Jinqkang nodded. The young man began to take long and deep breaths.

"When they believed I was Mr. Duanmuh, I asked to speak with Mr. Beeihae. Actually, I was not lying either. They clearly heard I told them I am Duanmuh. I did not say that I am Duanmuh Shannchyuan. I was telling the truth because of my name is Duanmuh Jinqkang."

"Eh?" Iren was surprised. "They let you talk to Shinnshiow?"

Jinqkang nodded. "That's right, Sir. I did speak with Mr. Beeihae. He was fine. He told me earlier that he had an ostrich omelet for breakfast."

Good grief! Perhaps Shinnshiow thought that this kidnapping was some kind of vacation or picnic!

"Did Shinnshiow not suspect at all that you weren't Dahge?" Jenqyih joined the conversation. His voice was squeaky.

"I don't know, Sir! His voice sounded normal. Maybe he was suspicious because the choice of words I use was most likely not exactly the same as the choice of words that Mr. Duanmuh might use in conversation. It could be, even though he already had a guess. But Mr. Beeihae didn't show it, so the kidnappers wouldn't get suspicious."

"What else did Shinnshiow say?" Iren was very curious.

"He said nothing else. He had no chance. As soon as Mr. Beeihae said those things, the kidnappers immediately took over the phone. They said they would give me details on what to do around four o'clock this afternoon," Jinqkang said.

"What did the police say about this?" Iren asked.

"They just said that we have to wait for further instructions from the kidnappers. So, the police must first see what the details of the ransom demand the kidnappers are asking for," Yihshyong replied.

"I mean, what the police said about the fake Shannchyuan talking to the kidnappers? Did the police just let you guys try to trick the kidnappers? What if Jinqkang fails to convince them he is Dahge? Isn't there a chance they might hurt Shinnshiow?"

Yihshyong chuckled at the barrage of questions Iren asked.

"If I put that crazy proposal to the police, then like you said, they would definitely reject it. So I didn't say anything. The police themselves were fooled earlier, too. They thought Dahge was back. Through Huahshiang, I could hear the instructions they gave Jinqkang. At that time, the police believed they were whispering directly to Dahge. After the kidnappers hung up, I told the police that it wasn't Dahge who spoke to the kidnappers, but Dahge's distant relative."

Hearing Yihshyong's words, all eyes turned to Jinqkang.

"That's right. I am still related to Mr. Duanmuh." Jinqkang's voice sounded so steady.

Iren smiled. Such a thing was by no means a surprise. Shannchyuan had told me a lot about his family background. There were only sixteen Duanmuh family clans in this new world. Six of the sixteen clans actually came from one big family. So the possibility that Shannchyuan and Jinqkang were still distantly related was very high.

Added to that was the fact that most of the members of the Duanmuh family were protective of each other. The Duanmuhs did not hesitate to consider the other Duanmuhs to be their cousins. Even though their kinship was so far away.

"The policemen were also shocked. But then they just said that improvisation like that should not happen again. If there is a change of plans, we must involve the police. We can't make decisions by ourselves," Yihshyong said.

"So the kidnappers will call again at four in the afternoon?" asked Chioujen.

"They didn't say that, Sir. They just said that around four in the afternoon, they would tell me in full what I have to do."

"This is very interesting," said Chioujen.

"Which part did you find most interesting?" Tsaehorng asked.

"In the first place, what's the point of them insisting on speaking directly to Beaushu? If they just want us to exchange Shiowge for Songfei's goods, then it shouldn't matter who talks to them."

Chioujen is right. Maybe they have a certain purpose!

"The second thing is, how did they know it was Beaushu who was speaking?"

Ah! Did that mean that they, or at least one of them, had come face-to-face with Dahge?

Chioujen hadn't finished speaking yet. "They already know who lives in this house. Is it possible that they already know the habits of the people in this house?"

Chioujen was silent for a moment. He looked at the faces of the people there.

"How did they know that?" Chioujen opened his mouth again. "Surely through careful scrutiny. They must have watched this house and its occupants for a long time. They have studied the movements of the people who live in this house well. But how did they know Beaushu's voice? It is impossible to recognize people's voices by observing from a certain distance. Actually, that person has to interact with Beaushu to know clearly how Beaushu's voice, accent and his style of speech."

"So you're saying that the person behind the kidnappers is someone who knows Dahge personally?" Iren wanted to know if Chioujen really had the same guess as him.

"Right." Chioujen nodded with a powerful gesture. "You probably know this person, too. So you should focus on who the people who have appeared in your life over the past six months!"