Volume One, Chapter 78: The Password to the Storage Account

Yu Mo had been staying at the Yu family home, never once returning to her own apartment.

That day, she went grocery shopping with her mother. From the moment they left the house, she felt the prickling sensation of being watched. After they finished at the supermarket and were heading back to the car, two men suddenly sprang from behind and grabbed them.

“Help—”

Before Yu Mo’s mother could finish her cry for help, she was dragged into a black SUV.

Yu Mo seized the wrist of the man behind her, spun around, and executed a swift over-the-shoulder throw. She rushed forward to save her mother, but another man, fierce and menacing, pressed a knife to Xiao Lin’s throat.

“Try anything again and I’ll kill her!” he snarled.

Yu Mo froze. The man she had thrown was groaning as he picked himself up off the ground. He shoved her roughly into the vehicle.

The doors slammed shut, and the car slid silently out of the underground parking lot.

A shadow flitted past. In the corner of the parking lot, a man took out his phone and made a call.

“Boss, Yu Mo’s been taken by two men. They’re holding her mother too. I’m getting in the car to follow them now.”

As he spoke, he started his engine and shot out of the lot.

Lin Xing was entertaining guests when he got the call. At once, he raised his hand, excused himself, and strode straight to his car.

“Keep me updated on their location at all times. I’m heading over now,” Lin Xing instructed before hanging up. He floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward like an arrow, vanishing into the distance.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, repeating silently in his mind: Yu Mo, please be safe. Wait for me—I’ll rescue you.

—

Inside the black SUV, Yu Mo and her mother had their hands bound behind their backs. Yu Mo quietly committed the route and direction to memory as they drove. The traffic thinned; soon, they were leaving the suburbs for the mountains.

“Who are you? Where are you taking us?” Yu Mo asked, her eyes darting around to gather information.

The mountain road was remote but well-maintained, likely leading to a villa.

The driver ignored her. The other man glared at her fiercely. “Shut up. No questions.”

Sure enough, the car stopped in the garage of a villa halfway up the mountain.

Yu Mo and her mother were ushered into a room inside. The man she had thrown earlier crouched down, eyeing her with interest, gripping her chin.

“Didn’t expect you had moves, girl. Loosened up my bones—maybe I should return the favor, loosen you up a bit?”

Yu Mo wrenched free and stared him down coldly.

“Who sent you? Bring him out.”

He smiled, straightening. “No use asking. I won’t tell you. Behave, and you won’t suffer. Otherwise, you’ll only bring yourself unnecessary pain.”

He reached to drag Yu Mo toward the bed. Using his momentum, she flung herself onto the mattress and kicked him hard between the legs.

With an agonized groan, the man doubled over, clutching himself, his face contorted in pain.

Yu Mo scrambled up and shielded her mother. Her words were clear and resolute. “I don’t care who sent you. If you dare harm my mother, I will never forgive you.”

Xiao Lin, seeing her daughter in such a state, was wracked with guilt for dragging her into this.

“Mo Mo, this is all my fault.”

Yu Mo glanced at her mother. “Mom, you’ve done nothing wrong. It’s these people who are at fault, and they will pay for it.”

Another man entered, his face darkening at the sight of his incapacitated companion. He dragged him out by the arm. “Useless.”

Turning to Yu Mo, he crouched to meet her gaze, lips twisted in a mocking smile.

“Yu Mo, I’ll ask and you’ll answer. Cooperate, and I’ll let you go. How about it?”

She only sneered. “You think I’d believe you? Save your questions. I won’t answer.”

Her instincts screamed that whatever he wanted to know would bring only trouble. She had no intention of cooperating.

He clicked his tongue and tried to coax her. “If you refuse, my superiors have given us free rein with you.”

He paused, eyes flicking to her mother. “And with your mother.”

Yu Mo ground her teeth, glaring back. She could tell this man was far more dangerous than the previous one. With her hands tied, she was no match for him now.

“Yu Mo, your father has a safe deposit box at the bank. Tell me the password, and I’ll release you both right away.”

He spoke patiently and sincerely, as if negotiating.

Yu Mo’s eyes narrowed. A safe deposit box?

She had never heard of her father having such an account. “I don’t know.”

He seemed frustrated, sensing her honesty. His gaze shifted to Xiao Lin.

“Auntie, surely you know? Your husband opened the account fifteen years ago. What’s the password?”

Xiao Lin turned away, her voice unwavering. “I don’t know.”

His tone grew urgent. “Auntie, I advise you to tell us. Otherwise…”

He looked meaningfully at Yu Mo. “I can’t guarantee your daughter’s safety.”

“No!” Xiao Lin cried, eyes fixed on him. “I do know it exists, but he opened it himself. I truly don’t know the password.”

“Then what kind of passwords does your husband usually use? Anything he’s used before could help.”

She clenched her jaw. “I don’t know.”

The man snorted, patience gone. He stood. “If you insist on suffering, so be it.”

With that, he left, switching off the light as he went. The room was plunged into darkness.

Yu Mo had already noticed there were no windows—escape was possible only through the door, and she was certain it was guarded.

As she racked her brain for a way out, the door creaked open. Light from the corridor spilled in.

A woman stood in the doorway. Yu Mo couldn’t determine her age by her figure alone.

It wasn’t until the woman stepped inside that her face became visible.

Yu Mo watched her, her expression unreadable.

Xiao Lin’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How could it be you?”