Jiaozi pounced forward and saw this passionate and stimulating scene. It barked at Xing Zheng, as if telling him: Don't touch her!
Xing Zheng merely gave Jiaozi a look, then kissed her more wantonly, unbuttoning her clothes and kissing her shoulder. Jiaozi barked even louder, the person and the dog seemingly arguing, competing to see who was more formidable.
Lin Mei cowered, dodging Xing Zheng's kiss, "What are you arguing with Jiaozi about? Stop it, or it will keep barking."
Jiaozi was a relatively well-behaved dog, gentle in temperament, and usually wouldn't get angry even if Lanlan rode on its head. To be so provoked now, it was almost in tears. Lin Mei couldn't bear to see it like this. After much pleading with Xing Zheng, he finally stopped.
After Lin Mei sat up, Jiaozi burrowed into her arms again. Lin Mei hugged it and soothed it. It whimpered and acted spoiled.
Xing Zheng then picked up Lanlan and petted the rabbit. After Lin Mei's comfort, Jiaozi became happy again, its drooping ears and tail perking up, its fluffy tail wagging like a small white fox. The fatigue from the journey was relieved upon seeing Jiaozi.
Lin Mei stayed at Zhuhua Villa for one night and returned to her apartment on the workday evening. Her life rhythm returned to its usual pace, and her work proceeded exceptionally smoothly.
One day, just before leaving work, Lin Mei received a call from Li Ran, "Manager Lin, are you free? I need to trouble you to come to my place tonight for some business matters."
Li Ran was a client, and Lin Mei always adhered to the principle of "customer first" in her work. Such situations were not uncommon before, so Lin Mei didn't think much of it and agreed immediately, "Okay, Mr. Li, please give me an address."
Li Ran told her, "I've already sent someone to pick you up. It's at the north exit of Jinrong South Street."
It wasn't far from the bank. After work, Lin Mei walked over. The driver sent by Li Ran was indeed waiting. Lin Mei greeted him, "Thank you for your trouble."
The driver opened the car door for her. As soon as Lin Mei sat in, someone covered her mouth from behind. Before she could struggle, something was smashed down on her head. Her consciousness became hazy, her eyes went black, and she fainted.
When she woke up again, Lin Mei's eyes were blindfolded, and her body was bound with ropes, unable to move. Her head still ached, but she didn't even have the chance to rub it. She didn't know where she was or who had tied her up. Was it Li Ran? Why would he do this? He had never suffered any losses in their business dealings.
The surroundings smelled damp, and the temperature was very low. Lin Mei shivered, covered in goosebumps, as if she were in an ice cellar. Her phone and bag were long gone. Since they had tied her up, the other party would not give her any opportunity to contact the outside world. Now, she could only hope that Xing Zheng would notice something was wrong and call the police.
Footsteps were heard outside. Lin Mei held her breath and heard the sound of a door opening. The footsteps grew closer and closer, finally stopping not far from her. The person didn't speak, but she could sense a gaze falling upon her, appraising her. When her eyes were blindfolded, her other senses became incredibly sharp.
"Who are you?" Lin Mei asked, "Did you tie me up because of the bank's business? If you have any questions about the business, I will explain them one by one. We can talk slowly, no need..."
"Heh heh." A contemptuous laugh interrupted her.
Although the laugh was brief, it was enough for Lin Mei to hear clearly. She judged that the other party was not Li Ran. This voice sounded slightly weathered; the person should be quite old. Lin Mei hadn't interacted with anyone of that age group recently. She frowned, falling into doubt again.
At this moment, the person approached her. She felt a cold blade against her cheek, and her breathing stopped.
"You have a vixen's face," came the weathered voice again, he laughed, "If I ruin this face, will he go mad?"
He? Lin Mei's mind raced. She suddenly thought of something. Did this man kidnap her because of Xing Zheng?
A tall tree catches the wind. Xing Zheng had always been decisive and ruthless in the business world, showing no mercy. If someone kidnapped her for revenge against him, it wouldn't be surprising.
Now, she was a hostage. Since the other party had captured her, they must want to negotiate with Xing Zheng. If that was the case, he would definitely contact Xing Zheng, which meant she was safe for now. With this deduction, Lin Mei actually calmed down.
The other party seemed to sense her calmness. The knife moved to her arm and made a cut.
Without warning, Lin Mei gasped in pain and bit her lip, which only earned her the other party's laughter, and then a second cut. She wasn't particularly good at enduring pain, and the knife was too sharp. Moreover, with her eyes blindfolded, the feeling of skin and flesh being torn apart became even clearer. The pain made her scalp tingle, and she couldn't help but groan.
Her pained expression elicited the man's perverted laughter. In her nostrils, besides the damp smell, there was also the smell of blood. The mixture of the two smells was nauseating.
Lin Mei gagged. Her hair was grabbed, and tears welled up in her eyes. She heard the man say, "Come in and grind it slowly for me."
"Manager Zhao, her phone is ringing," someone reported in a low voice to Zhao Rong, handing him Lin Mei's phone. Zhao Rong saw Xing Zheng's name, smiled, took the phone, and went upstairs.
Xing Zheng was waiting outside Lin Mei's apartment. It had been over an hour since she got off work. He hadn't told Lin Mei he was coming today; he had intended to give her a surprise. Who knew he had been waiting for so long and she hadn't appeared.
Thinking she was working overtime, Xing Zheng called her. He called five or six times, but no one answered. Xing Zheng became serious and drove to the bank. When he arrived at the parking lot, he saw Lin Mei's car parked in its spot. However, when he tried to enter the bank building, a security guard informed him that no one was left in the building.
Xing Zheng's gaze became even more somber, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, we have to wait until everyone leaves the building before we close the doors!" the security guard asked him, "Are you looking for someone? I can check the surveillance for you."
Xing Zheng went with the security guard to check the surveillance footage from when people left work. Lin Mei's figure was not visible in the parking lot surveillance. Xing Zheng saw Lin Mei on the surveillance screen at the main entrance of the building. The surveillance only recorded her walking out of the main door and turning left, after which she disappeared from view.
Xing Zheng's eyelids twitched. This was no accident. He immediately called the police and then notified Shen Su, Gu Song, and Liang Yufeng, asking them to use their connections to help him find her.
The few of them soon met at the police station. Lan Lan and Feng Feng also came, their faces extremely serious. As soon as they saw Xing Zheng, they asked, "How did Mei Mei suddenly go missing? Did you have a fight?"
Xing Zheng shook his head. If they had fought, he wouldn't be so worried.
Before he could answer, he heard the police say, "The surveillance system in the northern section of Jinrong South Street is malfunctioning, and no footage can be seen."