Page 114

After saying that, he followed Shen Ting'an out.

"Big brother, what's going on?" Shen Tingwan was genuinely anxious. "The kidnappers demand we prepare the money today; time is of the essence."

"Time is of the essence?" Shen Ting'an sneered. In his opinion, the longer the time dragged on, the easier it would be for him to slip up. Of course, he didn't bring any money with him. He rushed over immediately after receiving the call. He didn't have time to get any money. He had already entrusted the matter of the money to Shen Jingyao.

"I have a few questions for you. Has Jiang Mingxuan been away from home these past few days?"

Shen Tingwan didn't understand why he suddenly asked about her husband's whereabouts, but she still answered honestly, "He went on a business trip a few days ago, saying he had a project to discuss."

"You went to City A? And not just once or twice?"

Shen Tingwan somewhat surprised. How did her brother know that her husband had been frequently going to City A lately? She nodded. "Yes, since the end of last year, his company has been expanding its business, and he flies there from time to time to discuss business. No, what's wrong with my brother?"

Shen Ting'an remained calm and composed. "He frequently goes to City A. What kind of place is City A? Haven't you ever suspected him?"

Of course, he didn't know these things; he heard them from Shen Luoluo's inner thoughts.

He knew City A; it was a notorious gambling city with the largest casino in the country. Nine out of ten people who went to City A went to gamble, and once you got addicted, there was no way you could get out unscathed.

Shen Tingwan belatedly realized that, indeed, going to City A to discuss a project, according to the customs of the local partners, it was impossible not to gamble a couple of times. But what did gambling have to do with her daughter's kidnapping? Could it be...?

Shen Tingwan realized something, her eyes widening in horror as she looked at Shen Ting'an.

Just then, Shen Jingyao's investigation results were sent to Shen Ting'an.

Shen Ting'an handed the phone to Shen Tingwan, "Jiang Mingxuan owes 80 million at a casino in City A. Can you believe such a coincidence exists?"

She owed exactly 80 million, and the ransom demanded by the kidnappers for her daughter was exactly 80 million. The facts were undeniable, and Shen Tingwan had no choice but to believe them.

Shen Ting'an: "Let's call the police."

Outside, they were negotiating with the police on how to catch the suspect red-handed. Inside the room, not a single person spoke; it was eerily quiet, and the entire living room was deathly still.

Finally, someone realized what was happening and quickly stood up, saying, "Oh dear! You see, you forgot everything in your haste."

The speaker was Shen Tingwan's father-in-law, "Sister-in-law Wanwan, what would you like to drink? Tea or water? There are some drinks in the refrigerator."

"Yes, yes, quickly get some drinks for your sister-in-law and the children. It's so late, thank you so much for coming over," the mother-in-law chimed in.

"Hey! Get me a bottle too, I want a Coke."

Before Zhao Huizhen could speak, the girl next to her who was playing on her phone spoke first. Her mother slapped her as soon as she finished speaking, saying, "What kind of attitude is that? Go get it yourself."

The girl rolled her eyes on the spot, "What's wrong with asking him to help me get it!"

Shen Luoluo observed them discreetly, secretly activating the Intelligence System.

It was just too boring sitting here, and the relationship between this family seemed a bit strange, so I decided to open the system and start watching the drama unfold.

My eyes lit up at first glance.

[Oh wow! There really is some gossip.]

Zhao Huizhen and Shen Jiayan also perked up their ears; they were bored anyway, so let's hear what they had to say.

[No wonder this girl was so rude; it turns out this "dad" isn't her biological father, but her stepfather.]

Zhao Huizhen was about to say that this wasn't gossip; she already knew when Shen Tingwan married Jiang Mingxuan that Jiang Mingxuan's mother had divorced his father long ago before marrying his current husband.

However, the next second she heard news that shocked her—

[No, this isn't her stepfather; this is actually her biological father.]

[Her mother had an affair during her marriage, and she was pregnant with this person. In fact, she and her brother are not full siblings; they are half-siblings.]

Zhao Huizhen:!!!

Is that even possible?

She looked at the girl, whose father had given her a Coke. She snatched it away, complaining, "So slow, so dawdling."

"Drink less of these carbonated drinks; they're bad for your health."

The girl retorted, "Who are you? What right do you have to tell me what to do?"

Judging from how the two interact, her father probably knew she was his biological daughter, but it's surprising that they haven't acknowledged her after all this time.

I wonder how the girl will react when she finds out that this is her biological father.

Suddenly, a rapid cell phone ring broke the silence.

It was Jiang Mingxuan's phone ringing. His parents immediately tensed up, "Is it the kidnappers calling again?"

Jiang Mingxuan nodded and then made a shushing gesture, signaling them not to speak.

Shen Luoluo, Zhao Huizhen, and the other two smiled without saying a word as he continued acting.

The man answered the phone, and after hearing what was said on the other end, he exclaimed, "What! Wasn't it supposed to be 80 million? How did it become 90 million? You can't do this!"

His eyes widened, his hand gripping his phone tightly, and he occasionally raised his hand to wipe away unexplained sweat from his forehead.

It doesn't look like acting.

[Has something changed again?] Shen Luoluo had already opened the Intelligence System to see what was going on.

[Oh dear, his self-directed kidnapping plan was discovered by his lover, who threatened his accomplices, demanding an extra ten million, or she would tell Shen Tingwan about their plan.]

[I didn't expect the accident to happen so quickly.]

Shen Tingwan and Shen Ting'an entered the room just in time to hear these words.

Shen Tingwan clenched her fists, so angry that she was about to step forward and slap Jiang Mingxuan. He kidnapped her own daughter for money, and now he'd even brought out a lover! She had no idea when he'd found a mistress; she could never forgive him!

Just as he was about to step forward, Shen Ting'an stopped him in time, whispering a reminder: "Hold on, don't alert them."