I Conquer the Entertainment Industry with My Medical Skills - Chapter 11

“Are you crazy? The client only said to kidnap the starlet! Who told you to grab her too?”

“She saw us. We had no choice. Now what?”

“We’ve already got her. She practically walked into our trap. Let’s make this a big score.”

“Third Brother’s right. If we pull this off, we could retire for good.”

An Ningqing’s unconsciousness was brief. Perhaps she had instinctively avoided vital acupoints when struck, allowing her to regain consciousness quickly. Her first sensation upon waking was darkness—her eyes were blindfolded and her hands bound. The air in the vehicle felt stifling and stale, thick with the mingled stench of male sweat and foot odor.

Yet beside her, she detected the familiar citrus scent, a soft warmth radiating from the body beside her. It was Xie Anran’s scent, carrying the freshness of sunlight and a gentle warmth.

Had Xie Anran been captured too?

An Ningqing strained her ears, listening intently to the sounds outside the vehicle. They seemed to have left the bustling city behind; the bumpy ride over uneven roads suggested she had been unconscious for at least two or three incense sticks’ worth of time.

The kidnappers were still enthusiastically discussing how much ransom they could demand from the Xie Corporation for Xie Anran, completely forgetting about An Ningqing, their original target. Clearly, Xie Anran’s value far outweighed An Ningqing’s.

“Ugh, that hurts.”

Xie Anran stirred awake to find herself and An Ningqing lying on a pile of straw in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse, its dilapidated state screaming neglect. Damn it, I’ve been kidnapped.

No, wait—these lunatics were after An Ningqing.

The first suspect that sprang to Xie Anran’s mind was her elder brother, Xie Xuanze. He had a long history of such schemes, and they’d just had a major argument over An Ningqing a few days ago. Given his track record, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’d stooped to this.

Her hands and feet were tightly bound with rope. She wriggled and shuffled until she managed to inch closer, intending to nudge An Ningqing awake. But in her clumsy maneuvering, she accidentally collapsed on top of her. “Wake up,” she whispered.

An Ningqing had been awake the whole time, feigning unconsciousness to deceive the five bandits outside. But Xie Anran’s sudden weight nearly made her gag. “Shh,” she hissed, “they’re right outside the door.”

“We need to find a way to escape.”

“Mm-hmm.”

The plan sounded good, but An Ningqing remained motionless, lying there with a hint of passive resistance. She had already gauged the strength of the five men by their footsteps—each of them possessed at least the physical prowess required for dock work. Taking on one might be manageable, but confronting five burly men simultaneously would be a daunting challenge.

Most importantly, she had her pouch.

The silver needles were all inside.

Seeing An Ningqing’s hesitation, Xie Anran couldn’t help but urge her, “Hurry up! Bite through my ropes first.”

An Ningqing glanced at Xie Anran’s hands, bound behind her back. The hemp rope was thicker than her little finger, and she instinctively recoiled. She wanted to warn the Third Miss that the warehouse’s only exit was being guarded by the five bandits, lying in wait like rabbits in a trap. Biting through the ropes wouldn’t let them escape; it would only put the bandits on alert, making future escape attempts even more difficult. But the words that came out of her mouth were, “My teeth aren’t strong enough. Why don’t you bite through mine first?”

“???”

Xie Anran was probably stunned that this person was being even more finicky than she was at such a critical moment.

Muttering curses, Xie Anran hopped behind An Ningqing and deigned to bite through her ropes. An Ningqing felt the other woman’s nimble tongue probing her palm, wet and hot breath ghosting across her skin, leaving an indescribable ticklish sensation. “Ugh, spit, spit.”

An Ningqing wanted to laugh. “Third Miss, you could have stayed out of this. Why did you come along to suffer with me?”

After all, she had been the bandits’ original target.

She pondered the entire journey, utterly baffled as to which demon she had offended.

Could it really be that her portrayal of a popular character had made the entire world see her as an obstacle? Or had she unknowingly blocked someone’s path to wealth?

Considering the original owner’s meager, drained value, neither explanation seemed plausible.

Xie Anran lowered her head again and resumed gnawing at the rope. The knot was a dead knot; after chewing for ages, she hadn’t loosened it at all, only ended up with a mouthful of dirt and a sore jaw. “I saw it. I can’t just pretend I didn’t. Besides, didn’t I promise to protect you?”

This person is actually quite kind.

Before she could fully appreciate the sentiment, she heard a hiss behind her, like someone accidentally burning their tongue on hotpot. Xie Anran’s head popped over her shoulder. “Quick, my mouth is bleeding! Blow on it for me.”

An Ningqing turned her head, and warm lips brushed against her cheek.

Both froze.

Xie Anran felt awkward all over, but when she looked up, she found An Ningqing’s eyes completely guileless, her expression focused as she examined Xie Anran’s mouth. “It’s just a bleeding gum. Lick it yourself; it’ll stop the bleeding.”

“Then… should I keep biting?”

“Stop biting. Even if you manage to break the rope, they’ll just retie us if they find it undone. Trying to escape later will be even harder.” It’s better to wait and see what happens.

Xie Anran tried to stand up and hopped around a few times. Before she could even get a good look at the warehouse layout, the door swung open. Five figures filed in, carrying specialized equipment.

“Well, well, looks like our guests are awake.”

Each of them wore an animal mask: a tiger, a monkey, a panda, a wolf, and a rabbit. An Ningqing had memorized all five faces earlier that morning. Back in the car, the group hadn’t bothered to guard them at all.

The two women watched as two of the men set up tables, chairs, equipment, and a backdrop. The remaining three each wielded large machetes, two guarding the door while the third glared at them, preventing any escape attempts.

Even if I’ve never eaten pork, I’ve certainly seen pigs run.

The group’s intentions were glaringly obvious.

Xie Anran’s face darkened at the sight of the crude setup. “What do you want from us? Why did you kidnap us?”

“What do you think we’re doing? Heh heh, we’re just taking some memorable photos for you.”

“Let’s start with you.”

The tiger-masked man reached out his claw-like hand, effortlessly lifting An Ningqing like a chick. She didn’t struggle; staying compliant might minimize her suffering. She estimated his arm strength: her original body weighed about 50 kilograms, and he could easily lift at least 100 kilograms. Glancing at the others, the skinny man in the weasel mask was tall and gaunt, the panda-masked man was stout and chubby, and the wolf-masked man’s muscles were taut, radiating raw power—he was the strongest of the group and their leader, addressed as “Boss.” As for the rabbit-masked man, though short-legged, he moved with surprising agility and speed.

To escape successfully, she needed to divide these five individuals first.

The tiger-masked man dragged An Ningqing to the only chair in the dilapidated warehouse and shoved her into it.

The monkey-masked man was tall and slender, resembling a bamboo pole. He habitually rubbed his fingers together, occasionally bringing them to his nose to sniff. “I heard you’re a pretty famous star. I bet a lot of people would be interested in your nude photos, ha ha.”

As he spoke, he reached out to touch An Ningqing’s face.

An Ningqing recoiled at the fishy stench emanating from his hand, instinctively turning her head away. Among the five masked figures, she loathed the skinny one the most. His lecherous gaze lingered on her chest and lower body whenever he looked at her and Xie Anran, revealing an insatiable lust.

“Don’t touch her,” Xie Anran snapped, shoving the man aside and stepping protectively in front of An Ningqing once more. An Ningqing lowered her gaze, noticing the trembling fingertips of Xie Anran’s hands behind her back. These men had gone to great lengths to capture her, only to demand nude photos? This meant their employer wanted her utterly ruined. Could someone truly hate her that much?

Still, these bandits seemed to lack professional ethics and might be easily swayed.

Curious, An Ningqing asked, “Who’s your employer? How much are they paying you? We can double the price. You must know who we are and our worth.”

The person wearing the rabbit mask tilted their head. “Big Brother, she makes a pretty good point.”

The tiger-masked man grinned. “Looks like we’ve hit the jackpot this time.”

The wolf-masked man nodded. “Negotiation is definitely possible.”

As if their eyes had lit up at the sight of money, the group huddled in a corner of the warehouse to discuss their next move.

In truth, this was all part of their plan from the start. By intimidating the two women first, they hoped to gain leverage for their later schemes and ultimately demand a higher ransom.

Double the price?

They clearly believed Xie Anran was worth far more than that.

Unaware that she was being treated as a commodity up for sale, Xie Anran seized the opportunity to retreat. Her hand brushed against An Ningqing’s face, and she began to trace its contours, inch by inch, from cheek to nose, then to eyebrows and eyes. She whispered, “Don’t be scared. Before we came, I told Qingxin to call the police. They’ll find us soon.”

An Ningqing, thoroughly annoyed by the constant touching, tried to dodge away, but Xie Anran’s hand kept returning. Finally, she bit down hard on the meddling finger, silencing Xie Anran instantly.

The kidnappers had finished their “negotiations.”

In reality, the only ones truly negotiating were Tiger, Rabbit, and Wolf—the core members of the gang. Panda and Monkey seemed to be merely following orders, requiring no independent thought.

“You two, think carefully about who you want us to contact. Don’t try to trick us, or you’ll face consequences you can’t afford.”

“She’s my fiancée. We’re inseparable.”

“In that case, two hundred million.”

“How much?!”

An Ningqing was stunned. On the car ride, the kidnappers had been saying they’d retire if they could get fifty million. Now they were demanding two hundred million—the ransom had quadrupled in such a short time.

Xie Anran, terrified of provoking them, quickly covered An Ningqing’s mouth. “Fine, two hundred million it is. How do you want to handle the exchange? Will you release us after the money’s transferred?”

An Ningqing bit down hard on Xie Anran’s index finger, leaving a deep tooth mark.

Xie Anran winced in pain, her face contorting.

An Ningqing quickly calmed her mind. Rather than waiting for rescue, she decided to save herself. The kidnappers’ constant changes of mind revealed their insatiable greed and willingness to betray their word.

She feared that even two hundred million wouldn’t satisfy them in the end.

The kidnappers were stunned by Xie Anran’s immediate acceptance of their two-hundred-million-yuan demand. Regret washed over them; they realized they should have asked for more. They had clearly underestimated the Third Miss Xie Family’s worth.

“Contact information for your family.”

Xie Anran provided Xie Xuanze’s contact details. The leader of the kidnappers went outside to make the call, leaving three of the five kidnappers behind. In the warehouse, only Monkey and Panda remained, Monkey’s gaze growing increasingly lewd as he stared at the women.

Unaware of this, Xie Anran turned to An Ningqing and whispered, “Preparing two hundred million will take time. Even my brother can’t produce that much cash instantly. They probably won’t harm us during this period.”

But An Ningqing saw this as the perfect window of opportunity—their best chance to escape.