Ch 37: How To Be A Good Lackey

Dusk settled in, and the western sky looked like a blazing sea of fire.

Inside the conference room, after hours of discussion, both sides finally finalized every detail of the contract. Pei Fangyan rubbed his aching temple and glanced toward the door, wondering why Shao Ye hadn’t come.

At noon, Shao Ye had sent him a message saying he was going out to take care of something. Had he still not come back?

Pei Fangyan picked up his phone, about to call him, when the secretary walked in and said, “Boss.”

“What is it?” Pei Fangyan asked without looking up, opening his contacts.

The secretary said nervously, “Miss Su has been kidnapped.”

Pei Fangyan gave a brief “mm” and tapped the top name in his contacts.

“They also kidnapped… Shao Ye,” the secretary added.

Pei Fangyan suddenly looked up. His gaze shot toward the secretary like a sharp arrow, his voice icy and cold. “What did you say?”

The secretary felt a chill run down his scalp but repeated, “Shao Ye was also kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped?” Pei Fangyan frowned, his expression darkening.

“Yes. The kidnappers just called. They said to prepare a ransom of 203 million within three days and transfer it to an overseas account. No police, or they’ll kill the hostages.” The secretary had just received the news. From the kidnappers’ tone, it sounded like they mainly intended to use Su Yuexiang to demand the ransom, which was why he had mentioned her first.

By then, Pei Fangyan’s call had already gone through. Beep—beep—the sound rang for a long time with no answer, until the familiar automated message came on.

Pei Fangyan lowered his phone. A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he slowly curled his lips into a chilling smile.

The secretary felt his heart tremble. He had never seen the boss like this before. Carefully, he asked, “Boss… should we call the police?”

“Didn’t they say not to?” Pei Fangyan said in a low, cold voice that carried bone-deep chill. “Tell them to send a video every hour. If the hostages are harmed in the slightest, they won’t get a single cent.”

“Yes,” the secretary responded, then asked, “Boss, should we prepare the ransom now?”

“Prepare it first. Notify Xu You and the others immediately. Have them start looking.”

There had always been rumors in their circle that when Pei Fangyan was abroad, he had formed a mercenary team. No one had ever seen him use it, so over time the rumors faded. But those who had been close to him for years knew that at least eighty percent of it was true. Xu You was the captain of that team.

If the boss had mobilized them, then for those kidnappers, it might actually have been better if the police had been called.

“They must be found within three days. If not…” Pei Fangyan left the rest unsaid.

Hearing this, the secretary couldn’t help but shiver. It felt like the unspoken ending was: if they aren’t found, you’ll all be buried with them.

Within ten minutes, Xu You and his team arrived at the company building. They had already begun operations on the way, pulling surveillance footage from along the route and tracking the kidnappers’ location through the call.

Pei Fangyan watched a video the kidnappers had sent not long ago. In it, Shao Ye lay unconscious on an open patch of ground, his hands and feet bound with rope. Translated on Hololo novels. Only the rise and fall of his chest showed that he was still alive.

For the first time, Pei Fangyan truly hated that his legs could not move. His dark eyes were filled with a heavy, unyielding hostility.

If Shao Ye were gone…

Even the mere thought of it was unbearable. He pressed a hand to his chest. He had always believed there was nothing in this world worth fearing, not even death, which was only an instant.

But now, he had something to fear.

That fear spread silently from the depths of his heart, flowing through his blood to his limbs. His hands clenched into fists, veins bulging on the back of them. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if one day Shao Ye truly disappeared.

If Shao Ye had never appeared, the world would have remained tolerable.

But he had come.

…

The sky grew darker, night fully falling. Across the city streets, lights flowed like rivers.

Shao Ye was awakened by a burst of arguing. The back of his head still hurt, and the spot where he’d been shocked with the electric baton felt numb. He thought gloomily that next time he got into a fight, he’d better prepare an insulated suit.

A hood covered his head, leaving him in complete darkness. He couldn’t see anything, only hear the kidnappers arguing.

The leader was cursing loudly: “What were you idiots thinking?! What’s the point of grabbing him? Now we have to buy food for one more person! Look at his build, he can eat at least three boxed meals!”

One of his subordinates muttered in defense, “I’ve been secretly watching them for a long time. He’s always by Pei Fangyan’s side, so he must be important.”

The leader snapped, “The secretary and steward are always by his side too. Why didn’t you kidnap them instead?!”

The subordinate quickly added, “People at their company say Pei Fangyan plans to make him the heir of the Pei family.”

Shao Ye was stunned. His Seventh Uncle actually had that kind of plan? No wonder he had said before that he had more important work for him. That job really was important.

The leader grew even angrier, pointing and scolding: “What kind of brain do you have?! You believe whatever they say? Those capitalists are all scheming as hell! If he were really going to be the heir, the Pei family would’ve taken him out long ago. Why would it be our turn to act? You can’t even figure that out! No wonder you’ll always be someone’s lackey!”

Shao Ye was speechless. Being kidnapped was one thing, but did he really have to be insulted too?

The leader continued, “We only prepared a place big enough to hold one Su Yuexiang. Now what? Stuff him in there too? Don’t you know I have OCD?!”

One extra person would ruin the visual composition!

“Then… let him go?” the subordinate suggested.

“Let him go?!” the leader shouted. “He’s already here, why let him come for nothing? I’ve already added his price to the ransom two hundred and three million! For the next couple of days, just tie him up at the door!”

Two hundred and three million?

That’s a lot of money!

Shao Ye couldn’t help but cut in, “My Seventh Uncle doesn’t have that much money.”

Hearing that he was awake, the kidnapper leader turned his head and sneered. “Pei Fangyan doesn’t have money? Do you even believe that yourself?”

Shao Ye nodded seriously.

The leader snorted, turned back, and continued lecturing his underling. “See? I told you he can’t be the heir of the Pei family. With a brain like that, he’s only fit to push a wheelchair.”

Shao Ye: “……”

After arguing themselves tired, the kidnappers started eating. Although the leader had just said Shao Ye could eat three boxed meals by himself, in reality, he didn’t get even one.

Smelling the food made his stomach growl. He hadn’t even eaten lunch. If he’d known that getting kidnapped meant not even getting a boxed meal, he would’ve grabbed a couple of apples while fighting earlier.

Come to think of it, before he passed out, he vaguely remembered seeing a bottle of Maotai in front of a tombstone. Who knew if that was real or not.

After eating their fill, the kidnappers sat together and began discussing how they would spend the money. Shao Ye listened for a long time, then curiously asked, “Two hundred and three million… am I really worth that much?”

If his dad knew he was worth that much, he’d probably go crazy with joy.

The leader laughed at him. “You’re thinking too much. You’re only worth that three million.”

That three million was basically their “labor fee” for kidnapping Shao Ye. After all, dragging someone his size into the van wasn’t easy.

Three million… that sounded much more reasonable.

After fiddling around for a while, Shao Ye realized the ropes on him weren’t easy to undo. He asked again, “If I pay that money myself, can I leave?”

“You have three million on you?” the leader asked.

“No,” Shao Ye said.

“Then what the hell are you talking about!”

Shao Ye added, “Then give me a phone. I can borrow from some friends, maybe I can get it together.”

“Do you think I’m stupid? Your phone’s already been thrown away.” To avoid being tracked, they were contacting Pei Fangyan through an accomplice overseas.

Shao Ye thought for a moment and said, “Then go join some fitness group chats in the city. People there should know me. You can borrow from them.”

The kidnappers discussed it and felt it was worth a try, so they had their overseas accomplice handle it. Translated on Hololo novels. Soon, a reply came back: not only did Shao Ye’s friends call him a scammer and block him, they also reported him together and got his account banned.

Shao Ye: “……”

Very good. Strong anti-fraud awareness.

But couldn’t they wait until after sending the money to be cautious?!

A moment later, the accomplice’s voice came through the phone again: “Hey? One of your friends is pretty loyal. He said if you sleep with him for a month, he’ll lend you three million. Want to consider it?”

Shao Ye: “……”

Ah! Which one is this? He’s getting blocked when I get back!

---

In the quiet old residence, Xu You and his team worked through the entire night and were finally about to pinpoint the kidnappers’ location. Pei Fangyan hadn’t slept either. That morning, he received another video from the kidnappers. The background had changed, and more importantly, only Su Yuexiang appeared in the footage.

Where was Shao Ye? Where had he gone?

Dark clouds spread across the sky like fish scales, and a cold wind howled, as if a storm was about to come. Pei Fangyan sat in the main seat of the hall, expressionless, as though covered in a layer of frost.

“Sir! Sir!” Steward Liu ran in from outside.

Pei Fangyan asked, “Any news about the kidnappers?”

Steward Liu shook his head, smiling. “No, it’s Shao Ye. He’s back.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a fluffy head popped out from behind the doorframe. Shao Ye waved at Pei Fangyan and called, “Seventh Uncle!”

It was as if the heavy clouds instantly parted, a beam of light breaking through and falling on Shao Ye, draping him in a faint golden glow.

Pei Fangyan remained seated, unmoving, just staring at him. He listened to the wild, joyous pounding of his own heart, like parched land finally receiving long-awaited rain.

Shao Ye walked over to him. After running all night, his hair and clothes were in disarray, and his shirt was torn in several places, revealing the honey-colored skin beneath.

Pei Fangyan looked him over from head to toe. It had only been one night, yet it felt as long as a century.

The night before, sitting in the courtyard, every time Pei Fangyan closed his eyes, he imagined Shao Ye curled up in a corner, his large frame hunched, eyes red as he called for help. It felt as though his heart would shatter.

After a long moment, Pei Fangyan finally spoke, his voice slow and strained. “…How did you get back?”

Shao Ye sighed. It was a long story. After getting three million from some unknown gay friend of his, the kidnappers still refused to let him go and even planned to use his name to scam a bigger sum. He could tolerate that, but they wouldn’t even let him use the bathroom.

They tied him at the door with a half-meter rope. Shao Ye felt it was too short and said if they didn’t give him more length, he’d just relieve himself right there at the door and disgust them to death. Thinking about that scene, the kidnappers agreed it was indeed disgusting and extended the rope to two and a half meters.

Because Shao Ye had been relatively cooperative after being kidnapped, and with his hands and feet bound and a hood over his head, the kidnappers didn’t stay very vigilant. His hands were tied in front of him. Squatting on the ground, he carefully listened to determine his position, then, taking advantage of a moment when one of them turned his head to talk to a companion, he slipped the rope firmly around the man’s neck, tightened it hard, and threatened him to untie his restraints.

Once freed, Shao Ye, worried they might pull out the electric baton again, didn’t dare linger and immediately ran off. Fortunately, their main target this time had been Su Yuexiang. Seeing Shao Ye escape, they didn’t pursue him too aggressively and instead hurried to move Su Yuexiang elsewhere.

Pei Fangyan patiently listened as Shao Ye recounted that thrilling night. Only after he finished did Pei Fangyan speak: “Let’s go.”

Shao Ye was confused. “Seventh Uncle, where are we going?”

“To the hospital,” Pei Fangyan said. “You need a check-up first.”

Back at the cemetery, Shao Ye had been hit on the head twice, and who knew what else he had gone through at the kidnappers’ hands last night.

Shao Ye rubbed the back of his head. “No need, I feel fine.”

Pei Fangyan looked at him without speaking. His face was pale, and even the color in his lips was lighter than usual.

Shao Ye felt that his Seventh Uncle should probably go to the hospital too, so he agreed.

He hadn’t eaten all day, and his stomach had been growling on the way. But now that he had seen Pei Fangyan, he forgot all about it and started chatting away: “Seventh Uncle, did the kidnappers ask you for ransom?”

Pei Fangyan gave a quiet “mm.”

After getting into the car, Shao Ye said proudly, “I told them He Jiahuai has more money and to ask him for the ransom instead.”

At that moment, Xu You, having heard that Shao Ye was back, called to ask for instructions. “Boss, should we keep investigating?”

“Continue,” Pei Fangyan said coldly, “but wait until they go abroad before making a move.”

Xu You immediately understood, then asked, “Boss, what about Miss Su…?”

Pei Fangyan glanced at Shao Ye, who had just gotten into the car and was already about to fall asleep, and said without hesitation, “He Jiahuai has more money. Let him handle it.”

Xu You: “?”

At the hospital, the doctor quickly gave Shao Ye a full examination. He was in good health, and all his indicators were normal. The doctor even joked that he could go run three kilometers right then without any problem.

Shao Ye hurriedly waved his hands. “No way, I can’t run anymore. I already ran all night.”

Only after confirming that Shao Ye was truly fine did Pei Fangyan finally relax and take him back to the old residence.

At the residence, Steward Liu had already instructed the chef to prepare a full table of dishes. Considering that Shao Ye hadn’t eaten all day, the food was relatively light. Shao Ye took a shower before coming out to eat.

After finishing his meal and not seeing Pei Fangyan around, Shao Ye asked Steward Liu, “Where’s Seventh Uncle?”

“He should be upstairs in the bedroom,” Steward Liu replied.

Shao Ye turned and ran upstairs. Arriving outside Pei Fangyan’s bedroom, he knocked on the door. Hearing a response from inside, he gently pushed it open.

Inside, Pei Fangyan was sitting by the window, looking at the blooming roses on the balcony.

Shao Ye quietly walked up behind him when he suddenly heard Pei Fangyan ask, “Finished eating?”

Shao Ye nodded. “Yeah. Have you eaten, Seventh Uncle?”

Pei Fangyan ignored the question and said directly, “Good. Then take off your pants and lie face down on the bed.”

Shao Ye: “?”

---

Author’s note:

【I feel like in this kidnapping arc, Seventh Uncle’s performance really isn’t helping his case. One moment his head hurts, the next his chest hurts. When is he actually going to rescue the female lead?】

I know Seventh Uncle isn’t in good health, and being triggered by the female lead’s kidnapping must have affected him, so his performance can’t compare to He Jiahuai and the others. But I hope his fans and the Seventh Uncle x female lead shippers can be more rational and understanding. The more fragile he appears now, the more it shows how important the female lead is to him.

: ??????

: I don’t get it. This is shocking.

: Let me examine this carefully pulls out magnifying glass.jpg

: You “know”? You don’t know anything!

: OP, did you drink too much champagne yesterday and still haven’t sobered up?

: What’s wrong? I’m just speaking up for Seventh Uncle. Why such a big reaction?

: It’s not that my reaction is big, it’s just that I understand every word you wrote individually, but together they make no sense. Explain what you mean by “fragile.”

: He’s practically about to be hospitalized, isn’t that fragile?

: …

: This drama king is still acting in other livestreams? If I hadn’t watched No. 6’s stream, I might’ve believed it!

: What did he act? Seventh Uncle really is in poor health.

: Yeah yeah, female lead gets kidnapped, suddenly he’s weak. But when No. 6 gets kidnapped, he practically jumps out of his wheelchair with a sniper rifle and a squad of mercenaries to rescue him personally.

: What are you even talking about? I don’t understand.

: Female lead kidnapped: can’t gather money, can’t find people. No. 6 kidnapped: two hundred million! Pay it! Mercenaries! Go!

: Seventh Uncle: whoever dares break No. 6’s wings, I’ll destroy their entire world.

: Calm down up there, my toes are curling.

: Honestly, the whole mercenary setup feels so old-school.

: OP, haven’t you noticed your fellow fans are all silent today? Do you think they’re crying over his “fragility” or his overwhelming dominance?

: Cry! Everyone cry louder! I love hearing it!

: The “experts” are pretending to be dead again. Haven’t they learned their lesson?

: Hehe

: Stop it! It hurts! It really hurts! Why does it hurt this much? Seventh Uncle, how are you going to make this up to me? I always thought he truly loved the female lead, but that sincerity is flimsier than plastic.

: Without No. 6 as comparison, I could’ve kept lying to myself that Seventh Uncle did his best. Damn it, what “best”?!

: When it came to rescuing the female lead, he didn’t exactly give it his all… but he also basically did nothing.

: Where’s the OP? Why so quiet now? Done admiring Seventh Uncle’s “fragility”?

(This thread has been deleted by the original poster.)

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