“Don’t move anyone.”
“Okay, don’t worry. I’ll speak.”
After hanging up, Jiang Luo leaned against the sofa, calming his thoughts. At least he knew where Huo Zongzuo was. That was something.
He told himself it would be fine. Huo Zongzuo was a top-ranking businessman nationwide. With the Haicheng police chief already giving a heads-up, the authorities in Bimu and He Xu wouldn’t dare take matters into their own hands.
What concerned him wasn’t the detention itself, but that these people might act irrationally, ignoring laws and regulations.
Jiang Luo quickly made a decision: he would take several cases of cash and head to that province immediately. With such a high-ranking official backing him, the small-town authorities wouldn’t easily move against Huo Zongzuo. He had confidence.
He started making arrangements:
- He called his secretary, telling him to wait in Guiyang and accompany him to He Xu.
- He called Wang Junqing, explained the situation briefly, and asked him to take the purple clay teapot set from the brocade box to Beijing, to No. 61 Qianfo Temple Front Alley, seeking help.
- He contacted the Bank of China branch manager, asking to prepare some cash reserves, especially U.S. dollars, to take with him.
Wang Junqing arrived soon with his third and fourth brothers. Entering the room, he said, “I can’t go to Beijing. You have Secretary Lu go. I’ll go with you to that province to ensure your safety.”
Jiang Luo considered it and nodded: “Alright, call Xiao Lu.”
He told the fourth brother: “Go upstairs, get some large bags. We’ll need them for the cash.”
The fourth brother stomped upstairs angrily: “Damn it, who dares! How dare they detain President Huo!”
“Shut your mouth!” Wang Junqing barked.
Jiang Luo went upstairs to get his wallet, preparing to immediately head to the bank vault.
At the vault, as he stuffed bundles of cash into large bags, his phone rang—an overseas number.
The voice on the other end, electronically disguised and genderless, said: “Come alone. Bring 60 million U.S. dollars.”
Then in a sinister tone: “Don’t make a scene. It’s in your interest and his to cooperate.”
Jiang Luo lowered his voice, “Fine, I’ll bring the money. No problem.”
“Do not harm him.”
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Just don’t hurt him.”
“If you touch him, you won’t get a cent.”
“Don’t play games,” the voice warned.
“Where should I hand over the money?” Jiang Luo asked.
“Drive into the mountains. Someone will guide you.”
The line went dead.
Jiang Luo realized it wasn’t about any charges—they were after money. Perfect. He had plenty of it. As long as Huo Zongzuo returned safely, the amount didn’t matter.
He immediately called the Bank of China branch manager again, asking for more cash, especially in U.S. dollars.
The manager replied: “You have funds in your account. I can transfer them, no problem. But how will you carry that much money?”
“And it’s only a fine, one or two million at most. Why would they ask for tens of millions?”
“Even if it’s dollars, there aren’t enough. Only RMB will work.”
“RMB it is,” Jiang Luo said decisively. “Arrange the cash; I’ll call a vehicle. I’ll repay your kindness later.”
The manager understood: “You’re in trouble. Don’t worry about repayment. If Zongzuo’s in danger, I’d do the same.”
Jiang Luo arranged a vehicle and driver to transport the cash to the province. Time was needed to drive to the mountains, but he was in a hurry. He packed two large bags of cash and prepared to fly to Guiyang immediately.
He had a feeling this wouldn’t be simple, so he called the police chief again, asking to have officers accompany him to He Xu. Government presence might restrain the authorities there. After all, the police who detained Huo Zongzuo were official—this wasn’t some criminal gang. He didn’t fear they’d harm Huo Zongzuo; He Xu authorities wouldn’t dare.
The chief hesitated: “I can send a letter of introduction and, if necessary, a formal document for your trip. They might assign officers to accompany you.”
He had his reservations. As a legitimate officer, he couldn’t just send people on a private errand without proper justification; accountability mattered.
Jiang Luo didn’t press: “Fine, have them issue the letter so provincial police can accompany me.”
The chief warned: “One thing—if you see a cockroach in a room, it’s never alone. Even with the letter, they may not cooperate fully. You understand?”
Jiang Luo understood: small towns like He Xu had protection from higher authorities—possibly the city level or beyond. Letters from afar didn’t guarantee compliance. He had to plan for the worst.
“I understand,” he said calmly.
After hanging up, Jiang Luo instructed Wang Junqing: “Don’t wait. You and the third and fourth brothers go ahead. Handle two tasks for me on the way.”
…
That night, Jiang Luo went to the airport to catch the early flight. He hadn’t slept, sitting in the terminal wide awake, thinking through strategies and the potential dangers ahead, Huo Zongzuo, the overseas call—coldly calculating.
The phone rang. Zhao Guangyuan’s voice came through, blunt: “I heard about Huo Zongzuo. I’ve arranged people to accompany you to the province.”
“Are you at the airport? We’re on our way.”
“I arranged a plane, with a temporary route. We can leave immediately.”
Jiang Luo was momentarily stunned.
After a pause, he said quietly, “Good, thank you.”
Soon, Zhao Guangyuan arrived with seven or eight people. They went through a special passage and boarded the plane to Guiyang immediately.
On the flight, Zhao Guangyuan sat beside Jiang Luo, calmly analyzing: “Cross-province detentions happen often. Not surprising. Demands for money? Also unsurprising. Officials of all kinds exist nowadays. Since they’ve detained him, we go meet them and see how far they dare to ignore laws.”
Jiang Luo: “It won’t be smooth.”
Zhao Guangyuan nodded: “In the deep mountains, anything can happen. That’s why I couldn’t let you go alone. It’s too dangerous. I sent a letter to Guiyang, asking for full cooperation.”
“The chief is right,” he continued. “Guiyang and Haicheng aren’t under the same jurisdiction. Whether they cooperate is uncertain.”
Jiang Luo gazed out the window, expression calm: “One thing puzzles me. We never did business in that province. Bimu and He Xu are far from Haicheng. How did they know Huo Zongzuo? Or that I could produce tens of millions in dollars for a ransom?”
Zhao Guangyuan looked out as well: “Perhaps it’s coincidence. Anyone wanting a fortune will target the fat sheep.”
After a while, Zhao Guangyuan spoke softly: “Try to rest. The plane still has some time before landing.”
“Mm,” Jiang Luo replied—but he didn’t close his eyes.
He was fully awake, with one thought dominating his mind:
If Huo Zongzuo is fine, paying the ransom is just unlucky—like getting bitten by a dog. They’d avoid that province in the future.
But if anything happens to him…
Jiang Luo thought calmly: then everyone dies. No one gets out alive.
This wasn’t pessimism. Jiang Luo had no choice—false charges, cross-province detention, taken to remote mountains, demands of 60 million U.S. dollars—all pointed to the worst-case scenario. No one knew what Huo Zongzuo might face.
He recalled a minor rumor he’d heard in a past life at a business banquet—he hadn’t taken it seriously then:
A businessman went to an unfamiliar city. Something went wrong involving the local government. In the end, nothing was resolved, and the family had to bring the body home for burial.
Even powerful people with connections could be helpless in the face of authority.
Times were chaotic. Being taken deep into the mountains, far from oversight, anything could happen.
Jiang Luo didn’t want to dwell on the worst, but he prepared for it.
Upon landing in Guiyang, he met with the secretary at the airport. The group immediately rushed to the provincial government. Zhao Guangyuan led them in—some entering, some exiting.