"You send a text saying you can lend her the money. As soon as she answers your call, we'll transfer it to her," Han Bin said.
"Okay," He Ru agreed, her voice tense. Her palms were already sweaty.
She took a deep breath, waited until she calmed down a little, and began typing the message.
This time, it didn't take long for a reply to come back.
He Ru read it out loud: "I'm with your sister. She's safe, so you don't need to worry."
After reading it, she began to panic. "Officer Han, could my sister really have been kidnapped?"
Buzz…
Another text came in. This time it was a photo of He Yan's ID card, along with a short message: 'Prepare thirty thousand yuan and transfer it to this bank account. Then your sister can go home.'
"Officer Han, what should I do now?" He Ru asked anxiously.
"Tell him the money's not a problem, but you want to talk to your sister," Han Bin said, wanting to confirm He Yan's safety.
He Ru sent another text.
Ring ring ring…
Her phone rang. She glanced at the screen. "It's my sister calling."
"Answer it."
He Ru pressed the answer button. "Hello?"
"Your sister's in my hands. Get thirty thousand yuan ready, or be ready to collect her body," a man's voice said over the phone.
"Who are you? Let me talk to my sister."
"Your sister's not available. Money first, then she walks free. Don't play games." The man hung up.
"Officer Han, is my sister going to be okay?" He Ru grabbed Han Bin's arm, clearly flustered.
"Focus on finding a way to raise the money. The rest is for us police to handle."
"But… but I can't just come up with that much at once," she said helplessly.
Buzz…
A text alert sounded.
It was a bank account number.
"Call your sister's phone again," Han Bin instructed.
"Okay." She immediately redialed.
"I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off."
"She turned it off again," He Ru said in frustration.
"Contact your brother-in-law and your sister's mother-in-law. Have them help raise the money." Han Bin got her into the SUV first, while he and Li Hui stayed outside.
"What now, Binzi?" Li Hui asked.
"Let's get our thoughts straight before we report to Captain Zheng and Captain Zeng."
"You're right. I'm a bit rattled myself," Li Hui admitted, scratching his head. "Something about this case… doesn't feel like a normal kidnapping."
"Her phone and ID are in that man's hands. That does suggest she may have been abducted," Han Bin reasoned.
"In a normal kidnapping, the ransom demand comes right after the victim is taken. But here, the demand came a day later. Isn't that odd?" Li Hui asked.
"This kidnapper isn't very professional. First, he asked for only six thousand, now thirty thousand. Either he's inexperienced or acting on impulse," Han Bin said, lighting a cigarette and handing one to Li Hui.
"Risking so much for thirty thousand yuan? Seems too little," Li Hui said, taking a drag.
"And he sent a bank account number? Might as well hand us his head," Han Bin flicked his ash.
"You want to report to Captain Zeng, or should I?" Li Hui asked.
"You go ahead. I'll think a bit more."
…
An hour later, a police RV appeared near He Yan's home.
Han Bin and Li Hui parked the SUV behind it.
The RV door opened, and the two men stepped inside.
Unlike an ordinary RV, this was a mobile command center, fully equipped with police tech.
He Yan's house was a two-story single-family home. Too many officers going in and out would draw attention. If the kidnappers noticed, He Yan's life could be at risk.
Inside the RV sat six people: Zheng Kaixuan, Zeng Ping, Han Bin, Li Hui, Tian Li, and Zhao Ming.
Zheng sipped tea and pointed at Han Bin and Li Hui. "You two, go over the details again."
"I'll do it," Li Hui said, and recounted the case step by step.
After listening, Zheng paused in thought. "This doesn't feel like a straightforward kidnapping."
"Captain Zheng, Li Hui and I agree," Han Bin said.
"There are several lines of investigation here, and we may not have enough manpower," Zeng Ping noted.
"Team One's tied up with another case. We'll have to rely on local officers for help," Zheng said, handing his cup to Zhao Ming. "Top me up."
"Captain, it's been an hour since the kidnapper last called. I suggest we lock down our investigative direction quickly," Han Bin proposed.
"Any leads on why He Yan went out that day?" Zheng asked Han Bin.
"Her mother-in-law keeps brushing us off. Her husband's phone is off—we can't reach him."
"No time to waste. Let's divide the work," Zheng said, then turned to Zeng Ping: "Old Zeng, check the bank account the kidnapper sent—find the account holder's identity."
"Zhao Ming, pull local CCTV footage. Find out what transport He Yan used to leave and where she went."
"Tian Li, get her communication records from the phone and chat app companies—see who she's been in touch with lately."
"Han Bin, Li Hui—you track down Chen Zili. He's missing, and he could be connected to He Yan's disappearance. Get local police help if needed."
"I'll coordinate with the tech team myself. Once we pinpoint the location the messages were sent from, we'll move in for the arrest."
"Yes, sir," everyone responded.
"Anything to add?" Zheng asked.
Li Hui hesitated. "The kidnappers keep contacting He Ru. If there's any new development, they'll probably reach out to her again. Should we bring her here?"
"Good idea. Bring her over so I can respond immediately if they make contact."
"Yes, sir."
…
Once the orders were given, everyone split up.
Han Bin and Li Hui returned to the SUV and called He Ru, telling her to come out of her house—and warning her to watch for anyone following her.
Not long after, she arrived, visibly nervous.
Once inside, she immediately asked, "Officer Han, Officer Li, have you found the people who kidnapped my sister?"
"Not yet. We need more clues," Han Bin replied.
"I've told you everything I know. What now?" she sighed.
"Have you reached your brother-in-law?"
"No. His phone's still off."
Han Bin took out his phone and added her on WeChat. "Send me Chen Zili's phone number and photo."
"You're going to find my brother-in-law?"
Han Bin nodded.
"What about my sister?"
"Other officers are handling that," he assured her, then asked, "Did you manage to raise the money?"
A bitter smile crossed her face. "My brother-in-law's not home, my mother-in-law's no help, and I could only come up with just over ten thousand."
Hearing that made Han Bin even more suspicious. This family clearly wasn't wealthy—so why would the kidnappers target He Yan?
(End of Chapter)