The three women instinctively looked in the direction of the voice. They saw four or five burly men walking towards them.
Chen Lishu quickly pulled Tian Tian and Zhang Wan'er to hide in the bushes.
"Hush, don't make a sound so they don't find us! When they go in and see we've broken free and escaped, they'll definitely panic and leave this place to search. We can take this opportunity to sneak away!"
Tian Tian nodded, covering her mouth with her hand to avoid making noise. Meanwhile, a calculating glint flashed in Zhang Wan'er's eyes behind Chen Lishu.
As the burly men entered the abandoned room, they saw the ropes scattered and cut to shreds all over the floor. They were stunned for a moment, and then one of them shouted, "Damn it, those three women have escaped!"
"I… I told you earlier we should have left someone to guard them while we ate! Now that they've escaped, how are we going to report back? We'll be skinned alive by the boss!"
"Now is not the time to shift blame. We need to hurry and find these three women. We can't have our day's work go to waste, can we?"
"..."
Upon hearing this, the five burly men nodded seriously and then split into three groups to search for Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu, hiding in the bushes, watched them brush past her. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Zhang Wan'er behind her suddenly plopped onto the ground, causing the bushes to rustle loudly.
The commotion here quickly attracted the attention of the burly men. Chen Lishu turned her head and glared at Zhang Wan'er, demanding, "What are you doing?"
Zhang Wan'er, with tears in her eyes, put on an innocent and pitiful look and explained in a small voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. My ankle hurts so much that I can't support myself, so I fell uncontrollably!"
Chen Lishu opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. She turned her head to look outside the bushes and saw that the burly men were already approaching her direction. Escape was impossible. With an injured person beside her and a young child, she couldn't just leave them behind without looking back. Since they couldn't leave, they had to try and stall for time. Among the three of them, only Tian Tian had a chance to escape.
So Chen Lishu held Tian Tian's hand tightly and said, "Good girl, listen to me. I'll create an opportunity for you, and you just run as fast as you can! Run to where there are many people! Once you get to a crowded place, find a way to contact Gu Xingdong. If that doesn't work, call the landline number 0855… Do you remember? If all else fails, just ensure your own safety. I'll handle these thugs here!"
Hearing that she was about to be separated from Chen Lishu, Tian Tian's tears began to fall uncontrollably again. She cried out, "Auntie, Tian Tian doesn't want to leave you. What if something happens to you after I leave?"
Hearing Tian Tian's voice, the burly men suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "That's right, it's human speech! These women are hiding here!"
"Hurry up and catch them! If we miss even one person, we won't be able to report back!"
With that, the five burly men suddenly rushed towards Chen Lishu's direction.
Chen Lishu bit her lower lip hard and spoke at an accelerated pace, "If you don't run, all three of us might perish here! But if you run to a crowded place and ask for help, we might have a chance of being saved. Do you understand?"
Seeing Chen Lishu's determined look, Tian Tian, sobbing, nodded, "Auntie, I understand. I will definitely bring people to save you!"
Chen Lishu gently stroked Tian Tian's head to comfort her, then drew the dagger hidden on her thigh and jumped out of the bushes.
"Run!" she shouted at Tian Tian behind her.
Tian Tian was also obedient. She closed her eyes tightly and ran out of the bushes. Using her height advantage, she squeezed directly between a burly man's legs. The man instinctively reached out to grab Tian Tian's clothes. Chen Lishu's eyes turned cold, and she swiftly appeared in front of the man, then fiercely plunged the dagger into his shoulder.
"Ah!" A heart-wrenching roar erupted from the man's mouth. The others were startled by the bloody scene, but after recovering, someone roared, "You slut, how dare you attack my brother! What are you all waiting for? Teach this slut a lesson!"
They were outnumbered. Even though she had learned some self-defense moves from Gu Xingdong, at this moment, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Chen Lishu swallowed and calmly met the gaze of the kidnapper boss, saying, "What is your purpose in kidnapping me? Do you want money, or are you working for someone? What do you want to do to me? If you want money, I advise you not to hurt me, because without my cooperation, this money will never reach you! If you're simply being paid to do someone's bidding, then this matter is easily settled. Whatever he pays, I'll pay three times that amount, with the only request being to let us go!"
Three times the price? Hearing this number, the kidnappers couldn't help but swallow. It was clear they were tempted.
Zhang Wan'er walked out of the bushes and, in a place Chen Lishu couldn't see, shot a fierce glare at the kidnappers, as if telling them with her eyes that if they let Chen Lishu escape, they might as well not live in this world. The kidnappers' pupils contracted when they saw Zhang Wan'er. They knew Zhang Wan'er's status was extraordinary, and no one wanted to offend her!
So, one of the kidnappers, with trembling lips, approached Chen Lishu, grabbed her hair, and said menacingly, "You Bitch, do you think we brothers are just greedy for profit? We have professional integrity, alright?!" With that, the man grabbed Chen Lishu's hand, snatched the dagger from her, and said, "What are you waiting for? Quickly grab these two women and tie them up again! I'm going to contact her family right now and have them bring the ransom!"
As the man finished speaking, Chen Lishu's hands were already bound. They tied a tight knot, as if afraid she would escape again. Compared to her earlier panic, Chen Lishu's emotions seemed much calmer now. After all, the man had said he would contact Gu Xingdong, and as long as Gu Xingdong arrived on the scene, her situation would be half as safe!