Chapter 603 Levelheaded
The boatman boarded the boat and left. He disappeared into the darkness like a ghost ship without a lamp. “First, boil some water. I feel thirsty,” Nan Chen said.
“Sure.” Ning Ran found a pot, washed it, and brought water from the tank to boil. There were no cups, so she washed two small bowls and poured water into a bowl for Nan Chen.
Under the dim light of the kerosene lamp, Nan Chen’s face was relaxed, and his eyes were calm as usual. “Does your leg still hurt? What should we do now?” Ning Ran asked softly.
“We should be happy we got rescued. I’m feeling hungry, so you should cook. Plain water is barely enough,” Nan Chen said. Ning Ran was impressed by Nan Chen’s mental strength as he was not anxious at all.
Optimism and pessimism were contagious. Seeing how calmly Nan Chen was behaving soothed Ning Ran’s anxiety. Without further ado, she started to cook.
Ning Ran cooked regularly. Still, she had only cooked rice with an electric rice cooker and had never cooked with fire. That was why the rice she made turned out slightly undercooked. But it was still edible.
There were only potatoes and cabbages, and there was no refrigerator. These two kinds of vegetables were easy to store and wouldn’t spoil quickly.
Ning Ran cut the potatoes into pieces and deep-fried them. Then, she chopped up a cabbage and stir-fried it.
After that, she dumped in some undercooked rice and braised them together until the vegetable and rice were fully cooked.
There were no condiments around, only salt.
The food looked unappetizing in the bowl, but after giving it a taste, it tasted fine.
The potatoes and cabbages were all grown at home by the boatman. Hence, the quality of the ingredients was good and tasted well.
Nan Chen’s hunger made him finish two bowls of rice in one sitting.
Ning Ran was relieved seeing how Nan Chen was eating well.
“I was worried that it would be difficult for you to eat this since I can only cook with the ingredients given. I will try to cook the rice well tomorrow so that it won’t be undercooked.”
“It tastes fine. I haven’t eaten this before. It’s delicious,” Nan Chen commented.
Ning Ran washed the bowls and put them away. Then she boiled another pot of water to wash Nan Chen’s face and feet.
There were some used towels in the house. Naturally, Nan Chen wouldn’t use them. Instead, he dipped his head into the basin to clean himself.
Without his phone, Nan Chen felt fortunate that he still had his watch to check the time.
After washing his feet, the two lay on the rough grass.
“Is your leg still hurting a lot?” Ning Ran asked.
“Yes. But it’s fine. It’s probably not broken.”
“Who do you think ordered the boatman to come? Who is backing him?”
“I’m not sure. Though, only a few people knew we were coming here. There must be a traitor within Nanshi Corporation. This is not surprising. Although Nanshi Corporation appears peaceful on the surface, a storm has been brewing underneath. Many people are eyeing the company, and they can seize the opportunity this time. It isn’t necessarily bad since the bad eggs can be exposed,” Nan Chen remarked.
“What’s their goal for trapping you here?”
“Of course, for their profit. They want to divide or take control of Nanshi Corporation. Some people have always wanted to do this, but they have never been successful. Back then, Grandpa protected the company. Now, there’s me. So I am the target of many people. This is bound to happen sooner or later. It is hard to put up my guard all the time. No company or individual can avoid crises all the time. We overcome them to become more powerful and more mature. Don’t be dejected. This was unavoidable since it would happen in the future if not now.”
Ning Ran only sighed. “I’m not as relaxed as you. I’m worried about our children.”
“Don’t worry. They are safe,” Nan Chen said firmly.
“How do you know that?”
“Because their target is me, not our kids. If they had the kids, they wouldn’t have needed to get me under control. They only have to threaten me with the kids. Since they got me under control, they won’t bother the kids. Besides, the kids have Nan Xing, Qiao Zhan, and Qiao Zhan’s elite team by their side. Nothing will happen so don’t worry.”
After a moment of contemplation, Ning Ran thought what Nan Chen said made sense.
“So what are they going to do next? Can trapping you here get them what they want?”
“I can’t predict what they are going to do next. There are too many possibilities. But one thing is for sure. They would threaten me if they got the kids under their control but now that they have control over me, they will threaten Grandpa. Dad doesn’t care about the business. Although Grandpa has retired for many years, he is still the head of the Nan family. If my speculation is correct, they will contact Grandpa soon,” Nan Chen said.
Ning Ran drew a sharp breath when she heard that. “It sure is hard being rich. Will they kill us?”
“Are you afraid of dying?” Nan Chen glanced at Ning Ran.
“Yes!” Ning Ran answered without hesitation.
“Good. You won’t die if you are,” Nan Chen sidestepped the question and said.
“I’m asking you if they will kill us.”
“How would I know? I’m not them. We are not the ones to decide if we get to live. The decision is in Grandpa’s hands.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s simple. If Grandpa agrees to their conditions, then we might get to live. But if Grandpa rejects them, then we are dead. The other party had already got us trapped. They will probably choose to kill us if they don’t reach their goal. They might sink us into this reservoir, not allowing us to float back up even after we die, as we might be discovered if we do.”
“You’re scaring me!” An inexplicable chill ran down Ning Ran’s spine.
“I’m telling the truth. They don’t even need to kill us. They only have to keep us here without giving food to us, and we will starve to death,” Nan Chen said with a straight face.
“That means I can’t see my children anymore.” Ning Ran panicked.
“It’s just a hypothetical situation. Grandpa won’t leave us to die. He will save me even if it means giving away all the assets of the Nan family. Grandpa once said we should choose life before money when in a dilemma because money means nothing compared to our lives. Since the Nan family had always been targeted, this kind of crisis was inevitable. Grandpa reminded me countless times that if anyone from the Nan family got kidnapped, I should yield and pay the kidnappers however much they asked for. And that I shouldn’t hesitate since saving a life comes first. I’m sure Grandpa will give them what they want. Don’t worry.”
Ning Ran was slightly relieved after what Nan Chen said.
“What if they still want to kill us after they got what they wanted?”
“Grandpa is experienced. He has handled this kind of matter many times. I’m sure he’ll think of a way to ensure our safety. Although Grandpa is old, he is still levelheaded. We won’t be in danger as long as he is there.”
Nan Chen had faith in Nan Zhengde. It was faith based on trust and understanding.
