Chapter Forty-Five: The Truth

After Zhang Can had rested for a while, he seized the moment and took a brief look through the window, but what appeared in his mind was nothing but a thick steel-reinforced security mesh, layered with heavy glass, and black curtains drawn tightly inside. His heart grew colder; even if he and Zhou Nan weren’t bound, there was no way to break through and escape. If he increased his strength, the noise would surely be heard in the living room, making any attempt to escape through the window nearly impossible.

In this small, enclosed room, Zhou Nan grew increasingly frightened. She was, after all, a young woman, and her courage paled in comparison to a man's. Eventually, she trembled so much her body shivered uncontrollably. Zhang Can slowly moved closer, pressing his body against hers for comfort.

The six men in the living room hadn’t left the house all day. The leader made phone calls every half hour, while the others spent their time eating, drinking, and watching TV, completely ignoring the two locked in the room. Occasionally, they opened the door to check on them.

As night fell and the temperature dropped, Zhou Nan, dressed thinly, shivered even more. Zhang Can couldn’t take off his own clothes, so he pressed closer to her, using his body heat to fend off the cold. Zhou Nan clung tightly to him in return.

When morning came, the leader made another phone call, his tone fiery and loud enough that Zhang Can and Zhou Nan could faintly hear him from inside the room. He stormed in, fixing Zhou Nan with a fierce glare for a long while, frightening both her and Zhang Can into silence.

Zhang Can knew that provoking the leader now would be disastrous. Usually, these criminals could control themselves before their plans were enacted. But once they crossed that line, under immense pressure, they’d lose their composure—any small trigger could lead to tragedy.

The leader glared at Zhou Nan for a long time before regaining his composure and leaving without a word. He didn’t close the door, called a few men outside, and soon the sound of a car engine started outside; minutes later, the car noise faded away.

It seemed they had left. Zhang Can quickly scanned the scene and found only two men remained, one of them armed.

A sudden urge to escape surged in Zhang Can’s heart, filling him with excitement. He nudged Zhou Nan, who only stared at him, uncertain of his intentions.

Zhang Can and Zhou Nan had been bound for a day and a night; their spirits were utterly depleted, especially Zhou Nan, whose face was pale and lips cracked, thirsting and exhausted.

Zhang Can winked at Zhou Nan, then rolled forcefully to the door and banged his head against the wooden surface. The two men in the hall looked over; Zhang Can grunted, his mouth gagged, unable to speak clearly.

The armed man cursed, “Damn it, do you want to die? If you keep making noise, I’ll blow your brains out!”

Zhang Can knew this was just his manner of speaking; it didn’t mean he’d shoot right away. This man was ruthless—he’d struck Zhang Can with a pistol butt yesterday—but he followed orders, and with the boss absent, he wouldn’t make such a decision himself.

Zhang Can grunted desperately. The man thought for a moment, then bent down and ripped off the tape covering Zhang Can’s mouth. Zhang Can gulped air, and once his breathing steadied, he pleaded, “Brother, look at my friend—she’s really unwell. How can a girl endure such torment? Please let her have some water, won’t you?”

The man glanced at Zhou Nan; she did look haggard, and for a moment he hesitated.

Zhang Can pressed on, “Brother, think about it. If your target is her, but something happens to her, how will you get your reward? You want money, right? Why hurt anyone? If things go wrong, it’ll be bad for everyone. Earning money—well, isn’t there a saying, money’s only useful if you’re alive? If you make a fortune but die before spending it, what’s the point?”

“Enough nonsense…” the man snapped, but still had the other bring in a glass of water.

But Zhou Nan was extremely weak, frightened after a sleepless, cold night, barely able to move her head. Of course, much of this was an act—when Zhang Can winked at her, she understood he had a plan, and though she didn’t know the details, she needed to cooperate.

Zhang Can urged, “She’s really too weak. Can you loosen the tape so she can recover a bit? Otherwise, it might turn dangerous. Besides, she’s a frail woman, you two strong men—what’s there to worry about?”

The man was fierce toward Zhang Can, but obviously kinder to Zhou Nan. He hesitated, then waved to his companion to untie her.

Zhang Can seized the chance, “Can I use the bathroom? It’s urgent!”

The man cursed, “Damn it, lazy beasts always need to pee. Even at death’s door, you still make trouble!” But with the boss gone and no order to kill Zhang Can yet, he couldn’t let him soil the room—otherwise, how could they keep Zhou Nan here?

“Give me the water!” the man demanded, then released Zhou Nan. The other man also removed the tape from Zhang Can’s hands and feet. Using the bathroom meant both needed to be free; if only his hands were untied, they’d have to carry him in, and if only his feet, then what—help him with his pants? Might as well cut it off entirely!

“Both of you, get out. No tricks. Move and I’ll shoot you dead!” The armed man drew his pistol and pointed it at Zhang Can, barking fiercely.

The other held a knife, guarding Zhang Can. He waited at the bathroom door and threatened, “Hurry up. If you try anything, I’ll cut it off and feed it to the dogs!”

The bathroom was sealed; escape was impossible. Zhang Can didn’t intend to flee from there, merely to gain freedom from his bonds. Opportunities must be taken when they arise; even if none present themselves, it’s still not a loss.

The television in the hall was on, the volume moderate, just as the news was being broadcast. Zhou Nan sipped water slowly; after a day and night bound, her circulation was poor, her limbs numb and weak. She could barely walk—genuinely so, not just an act.

Zhang Can freed his hands, washed up, then slowly emerged, pondering his next move. The man with the knife waved impatiently, “Hurry up!”

No opportunity to escape yet—not now, at least. Zhang Can wandered to the center of the living room, his mind racing, sweat beading on his brow. Suddenly, catching sight of the television, he pointed and shouted, “Look—look at the TV! Quick!”

The two men turned to the screen, confused. The news was showing the entire city of Jincheng under lockdown, checkpoints manned by armed police everywhere. The screen then shifted to the news anchor, whose words were clear enough for everyone in the room to hear: “The kidnappers have made only one call, demanding twenty million yuan in cash. No further contact. The phone used was an unregistered, temporary mobile card. Police investigation reveals that two people were kidnapped—a man and a woman. The man is a manager of an antique shop. The woman’s identity is unclear, but according to those who recognize her from photos, she is rumored to be the daughter of Jincheng’s Party Secretary Zhou Zheng. Whether this is true has yet to be confirmed, and the police refuse to disclose any information. The case is under intense investigation; this station will provide a dedicated follow-up…”

“Party Secretary?”

The two men were stunned, never imagining they had kidnapped the Party Secretary’s daughter. Uncertain, but doubt gnawed at their hearts.

Both turned to Zhou Nan, staring blankly. The armed man finally asked, “Are you really the Party Secretary’s daughter?”

Zhou Nan grunted, saying nothing, uncertain herself if their fear would drive them to kill her and Zhang Can to silence them.

At that moment, Zhang Can had an idea. He feigned indifference and spoke, “Let me tell you—from your actions yesterday to today, it’s clear you’re not the masterminds, just the ones carrying out the kidnapping. I don’t need to say much—you’re in the most danger, and your reward will be the least. The mastermind hasn’t told you the real situation, but I will. The young lady you’ve kidnapped is Zhou Nan, daughter of Secretary Zhou, the top official in Jincheng—a deputy provincial city. If you harm his daughter, you’ll spend the rest of your days in agony. If you kill her, you won’t escape, no matter how far you run. I guarantee your only way out is to let us go, then flee as far as you can. If Zhou Nan isn’t harmed, maybe the pursuit won’t be so relentless…”

“Damn it, we’ve been duped!”

The armed man’s face changed dramatically. This wasn’t just Zhang Can threatening them—his words carried that meaning, but the facts were undeniable. He wasn’t stupid; after years in the underworld, he knew some people and situations were untouchable. In a panic, he shoved his pistol into his waistband, grabbed the phone from the table, and dialed.

Once connected, he urgently said, “Boss? It’s me. Boss, we’ve been conned—badly. Do you know who we kidnapped? It’s Jincheng’s Party Secretary Zhou Zheng’s daughter! It’s true, Boss, we just saw it on the news. You must’ve seen it too—checkpoints everywhere. If she weren’t some big official’s daughter, how could there be such a commotion?”

Though the boss’s voice couldn’t be heard, the armed man’s expression showed he wasn’t pleased, and his face grew even more grim.

“All right, I understand…” The armed man nodded as he spoke, then turned to his companion. “Pack up. As soon as the boss returns, we’ll change locations!”

Both men were flustered, too busy to pay attention to Zhang Can and Zhou Nan. They had little fear of these two—they had knives and guns, and what threat could two unarmed people pose?

Zhang Can’s palms were slick with sweat. Seizing the moment, he grabbed a wooden chair and smashed it down on the armed man’s head. The chair cracked loudly, splintering into a dozen pieces.