Disliked by everyone? She is clearly the most beloved one in the rich family!

When Meng Yingnian returned to the capital, it was already late.

The city lights flicker in the night, as if countless pairs of eyes are watching this bustling city.

As soon as he got off the plane, he received an urgent call from his assistant, with a hint of panic in his tone.

"Boss Meng, something's happened! Several elders from prominent families in Beijing have disappeared. It's said... they've been kidnapped!"

Meng Yingnian frowned, feeling that things were not simple.

He quickly got into the car and told the driver to go straight to the company.

On the way, his mind kept recalling the scenes of his previous interactions with those aristocratic families.

He had reminded them that the situation was unstable recently and that security must be strengthened.

But apparently, his warnings were not fully heeded.

When Meng Yingnian arrived at the company and just walked into the office, he saw several representatives from aristocratic families already waiting.

Their faces were filled with anxiety and uneasiness, and when they saw Meng Yingnian, they immediately surrounded him.

"Mr. Meng, you're finally back! Our old man suddenly disappeared last night, and there's been no news since!"

A middle-aged man said anxiously, with a trembling voice.

"It's the same thing in our family! Grandpa never goes out alone, but this time he suddenly disappeared. We suspect he was kidnapped!"

Another representative from an aristocratic family echoed this, looking solemn.

Meng Yingnian nodded and signaled everyone to calm down.

He sat down at his desk, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface, and spoke after thinking for a moment.

"Have the kidnappers contacted you? What demands did they make?"

"Yes! I just received news that the kidnappers are demanding a 50 million ransom from each of our families. The transaction will take place...at the cross-sea bridge."

A representative of a noble family said in a low voice, with a hint of doubt in his tone.

"Cross-sea bridge?" Meng Yingnian raised his eyebrows, feeling something was wrong.

The cross-sea bridge was where he traded the ransom last time.

It was obviously no accident that the kidnappers chose this place as the transaction location.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Prepare the ransom according to the kidnappers' demands, but don't act rashly. I'll arrange for someone to ensure the old man's safety."

Several representatives of the aristocratic families nodded repeatedly, expressing their agreement with Meng Yingnian's proposal.

They are now at a loss and can only pin their hopes on Meng Yingnian.

After everyone left, Meng Yingnian stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the office, looking deeply at the cross-sea bridge in the distance.

The outline of the bridge is looming in the night, like a giant dragon lying on the sea.

He kept thinking about the kidnapper's request in his mind, and he had a vague feeling that there was something else behind this matter.

"The cross-sea bridge...why did the kidnappers choose this place?"

Meng Yingnian muttered to himself, his brows furrowed.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number in a calm and decisive tone.

"Immediately mobilize personnel to secretly monitor every entrance and exit of the cross-sea bridge."

"Also, check if there are any suspicious individuals active near the bridge recently."

After hanging up the phone, Meng Yingnian's eyes were still fixed on the bridge in the distance.

He knew that this kidnapping case was not as simple as it seemed.

The cross-sea bridge, as a trading location, obviously hides some deep meaning.

He must find out the kidnappers' real purpose as soon as possible, otherwise the lives of those old men will be in danger.

Meng Yingnian sat in the monitoring room, and the screen in front of him kept replaying the surveillance videos of various entrances to the cross-sea bridge.

His eyes were fixed on the screen, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, a hint of anxiety in the rhythm.

Several hours had passed, and he and his team had repeatedly checked the records of all vehicles entering the bridge.

But no suspicious signs were found.

"Mr. Meng, all vehicles entering the bridge are internal vehicles. There is no record of external vehicles entering."

The assistant stood aside, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"Moreover, these vehicles have been strictly registered, and the identities of the drivers and passengers have been verified and there are no abnormalities."

Meng Yingnian was silent for a moment, his brows furrowed.

His intuition told him that this matter was not as simple as it seemed.

The kidnappers chose the cross-sea bridge as the transaction location, obviously knowing the internal conditions of the bridge very well.

The person who is so familiar with the operation of the bridge is most likely an insider.

"An inside job..." Meng Yingnian muttered to himself, his eyes still fixed on the screen.

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind - engineers, security personnel, logistics staff, even senior management.

There are too many people involved in the cross-sea bridge project.

From the construction team to the management team to the daily maintenance staff, there may be moles in every link.

"Boss Meng, should we start the investigation with the security department?"

"After all, they are responsible for the daily monitoring and access management of the bridge. If there is a problem, they are most likely to know about it."

The assistant suggested tentatively.

Meng Yingnian shook his head, his tone calm and decisive.

"No, if it was really an inside job, they would have taken precautions in advance."

"Direct investigation will only alert the enemy and make them more vigilant."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the brightly lit cross-sea bridge in the distance.

However, at this moment, Meng Yingnian had no intention of appreciating this magnificent sight. His heart was full of doubts and pressure.

"We need to change our thinking." Meng Yingnian turned around and spoke in a firm tone.

"The kidnappers chose the cross-sea bridge as the transaction location, which obviously had a purpose. They must have a detailed plan."

The assistant nodded, but a look of confusion still remained on her face.

"Go see if there's any suitable place for the transaction."

The assistant left immediately, and Meng Yingnian was the only one left in the monitoring room.

He sat back in his chair, his eyes still fixed on the surveillance video on the screen.

Although he appeared calm and composed on the surface, his heart was already in turmoil.

The messenger behind the scenes seems to be playing a big game.

"No matter who you are, I will find you out."

Meng Yingnian said in a low voice, with a hint of determination in his tone.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, as if calculating every step of his action plan.

The assistant hurriedly pushed open the door of Meng Yingnian's office.

Holding a detailed structural drawing of the cross-sea bridge in his hand, his face showed a hint of excitement and nervousness.

He spread out the drawings on Meng Yingnian's desk and quickly pointed his finger at several areas circled in red.

"Mr. Meng, I've carefully studied the structure of the bridge and found several places that are perfect for hiding the ransom."

"These areas are highly concealed and not easily captured by surveillance cameras."

There was a hint of urgency in the assistant's tone.

"However, the number is a bit high. After all, the bridge is complex in design and many locations are operable."

Meng Yingnian stood up and quickly scanned the marks on the drawing.

His brows furrowed slightly, and his mind quickly recalled the place where he temporarily stored a sum of money last time.

It was a maintenance passage located in the middle of the bridge, hidden away and known only to a few senior managers.

"I remember last time I put the money near the maintenance access in the middle of the bridge."

Meng Yingnian whispered, his finger gently sliding across the drawing, finally stopping at a mark in the middle.

"Have you checked here?"

The assistant nodded, a hint of surprise in his tone.

"We checked, Mr. Meng. As expected, we found an area where money could be hidden."

"Moreover, according to surveillance records, someone has indeed frequently entered and exited that area in recent days."

“But they were all insiders and didn’t attract much attention.”

Meng Yingnian's eyes narrowed, and he felt that there was a breakthrough.

He quickly picked up his coat and said decisively, "Let's go and take a look at the scene."

A few minutes later, Meng Yingnian and his assistant drove to the middle section of the cross-sea bridge.

In the night, the lights of the bridge are reflected on the sea, making the waves sparkle and appear particularly peaceful.

However, Meng Yingnian's heart was full of vigilance.

He and his assistant quickly entered the maintenance passage of the bridge.

Walk down the narrow stairs and finally come to a hidden corner.

"It's here." Meng Yingnian said in a low voice, looking around.

There were some engineering materials and tools piled up in the corner, and there didn't seem to be anything unusual.

But when he squatted down and carefully examined the ground, he found a loose steel plate.

The assistant quickly stepped forward, and the two of them worked together to lift the steel plate, revealing a hidden compartment.

The secret compartment was empty, but it was obvious that someone had used it before.

Meng Yingnian's fingers gently ran across the edge of the secret compartment and found some fresh scratches, which were obviously left recently.

"Someone has indeed tampered with this place."

There was a hint of coldness in Meng Yingnian's tone.

"The kidnappers chose this place as the location to hide the money, obviously knowing the internal structure of the bridge very well."

The assistant nodded, his expression serious.

"Mr. Meng, it seems our guess is correct. The kidnapper is most likely an insider."

"Moreover, they chose this place apparently to facilitate the quick withdrawal of the ransom during the transaction while avoiding surveillance."

Meng Yingnian stood up and looked at the sea in the distance with deep eyes.

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind quickly - the identity of the kidnappers, their true purpose.

and possible next steps.

He knew that time was running out and that action had to be taken quickly.

"Immediately mobilize personnel to secretly monitor this area."

Meng Yingnian's tone was calm and decisive.

"Also, check the list of people who have been in and out of here in the past few days, especially those who have permission to enter the maintenance passage."

"The kidnappers will definitely appear again. We must catch them all before they act."

The assistant nodded quickly and turned to make arrangements.

Meng Yingnian stood where he was, his eyes still fixed on the hidden compartment.

He had a vague feeling in his heart that this game had entered the most critical moment.

Meng Yingnian stands next to the maintenance passage of the cross-sea bridge.

His eyes were fixed on the sea in the distance, but the scene of the old men being captured kept replaying in his mind.

Those old men from prominent families usually stay at home and are surrounded by bodyguards.

It stands to reason that it is impossible to be kidnapped so easily.

However, the kidnappers were able to take them away in full view of the public, obviously knowing their whereabouts and habits very well.

"There are only so many places the kidnappers can take them."

Meng Yingnian muttered to himself, his brow furrowed as he recalled the last time the kidnappers had successfully obtained the ransom.

The places where those old men were imprisoned were all high-end residential areas without exception.

These areas are heavily guarded and difficult for outsiders to enter.

But because of this, the kidnappers can take advantage of the secrecy of these places to hide the hostages without being easily discovered.

"They got a taste of success last time, so they'll probably choose a similar place this time."

A sharp light flashed in Meng Yingnian's eyes.

He quickly took out his cell phone and dialed his assistant's number, his tone calm and decisive.

"Immediately retrieve a list of all high-end residential areas in the capital, especially those with tight security and difficult for outsiders to enter."

"It is very likely that the kidnappers will choose these places again as places to hide hostages."

The assistant on the other end of the phone quickly responded and immediately took action.

Meng Yingnian stood where he was, constantly analyzing the kidnappers' possible routes of action in his mind.

"High-end residential area..." Meng Yingnian repeated in a low voice, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

He knew that these areas were heavily guarded.

But because of this, kidnappers can take advantage of internal loopholes and easily hide hostages inside.

The previous successful experience will obviously make the kidnappers more confident and they may even take bolder actions.

A few minutes later, the assistant called back with a hint of urgency in his tone.