Chapter 2697: The Capital (Part 53)

He still harbored selfish motives: if he could ransom Senator Leng before the work team arrived—even at a cost of a hundred thousand taels of silver—it would still count as a major merit, or at least enough to offset their dereliction of duty.

"That's true, but the kidnappers haven't sent any new letters."

Li Rufeng frowned. "Strange indeed. According to the instructions, we've already hung the cloth strip on the rear door knocker of Delong Bank. Two or three days have passed, yet no second letter has arrived."

Ten thousand taels in cash was no small sum. Even Delong was unlikely to produce it all at once; gathering such an amount would typically take ten to fifteen days. Surely the kidnappers had considered this.

Long nights breed many dreams, and kidnapping for ransom relies on speed—pocketing the money provides security. Since Delong had agreed to the terms, logic dictated that a second letter should have arrived specifying the deadline for gathering the funds and the method of delivery. Why was this group of bandits so dilatory? There hadn't been a single movement.

A vague unease stirred within him, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong—just an inexplicable dissonance.

Li Rufeng recalled his training in Lingao. The foreign woman had spoken of human "intuition," a warning sense that indeed arises in the face of danger.

Unfortunately, she hadn't explained what exactly this intuition was, leaving him confused at the time.

"Since we have a trace, we must follow it," Liao Sanniang said. "Leave this to Chen Cui and the others. A wild goose leaves a voice; as long as they haven't crossed the border, we can find out where they've landed."

Once Senator Leng's location was found, they could consider a forceful rescue. Liao Sanniang was fully confident in this regard—whether organized by the Escort Bureau or by a Special Reconnaissance Team from the Senate, it would be as easy as catching a turtle in a jar.

Although the telegram instructions stated to spare no expense and that saving the person was paramount, saving this expenditure would be better. It wasn't that the Senate was greedy, but that the Senators disliked being taken advantage of and hated losing face even more. Regardless of how the kidnapping of a Senator concluded, the kidnappers would likely meet an unpleasant end.

Thus, her private desire was for a clean sweep—to completely eradicate the evil.

"Very well. Tell them that if they find no useful clues, they should return to the capital immediately and not linger outside."

Liao Sanniang's eyes flickered, and she nodded slightly. She placed the candlestick back on the table, straightened up, and steered away from the topic, speaking softly: "How long would it normally take to raise ten thousand qiaosi?"

Li Rufeng started. "Even for a wealthy merchant borrowing from multiple sources, it would take at least a month or two to gather."

Liao Sanniang tapped the table lightly. "Exactly. If it's a large sum, there must be a grace period to raise the funds. Remember, this isn't Lingao, where efficiency is paramount and orders flow like wind and water. In the Great Ming, doing anything takes ten days at minimum, and months at most. But the thieves' letter set no deadline for the funds—it only said to gather them and wait for a delivery date. It's as if they knew Delong had the cash on hand."

Li Rufeng's gaze sharpened. "Could there be someone in Delong's upper management..."

Liao Sanniang shook her head. "No. When the incident first occurred, I had Mr. Wu investigate. The selection of senior personnel for Delong in the capital is extremely cautious. The managers and administrative staff—the managers and accountants—are all screened repeatedly. These people adhere to the principle that 'wealth comes from the Dao, profit is taken with righteousness.' They are tight-lipped; they wouldn't spill secrets even in death. This is their family's livelihood. If they ruin their integrity and reputation, they won't just lose their footing in the industry—their descendants won't be able to eat from this bowl either. Furthermore, only the Financial Director sent from headquarters can access the consolidated core data. If there were a traitor, it wouldn't be hard to find them."

Li Rufeng glanced at Liao Sanniang. "But purely by coincidence, there is a large amount of cash on Delong's books."

Liao Sanniang nodded. "I heard Mr. Wu mention it: tens of thousands of taels were recently deposited—savings absorbed by Eunuch Yang from several powerful palace eunuchs. Delong even gave him a cash rebate for it. Added to Delong's reserves, there are over a hundred thousand taels. Under normal turnover, they wouldn't keep so much cash. If the incident had happened a few days later, the silver would have already been remitted out."

Li Rufeng slapped his forehead. "Eunuch Yang's mouth might not be entirely tight."

Liao Sanniang closed her eyes in fatigue for a moment, then opened them. "Aside from his palace duties, investigate who Eunuch Yang has met recently, what business he's conducted, and where he's been. Make the investigation circuitous—find an unrelated person to take the lead so we don't show our faces."

"I have someone who can look into this," Li Rufeng said. "His name is Huang Qi, ranked sixth in his family. He's from the Brocade Guard and used to work as an investigator for the Eastern Depot. During the Eunuch Faction's persecution of the Six Gentlemen, he was one of the arresting officers. After the current Emperor ascended the throne, fearing revenge from the Donglin Faction, he abandoned his post and fled. He only returned from Guangdong a few years ago."

"Returned from Guangdong? What was he doing there?" Liao Sanniang asked, suddenly alert.

"I heard he was working for someone. He's vague about it, so it probably wasn't clean work. Since returning to the capital a few years ago, he's made a living selling information and helping out at government offices. When he was destitute and begging for handouts, I assisted him. He has very close ties with investigators in the Brocade Guard and the Eastern Depot. His information is always current. Let him make the inquiries."

"Is he reliable?"

"Whether he's reliable as a person is hard to say. But as long as you pay, his information is genuine."

"Let him investigate," Liao Sanniang decided. "Even if the kidnappers find out about this, it won't matter."

Li Rufeng fell silent for a moment, then said abruptly, "We need more manpower."

"Where will we get people?"

Li Rufeng pondered briefly. "Two sources. First, hire favorable escort agencies and find a few trustworthy experts to help out—our peers likely won't refuse this face. Second, temporarily recruit ten or so reliable men from the idle hands and thugs who usually depend on us for a living. Pay them extra public hiring money to handle the miscellaneous external matters. This way, we won't tie up the Bureau's experts, leaving them free to act."

"You make the decision," Liao Sanniang said.

At this point, Li Rufeng hesitated. "A shipment of qiaosi departs tomorrow. We can't pile this much silver in one place in the city, nor can we keep it all within the walls. As discussed before, we'll transport some out first. Otherwise, if we need money and can't leave the city, or if we're stuck with it on hand in a rush, we'll delay matters and ruin the major undertaking. The ransom silver is critical, but I can't leave here. I know you've just returned and are exhausted, but we need a heavy weight to balance the scale..."

Liao Sanniang nodded. "Say no more. I'll go."

Seeing her agreement, Li Rufeng let out a sigh of relief. He stuck a small wooden-handled pushpin into the map, tapping the spot with his finger. "I found a friend with a clean background who is close to the Aussie-Songs. I've borrowed a compound here in Haidian, in the capital's suburbs. The estate has high walls and is easy to defend. The people inside have been cleared out, leaving only the headman and a few key managers. I've already sent an advance team. You just escort the mule carts there. Once you arrive, station yourself outside the city and secretly investigate the leads Qin Erlang mentioned—just don't make a scene. The moment there's movement on my end, I'll send a messenger to tip you off. If nothing happens during this time and we can drag it out until the work team arrives, that would be best. If the situation becomes critical, I'll meet you there."

Liao Sanniang nodded silently. The city was not only full of spies but also teemed with various factions, creating too many constraints and inconveniences for action.

Li Rufeng continued, "Delong and the Escort Bureau are currently the center of attention. Eight hundred eyes are watching us, seeing us as a piece of fatty meat. Their eyes are red enough to spew fire; they want nothing more than to create chaos and profit from it. A single demand letter drew people to our door to swindle money, let alone mule carts. Tomorrow, I'll send three mule carts to cover each other. Your movements attract attention, and many people know you, so you will accompany the empty carts to divert everyone's gaze. Once outside the city, you'll link up with the silver carts."

Pausing briefly, Li Rufeng added, "I've already disassembled and smuggled out four Nanyang carbines. They're at the estate, under your command. Shortly, I will transfer the remaining six as well, just in case. These tools have no place to be used inside the city."

Liao Sanniang didn't decline, answering crisply, "Good." She added, "Empty carts alone might not be enough to deceive people."

"I will arrange that properly," Li Rufeng replied. "Who will you take with you?"

Liao Sanniang lowered her head in thought. "Aside from those preparing to track the trail, I want the squad capable of deploying the Mandarin Duck Formation. For escort masters, I want Zhao Liangjian and Liu Chang. Old Feng and Little Bazi are also good—give them all to me."

"They're yours," Li Rufeng said without hesitation.

After speaking, he thought for a moment, walked to the wooden partition at the rear of the hall, and retrieved a blue cloth bundle from behind it. He returned to Liao Sanniang and slowly unfolded the bundle on the tea table.

As the cloth corner lifted, two single-action revolvers with a dark, gleaming finish were revealed. The twin guns lay crossed over a bullet belt, silent and cold, adding a chill to the autumn night.

The candle wick popped with a snap. The smooth gun barrels reflected the flame, flashing a streak of orange light that flickered in their eyes.

Qiwei had been penetrated by multiple departments—Military Intelligence, Political Security, the Police—and its equity had been diluted. Internally, it was full of chaos and dissonance from the alternation of old and new systems and powers. Yet it also presented many previously nonexistent upward channels, providing opportunities for some to enter the system. Li Rufeng had a rough beard but a meticulous mind; he had a keen sense for opportunity and knew clearly what he wanted.

Coming to the capital was front-line experience, a prerequisite task for step-by-step advancement. Upon transfer back, there would be a promotion of one rank, allowing direct participation in the internal selection of various security and intelligence departments. It was dangerous, but a shortcut.

Fighting for a future was never easy.

Li Rufeng looked at the pistols, then slowly moved his gaze to Liao Sanniang's face. He couldn't understand the woman before him, nor did he know what she wanted. In her world, there were no men, no children, no wealth or power. Her eyes were forever veiled.

He gazed at her for a moment and whispered, "Be careful."