Chapter 430: The Imposing Jiang Hanhang
At this moment, Xia Yu was feeling a bit dazed. By the time she realized what was happening, she found herself hoisted over a man’s shoulder, and they were hightailing it out of there. The driver inside the car didn’t bother turning off the engine; as soon as he saw their plan had worked, he slammed down on the gas pedal, sending the vehicle barreling away like a charging buffalo. Although some bystanders started to realize what was going on and wanted to intervene, they didn’t exactly have the guts to step in front of a big truck—it would definitely be a trip to the hospital, if not worse. The whole situation was over as quickly as it started, and the crowd just stood there, astonished at the audacity of these kidnappers. Yes, it was obvious to everyone that this was outright kidnapping, and quite brazenly at that—snatching kids right under their noses!
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and ride after them! Whose motorbike is that? Let me borrow it!”
Once the first shout went out, everyone else snapped back to reality and scrambled for their vehicles—some to help out, and others just to witness the chaos.
In a corner, one man watched it all unfold, calm and collected. He picked up his walkie-talkie. “Teams C and D, block all roads out of the village and restrict all vehicle traffic.”
“Received.”
…
Indeed, Xia Family Village had a unique geographic layout—surrounded by mountains and built against them. There were only two roads leading out, which the Jiang family bodyguards had already accounted for, setting up checkpoints in those two places as a backup plan.
The main exit was somewhat larger but also further away—almost two thousand meters—while the big truck was headed that way, which would buy them some time.
On the other side, after receiving the order, the Jiang family’s bodyguards revved up their assigned vehicles and parked them strategically in the road before hopping out. Without any nails to deflate the trucks’ tires, this was the best course of action. There was no way they could all ram their vehicles out of the way, right?
With summer approaching, it was a great time for rice planting, meaning the fields were absolutely drenched with water. If that big truck dared to veer into the fields… well, that would be even better!
Of course, these tactics could easily end up injuring Xia Yu, but there was no other choice—she absolutely could not be allowed to simply get taken away! And hey, if the truck toppled into a field? That would be pretty great too!
Meanwhile, Xia Yu was desperately clawing and kicking at her captors, putting up a fierce struggle, but to no avail. Until… a shiny dagger materialized right in front of her neck. “Quiet down, or I’ll let you bleed out.”
Xia Yu was genuinely intimidated now and dared not struggle anymore, worried that if she did, she might accidentally take herself out without waiting for her captor to do it. “Who… who the heck are you?”
Xia Yu cautiously glared at the men surrounding her inside the truck—they were so brazen that they weren’t even wearing masks, so she could tell they were not locals.
“You don’t need to worry about who we are. Just sit tight; otherwise, you’ll be in for a world of hurt.”
Seeing Xia Yu quiet down, the rough-looking man finally sheathed his dagger.
The truth was, he didn’t want to hurt Xia Yu either. After all, she wasn’t the intended target; she was being handed over to someone else, and the deal was that she had to come back unscathed.
Sitting in the middle of the circle made it impossible for Xia Yu to jump out of the truck—she’d probably end up getting pounced on before she could even stand up. Being trapped like this was no fun, and she felt worse than being a cat about to be eaten by a backyard BBQ.
Before long, the driver spoke up, “There are a few cars blocking the way ahead. Everyone buckle up; I’m going to ram through!” Hearing this, the men exchanged glances and braced themselves.
After all, this was a cargo truck—without any modifications, there were no seatbelts in the back! They could only be extra vigilant at this point. Xia Yu, too, was on high alert now, all too aware that if they crashed, she might just get launched right out of the truck. And at this speed? That was bound to hurt!
Yet before Xia Yu could indulge in her worries, the truck crashed into the line of smaller cars blocking the road, sending Xia Yu flying into the air only to crash back down.
Instantly, everyone in the truck, including Xia Yu, was thrown about—without seatbelts and unable to see outside, their caution proved futile. The driver slammed on the gas, and although they crashed, the truck kept pushing forward, albeit at a slower speed.
Of course, causing this kind of chaos was more than enough for the waiting bodyguards to deal with the potential threat.
In a flash, the bodyguards charged out, with their first task being to smash open the locked cabin and rescue the girl.
The villagers, too, weren’t trailing behind; they came in waves, first on motorcycles, then on electrics, and even bicycles!
Compared to the bodyguards, the villagers were furious; they despised traffickers. Even after Xia Yu had been snatched away, they rallied, their wrath ignited by the thought of these shady criminals.
“Everyone pay attention; we can bash them up, but don’t k*ll anyone! That’ll just complicate things!” The squad leader, as he left, made sure to remind everyone, considering the villagers’ bloodthirsty expressions.
Indeed, while everyone suspected that these people might be sent by those in the capital city to abduct Xia Yu during her absence, it didn’t excuse the action they were taking; kidnapping was kidnapping, and it was just plain wrong.
Just then, a few more cars rolled out of the village.
It was Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling. Upon hearing that Xia Yu had been taken right from the kitchen, they rushed over without a moment’s delay, relieved that it was more of a scare than real harm. In truth, Xia Yu hadn’t suffered too much—maybe just a little shaken up and a tad dizzy.
As soon as their car rolled to a stop, Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling flung the doors open and dashed out to embrace Xia Yu. The bodyguard who had been carrying her gently set her down, letting the girls do their thing.
“You had us worried sick, you know that?”
After a quick hug, Xia Ling lightly tapped Xia Yu’s forehead, frowning a bit.
Xia Yu felt utterly wronged—she hadn’t volunteered for this kidnapping! It was all too sudden; if only she’d had a bit more time, she could have run off to find help. “Alright, alright, we shouldn’t stick around here. Let’s head back!”
Jiang Hanhang glanced at the villagers still brawling with the traffickers; she worried someone might swarm Xia Yu with questions, increasing the risk of exposing her condition. She was just looking out for Xia Yu.
However, it felt a tad inconsiderate to leave without saying anything after so many had come to their aid. Thus, she turned to the nearby bodyguard and pulled out a card. “Make a note of everyone who helped—each household gets a thousand yuan as thanks, and you all get a thousand too.”
What a true noble! Sometimes Jiang Hanhang displayed her sisterly prowess. Since her sister couldn’t handle these matters, she would step up.
The crisis had passed without incident, and the three girls slid back into the car to head home.
Before long, news spread like wildfire through the village and even to neighboring ones, with parents warning their children to stay close—those traffickers were getting bold!
If it weren’t for the large number of helpers, Xia Yu might have ended up sold off elsewhere.
An hour later, the law enforcement team arrived to escort the barely surviving traffickers away, finally bringing this incident to a close.
Thanks to all the commotion, Xia Yu became the talk of the village once again. Last time she had been lucky enough to return, but what about now? Good thing they came to help her; everyone couldn’t resist bragging about their role in the rescue.
As for Xia Yu, she had the foresight to return to the villa instead of the family home, so when a few curious folks wanted to find her, they ended up empty-handed. But when they finally reached the villa, the bodyguards blocked their way.
The reason? Xia Yu needed some good old-fashioned rest.
Now, Xia Yu was relieved she didn’t have to worry about chopping vegetables in the kitchen. She thought perhaps escaping such a huge hassle might bring her some good fortune; finally, she could get a break and laze around! Logically, after such a significant incident involving her life, the bodyguards should have reported to the Young Lady immediately, and Jiang Kekai had instructed them to do so if anything happened to Xia Yu.
However, upon returning, Jiang Hanhang personally told them to keep the matter quiet. After all, her sister and parents were overseas in a dangerous situation, and since Xia Yu was okay, she didn’t want them distracted by worries.
The elite bodyguards returning with Jiang Hanhang had been with the Jiang family for at least six years. They understood the gravity of the situation and wouldn’t let their ambition drive them to spill the beans to Jiang Kekai; otherwise, they’d miss out on the honor of following Jiang Hanhang and Jiang Kekai.
Dealing with the aftermath was a hassle, but Jiang Hanhang had some experience under her belt and managed to get things sorted out in no time. Eventually, she found a way to spend some time with Xia Yu and Xia Ling. Even though she knew her parents and sister were in a risky spot, there was little she could do—worrying would just be futile. She figured that staying out of their way was the best approach.
Of course, sometimes Jiang Hanhang found herself hoping for their safe return; was it prayer? Either way, little by little she was growing up.
