Chapter 142: Trouble! 2 Professors Kidnapped
Gu Shengsheng instantly lost her appetite. She stood up and asked, "What’s wrong? Mr. Zhang, don’t panic."
"Grave robbers have already gotten to the tomb we discovered. The two professors who went ahead for the archaeological survey have been kidnapped. We’re negotiating with the local police right now."
"Since this is a Beijing City project, we have to leave immediately. Two officers from Beijing City will escort us there. It’s not very safe. Are you still sure you want to come with me...?"
He couldn’t bear to finish the sentence.
But this was now a matter of life and death, so he had to ask.
Gu Shengsheng nodded. "I’m willing."
"There’s no way I would leave at a time like this, so don’t worry, Mr. Zhang. They kidnapped those people because they don’t want to die. We need to hurry over there now. Panicking won’t help."
"Okay, the flight has been moved up. You should head over right away." Zhang Zhengyi sounded anxious.
But he was still methodically arranging things with the team in Anxi, as well as with his graduate students and their groups, retaining his sharp and experienced demeanor.
Archaeological matters like this were meant to be fully documented for the news anyway, so public opinion was now running high.
The news about the university professors from Anxi being kidnapped by bandits was spreading like wildfire, with each retelling more vivid and terrifying than the last.
The topic online had even escalated to a debate about whether scientific research was more important than human life.
The situation was tense, but with no official response, the topic kept trending on social media every day.
The families of the two kidnapped professors were shown in interviews, weeping uncontrollably.
Unfortunately, the authorities remained silent.
The pressure fell on Zhao Dehai and Zhang Zhengyi. In the end, they both agreed that because of Gu Shengsheng’s considerable online influence, they would use her account to livestream the event.
Gu Shengsheng herself agreed to this.
Accompanying her was Zhang Lianqing, who was serving as the captain of the emergency response team to protect them.
Zhang Lianqing posted from both the official account of the Cultural Relics Bureau and the police department’s official account:
After we arrive in Anxi City, @Gu Shengsheng’s livestream will be on for the entire duration. We invite everyone to supervise the process. Please trust the authorities.
This managed to calm the public down. Everyone was now waiting for Gu Shengsheng’s team to arrive in Anxi so they could find out what was happening.
As a result, netizens were constantly monitoring Gu Shengsheng’s IP address.
He then looked at Gu Shengsheng and teased, "Looks like your account is about to become one of our official channels."
Zhang Zhengyi, sitting to the side, sighed. "I knew we would have to use Shengsheng’s account, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon."
"I really don’t know what’s going to happen next."
He continued to write out his deployment plan with a pen and paper.
Gu Shengsheng said, "We’ll know once we see the situation. It’s okay, Mr. Zhang. Nothing bad will happen."
"Those men are after money. That’s not so scary."
’What’s truly terrifying are the ones who don’t want anything... except your life!’
The journey was smooth, and after a flight of about four hours, they arrived.
As soon as Gu Shengsheng arrived in Anxi City, netizens saw her IP address change and immediately demanded that the authorities start the livestream.
Then, the team from Beijing City contacted Zhang Lianqing.
Zhang Lianqing effectively became a human phone stand, turning on the stream with the phone Gu Shengsheng usually used.
At that moment, the group had just walked out of the airport.
The archaeological team from Anxi was already waiting, along with the local police department. Everyone was there.
Director Wang Yu of the Anxi Museum stood at the very front, asking anxiously, "Are you all going to the hotel to drop off your luggage first, or heading straight to the tomb?"
Zhang Zhengyi replied, "No, let’s go straight to the tomb. We can talk on the way."
After the group piled into the cars in a great hurry, they listened as everyone shared what they knew.
It was all more or less the same information.
Zhang Zhengyi said, "So the most critical issue right now is that the Anxi police have already sent several negotiators, but none of them succeeded? They don’t want money and they won’t release the hostages? They just want the artifacts, is that it?"
"That’s what it seems like, but we’re not certain. Many of the people we sent to mediate haven’t come back."
"They’re holed up in the temporary shelter built next to the tomb. We don’t know what the situation is."
"We just hear the terrified screams of the professors from time to time."
Then Gu Shengsheng asked, "What were the backgrounds of the negotiators you sent in before?"
"The first few were from the police department, specializing in criminal psychology. When that didn’t work, we asked Director Wang Yu for help, and he found a communication specialist from his side. Supposedly the best in Anxi."
"But it was still useless."
Zhang Zhengyi said, "They’re tomb raiders. Every trade has its own expertise. Perhaps the people you sent over simply don’t understand this business. How could they possibly know their weak spots?"
"And that communication specialist from Director Wang Yu’s side? He communicates with consumers. You’re trying to communicate with kidnappers. How could that possibly work?"
Then Zhang Zhengyi said, "Shengsheng and I will go! I think Shengsheng is the most reliable person for this."
Gu Shengsheng said, "I’ll go. It has to be just one person. If two of us go, they’ll be even less likely to release anyone."
Zhang Zhengyi grew agitated. "I originally planned to bring you here to look at artifacts and do academic work, not to push you into a pit of fire! If something happens to you, how am I supposed to answer to Zhao Dehai?"
"He warned me a thousand times to take good care of you." ’Gu Shengsheng is a once-in-a-generation genius from Beijing City!’
Gu Shengsheng said, "It’s fine. Don’t worry, Mr. Zhang. I’m confident."
"I’ll play it by ear. Besides, Zhang Lianqing will be nearby to provide support. With him there, we can definitely coordinate from the inside and outside."
"True. As long as my old bones don’t hold you back."
"Then I’ll wait for you on the perimeter. If anything seems wrong, retreat immediately."
"..."
「With that, they arrived in the wilderness.」
The area was all yellow earth, heavily weathered by the look of it. There was a lot of yellow sand, and the surroundings were barren, without even a blade of grass.
After getting out of the car, Gu Shengsheng exchanged a look with Zhang Lianqing, then walked to a spot not far from the temporary shelter.
She shouted, "I’m here to negotiate with you!"
She heard mocking voices from inside the building:
"These cops nowadays are really stubborn!"
"Sending one person after another to lecture us about the meaning of life... I’m getting real sick of it!"
"It’s like listening to a broken record!"
Before Gu Shengsheng could even go in, a man was thrown out.
Gu Shengsheng saw that he wore glasses and had a refined look. ’He must be the one who just went in to negotiate, right?’
Just as she was about to ask, the man walked over, looked at her, and said:
"Don’t go in. It’s useless! They won’t listen to anything."
"What if something happens to a girl like you?"
Gu Shengsheng replied, "It’s okay. I can protect myself."
He continued, "This really isn’t as simple as you think. These people are ruthless killers, no idea where they came from. And they’re all masked, dressed up like... who knows what."