C18 The Mastermind

Jee Ange glanced at her watch—7:30. Still early, she thought, deciding to review her notes a bit longer. Over an hour passed before she realized she might miss the last bus. Hastily gathering her things, she rushed out, only to find it was already 9:00.

She jogged to the bus stop, but it was deserted. The autumn night was chilly, and a gust of wind made her shiver. The city was alive with lights and sounds, yet here, only her shadow kept her company under the streetlamp.

Another breeze swept by, and Jee sighed softly, muttering, "Why is the bus taking so long...?"

Just then, two men in casual clothes approached. Jee thought, Looks like I'm not the only one working late. It's tough for everyone...

But instead of stopping at the platform, the men walked straight toward her, step by step.

Uh-oh! Jee's instincts kicked in. She grabbed her cheap bag and stepped back, ready to run.

"What do you... what do you want..." she started to say, but everything went black.

When she came to, her hands and feet were bound to a chair with ropes as thick as tree branches. Her eyes were covered with a bandage, though not too thick, allowing her to vaguely make out her surroundings—it seemed like a deserted place.

Huh? They didn't gag me. Either they forgot, or they didn't need to. Probably the latter, she thought, realizing the place was so remote that shouting for help would be futile. In this situation, she felt surprisingly clever.

Hearing noises nearby, she guessed the two men had returned. Jee considered her options for a moment and decided to feign unconsciousness to figure out their intentions. After all, anyone could see she wasn't some wealthy heiress.

Kidnapped for money? No way. For looks? These two seemed too prepared for that, waiting around just to kidnap someone as ordinary as her. Ange thought it over and figured it was unlikely. She was baffled that someone like her could be kidnapped at all.

"What did the boss say? What are we supposed to do with her?" Footsteps grew closer, and Ange vaguely heard a man ask.

She couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. If you don't know what to do, why kidnap me?

Then another man spoke up, "Just keep an eye on her. The boss said they'd contact us soon."

The two men sat down right in front of Ange, completely unaware she was pretending to be asleep. Ange couldn't help but admire her own acting skills.

Qin Xiao returned home from the base. It was already eleven o'clock. His mother was asleep on the couch, the TV still on.

Qin Xiao frowned. Why didn't Ange wake Mom up?

He walked over and gently said, "Mom, wake up. Go to bed. Why are you sleeping here?"

His mother opened her eyes. "You're back."

"Yeah, where's Ange? She's getting more irresponsible," Qin Xiao frowned.

His mother looked around and asked, "Where's Ange? Didn't she come back with you?"

Qin Xiao was puzzled. Why would she be with me?

Then his mother suddenly exclaimed, "It's already eleven! Ange isn't back yet. She should have been here by now. Could something have happened?"

Qin Xiao felt a pang of concern. "Mom, don't worry. I'll go look for her." With that, he grabbed his jacket and rushed out.