Chris parked his taxi outside the London headquarters of "Life Fragments," always making sure to be the first to accept any nearby ride requests. Today, a well-dressed passenger carrying a suitcase hurriedly got in, needing to go to the airport. Chris asked a few questions and confirmed that the passenger was indeed an employee of "Life Fragments." This time, Chris turned off the auto-navigation, pretended there was an accident ahead, and turned onto a small road. The passenger, engrossed in his phone, didn’t notice Chris’s unusual behavior.
By the time the passenger realized something was wrong, the car had already stopped under a bridge in a remote area. Chris pulled out a handgun and ordered the passenger out. The passenger, terrified, explained that he was just an intern named Jayden, on his way to deliver a change of clothes to another executive at the airport—he had no money. Realizing his mistake, Chris knew it was too late to turn back. He pointed the gun at Jayden and forced him out of the taxi and into the trunk of another car. However, Jayden suffered from claustrophobia and began kicking and screaming uncontrollably once locked inside. Forced to improvise, Chris made Jayden wear a hood and lie down in the back seat. But Jayden got carsick and suddenly sat up to vomit before Chris could stop him. At that very moment, a passing police officer noticed the commotion and turned on his siren to follow them.
Hearing the siren, Chris cautiously pulled over. He watched as the police officer behind him picked up his radio, likely checking the license plate with headquarters. Just as the officer stepped out to approach the car, Chris slammed on the accelerator and sped away. The police car chased closely as the road grew increasingly remote. Suddenly, two cyclists appeared ahead. Chris swerved sharply, and the car skidded into a wheat field, stalling.
Escape was impossible. Chris pulled out his gun, pressed it against Jayden’s head, and warned the police not to approach. The police had no choice but to retreat, notify headquarters, and observe from a distance. Chris returned to the car, trying to stay calm. He removed Jayden’s hood and demanded that he call Bill, the CEO of "Life Fragments." As an intern, Jayden had no way to contact the CEO—he could only reach Hannah from Human Resources.
Since Jayden had left his phone in the taxi, he had to use Chris’s phone. The call was transferred from reception to Hannah’s line. At first, Hannah thought it was a prank, until Chris sent a photo of a tearful Jayden. Realizing the severity of the situation, Hannah immediately called Penelope, the Chief Operating Officer. Penelope, who was on a morning run in California, could hardly believe her ears—such an absurd situation was unfolding.
Penelope personally spoke with Chris to ensure Jayden was safe and to understand his demands. Hearing Chris’s agitated insistence on speaking only with Bill, Penelope promised to contact Bill as soon as possible to buy time. Meanwhile, technicians used Chris’s phone number to trace his "Life Fragments" account, which had been inactive for over two years. Through the app, they could faintly hear Chris muttering that this was his last day.
The police discovered that Chris’s car was registered under Eleanor, a 67-year-old woman. When they visited her address, they found the house empty, with clippings about "Life Fragments" scattered across the table. Neighbors revealed that Eleanor had passed away three months ago and that her son, Chris, lived there. Further investigation showed that Chris was a former IT teacher who had been unemployed for two years, with no criminal record.
While the police pieced together this information, "Life Fragments" extracted more data from Chris’s account. Chris belonged to the high-intelligence, low-income demographic, often harboring deep resentment toward society. An analysis of his taxi activity revealed that he had been stationed outside the London headquarters for weeks—this was a premeditated kidnapping. In a 2015 car accident, Chris had lost his fiancée, Tamsin. After posting a tribute on his profile, his account had gone silent.
David, a British negotiation expert, believed Chris simply wanted to get Bill’s attention. Confidently, he called Chris to initiate negotiations. But Chris, having read extensively about negotiation tactics, saw through each of David’s strategies and threatened to harm Jayden unless David left immediately. Disappointed by the negotiator’s failure, Penelope sent staff from the Utah branch to find Bill, who was meditating in seclusion at Furnace Creek.
The wheat field was soon surrounded by police vehicles, and news vans joined the scene. Hesitantly, Chris logged into his long-dormant "Life Fragments" account to see public and media reactions. Noticing that many were concerned for the hostage’s safety, Chris lied to Jayden, claiming the gun was a replica. But this statement was overheard by "Life Fragments" technicians and relayed to the police. Believing the threat was diminished, the police moved in to rescue Jayden.
Seeing the police advance and spotting tweets about the fake gun, Chris realized he was being monitored. He fired a warning shot into the air, forcing the police to retreat. A sniper took the opportunity to fire, but the bullet missed its target, shattering the windshield instead. Enraged, Chris warned the "Life Fragments" team that if he didn’t hear from Bill within five minutes, he would kill Jayden.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Bill ignored objections from Penelope and legal advisors and called Chris. When Chris answered, he only asked Bill to listen. Since Bill founded "Life Fragments," smartphones had become the center of Chris’s life. He was constantly glued to his phone, and his fiancée Tamsin was equally addicted. Three years ago, while driving to visit his sick mother, Eleanor, Chris glanced at his phone to check the likes on a photo of a dog he had posted. In that split second, he collided with an oncoming vehicle. Tamsin struggled for two months in the hospital but ultimately didn’t survive. Although the police determined the other driver was drunk and fully at fault, Chris couldn’t forgive himself—he believed he was the one who killed his fiancée.
Chris wasn’t seeking Bill’s sympathy. He believed "Life Fragments" had been deliberately designed to be addictive and that this was irresponsible. He felt this was the only way to make Bill listen and hopefully bring about change. Having said what he needed to say, Chris found closure. He cut the zip ties binding Jayden’s hands, intending to take his own life once Jayden left the car. But Jayden, moved by compassion, refused to leave and tried to wrestle the gun away from Chris. Their struggle inside the car was misinterpreted by the police as an attempt by Chris to harm Jayden. The sniper received the order to shoot—a single gunshot rang out, and the high-profile kidnapping came to a tragic end.
Sadly, people still followed the entire event through "Life Fragments," their smartphones remaining an inseparable part of their lives.