The president's wife wants to run away

Chapter 13: Almost Despair

The blinding sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains. I tried hard to open my eyes, but found that my eyelids were as heavy as if they were filled with lead. In a daze, I heard Zhong Yuxuan's low voice, with a hint of fatigue and despair that was difficult to conceal.

"I promised you that I would protect you and prevent you from getting hurt again, but I..."

His intermittent words were like needles piercing my heart. I wanted to ask what happened, but I couldn't make a sound.

"Luo Xue, if...if one day, I have to make a choice, will you blame me?"

His voice became lower and lower, as if he was talking to himself, or as if he was asking me a question. I was filled with doubt and uneasiness, and tried to see his expression, but to no avail. He seemed to sense my struggle, patted my hand gently, and turned to leave the ward.

After he left, I lay in bed, his last words echoing in my mind, and a strong sense of uneasiness surged in my heart. What kind of thing had he encountered that made him so embarrassed?

The next morning, Qin Xue rushed into the ward in a panic. Her face was pale and her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had cried all night.

"Luo Xue, Uncle Zhong...he is missing..." Qin Xue said intermittently, her voice full of fear and worry.

I suddenly felt dizzy, as if the whole world collapsed at that moment. Uncle Zhong was missing? How could this happen?

"Last night, Uncle Zhong suddenly lost contact on his way home from get off work..." Qin Xue choked up and said, "This morning, Zhong Yuxuan received a strange call. The caller said... that Uncle Zhong was in their hands and asked him not to interfere in your affairs, otherwise..."

Qin Xue didn't say anything more, but I already understood what she meant. Uncle Zhong was kidnapped, and the kidnapper's target was me!

My heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and I could hardly breathe. What did I do wrong to make Uncle Zhong suffer like this because of me?

I suppressed the grief and fear in my heart, grabbed Qin Xue's hand, and asked in a trembling voice: "Then...what about Zhong Yuxuan? How is he now?"

"He...he has been trying to find a solution. He has already called the police and mobilized all his connections to find Uncle Zhong's whereabouts..." Qin Xue said, tears welling up in her eyes again, "But the other party has not contacted him again, and we don't know how Uncle Zhong is doing now..."

My heart sank to the bottom, and everything was dark before my eyes. Zhong Yuxuan, he must be more miserable and desperate than me right now, right? Not only did he have to deal with the blow of his father's disappearance, he also had to endure tremendous pressure and threats, and I couldn't help him at all...

I closed my eyes and let the tears flow freely. I wished that this was just a nightmare and that everything would return to normal once I woke up. However, I knew that this was not a dream, but a cruel reality.

What should I do? How can I help Zhong Yuxuan and rescue Uncle Zhong?

Qin Xue's words were like a flash of lightning, splitting the darkness before my eyes and illuminating a glimmer of hope in my heart. Yes, I can't just sit there and wait for death. I will do my best to help Zhong Yuxuan and rescue Uncle Zhong!

"Qin Xue, let's work together to find a solution. There must be one!" I held her hand tightly and said in a firm tone.

Qin Xue wiped her tears, nodded, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

"I know some friends in the media who may be able to help expand the search range and let more people know about Uncle Zhong's disappearance." Qin Xue said, and immediately took out her cell phone and started contacting her friends.

Watching Qin Xue's busy figure, a warm current surged in my heart. At this moment, I deeply felt the preciousness of friendship. Even in such a critical moment, Qin Xue still did not give up on me and was still willing to lend a helping hand.

Soon, Qin Xue contacted several media outlets and released the news of Zhong Shuhao's disappearance. At the same time, the police also stepped up their investigation, retrieved surveillance footage near the place where Zhong Shuhao disappeared, and visited and investigated the surrounding residents.

However, things did not go smoothly. During the investigation, the police found that the mysterious man who kidnapped Zhong Shuhao was very cunning. He seemed to know the police's investigation methods very well. He could avoid the surveillance cameras one step ahead every time, and his methods were clean and neat, leaving no valuable clues.

"How could this happen? Is there no clue at all?" I asked anxiously.

"During the investigation, the police found that this mysterious man was related to a series of previous incidents, including the group that tried to kidnap you and the car accident that attacked Zhong Yuxuan..." Qin Xue's tone was heavy, her brows furrowed, "The police suspect that this is an organized and planned criminal gang, and their purpose does not seem to be just for money."

My heart sank again. If the other party was not after money, then what was their purpose? Was it really because of me that Uncle Zhong was implicated?

At this moment, Zhong Yuxuan's cell phone suddenly rang. He picked up the phone and his face instantly became solemn.

"What did you say? The thing you want is here with me? Okay, I promise you, but you have to ensure my father's safety!"

Zhong Yuxuan hung up the phone, a gleam of determination flashed in his eyes.

"Who was it? What did the other party say?" I asked anxiously.

Zhong Yuxuan took a deep breath and said slowly: "It was the person who kidnapped my father. He knew that I had been looking for Luo Xue, so..."

He paused, looked at me with complicated eyes, and continued: "He said that as long as I hand you over to him, he will let my father go..."

Zhong Yuxuan's words were like thunder, exploding in my ears. He was going to hand me over to the kidnappers? In exchange for Uncle Zhong's safety? I suddenly felt dizzy, my legs went weak, and I almost collapsed to the ground. Qin Xue was quick to hold me up and looked at me worriedly.

"No! Yuxuan, you can't do this!" I grabbed his sleeve and shook my head desperately, my voice trembling, "They are a group of desperate criminals, how can you guarantee my safety? What if they kill me after getting the ransom?"

"Luo Xue, I know this is unfair to you, but I can't watch my father..." Zhong Yuxuan closed his eyes in pain and clenched his fists, "I have already lost my mother, I can't lose my father again..."

"But..." I wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by Zhong Yuxuan.

"Luo Xue, believe me, I will ensure your safety." His deep eyes locked onto mine, his tone firm and resolute, "I have arranged for someone to protect you in secret. Don't worry, I will definitely rescue you and your father safely!"

Although his eyes were full of determination, I still felt extremely scared. Those kidnappers were extremely vicious. Could I really come back alive? I didn't dare to think about it, nor did I dare to ask.

Zhong Yuxuan didn't give me another chance to speak. He picked up his coat and walked out quickly. I slumped on the sofa, tears blurring my eyes. I felt like a bird trapped in a cage, helplessly waiting for my fate to come.

Qin Xue sat next to me, patted my shoulder gently, and comforted me: "Luo Xue, don't worry, Yu Xuan will definitely find a way. He loves you so much, he won't let anything happen to you."

I shook my head helplessly, my heart filled with despair. I didn't know how Zhong Yuxuan would save me, but I knew that he was very determined this time, even at the risk of his own life.

As time went by, my heart became heavier and heavier. I kept praying, hoping that a miracle would happen and that Zhong Yuxuan and Uncle Zhong would return safely.

Finally, after a long wait, Zhong Yuxuan came back. He was pale and disheveled, but his eyes were still firm.

"How is it? Have you seen my father? Is he okay?" I asked anxiously.

Zhong Yuxuan nodded, indicating that I could rest assured: "I saw him, he is still alive, but..."

He hesitated to speak, his brows furrowed, as if he had something to hide.

"Just what? Tell me quickly!" I asked anxiously.

Zhong Yuxuan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "The kidnappers' demands are very harsh. Not only do they want a huge ransom, they also want..."

His voice got lower and lower, but I became more and more frightened. I seemed to have a premonition that a bigger storm was coming, and I would be in the center of the storm, unable to escape...

"Not only a huge ransom, but what else?" My heart was in my throat. Zhong Yuxuan's hesitation made me feel that things were far more complicated than I had imagined.

He took a deep breath, his tone heavy as if he was holding down a huge rock, "They want 30% of the shares of the Zhong Group."

I was stunned. Thirty percent of the shares? This is almost half of the Zhong Group! No wonder Zhong Yuxuan was so embarrassed. This is no longer a simple kidnapping and extortion, but a long-planned business conspiracy!

"Who is it? Who wants to do this?" I grabbed his hand tightly, my nails almost digging into the flesh, "Why do they want to target the Zhong family?"

Zhong Yuxuan shook his head, his face terribly gloomy, "It's still unclear, the other party is hiding very deeply, but what is certain is that the mastermind behind the scenes knows the Zhong Group very well and has been planning for a long time."

I suddenly felt suffocated, and a sense of powerlessness surged in my heart. The pressure Zhong Yuxuan was facing at the moment was imaginable. On one hand, there was his father's life safety, and on the other hand, there were the interests of the company and the reputation of the family. Any choice would bring unbearable consequences.

"Yuxuan, what are you going to do?" I asked softly, with a slight tremor in my voice.

He was silent for a long time, his deep eyes filled with struggle and pain, "I can't watch my father get into trouble, but I can't let the Zhong Group be destroyed..."

"There must be a way, there must be a solution..." I held his hand tightly, trying to give him some comfort, but my heart was also filled with despair.

At this time, Qin Xue, who had been silent all the time, suddenly spoke up, "Yuxuan, maybe we can stabilize the kidnappers first, agree to their demands on the surface, and then secretly find a way to rescue Uncle Zhong."

Zhong Yuxuan suddenly raised his head and looked at Qin Xue, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, "You mean..."

"We can pretend to agree to their terms to buy time, and secretly call the police to get them involved in the investigation." Qin Xue analyzed calmly, "In this way, we can both ensure Uncle Zhong's safety and buy time to find the mastermind. It's like killing two birds with one stone."

Zhong Yuxuan pondered for a moment, his eyes gradually became firm, "Okay, let's do it! Qin Xue, I'm going to trouble you again this time."

Qin Xue shook her head. "We are friends. It would be awkward to say these things. Don't worry, I will do my best to help you."

Watching the two of them discussing countermeasures, I felt a little more at ease. Although the road ahead is still foggy, at least we still have hope, right?

However, just before Zhong Yuxuan was about to implement the rescue plan, his cell phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number, and he hesitated for a moment before answering the call.

"Hey?"

A cold voice came from the other end of the phone, "Mr. Zhong, how have you considered it? My patience is limited."

"You..." Zhong Yuxuan was about to speak, but the other party interrupted him.

"I'll give you the last 24 hours. If you still don't see what I want, then wait to collect your father's body!"

There was a busy tone on the other end of the phone. Zhong Yuxuan's fingers holding the phone turned pale and his face instantly turned as pale as paper.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I asked anxiously.

He fell weakly on the sofa, his voice terribly hoarse, "They...they said...Father only has 24 hours left..."

My heart sank suddenly, as if I had fallen into an endless abyss. 24 hours... would we really make it in time?

24 hours, like the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, struck my heart every minute and every second. Zhong Yuxuan's face was frighteningly pale. He held the phone tightly, his knuckles turned white, veins bulged, as if he was going to crush the phone. The calmness and self-control he had always been proud of completely collapsed at this moment, and his eyes were filled with fear and despair.

I have never seen him so vulnerable. I held his hand distressedly, but it was cold and lifeless. I wanted to say something to comfort him, but all the words seemed pale and powerless at this moment. All I could do was to accompany him silently, pass on my warmth to him, and let him feel a little comfort.

The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive that it was suffocating. Zhong Yuxuan fell weakly on the sofa, staring blankly ahead, as if he had lost his soul. I knew that at this moment, he was suffering pain and torment that ordinary people could hardly imagine. On one hand, there was the safety of his father's life, and on the other hand, there was the life and death of the family business. No matter which side, it was an unbearable burden for him.

"Yuxuan, don't worry, we still have time, we can definitely rescue Uncle Zhong." Qin Xue broke the silence. She walked to Zhong Yuxuan and said firmly, "Haven't you made a plan? Let's act now, we will definitely make it in time!"

Zhong Yuxuan slowly raised his head, looking at Qin Xue with empty eyes, his voice terribly hoarse, "Is it too late? They only gave us 24 hours. After 24 hours, if they don't see what they want, father will..."

He didn't say anything else, but we all knew what he had left to say. The room fell into a dead silence again. We all knew that time was running out and we had to race against time!

Qin Xue walked up to Zhong Yuxuan, put her hands on his shoulders, and said firmly: "Yuxuan, you have to cheer up! Now is not the time to give up, you must believe in yourself and believe in us, we can definitely rescue Uncle Zhong!"

Her voice was like a shot of adrenaline, rekindling a glimmer of hope in Zhong Yuxuan's confused eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his flustered emotions, and his eyes gradually became firm.

"You're right. I can't give up. I must rescue my father!" Zhong Yuxuan stood up suddenly and said firmly, "Qin Xue, I'll leave the matter of contacting the police to you. I'll go prepare the funds for the transaction now."

Seeing Zhong Yuxuan regain his fighting spirit, hope surged in my heart. I believe that as long as we work together, we can overcome all difficulties and rescue Uncle Zhong!