About thirty seconds later, Jingkang patted Yixiong on the shoulder. Yixiong, who was currently bowing his head, raised his head instantly. Jingkang pointed in one direction. Yixiong turned his head in the direction the young man pointed.
From a distance, there was someone running towards the two of them. Even though he was carrying a plastic bag, he could run fast. In an instant, he was in front of Yixiong and Jingkang.
"What happened? Lots of people running. They screamed that there was gunfire. Has there been a gunfight?"
Yiren, who had just arrived, was already bombarding Yixiong with questions. Yixiong didn't answer right away. He just looked at Yiren. Suddenly, he was at a loss for words to explain what he had just experienced.
"Be patient, Sir," said Jingkang. "We'll just have to wait for an explanation from the police."
"What is that?" Yixiong pointed to the plastic bag Yiren was carrying before Yiren could ask any other questions.
Yiren smiled. "Are you guys thirsty?"
Yixiong and Jingkang nodded.
Yiren opened the plastic bag. He pulled out a few cans.
"When did you buy these drinks? Yixiong was a little surprised.
"I didn't buy these. Mr. Xuande gave me these drinks. Turns out he had a lot of supplies in the trunk of his car."
"A lot of supplies?" Yixiong asked.
Yiren nodded. "Right! It's not just drinks. There's canned food and other things too."
"Does he really have a habit like that?" Jingkang asked.
"We don't know." Yiren shook his head quickly. "We don't really know him either. So there's a lot about him we don't know."
"Now where is Mr. Xuande?" Yixiong picked up a drink can.
"He is waiting in the car. He said he was worried that his presence would disturb us if he came here."
"Didn't you say that we might be here a while?" Yixiong said.
"I already said so, but he said it's okay."
"Do you think something like this is appropriate for us to do?" Yixiong looked at Yiren. "He's a lot older than us."
"If he doesn't mind, I don't think we should be too shy either," said Yiren. "Shyongge, please don't think about it too much." He handed a can of drink to Jingkang.
"Thank you, Sir," said Jingkang.
Fifteen minutes later, they were still sitting on the stone bench. Yixiong saw the policeman he had spoken with sprinting toward them.
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"You came back here so fast!" Jingkang's voice was enthusiastic. "Are there any interesting developments?"
The policeman nodded. "That person made a strange confession. It's possible he wasn't part of the kidnapping gang."
"Have the police caught the wrong person?" Yiren asked.
"It's not like that, Sir. That person is indeed the one who was here earlier. We just said that it's possible that he didn't know about Mr. Beihai's kidnapping. However, that confession isn't necessarily true either. We need time to explore the truth of what he said."
"What kind of strange confession he made?" Yixiong asked.
"He said he was an actor. Today's incident is part of the film's casting activities."
"Film casting process?" Yixiong was surprised. "Who said that to him?"
"So, there is a studio that will produce a film. They said they were going to have an outdoor casting."
"Outdoor casting?" Yiren's eyebrows rose.
The policeman nodded. "The prospective cast will not be tested inside the room, but directly on the field. He said that he was told to play someone who will take the ransom. There are hidden cameras and microphones that will record this scene. In addition, there is also a director disguised as a visitor in this park."
The policeman's explanation sounded a little strange to Yixiong's ears. But he realized that anything is possible. He must not rule out strange things just because he thinks they are unreasonable.
"I think if he's an actor, as he says." Jingkang nodded quickly. "His acting is quite convincing. Maybe he deserves the role."
Yixiong took a deep breath. "If he thinks this is just a casting, then why did he run away? Was it really in the script he was holding? Does the character he plays have to run away?"
The policeman nodded. "I understand it is suspicious. He said he was starting to get suspicious when you didn't follow the proper script. The words that you say are not in accordance with the words that his co-star should say. Then you also looked left and right as if you were waiting for something. He was worried that he had been framed. He thought that this was not a casting, but a real kidnapping. When he heard the popping sound earlier, he panicked. He thought the police were trying to shoot him. Moreover, he saw that you immediately lay down. At that moment, he was sure that he had been framed. So he tried to run away."
"Is there a chance he's lying?" Jingkang asked.
"As we have said, we will scrutinize that person's background. He had already given us the phone number of the agent who represented him in the film business. In the meantime, we will take him to the police station."
"What is their purpose by putting on a play like this?" Jingkang looked straight at the policeman.
"I think this is just a way for the kidnappers to test whether the gentlemen are indeed following their instructions. Most likely, after this, they will contact you again," said the policeman.
"So, in your opinion, we should head home now?" Yixiong asked.
"Right, Sir! That's the best move. Do you want us to take you home?"
"No need, thank you," said Yixiong. "We have a vehicle to go home."
"Alright then, Sir. We're going back to base."
The police then left the three of them.
Yixiong was still sitting there pensively. There were still many things stuck in his mind.
Jingkang patted Yixiong's shoulder. "Mr. Ximen, how about we go home now, Sir?"
Yixiong took a deep breath. "I'm still not sure."
"About what, Sir?" Jingkang asked.
"What's in it for the criminals to put on a show like this?"
"Like the policeman said earlier, maybe all of this is just to test us. Also to test whether the police are really ready to arrest them," Jingkang said.
"So this meeting is just a game designed by the kidnappers?" Yiren shook his head.
"Yes," said Yixiong curtly.
"But there are still things I don't understand," said Yiren. "What is the actual chronology of tonight's events?"
"I'm not in the mood to explain right now," Yixiong said. "If you want to know more clearly, please ask Jingkang."
Yiren turned his face towards Jingkang. But only for a moment. He looked back at Yixiong. "Okay! Later I will ask Jingkang to explain in detail. Now, what are we waiting for?"