The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Calling for Backup Everywhere

Knowing Xu Yingying, if something had really come up, she would have called the hotel to let Han Xiaorui know she couldn’t make it for dinner and shopping.

The more Han Xiaorui thought about it, the more she felt that something might have happened to Xu Yingying.

Making an international call back home wasn’t easy right now; even calling Shencheng was next to impossible.

Just as Han Xiaorui was at a loss, she remembered the business card in her bag that Ye Feng had given her.

From her hotel room, she dialed the number on the card. ”Mr. Kuno? My name is Han Xiaorui, a friend of Ye Feng’s. I have an emergency and need your help. Ye Feng’s aunt is missing.”

Han Xiaorui had been practicing her Japanese recently, so she could basically express what she wanted to say.

To her surprise, the person on the other end heard her out and replied in fluent Chinese, ”Can you tell me more about the situation?”

Han Xiaorui was taken aback, but it was even better that he spoke Chinese. ”Ye Feng’s aunt, Ms. Xu, is going through a divorce with her husband, and he’s been harassing her. We made plans to have dinner together today, but she hasn’t come back and hasn’t called me. I’m worried something might have happened to her.”

After hearing this, Kuno said, ”I understand. I’ll come over right away and take you to the police station near the hotel. If you want, we could also contact the embassy first and ask for their help.”

”Thank you,” Han Xiaorui said gratefully, giving him the hotel’s address.

Meanwhile, Han Xiaorui went to find Director Wang.

Director Wang was in the middle of studying. Han Xiaorui had already asked him for time off earlier.

He was rather curious when he saw her approach. ”Comrade Xiao Han, didn’t you go shopping with your friend?”

Han Xiaorui quickly explained the situation. ”Director Wang, I’m worried Ms. Xu has been kidnapped and harmed by her husband. If I go to the police by myself, they probably won’t even take my report seriously.”

”The Xu family are returned overseas Chinese. They’ve made huge investments in Shencheng and contributed greatly to its development. Please, could you trouble our embassy to help find Ms. Xu?”

Hearing this, Director Wang grew anxious as well. The only people he knew in Japan were in the marine aquaculture industry.

Contacting the embassy was indeed the most effective course of action.

”Alright, I’ll call the embassy staff and have them put pressure on the local police.”

With Director Wang’s help, they contacted the embassy.

Vice Consul Liu was familiar with the Xu family from Shencheng, because they were in the process of purchasing advanced equipment from Japan.

The contract for the purchase had been filed with the embassy.

He quickly looked up the Japanese company Xu Yingying was signing the contract with that day.

He made the call himself. The company confirmed that the contract had been signed at 5:00 PM, after which Ms. Xu left with her bodyguards.

But Ms. Xu never returned to the hotel, never made it to her appointment, and never called Han Xiaorui.

It was now confirmed that Ms. Xu was missing and possibly kidnapped.

Under pressure from the Hua Country embassy, the United States embassy, and the Japanese partner company, the police quickly opened a case and launched an investigation.

The hotel staff opened Xu Yingying’s room. The key card records confirmed that she had left in the morning and had not returned.

Based on Han Xiaorui’s account, Ms. Xu and her husband, Wen Tao, were going through a contentious divorce, which made him a likely person of interest in her disappearance.

A check of airport and port records showed an entry record for Wen Tao, but no record of his departure.

This proved Wen Tao was still in Japan.

The Japanese company provided photos of Xu Yingying taken during the contract signing.

As for Wen Tao’s photo, they enlarged it from his official identification picture.

Once the police had the photos, they immediately began their search.

Han Xiaorui was sick with worry. It wasn’t just because of Ye Feng; she and Xu Yingying genuinely got along and had become good friends.

She just hoped Xu Yingying was safe.

Due to the Xu family’s influence, both the Hua Country and United States embassies were pressuring the local authorities.

Their Japanese business partners were also extremely concerned about Xu Yingying. It wasn’t just because the Xu family was buying a massive amount of equipment from them; they also wanted to license the latest technology patents developed by Xu Yingying’s younger brother.

If something happened to Mr. Xu’s sister here, he might take his anger out on them and refuse to license the patents, which would prevent their company from manufacturing many of its products.

Consequently, the police poured a massive amount of manpower and resources into the investigation.

Nearly one-third of the city’s entire police force was deployed to find Xu Yingying.

If it was indeed a kidnapping, the first twenty-four hours were the most critical window for a rescue.

The police search soon turned up a lead.

Her two bodyguards were found in the woods, drugged unconscious, bound hand and foot, and gagged.

Based on recollections from the company staff, the police narrowed down the probable area and continued their search.

The two kidnappers were supposed to deliver Xu Yingying to a location specified by Wen Tao.

Wen Tao needed her to personally sign many documents so he could get more of her assets, so he had ordered the kidnappers to bring her to him alive.

As they were making their getaway along the planned route, they discovered that all the roads were blocked and vehicles were being searched.

The roadblocks were less than five hundred meters apart, and there were people on the streets. If they threw Xu Yingying, who was stuffed in a sack, out of the car, she would be discovered almost immediately.

Not wanting to end up in prison, the two kidnappers made a snap decision. They abandoned the car, ducked into a nearby alley, and vanished.

The delivery van was stolen, anyway.

The vehicle’s information wouldn’t lead back to the two kidnappers.

The abandoned van was blocking traffic, creating a backup that drew the attention of the police.

Finding it empty, an officer was just about to call for a tow truck.

But then, a sharp-eyed officer noticed a sound coming from a wooden crate in the cargo bay.

He went to inspect it and found a long-haired woman inside, gagged and bound.

A quick comparison with the photo confirmed it was the person they were looking for.

The Japanese police immediately reported their findings and sent Xu Yingying to the hospital.

By then, it was already nine o’clock.

When Han Xiaorui heard that Xu Yingying had been found and was at the hospital, she immediately had Mr. Kuno drive her there.

The embassy staff were also concerned, so Vice Consul Liu went with them.

Fortunately, she only had superficial injuries and was otherwise unharmed.

When Xu Yingying saw Han Xiaorui, she grabbed her hands, overcome with emotion. ”Xiao Rui, it’s all thanks to you this time. If it weren’t for you, I...”

’Without Han Xiaorui,’ she thought, ’I really would have died here.’

’The bodyguards I spent so much money on were completely useless. To think I was drugged right in the car.’

’When I woke up, I was in a wooden crate.’

’If Han Xiaorui hadn’t raised such a fuss, calling in favors and pressuring the local police to dispatch so many officers and set up roadblocks... by the time the kidnappers got me out of the city, I definitely wouldn’t have lived to see the sunrise.’

’I don’t have any proof, but I vaguely remember hearing them say they needed me alive to sign some documents.’

Xu Yingying was certain it had to be Wen Tao who had kidnapped her.

’He was going to make me sign all sorts of documents to legally obtain my assets before killing me.’

’That monster in human skin... he has to be caught.’