Chapter 226: Rescue Operation

Lin Dongfan held a constantly ringing phone and walked to the window at the end of the hallway.

The fresh air outside the window is still better.

No smell of disinfectant.

Lin Dongfan answered the call from an unknown number: "Hello, who is this?"

"I'm laying my cards on the table—I'm Wang Dingzhu, the relentless shadow. Following the custom of you Jingcheng people, you should address me as Master Zhu."

A confident voice came through the phone.

It seems…

Now Master Zhu has the cards in hand and is calm.

Lin Dongfan forced a smile and played the victim: "Master Zhu, my wife is lying in the delivery room, and the doctor said we can only save one—either the mother or the child. I really don't have time to mess around with you. Can you stop bothering me? I'm already annoyed."

"Being annoyed is exactly right—this is all my doing."

"You did this?!"

"Yes, it's all my doing. What can you do about it? I said if you don't release Shen Bing, I'll kill your wife—words I'll keep."

"You'd even lay hands on a pregnant woman—your tactics are truly vicious!"

"Isn't this because you forced me? If you don't want your beautiful wife to die in the delivery room, then hurry up and cooperate—release Shen Bing quickly. I, Master Zhu, am a man of my word; as long as you free Shen Bing, I guarantee your wife and child will be unharmed. Otherwise, you'll be waiting to collect their corpses."

"Master Zhu, it's not that I don't want to give you face—this just can't be coordinated."

Lin Dongfan furrowed his brows, putting on a miserable, helpless tone—his acting was truly poor, still half a step shy of an Oscar‑worthy lead.

Zhu Zi's angry roar came through the phone instantly: "Why can't you cooperate? As a Section Chief, you can't even release one person? It's not like I'm asking you to go overseas and kill devils!"

"Master Zhu, my Section Chief title refers to the office, not to having authority to dispose of people. I truly have no power to release anyone on a whim. Shen Bing is being held in the Women's Detention Center, which is outside my jurisdiction."

"Then who's in charge of it?"

"It's under the director of the Women's Detention Center."

"Who is the director?"

"Cao Nimei."

"Do you have her phone number?"

"No."

"You damn well don't even have the director's number—how did you become a Section Chief? Brother, I'm not looking down on you, but if you weren't born in the military compound, you'd be nothing!"

"Your criticism is spot on—would you like to meet and discuss a verdict?"

"Screw your verdict!"

"Sorry, my mom passed early and never got to give me a sister. Want to switch negotiation partners? How about we talk about your parents' retirement? I'm rich—worth several hundred million."

"No! This isn't right……

"What's wrong?"

"What did you just say the director of the Women's Detention Center is called?"

"Cao Nimei."

"Are you trying to pull a fast one on me? You're damn well insulting me in disguise!"

"I insulted you? How would I not know?"

"Cao Nimei, twist your words however you like—it's still an insult to your sister! You don't have a sister, but I truly do, and you'll feel my fury. Master Zhu, my hammer is meant for scum like you!"

"She really is surnamed Cao—the 'Ni' from Xiao Ni, the 'Mei' from plum blossom."

"Stop trying to fool people!"

"Misunderstanding."

"Don't give me that misunderstanding crap—there's none! Whether I call her Cao Nimei or Cao Nima, you've got half an hour to get her to release the person!"

"Master Zhu, this truly can't be done."

"Even if it can't be done, you must do it! Shen Bing is your captive—you're responsible for releasing her! If you don't let her out within half an hour, I'll send your wife and child to the afterlife!"

"Master Zhu, hello? Hello…?"

The phone emitted a series of beeps; Lin Dongfan couldn't help but chuckle—unexpectedly, this Zhu Zi still had some spunk, hanging up just like that.

Now Xie Xiaofeng has located Zhu Zi's position via phone tracking.

It's right at Wang Jing's home.

It's less than five hundred meters from the maternity hospital.

Lin Dongfan originally wanted to chat with Zhu Zi a few more minutes to distract him, making it easier for Xie Xiaofeng and the others to break in and rescue the person, but he hadn't expected his bullshitting skills to still be lacking.

Lin Dongfan called Xie Xiaofeng again: "What's the situation on your end?"

"The door is reverse‑locked, the key won't turn, and the curtains are drawn—I can't see inside." Xie Xiaofeng replied: "Breaking in to rescue will be quite difficult."

"Without being able to guarantee the child's safety, don't act rashly."

"Understood."

"Wait a moment—I'm on my way."

Just as Lin Dongfan finished speaking, Wang Jing, looking anxious, walked over.

Wang Jing asked: "Mr. Lin, if there's really no other way, we should just call the police."

Hearing that, Lin Dongfan fully understood her feelings.

She had already given the house keys to Xie Xiaofeng, and still unable to confirm the child's safety—anyone in her shoes would be frantic.

But calling the police is definitely out of the question.

Zhu Zi is a fugitive with several lives on his conscience; the reason he still harbors hope for rescuing Shen Bing is that he naively believes he controls everything.

If the police intervene,

then, when Zhu Zi discovers Wang Jing is deceiving him, he might well lash out in desperation.

Lin Dongfan comforted Wang Jing: "Don't rush; within half an hour, your son should be fine. I'll think of a way to rescue him."

"How do you plan to save him?" Wang Jing asked, tears welling up in her eyes from anxiety.

Lin Dongfan said: "We'll know once we get there; if we still haven't found a breakthrough after fifteen minutes, calling the police then won't be too late."

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Wang Jing turned her head and wiped away a tear.

Between the police and the Lin Family, if she had to choose one, she would rather trust the Lin Family, because this matter arose because of the Lin Family and also concerns the safety of its members; she believes the Lin Family will do everything possible to resolve it.

Lin Dongfan jogged all the way and reached Wang Jing's home within three minutes.

The scene.

Xie Xiaofeng and three bodyguards were discussing a rescue plan in the hallway.

Seeing Lin Dongfan come out of the elevator, Xie Xiaofeng stepped forward two paces: "Brother Fan, you're here." He was holding a residential floor plan just obtained from the property management.

Lin Dongfan asked: "Have you come up with a solution?"

Xie Xiaofeng unfolded the floor plan, pointing to the master bedroom and said: "Behind the master bedroom there is a balcony; we plan to rappel from the 19th floor above down to the balcony."

"Does that sun-facing balcony have a safety net?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Xie Xiaofeng replied: "I've already called Doctor Wang to confirm; there's only a 1.2-meter-high glass railing, no safety net. Now the worry is that rappelling might alert Wang Dingzhu. Right now we can't confirm whether Wang Dingzhu is in the master bedroom. If he is there, this plan won't work."

"This is easy to handle; we'll use the tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain."

Lin Dongfan pointed to the living room window on the floor plan.

Without hesitation he ordered: "Have someone pose as an exterior wall maintenance worker, rappel first to the living room window, create some disturbance to draw the pillar's attention. Once the pillar comes to the living room, another person will quickly rappel to the master bedroom balcony to enter and take control of the situation."

"I think Brother Fan's plan is feasible," Liu Wei nodded in agreement; today this guy didn't bring his retired military dog, Leopard Head, on the mission.

Xie Xiaofeng also nodded: "Then let's do that, Liu Wei—go to the property management to change into clothes, pose as an exterior wall maintenance worker, and I'll personally rappel to the master bedroom balcony."