"What?"
That thought occurred to Li Wangxi and me at the same time. Neither of us had expected the strange phone call to turn into this.
The countdown was about to end.
Compared with me, lost in thought, Li Wangxi was clearly panicking.
She had opened the keypad, but her mind was in such a muddle that she had even forgotten the options she'd heard earlier.
In her panic, Li Wangxi randomly pressed 1, then fumbled to press the pound key.
Once she'd completed both steps, the countdown stopped, freezing at that exact moment.
"You have chosen to transfer your assets to an account designated by us. The contract has been established. My Lord will save your partner. Please transfer your assets to our designated account as soon as possible. You will receive the account name shortly."
"W-wait!" Li Wangxi interrupted the polite, deferential female voice.
It wasn't an electronic voice, nor was it a prerecorded message.
The voice fell silent as soon as Li Wangxi spoke.
Breathing hard, Li Wangxi swallowed before asking, "Chang, what happened to Zhou Chang? What's going on? And who... who are you people?"
"Hehe. Miss Li, all you need to know is that you have nothing to lose by making this deal. Do you choose to save your partner?"
"Of course! If Zhou Chang is in danger, then of course I..."
"Then the contract is established. We will complete our part, and we ask that you fulfill your obligation as well."
The call ended, leaving Li Wangxi no chance to ask anything else.
A new message arrived right afterward. It contained a bank account, and the name on it was peculiar: "Ming Xite." It was clearly no ordinary name.
Li Wangxi hesitated for a while and didn't transfer the money right away.
"What's wrong?"