373 Chapter 373: Kidnapping (1/2)

\”Ugh…\”

For some reason, I threw up a little because my stomach probably couldn't handle the kimchi. As much as I loved the tofu soup, the Korean pickled cabbage was too much for me. I vowed never to eat that damned thing again.

Wiping my mouth and doing my best to clean up the mess I made, I sighed and wiped my hands with plenty of tissue. It was unfortunate, but I couldn't clean up the whole thing completely. I did my best, though.

After disposing of the stuff I used, I then strolled back toward the hotel. This was bad. Having thrown up half of my meal, I would probably get hungry in the middle of the night. Most likely I would have to visit a convenience store in the ungodly hours and buy cup ramen or something.

I didn't manage to get very far because I saw Bu Fan rushing across the street. Puzzled, I paused for a moment and studied him, but he was too flustered and panicky to notice me. Speaking of which, where was Xin Chun? Bu Fan's sister was nowhere to be seen. I could have sworn the two of them were inseparable.

That explained why Bu Fan was so frantic. Although it was nothing but speculation, I guessed that the wheelchair-bound Xin Chun got lost somewhere, and Bu Fan was currently unable to find her. Hence he was running around, trying to search for her. Even though I didn't like Bu Fan all that much, Xin Chun was another story. She was a very nice girl, and didn't deserve to be left alone, lost and helpless in the middle of an unfamiliar city.

\”Hey!\”

So I approached Bu Fan, waving my hand to catch his attention. The versatile mage stopped for a moment, his face blank until the glint of recognition ignited within his eyes. He cocked his head and glared at me impatiently.

\”Not now. I'm in a hurry.\”

\”I can guess what happened. Did your sister get lost? I'll help you look for her.\”

Ignoring his rude response, I went straight to the point. I somewhat understood his impatience. If I were in his shoes, I would probably be just as rude and touchy.

Bu Fan's shoulders sagged immediately and he ran a hand through his hair, his frustration showing visibly.

\”It's that obvious, huh?\” he sighed and swore under his breath. Not at me, so I let it slide. \”Thanks, but the problem isn't just that Xin Chun got lost. She got kidnapped. A bunch of bastards came by, grabbed her and pulled her to their car. I tried to chase, but they drove off so fast I couldn't catch up, even with physical reinforcement and speed spells.\”

\”They grabbed your sister? Right in front of you?\” my jaw dropped as I stared at Bu Fan incredulously. He shook his head sheepishly.

\”I went to buy ice cream for her, and left her by the side in Southampton Park. I didn't think someone would be audacious enough to drive right into the park and abduct somebody in broad daylight. I also don't understand why they kidnapped Xin Chun. What do they want with her?!\”

\”Money?\” I suggested. That was the number one reason kidnappers abducted hostages, because they wanted to ransom their parents or relatives. Weirdly enough, as far as I knew, Bu Fan was not rich. I had no idea why they would choose to kidnap his sister of all people.

Bu Fan winced, but not because he read his mind. Rather, he was thinking about something else.

\”I thought it was money at first, but the kidnappers hadn't contacted me or my dad for ransom at all. In fact, my dad still doesn't know that Xin Chun has been kidnapped, and I don't want to worry him, so I didn't inform him about it…yet. I'll find Xin Chun before he finds out. I swear it.\”

\”Okay.\” Pushing my glasses up my nose, I considered for a moment, and a question came to me, unbidden. \”What about your mother?\”

Bu Fan turned completely cold at that.

\”My stepmother, as far as my family is concerned,\” he hissed. \”…does not exist. After marrying my dad, she threw Xin Chun to us and abandoned her, running away and disappearing somewhere without a word. She's dead to us now…that bitch.\”

I couldn't help but bury my face in my palm. This was getting increasingly ridiculous trying to suppress a sigh, I glared at Bu Fan.

\”Are you seriously going to rip off Versatile Mage? Can't you be more original?\”

\”Huh? What are you talking about?\”

\”Never mind.\” Then something else occurred to me. \”Wait a second, what if the reason why those dudes kidnapped your sister was precisely because of your missing stepmother? I mean, following all the usual clichés and stuff, your stepmother will turn out to be the number one terrorist on the planet, and a cardinal of the Dark Church. She will be the main antagonist of this story, harboring a deep hatred for humanity and wanting to destroy them…\”

\”Stop! Stop, stop, stop!\” Bu Fan shouted, cutting me off. \”Stop talking nonsense! I don't know where you get all these crazy ideas from, but my stepmother is not that outrageous of a person! She may be a cold, heartless bitch, but even she isn't evil enough to be a terrorist!\”

\”…I got them from reading Versatile Mage,\” I began, but Bu Fan was having none of it.

\”Stop quoting and making references to webnovels! I'm being serious here! Xin Chun has been kidnapped, and I need to find her! Are you going to help me rescue her or not?\”

\”Yeah, but you're the one dismissing my hypothesis…\”

\”Who cares about your stupid hypothesis? Stop talking nonsense, you've read way too many webnovels! Focus!\”

\”Then do you have an idea where they took your sister and why they abducted her?\” I countered dryly. Bu Fan, predictably enough, trailed off. \”Do you even know where to begin searching for her?\”

\”If I did, do you think I'll be this worried and aimless?! Damn it, if only I knew where they took her! Fuck!\”

Kind of pointless venting your anger on me, especially since I was trying to help. That said, my \”help\” consisted of pretending that reality followed a set template from another existing story, so I could understand why he was annoyed.

However, Bu Fan had a point. Where did we even begin to start searching for his sister? We had no idea where to start, and if the kidnappers were using a car, it could have gone anywhere by now. I wouldn't be surprised if they had driven out of the city. Also, how were we supposed to track down a vehicle?

\”Do you remember what the vehicle was? Its make, model, or license plate?\”

\”Oh, I managed to snap a picture of it before it drove out of view.\” Bu Fan retrieved his smartphone and showed me a photo. It was an old Honda, and the picture even included the license plate number.