Ke Xue: The thief Cao is actually myself

Chapter 567: Daughters are precious, but money is more valuable! (Please give me a monthly ticket!)
"Well, time is running out!"

Watching Secretary Hanai locking Conan in the storage room, President Takei let out a sarcastic sneer, "We have to get down to business. Let this brat lie here, and we'll come back to deal with him when we're done."

Sure enough, he knew that this woman was unreliable. Fortunately, he came to check on her, otherwise, who knows when, she might have let the person run away secretly, and he would be in big trouble then.

Secretary Hanai nodded, her lowered eyes hiding the surging emotions in them. She dragged her heavy steps to the door of the storage room and locked it. Her fingers stayed on the cold lock for a long time, her fingertips trembling slightly, as if she was hesitating whether to change everything.

In the end, reason overcame emotion. She gritted her teeth, locked the door, and turned back to President Takei.

Before leaving, she couldn't help but look back and take a deep look at the storage room shrouded in darkness. That look was filled with worry, guilt, and confusion about the future. All these complex expressions were intertwined, making it difficult to understand.

After returning to the room, President Takei sat down heavily on the sofa with a thud, causing the sofa cushions to bounce slightly. He slowly raised his gloomy head that seemed to be dripping with water, and swept his cold eyes towards Secretary Hanai, saying coldly: "Hana, the next transaction with the kidnappers must not have any more mistakes. Do you understand?"

Secretary Hanai nodded, forcing a smile that was uglier than crying, "I understand, President. Don't worry, I will definitely cooperate with you to the fullest."

Having said that, in fact, she had already secretly made up her mind that in this transaction, President Takei must die to prevent more people from being harmed by President Takei.

"Well, that's best."

President Takei snorted coldly and said nothing more. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out of the window with a gloomy look, as if he was thinking about something.

Secretary Hua Jing stood behind him, his eyes extremely deep, like a bottomless lake, hiding unknown turbulent waves.

After a while, the assistant hurriedly brought over a suitcase, which was the ransom needed for the next transaction with the kidnappers.

Secretary Hanai looked at the seemingly neatly stacked "banknotes" in the briefcase and frowned slightly, with a hint of doubt and vigilance in his eyes.

Then she reached out and picked up a stack. After looking at it carefully, her expression instantly turned ugly.

Because, those were not real banknotes at all. They were just two 20,000 yen bills with a bundle of paper similar to real banknotes sandwiched in between.

In other words, a certain selfish guy is still reluctant to spend real money to exchange for his daughter. In his eyes, money is far more precious than family affection.

After a while, the assistant brought over a suitcase, which was the ransom needed for the next transaction with the kidnappers.

Secretary Hanai threw the disguised banknotes back into the briefcase on the table with disgust on his face. The corners of his mouth curled up with a mocking arc, which seemed to be a ruthless mockery of President Takei's greed and coldness. Then, he asked President Takei in front of him in a sharp tone, "President, do you think you can fool the criminals by just wrapping them in newspapers like this? Do you really think they are stupid enough to be fooled?"

Secretary Hanai's voice echoed in the room, carrying a hint of suppressed anger and sarcasm.

He actually used newspapers to disguise as banknotes. Sure enough, from the very beginning, she shouldn't have had any expectations of someone who was blinded by money!

Upon hearing this, President Takei frowned, turned around, and stabbed Secretary Hanai with a sharp look like a knife: "Hanai, what's your attitude? Don't forget your identity!"

Secretary Hanai did not flinch. He looked President Takei in the eye and said in a cold tone, "President, I have no intention of disrespecting you. I am just reminding you that this transaction concerns the life and death of Miss Naoko. If the other party finds out that the money is fake, the consequences will be disastrous."

President Takei's eyes flashed with anger, and he glared at Secretary Hanai fiercely: "Hanai, are you questioning my decision? Don't forget who gave you everything you have today! Without me, you are nothing!"

Secretary Hanai's face changed slightly, and a hint of resentment flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She took a deep breath and said with a hint of forbearance: "President, I have never forgotten your kindness. But because of this, I can't watch you make such a mistake. Miss Naoko is your biological daughter. Do you really have the heart to gamble with her life?"

President Takei clenched his fists, veins popped out on his forehead, his face was full of anxiety and unwillingness, and he shouted: "Do you think I want this? Naoko is my biological daughter, do I want to give up on her? But 500 million is so much, where can I get it from! The situation is urgent now, and we can only try our best!"

Five hundred million in real money? That was a staggering amount of money. How could he take it out so easily?
As for, Takei Naoko is his biological daughter?
Oh, it doesn't matter if he loses his daughter! As long as he wants, it won't be difficult to have a few more!
But these 500 million yen are different. They are the confidence that enables him to maneuver and call the shots in the business world, and they are the foundation of his career.

If he lost the 500 million, his company and career would be in jeopardy, and everything he had worked so hard for over the years would be in vain.

Over the years, he has climbed step by step from an unknown little person to his current high position. Only he himself knows the hardships and unscrupulous means involved.

He has finally achieved the enviable status he has today. He owns countless industries and can shake the market with just a stomp of his foot. How could he be willing to destroy it all with his own hands just for a mere daughter!
"Besides..." President Takei tried to calm himself down a little, pretending to be calm on his face. He cleared his throat and said, "The kidnappers are very greedy. They only care about money. As long as they see that the shape and weight of the banknotes in the box meet their expectations, they will most likely not check the authenticity carefully. As soon as they get the money, they will definitely flee immediately without staying any longer."

As he spoke, he paced back and forth, trying to give himself courage and also hoping to convince Secretary Hanai.

Secretary Hanai clenched her fists tightly at her sides, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she still suppressed her inner anger and whispered, "President, you think too simply of the kidnappers. Since they dare to do this kind of kidnapping and extortion, they must be meticulous, cunning and suspicious. If they suddenly decide to do it at the transaction site and carefully check the ransom and find that it is counterfeit money, Miss Naoko's life will be seriously threatened. Moreover, even if they don't find it at the time, once they realize that they have been deceived, they will definitely be angry and retaliate wildly. At that time, we will all be in an irretrievable situation." "Since we have decided to redeem Miss Naoko, why not be more cautious and use real money to ensure that there is no risk of error."

Upon hearing this, President Takei flew into a rage and shouted, "Trading with real money? That's easy for you to say! Are you going to pay for the 500 million in real money?"

It really doesn't hurt to stand and talk.

Secretary Hanai looked at the man who was blinded by money and desire, and felt sad. She bit her lower lip, her nails dug deep into her palm, and tried her best to suppress her anger and disgust. "It is true that the company cannot come up with the 500 million for the time being. But this does not mean that we are desperate. We can seek help from the police and let them assist us. Although 500 million is a huge sum of money, the police have extensive resources and powerful channels, so it is not impossible to mobilize this money."

She paused, looked straight at President Takei, trying to find a sign of relaxation on his cold face, and then said: "The police have been committed to rescuing hostages and fighting crime. It is their duty to solve the case. As long as we ask them for help sincerely and tell them the truth, they will most likely agree to help. With the professional support of the police, not only will Miss Naoko's chances of being rescued be greatly increased, but we can also avoid falling into a greater crisis."

When President Takei heard this, he was stunned for a moment, then a look of hesitation appeared on his face. He paced back and forth in the room, frowning, and struggling fiercely.

On the one hand, he was extremely resistant to police involvement.

Because he knew too well what he had done in the business world over the years, especially the means he had used to accumulate wealth and power, all of which were shady.

——In the invisible battlefield of business, in order to achieve his goals, he would stop at nothing and ruthlessly climb up by stepping on the shoulders of countless people.

Once the police intervene, his business operations hidden in the dark corners will be like a sewer with its lid opened. All the filth and stench will be exposed to the sun without reservation. The "business empire" that he has painstakingly managed for many years and built up with countless efforts will collapse in an instant like a fragile house of cards and vanish into thin air.

On the other hand, he had to admit that Secretary Hanai's words were like a heavy hammer, and every word hit him hard.

If the kidnappers discovered that the ransom was fake during the transaction, the consequences would be unimaginable given the cruelty and madness of those desperate criminals.

He did not completely ignore Takei Naoko's life. After all, she was his biological daughter.

It's just that in his heart, the weight of money and power is too heavy, heavy enough to make him hesitant in the face of family affection, and even easily put family affection behind his mind.

Just as he was hesitant and in a dilemma, his mind suddenly flashed with the desperate faces of those he had schemed against, as well as the wealth and status he had accumulated over the years by any means. In an instant, his eyes suddenly became firm, with a hint of determination and ruthlessness. He turned around abruptly and looked out the window at the busy city. "You don't need to say more. I have my own way to deal with Naoko's matter."

Let the police intervene? That's absolutely impossible!

In his opinion, this was a dead end that must not be embarked on.

After all, over the years, every step he took in the business world, a battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder but full of hidden dangers, was stained with the blood and tears of others.

In pursuit of wealth and power, he would do anything. Those colleagues who were squeezed out by his malicious competition fell into endless darkness after bankruptcy, and could only lick their wounds silently in the corners of society, struggling in despair; those partners who used to be brothers with him and drank and chatted with him were ruthlessly betrayed by him driven by interests, their interests were ruthlessly plundered, and their years of hard work were wasted, and they could only swallow their hatred in secret; and those employees at the bottom were squeezed to exhaustion physically and mentally in order to satisfy his endless greed, but they dared not speak out.

If those who have been harmed by him learned that the police have intervened in the investigation, they would swarm in like sharks smelling blood, seize this rare opportunity to add insult to injury, and expose all his shameful deeds hidden in the dark, one by one, to the public without reservation, and drag him down from his high position.

He didn't dare to imagine what would happen to him if he lost his current wealth and status, and how those who had been under his feet would treat him.

——Once his true face is exposed and he loses his current wealth and status, those who once greeted him with a smile and flattered him will most likely change their attitude in an instant and cast mocking and contemptuous looks upon him; those who once relied on him for survival will be eager to draw a clear line between themselves and him, and may even add insult to injury in order to protect themselves.

Those who have been trampled under his feet in the past will launch crazy revenge on him with long-accumulated resentment.

He will fall heavily from the lofty clouds, fall into endless darkness and despair, and become a rat crossing the street that everyone will chase after.

Moreover, even if the police did not discover his shady business activities, if they failed to catch the kidnapper in the end, the "ransom" borrowed from the police would have to be returned no matter what.

Moreover, even if the police were unaware of his illegal business activities, if they ultimately failed to capture the kidnappers, the huge ransom borrowed from the police would have to be returned no matter what.

After all, the police are not a charity. It is impossible for them to pay the ransom for him for free and not ask him to compensate for the loss afterwards!
When President Takei thought about taking out such an astronomical sum of money from his own purse, he felt as if his heart was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and the pain was so severe that he almost suffocated.

In his eyes, this money is his lifeblood, a symbol of his identity and status, and his capital to show off in this world. Paying this money is like cutting off the most precious piece of his flesh, which is more painful than killing him.

Rather than losing his wealth and status, he would rather abandon his own daughter!

(End of this chapter)