Song Shaoqing looked at the comments and asked, "Are there any issues?"
"These questioning and mocking comments, if you look closely, some of them are quite reasonable. We can verify the clues provided one by one ourselves and act only when there are solid leads. You can't just go out and search everywhere like this," Tian Yi reminded him seriously. "What if this is just a trap set by Huangfu Sisong and Wu Xiufang for you?"
Song Jiaping paused, realizing he had never considered this possibility.
As if awakened from a dream, he asked confusedly, "Are you saying that the Huangfu Sisong couple used their own daughter as bait to find me and harm me?"
"Officer Su and I analyzed it, and we think this is a possibility," Tian Yi said. "Think about it, the case we filed is about to go to court at any time, and at this moment, Mengyao was kidnapped. Moreover, Officer Su said that the police officer in charge of this kidnapping case feels that this group of kidnappers doesn't have a strong desire for ransom. If they don't want ransom, what do they want?"
Song Jiaping retorted, "How do you know the kidnappers don't want ransom?"
"The police monitoring the Huangfu family reported that the kidnappers only called Wu Xiufang's phone once and haven't made any extortion calls since. Also, the police strongly opposed them posting a reward online, but Wu Xiufang still posted a reward against the police's advice."
"She's practically trying to get Mengyao killed!" Song Jiaping said angrily.
Tian Yi, however, said, "Mengyao is her biological daughter. Doesn't she know the consequences? Would she want to kill her own daughter? When they were so meticulous in harming your family, how could they not think about how to protect Mengyao? They are definitely not fools, so there is only one possibility: they are not afraid of Mengyao being in danger, because they know Mengyao will not be in danger at all."
Song Jiaping felt his explanation made sense, but it was just their speculation.
Even if they were 99% correct, if they were even 1% wrong, he couldn't stand by and wait for Mengyao's outcome like an outsider.
"But you also said this is just your speculation. What if your speculation is wrong and Mengyao is in danger right now?"
"Officer Su and I have discussed this. It's not that I'm asking you to give up on Mengyao or not save her. We will pick out the truly valuable clues and devise a thorough plan to rescue Mengyao," Tian Yi asked him. "Even if you go out to search now, can you find her?"
Song Jiaping said without confidence, "No."
"Then don't be too impulsive," Tian Yi said. "List all the clues you know and the clues online. We'll start screening them one by one now, without wasting a single second."
As he spoke, he took out the prepared pen and white paper from his bag.
Song Jiaping calmed down considerably. He watched Tian Yi write down the clues from the online comments on paper, and he also took a piece of paper to write down the clues he knew.
...
Three days passed, and the kidnappers still hadn't called the Huangfu Sisong couple again.
Since the reward message was sent out, there were too many people providing clues. There were thousands of clues, and the police worked day and night verifying them without any progress.
Huangfu Sisong was beginning to despair, feeling that no news might be the best news.
He hadn't been to the group in these three days, and many matters at the group were also delayed.
No matter how worried and anxious he was, he couldn't ignore the group. Early this morning, he planned to go to the group to handle the backlog of official duties.
Huangfu Sisong gave Mengqi a few instructions. Just as he was about to leave, the butler hurried over and said, "Sir, there are a few people who say they are from the court and want to see you and Madam."
"The court?"
"Yes, they are dressed formally and showed me their identification. They are indeed from the court."
Huangfu Sisong hadn't expected them to arrive so soon. He said to the butler, "Take them to my study."
"Yes."
As the butler rode the eco-friendly electric cart towards the main gate, Huangfu Sisong returned to the hall and walked towards Wu Xiufang.
Wu Xiufang and Mengqi looked at him returning and asked simultaneously.
"Why did you come back?"
"Dad, what else are you worried about?"
Huangfu Sisong glanced at Mengqi and said, "No, you are very capable, and I have nothing to worry about."
Then he said to Wu Xiufang, "Some people from the court are looking for us. Go to my study. I'll leave the matter of monitoring the phones to Mengqi."
Wu Xiufang's heart skipped a beat. People from the court had indeed come to find them.
But they hadn't found Song Jiaping's residence in the past few days. If they couldn't find him, they would have to fight him in court. She had originally planned to capture Song Jiaping and eliminate him so he couldn't attend court. If the plaintiff couldn't appear in court, the case would not be heard, and it would naturally be dropped.
But the problem was that with Mengyao's major incident, Song Jiaping hadn't lost his composure, nor had he shown himself voluntarily. Shi Changying could only narrow down the general area where Song Jiaping might be hiding, but they still hadn't found his specific location.
Mengqi saw Wu Xiufang's silence and thought she was stunned. She said, "Dad, Mom, what are the court people looking for you for? Maybe I can handle them..."
"They are looking for me and your mother. What's the use of you handling it?" Huangfu Sisong interrupted her. "You keep a close eye on the phones. We'll handle our own matters."
"Yes, you don't need to worry about this," Wu Xiufang said calmly after recovering. "It's nothing. Your father and I are going to the study."
Mengqi watched them go to the study and then looked at the two phones in the hall, feeling that the kidnappers would not call again. The police had left the day before and no longer stationed personnel here. They would continue to monitor the surveillance equipment from the police station.
Soon, the butler led several people from the court into the hall and took them upstairs.
Mengqi guessed that these people were probably here about the pharmaceutical factory. It seemed Song Jiaping's plan had begun, and their Huangfu family would be in precarious danger. Although she didn't go to the study to hear what they were saying, she felt uneasy.
Mengqi wondered if she should tell them about her recent contact with Song Jiaping. Logically, Song Jiaping was very worried about Mengyao. Was it too heartless of him to start his revenge plan when Mengyao's life and death were uncertain? She suddenly wondered if Mengyao was kidnapped by someone Song Jiaping hired, causing unrest in their family, making it easier for him to seek revenge when everyone was worried about Mengyao.
Mengqi sat alone in the hall, thinking back and forth, unable to determine if Mengyao's kidnapping had anything to do with Song Jiaping. However, one thing was clear: no matter what happened, she would stand by her parents and protect the Huangfu Group. Therefore, after the court people left and she found out what was going on, she should tell her parents that Song Jiaping was inquiring about Mengyao's news through her.