I hit the biggest lottery jackpot — $1 billion. The day I was supposed to claim it, my wife was suddenly kidnapped. The kidnapper, full of bravado, started a live stream for the whole world to see. He pointed at the camera and threatened: “Mr. Alex, if you want your wife back, you’ll exchange her for that lottery ticket!” I calmly pulled out our marriage certificate from a drawer, my voice even more intense than the kidnapper’s. “Tell me… how much do you want to finish her off?” On the screen, my wife Sarah was tied up in a run-down factory, her face pale. The comments in the live chat were flying by. “Oh my God, this looks way too real! Doesn’t seem like acting at all!” The live stream quickly went viral. As viewership skyrocketed, Sarah’s parents, Robert and Karen, found out about their daughter’s kidnapping and frantically called me. Meanwhile, I was casually sipping coffee, interacting with the kidnapper. To speed things up and convince him to just end it, I transferred the last of our shared marital funds into the live streaming platform. The next second, the front door suddenly burst open. “Alex, what the hell is going on? My daughter’s been kidnapped, and you’re just sitting here sipping coffee?!” I slowly put down my cup and glared at Robert. “Mr. Robert, I want to save Sarah too, but the kidnapper’s demands are just too extreme. I can’t meet them!” The words had barely left my mouth when Robert rushed over, grabbing my collar. “What do you mean by that? Is my daughter’s life not worth more than a lottery ticket?!” Robert was trembling with desperation, his eyes filled with disappointment. “Mr. Robert, you know I’m broke. There’s no way I’m giving up this lottery ticket. As for Sarah, don’t worry—I’ll definitely throw her a proper funeral once she’s gone!” Before I could even finish, Karen, who was standing nearby, couldn’t hold back anymore. She pointed a finger at me and screamed. “You bastard! Sarah is your wife! How can you just stand there and watch her die?!” I looked at the live stream footage as if nothing was happening. “Right now, $1 billion is definitely more important to me than your daughter’s life.” Just then, in the live stream, Sarah yelled my name at the screen. “Alex, I’m pregnant! If you don’t want two lives lost, hand over that lottery ticket now!” At her words, the comments exploded again. “What?! They’re kidnapping a pregnant woman? That’s absolutely sick!” “Ugh, this poor woman. It’s been so long, and her husband still hasn’t done anything!” “Exactly! Money can be earned back, but if you lose your life, you really lose everything!” … As the live stream comments kept flooding in, the kidnapper grew visibly excited. He held up his phone with one hand, while the other grabbed Sarah’s hair and forced her to the ground. A heart-wrenching scream for help immediately echoed through the video. “Honey, save me!” Sarah struggled to lift her head, her gaze fixed on the screen, tears still glistening in her eyes. The live stream audience was horrified by the scene, frantically pulling out their phones to call the police. Karen, seeing her daughter’s miserable state on screen, stumbled and nearly fainted beside me. “Alex, did you hear that? My daughter is pregnant!” I quirked an eyebrow. “So what if it’s a kid? Once I claim my prize, countless women across the country will be lining up to have my babies!”
After a few more screams, the kidnapper’s eyes were blazing red as he stared at the screen. “Mr. Alex, I’m giving you one hour to decide: money or your wife and child!” Mid-sentence, he suddenly grinned. “Oh, and I should warn you—I’m not a very patient man. Every ten minutes, I’ll chop off one of your wife’s fingers until she bleeds to death.” I sighed softly at my phone screen. “Don’t bother with the fingers. Just go straight for the head. There’s no way I’m giving you that lottery ticket—forget about it.” I turned to Robert and Karen. “I don’t think you two need to worry too much. The police might have already located the kidnapper by now.” Even though the live stream’s IP address showed it was outside the country, the police might still find him. But Robert slammed his hand on the table. “Alex, everything you have now, you owe to our family! What right do you have not to save my daughter?!” He wasn’t wrong. The Roberts weren’t super rich, but they were far better off than me—a guy who came from humble beginnings. Even my current job was thanks to Robert’s connections. I was thinking about how to retort when a large group of police officers burst through the door. Captain Miller, leading the team, immediately focused on me as he entered. “Mr. Alex, our police force can’t determine the kidnapper’s location yet. To prevent any further harm to your wife, I personally recommend you try to calm him down first.” Captain Miller paused mid-sentence, gave me a meaningful look, and then added: “Since the kidnapper is live streaming, our superiors don’t want any bloody scenes to appear on screen. We hope you’ll cooperate!” Before I could even speak, Robert immediately jumped in to agree. “Did you hear that?! Even the police are telling you to hand over the lottery ticket! What are you just standing there for?” I cleared my throat and sneered. “Officer, I’m really sorry, but I am absolutely not giving up that lottery ticket. As for the hostage’s safety, you can only blame the police for being derelict in their duty.” After hearing my words, the police officers looked completely incredulous. Karen, nearby, fainted on the spot. “How can you be so heartless?!” “When I let my daughter marry you, I didn’t ask for a penny in dowry. We even helped you get a new house! Is this how you repay us?!” Robert cradled his wife, grief and anger etched on his face. The police officers around me angrily clenched their fists. “Mr. Alex, we advise you to try and appease the kidnapper.” I scanned the room, unable to suppress a scoff. “You all sound so righteous—it’s easy for you to say. If I lose a wife, I can always remarry. But if I lose this money, I’ll be poor my whole life.” Just as I finished speaking, the doorbell suddenly rang. “Excuse me, is there a Mr. Alex here? I have a package for you.” I opened it to find a bloody finger inside.
Seeing the sight, everyone gasped collectively. “That… that has my daughter’s wedding ring on it!” With Robert’s startled cry, the atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense. At that moment, a gut-wrenching scream came from the live stream. “Ah!” I slowly turned my head to look at my phone screen. In the footage, the kidnapper held an axe high, fresh blood still glistening on it. In the corner, my wife was curled up, her back to the screen, her life hanging by a thread. “Ten minutes already?” I murmured with a smile. “Mr. Alex! Please, you need to agree to his demands immediately!” Captain Miller’s face was grim, directing all his anger at me. I calmly shook my head and spoke softly. “Captain Miller, instead of trying to persuade me, you should focus on rescuing the hostage.” I picked up the severed finger and toyed with it. “Only eight fingers left. You police officers better hurry.” No sooner had I spoken than the kidnapper’s voice echoed through the live stream again. “Mr. Alex, my patience has its limits! If you don’t make a decision soon, next time it won’t be just a finger!” I couldn’t help but curse under my breath. Figures—you can’t trust a kidnapper’s word. He said he’d cut one every ten minutes, and now he’s already gone back on it. But then I reconsidered—maybe it’d be better if he just chopped off her head next time. At least that would stop this swarm of flies buzzing in my ear. “Alex, hurry up and get that lottery ticket! If my daughter dies, I’ll never forgive you!” I sighed softly, looking at him with a feigned apologetic expression. “Mr. Robert, you can only blame your daughter for her bad luck—for getting stuck with a husband like me, who values money above all else.” At these words, the entire room erupted in murmurs. Some of the younger officers were already clenching their fists. If they weren’t in uniform, I’m sure they would have rushed forward to beat me up. Captain Miller angrily pointed at the woman on the screen. “Mr. Alex, even if you refuse to save your wife, the child in her belly is innocent—at least. I suggest you reconsider!” Looking at my wailing wife on the live stream, I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes. A child? I don’t even want my wife—why would I want her child? “Captain Miller, you don’t need to persuade me anymore.” Captain Miller’s face was dark as he glared at me, gritting his teeth. “Mr. Alex, I hope you won’t regret this decision you’re making today!” I struggled to hold back a laugh. “Captain Miller, why would I ever regret it?”
The professional instruments’ indicator lights kept blinking, but they still couldn’t pinpoint the kidnapper’s exact location. The police were stomping their feet in frustration, utterly helpless. The kidnapper, still live streaming, saw I hadn’t responded and unleashed another round of punches and kicks on the woman in the corner. My wife, already losing too much blood, grew even paler. She could pass out at any moment. The number of viewers on the live stream peaked at this moment, the screen full of comments too many to read. “Where’s the hostage’s husband? Why hasn’t he shown up yet?” “Is there really someone who would let someone die for money?” “I think the person above is right. Her husband never intended to give up the lottery ticket—otherwise, he wouldn’t let the kidnapper harm the hostage!” As time ticked by, the kidnapper gradually lost patience. He roared frantically at the screen. “Mr. Alex, I’ll count to three. If you don’t make a decision, believe me—I’ll finish her off right now!” I let out a deep sigh and pulled out my phone in front of everyone. The call was answered instantly, and my voice, broadcast through the live stream, was heard clearly by everyone online. “Mr. Alex, it seems you still can’t bear to lose your wife.” The kidnapper’s tone was exceptionally smug. I bit back a smile. “As long as you hand over the lottery ticket, I guarantee I’ll send your wife back unharmed.” At this point, the onlookers watching on screen all thought I would give up the massive jackpot for my wife. But what I said next completely stunned everyone. “Hey, Kidnapper, I think you’ve misunderstood. I just called to tell you to stop dragging your feet and get on with it—I’m in a hurry to claim my prize.” The kidnapper had never expected me to say something so outrageous in front of tens of millions of people. He froze on the spot. After a long pause, he forcefully swung an iron hammer at my wife’s head, slamming it down hard. There was a sickening “thud,” and the scene fell into a dead silence. No one had imagined that I would call the kidnapper just to provoke him into killing her. “Alex! You… you animal! You killed my daughter! I’ll make you pay!” Robert grabbed a fruit knife from the coffee table and lunged at me. The scene instantly descended into chaos. And I, the orchestrator of it all, remained perfectly composed, sitting on the sofa. “Mr. Robert, I advise you to calm down. The police are all watching!” The first to react was Captain Miller. He quickly blocked me, grappling with Robert, who was holding the knife. Seeing this scene unfold, I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Mr. Robert, the dead cannot be brought back to life. My condolences.” Robert was pinned to the ground by the police, his eyes bloodshot as he roared at me. “Alex, not only did you refuse to save her, but why did you deliberately provoke the kidnapper and cause my daughter’s death?!” “You owe me an explanation today!” I crossed my legs, looking down at him with a smirk. “An explanation? There’s nothing to explain.” “I stand by what I said: you can only blame your daughter for her bad luck!” Perhaps my disregard for life had finally incensed everyone. The younger police officers around me rushed forward from all directions, looking as if they wanted to skin me alive. “I’ve never seen such a cold-blooded and heartless person in my life! You’re ten, even a hundred times worse than a murderer!” “Alex, you disregard life, you disregard the law! Today, even if it costs me my badge, I will bring you to justice!” In an instant, everyone was enraged. Even Captain Miller, who was closest to me, now looked at me with a furious expression. I glanced at the number of live stream viewers, a subtle smile playing on my lips. Just as the handcuffs were about to click around my wrists, I suddenly shouted at the crowd of police officers. “Wait!” “I need to talk to your captain!” Captain Miller slowly walked up to me, looking confused. “Go on, what else do you have to say to defend yourself?” I sighed softly, my tone calm and even. “Captain Miller, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” The next second, the seasoned officer’s eyes widened, staring at me in disbelief. “You… how do you know my name?” I spoke coldly, in a voice only he and I could hear. “If I told you I’m a reborn person, would you believe me?”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “335423”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #校园School
Leave a Reply