Artifact Report

Chapter 324 Jin Xueli: The Perfect Solution She Found

Kim Seol-ri realized once again that, no matter what the circumstances, there was a small part of her who was probably always out of touch and detached from the situation.

For example, while she was verbally exchanging words with Jacqueline, several thoughts that were completely useless in the current situation were swirling in her mind:

Could it be that the more complicated a person's thoughts are, the more likely they are to find a way out?
Does a person's personality have anything to do with whether they can enter a nest? That seems like something worth studying, doesn't it? Are there any nest scientists?
Speaking of personality, was Jacqueline's personality shaped by her "wealthy upbringing," or did she become wealthy precisely because she is this kind of person?

Logically speaking, no one in the world would feel that their life is only worth a small portion of their savings when facing life and death—Jacqueline is no exception.

But Jacqueline's thinking did not stop there; she considered things much more deeply than that.

She has an extremely keen sense for opportunities, so much so that it's almost annoying.

"You want to call them?"

As Jacqueline spoke, she took two steps closer to Shirley Kim; her gaze swept over Shirley Kim's shoulder, then shifted to the public phone booth, a hint of realization appearing on her face.

“Yes—no, not really… Anyway, the situation is complicated.” Kim Seol-ri rubbed her temples a few times. “I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

“But you want their contact information,” Jacqueline said.

This is not a question, it is a statement.

Jin Xueli took a deep breath, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"Isn't that great? We can help each other!"

Jacqueline had no idea what the cost of her negotiations was—under normal circumstances, her strategy could be considered quite clever and insightful; if she were a hunter, she would certainly be a good one.

However, right now, it's as far from "normal" as possible.

Jacqueline could never have imagined that every word she uttered would be laced with sarcasm in the ears of Shirley Kim.

“I’ll tell you how to call them, and you’ll get me out of here. Isn’t that a win-win situation? On top of that, I’d like to give you a thank-you fee—if 250,000 isn’t enough, how about 350,000?”

"You can't come up with nine million?" Kim Seol-ri couldn't help but ask.

After all, there are different levels of wealthy people, right?

“After my husband passed away, the amount of money I could access suddenly decreased. Nine million was a bit of a stretch, but I could still come up with it,” Jacqueline said calmly.

"Then why are you still..."

Jacqueline shook her head and smiled.

"Did you know that whether a person can escape a mediocre fate and achieve financial freedom depends not only on a large part of luck, but also on their mindset?"

"What does this have to do with your desire to live?"

“I was dumped in a very strange place. I hadn’t eaten for two days. I was hungry and scared. I cried several times. I just wanted to go home… These are all true. That’s why I’m willing to pay 350,000 yuan to have someone take me home.”

She walked to the side of the road, hugged her arms tightly, and scanned all directions repeatedly—Jin Xueli's mind was in turmoil. After a few seconds, she realized that Jacqueline had temporarily suppressed her fear, but she had not forgotten to observe the surrounding movements.

"But after two days, I've gradually figured out some of the rules and how to save my life. Otherwise, I would have been dead long ago, wouldn't I?"

Jacqueline turned and glanced at Kim Sulli.

"After I fell, I was terrified that the person who brought me here would come and get me, so even though I was dizzy from being hit, I kept running forward as fast as I could..."

"I think I understand now. When there's a high chance of monsters appearing, you have to run straight out and not stop until you see something. But if you keep running, you might attract the monsters' attention, so you have to lie in wait when necessary. You have to switch between the two depending on the situation."

It's a shame she's not a hunter, Jin Xueli thought to herself.

No, it might not just be that Jacqueline is highly adaptable; the bounty stated that Jacqueline should not be killed if possible—so it's possible that the residents who saw her refrained from attacking her, which gave her the opportunity to escape?

"I can save my own life, that's the first point. Secondly, you're not the first human I've ever met, and I don't think you'll be the last."

Jin Xueli was taken aback. "Then why didn't you have someone else take you away sooner?"

"I was on the riverbank at the time, and there were viewing binoculars for tourists. I wanted to use them to look for other people, and I actually found them—a group of several people. Unfortunately, they were on the other side of the river, and by the time I crossed the bridge, they were long gone."

A group of people... are they a family-based hunter group acting together?
Jacqueline was right; she hadn't been in the nest long enough. In a few more days, she would have seen even more humans.

“I can save my own life, but you are not the only potential service provider. This situation is different from the kidnappers’ demands. There is no reason for me to pay whatever price you ask for, because the bargaining power is in my hands.”

Jacqueline glanced at the ground, picked up the wedding ring that Jin Xueli hadn't touched, and put it back on.

"Do you know how I see it? Essentially, this is an unnecessary expense. We should try to minimize the risk. For example, even if a wealthy businessman whose son has been kidnapped is extremely anxious, he wouldn't actively raise the price to ask for his son's release, right? Because the price the kidnapper asks for is already the lowest price under the premise of minimal risk. It's the same principle."

Okay, that seems to be the case...

"Moreover, there is another crucial reason."

"What is it?"

Jin Xueli felt that as long as Jacqueline had something to say, she didn't need to make a decision for the time being—so she was willing for her to continue.

“I know human nature, and I’m no exception to its weaknesses. Even if I agree to give you nine million or nineteen million now out of fear, once I’m back in my safe and peaceful home, I’ll never be happy with that price again. I’ll only hate you for taking advantage of my vulnerability and demanding a higher price.”

Jacqueline said this with a natural expression.

"I feel this way, and so does everyone. If you were me, you wouldn't want to give it up either. That's human nature. So, since I know this, if I still agree to give you nine million, wouldn't I be lying to you?"
"The saying goes, 'A little kindness is appreciated, but too much kindness breeds resentment.'... Even if I give you less, it's still lying to you, and you'll hold a grudge against me. What kind of trouble awaits me in the future? So it's better to be honest and do things the way they should be. I can afford nine million, but I don't have to pay it, and I shouldn't even have agreed to pay it."

Jin Xueli was quite impressed with her. "What industry do you work in?"

“I worked in finance before I got married,” Jacqueline shrugged. “The benefits of marriage were much greater than staying in the workforce, so I got married. Fortunately, we have a good relationship.”

“You’re a natural hunter,” Kim Seol-ri couldn’t help but exclaim.

Jacqueline suddenly raised an eyebrow—"A hunter?"

The word struck her like a bolt of lightning, illuminating some unknown source of her confusion. She murmured, "So this is the hunter's..."

Once the sound faded, the rest of the sentence could no longer be heard.

“You’re right. If it weren’t for the special circumstances, I would have agreed to your terms long ago.”

Jin Xueli had no time to care what Jacqueline was thinking—her own mind was in turmoil, like a tangled mess of yarn being played with by a cat, tangling her hands, feet, and thoughts, making it impossible for her to escape.

“But… I don’t know how you can believe me. You probably won’t believe me at all, but give me nine million and I can make sure you get out of here alive.”

She herself found it laughable as soon as she finished speaking—even though she knew every word was true, she had never heard such a weak, greedy, and false reason.

Jacqueline chuckled, shaking her head and rubbing her shoulder. "I don't know why you insist on nine million... but I've honestly told you my reasons, and you shouldn't continue to treat me like a fool."

Since arriving in Blackmore City, this is the first time Jin Xueli has been in such pain.

She felt a mix of wanting to beg Jacqueline to believe her and wanting to slap Jacqueline.

If there had been a wall in front of her, she would have smashed a dent into her forehead long ago—ah, perhaps she shouldn't have slammed her head against a wall in front of Jacqueline—why does she always think about the word "smash"?

Jin Xueli suddenly raised her head.

"Why are you rubbing my shoulders?" She stared at Jacqueline, almost stammering, "You just...you said that after you were brought in, you were knocked around and felt dizzy...what happened?"

“I was hit by scaffolding,” Jacqueline said. “My back feels much better, but my shoulder still hurts.”

Jin Xueli's breathing quickened slightly.

If what she suspected is true... then perhaps she has a way to have the best of both worlds?

But whether it's a win-win solution or a self-deception when succumbing to temptation, Kim Seol-ri doesn't know.

She didn't want to think about it anymore.

She had tormented herself long enough for this strange woman. All she wanted was something that was rightfully hers—wasn't that enough?

Is it really that unreasonable for her to want a different life?

She has struggled and worked so hard for so many years for what some people are born with, isn't that enough?

"I'm asking you... was it that after you were hit by the scaffolding, you opened your eyes and found yourself here?"

Jacqueline looked directly at her and took a half step back. "Yes, yes..."

it is as expected.

Yes, that method will definitely work.

"Don't worry, I understand."

Jin Xueli took a deep breath, steadied herself, and said, "I can't take you back myself, but I can give you directions and tell you how to get back. In exchange, tell me how to make a phone call, okay?"

Jacqueline was naturally suspicious of her change in attitude; but she only probed a few times lightly—after all, she didn't have the luxury of being picky and had to seize this opportunity.

"The method is very simple. First, press 0. After hearing three ringtones, say the name of the radio program and you will be connected."

It's that simple?
But it was precisely because the method was simple that Jacqueline remembered it—if it were a phone number that she could remember after hearing it only once, Jin Xueli would probably think she was lying.

She pressed 0 as Jacqueline had instructed, and sure enough, after hearing the call tone, she hung up the phone again.

"Alright, how do I get out?" Jacqueline urged.

Jin Xueli glanced at her.

She still held her hand tightly to the telephone receiver, her knuckles turning white. She was afraid that if she let go, her hand would tremble uncontrollably.

No matter how she tries to embellish it, it doesn't change the fact that she deliberately put Jacqueline in danger.

So what?

She gritted her teeth and thought that she could never be a morally upright person in her life.

"You can leave the same way you came in."

Jin Xueli looked at her toes and whispered, "Getting hit by scaffolding is your way back. If you get hit by scaffolding again, you can go back to Blackmore City. Do you see the direction I came from? The nearest scaffolding is on that road."

Jacqueline was skeptical. She glanced at the road in the distance and then looked at Shirley Kim.

If she suspected it was a trap, at least she didn't say it aloud.

Furthermore, from Jacqueline's perspective, whether to follow the direction indicated by Shirley Kim and try that glimmer of hope, or to continue wandering aimlessly like a headless fly until she was caught by the residents, was actually a very easy question to answer—she quickly lifted her foot and walked across the street.

"Wait, there's one more thing!"

Jin Xueli remembered she should add one more thing, and hurriedly shouted, "There are monsters lurking near that scaffolding. You need to finish this quickly and don't linger!"

Jacqueline turned around and nodded.

...Jin Xueli did not make a call immediately.

She watched Jacqueline cross the street, walk onto the opposite sidewalk, and walk further and further away, her figure getting smaller and smaller until she disappeared from sight.

Jin Xueli sat down in a public phone booth, her mind churning and tormented by a storm of thoughts; one moment she doubted that she had made a terrible mistake, the next she thought she had found the perfect solution, one moment she felt that Jacqueline would die, and the next she felt that she would definitely be able to go home...

Every now and then, she would take out her phone to check the time.

Three hours after Jacqueline left, Jin Xueli felt it was about time, but she still forced herself to wait another ten minutes.

That should give Jacqueline enough time to walk over and get hit, right?
The longer she waits, the greater Jacqueline's chance of survival and the smaller her chance of receiving the reward.

Three hours and fifteen minutes was her limit.

"...Hello, are you the host?"

Jin Xueli lowered her voice, mimicking the tone of a resident, and said into the phone, "I'm amazing! I found Jacqueline... As long as I tell you her location, the reward is mine, right? If I want to exchange it for some information, that's fine too, isn't it?"

She held her breath and pressed the microphone tightly against her ear.

The male voice, which she had heard countless times on the radio, gently and steadily affirmed each of her questions.

Jin Xueli reported the location of the scaffolding.

As she gave her address, she pressed one hand tightly to her chest, subconsciously reminding herself to take a deep breath.

She couldn't cry out loud and alert the host that something was wrong.

She didn't know why she was crying.

Jin Xueli couldn't tell whether she felt guilty or excited.

(End of this chapter)