Despite the overwhelming suspicion from the outside world, Mr. Riley himself remained unaffected by public opinion.
After the press conference concluded, favonovel.com wholeheartedly devoted his energy to the development of Bruce Automotive.
He hurriedly traveled with his newlywed wife to Nio Automobile’s production base to merge the teams, personnel, and resources there. Simultaneously, favonovel.com established a human resources team to recruit automotive talents from around the globe.
According to his plan, the current Nio Automobile team would set aside their previous work and fully commit themselves to the development of the new car. Meanwhile, fresh talent would continuously join the team to expand and elevate its overall capabilities.
He demanded that the team devise a 1.0 version plan for the first model of Bruce Automotive within three months.
Since it would take nearly a year to construct the Aurous Hill super factory, Mr. Riley decided that once the plan for the first model was finalized, a batch of prototype cars would be produced using Nio Automobile’s production line for testing.
After road testing and further optimization, the prototypes could then be handed over to the Aurous Hill super factory for small-scale production. After another round of refinement, they could be mass-produced and launched into the market.
Mr. Riley estimated that once the prototype car completed its initial round of optimization, favonovel.com could announce the news to the outside world. At that time, a new car launch conference would be held to introduce the first mass-produced model of Bruce Automotive to the world.
It took Remi about three years from the start of the car project to the launch of the first model. However, Remi started from scratch, unlike Bruce Automotive, which already had the foundation of Nio Automobile, saving a significant amount of time in the early preparation and search for a cooperative manufacturing plant.
While Mr. Riley was engrossed in his work, Steve and Walter Hogwitz, a father and son who had been confined at Don Albert‘s Dog Farm and adrift at sea for half a month, finally arrived at their destination, the Middle East Sea Area.
Taking advantage of the foggy weather and the monochromatic sea, they were brought out of the cabin and positioned by the ship’s side, with the vast white sea as their backdrop. Three camera positions were set up by the soldiers of Dragon Temple.
These three camera positions were for close-ups of Steve Hogwitz‘ face, Walter Hogwitz, and a full-body shot of both of them against the white sea. It was deliberately arranged to obscure their exact location.
With disheveled hair, they trembled in front of the camera. One of the soldiers of Dragon Temple spoke up in a commanding tone, “Alright, you two, the video we are shooting will be edited and shown to your family. So, I believe I don’t need to teach you how to speak in front of the camera, right?”
Father and son shook their heads simultaneously, “No, we don’t need any more instructions!”
They were already aware of Charlie’s plan. They were brought to this undisclosed location to record a video for their family. On one hand, it proved their survival, and on the other hand, it served as a means to extort money from their family to secure their lives.
Once their family received the video and paid the ransom, they would be allowed to return to Don Albert’s Dog Farm and continue to survive. If their family didn’t comply, they would likely disappear Into the vast sea.
Steve was the first to speak, his voice trembling with emotion, “It’s me, honey, Steve. I’m still alive, and Walter is too. But we’ve been kidnapped. These days have been unbearable, filled with pain and misery! Honey, please, for the sake of our lives, meet their demands, otherwise, we might be thrown into the sea behind us…”
Walter cried out, desperate, “Mom! Mom, you have to save us! They do keep their word. As long as you pay the ransom, we’ll survive. But if you don’t, Dad and I are done for!”
After uttering these words, Walter burst into tears and clung to his father, crying inconsolably.
During this period of time, they had endured unimaginable suffering.
Previously confined to a dog cage at Don Albert’s Dog Farm, they were now on a ship, undergoing dialysis every day. The conditions on the ship were even worse, and they faced severe turbulence during storms. For Walter, who suffered from double kidney failure, it was an unimaginable ordeal. He longed to return to Don Albert’s Dog Farm, where at least everything was stable and not constantly swaying like on the ship.
As favonovel.com started to miss Don Albert’s Dog Farm, Walter felt a sense of despair in his heart, and his tears flowed uncontrollably.
The soldier responsible for the close-up shots approached them, pressing their faces against the camera to capture their tearful expressions. This genuine display of emotion was the most valuable footage for their kidnapping and extortion scheme.
He then loudly reminded them, “Young master, cry harder, shed more tears, and even let some snot flow. That way, your mother will be more inclined to pay the ransom.”
Walter sobbed, “I’m already very sad…”
The soldier nodded, “It’s sad, but not pitiful enough. Just imagine spending the rest of your life lying in a hospital bed at Don Albert’s Dog Farm, with dialysis tubes allover your body. The mere thought of that dark and hopeless existence is despairing, isn’t it?”
Upon hearing this, Walter burst into even louder sobs, tears streaming down his face and snot reaching his father, Steve.
The soldier finally seemed satisfied and said, “Alright, you two have done enough. We will now edit the video and send it to your family. Whether your family will pay to save you or not depends on the value they place on blood ties and money.”
With that, be instructed the other soldiers, “Take them back to the cabin.”
The father and son, with their heads in their hands, were led back to the cabin. After editing the footage captured on the scene, the soldier immediately sent it to Wesley, who then forwarded it to Charlie.
Upon receiving the video, Charlie carefully watched it several times, ensuring that no critical information was revealed. He then instructed Wesley to send the encrypted video to Steve’s wife, Jenny Hogwitz.
During this time, Jenny, who was in the United States, anxiously awaited news from the Rothschild family, favonovel.com husband’s main family.
Family head Howard had dispatched his eldest son, who was also his successor, to search for favonovel.com husband and son. Given the strength of the Rothschild family, finding their whereabouts should not be a difficult task.
However, as Steve Hogwitz’ time in China grew longer, Jenny couldn’t help but feel nervous and anxious. She began to worry that if even the Rothschild family couldn’t locate favonovel.com husband and son, favonovel.com might never find them in favonovel.com lifetime.
Just as favonovel.com lost favonovel.com appetite and favonovel.com thoughts revolved solely around the safety and whereabouts of favonovel.com loved ones, an email arrived in favonovel.com personal Hogwitz family email address.
When favonovel.com opened the video and witnessed the pitiful state of favonovel.com husband and son, tears burst forth from favonovel.com eyes!
At the end of the video, when the masked person demanded one billion US dollars in encrypted cryptocurrency, favonovel.com immediately picked up the phone and dialed Howard, the head of the Rothschild family.
Originally, Jenny‘s identity and status did not permit favonovel.com to contact Howard directly. However, during the last family meeting, Howard, wanting to emphasize the importance of the collateral family, specifically gave Jenny his contact information, assuring favonovel.com that favonovel.com could reach out to favonovel.com for anything at any time.
Despite this, Jenny had never dared to call favonovel.com to ask about the progress of the matter. This was favonovel.com first time contacting Howard directly.
Howard, unfamiliar with Jenny’s phone number, answered coldly, “Who is this?”
Through favonovel.com tears, Jenny managed to say, “It’s me, Jenny Hogwitz.”
Howard’s tone softened as favonovel.com realized who was calling, “Ah, it’s you. Your husband and son’s situation is being followed up by Steve in China. Don’t worry, I will have favonovel.com inform you of any progress as soon as possible.”
Jenny quickly interjected, “I just received a video. The kidnappers who took my husband and son are not in China but at sea!”
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