Insights Chapter 149: Iced Coke

Chapter 149: Iced Coke

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

At noon, the four of them continued to stake out in the car, the skinny one was feeling a bit hungry, “Boss Zhu, should I get out and buy some food?”

The bald driver, impatiently, “I’m hungry too. Why hasn’t she come out yet?”

Boss Zhu stopped them, “You won’t starve. According to the time, she should be coming out soon. Don’t get out now; it’ll be bad if we miss it.”

Ding Yueran glanced at his phone, “Five more minutes.”

They all began to prepare, putting on hats and masks to avoid being caught on camera. They were staking out near a beauty center, targeting the female internet celebrity Guan Yuling.

The other three men in the car were all ex-convicts. Scarface was called Boss Zhu, the leader of this group. He had previously committed armed robbery and stabbed someone, serving eight years before recently being released.

The bald driver used to be an enforcer for forced demolitions, causing numerous injuries, and going to jail was common for him. The skinny one, nicknamed Wild Monkey, used to steal oil. Once caught by a driver, he stabbed him severely and also spent a few years in prison.

After Boss Zhu came out recently, unable to find any work, he decided to do something big. Feeling short-handed, he posted a message online, intending to recruit three more accomplices. Boss Zhu’s phone number had long been marked by the cyber police as a key observation target. As soon as they saw his recruitment post, it was immediately reported to the Fifth Division.

However, Boss Zhu was quite cautious. When officers from the Fifth Division approached, he saw through their identities twice in a row and promptly blocked them. Helpless, the Fifth Division reported this situation to the City Bureau Special Criminal Division, and Director Ding asked Li Zhongnan to approach Ding Yueran.

Ding Yueran successfully got in touch with them, and after chatting for two days, Boss Zhu finally agreed to meet him.

Under police surveillance, Ding Yueran went to the meeting place. Boss Zhu asked him many questions, and Ding Yueran mixed truth with lies, deceiving him thoroughly. After the meeting, Boss Zhu introduced him to the other two and sincerely invited him to join. They all lived and ate together for two days before Boss Zhu revealed his plan to the other three.

He knew someone named He Tun, who ran a dark brothel. Using online dating as bait, he would deceive young women and imprison them, forcing them to serve clients. He also frequently abducted beautiful women, forcing them into prostitution. This time, He Tun had his eyes on the internet celebrity Guan Yuling and wanted them to help kidnap her.

After explaining his plan, the bald guy and Wild Monkey nodded in agreement.

But Ding Yueran twitched at the corner of his mouth, “Aren’t you considering surveillance cameras? Or studying the escape route?”

These criminals seemed quite clever when selecting partners, with an online recruitment process involving both virtual and real-life interviews. However, when it came to planning, they were rough and disregarded consequences. It was hard to tell whether they were smart or foolish.

Boss Zhu hesitated, touching his nose, “Cameras can’t be avoided anyway. As for the escape route? We haven’t alarmed the police. By the time they start investigating, we’ll be long gone. Even if they catch the girl, they’ll coerce her into taking photos. Once she’s tamed, she won’t dare to call the police.”

Ding Yueran asked, “But what if…?”

Boss Zhu replied, “What if? We’ll deal with it if it happens.”

Ding Yueran sighed deeply. He understood that these people were desperados, indifferent to others’ lives. They were afraid of being caught by the police, so they recruited accomplices carefully.

In their plan, there were only two options: success or failure. If it succeeded, they would sell the person and flee; if it failed, they would surrender. How many people would be harmed after the kidnapping and how to escape were not within their considerations.

Looking at this group of amateur kidnappers, Ding Yueran said, “We still need to be careful.” He helped Boss Zhu adjust the route, avoiding the busy downtown area.

Boss Zhu was quite happy, repeatedly saying that Ding Yueran had the talent of a military adviser. Ding Yueran kept rolling his eyes inwardly. If it weren’t for completing the police mission, he wouldn’t spare them a second glance.

With the plan set, they waited for execution.

Boss Zhu and his crew needed to kidnap someone, and the police had to let them do it. Otherwise, these individuals would just think about it, and their crimes couldn’t be punished. Only with evidence of the crime could they be sentenced heavily.

Apart from this, the police had long wanted to arrest the dark brothel owner known as He Tun. However, He Tun was very cautious and rarely appeared in person. When the police tried to intercept the exchange between He Tun and Boss Zhu, they hoped to trace it back to the brothel and shut it down.

Boss Zhu had already gotten wind of this information. Guan Yuling often went to get her beauty treatments done, and after each session, she would drive away from the parking lot across the street. At this moment, they were staking out on the road she would inevitably pass through.

Before long, Guan Yuling indeed emerged from the beauty salon, walking while glancing at her phone. The bald guy quickly started the car and slowly approached her.

Boss Zhu rolled down the window and asked, “Miss, how do I get to Chifeng Hair Salon?”

Guan Yuling glanced at him and coldly replied, “I don’t know.”

At that moment, the car door suddenly opened, and both Boss Zhu and Wild Monkey jumped out. Boss Zhu immediately grabbed Guan Yuling, pulled her into the car, and pushed her into the back seat.

With few people on the road at noon, their actions were swift, catching Guan Yuling completely off guard. Then, Boss Zhu and Wild Monkey got back into the car. The bald guy turned the steering wheel, stepped on the gas, and the car accelerated away.

Guan Yuling was frightened, only now realizing the situation. She let out a scream, then attempted to call for help. But her strength was limited, and Wild Monkey firmly held her down.

Wild Monkey snatched Guan Yuling’s phone and slapped her across the face. Guan Yuling was dazed by the blow, her cries stuck in her throat.

Ding Yueran intervened, “Stop hitting her. A damaged face won’t fetch as much.”

In the cramped car, Guan Yuling seized the opportunity and kicked Wild Monkey with her high heels. Wild Monkey, in turn, drew a knife.

Ding Yueran swiftly intercepted the knife, then said to Guan Yuling, “Don’t scream, don’t resist. If you struggle, you’ll die. If you stay quiet, you might live.”

Terrified at the sight of the knife, Guan Yuling cried and begged them to let her go.

Ding Yueran restrained Wild Monkey, glanced at the police car following behind, and continued the act. He voluntarily bound Guan Yuling’s hands and feet, blindfolded her, gagged her with a piece of cloth, and wrapped tape around her.

Guan Yuling was already terrified, crying incessantly. The car drove into a narrow alley until they reached the house they had rented in advance. Wild Monkey and the bald guy tied Guan Yuling up in the bathroom. She couldn’t speak and curled up in fear.

Boss Zhu sighed in relief, “We did it. Now, we wait for them to come and collect her.”

The bald guy rubbed his hands eagerly, “Since she’s going to be sold anyway, why don’t I enjoy her first?”

Boss Zhu stopped him, “She’s going to be handed over to a wealthy person to open up. Let’s not complicate things now.”

The bald guy wanted to say more, but Ding Yueran saw through his thoughts, smiling as he pulled him, “I had a cellmate who tried that, but he ended up nearly disabled when he encountered a spirited one.”

The bald guy shuddered at this and dropped the matter.

After a while, He Tun arrived, accompanied by an underling. They knocked on the door using a predetermined signal and entered. Ding Yueran looked up. He Tun was a round, chubby man, while his underling was muscular, making the room feel even smaller.

Rubbing his chubby hands together, He Tun said, “Come on, let me see that little beauty.”

Boss Zhu took him to the bathroom to inspect the merchandise. Guan Yuling, hearing someone had arrived, cried even louder.

He Tun chuckled, “Indeed, she looks even better in person than online.” Then he asked, “You didn’t alert the police or anything, right?”

Boss Zhu replied, “Of course not. There was nobody on the road, and we took her phone. By the time they realize she’s missing, we won’t be here.”

He Tun patted Boss Zhu’s shoulder, “I trust your work.”

Ding Yueran sat on the sofa, listening to the camaraderie between these two, and rolled his eyes. After confirming there were no issues, He Tun waved his hand, and his underling handed Boss Zhu a backpack containing three hundred thousand in cash.

With the transaction completed, He Tun and his underling prepared to leave with Guan Yuling. With everything settled, the three robbers began to pack up and prepare to leave later.

Ding Yueran suggested, “Boss Zhu, we’ve been waiting here for so long. I’m starving. Why don’t we order some takeout and eat before we go?”

They had only eaten breakfast around nine in the morning and had been waiting for the female internet celebrity to come out.

The others were also hungry and agreed. The bald guy said, “Since the deal went so smoothly, let’s even have a couple of drinks to celebrate.”

Wild Monkey also chimed in, “Having a meal won’t take more than half an hour. The police won’t react so quickly.”

Now that the goods had been exchanged, Boss Zhu relaxed. He took out his phone, found a nearby barbecue restaurant for delivery, and ordered beer and skewers.

Then Boss Zhu turned to Ding Yueran and asked, “An Nan, what do you want?”

Ding Yueran raised his hand, “Get me a can of ice-cold cola.”

The bald guy laughed, “Why not have a beer? You’re not underage, are you?”

Ding Yueran shrugged, “Beer tastes so bitter. Is there anything good about it?”

Before long, they tidied up the room and were dividing the money when they heard a knock on the door.

Ding Yueran got up and said, “It must be the delivery. I’ll go get it.”

He opened the door to find Li Zhongnan, dressed in a delivery uniform, standing outside. Li Zhongnan winked at him and raised the skewers and beer he was holding, “Sir, here’s your order. Enjoy your meal.”

“Why did it take you so long to get here? Be careful, I might complain about you,” Ding Yueran said as he took the skewers. “There’s too much here for me to carry alone. Help me put it on the table outside.”

With that, Ding Yueran stepped aside to let Li Zhongnan in.

Inside the room, the bald guy and Wild Monkey were dividing the money, and Boss Zhu was playing games. He glanced up hastily, seeing Li Zhongnan in a delivery uniform, and said, “Just put it on the table.”

Once the items were placed, Li Zhongnan took out a baton hidden in his hand and grabbed Boss Zhu by the neck from behind, restraining him. Boss Zhu was taken by surprise, unable to resist. Wild Monkey realized what was happening and cursed. He went to grab a nearby knife, but Ding Yueran swiftly jabbed him with a barbecue skewer, narrowly missing his arm.

The bald guy attempted to escape through the window but was pulled back by Ding Yueran.

They had deliberately left the door open and had ambushed outside. Lu Ying and Yu Shen, accompanied by several officers, stormed in with guns, “Don’t move!”

“Police!”

“Stay down!”

The three men were quickly subdued and handcuffed on the ground. Everything happened within seconds, with perfect coordination.

Boss Zhu froze, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Ding Yueran, “Why didn’t you arrest him?”

As he asked the question, he immediately realized the answer. Despite his careful selection, he had still chosen a police informant to join them.

Boss Zhu immediately exploded with curses, “Damn it, An Nan, I’m blind! I’ve been betrayed!”

Ding Yueran, amused by the scene, poked Li Zhongnan beside him with his finger, “Officer Li, he’s cursing at you.”

Li Zhongnan remained expressionless. With the operation successfully completed, the culprits were taken away.

Ding Yueran asked, “What about He Tun and the female internet celebrity?”

Yu Shen replied, “They were apprehended downstairs. Guan Yuling has been taken to the City Bureau for questioning.”

Lu Ying added, “He Tun was caught red-handed. This time, we should be able to rescue quite a few people.”

Ding Yueran was in a good mood. He hid his achievements and smiled as he took out the can of ice-cold cola he had ordered to reward himself.

With a satisfying pop, Ding Yueran opened the can of cola and was about to take a sip, feeling the coolness and bubbles.

The next moment, Li Zhongnan snatched the cola can from his hand and placed it on the table.

Ding Yueran stared at Li Zhongnan in disbelief, “?”

Li Zhongnan remained expressionless, “It’s too cold, not good for your health.”

Ding Yueran’s face fell, and he only ate a few skewers afterward.

With the operation completed, the officers prepared to escort the criminals back to the station. Li Zhongnan, Yu Shen, and Ding Yueran got into a car.

Shortly after getting in the car, Ding Yueran, sitting in the back seat, slumped down, curling up on the seat with a furrowed brow, trembling. He looked like a pitiful sight, “I feel terrible, uncomfortable… Officer, I need to go to the hospital…”

Li Zhongnan continued driving without glancing back.

Yu Shen asked anxiously, “Ding Yueran, are you okay? Stomach ache? Old injury acting up? Or was the skewer not fresh?”

Li Zhongnan said to Yu Shen, “Ignore him, he’s just acting.”

Yu Shen remained silent.

As expected, Ding Yueran said, “My cola… I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t have it.” His appetite wasn’t high, but he hadn’t had a drink in a while. Just when he was about to drink the cola, Li Zhongnan confiscated it.

After driving through an intersection and reaching a traffic light, Li Zhongnan turned back and asked him, “Do you want some wolfberry water?”

Ding Yueran’s eyes lit up, sitting up, “Yes!”

Li Zhongnan handed him a thermos cup. Ding Yueran unscrewed it and found the water still warm, with wolfberries steeped in it, sweet and comforting.

As he drank, he leaned over and asked, “Did you bring this for me, Officer Li?”

Li Zhongnan replied, “You’re overthinking it. I brought it for myself.”

Ding Yueran continued to drink and took advantage of the situation, “It’s better than cola. I want it next time.”