Many people were interested in her; after all, she looked like Tang Feifei.
Would she still maintain this demeanor?
“She needs to take risks, to put herself in challenging positions to take her career to the next level. This opportunity will help her break through.”
Xiao Bai felt a knot form in his stomach. “What are you planning?”
Chang smiled guiltily, “Just an audition with some influential producers. You know how the industry works, right? She needs to prove herself, and sometimes that means being in the right place at the right time.”
Xiao Bai’s anger flared, “You’re not serious about this! She deserves to be treated with respect, not as a pawn in your game.”
“You worry too much,” Chang waved dismissively. “This is her chance to shine. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
“And what if she doesn’t want to do it? What if she wants to take her career at her own pace?” Xiao Bai countered.
“Then she will be left behind while others will seize the opportunity. You should encourage her to embrace this chance,” Chang insisted as he refocused on the television.
Xiao Bai’s mind raced. He had to find Lin Xiaoman before it was too late.
After searching tirelessly, he finally got a tip-off from a colleague. Lin Xiaoman was at a secret venue, preparing for an audition. With no time to waste, he rushed out of the office, determination set in his eyes.
“You need resources and support. So I found her a good path with powerful backers.”
“You!” Xiao Bai grabbed Chang, his eyes turning red, “You’re sending her to those bastards!”
“I’m doing this for her good,” Chang gently patted Xiao Bai’s hand, “What use is a pretty face without support? Look at Chu Daizi. Her conditions aren’t particularly outstanding. She didn’t even make the top ten in ‘Create Idol’, but she has a patron. Now she’s filming TV series and is about to get a supporting movie role.”
“You’re doing this for yourself!” Xiao Bai tightly gripped Chang’s collar, “Just because Xiaoman didn’t agree to your unreasonable terms, you want to control her with leverage, using such dirty tactics!”
“I will never allow this to happen again,” Xiao Bai threw Chang off and immediately dialed Xiaoman’s phone.
“Don’t bother, you won’t find her,” Chang adjusted his collar, speaking ruthlessly, “I’ve been tolerant because you’re my nephew. If you continue to interfere with my plans, be careful I won’t show mercy.”
Xiao Bai looked up, unafraid of Chang’s gaze: “If anything happens to Xiaoman, I won’t show mercy either!”
Saying this, he grabbed Lin Xiaoman’s phone and ran out of the office.
After leaving the company, his first action was to contact Xie Chi.
“Investigate Chang Feng’s recent phone contacts and card expenses. See if you can find which hotel he’s booked.”
Chang was definitely going to arrange a hotel to hand over Lin Xiaoman. They just needed to find that hotel.
But contrary to his expectations, there was little information from Chang Feng’s side.
Xiao Bai then had Xie Chi investigate the consumption of people Chang had contacted, discovering several hotels. However, when he went to check, he found nothing.
It had already been three hours since Lin Xiaoman was taken.
He knew the longer time passed, the more disadvantageous it was for Lin Xiaoman.
So he immediately called Qiao An: “An Jie, Xiaoman was taken by the company’s people. I can’t contact her. Could you—”
“Sorry, Lin Xiaoman is no longer associated with our company,” the person on the other end interrupted, “We’ve already sent a written contract.”
“You can’t do this,” Xiao Bai hurried to explain, “This has nothing to do with her. She’s also a victim. You must help her.”
“I’m sorry,” Qiao An’s voice paused, “This is the company’s decision. We don’t need an uncooperative artist.”
The phone was hung up, and Xiao Bai leaned desperately against the wall.
There was no way out. He couldn’t help Xiao Man.
★ Chapter Forty-One: Anger
Lin Xiaoman was watched closely the entire way, with no chance of escape, and was ultimately forced into a hotel.
Entering the room, the two men tied her up with ropes and kept a close watch on her. Lin Xiaoman wasn’t panicked at all, calmly looking at the two men with her sweetest smile.
She knew that panicking was useless. These two men were each twice her size; she couldn’t fight or outrun them, and had no way to escape.
So, she abandoned the idea of running away and was preparing to approach the situation from another angle.
Sitting quietly for over an hour, Lin Xiaoman finally spoke, her voice crisp: “Hasn’t it been hard for you two to keep watch? May I ask how much longer we’ll be waiting?”
“We don’t know either. The boss just told us to keep watch,” the tall man answered.
“Idiot,” the shorter one muttered, “Didn’t the boss tell you not to talk to her?”
“Don’t worry, brothers. With you watching me, I can’t possibly run away. I just feel it’s a bit much to have you watching me like this,” Lin Xiaoman looked at the tall man, “You two seem to have just left the military recently, right?”
She had once stayed in the military for a film about military life, and their walking style and small details were distinctly military-like, which led her to this guess.
“How did you figure that out?” the tall man was surprised.
“Because you both have an air of righteousness,” Lin Xiaoman showed an admiring expression, “I’ve always liked soldiers. I think they’re the most remarkable.”
The tall man scratched his head embarrassedly: “So are you disappointed now?”
“I just feel bad,” Lin Xiaoman’s expression was sincere and genuine, “Wasting your efforts on someone like me.”
“Brother,” the tall man looked at the shorter one, “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Idiot,” the shorter one scoffed, “You believe the words of an actress like her? Normally, she wouldn’t even look at you.”
“But brother, I don’t want to do this.”
“Then what will you do?” the shorter one glared at him, and the tall one shrank back.
“You could work as security guards. There are many things you could do,” Lin Xiaoman said.
“See, this exposes her,” the shorter one sneered, “She’s just trying to trick us into letting her go.”
“I just think this job isn’t sustainable, and finding a proper job would be a better use of your talents.”
“Proper jobs aren’t easy to find,” the tall man looked dejected.
“I can help you find one,” Lin Xiaoman smiled, “Don’t worry, not to get you to let me go.”
The shorter one looked at her suspiciously.
“I’ll give you a phone number. You can call him, and he can help you find work,” Lin Xiaoman gave them Xiao Bai’s number.
Just as the tall man was about to dial, Lin Xiaoman’s mouth curved slightly.
The shorter one realized and stopped him: “Idiot, if we call now, others will know we’re with her. These kinds of people are always so cunning.”
Lin Xiaoman hadn’t expected him to be so sharp and was momentarily at a loss, falling silent again.
After a while, the brother’s phone suddenly rang. He went to another room to answer. Lin Xiaoman guessed it was a call from the other side, indicating the person was about to arrive.
“Um…” Lin Xiaoman spoke to the younger brother, looking troubled, “Could you let me use the bathroom?”
The younger brother, remembering earlier events, hesitated.
“Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t run,” Lin Xiaoman’s face turned slightly red, “You’ll be waiting outside. I can’t possibly escape.”
The younger brother nodded and took her to the bathroom, untying the ropes.
As soon as Lin Xiaoman closed the door, she started searching the bathroom. Sure enough, there was a razor in the drawer. She carefully removed the blade and discreetly placed it in the back pocket of her pants.
Then she walked out.
