Chapter 661 - 427: Ransom
The return call rang for a long time.
The call finally connected, followed by a hoarse voice that sounded like a throat scoured with sandpaper.
"Mr. Yifei, have you thought it over? Are you willing to pay for these women?" The man’s voice held a hint of urgency and greed.
After a slight pause, his voice became even more lecherous. "You’d better make a decision quickly. My partners are very interested in these women and want to have some fun with them."
A faint smile played on Feng Mountain’s lips, his voice perfectly calm. "Pal, it’s just a million-dollar ransom. No need to hurt them. If you can guarantee their safety, I’ll give you two million."
"Who are you?" The hoarse voice on the other end paused, clearly surprised by the sudden offer. "You can really pay a two million ransom?"
"Jenny is one of my people. You took them, so as their boss, I had to come personally. Two million for the ransom, and you guarantee their safety. How does that sound?" Feng Mountain explained slowly, trying to keep the kidnapper calm.
"So you’re the boss. That makes you the ’Feng’ the talkative, tattooed girl mentioned, the owner of the Crown Territory. Hah! She said you’d toss me into the Bering Sea to feed the crabs. Hey, pal, is that true?" The man let out a grating laugh, dripping with provocation.
’Erica wasn’t wrong.’
’If I catch you, you really will be thrown into the Bering Sea.’
A chill entered Feng Mountain’s eyes. "My apologies, but it’s true. However, before we get to that, I hope you won’t hurt the girls. The money is no object."
It was unclear whether the man was just brazen or truly confident, but he ignored Feng Mountain’s warning over the phone and made a harsh demand.
"Alright then. For the crabs’ sake, a 2 million US Dollar ransom it is. I’ll help you take good care of these pretty girls, but don’t try anything funny. Get the 2 million US Dollars ready within three days. No bank transfers, no calling the cops. I want cash only. Used bills, non-sequential."
"Pal, you watch too many movies? Where am I supposed to find that many used, non-sequential bills in just three days?" Feng Mountain scoffed into the phone.
The hoarse voice on the other end of the line was thick with mockery.
"That’s your problem. You have three days. You should know, Gaston still has a thing for Jenny. If I hadn’t stopped him, Jenny would be a mother by now. And that tattooed girl who talks so much... she has a great body."
Feng Mountain’s eyebrow twitched. Though rage burned within him, he forced it down. "Okay, okay. Let me speak with Jenny for a moment. I need to make sure you really haven’t hurt her. Then I can focus on getting the money."
After a few seconds of silence, the hoarse voice on the other end agreed.
"Since you agreed so quickly, fine. I’ll let you talk to Jenny. But I’m warning you, don’t pull any stunts, or you’ll be sorry."
Then, the sound of footsteps came through the phone.
He could faintly hear the hoarse voice in the background, warning someone, "Don’t say anything stupid."
"Hello?"
Hearing Jenny’s weak voice come through the phone, Feng Mountain immediately pulled a straw rope from his pocket with one hand.
His fingers flew, rapidly tying a complex knot in the rope.
"Jenny, how are you?"
"Feng, I... I’m all right. I’m fine." Jenny’s voice trembled, as if she were trying to suppress her terror.
Feng Mountain pressed on, just as worried about the others.
"What about Erica and the others? Are any of them hurt?"
"Erica and Demi are okay. It’s just... they h-hit... they hit Tammy," Jenny said in a low voice, which was filled with anguish.
Immediately, the hoarse voice cut in on the line.
"Hey, lady, we only hit her because she tried to run. We haven’t mistreated you."
"Jenny, don’t worry. I’ll be there to get you soon. Trust me," Feng Mountain said softly, trying to calm her frantic heart.
Just then, Jenny let out a sudden gasp, as if something had happened.
𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
Then the hoarse voice was back on the line, tinged with impatience. "Chat time’s over, Mr. Moneybags. I think you’ve confirmed they’re unharmed. Get the money ready within three days. Goodbye!"
The line immediately went dead, replaced by a dial tone.
Feng Mountain’s hand holding the phone tightened slightly.
’Tammy is so kind and sweet. And they dared to hit her.’
A vicious glint flashed in his eyes.
’He swore he would make those bastards pay.’
Yves and Nash stood silently to one side, having heard every word of the phone call.
Yves’s expression was grim, his brows knitted together. He was the first to break the silence. "Boss, what’s the plan?" he asked in a low voice. "Should I call in some professionals? I know some veterans, retired from the military, who do security work now. They have experience with hostage rescue."
Nash, however, remained poker-faced, his eyes filled with confidence.
He wasn’t the least bit worried about whether they could successfully rescue Jenny and the others.
’In his mind, the power Khilla possessed was something ordinary mortals could never comprehend.’
’He remembered back in Kivalina, when some lowlife had harassed Maria. The man had fled overnight, hiding in the icy expanse of the Far North Tundra, but Khilla had found him all the same.’
Feng Mountain, however, didn’t respond to Yves’s suggestion.
Instead, he was looking down at the knotted straw rope in his hand, the one he used for divination.
The knots on the rope were intricate and complex. To anyone else, they would have just looked like a random tangle.
But in Feng Mountain’s eyes, they held a special meaning.
As he looked at the knots, a direction began to form in his mind. A cold smile silently touched Feng Mountain’s lips.
Then, he waved to the others.
"Get in the car. We’re going to pick up Jenny and the others."