Kidnapping (Seeking Votes and Collections)

"Big bro, what do we do? We've already made the call. That old bastard won't call the cops, will he?" A dull voice rang out.

"Heh, no way. This kid is Old Man Li's favorite youngest son. I made it clear to him—if he dares call the cops, I'll definitely kill the hostage. He wouldn't dare!" A sinister voice replied.

"Hehe, big bro, after this job, we should quit. This time it's a big score!" The dull voice carried a hint of excitement.

"Not bad. This really is a big score. Thirty million—enough for us to spend for a while. We can't do this kind of job often. If we slip up, it's life in prison." The cold voice said.

Mm...

Suddenly, a muffled sob came from inside the van.

"Big bro, this kid's awake again!" The dull voice said.

"Then knock him out again."

Ring ring...

Ring ring...

Ugh. Xiao Hen helplessly pulled his phone from his pocket. He saw it was Chen Xinyu calling. Checking the time, it was already nine at night. The auction must be over. Calling him now—had the money been transferred?

But this was clearly not the time to answer. A dozen meters ahead, the van door slammed open. In this quiet wilderness, Xiao Hen's ringtone was loud enough that anyone in the van who wasn't deaf could hear it clearly.

Xiao Hen hung up, put away his phone, and looked up at the two men getting out of the van.

There were three people in the van: two adults and a bound teenager with tape over his mouth. The kid was about fifteen or sixteen, still wearing a high school uniform. A backpack sat under the seat—looked like he'd been grabbed on his way home from school.

From the earlier conversation, it was clear the kid came from a well-off family. These kidnappers had targeted him for ransom.

The two kidnappers approaching: the first was a gaunt middle-aged man with a cold, sinister look in his eyes, like a vicious wolf. He held a Type 54 pistol, stepping slowly toward Xiao Hen. Behind him was a burly young thug, muscular and fierce, carrying a long watermelon knife. He strode forward with a menacing air.

"Kid, you saw something you shouldn't have. Tough luck." The gaunt man aimed his pistol at Xiao Hen but didn't fire. Even out in the middle of nowhere, he didn't want gunshots attracting trouble. Instead, he nodded at the burly thug, who walked toward Xiao Hen with his knife, ready to take him down.

The sky was dark. The only light came from the bright moon overhead, its silver rays spilling across the ground, faintly illuminating the wilderness. Through the gap between the two men, Xiao Hen saw the panicked eyes of the teenager in the van. The kid had woken up from his daze and happened to spot Xiao Hen passing by.

"Guess you're in luck," Xiao Hen muttered, ready to act. He didn't like having a gun pointed at him.

"If only this counted as a side quest. Simple mission, good rewards—that'd be sweet... but no such luck."

Xiao Hen flipped his hand, and the Silver Light Sword appeared. With the sword in hand and having just broken through in his swordsmanship, his aura hadn't faded yet. His Combat Power had surged. Running into these two kidnappers now was a good chance to test his sword skills. But enemies at this level couldn't make him go all out. The only thing to watch was that pistol—at this close range, even Xiao Hen would have trouble dodging bullets.

"Kid, time to die!" The burly thug swung his watermelon knife down with a whoosh. The blade gleamed under the moonlight, cold and sharp.

Xiao Hen smiled faintly and swung his sword. The blade met the knife with a crack...

Ugh! The burly thug froze, raised his right hand, and saw his watermelon knife had been sheared off, leaving only the hilt in his grip.

"What the... hell!" His pupils shrank, a chill running through him. He tried to step back, but a shadow flashed before him—Xiao Hen was already right there.

Slap!

A chop to the neck. The burly thug's body went stiff, then crumpled to the ground.

"Don't—don't come any closer!" Everything happened too fast. The gaunt kidnapper hadn't even reacted before his partner was down.

How was this possible? Who was this guy? Why was he so terrifying? Trembling inside, the gaunt man aimed his pistol at Xiao Hen. Driven by fear, he stopped caring about the noise and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Xiao Hen's eyes sharpened. He swung the Silver Light Sword. Clang—the bullet was deflected.

The gaunt kidnapper's eyes went wide, his mouth hanging open. His brain nearly short-circuited. Was this a movie? Could someone in the Real World really block bullets?

"Damn it... die! Bang, bang, bang..." The gaunt man pulled the trigger frantically. Bullets flew toward Xiao Hen.

Clang, clang, clang. Sword light flashed. Not a single bullet got through. Every shot aimed at Xiao Hen was blocked by the Silver Light Sword.

Click, click, click... The gaunt man's pistol was empty. Panicking, he spun around to get back in the van—maybe for more bullets, or to use the kid as a hostage. Whatever his plan, it didn't matter. Xiao Hen stepped forward, appearing behind him. Another chop to the neck, and the gaunt man followed the burly thug's fate, collapsing unconscious.

"You're the ones who were really unlucky. Since you ran into me, you're going straight to jail." Shaking his head slightly, Xiao Hen looked at the teenager, whose eyes were darting around. He walked over, sword flashing once. The ropes binding the kid snapped.

The teen struggled to sit up, ripped the tape off his mouth, took a deep breath, and blurted out, "Did my dad send you? Are you a martial arts master? How are you so strong? You even blocked bullets with a sword! You've gotta be a martial arts master!"

The kid stared at Xiao Hen, eyes sparkling like he'd discovered a new world.

"I was just passing by. Can you contact your family now?" Xiao Hen shook his head. He didn't know who the kid's dad was.

"Yeah!" The teen finally remembered to call home. He quickly found his phone, which the kidnappers had turned off.

"This is the wilderness near Mingyue Residential Area, about two kilometers away. Alright, that's it. I'm leaving." Xiao Hen turned to go.

"Hey, don't go, master! When my dad gets here, he'll definitely thank you properly! Don't leave! What if these two wake up and I'm screwed again?" The kid shouted, trying to get out of the van to stop Xiao Hen. But his legs were still numb from being tied up, and he couldn't stand.

"Don't worry. They won't wake up for a while. Just call your family. And remember—keep your mouth shut. I don't want any trouble." Xiao Hen's voice came from far away, but he was already gone.

"Ah... a martial arts master!" The kid sighed regretfully as Xiao Hen disappeared. He turned on his phone and dialed home.

One more chapter, then we're heading into the Warcraft!

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