From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor-Chapter 325 - 300: Splitting Into Two Teams

Tong Guangsheng wasn’t sure if Xu Chunliang’s information was reliable, but in the current situation, they had no choice but to split up.

They continued heading to the planned trading location, while the lead on Cannon Tower Mountain had to be followed up by Xu Chunliang. Whether true or not, he was very grateful to Xu Chunliang and advised him to be cautious, acknowledging the possibility of a confrontation with the kidnappers since they were acting privately without involving the police.

Although Huang Si Po did not call back, she sent a message to her granddaughter’s phone—it read: the old fort on Cannon Tower Mountain.

Upon receiving the message, Huang Zichun immediately informed Xu Chunliang. Both Xu Chunliang and Hua Zhuyue believed that Huang Si Po would not lie. Despite her ruthless methods, it was unlikely she would risk her son and granddaughter’s lives.

If Tong Nianzu was being held on Cannon Tower Mountain, then the trading location given to Tong Guangsheng and his son was a trap, which meant they were in a dangerous situation.

Xu Chunliang hung up the phone.

Hua Zhuyue asked, "What do you think?"

Xu Chunliang told her that Tong Guangsheng and his son had already departed for the trading spot near the exhibition center, handing over 1.5 million a while ago.

Hua Zhuyue said, "If they are on Cannon Tower Mountain, then Tong Guangsheng and his son might be in danger."

Xu Chunliang nodded, the situation was growing increasingly urgent. Tong Nianzu was the key to breaking the deadlock; once he was found, everything would be resolved.

Xu Chunliang personally thought it was more likely Tong Nianzu was on Cannon Tower Mountain. The deal on Tong Guangsheng’s side was probably a ruse by the kidnappers, spurred by greed for the amount offered. They intended to seize Tong Guangsheng’s ransom and eliminate them, which would satisfy the big shot in Penang and secure the 30 million ransom—a win-win for them.

The Jianghu today no longer honored the past’s integrity, and these kidnappers might demand both money and lives.

Xu Chunliang sought Hua Zhuyue’s opinion, and she quietly asked Huang Zichun if she wanted to join them in finding her grandmother. Huang Zichun readily agreed.

They had no intention of harming Huang Zichun, but having her with them added extra security for Tong Nianzu’s safety. Xu Chunliang especially instructed Hua Zhuyue to focus on protecting the child once they arrived, leaving the action to him.

Huang Jiucheng slept soundly, and unless someone woke him, he could probably sleep for three days and nights.

Seeing her father sleeping peacefully, Huang Zichun felt relieved, locked him in at home, and left the wolfdog Dawei to guard the house.

Hua Zhuyue felt increasingly fond of this sensible little girl. She wasn’t giving empty promises to Huang Si Po; if Huang Si Po was truthful, she would fulfill her promise and care for the child’s life. Actually, she did charity work annually, and caring for one little girl was no issue for her financially.

As for Huang Jiucheng, if Xu Chunliang cured his illness, they’d find him a proper job, enabling him to be self-reliant.

Cannon Tower Mountain was only five kilometers from the parking lot subcontracted by Huang Si Po, a place she chose due to her familiarity with the terrain.

At 7:30 in the evening, only an hour and a half remained until the trade. It started snowing.

Cannon Tower Mountain was not high, with an altitude of just over a hundred meters. At the top stood a tower constructed by Easterners, damaged in the seventies but with its main structure still intact. From the ruins, muffled cries of a child could be faintly heard; he dared not cry too loudly as the bad people threatened to silence him if he yelled.

Under the pale glow of the camping lantern, Huang Si Po looked at the child, sighed, and put her down jacket on him.

This little boy was Tong Nianzu. He was so cold that his little face had turned blue, yet he refused to be defeated, throwing Huang Si Po’s down jacket back at her. He believed she was a bad person. Earlier today, he was watching penguins at Polar Ocean World, but somehow got dizzily led away by her. When he came to, he was in an unfamiliar place, unable to see his mom and grandpa.

The two large men beside him laughed, one of them with a bushy beard jeered, "This punk doesn’t appreciate kindness!"

Huang Si Po commented, "He’s quite stubborn." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

At this moment, the bearded man’s phone rang. He stepped outside to take the call, returned, and told the others, "Pack up, we need to leave right away."

Huang Si Po felt uneasy upon hearing they were leaving. She asked deliberately, "Where to?"

The bearded man replied, "You stay out of this, just leave the child to us."

The bearded man signaled with his eyes, and one accomplice moved to grab Xiaonianzu, attempting to forcibly take him away.

Tong Nianzu struggled desperately, "I won’t go, I won’t go..." In terror, he hid behind Huang Si Po. Compared to the three fearsome men, this elderly lady seemed more amiable; at least she hadn’t yelled at him.

Huang Si Po said, "Don’t harm him, we still need him for the money exchange."

The three villains laughed heartily.

Huang Si Po’s heart sank, was Hua Zhuyue right all along? Had these people never planned to leave the child alive from the start? Although she had deceived many in her life, she never harmed anyone, especially not such young children—it would be a crime.

Seeing them approach the child again, Huang Si Po blocked their path saying, "Hold on."

The bearded man looked at him and said, "What do you want to do?"

Huang Si Po said harshly, "I want to ask what you want to do? Where’s the money you promised me? You want to take the person away without paying the full amount, no way!"

The bearded man said, "The money will be transferred to you, we always keep our word when doing business."

Huang Si Po said, "You absolutely cannot leave until the money is in my account."

A thug took a step closer to Huang Si Po.

Huang Si Po said, "What? Want to kill me to keep me quiet? I warn you, since I dared to take this job, I’ve already thought of a way out. If anything happens to this old woman tonight, don’t think any of you can get away."

The bearded man reached out to stop his companion. Although Huang Si Po was expelled from the Jianghu, she was once one of the Eight Generals of the Jianghu, and besides, she had helped them a lot with this matter.

The bearded man sneered, "We’ve worked together, why make it unpleasant at the end? We’ve already paid three hundred thousand, can’t the rest wait until tomorrow?"

"No way!" Huang Si Po stood her ground.

The bearded man nodded and took out his phone to make a call.

Huang Si Po was secretly anxious. Why hadn’t anyone come yet? She couldn’t stall for much longer. These people were ruthless criminals who wouldn’t hesitate to kill. They must be wary of her having a backup plan, or they might have already killed her too.

The bearded man hung up the phone and said to Huang Si Po, "The boss said, tomorrow, if you dare to play tricks, we’ll send your son and granddaughter on their way first."

Huang Si Po felt a chill inside. These people had no sense of Jianghu ethics. They never intended to pay her the full amount. What made it even more unacceptable was that they were willing to harm a child.

Huang Si Po suddenly drew a dagger and held it to Xiaonianzu’s neck, shouting angrily, "Today, if you don’t give me the money, don’t think about taking him away!"

The three thugs exchanged glances and then burst into laughter simultaneously. The bearded man sneered, "Alright, do it then, save us the trouble."

Tong Guangsheng and the others arrived at the exhibition center, only to receive another call directing them to the rafting port, which was an abandoned ferry terminal by the river.

Even without considering Tong Guangsheng’s exhausted and ill state, even Shu Yuanhang was emotionally drained from the kidnappers’ demands. He was filled with pessimism, doubting that three million could ensure his son’s safety. If the mastermind was Li Zongyuan, it wasn’t about the money; it was about revenge, making him feel the pain of losing a son.

The river wind howled, and snowflakes fluttered.

They parked the car on the designated riverbank but saw no vehicles or boats there.

Tong Guangsheng stood in the wind, shivering, as Shu Yuanhang approached and draped a coat over him. Tong Guangsheng turned around, looked into his son’s eyes, and they both said in unison, "Don’t worry, nothing will happen."

They were both comforting each other, yet neither could comfort themselves. In all these years, the two had never felt so close at heart.

Now all that remained was to wait, and only to wait.

Shu Yuanhang received a call instructing him to bring the money boxes from the car to the riverbank. The driver, Tong Guangsheng, and Shu Yuanhang’s couple worked together to carry nineteen boxes filled with cash to the shore.

Tong Guangsheng had been thoughtful and placed the money in two separate piles.

They kept their promise, only hoping the kidnappers would also keep theirs and return the child safely. As the transaction neared, they grew more and more uneasy.

Three speeding boats rapidly approached the dark river surface. When they were about a hundred meters from the shore, one slowed down while the other two moved closer to the bank.

Four masked men disembarked from the boats and headed straight for the money boxes. Tong Guangsheng shouted angrily, "Where’s my grandson?"

The lead figure, a burly man wearing a flat cap that only revealed his eyes, looked at Tong Guangsheng and said, "He’s on the boat behind us. Once we have the money, we’ll release him."

Tong Guangsheng said, "That’s unreasonable; it’s supposed to be an exchange."

Behind them, the business car’s headlights illuminated the scene and the thugs.

The leader, staring at Tong Guangsheng, said, "You have no choice. We take the money first, or we leave with the person!" He gestured, and the speedboat further from the shore began to turn around.

Tong Guangsheng’s lips twitched slightly. His grandson was likely on that speedboat. He didn’t dare to gamble. He could risk his own life but couldn’t disregard his grandson’s safety.

Shu Yuanhang said, "You can take nine boxes first, then release the person, and take the rest." These kidnappers had already proven they lacked integrity by kidnapping a child. If they gave all the money, they would completely lose control.