Chapter 233: Kidnapping

Back in the hotel room, Xiang Fei had just taken off his jacket when his phone suddenly rang. The screen showed "Unknown Number."

"Hello?" Xiang Fei answered the call.

From the other end came a mechanically altered voice: "Aiven, if you want to save your friends, come find me at Warehouse 13 at the port."

Xiang Fei's pupils contracted: "Who are you? Where are my friends?"

"Don't call the police, don't bring anyone, or else..." The phone suddenly hung up, leaving only the beeping busy tone.

Xiang Fei gripped his phone, his knuckles white. Just then, the door was knocked urgently.

"Ah Fei! Something's happened!" Hong Jinbao pushed the door open, his face solemn. Han Shanping followed close behind, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

"Li Bingbing and Xingzai still aren't back," Hong Jinbao's voice was tight, "and their phones won't go through."

Xiang Fei's heart sank to the bottom. He immediately told the two of them about the call he'd just received.

"Kidnapping?" Han Shanping sucked in a cold breath, "That's impossible. Ah Xing is a trained fighter—ordinary people can't get close to him."

Zhou Huimin walked out from the bedroom, saw the three men's ugly expressions: "What's wrong?"

Xiang Fei forced himself to stay calm: "Nothing, you rest first. We have some work to discuss."

The three gathered in the suite's study, the atmosphere solemn.

"Should we call the police?" Hong Jinbao lowered his voice.

"No," Han Shanping shook his head, "the other side gave a clear warning."

Xiang Fei paced back and forth: "The question is, why would they kidnap Li Bingbing and Zhou Xingxing?"

Han Shanping suddenly thought of something: "Could it be related to the distribution rights for 'Drive My Car'? These past few days I've talked to quite a few buyers, some of the terms were very generous..."

Hong Jinbao slammed the table: "Damn it! Someone must be jealous!"

Xiang Fei forced himself to calm down: "Don't panic yet. Make a call to the embassy."

In less than two hours, Counselor Wang from the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles arrived at the hotel with two staff members.

"We have a preliminary grasp of the situation," Counselor Wang pushed up his glasses, "according to surveillance, Ms. Li and Mr. Zhou were taken outside a jewelry store in Beverly Hills."

"A jewelry store?" Xiang Fei frowned.

"Yes. Ms. Li seemed to have taken a fancy to a rather expensive necklace," Counselor Wang pulled up a surveillance screenshot on his phone, "which drew the attention of certain people."

Hong Jinbao couldn't believe it: "Just for that? How could Ah Xing surrender without a fight?"

Counselor Wang's expression was complicated: "Surveillance shows Mr. Zhou did knock down several people, but someone behind them used a stun gun."

In the living room, Zhou Huimin finished hearing what had happened, her face deathly pale: "How could this be... what should we do?"

Xiang Fei gripped her hand tightly: "Don't be afraid. Leader Wang is already coordinating with the local police."

"But the kidnappers said we can't call the police..." Zhou Huimin's voice trembled.

Han Shanping comforted her: "Don't worry. The police will operate in plainclothes, won't tip them off."

Night fell, and Xiang Fei drove alone to the port. As planned, the police would follow covertly but keep a safe distance.

Warehouse 13 was in an abandoned dock area, its rusty iron door half-open, pitch-black inside.

"I'm here!" Xiang Fei stood at the door and shouted, "Let my friends go!"

Footsteps came from the darkness. Three masked men emerged, escorting the bound Li Bingbing and Zhou Xingxing. Zhou Xingxing had blood on his forehead; Li Bingbing's face was streaked with tears.

"Did you bring the money?" the lead kidnapper demanded harshly.

Xiang Fei was stunned: "What money?"

The kidnapper sneered: "Don't play dumb! That movie of yours sold for a fortune—we want fifty million US dollars!"

Just then, sirens suddenly wailed, and red and blue police lights illuminated the entire dock.

"You fucking called the cops?!" The kidnapper flew into a rage, yanked Li Bingbing over, and pressed the gun muzzle against her temple.

"Let her go!" Zhou Xingxing suddenly erupted, throwing an elbow strike that knocked aside the kidnapper behind him.

Gunshots rang out. In the chaos, Xiang Fei lunged at Li Bingbing and the two of them crashed to the ground together. Police special forces rushed in, and a shootout erupted on the spot.

When everything settled, of the three kidnappers, two had been shot dead and one severely wounded and captured.

In the ambulance, the paramedics bandaged Zhou Xingxing's wounds. The comedy star smiled weakly: "Damn, capsized in a ditch..."

Li Bingbing threw herself into Xiang Fei's arms, sobbing wretchedly. Xiang Fei patted her back gently, looked toward the flashing police lights in the distance, and let out a long breath.

The next day, the police interrogation results came out. The gang of kidnappers had originally just been street thugs who had happened to see Li Bingbing spending lavishly at the jewelry store and decided on the spur of the moment.

"Nothing to do with the movie's distribution rights?" Han Shanping was somewhat surprised.

Counselor Wang shook his head: "Purely a crime of opportunity driven by greed.

Xiang Fei stood at the hotel window, looking at Los Angeles in the morning light. Zhou Huimin hugged him from behind: "It's all over now."