Kidnapping? No, This Is Paid Leave

Autumn winds in the capital were a little chilly, but they couldn't cool Jian Ning's craving for milk tea in the slightest.

Even though there was a top chef at home, and even though Huo Si and Jian Xiu practically wanted to tie him to their belts, Jian Ning still snuck off to the convenience store at the entrance of the villa district while the two men were in the study discussing "how to kill Huo Zhen."

Just one cup of full-sugar boba milk tea, then I'll go back.

Jian Ning wrapped his coat tighter around himself, sniffled, and comforted himself inwardly.

However, just as he received that piping-hot cup of milk tea and before he could even insert the straw—

A black van with no license plates suddenly pulled up in front of him like a ghost.

The door was yanked open, and two large hands shot out, expertly covering his mouth and dragging him into the vehicle.

"Mmph—!"

The milk tea slipped from Jian Ning's hand and hit the ground with a smack, splashing white milk stains everywhere.

[Holy shit! My milk tea!]

[I haven't even had a sip! It was full sugar! Thirty yuan a cup!]

The van door slammed shut, and the vehicle sped away.

Inside, several burly men wearing black hoods pinned Jian Ning down. One of them held a towel soaked in ether and viciously moved to press it over Jian Ning's face. "Behave! Or we'll kill you!"

Jian Ning held his breath and frantically called out in his mind.

[System! Help! I'm going to pass out!]

The system calmly came online.

[ Ding! A low-grade sedative has been detected. The host's constitution has been enhanced and is immune to this dosage. Recommendation: play along and find out who is behind this. ]

The moment Jian Ning heard he was immune, he stopped panicking.

But he was a dedicated actor.

So he rolled his eyes back, kicked out his legs, and pretended to faint. He even painstakingly let his tongue loll to one side.

Kidnapper A breathed a sigh of relief. "This brat's constitution is terrible. He went down right away. Boss, Mr. King said he has to stay alive. Don't kill him."

Kidnapper B, the boss, snorted. "Relax. He's just some pretty boy we're using to threaten Jian Xiu. Take him to the abandoned warehouse in the western suburbs."

Jian Ning kept his eyes shut, but his ears were pricked up like antennas.

[Mr. King?]

[So it really is that possessive adopted younger brother!]

[You dare kidnap me? And threaten my brother? Fine. If I don't strip this whole bunch down to their underwear today, my surname isn't Jian!]

An hour later, at an abandoned warehouse in the western suburbs.

Jian Ning was tied tightly to a chair.

A basin of cold water was splashed over him.

"Splash!"

Jian Ning pretended to have just awakened. He shook the water from his hair and opened his eyes blankly. "Th-this... where am I? Who are you people?"

The kidnapper boss held a dagger and waved it around stylishly. "Kid, don't ask questions you shouldn't. Blame your brother Jian Xiu for offending someone he shouldn't have. Someone paid for your life, but before that, we need to record a video..."

As he spoke, one of the lackeys beside him raised a camera.

The kidnapper boss approached with a vicious grin, pressing the tip of the knife against Jian Ning's face. "Come on, cry for us. The more miserable you cry, the better. Let your brother see whether he cares."

Jian Ning looked at the knife. Not only did he not cry, he actually sighed.

He activated "Gossip Radar" and swept his gaze over the four kidnappers before him.

[ Ding! Scan complete. ]

[Kidnapper Boss: His name is Wang Hu. He is actually henpecked, and his secret stash is hidden beneath his shoe insoles.]

[Kidnapper Number Two: His name is Li Bao. He is having an affair with Wang Hu's wife.]

[Kidnapper Number Three: He just stole and ate Jian Ning's boxed meal.]

[Kidnapper Number Four: He is an undercover police officer, still in his internship period.]

Jian Ning's expression instantly became meaningful.

What kind of kidnapping gang was this? This was a whole field of juicy gossip!

"Cry?" Jian Ning looked at Wang Hu and suddenly smiled. "Big Brother, I think you're the one who should be crying."

Wang Hu froze. "What do you mean?"

Jian Ning pursed his lips toward Kidnapper Number Two, Li Bao, beside him.

"Big Brother, did you know that the red underwear your brother Li Bao is wearing was bought for him by your wife? It was a buy-one-get-one deal too. One pair for you, one pair for him. The meaning was, 'Good brothers wear the same pants.'"

The entire room fell silent.

Even the camera shook.

Wang Hu abruptly turned to Li Bao, suspicion blazing in his eyes. "Number Two, what color underwear are you wearing today?"

Li Bao's face went deathly pale, and he instinctively covered his crotch. "B-Boss! Don't listen to this brat's nonsense! He's trying to drive a wedge between us!"

Jian Ning leisurely drove the knife in deeper. "Whether it's nonsense or not, why not take them off and have a look? Oh, right. His phone also has chat records with your wife. He saved her contact as 'Tigress.' Want to check?"

Wang Hu's face instantly turned green.

Even kidnappers couldn't tolerate something like this!

"Number Two! Take off your pants! Let me inspect them!"

"Boss! We're kidnapping someone right now! Be serious!"

"Cut the crap! My cuckold hat is practically reaching the sky, and you still expect me to care about kidnapping?!"

The two kidnappers actually began fighting, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.

Kidnapper Number Three stared in disbelief and was just about to step forward to break it up.

Jian Ning spoke again. "Hey, brother who ate the boxed meal. Was that braised pork tasty? Boss was saving it for tonight's celebration. You ate all of it. What's Boss supposed to do if he gets hungry after this fight?"

Wang Hu, who was already fighting tooth and nail, flew into an even greater rage upon hearing that. "Number Three! You fucking stole my braised pork?!"

Thus, the two-man brawl became a three-man brawl.

In the corner, the undercover cop, Number Four, held his phone with a bewildered expression.

He had been undercover for years, but he had never seen anything like this.

This hostage... was killing people with his mouth?

Jian Ning winked at the undercover officer and whispered, "Officer, don't just stand there. Hurry up and send your superior the location. And loosen my ropes while you're at it. They're hurting my hands."

The undercover officer said, "..."

How did he know I was a cop?!

Meanwhile, the Huo Household villa had already become utter chaos.

"Have you found him?!"

Huo Si radiated an aura so vicious it seemed he wanted to destroy the world, his eyes bloodshot.

Jian Xiu was even more anxious, like an ant on a hot pan. He held a gun and loaded bullets into the magazine. "That lunatic King! If Ning Ning loses even one hair, I'll tear him into a thousand pieces!"

Assistant Lin rushed in, drenched in sweat. "President Huo! President Jian! We found him! He's in an abandoned warehouse in the western suburbs! And... the police undercover officer just sent back word!"

"What did he say? How is Ning Ning?" Jian Xiu rushed forward and grabbed Assistant Lin by the collar.

Assistant Lin's expression was strange. "The undercover officer said... Mr. Jian is... playing cards with the kidnappers?"

Huo Si: "?"

Jian Xiu: "?"

The warehouse in the western suburbs.

The warehouse that had been brimming with murderous intent half an hour ago was now filled with laughter and cheer—not really.

The three kidnappers, bruised and battered, squatted on the ground holding playing cards, each looking miserable.

Jian Ning had already been untied. He sat cross-legged on the only chair, holding a straight.

"Pair of kings! Want to beat it? If not, I'm going out!"

Wang Hu covered his swollen eye, his voice choked with tears. "No..."

Li Bao clutched his kicked stomach. "Boss, can we not count this round? I've already lost all my secret savings..."

Jian Ning threw down his cards. "I win! Pay up, pay up!"

"No cash? Transfer it! Alipay or WeChat, either is fine!"

"Ding! Alipay payment received: 5,000 yuan."

"Ding! WeChat payment received: 3,000 yuan."

Jian Ning happily watched his balance rise and didn't forget to lecture them.

"What am I supposed to say about you? Do you know kidnapping is illegal? And you don't have any professional ethics at all! Infighting, stealing food, and hiding private stashes!"

"You're lucky you ran into me. If it had been anyone else, they would've called the police and had you arrested already!"

The undercover officer silently put away his phone.

[I already called the police... and the SWAT team is already outside.]

[But why do I feel like... this hostage is scarier than the kidnappers?]

Just then, the warehouse doors were smashed open with a thunderous bang.

An armored riot-control vehicle charged inside, followed by Huo Si's Rolls-Royce and Jian Xiu's Maybach.

"Don't move! Police!"

"Ning Ning!"

"Jian Ning!"

Huo Si and Jian Xiu rushed out of their cars one after the other, their faces full of panic, weapons even clutched in their hands.

The scene they had imagined was Jian Ning tied to a pillar, covered in blood and barely alive.

But the reality was—

Jian Ning was collecting money on his phone while the three kidnappers squatted before him like elementary school students being scolded by a teacher.

When they saw the police rush in, the three kidnappers not only didn't run, they burst into excited tears and voluntarily held out their hands.

"Officer! Arrest me! Take me away, quick! I don't want to play anymore! I'll never kidnap anyone again! This hostage is bullying us too much! Waaaah!"

Huo Si: "..."

Jian Xiu: "..."

When Jian Ning saw the rescuers arrive, he immediately put away his phone, wiped the smile from his face, and instantly switched into "victim" mode.

He threw himself into Huo Si's arms, his little face pale.

"Honey! Brother! I was terrified! They... they looked so fierce, and they even threatened me with knives! Waaaah, my soul has suffered immense trauma!"

Wang Hu watched the devil who had just won all his secret savings turn into a little white rabbit. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

Shameless!

Feeling the lively heartbeat of the person in his arms, Huo Si's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed.

He helplessly ruffled Jian Ning's hair and glanced at the pile of playing cards on the floor.

"Emotional trauma?"

"I think it's your wallet that got bigger."

Jian Ning stuck out his tongue and said softly.

"I was only collecting a little compensation for emotional distress... just a few tens of thousands of yuan."

After confirming that his younger brother was unharmed, Jian Xiu turned toward the undercover police officer who had remained silent the entire time. His gaze instantly turned cold.

"Tell King."

"This grudge is now deeply set."

In the car after the turmoil had settled.

Jian Ning sat between Huo Si and Jian Xiu, feeling like the filling in a sandwich cookie.

"Brother, who exactly is King?" Jian Ning finally asked the question weighing on him most. "Why did he kidnap me to threaten you? Isn't he your adopted younger brother?"

Jian Xiu looked terrible. He was silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"His name is Gu Hansheng. He was an orphan I adopted abroad."

"He... has something wrong with his head. He thinks I belong to him, and anyone I want to protect, he wants to destroy."

"First it was one of my cats, then it was my secretary... and now, it's you."

Jian Ning's scalp tingled.

[A possessive maniac? And the destructive kind?]

[That's terrifying! Someone like that belongs in a psychiatric hospital!]

"What do we do now?" Jian Ning asked. "He failed this time, but there'll definitely be a next time."

Huo Si coldly cut in. "There won't be a next time."

"When the police swept the warehouse just now, they found a lead on one of King's hideouts."

"And..." Huo Si glanced at Jian Xiu. "President Jian, it's time for you to clean house. If you can't do it yourself, I can do it for you."

Jian Xiu clenched his fists. A flicker of pain crossed his eyes, but there was even more determination.

"No need. I raised this mad dog myself. I'll kill him myself."

Just then, Jian Ning's phone suddenly vibrated.

It was a text message from an unknown number.

It contained only one picture.

The picture was a screenshot of a plane ticket to Antarctica.

And one sentence:

[Brother, this time, you win. But I'll be back. Give my regards to Sister-in-law—crossed out—to Jian Ning. I hope he likes the gift I gave him as a greeting.]

Jian Ning: "?"

A greeting gift? What greeting gift?

The system suddenly issued a warning:

[Ding! Scheduled program activated!]

[Before King left, he hacked into the joint database of Huo Group and KM Group.]

[He replaced the desktop wallpaper on every employee computer in both companies with... that "greedy" meme of Jian Ning winning money while playing Fight the Landlord in the warehouse!]

[And added the caption: The boss's wife is calling you to play cards.]

Jian Ning: "..."

Gu Hansheng! I'll kill your whole family, aaahhh!

My spotless reputation! My cold, aloof persona! It's all ruined!