Chapter 64: The Canary's Self-Cultivation (29)

Ling Qiong tossed aside the wooden stick, opened a bottle of water to wash her hands, and then idly patted her skirt as if to brush away dust that wasn’t there.

Shen Hanlan: “……”

I’m still tied up!

Ling Qiong finished tidying herself and seemed to remember there was someone else. She hurriedly let Shen Hanlan down.

Shen Hanlan rubbed her wrists, her gaze skeptical as she looked at Ling Qiong. “You’re quite a fighter.”

“Of course.” The girl raised her chin proudly, “I’ve had professional training.”

Shen Hanlan: “Which professional training teaches you to hit people on the head?”

Ling Qiong laughed it off. “Well, it’s quick, isn’t it? With so many of them, if I don’t deal with them fast, I’d be the one at a disadvantage.”

Shen Hanlan: “……”

Shen Hanlan rummaged through the boss’s pockets for a phone, first sending her location to Kelly.

The phone was new, all settings were factory defaults, the call log and messages completely blank.

“Did you find anything?” Ling Qiong, hands clasped behind her back, leaned over to look at the screen.

“Nothing.”

Ling Qiong hummed, “Quite cautious.”

She glanced sideways, a smile curling at her lips. “But aren’t there people we can ask?”

Shen Hanlan understood her implication.

But…

She’d knocked them all half-dead. Would they even wake to answer questions?

Ling Qiong told Shen Hanlan to drag the boss over.

Shen Hanlan: “Why me?”

Ling Qiong: “Should the young master let me do it? I’m your favorite golden canary, am I not? How can you tolerate me touching some filthy man, you…”

The words ‘filthy man’ made Shen Hanlan’s brow twitch. “Shut up.”

Shen Hanlan went over, dragged the boss, and tried to wake him.

The boss’s head throbbed dully—he clearly had no idea what had just happened.

It took a while for him to realize his predicament, his expression turning as sour as if he’d swallowed a fly.

“Who sent you to kidnap us?” Shen Hanlan stood before him, her cold gaze seeming to pierce right through.

The boss glared fiercely. “Pah.”

He hadn’t taken that delicate-looking girl seriously at all—someone like her, anyone could handle.

Who would’ve thought…

That little girl was such a good actress.

“You’re wasting your time. I won’t tell you anything.”

“Not even if it costs your life?” Ling Qiong poked her head from behind.

The boss gritted his teeth. “Not even then!”

“Wow!” Ling Qiong immediately urged Shen Hanlan, “Young master, how about we…”

The girl smiled sweetly, making a gesture.

The boss: “……”

Shen Hanlan: “……”

Such a cute girl—how is she so…

---

Kelly, anxious, rushed through the rain and into the abandoned building with the bodyguards.

“Young master!”

“Young master!!”

Kelly rounded the wall blocking his view and froze.

What kind of scene was this?

Wasn’t this supposed to be a kidnapping?

Who was actually kidnapped?

Now, it was the criminals who were tied up. Shen Hanlan stood with one hand in her pocket, and Ling Qiong sat with a small blanket, her posture perfectly prim.

Kelly felt the shock was a bit much—he needed a moment.

He took a deep breath. “Young master, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s good, you scared me to death. Young master, what happened? What did these people want?”

Who knew why, he’d just gone to start the car, and when he came back, everyone was gone…

Shen Hanlan: “Let’s head back first.”

“Oh, oh, alright…”

“Let’s go,” Shen Hanlan called to Ling Qiong.

The latter reached out, her voice soft and gentle. “Carry me.”

Shen Hanlan: “……” Carry you? Seriously!

Shen Hanlan suppressed her irritation and went over to pick her up.

Kelly pretended not to see anything; the others looked everywhere but at them.

Once Shen Hanlan had walked a few meters, Kelly instructed the bodyguards, “Take these men away as well.”

---

Shen Hanlan didn’t return to the villa, but went instead to another apartment.

Kelly seemed quite familiar with the place and quickly settled everything.

“Go get some sleep.”

“I’m not tired.” Ling Qiong curled up on the sofa.

Shen Hanlan glanced at her but didn’t insist; instead, she had Kelly fetch a blanket for her.

Shen Hanlan and Kelly discussed what had happened.

Those people were sent by Zhou Jing.

Of course, their goal wasn’t to kill him, but to ensure he had an ‘accident’—left as a vegetable or a fool.

That way, some people in the company would give up the idea that he could shoulder great responsibility, and wouldn’t side with Zhou Jing.

If he died, the company’s assets would be donated away, so Zhou Jing could better control the company.

Shen Hanlan suspected Zhou Jing’s plan was to gradually transfer the assets, leaving an empty shell in the end.

“Why did Zhou Jing suddenly do this?” Kelly was puzzled.

As a spy, he hadn’t received any intel.

Had he been exposed?

Spy Kelly found it unlikely—his undercover work had been flawless.

---

“Obviously, the fewer people who know about this, the better,” Ling Qiong interjected. “If the young master disappears, you’d be the first to be questioned. If you slip up even a little, it’s all over. Of course they’d keep you in the dark.”

Kelly nodded. “Makes sense… So, young master, what are you planning to do?”

Ling Qiong instantly raised her hand. “First, get the money.”

Shen Hanlan: “……”

Kelly: “……”

Ling Qiong meekly withdrew her hand, hugging a cushion. “If it’s free, why not take it?” Money delivered by NPCs—how could she refuse?

Without money, how could she spend for you?

How could you live the good life?

I’m doing this for you!

The little one simply didn’t understand the hardships of life.

Shen Hanlan pulled out a card and handed it to her. “There’s enough money in here for you for a while. You must stay out of this matter.”

Ling Qiong blinked her eyes, smiling brightly as she took it. “Thank you, young master.”

Shen Hanlan: “……”

So easy to please.

Utterly shallow.

---

Shen Hanlan’s kidnapping had already made the news.

Because Zhou Jing had called the police.

Kelly was summoned for questioning—so many eyes watching, he couldn’t keep in touch with Shen Hanlan.

Zhou Jing played the concerned stepmother to perfection, not even showing up at the company.

The day after Shen Hanlan was kidnapped, Zhou Jing received a call demanding she prepare ten million in ransom.

Zhou Jing frowned, but with so many people present, she quickly performed, declaring she’d pay any amount, just not to harm Shen Hanlan.

She hung up, then went to the study to prepare the funds.

“What’s going on?” Zhou Jing dialed a number in the study and questioned directly. “We agreed on three million—why is it suddenly ten million?”

The deal was three million; they’d take the money and leave.

And Shen Hanlan was supposed to be rendered useless.

“We never agreed to any police involvement…” The voice on the other end was low and angry.

Zhou Jing hadn’t wanted to call the police, but when Kelly came to her, a board member happened to be present. Kelly was anxious and blurted out that Shen Hanlan had gone missing.

The news spread instantly among the company’s upper management.

What else could she do but call the police?

“Ten million, or I’ll expose everything you’ve done.”

Beep—beep—beep—

The line went dead.

——Little Theater——

Fairy Girl: If you don’t vote, I’ll expose everything you’ve done!