Dude, something's really wrong with your abilities.

Chapter 78 Li Mo

Without hesitation, Sun Tiemei handed over her phone.

Tong Ying skillfully opened a forum, wrote a coded message under a pinned old post that no outsider could understand, then put down her phone and waited quietly for the other party's response.

Just as Chen Shi and Sun Tiemei were about to ask, their phone rang. Tong Ying answered the phone, and a male voice immediately came through the receiver.

"Yingzi, why are you using Sun Tiemei's phone? Did you escape?" Even though the other party was well aware of the risks of communication, they still did it, which shows that they valued Tong Ying far more than their own safety.

"Brother Li, I'm in the detention center now. Team Leader Sun gave me this phone." The other end of the line fell silent instantly. Tong Ying didn't ask Li Mo why he knew that this was Sun Tiemei's number.

After a long pause, the other party's cold, hard voice rang out again: "You've betrayed us?"

"I've simply accepted reality," Tong Ying said frankly. "I didn't contact you for my own sake."

Li Mo paused for two seconds, then said, "Speak."

"Are you aware that someone has kidnapped Chen Shi's mother and intends to use her to exchange for my release?"

The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly rose: "What?!"

Tong Ying felt a sense of relief: "Brother Li, you didn't arrange this?"

"How could I do such a despicable thing?" Li Mo seemed to be thinking. "Alright, I know who did it. Give the phone to Sun Tiemei."

Upon hearing this, Tong Ying silently handed the phone to Sun Tiemei.

As soon as Sun Tiemei answered the phone, a familiar voice came through the receiver: "Tiemei, it's me."

Sun Tiemei said with a hint of sarcasm, "Li Mo, you're getting more and more successful."

Tong Ying, standing to the side, subconsciously glanced at Chen Shi. Chen Shi nodded slightly, indicating that the two of them did indeed know each other.

"This has nothing to do with me. Yingzi is where she is today because she acted impulsively and made mistakes. Learning a lesson is not necessarily a bad thing. I never intended to forcibly save her."

"So what do you want to do by answering the phone now?" Sun Tiemei pressed.

"Let me finish," Li Mo interrupted her. "Although I didn't arrange it, these people are my former subordinates, so I bear responsibility. I have no interest in involving their families."

"Then you do have some redeeming qualities."

"I owe you a favor for what happened with Huanlang last time. I can help you settle things with Chen Shi's mother. That's all." With that, Li Mo hung up the phone decisively.

Although Sun Tiemei and Tong Ying didn't know what Li Mo would do, they couldn't continue their conversation because the two hours were almost up.

Shortly after returning to the Fifth Group's office, Su Xiaohe and Fatty also returned. Just as the kidnappers had said, they had completely destroyed the SIM card, and the technical department could not track Chen's mother's phone location at all. Old Zheng's attitude was extremely clear: he fully supported the Fifth Group's investigation. The malicious kidnapping of an employee's family member had crossed the line for the Supernatural Abilities Bureau, and the bureau had given the Fifth Group full authority to mobilize all resources.

A while later, Chang Biao called. The surveillance footage showed that Chen's mother entered the apartment complex where Chen Shi lived normally, and everything seemed normal there. The patrol officers had confirmed that the person was tied up inside the apartment, but how the person was transported out was still under investigation.

The neighborhood has a high volume of people, with frequent comings and goings from outsiders, making it difficult to identify the kidnappers quickly. With the agreed-upon two hours already up, everyone grew tense, but the phone remained silent.

Chen Shi's heart sank to the bottom, filled with anxiety.

What he didn't know was that the kidnappers hadn't forgotten to call; they simply didn't have time to contact him at the moment. Because Li Mo had already come knocking on his door.

After hanging up the phone with Sun Tiemei, Li Mo did not hesitate for a moment and immediately dialed the number of the bearded man.

The call connected, and the bearded man spoke with a hint of respect: "Brother Li?"

"Where are you now?" Li Mo's voice was extremely imposing.

The bearded man instinctively lied: "We're still waiting in Xifeng."

"Stop talking nonsense," Li Mo cursed. "I know perfectly well that you've infiltrated Linchuan. Tell me your location right now, immediately."

Sensing Li Mo's anger, the bearded man dared not lie any longer and honestly gave the address where he was hiding.

After hanging up the phone, the bearded man immediately gathered the other three, his expression grave. "Li Mo is coming over; we don't know what his attitude is."

The kidnapper asked, "Brother, what are you thinking?"

The bearded man said in a deep voice, "If he's here to support our rescue efforts, then everything is negotiable. If he opposes our approach, we'll adapt to the situation and act accordingly."

The bespectacled man beside him frowned: "Brother, have you forgotten? Brother Li has always disapproved of methods that harm ordinary people. He completely fell out with Cheng Yao over this before. This time, we're kidnapping the family members of the Superpower Bureau, and they're ordinary people. I think it's highly unlikely that we can reach an agreement."

"Let's wait and see." The bearded man's face was also somewhat gloomy.

After waiting for more than twenty minutes, the door to the unfinished house was kicked open. Seeing Li Mo walk in, the bearded man immediately stepped forward to greet him. Just as he was about to speak, Li Mo raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap to his face.

The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the empty, unfinished room. The bearded man didn't dare to dodge at all and took the hit squarely, his face instantly swelling up.

"Big Brother!" The other three surrounded him, and the bearded man waved his hand.

"Have you all gone completely insane, you bunch of idiots?" Li Mo stared at the crowd. "Do you really think that by capturing Chen Shi's mother, you can get Yingzi released? What do you take the Supernatural Abilities Bureau for? A marketplace where you can manipulate and trade as you please?"

The bearded man covered his burning cheek, full of resentment: "Brother Li, we had no choice. Now that the hostage is in our hands, Chen Shi has a weakness. He can't just watch his mother get hurt, so he has to compromise. This is the only chance to save Yingzi!"

Li Mo laughed angrily, his eyes filled with disappointment: "Red Falcon and I have been partners for many years, and you guys are all trained by us. What we've always taught you is that fighting injustice and correcting chaos relies on conscience and rules, not on unscrupulous means and indiscriminate harm to the innocent!"

"After the falcon left, you were completely unsupervised, and you completely abandoned the rules and bottom lines you once had."

The kidnapper stepped forward and argued, "Brother Li, we understand the rules and principles, but it depends on the situation! Yingzi can clearly be saved. Are we just going to stand by and watch her go to jail, giving up this opportunity?"

"Save her? You're harming her!" Li Mo shouted angrily. "I already found out that Yingzi's case is relatively minor, and she has a good attitude in admitting her guilt. She will most likely receive a light sentence and be able to return to a normal life after serving her sentence."

"But if we use this kidnapping deal to get her out, she'll never be able to shake off her status as a fugitive for the rest of her life. She'll be wanted for life and will always have to live in hiding. You bunch of idiots, do you want to save her or ruin her?"

The group was instantly rendered speechless by the insults, and the scene fell into a deathly silence. But the bearded man remained undeterred: "That's still better than several years in jail! There are shortcuts available, why make her suffer?"

"I'll say it one last time." Li Mo's eyes turned completely cold. "Release them immediately, and I'll clean up the mess for you. I'll guarantee your safe evacuation from Linchuan, and no one will hold you accountable for this."

Upon hearing this, the bearded man suddenly scoffed, his eyes changing completely, now filled with a hint of provocation: "Safe evacuation? What guarantees do you have? Based on your past relationship with Sun Tiemei? You left the Supernatural Abilities Bureau long ago, so why should you cover for us?"

These words completely struck at Li Mo's bottom line. His eyes suddenly turned icy, and his aura instantly became oppressive: "I'll ask you one last time, are you going to release the person or not?"

Seeing this, the other three kidnappers gathered behind the bearded man.

A fierce and stubborn look appeared on his bearded face as he retorted in a deep voice, each word distinct: "I'm telling you this one last time, I won't let you go."