Urban Super Soldier King
Chapter 235 - 235 235 Shi Jian is Taken as a Hostage

235: Chapter 235: Shi Jian is Taken as a Hostage 235: Chapter 235: Shi Jian is Taken as a Hostage Just as Xiang Yu was speaking with Long Zaitian, his cellphone suddenly rang—it was Shi Jian.

“Speak,” Xiang Yu said crisply before walking outside, phone in hand.

“I’ve looked into it; that Qin Ming is just a minor middleman.

Right now, he’s in a teahouse with some Japanese men,” Shi Jian said.

“Where is the teahouse?” Xiang Yu pressed.

“On Sanba Road…”

Shi Jian hadn’t finished speaking when the sound of shattering glass burst from Xiang Yu’s cellphone.

Then Shi Jian cried out and the line went dead.

Xiang Yu’s expression changed upon hearing this, realizing Shi Jian had been discovered.

“Zhuzi, Xiaoxuan, let’s go,” Xiang Yu returned, his face stern.

“Brother Yu, what’s happened?” Long Zaitian quickly asked, noting Xiang Yu’s grave expression.

“It’s nothing major, you guys carry on,” Xiang Yu smiled and then walked outside.

He had already decided to withdraw Long Zaitian and his group from the underworld; he couldn’t involve them any further.

“Got your gear?” Xiang Yu asked with some severity as he sat in the car.

Tie Zhuzi and Xiaoxuan both understood the gravity of the situation, nodded in acknowledgment, and remained silent.

The three drove towards Sanba Road, which was quite a distance from town.

It took them a full half-hour to get there.

Since there weren’t many teahouses along this road, they quickly spotted Shi Jian’s car parked next to one, its front glass smashed, with several onlookers around.

Seeing this, Xiang Yu was certain that Shi Jian had been kidnapped.

He got out of the car and pretended to ask a nearby uncle curiously, “What’s happening here?

What’s everyone looking at?”

“Young man, you haven’t heard?

Four men came just now, fought with someone in the car, and then took the person away,” the uncle explained.

“Which direction did they go?” Xiang Yu asked.

The uncle, seeing Xiang Yu’s persistence, scrutinized him briefly, shook his head to indicate ignorance, and walked away.

Xiang Yu approached the car to take a closer look.

The assailants hadn’t left behind any clues, just a pile of broken glass and a few drops of fresh blood.

Xiang Yu examined the teahouse’s surveillance footage only to find a segment had been cut out.

The staff shook their heads, claiming ignorance when questioned.

It was clear the kidnappers were professionals.

Though Shi Jian had been captured, Xiang Yu wasn’t worried for his safety.

The kidnappers simply wanted the land; they wouldn’t harm Shi Jian for the time being.

But Xiang Yu felt at a disadvantage—his enemies were hidden while he was exposed, unable to exert his strength.

Standing on Sanba Road, Xiang Yu surveyed the surroundings.

This place was far from the city center, and the road led straight to the next city.

No wonder he couldn’t find the Japanese through his underground contacts – they were not operating within this city.

And Xiang Yu’s influence was confined to this city; it hadn’t spread beyond, which was why they had no leads on them.

“What do we do now?” Tie Zhuzi asked, clearly agitated.

He had always been close with Shi Jian, and now that Shi Jian was kidnapped, he was anxious, wishing he could devour his Japanese captors alive.

“We go back and talk,” Xiang Yu said as he got into the car.

After a moment of thought, he added, “Zhuzi, tell our men to stop investigating for now, don’t look into them anymore.”

“Not investigate?

Are we just giving up on Shi Jian?” Tie Zhuzi said, anxious.

“Not giving up.

They must know we’re investigating, and continuing to do so is pointless and might endanger Shi Jian.

Now that they’ve taken him, they’ll surely contact us,” Xiang Yu said with composure.

Shi Jian’s abduction troubled Xiang Yu just as much as it did Tie Zhuzi, but at that moment, it was crucial to stay composed and respond to changes with steadiness.

Tie Zhuzi asked no further questions and took out his phone to relay the message.

Xiaoxuan, who had sat in the passenger seat the entire time without a word and with no expression on his face, seemed entirely disconnected from everything that was happening.

Back at the guildhall, Xiang Yu lay alone on a lounger on the lawn.

That’s when Xiaoxuan approached and said, “Brother Yu, I don’t think a piece of land is worth all this trouble.”

Xiang Yu knew Xiaoxuan had more to say, so he sat up and looked at him, “Go on.”

“If they are going to such lengths for a piece of land, then it must have significant value.

There are many reasons why land could be valuable,” Xiaoxuan said, his face emotionless.

Xiang Yu nodded; the land indeed had development potential.

Real estate there could be promising, but it certainly wasn’t worth three billion yuan—not to the extent that they would kidnap someone and seem so determined to acquire it.

“I suspect there’s something about the geology,” Xiaoxuan suddenly suggested.

Hearing this, Xiang Yu felt a revelation.

Given the kidnappers’ desperation for the land, it must hold greater importance.

If it wasn’t about property development, then as Xiaoxuan suggested, there must be something underground, perhaps mineral deposits.

Xiang Yu had seen them a few times and always sensed a military bearing about these men.

Could it be they were trying to steal national mineral resources?

The thought sent a chill down Xiang Yu’s spine.

If that were the case, the situation was grave.

It could escalate to a national issue, not something Xiang Yu could resolve.

But until the investigation was clear, Xiang Yu wouldn’t spread the word.

“Don’t tell anyone else; go get some rest,” Xiang Yu instructed.

Actually, Xiang Yu trusted Xiaoxuan completely; he knew the man wouldn’t gossip.

Xiaoxuan must have guessed this much earlier, but with Tie Zhuzi present in the car, he didn’t speak up, waiting until now.

At that moment, Xiang Yu’s mind was far from calm, and he knew he needed to investigate quickly.

Now with Shi Jian captured, Xiang Yu believed the kidnappers would definitely call him.

But the day had passed without a word from them.

Xiang Yu was not in a hurry, understanding this was a psychological game.

Perhaps his enemies were watching him from the shadows.

The Japanese were likely waiting for Xiang Yu and his men to become desperate and disarrayed before they revealed themselves.

The most impatient was Tie Zhuzi, who walked restlessly in the courtyard, multiple times wanting to approach Xiang Yu with questions but restraining himself.

Eventually, he couldn’t bear it any longer and ran up to Xiang Yu, “Brother Yu, it’s just a piece of land.

We can sell it to them directly.

Shi Jian is still in their hands, isn’t he?”

Xiang Yu simply smiled and asked Tie Zhuzi to sit opposite him, “Zhuzi, relax, Shi Jian will be fine.”

Exactly this kind of urgency was what the kidnappers were relying on—and Tie Zhuzi had squarely fallen into their trap.

That evening, Xiang Yu went to bed early but got up again around midnight.

He then drove off alone…