Beg Me to Remarry
Chapter 419: Successful Bargaining

Chapter 419: Chapter 419: Successful Bargaining

Seconds, or perhaps minutes later, Qin Nuan finally spoke again, "Xia Ning, you know how costly it is to kidnap the old Mr. He; if I go through all the trouble to kidnap him and release him without gaining anything, wouldn’t that be too bad a deal?"

Xia Ning could hear her own teeth chattering. Only when a cold wind blew did she realize that, at some point, her back was drenched in sweat. Her wet clothes clung to her back, exceedingly uncomfortable.

In the chill wind, Qin Nuan’s soft Jiangnan lilt took on a strange tone, "I’m not asking for much, just five million in cash and I’ll hand over the old Mr. He to you. You can then tell He Xing that you saved his grandfather. Wouldn’t he be grateful enough to pledge himself to you?"

An inexplicable blush spread across Xia Ning’s face, her mind flooded with unsuitable images for children. If she could exchange five million for He Xing’s gratitude, the deal would indeed be worth it.

Having reached this conclusion, Xia Ning quickly nodded, "Okay, I agree to the deal, but He Xing wouldn’t want to see his grandfather on his last breath. Tell your people not to lay a hand on him."

"Do you think I need to be told that?" Perhaps because the deal was settled, Qin Nuan’s expression became much softer, she promised as if taking an oath, "This old man is worth a lot; we only want money and will not harm him."

...

He Group General Manager’s Office.

Outside, dawn was breaking, but He Xing hadn’t closed his eyes all night, nor had Old Zhou and Liang Tao.

In fact, He Xing had asked them several times to go back to sleep, but each time, they refused without exception.

They knew there was little they could do to assist He Xing, but they still stayed by his side, trying to offer their own strength for the old Mr. He’s sake.

An open suitcase full of cash sat on the coffee table in He Xing’s office, its visual impact so great it was hard to look away.

Yet the gaze of He Xing and the other two men was uniformly grave, for they hadn’t raised enough money; there was still a substantial amount missing.

The air conditioning in the office was set high. He Xing had removed his overcoat, wearing only his usual sharp black suit.

Despite having been awake all night, he was originally supposed to meet with Fu Han. Wanting to look spirited when he did, he had used almost half a bottle of hair gel. His hairstyle hadn’t fallen apart and he still looked energetic.

However, staying up all night, coupled with the anxiety, made his eyes, though still bright, rimmed with bloodshot streaks. Undereye bags and the fatigue on his face were not well concealed.

He was on the phone, gripping the receiver. The caller demanded cash, and such large amounts typically required reservations. The deadline was too tight; the banks had already closed when He Xing received the news, making a withdrawal reservation impossible.

But He Xing wasn’t one to give up easily. Throughout the night, he came up with many plans and contacted numerous people, miraculously raising ten million in cash. However, this was still far from the five hundred million demanded.

As He Xing rested from a call, Old Zhou saw an opportunity and set a steaming bowl of Pork Rib Soup before him, "Young Master, you haven’t eaten all night. This was last night’s dinner for your grandfather. Please, have some."

He Xing initially wanted to say he wasn’t hungry, but the aromatic soup made his stomach audibly growl. Thanking Old Zhou, he didn’t delay further and began to drink the soup.

Watching the soup bowl empty, Old Zhou took the chance to ask, "Young Master, how much are we still short?"

After finishing the last sip, He Xing set the bowl down with a sigh, "There’s ten million on the table. In an hour, when the banks open, we can get another ten million."

Despite He Xing’s casual tone, Old Zhou and Liang Tao were acutely aware of how difficult it was to gather that ten million. The cash-on-hand had been acquired from many difficult runs, while the bank’s ten million were secured only after He Xing humbled himself with countless pleas.

Yet even so, they were still a long way from meeting the kidnappers’ demands.

Old Zhou voiced his concern, "That’s only twenty million together. They’re demanding fifty million. What about the remaining thirty million?"

He Xing sighed deeply, the worry on his handsome face unable to be hidden, "Let’s talk about the rest when they call back later."

Shortly after, the sun rose above the horizon, its rays streaming through the panoramic window, dispelling the cold. Sunshine in winter could indeed be delightful.

With time pressing, Old Zhou and Liang Tao reheated the previous night’s uneaten dinner for breakfast. Then, along with He Xing, they split up and went to the different banks previously contacted by He Xing to withdraw money.

On the way back, He Xing received a call. It was that same gruff voice, screeching like a blade across glass, "General Manager He, how’s the money coming along?"

This time, He Xing was prepared and replied calmly, "I doubt the entire A City has fifty million in cash. If you really want to make a trade, you either provide an account for me to transfer the money, or you take the twenty million I’ve managed to gather."

There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line, so long that He Xing thought the call had been disconnected. As he internally regretted being so forthright and wondered what he would do if the kidnapper decided to harm the victim, the raspy voice came again, "Twenty million it is. You have one hour. Get to the location I’m sending you, leave the money, and go. After we confirm there’s no trickery, we’ll send the old Mr. He back."

Without waiting for He Xing’s response, the kidnapper hung up.

Everything went smoother than He Xing had anticipated. He had prepared quite a speech to persuade the kidnapper, none of which proved necessary.

With the fifty million He Xing shrewdly cut down to twenty million, there was no joy in his heart, only a creeping worry.

His concern wasn’t anything else but the current state of the old Mr. He. To put it bluntly, they clearly wanted the money. If the old Mr. He’s health were good, they might have continued to haggle with He Xing. The ease with which the kidnapper reduced the price could indirectly mean that the old Mr. He’s health was not good, right?

The more He Xing thought about it, the more anxious he became. His eyes lost their hesitation and grew decidedly firm as the Lamborghini tore through obstacles, heading towards the distant He Group skyscraper.