What made Teacher Zeng concerned was a small matter.
About half a month ago, she took Congcong to the Science and Technology Museum, and suddenly a young woman with a child came over and started chatting with him. Because she had a seven or eight-year-old girl with her, who was very cute, she didn't pay much attention and let the two children play together.
But soon after, a middle-aged man arrived, took the girl and thanked the young woman for taking care of the child. She then learned that they were not mother and daughter.
This was nothing at first, but Teacher Zeng now felt it was very suspicious.
Jian Jing agreed: "What you said is very valuable. If there is no reason, the child will definitely not immediately kiss a stranger. Do you remember what she looks like?"
Teacher Zeng described her as follows: "She had wavy brown hair, heavy eyeshadow and blush, heavy makeup, a pair of leopard print glasses, a Dior bag..." As she spoke, she didn't want to say anything, "It doesn't seem to be useful."
"At least I have a general impression."
Jian Jing comforted her without revealing her own thoughts.
She then began questioning the nanny who was directly involved in the incident.
Si Yingjie had already told her the story of what happened, and there was nothing new to say. Jian Jing mainly told him her opinion.
Nanny Yuan said that the driver was diligent and responsible but just liked to be lazy. She laughed at Teacher Zeng, a college student, who actually looked after the same children as her. She was puzzled but also looked down on her. She said that Second Sister Si was too domineering and was the most severe employer she had ever had, and that Brother-in-law Si had a bad temper but loved children, so he was a henpecked man.
Then she said about Congcong - "He is very naughty and difficult to take care of." The nanny told the truth.
"Have any strangers talked to you recently? Or, is there anything strange that you are a little concerned about?"
Nanny Yuan's answer was unexpected: "Two days ago, the boss and his wife had a quarrel, and the children heard it."
Jian Jing asked: "What's the matter?"
"How to teach the child." Nanny Yuan said, "The boss lady should be stricter and stop spoiling him. He is fearless. The boss can't bear to let him go. This child is not easy to come by. He will be fine in the future."
"What's Congcong's reaction?"
"The child didn't understand and was so scared that he behaved well for two days. But seeing that his mother didn't change his attitude towards him, he got bolder again. He just didn't dare to ask her mother for help anymore. This time, he asked his father for help to go skateboarding."
"Mom doesn't like her kids skateboarding?"
"I think it's too dangerous, so I won't let him go."
Jian Jing's mind moved: "So, Congcong doesn't go to the skate park often?"
"Well, at most five times. I wouldn't dare take him there unless the boss or the boss lady gave the order."
Jian Jing nodded, ending the second question.
Si Yingjie came over immediately, full of expectation: "How is it?"
"What about you? Have you asked clearly?" she asked back.
Si Yingjie said: "I asked, nothing special."
He was asked by Jian Jing to inquire about the background of an employee from Si Erjie.
The driver was a distant relative of Si's brother-in-law. His family was not well off, so he was given an easy job with a good salary. Apart from being lazy and liking to play games, he didn't have any bad habits.
Nanny Yuan was found through a housekeeping company. She had taken care of children in wealthy families before. She had a good reputation, was not a petty thief, and was a little gossipy.
Teacher Zeng was introduced by a professor’s student not long after graduation. He is smart and capable, and comes from a well-off family.
"My sister is a very careful person. Congcong was born with great difficulty by her, so there will definitely be no problem."
Jian Jing approved.
In the conversation just now, she did not find anyone guilty or problematic, and no one seemed to be the insider in the kidnapping case. But in this case, did the kidnapper use his own inside information to figure out Congcong's activities
The nanny said that Congcong didn’t often go to the skateboard park, but the other party chose such a place.
If no one reported it, then the kidnappers would have followed all the way there, spotted the lapses in management of the skate park, and decided to carry out the kidnapping.
"Now it seems," Jian Jing said slowly, "the kidnappers are professionals."
Si Yingjie took a deep breath: "What should we do? Call the police?"
Jian Jing paused for a moment and said with a smile: "Well, let's ask him to provide technical support. Let's go and see the extent of the kidnappers' surveillance here."
After she said that, Si Yingjie helped persuade Si Erjie.
Sister Si was worried about her child's comfort and reluctantly accepted this compromise.
At noon, the kidnapper called again.
Second sister Si answered: "Hello."
"Is the money ready?" Still the electronic voice.
"The bank doesn't have that much cash, so we have to reserve it in advance." Sister Si is indeed a strong woman, and she took the initiative as soon as she opened her mouth. "If you can find my account number, I will transfer the money to you right away. How is my child?"
The kidnapper said: "If there is no cash, it would be more than 50 million, 100 million."
Sister Si frowned: "You want cash. It will take time for us to transfer funds. One hundred million is too much."
"One hundred million, not a penny less." The kidnapper said, "I'll call you again tonight."
He hung up the phone, and soon after, received a new photo.
Congcong has woken up and is curled up in the corner of the sofa, wiping his tears. His little face is flushed red and there are some scratches on his legs.
Second sister Si gritted her teeth.
Si's brother-in-law looked at the technician from the Public Security Information Security Department, full of expectation: "How is it?"
"The IP address is overseas and it is difficult to find it in a short period of time." The technician replied regretfully.
Jian Jing: "Where's the sound?"
"Electronic synthesized sound, basically without any noise."
She couldn't help but frown. Who could be so foolproof in determining the kidnapper's location by distinguishing the background sounds
The air stagnated for a moment.
Si's brother-in-law was anxious and asked his wife, "What should we do now? One hundred million? What if I fail to raise the money and it becomes another hundred million?"
"What can I do? My son is in someone else's hands!" How could a mother feel when her son was in danger? Second Sister Si could hardly control her emotions. "Instead of yelling at me here, why don't you go and collect the money?"
"Money is a small matter." Brother-in-law Si took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "If he can release Congcong after receiving the money, should I feel sorry for this little money?"
He turned his head and looked at Jian Jing: "Yingjie praised you for being so powerful, but now I ask you, are the kidnappers really willing to let the person go?"
Jian Jing was pragmatic: "No one knows. But no matter what he plans to do, now he can only raise money."
"That's all we can do." Si's brother-in-law said gloomily, "I'll go to the bank and see if I can get the money together today. It shouldn't be a problem."
Second Sister Si nodded, no longer interested in arguing.
Si Yingjie was restless and paced back and forth in the living room, hoping that he could do something, but he found that he could do nothing. He felt extremely frustrated: "Jingjing, can I only sit and wait?"
Jian Jing was neither arrogant nor impatient. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Indeed, waiting is not a solution. I'll ask a friend for help."
She went outside to make a phone call, asking Ji Feng to check the surveillance cameras at the Science and Technology Museum to see if there were any clues on the woman.
Ji Feng slightly disapproved: "Teacher Jian, if there is a kidnapping, you have to call the police."
"Yes."
He said seriously: "This kind of bargaining with kidnappers must be done by professionals."
"No." She denied it. "The kidnapper is very professional. He can tell whether the person on the other side is a policeman or not. He may have dealt with the police before. If he is exposed, can you guarantee that you can find the child back?"
Ji Feng sighed and compromised: "Okay, wait for my news."
Jian Jing hung up the phone and turned around, only to suddenly see Si Yingjie behind her. She was startled: "What are you doing?"
"Who is it?" Si Yingjie gossiped.
"friend."
"The policeman that Mucheng mentioned..." Si Yingjie swallowed the latter half of his words, then realized it later and said vaguely, "Is it that person?"
Jian Jing ignored him and asked, "How is your sister and brother-in-law's relationship?"
"It's OK, not bad, not terrible either. It's a marriage of convenience, so it's good." Si Yingjie said, "Why are you asking this?"
"Don't worry about it. Just answer it." Jian Jing asked, "Do your sister and brother-in-law have anyone else outside?"
Si Yingjie was speechless, and after a while he said, "Probably not."
"you sure?"
He laughed dryly.
"Understood."
Two hours later, Ji Feng called. He found the surveillance camera at the Science and Technology Museum, and fortunately the coverage period was only one month, so he could only find a blurry picture.
Jian Jing asked Si Erjie to identify him: "Do you know this person?"
Second Sister Si stared at the blurry photo carefully and frowned, "Who is this? The one next to her is my Congcong? Do you suspect she did it?"
The hasty questions made Jian Jing quite helpless. Because of Si Yingjie, her position was definitely more inclined towards Si Erjie, but the victim's family was too tough and proactive, which more or less hindered the investigation.
"You don't recognize her? Haven't you seen anyone who looks similar?" Jian Jing asked instead of answering.
Si Erjie was about to ask again, but was interrupted by Si Yingjie: "Sister, do you recognize him?"
She said, "I don't know her. I don't remember seeing this woman before."
Then ask the driver, nanny and Teacher Zeng separately.
Teacher Zeng confirmed that this person was the woman he met at the Science and Technology Museum. The driver and the nanny said they didn't know her and had never seen her.
In the evening, Si's brother-in-law came back and said that he had raised all the funds and could transfer the money at any time, and the bank also agreed to cooperate with the police to investigate the flow of funds.
Jian Jing took the opportunity to ask him to identify the mysterious woman.
He still said he didn't recognize him.
In other words, after a day of investigation, there was not a single clue.
When it was completely dark, the kidnapper called again.
The first thing he did was to accuse: "I told you not to call the police."
Sister Si said: "I didn't call the police."
"Whether it is or not, you know it clearly." He said coldly, "Your son has no food to eat today."
Sister Si immediately softened and begged, "The child is still young and doesn't know anything. If you have any problem, come to me, the adult, and don't torture him."
The kidnapper ignored him and said to himself: "One hundred million is not enough."
Si's brother-in-law couldn't help but explain: "Although we have some assets, they are scattered in various places, and the cash flow is really tight."
"No need for cash. I know you own a jewelry store. I want diamonds worth 200 million." The kidnapper came prepared and took his time. "I'll give you one night."
Sister Si took the opportunity to say, "Let me hear the child's voice."
“You’ve seen his picture.”
Just like before, after the request was made, the call was disconnected cleanly.
Photos arrived instantly.
His precious son, the child who needed to be coaxed for a long time before eating every day, held the bag of potato chips and licked the crumbs inside the bag like a hungry puppy.
Sister Si felt so distressed that she asked, "Can you take it out?"
Brother-in-law Si shook his head and said, "Not that much. According to the market price, there is at most a little over 100 million here. Any more can only make up the numbers, and small diamonds are not valuable."
"My father gave me a blue gem, which is worth about 80 million." Sister Si took a deep breath and said decisively, "We will each pay half."
Brother-in-law Si sighed, unwilling and helpless: "It can only be like this."
However, Jian Jing said, "Don't meet all his demands right away. Discuss with him whether it would be okay to use diamonds and 100 million in cash."
Sister Si looked at her brother and was really worried. She asked, "What if he sees that I don't make any demands and raises the price again?"
"That proves that he will raise the price later." Jian Jing said, "Isn't this almost reaching your bottom line?"
Brother-in-law Si hesitated and said, "Almost. I don't actually have much spare money."
She smiled: "That's right. The other party is very professional. Obviously, they have investigated your family in advance and know roughly how much you can come up with. Don't push too hard."
"Of course," she said calmly, "If you don't think it's too risky and want to try not to anger the kidnappers, then you can follow your own plan. I'm just suggesting it."