Daily Intelligence: Forced to Save the Beautiful President at the Beginning

129: Chapter 129 Lele has been kidnappedOn Wednesday afternoon at Singularity Technology, the office area was still immersed in the bustle of the overseas pre-launch for ”star path: reboot”.

Zhang Fan sat in his office, clutching the user persona report for the Southeast Asian market. The confirmation letter for the Garena featured slot that Zhou Yurou had just delivered was still spread out on the corner of the desk, the words ”Gold Homepage Slot” standing out prominently—in two weeks, the game would officially launch overseas, and everyone was sprinting toward that goal.

Suddenly, his phone let out a ”ding-dong” vibration, breaking the focused atmosphere.

Zhang Fan casually picked up his phone. A text message from an unknown number popped up on the screen, its content like a poison-tipped ice pick, instantly causing his heart to stop:

[If you want to save Lele, come to the abandoned machine tool factory in the west of the city within 1 hour. You must come alone, and do not call the police. If you dare to bring anyone else, or if you are late, you can wait to collect her corpse. — Lin Haoyu]

”Lele!” Zhang Fan stood up abruptly, the report in his hand dropping to the floor with a rustle.

Memories instantly flashed through his mind: Lele’s smiling face holding the love robot on Family Day, and her holding a strawberry cake saying ”Uncle is the best.” A chill crept up his spine.

Even a tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs; Lin Haoyu must have been driven mad to actually lay a hand on his own child!

Just as he was panicking, a sudden, sharp buzzing sound echoed in his mind, and pale blue system text broke through his chaotic thoughts, appearing clearly:

[Emergency Alert: Target Lin Haoyu, currently in an extreme state of emotional loss of control (Danger Level: 5 Stars), carrying a controlled weapon (switchblade), has deployed 2 subordinates inside the abandoned machine tool factory (no firearms, carrying steel pipes). Factory interior structure: The main entrance is guarded by 1 person, the abandoned workshop on the left is the detention point (Lele is tied up next to a machine tool, no life-threatening danger), and the back door is a fire escape (leads to a small path outside the factory area). Recommendation: Do not force your way in alone; police support needs to covertly enter from the back door.]

The system’s warning was like a bucket of cold water, dousing Zhang Fan’s panic.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down—he didn’t have superpowers, and forcing his way in would be suicide. Lin Haoyu wanted him to lose control, and he couldn’t fall into the trap.

His fingers swiped rapidly across the screen, dialing Gu Jingshen first. His voice still carried a lingering tremor: ”Old Gu! Help me check the exact location of the abandoned machine tool factory in the west of the city immediately, as detailed as possible! Include the factory layout and nearby paths. Send it to me within ten minutes!”

”What’s wrong? What happened?” Gu Jingshen heard that his tone was off and hurriedly pressed for an answer.

”Lin Haoyu has kidnapped Lele and is forcing me to go to the machine tool factory alone!” Zhang Fan lowered his voice, glancing out the window, afraid of being overheard by others. ”Don’t make a scene, just check the location quickly. Also, help me contact Qin Xue and have her coordinate with the municipal bureau; I need SWAT support!”

”What?! That bastard dares to touch a child?” Gu Jingshen’s voice instantly rose, then quickly lowered. ”Don’t panic, I’m checking the location now. I know Qin Xue, I’ll have her arrange for people to go and lie in ambush immediately! Don’t you dare be reckless; wait until support arrives before doing anything!”

After hanging up with Gu Jingshen, just as Zhang Fan was about to rush out, the office door was suddenly pushed open. Song Zhiwei walked in holding a localization translation draft. Seeing his pale face and the files scattered on the floor, she hurriedly asked, ”What’s wrong? What happened? Why do you look so terrible?”

”Lin Haoyu has kidnapped Lele and told me to go to the machine tool factory in the west of the city.” Zhang Fan didn’t have time to explain in detail. He grabbed the jacket from the back of his chair and walked out. ”I have to go save her.”

”I’m going with you!” Song Zhiwei immediately followed, reaching out to grab his arm. ”I’ll have Uncle Wang mobilize twenty bodyguards, and we’ll go together. I can’t let you risk it alone!”

”No!” Zhang Fan stopped abruptly and turned to look at her, his eyes full of anxiety. ”Lin Haoyu said I must go alone; if I bring others, he will hurt Lele! You wait for news at the company. Gu Jingshen has already contacted Qin Xue, and SWAT will be lying in ambush nearby. I will be fine.”

”But...” Song Zhiwei wanted to argue, but was stopped by Zhang Fan’s firm gaze.

”Behave,” Zhang Fan’s voice softened. ”The company still needs you to keep an eye on the overseas pre-launch; there can’t be any mistakes. I promise you, I will definitely bring Lele back safely.”

Looking at his tense profile, Song Zhiwei knew now was not the time to be willful. She could only bite her lip and nod. ”Then you must be careful. If there’s any situation, call me immediately! I’ll have Uncle Wang’s people stand by on the perimeter of the machine tool factory. As soon as there’s an opportunity, they’ll go in to support you!”

”Okay.” Zhang Fan patted her shoulder and turned to rush out of the office. The few seconds in the elevator felt as long as a century. He repeatedly looked at the factory layout prompted by the system—guarded main entrance, detention in the left workshop, back door passage—simulating the route in his mind, silently chanting: ”Lele, wait a little longer, Uncle is coming right away.”

[Machine tool factory location: West side old industrial zone, No. 17 Weiwu Road, abandoned for three years. The factory area has three gates; the main gate faces south, and the back gate faces north, leading to a small path. Qin Xue says the municipal SWAT team has already departed and will arrive at the factory perimeter within ten minutes. They will lie in ambush at the back door. Once you go in and send the signal, they will charge in.]

[Received. When I arrive, I will use my phone’s flashlight to flash three times as a signal.]

He started the car, pressed the accelerator to the floor, and the black sedan shot off like an arrow from a bow, speeding toward the west side of the city. The street view outside the window retreated rapidly, but Zhang Fan’s heartbeat grew faster and faster. He opened the ”Real-time Location Tracking” prompted by the system (a new temporary system function that can locate Lele’s phone signal), and a small red dot was blinking in the machine tool factory area—thankfully, Lele’s children’s phone watch hadn’t been discovered by Lin Haoyu and could still transmit a signal.

”Don’t be afraid, Lele, Uncle is here.” Zhang Fan’s hands gripping the steering wheel were trembling slightly. His mind was filled with the details prompted by the system: Lin Haoyu had a switchblade, his subordinates had steel pipes, and Lele was tied up next to a machine tool in the left workshop. He had to try his best to stall for time until the SWAT team was in position; he couldn’t clash head-on with Lin Haoyu.

Twenty minutes later, the car drove into the old industrial zone in the west of the city. Most of the factory buildings along the road were dilapidated, the graffiti on the walls was mottled, and the air was filled with the smell of rust and dust. From afar, one could see the gate of the abandoned machine tool factory.

Two rusted iron gates were left ajar. A man in a black jacket was standing at the entrance, toying with a steel pipe; it was one of Lin Haoyu’s subordinates.

Zhang Fan slowed down and stopped the car a hundred meters away from the factory, taking a deep breath.

He touched the phone in his pocket, confirming the flashlight function was normal, and then remembered the ”back door fire escape” prompted by the system. He had a plan—first enter through the front door to stabilize Lin Haoyu, then when he wasn’t paying attention, use the phone’s flashlight to send a signal, and the SWAT team would launch a surprise attack from the back door to control the situation in one go.

He pushed open the car door, and the cold wind, carrying the smell of rust, rushed toward him. Zhang Fan locked the car and walked step by step toward the factory gate, each step taken with composure—he knew that every expression and every word of his was related to Lele’s safety.

The man in black at the gate saw him and immediately raised the steel pipe to block him: ”Mr. Lin said you must come in alone. Are you carrying anything?”

”I came alone, I didn’t bring anything.” Zhang Fan spread his hands, letting the other party search him, but his gaze quietly swept across the inside of the factory area. It was filled with abandoned machine tools and parts, with heavy shadows, making it impossible to see the location of the left workshop. He could only vaguely hear the sound of machine parts colliding from afar.

”Follow me.” After searching him, the man in black put away the steel pipe and turned to walk deeper into the factory area. Zhang Fan followed behind him, his mind rapidly reviewing the information prompted by the system, his fingers quietly reaching toward the phone in his pocket, ready to send a signal at any moment.

Passing through the cluttered abandoned equipment, a lit workshop finally appeared ahead—most of the window glass was shattered, and Lele’s crying could be vaguely heard from inside, along with Lin Haoyu’s angry roars.

Zhang Fan’s heart leaped into his throat, and his pace involuntarily quickened. He knew the most dangerous confrontation was about to begin.