Young Master Bison, I apologize. I’ve wronged you, heh heh heh."

So that was it. Zhou Jinru sighed inwardly. This was a scripted play. Otherwise, how could these people, with their limited firepower, have actually kidnapped him from the Champs-Élysées Hotel?

"The Master said that you are to go to Victoria to live for a while. Lungmen is too chaotic; you have to understand the Master's good intentions. He said that once the New Year arrives, he’ll head to Rim Billiton for the holiday, and you..."

The black bag was yanked off. The face that appeared before the kidnappers was not the Young Master Bison they knew, but a completely unfamiliar one!