188: Deputy Chief He's niece is missing

Deputy Chief He's niece is missing

Old Madam Luo scowled, her concern evident, but she gave in eventually upon seeing her grandson's resolute expression, "Fine, just be cautious."0

As his family left, Luo Zhelan walked them out to their waiting car to ensure their safety. 

Yuan Ru felt the urge to reveal that they were aware of his relationship, but seeing his sense of urgency, she chose her words carefully, "Take care, my dear."

Luo Zhelan nodded, his attention already drawn back to the mansion. 

Then he turned around and left. 

Upon returning to the grand mansion, he spotted Deputy Chief He who was about to leave. Swiftly closing the distance, he called out, "Deputy Chief He."

The deputy turned around, his brows already knitted, and the sight of the young man seemed to deepen the furrows on his forehead, "You're still here?"

"I've learned about the distressing situation involving He Xieren's youngest daughter," Luo Zhelan stated, mindful of the delicate nature of the matter, "Could you please shed light on the details? If you find it acceptable, I'm prepared to extend my assistance."

Deputy Chief He nodded, a semblance of gratitude in his expression, "Your offer is greatly appreciated. Xiao Lei went missing after dinner for approximately thirty minutes before her nanny realized her absence. We've already looked through the footage from our surveillance cameras, and it appears that a female servant took her to a vehicle, and she was in an unconscious state. I've already filed a report, and my team is en route to initiate an investigation. Your involvement would be invaluable, provided it adheres to legal boundaries."

Luo Zhelan hearing the details couldn't help but frown thinking about Jiang Yue. 

After finding out that a servant was part of the kidnapping, a cloud of suspicion would inevitably fall upon all the household staff at the He Mansion. And Jiang Yue who had pretended to be a servant that night, would surely be caught up in a deep mess. 

That was the main reason he offered his help and part of it was because Deputy Chief He helped him with Sunshine's case last time. 

Although he felt bad about what happened with the child, He Jianhong, as the Deputy Chief of the police force would be able to allocate resources to find the little girl and take action right away. 

"Have you managed to ascertain the identity of the servant in question?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

The older man's response carried a hint of frustration, "We haven't yet as the surveillance camera failed to capture her face. However, we anticipate that interrogating certain members of the household staff will provide the breakthrough we need."

Luo Zhelan's affirmation was resolute as he nodded, a determined expression on his face, "Then I'll arrange for my team to be here promptly. Just let me know if there's anything you need."

  Deputy Chief He acknowledged his offer with a grateful nod before turning away to address his duties.

As the head of a really big company Luo Zhelan knew very well about the hidden dangers and troubles that always seemed to be around. Staying safe was super important to him, so he had a whole team of people who ensured his safety which he could utilize. 

Dialing Yang Lei, he swiftly organized for some of his security personnel to be dispatched to the subdivision. As the call ended, he received a call from Jiang Yue, which he answered after stepping aside to a secluded spot.

"Where are you?" he asked, his voice holding a mixture of concern and urgency as the call connected.

Jiang Yue's voice came through the line, her tone tinged with a blend of worry and curiosity, "I'm by the back gate. I overheard that Deputy Chief He's nephew was kidnapped. Is that true?

He responded, "Yes, unfortunately, that's true. It seems a female servant was involved. I'm genuinely worried about you, this situation could potentially implicate you in the case if we don't handle it carefully. I plan to explain to Deputy Chief He why you're here to avoid any unnecessary complications."

Informing Deputy Chief He about Jiang Yue's purpose for being there, and being aware of Jiang Yue's relationship with him would ideally prevent her from becoming a target of investigation.

Jiang Yue who was aware of what she got herself into, agreed.

Luo Zhelan who just talked to Deputy Chief He awhile ago, went after him once again. After he found the older man, he texted Jiang Yue the rendezvous point, a spot within the He Mansion's parking area. 

Deputy Chief He, who was just about to enter the car, was confused seeing him once again, "Do you need anything?" 

"Deputy Chief He, I'd like to clarify something," Luo Zhelan began, his fingers running through his hair in a gesture of contemplation. Struggling to find the appropriate words to convey the situation, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Jiang Yue is here," he continued after a brief pause, "and she's currently posing as a servant, because of me." 

The unexpected revelation left the older man utterly flabbergasted, "What do you mean? Jiang Yue is here?" 

Just as he posed that question, Jiang Yue appeared clad in the attire of a servant, deepening his astonishment. 

She offered a respectful nod towards him, "Deputy Chief He."

Realization dawned and he found himself rubbing his forehead in disbelief, his eyes briefly closing as if to process the unexpected turn of events.

Taking note of his demeanor, Luo Zhelan pressed forward, his voice resolute, "I ask you to spare her from the interrogation. You're well aware of our relationship, and Jiang Yue has no motive to be involved in your niece's kidnapping."

Deputy Chief He's response was a nod of agreement, "Okay, okay, I'll handle it. It would be best if you leave now as law enforcement will arrive in a while." 

Jiang Yue expressed her appreciation for his assurance, and Luo Zhelan stated, "My team will be here as well to assist with the investigation." 

With their intentions set, the two of them promptly left.

As they settled into Luo Zhelan's car, Jiang Yue right away asked, "Did you bring a laptop with you?" 

Luo Zhelan nodded, "At the back seat. Why do you need it?" 

Seizing the laptop bag, Jiang Yue unzipped it and grabbed the laptop as she questioned, "What did Deputy Chief He brief you about the incident? Can you provide me with the specifics?" 

Luo Zhelan repeated the information that he had gotten from the older man.

As her fingers danced over the keyboard, her concentration deeply set on the screen before her, he couldn't help but ask, his curiosity piqued, "What are you planning to do?"

Jiang Yue didn't answer his question and instead stated, "What do you think might be the motive behind the kidnapping?" 

He considered the possibilities, his words careful, "Well, there could be a few potential reasons. Given the He family's prominence and their connections in the government, the motive might either be retaliation or coercion."

Luo Zhelan continued his analysis, "If the kidnapper is after money, it's a rather unwise move to target a child whose uncle holds a high-ranking position in the police force. So, it narrows down to either a personal grudge or an attempt to make the He family comply with specific demands."

Jiang Yue who was aware of that as well, understood that in cases of revenge or coercion, there was a heightened risk that the child's safety might be compromised, even more so compared to a straightforward ransom scenario. 

It was really important to find the child quickly to make sure nothing terrible happened to her.

With this in mind, Jiang Yue set her sights on the surveillance cameras that lined the roads. 

She knows that while the police could eventually review the footage, the time it would take to manually sift through the recordings will take too long. 

So she decided to hack into the camera network.

In just a matter of minutes, she was able to exploit a vulnerability in the camera network's defenses, breaching the security. 

Each camera was now at the mercy of her command, but given the time frame that the child was kidnapped, they must have already arrived at their destination so she accessed the core of the camera network, searching for the elusive black Ford Bronco that Luo Zhelan had described.

At exactly around 9:45 p.m., the black Ford Bronco came out of the subdivision.

She maneuvered through camera after camera, tracing the vehicle's route as it navigated the city's roads. As the car followed the main highway, it was easy for her to track. 

However, the car eventually veered into a more minor street, beyond the reach of surveillance cameras. Jiang Yue took note of the street's address and then said to Luo Zhelan, "Tell your team to head to Olive Avenue, just outside the capital. The Ford Bronco turned onto that street. They might be keeping the girl in one of the locations there."

Luo Zhelan hearing those words from her was taken aback. 

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