Chapter 109 - We're Not Thugs

The whole of the Qing's residence was in an uproar for the past half hour since Feng Xuan had been abducted. Qing Chen immediately went to their house after making sure that nobody else got injured in the shootout. Feng Xuan's employee had managed to run away. Qing Chen had also assigned men to clean-up the bodies of their men, taking away their guns and wiping the kitchen clean.

Although they had the deputy's help with matters such as this, they could not possibly wipe out an entire team of police just to get away with their crimes to keep the truth from coming out. That would just add a dozen more problems on their plate.

First thing he did was make a call to the deputy and told him every detail of what happened so he would send the men they pay from their deep pockets.

"Lok, talk to me," said Qing Chen. Every IT person in their payroll had been called up and had set up in different parts of the first floor to track down Feng Xuan.

Qing Lok stood up from the floor and handed Qing Chen a map. "Based on the CCTV cameras, the car disappeared in between these two exits. In the middle of those exits is a town the size of a small city. I'm pretty sure that was where they took her."

"Okay," Qing Chen said. "Check the other exits where that car might have gone."

"We're on it."

Qing Chen waved a maid over and took a squat glass of whiskey and downed it one huge gulp. A hand clasped his shoulders. "Don't do that," said Wuming.

"I need my nerves to calm down." He sighed. "It's the senator. I haven't heard his voice but I am sure that it's not The Zookeeper."

"It could be him. We really didn't get those plans in their computers though."

"Yeah, they didn't have cameras and microphones in the bas.e.m.e.nt. We didn't know what they could be planning."

Before Wuming could answer, the doors opened and came in Feng Lizhao with an oddly calm face. His eyes searched the room before landing on Qing Chen who was near the fireplace.

"Sir," Qing Chen greeted. He was about to launch in the summary of everything that had happened—to apologize for it when his father-in-law held up a hand.

"I already heard about everything. Now we just wait."

Just in time, Qing Zihao entered the room with a frown. "Qing Chen!" he shouted. "I need you in the foyer now."

Qing Chen tiptoed on the floor around the people and equipments they had with them. He had already prepared himself for a sermon—for being too lax or something along that line—but it didn't come. "Yes, Father?"

"I need you back at the hotel. The police are going to take your statement. I know your managers are already there but it's going to be suspicious if you're not. What story are we building?"

Qing Chen had already thought about that. "We're not going to build a story." Then he saw the mortified look on his father's face. "We're going to tell them the truth."

"What if it wouldn't work?"

"It will work," he stressed. "We're not touching the senator and he had the nerve to take my wife. I'm not having any of that." He turned away and spoke to the experts in his living room. "Listen, I need you all to find anything you can about Senator Chang Yan. Any dirt—anything, down to the smallest thing that has his name attached to it."

"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.

Just then his phone started ringing. He waited for the signal that he could answer the call to track the location. "Hello?"

"It has been exactly forty-five minutes from the moment we got in the car with your wife. She's here, still perfectly safe, although you'll understand I have her strapped to a chair. Do you want to hear her talk?" without waiting for an answer Qing Chen hears Feng Xuan's small voice.

"I'm fine, Qing Chen."

"As I promised, no harm shall come to your wife."

Qing Chen walked around the room, they could all hear the conversation in speaker. "It's about time you tell me what you want. My wife is probably getting bored there."

The man chuckled. "Yes, yes. She has quite the death glare. Listen, here's what you're going to do. I want you to admit to the deaths of Mr. Wei and Mr. Zhang."

Qing Chen laughed, full and deep. "I have nothing to do with those people. Why should I admit to those? Were you the one who had them killed and you're in need of a fall guy?"

"No," said the clipped tone. "Merely because all this vigilante shit is stupid."

Qing Chen's eyebrows furrowed as he gave a look to Qing Lok that said 'he just called your idea stupid' to which his youngest brother shook his head with a wide grin. "Any other things you want? Funding for your campaign? Want us to pull some strings in the government to get that seat you're coveting?" Silence came from the other line. "Yes, we know who you are, Senator Chang Yan."

"I knew it," said the voice. "You're in some organized crime syndicate."

Laughter came out but it was not from Qing Chen's lips. It was from his father. Qing Chen turned to the phone. "That has to be the craziest thing I've ever heard. We're not thugs, senator. We're businessmen. On that note, is that everything you want in exchange for my wife?"

"Another thing, you have to video yourself about the windmills that poisoned the water in Dong Yi—"

Qing Chen snapped his fingers and one man handed him a laptop where articles popped up.

"--create something about the construction—about some gas leak, solution, mixture—I don't care. Just admit that it was you."

"We don't even have properties in Dong Yi." He recalled his father's decision in laundering the money weeks ago—that he had put it in wind energy. "But if that's what you want so be it."

"I want you to film it live and I will be watching you. I will release your wife as soon as you're finished taping it. I will send you a script and you just have to read. Good deal, right?"

Qing Chen chuckled. "Yes, senator. You're kind. Thank you for worrying about that. Send us the script ASAP. I'd love to be with my wife soon."

"But you won't be with her for long," laughed the mad man on the other end. "The police will be at your property after I send it to them. You won't even be with her for an hour. Don't even think about calling your friends in high places. I will be giving these to the people and they will pull out their support when the masses demand an answer. Your time on the seat had been short. Your reign is over, Qing Chen."

Qing Chen was barely listening at this point. "Yeah, we'll see about that. Let's get things over, shall we?"