Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 052

Chapter 52 ☆, A Dark and Windy Night, Murder and Robbery.

When Xin Xin woke up again, she found herself with her hands tied behind her back, thrown into a cramped storage room. There was a light bulb on the ceiling, and in the dim light, she could see that the four walls of the small room were lined with shelves, on which were placed all kinds of cigarettes, alcohol, and some snacks.

This storage room did not look like the scene that kidnapped people see when they wake up in TV dramas. In Xin Xin’s knowledge, most people who were kidnapped would see a dark, abandoned factory when they opened their eyes.

But the storage room looked very homey, with the sound of a television and some people talking outside the door.

Xin Xin looked around. The snacks included counterfeit products like Shanghaojia and Three Little Cats… as well as canned foods such as Eight Treasure Porridge. Overall, she probably wouldn’t starve to death if she were left here for a month or two.

There were no windows in the room, so Xin Xin couldn’t tell the time, but judging from the unusual soreness in her arms and wrists, it must have been some time since they lost consciousness.

The rope wasn’t tied securely, and her feet weren’t bound. Xin Xin carefully stood up and turned around a pile of boxes.

Then, something touched her underfoot.

“Um……”

The blurry figure let out a groan. Xin Xin squinted and tried to make out the figure, then tentatively asked, “Fu Meng?”

The woman struggled to her feet, her hair disheveled in front of her eyes, looking rather messy.

“It’s me.”

Xin Xin breathed a sigh of relief and asked in a low voice, “How are you? Is anything bothering you?”

Fu Meng glanced around, her gaze finally settling on Xin Xin’s bound hands. She was completely unaware of the situation but showed no sign of panic.

“Have we run into robbers?”

Xin Xin never imagined that being kidnapped, a plot that only happened in TV dramas, would actually happen to her.

But Xin Xin felt she might be able to guess why she was kidnapped.

Xin Xin knew almost immediately that this was a setup the moment the driver called out her surname. Although she wasn’t entirely sure, she felt that Su Chengjie was inextricably linked to it all.

“Perhaps this was premeditated.”

“Premeditated? How many people knew we were coming to Jinshi?” Fu Meng thought calmly. “Besides, if it was premeditated, then the car accident was also premeditated.”

At this moment, Xin Xin thought of a terrible possibility.

“Before I came here, I was investigating a case of stock price manipulation using private accounts,” Xin Xin said slowly. “This matter involves Fengchun Group, and it’s very likely that Su Chengjie is behind it. Because of this, I’ve been subjected to numerous threats and inducements.”

Fu Meng looked up. “You mean, the person who kidnapped us is related to him?”

In that instant, they both considered an extremely terrifying possibility.

Su Chengjie was in Haining. If he really did it, then he definitely had people in Jinshi. Who were his people? Was it one person or a group of people?

If Mr. Zhang was unaware of this matter and they did not return, he would definitely call the police.

But if he knew about this, then it was all too terrible.

Making two people disappear from the world without explanation was not an easy task. But in a no-man’s-land, the danger was much greater.

In this situation, Xin Xin inexplicably thought of a possibility. If they were abandoned in the Gobi Desert, unless someone identified them, their bodies might never be found.

Fu Meng didn’t think their lives were in any danger at all. To be honest, in this line of work, money is involved. Murder for money was a common motive for killing, and in this situation, she didn’t think their lives were in any real danger.

“Actually, if it really was Su Chengjie who did it, we are actually safe,” Fu Meng calmly analyzed.

Xin Xin quickly realized that Fu Meng was right. If Su Chengjie had sent people to kidnap them, he must have some ulterior motive. At least until that goal was achieved, they would be safe.

“But what if it’s just a coincidence?”

Xin Xin began to feel uncertain. Before she fainted, she was certain that the other person was identifying her appearance from a photograph. Moreover, she vaguely remembered that the other person had clearly told her, “Ms. Xin, you have offended someone.”

It was for this reason that Xin Xin judged that the other party had premeditated the crime.

But what if she misheard?

What if the driver was just someone who habitually took passengers to deserted areas and then resold them to others? This possibility was far more terrifying than a premeditated crime.

Fu Meng calmly said, “It’s alright; let’s negotiate first and adapt to the situation.”

The two searched the surrounding area again, but their backpacks, phones, and watches were all gone.

Was anyone there?

As soon as the words were spoken, the door opened from the outside. A woman walked in. She had long, curly hair, was of medium height, and looked kind and gentle; she seemed to be just an ordinary shopkeeper.

“He went out; he’ll be back in a bit. Are you hungry?”

The proprietress didn’t seem to be speaking to two kidnapped people. The atmosphere between them was as ordinary as a casual chat.

“I’m hungry,” Fu Meng answered before Xin Xin could.

The proprietress smiled and walked over. Xin Xin instinctively took a step back, but the proprietress grabbed her.

“Don’t move; I’ll untie the rope for you.”

Soon, Xin Xin and Fu Meng’s hands were freed. The proprietress gave them a look, signaling them to follow her out. Stepping out of the storage room, the two instinctively closed their eyes in the bright light. It took them a while to adjust to their surroundings and take in the layout.

This was an ordinary small supermarket, the kind you often saw in rural towns, with the lights turned a particularly glaring white. A typical period drama played on the TV, and a kettle of water boiled vigorously on a stove, bubbling away. The whole environment inexplicably exuded a bizarre sense of horror and gloom.

The proprietress glanced at them. “How did you get here? Were you taken abroad to make big money? Or did you end up with a shady company?”

Xin Xin and Fu Meng exchanged a glance, fear creeping into their hearts. The same suspicion resurfaced: what if it wasn’t Su Chengjie? What if it was all an accident?

The proprietress didn’t seem to be waiting for their answer. She turned around, put the pot on the stove, boiled the water, and threw in two instant noodle cakes.

“Eat.”

Xin Xin held the bowl, feeling a tightness in her throat; she couldn’t eat at all.

Fu Meng picked up the bowl and wolfed down her noodles, asking the proprietress in the Jinshi dialect as she ate, “Are we still in Zong County?”

The proprietress smiled and said, “We’re almost out of Zong County. Don’t bother trying to run anymore. I’m the only shop around here, and you won’t see a soul for a hundred or two kilometers. There might even be wolves. Just stay put; even if you manage to run, you’re likely to be in grave danger.”

Fu Meng smiled and said, “That’s true. Even if we didn’t encounter any wolves, we would freeze to death at night.”

The deep blackness seeped in from under the glass door of the convenience store, creating a stark contrast with the blinding white light.

The proprietress looked at Fu Meng with a hint of curiosity. “You’re quite bold, young lady. They’re all involved in murder and robbery. Aren’t you afraid?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? Whether you’re afraid or not, what’s coming will come. As the saying goes, things will work themselves out when one reaches the bridge.”

The female boss glanced at Xin Xin and said, “I think this little girl is trembling with fear.”

Fu Meng glanced at Xin Xin. “It’s normal that she’s inexperienced. Flowers in a greenhouse can’t withstand the cold.”

Xin Xin had only heard others say that Fu Meng was a terrifying woman, but she always thought it was just hearsay and somewhat exaggerated. But now she realized that Fu Meng was more than just terrifying; she was practically not a normal human being.

In this environment, under these circumstances, and under immense pressure of uncertainty about life and death, Fu Meng and a woman with great malice who might help others commit murder and robbery chatted and laughed in their local dialect like old friends.

The proprietress seemed amused. “You’re from Jinshi too?”

Fu Meng said, “Yes, I’m from Huixian.”

“There must be a lot of men buying wives in your area. That’s how it used to be; they’d buy one, beat her up first, and once she was subdued, she wouldn’t run away. Now it’s a civilized society, and they go to Vietnam to find wives. You two don’t look like you’re eighteen or nineteen, just graduated. How did you end up on this pirate ship?”

As Xin Xin listened to their conversation, she forced herself to eat the bowl of noodles that had become soggy. She felt as if there was a knife in her stomach, sharply churning every piece of her flesh.

Fu Meng had already finished her meal and even took the initiative to say, “Boss lady, could you give me some water? I’m so thirsty. We’re not college students; we’ve been working for quite some time now. We’re rushing to the factory in Zong County on a business trip, and we encountered an unlicensed taxi on the way.”

The proprietress seemed to have no ill intentions. She poured Fu Meng a glass of water and said, “To be honest, I don’t know where they took those girls. But I’m telling you, don’t resist; just listen to them. As long as you’re alive, you can always make a comeback. Don’t act like those who try to kill themselves.”

Fu Meng seemed completely persuaded. “Boss lady, what you said makes so much sense. Thank you for advising us. We will definitely listen to you. Life is the most important thing; everything else is secondary. We don’t need money either. It would be best if we could save our lives.”

The proprietress nodded, as if to say, “You’re teachable.” Then, she yawned and said, “You should go inside. I won’t tie you up. Since you’re a local, you know you can’t escape.”

They were locked in the storage room again.

Xin Xin went in and sat in the corner, squeezing in next to the cashier.

Fu Meng noticed her fear, reached out, and put her arm around her shoulder, gently patting her.

“Okay, stop crying. Life is about facing everything. Why are you crying?”

Xin Xin wanted to say that she hadn’t cried, but when she wiped her face with her hand, she found that it was already covered in tears.

“I don’t think this is as hopeless as it seems. Even if we were sold, we’re still a long way from leaving the country. Zongxian only has one port, and it hasn’t been open for many years. It’s even less likely that we’d be sold to a local village. You’ve heard that there were female students who were trafficked decades ago, but things have been regulated now, and that doesn’t happen anymore.”

Xin Xin asked uncertainly, “Is it really gone?”

Fu Meng laughed and said, “Really, that’s all. There aren’t any proper mountainous areas around here. It’s mostly just neighboring areas, sparsely populated. If we were to be sold, it would be locals selling to other places. But this place is too remote. If they wanted to take us to the next province to sell us, it would involve some travel. It’s unlikely. I think you heard me right; our kidnapping wasn’t an accident.”