Barely blinking eyes, they all swarmed around the strange-looking objects.

"How do you install this?" Yiren was holding the object that looked like a splitter.

"Yeah. It's easy. Just like a regular splitter," said Caihong. "Now, let's install it first."

"Should we install it now?" Yingyue spat out words that sounded so naïve. It made the others tried not to laugh.

Caihong smiled. "We have to try these tools first. We have to know if these tools really work properly." He installed the device deftly. Judging by the movement of his hand, it seemed that the young man had done that before.

"Have you ever installed anything like this?" Yiren looked at Caihong while nodding. Maybe he had the same thoughts as Shanquan when he saw what the young man was doing.

"Never. But I've plugged splitters a few times. It's the same thing." Caihong picked up the two small boxes that looked like transistor radios.

"What's this thing called?" Zhengyi pointed at the two objects.

"I don't know, Uncle!"

"You don't know?" Zhengyi asked.

What's wrong with Zhengyi? Caihong is not a technician. It's natural that he doesn't know.

Caihong smiled. "How about we just call this thing 'Huaxiang'?"

Everyone nodded at Caihong's suggestion.

A weird name! But no one objected to the name. Everyone agrees. Maybe we are all weird people.

Caihong plugged earphones into each of those two things. He gave one Huaxiang to Shanquan while the other one remained in his hand. Then, he put the earphone in his ears. Shanquan followed the example of Caihong just now.

"Just one, Uncle. Not both, Caihong pointed to his left ear. "You also have to listen to the voice that comes out of the phone."

Shanquan smiled. He removed the earphone from his right ear. "Like this?"

Caihong smiled broadly. He gave a thumbs up. Then he cupped his palms together. "Now let's try this tool first!" He pressed a button on the two Huaxiangs.

Is it true that he has never once operated this tool? He seems to know what he has to do.

Caihong took another pager from his pocket. He opened another message that the pager received. "I had to call the number listed in this message as a sign that we were ready to try these tools."

"Go ahead," said Shanquan.

The police have prepared everything in such a way. Has this really become a standard procedure that the police have to do when they handle kidnapping cases?

Caihong grabbed the phone's receiver. He dialed the number listed in the pager message he received.

"Hello!" Caihong greeted after waiting for a few seconds.

"Is Mr. Huaxiang there? Yes, that's right, I mean Huaxiang Younan. Has he left? Ah, I just wanted to let you know that his order is ready. Tomorrow morning we will deliver it there. How about it? Five minutes past ten? Tomorrow! Thank you!"

Caihong hung up.

Shanquan and his friends looked at Caihong with inquisitive eyes.

"They said in five minutes the experiment will start," said Caihong.

They were all waiting with palpitations.

In a situation like this, five minutes seems so long!

Exactly five minutes later, the phone rang.

Caihong patted Shanquan on the shoulder. "Please answer the call, Uncle!"

Shanquan picked up the phone. He heard a firm voice from the other end.

"Good evening. Is this Mr. Duanmu's house?"

"Yes, you right!"

"May I speak to Mr. Duanmu Shanquan?"

"Yes, I am Duanmu Shanquan," replied Shanquan. "What can I do for you, Sir?"

"Look, Sir! Sorry if I disturb you by calling you at night. My name is Zuoteng Heqing. I am the director of the library at the Yueming city council office. Someone named Sima Dongshi sent us a CV. This is related to a job vacancy at our library. We have tried to contact the owner of the bookstore where he worked before. However, so far, we have not been able to contact him. Apart from the name of the owner of the bookstore where he worked previously, your name is also on the list of people who we can call. We contact you to check Mr. Sima Dongshi's credibility. So we would like to ask you some questions regarding Mr. Sima Dongshi's personality and habits."

Sima Dongshi was Shanquan's ex-co-worker at the used bookstore turned cafe.

"Of course I do, but I have other very important matters right now. How about tomorrow morning?"

Suddenly the earphones in Shanquan's ears made a sound.

"Good evening Mr. Duanmu! My name is Qiulin Xinzhang. I am a police officer who handled the kidnapping case of your friend. The call you are receiving is part of an effort to test whether the equipment we have provided is functioning properly. Can you hear my voice through the earphones that you use? If you can clearly hear my voice, you can simply say that you will come to the Yueming city council library tomorrow, after lunch."

Shanquan could hear the words clearly.

"Look, Sir! How about tomorrow afternoon I go there to give a detailed explanation about Mr. Sima Dongshi? Also, I would bring some additional documents that prove Mr. Sima Dongshi's work ethic."

"Okay, Sir!" Answer the voice coming from the caller.

"I'll be there sometime after lunch. This library is in the Yueming town hall building, right?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Okay, then see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Sir!"

The person who claimed to be Zuoteng Heqing then hung up the phone.

"Thank you, Sir!.” said Qiulin Xinzhang. "Now we just have to wait for the call from the kidnapper. You can remove the earphones now."

Shanquan and Caihong then pulled the earphones out of their ear canals. Instinctively, Shanquan looked at the clock on the wall. Ten o'clock was still a long time.

"I think now is the time, Uncle," said Caihong.

"Time to do what?" Yingyue's eyes looked straight into Shanquan's eyes with a probing look.

"You must go, now," said Shanquan. "But before that, I want to talk for a moment."

Zhengyi looked at them in surprise. But he didn't say anything.

Shanquan stood up, then walked toward his room. Yingyue followed Shanquan's steps from behind at such a close distance.

"Who did I go there with?" Yingyue instantly uttered those words when the two of them were already in the room.

"Of course with Miss Diwu, and escorted by Caihong's driver. I think Caihong has asked Miss Diwu to accompany you to the apartment. So you won't be alone there."

"Hmmm..." Yingyue touched Shanquan's arm. "When will Uncle catch up there?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, I'll try to get there. After that, we will go to Yueming to have a look at the situation there. But of course it all depends on how things turn out after this. I don't know what Xinxiu's kidnappers will ask for ransom, and in what way. So, now, I can't promise anything yet."

"Is that all Uncle want to say?"

"Of course not. There is another thing." Shanquan walked over to the bed. He crouched down and grabbed a small box slightly larger than a matchbox. After standing up, Shanquan held it out into Yingyue's hand.

"What's this?" Yingyue brought it closer to her face.

"Please save this thing for me. At least for the time being."

"What is this? Is it something so important?"

"It may not be important to other people, but to me, it's quite important. So I'm asking for your help."

"If this thing isn't important to other people, then there's no way anyone would take it away."

"I know. But if some burglars somehow manages to get into this house when we're not all around, he might just take the things that are here without a second thought. They might as well take this thing away. Incidents like that are not rare in a robbery."

"Is this place unsafe?" Has anything like this ever happened in this housing complex?"

"Nothing like that ever happened here. I'm sure this place is actually still pretty safe."

"So, Uncle is worried that the people who kidnapped Brother Xinxiu will break through here?"

"I don't think that's possible. After all, we already reported it to the police."

I know this girl must have a hard time understanding my thoughts.

"So, Uncle is actually sure or not about the security here?"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with being more careful."

"Okay!" Yingyue took a deep breath. "Then where should I store this thing?"

"That's up to you. You can keep it somewhere you feel safe in the room Caihong has prepared for you in his apartment."

"How long should I keep it?"

"Until when I asked for that thing back from your hand."

Yingyue's face still showed dissatisfaction. But she didn't ask any further.

"Now, let's get out of the room. They're waiting. Don't waste any more time."

They then came out of the room.

"I'm ready!" Yingyue raised her right hand.

Although the girl's voice sounded excited, her face was not at all happy.

I'm sorry that I have to make you feel uncomfortable.

"A moment!" Zhengyi looked at his friends. "Where do you want to send Miss Lüqiu to?" His eyes showed he wanted his friends to explain in a flash. "

"In the meantime, we will evacuate her first to a safer place." Yiren patted Zhengyi's shoulder. "But we'll stay here until Xinxiu returns."

"Safer place? Where is it?"

"Caihong's apartment," answered Yiren.

Zhengyi widened his eyes. After nodding with a smile, he raised his right thumb.

"Let me carry this bag," said Yiren to Yingyue. Without waiting for the girl's answer, Yiren took Yingyue's backpack.

They walk out of the house. Caihong's driver had started the car. Yiren Yingyue's backpack into the trunk of the car right away. Caihong took the opportunity to get into the car. He sat in the seat next to the driver. The young man spoke seriously to the driver. He seemed to be giving instructions about the things that the driver should do. His hands were moving in the air as if he was demonstrating something.

Shanquan gently grasped Yingyue's two hands. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine." Shanquan, for the umpteenth time, tried to calm the girl down.

Yingyue nodded. She got into the car through the back door. Caihong, who had finished giving instructions to the driver, got out of the vehicle. Miss Diwu then got into the car. She sat next to the driver.

From behind the window, Yingyue waved her hand. Shanquan, Yiren, Zhengyi, Yixiong, and Caihong also waved to the people in the car. The car started running. In a matter of seconds, the car, moving away, had disappeared behind the bend into the highway.