The call ended, and the other party quickly sent over an account number.
The police officer conducted a technical analysis and found that the account was opened overseas, linked to a Swiss bank.
Due to technical limitations and various other reasons, they had no jurisdiction.
Once the money was deposited, there would be no possibility of recovery unless they apprehended the culprits.
For Zhan Bei Jue, the money was not the priority.
The priority was that it was Switzerland again!
He had nearly lost his life there on a previous business trip, and now his mother's life was threatened, with a Swiss bank specified once more.
It was hard not to suspect the other party had some influence in Switzerland.
Preparing ten billion in two hours, while the Zhan Corporation was a large enterprise, was still incredibly difficult to accomplish.
The corporation had countless projects running daily, and every penny in the accounts had its designated purpose.
So much money simply could not be mobilized.
Furthermore, the corporation bore the Zhan name, and while he was a major shareholder, he was not the sole shareholder.
Mobilizing ten billion instantly, without disrupting other projects or consulting the board of directors, was impossible.
The other party couldn't possibly be this ignorant to demand such a sum; it was a deliberate act of obstruction.
As Zhan Bei Jue was still contemplating solutions, Jiang Nan Fang's call came through.
Hearing Ge Er's voice, he didn't have time for further explanations.
Coincidentally, his phone received another call, forcing him to interrupt his conversation with Jiang Nan Fang.
It was the kidnapper again, with only 15 minutes left. The caller asked about his progress.
"Everything is ready on my end. Several strong men, guaranteed to ensure your sister departs comfortably."
"Besides, her eyes are truly beautiful. I heard that within an hour of a person ceasing to breathe, all their organs..."
Zhan Bei Jue couldn't help but be triggered by his words, thinking of Min Er.
He was filled with hatred, profound hatred for Switzerland and for all those despicable and shameless people!
He forced himself to remain calm, to avoid falling into the opponent's emotional trap.
"Isn't the deadline still some time away? Let me hear her voice first to ensure she's unharmed, then I'll transfer the money."
The other party hesitated for a moment before handing the phone to Mai Le Di.
Mai Le Di said she was fine, only that her eyes, hands, and feet were covered. There were many people in the room, and it was chaotic. She was scared.
The other party took the phone back.
"I'm acting like a gentleman now, but I can't guarantee I will be in ten minutes. You'd better hurry."
Zhan Bei Jue said, "Since there are still ten minutes left, let's talk. I have a very good suggestion for you."
"Are you trying to play games with me?"
"No," Zhan Bei Jue replied truthfully.
"It's impossible for me to raise ten billion in two hours. Even if I owned a bank, I wouldn't have that much liquidity on hand at short notice."
"Give me 24 hours. For every hour of delay, I'll add another 100 million. After 24 hours, I'll give you 3.4 billion, and you'll return her to me safely, what do you say?"
What audacious confidence.
The police officers present were startled by his words.
The other party was clearly taken aback by his proposal and, after a pause, burst into laughter.
"As expected of the Zhan Corporation, you're indeed wealthy. It seems my ambition was too small; asking you for 1 billion was too little."
"Since you're so generous, why not round it up for me? After 24 hours, 4 billion will arrive, and I'll return the person to you safely."
The money in their mouths seemed like mere numbers, spoken as casually as they pleased.
The staff held their breath, all gazing intently at Zhan Bei Jue.
He remained silent for two seconds before agreeing.
"Alright. But how can I guarantee you'll keep your word once I transfer the money?"
The other party chuckled smugly, "You can't. You're at my mercy now, you have no right to negotiate terms with me."
"I will call again. Hurry up and prepare. I've given you enough chances. Next time, I won't be this patient."
The call was hung up again. The captain rushed to Zhan Bei Jue's side.
"Why did you make such a proposal without consulting us first? Forty billion in 24 hours? Can you actually do it?"
"And what if the other party doesn't uphold their end of the bargain? We'll lose the person and the money; no one can afford such consequences!"
Zhan Bei Jue shot him a cold glance, "Do you have a better solution?"
"..."
Indeed, there wasn't.
Faced with such organized and premeditated high-tech crime, no useful information could be captured. Aside from being at their mercy and waiting for them to slip up, the police could do nothing.
The atmosphere became awkward. After a moment, someone asked, "Captain. What do we do next?"
"Call the hospital and check on Mrs. Zhan's condition, see if she can speak."
"Have you contacted her familiar relatives? Interview them one by one and continue investigating her social circle."
"Mr. Zhan, you need to hurry and raise the money."
With that, everyone dispersed to their tasks.
Zhan Bei Jue called the company's vice president.
"From now on, the corporation, including all its subsidiaries, will be on holiday."
"No projects will proceed further. All funds in the accounts will be frozen. We will rest for 48 hours."
The vice president was taken aback, not understanding the sudden decision.
"Mr. Zhan, you..."
"I don't have a fever, my mind is clear, and I'm not being threatened. You heard correctly. Arrange it immediately."
The vice president was still astonished, "Can I know what's happening? The corporation has so many enterprises, with countless projects running simultaneously. Suddenly halting everything..."
Not only would it delay deadlines, causing adverse effects for clients and incurring penalty fees, but it might also lead to unfavorable news reports.
If the outside world speculated that the Zhan Corporation was facing a significant crisis, and the stock price was impacted, it would be troublesome.
His words were interrupted by Zhan Bei Jue before he could finish.
"Since you know the consequences are severe, come up with a plausible excuse so no one can fault us."
"That's enough, stop wasting time. Do as I say."
Soon after, Zhou Jin Bei called Jiang Nan Fang, saying there was no need to come to work today and asking if she wanted to go for beauty treatments.
"My second brother is doing something strange. He suddenly declared a company-wide holiday, and it's for two days."
"Human Resources gave the explanation that it's to celebrate exceeding KPI targets for three consecutive quarters and to show appreciation for everyone's hard work, but I don't quite believe it."
"Everyone says it's the first time the corporation has encountered such a good situation in its history. But I can't shake the feeling that something is off."
Jiang Nan Fang was also confused by Zhan Bei Jue's actions.
Without any particular reason, the entire corporation was suddenly granted a holiday. If a project was in a critical phase, it would delay subsequent progress...
Jiang Nan Fang couldn't help but call A Zhong.
The phone was off.
At this moment, the oblivious A Zhong was on a plane to Bei Cheng.
Upon arriving at the hotel, staff greeted him and escorted him upstairs.
He was thoroughly searched from head to toe at the doorway of the room, and only after confirming he posed no threat was he allowed in.
Seeing the room filled with equipment and staff members monitoring them, he was momentarily stunned.
"Mr. Zhan..."
"I'll leave my phone here. You stay here and watch with them. If any calls come in, call me immediately. I'll go to the study to handle some matters."