I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 327 The Boss Behind the Scenes, Old Wu

Inside the warehouse, under the dim light, Old Wu's sneer echoed in the air. Men in black surged forward like a tide, surrounding Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei. Despite their desperate struggles, they were ultimately subdued and tied up under the opponent's powerful grip.

"You think you're so clever, but you've actually fallen into my trap." Old Wu walked up to the three of them, looking down at them with a look of mockery in his eyes. "You know too much. You must disappear."

"Do you think arresting us will solve the problem?" Zhang Wanqing struggled to break free from the ropes, her eyes revealing determination. "The police already have evidence of your crimes. You can't escape."

"The police?" Old Wu laughed heartily, appearing incredibly confident. "You're too naive. I have people in the police force, too. Your so-called 'evidence' is nothing to be afraid of."

"Don't be too proud too soon!" Fu Siyuan said, glaring at Old Wu.

"In this world, only power and money are the truth. You journalists are self-righteous in wanting to expose the truth, thinking that you are great and have a sense of justice, but you don't know how big a vortex you have been involved in. Your so-called sense of justice is of no use at all!" Old Wu said with a sneer.

Zhang Wanqing and the other two were escorted into a van by men in black and quickly driven away from the warehouse. The van was completely dark, with only the sound of wheels scraping against the ground. Zhang Wanqing tried to remain calm, knowing that she had to keep a clear mind to find a chance of escape.

"Where are you planning to take us?" Fu Siyuan loudly questioned the men in black who were escorting them.

"Shut up!" The man in black glared at him fiercely without answering.

The van sped through the night, eventually stopping in front of a remote beachfront villa. The three were escorted out of the van and pushed inside. The villa was luxuriously decorated, but the atmosphere was unusually oppressive.

"Welcome to my 'home'." Old Wu stood in the middle of the living room, his hands behind his back, an unsettling smile on his face. "You will spend the rest of your lives here."

"Dream on!" Li Wei struggled, but was pushed to the ground by the man in black.

"Your struggle is in vain." Old Wu walked up to Zhang Wanqing and leaned close to her face. "No one will find you. Your family won't even know you've 'disappeared.'"

"Don't underestimate us." Zhang Wanqing tried to remain calm. "The police will find this place soon."

"Police?" Old Wu sneered, "I want to see how long your so-called justice can last."

The three were locked in the basement of the villa. It was pitch black, and the air was filled with a damp, musty smell. Fu Siyuan and Li Wei tried to break free from the ropes, but found they were tied very tightly.

"We must find a way to notify the people outside." Fu Siyuan whispered, "They must be looking for us."

"I have an idea." Zhang Wanqing suddenly said, "We can send out a signal by knocking on the wall. Maybe it can attract attention from outside."

"That's a good idea." Li Wei nodded, and the three of them began to knock on the wall rhythmically, making a "dong dong dong" sound.

Time passed by minute by minute, and the three of them didn't know if anyone outside could hear their distress signals. At this moment, the door of the basement was suddenly pushed open, and a man in black walked in.

"What are you doing?" the man in black roared, trying to stop them.

"Leave us alone!" Fu Siyuan shouted, "Go and inform your boss, we have something important to say!"

The man in black hesitated for a moment, and finally turned and left.

Soon after, Old Wu personally descended upon the basement. The damp air was stifling. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei were tied to the cold wall, their hands and feet bound, unable to move. Old Wu stood before them, a sneer of contempt plastered across his face, as if admiring his prize.

"You think you're so clever, but you're just pawns on a chessboard." Old Wu's laughter echoed in the small space. "I won't let you leave here alive."

"Don't underestimate us." Zhang Wanqing tried to appear calm, even though her voice trembled slightly. "The police won't let you go."

"The police?" Old Wu stopped laughing, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "Your so-called 'justice' is nothing in my world. Do you think that handing the evidence to the police will solve the problem? You are so naive."

He looked at the three of them with a hint of impatience on his face: "What do you want to say?"

"We have evidence proving your collusion with Li Hua," Zhang Wanqing said firmly. "If you let us go now, perhaps we can get leniency."

"Evidence?" Old Wu sneered, "Your evidence has long been destroyed. You can't prove anything."

"Don't be too confident. We've handed all the evidence to the police, and they'll be here to arrest you soon," Zhang Wanqing said. "Don't underestimate the power of justice, and don't underestimate our courage as journalists. No matter where you hide, you'll eventually be caught. Justice will ultimately triumph over evil!"

After hearing what Zhang Wanqing said, Old Wu just laughed as he did before. He didn't take Zhang Wanqing and the others seriously at all.

Zhang Wanqing knew that Old Wu would not let them go easily. She had to stay calm and look for a chance to escape. She whispered to Fu Siyuan and Li Wei, "Don't panic, we have to find a way to notify the people outside."

Fu Siyuan nodded and whispered, "I'll try to untie these ropes."

However, the rope was tied very firmly. Fu Siyuan tried for a long time but made no progress. Li Wei tried to attract attention from outside. He shouted loudly, but there was silence all around and no one responded.

"Don't waste your energy." Old Wu looked at them coldly. "This place is very remote. No one will hear your cries for help. You'd better stay here and suffer less."

Meanwhile, an intense investigation was underway at the Sanya police station. Upon receiving news of Zhang Wanqing's disappearance, Zhang Beichen immediately contacted the police, who quickly established a task force to locate Zhang Wanqing and the other two.

"Based on current clues, Zhang Wanqing and her companions were last seen in a warehouse on the outskirts of Haikou," said Wang Gang, a police officer and the head of the task force. "We speculate they may have been taken to a secluded location nearby."

"We've cordoned off the surrounding area, but it's too large," another officer added. "We need more clues."

"Did Zhang Wanqing leave any information before being taken away?" Wang Gang asked.

"She sent me a text message mentioning 'Golden Bay,'" Zhang Beichen said. "That might be their hiding place."

"Golden Bay?" Wang Gang frowned. "There are a lot of companies there. We need to check them one by one."