Zhan Mohan and Wei Yumeng received the news and quickly arrived at the seaside. Wei Yumeng looked at the floating bridge from afar through the car window, and the scene reflected in her eyes scared half her life away.
"Shi Yi!" Wei Yumeng hurriedly got out of the car and rushed to the floating bridge. Her long-lost daughter was tied to a stone pillar by Bai Qing. She instantly became furious. "Bai Qing, do you think you can walk out of here today?"
"Oh, isn't this my good colleague, Manager Wei?" Seeing Wei Yumeng at last, Bai Qing smiled. She brandished the tip of her knife and hacked at the wooden floating bridge several times, leaving deep marks.
"I advise you not to be stubborn. Bullets have no eyes."
Zhan Mohan looked coldly at Bai Qing's playful demeanor. With a wave of his hand, the large troop behind him raised their guns, and even snipers were ready nearby.
Hearing the mechanical sounds, Bai Qing was not afraid at all. She burst into laughter and glanced sideways at Wei Yumeng.
No matter how terrifying Zhan Mohan was, his heart was always set on Wei Yumeng. And Wei Yumeng cared about this little brat. With the brat in her hands now, Zhan Mohan would not disobey Wei Yumeng's wishes and fire at her!
"Look at what you're saying. I just want to stay alive. It's not difficult for you, is it?" Bai Qing said with a smile, looking at the fully armed troop surrounding the beach and the helicopter hovering above, guarding her vigilantly. A hint of malice flickered in her eyes.
Wei Yumeng's beautiful eyes flickered. She clenched her fists at her sides and glared at Bai Qing.
Bai Qing's unspoken meaning was not difficult to understand: she wanted the Zhan family to let her go!
"Impossible. You kidnapped a Zhan family child and took ten million from the Zhan family. Do you think the Zhan family is someone you can provoke?" Zhan Mohan's icy gaze sent a shiver down Bai Qing's spine. The man raised his arm mercilessly, and the sound of bullets being chambered echoed around them in unison.
Bai Qing's hand, gripping the knife handle, trembled slightly. The man in front of her was truly terrifying, as if she were about to lose her life at any moment!
"Wei, Wei Yumeng, do you think bullets are faster than the knife in my hand? If I die, I will definitely drag your daughter down with me!"
Bai Qing looked into Wei Yumeng's eyes, gritting her teeth. Since Zhan Mohan was cold-blooded, at least Wei Yumeng still cared about her child!
Wei Yumeng pondered for a moment, her eyes reflecting Shi Yi, who was tied to the stone pillar. The little girl drooped her head, her hair soaked by the waves that occasionally crashed against her.
She couldn't let the child soak in the seawater for too long. She had to rescue Shi Yi quickly!
"Speak. What are your conditions?"
Wei Yumeng's voice was filled with extreme coldness. She knitted her brows and met Bai Qing's gaze steadily.
"As expected, Manager Wei is straightforward. I want your Zhan family to let me go!"
Bai Qing smiled slightly, not forgetting to place the knife on Shi Yi's neck, not daring to relax for a moment.
"You make these people retreat, prepare a car with a full tank of gas for me, and don't let anyone follow me! I will leave your precious daughter in the next city, or we will die together." Bai Qing quickly stated her demands, her fingers turning white from soaking in the seawater, yet she felt no fear, only a sense of excitement.
The sea began to rise.
Wei Yumeng narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly and let out a cold laugh upon hearing Bai Qing's unreasonable demands.
"Bai Qing, do you think I'll believe your words again?"
Bai Qing's face turned ugly when she was called out. The last time she tricked Wei Yumeng with Shi Yi and intended to silence them, everything was still fresh in her memory.
The story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" would never be retold a second time in front of a clever hunter.
"Wei Yumeng, you have no choice! The tide is rising. I can stay here with you, but your daughter probably can't wait any longer!"
Bai Qing spread out her other hand. The sea level gradually rose, and the water reached Shi Yi's waist.
Wei Yumeng's eyes instantly darkened. She looked closely at Shi Yi's position. The seawater surged, threatening to swallow the little girl's body at any moment, which made her heart pound with fear.
Zhan Mohan also saw this. He glanced at Wei Yumeng's troubled expression, stepped forward, took her hand, and whispered in her ear.
"Are you going to agree to her conditions?"
"No, we absolutely cannot risk Shi Yi again!"
Wei Yumeng shook her head and flatly refused. She had experienced Bai Qing's cunning last time. If Bai Qing had accomplices waiting outside, wouldn't she be letting a tiger return to the mountains?
Moreover, Bai Qing had even killed people and gone abroad for plastic surgery to get revenge on them, and after returning to the country, she meticulously planned to kidnap Shi Yi.
Now that Bai Qing was in such a predicament, it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn't vent her anger on Shi Yi after escaping.
Wei Yumeng stared intently at Shi Yi, clenching her fists involuntarily. This was the closest she had been to Shi Yi, and one wrong move could lead to complete failure!
"Manager Wei, have you thought about it? If you keep delaying, your daughter will only meet you in the underground!" Bai Qing pressed the blade further against Shi Yi's neck, gritting her teeth and forcing the question. This little brat was the best bargaining chip to threaten Wei Yumeng!
The effects of the sleeping pills wore off. After being tossed around, Shi Yi slowly opened her eyes. The danger in front of her and the unfamiliar aunt made her look bewildered and helpless.
"Mommy!"
Shi Yi habitually called out the words that were always on her lips, her voice a soft, weak, childlike whimper.
"Oh my, this little child is awake. She must be very scared, right? Your mommy and daddy are over there on the bridge, watching you drown!"
Bai Qing embellished her words, coaxing Shi Yi. Her eyes turned crimson. With this little brat awake, things were becoming more interesting!
Wei Yumeng also heard Shi Yi's voice, and her heart ached dully. She hardened her heart and shouted at Bai Qing.
"Bai Qing! You hate me the most, don't you? I am willing to exchange myself for my daughter, to be your hostage!"
"No!"
Zhan Mohan was shocked, his pupils contracting. He firmly held Wei Yumeng's arm, preventing her from stepping onto the floating bridge.
Bai Qing's eyes widened with excitement. She scrutinized Wei Yumeng and hooked her lips smugly.
Shi Yi and Wei Yumeng. Zhan Mohan cared more about Wei Yumeng. It would be better to use her to exchange for this little brat, and Zhan Mohan would definitely agree to all the demands immediately!
"A mother's love for her child is fierce. I am truly touched!" Bai Qing pretended to wipe her dry eyes. With a swift movement, she cut the ropes binding Shi Yi and, holding the knife to Shi Yi's neck, stepped onto the floating bridge.
"So I agree to the exchange, Wei Yumeng, you come over!"
"Mommy, don't come!"
Shi Yi, intelligently understanding the current situation, waved her little hands and cried out hoarsely to Wei Yumeng in her childish voice, shaking her little head desperately.