The massive visual impact made Wendy Lynch’s mind go blank for a moment. Although her savings had already exceeded one million, those were just a string of numbers on her mobile banking app. They were nowhere near as real as the massive pile of cash right in front of her eyes. The dazzling red completely occupied a corner of her room. She had struck it rich! This was the true definition of overnight wealth!
Countless wonderful fantasies churned in her mind. Hugging a bundle of cash, Wendy rolled around on her bed in excitement. The intense joy made her want to scream out loud. However, after the brief thrill, she quickly calmed down.
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
This money was too clean, too neat. One million in cash, all brand new, without a single crease. This kind of situation was actually quite unusual. Anyone who frequently deposited or withdrew large amounts of cash at the bank would know that while money from the bank did include quite a few brand-new bills, the majority of it consisted of older bills that had circulated in the market. If there were just a few bundles of crisp hundred-yuan bills in front of her, Wendy might not have felt anything was amiss. However, there were a full one hundred bundles here! All of them being brand new was highly suspicious.
After the initial dizziness of being hit by a massive fortune faded, Wendy’s rationality quickly returned. She forced herself to calm down and reached out to pick up another bundle of cash. She re-examined the bag of money in front of her. The red bills that had seemed incredibly adorable just a moment ago now seemed to exude a hint of eeriness. She picked up two bundles next to her and compared them side by side. Suddenly, her eyes slowly narrowed.
NO. 12300000
NO. 12300101
Shock rushed through her. Something was wrong—extremely wrong! These two bundles of money actually had consecutive serial numbers!
It was completely normal for new bills to have consecutive serial numbers. When new bills left the mint, they were bundled together in hundreds with consecutive numbers. Therefore, whether withdrawing money at the counter or from an ATM, there was a high probability of getting consecutive bills. But the probability of two entire bundles being consecutive was quite low.
Refusing to believe it was just a coincidence, Wendy quickly found another two bundles with consecutive serial numbers.
NO. 12300600
NO. 12300701
A terrifying possibility formed in her mind.
Ten minutes later, the one hundred bundles of cash were neatly lined up on the floor. These hundred bundles turned out to be a full one million in perfectly consecutive serial numbers!
It was extremely difficult to withdraw a consecutive million from the bank. Unless specifically requested, how could a bank teller have the free time to specially pick out bill numbers for a customer? This didn’t seem like a normal withdrawal at all. It looked more like a marker!
A thought flashed through her mind like lightning. A news segment that she had forgotten in the back of her memory suddenly became clear. A shudder ran through her body. Ignoring the money on the floor, she scrambled to her desk and flipped open her laptop. Her fingers flew across the keyboard.
"Donnerton," "one million," "consecutive serial numbers."
She hit the Enter key, and the search results refreshed instantly.
[Young Son of Shaw Campbell Group Kidnapped, Kidnappers Demand 1 Million Ransom]
[Shaw Campbell Kidnapping Case: Hostage Killed After Family Pays Million-Dollar Ransom, Police...]
[For Money or Revenge?...]
[Shaw Campbell Group Boss Offers 1 Million Reward for Information on Kidnappers!]
Kidnapping... One million... Hostage killed. Wendy’s finger trembled as she randomly clicked on one of the news links. The article was long, detailing the entire process of the case.
A year ago, Brandon Campbell, the only son of the boss of Donnerton’s famous enterprise, Shaw Campbell Group, was kidnapped on his way to school. The kidnappers demanded one million. Out of concern for the child’s safety, the family refused police intervention and readily paid the ransom the very next day. However, just as they finished paying the ransom and anxiously waited for news of their son’s return, what they received instead was the devastating news that the police had found Brandon’s body in a river. After taking the money, the kidnappers had still ruthlessly murdered the hostage.
At the end of the article, there was a pixelated photo of the body, along with a few shocking lines of text.
"...The victim was stabbed multiple times and died a tragic death. The forensic examiner determined that he had suffered inhuman abuse before his death..."
"...This criminal syndicate employs extremely cruel methods and possesses strong anti-reconnaissance capabilities. After committing the crime, they vanished into thin air. The syndicate is still at large..."
"...The police remind the general public that the fugitives are extremely dangerous. If you have any leads, please report them immediately..."
Wendy slowly turned her head and looked at the neatly arranged one million on the floor. In a flash, she figured out the cause and effect. The kidnappers from a year ago might have genuinely considered releasing the hostage after getting the ransom. However, upon receiving the money, they discovered that the one million ransom consisted entirely of consecutive bills. The robbers probably figured that the ransom could not be used normally, so they simply murdered the hostage in cold blood.
Without a doubt, this bag of money was the ransom from that kidnapping case!
The kidnappers couldn’t bear to throw it away after getting it, but they didn’t dare spend it either. So, they hid it in a corner they deemed safe. Yet, for whatever reason, no one ever came back to retrieve it. Instead, it sat quietly in the ceiling of that vacated shop.
And the original owner of this money was that fugitive, extremely cruel kidnapper! He could come back for the money at any time! If he returned and found the money gone, what would he do? He would follow the clues, discover that she was the new tenant of the shop, and come knocking on her door.
The mere thought of the deceased who had been "stabbed multiple times" and "suffered inhuman abuse" sent a chill shooting from the soles of her feet straight up her spine. The blood in her veins practically froze.
No! She absolutely could not keep this money! Forget one million; she wouldn’t dare keep it even if it were ten million!
The thought of greed had only appeared for a fleeting moment before it was utterly crushed by reason and her instinct for survival. Risking a vicious, desperate criminal finding her for a mere one million? How was that any different from courting death? Besides, she had the future emails as her ultimate trump card. As long as she had time, she was confident she could earn not just one million, but ten million, or even a hundred million.
Furthermore, this million in consecutive cash was undoubtedly already on the bank and police blacklists. If she dared to deposit it in a bank or make a large purchase, the banking system would immediately alert the authorities. This money was a massive hot potato, a bomb ready to go off at any second!
In an instant, the fear in Wendy’s eyes shifted into absolute resolve. She had to dispose of this bomb immediately! Calling the police was the only option!
Also, since the culprit was able to hide this money above the ceiling, there was a high probability that the kidnapper was connected to the previous tenant. Wendy speculated that the criminal was either the tenant themselves or someone who had previously worked in that milk tea shop. However, she felt that the former was much more likely.