"Easy enough!" The man sat down on the sofa without standing on ceremony. With a grin, he said, "Boss Lin is a man of vast wealth. As for me, I have a whole crew of brothers to support. Things have been a bit tight lately, so I thought I’d come to Boss Lin to borrow some money to spend."
"Boss Lin is a generous man. I assume you wouldn't refuse to lend it, would you?"
With that, he looked at Lin Zhengrong with a mocking smile.
Lin Zhengrong took a deep breath. Did he even have a choice? His wife and daughter were both in the man's hands now. He had no choice. The man’s words sounded polite enough, but they couldn't change the fact that this was kidnapping and extortion.
"How much do you want?"
"Good. Boss Lin is a man who likes to get straight to the point." The man picked up a slice of apple from the fruit platter, popped it into his mouth, and said, "Two hundred million. Your wife and your daughter are each worth one hundred million. That’s a fair price, isn't it?"
"However, I want old bills, non-sequential ones. Also, you cannot call the police. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what might happen to your wife and daughter."
Lin Zhengrong did his best to hide the fury in his heart. Calmly, he said, "No problem. But you must guarantee the safety of my wife and daughter. Otherwise, I will spend the rest of my life doing nothing but hunting you down."
"Fine, it's a deal then. I'll be back tomorrow morning to pick up the money." The man stood up, ready to leave.
Xiao Yang had been listening quietly to their exchange. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and said, "Leaving already? Won't you stay for a simple meal?"
Lin Zhengrong and Steward Gong both turned their heads to look at him in surprise. Even the man hadn't expected Xiao Yang to ask him to stay for dinner.
The man found it amusing. "Are you sure you want me to stay for dinner?"
Xiao Yang glanced at him and said, "You’ve been taking such good care of my wife and mother-in-law. Staying for a meal to express my gratitude is the least I can do."
The man froze, then burst into loud laughter. "Boss Lin, where did you find this son-in-law? How can he be so naive and simple?"
Lin Zhengrong looked displeased. "That is no concern of yours."
"Tch! Clueless!" Seeing their poor attitude, the man dropped his pretense of politeness. He turned and started to walk away, intending not to linger.
Suddenly, Xiao Yang spoke again: "Don't walk so fast. The meal hasn't been cooked yet."
A flicker of impatience crossed the man's face. He whipped out a gun from his waistband, spun around, and aimed it at Xiao Yang. "You're looking to die!"
But after the words left his mouth, he froze. The sofa was empty—Xiao Yang was no longer there.
"Are you looking for me?" Xiao Yang’s voice came from in front of him. Startled, the man spasmed and pulled the trigger.
*Bang!*
A gunshot rang out, the bullet slamming into the sofa.
The sudden sound of the shot startled both Lin Zhengrong and Steward Gong, but as men who had seen their fair share of storms, they didn't lose their composure and remained standing where they were, calm and collected.
Xiao Yang had appeared in front of the man, and as the man realized what had happened, he immediately swiveled his gun toward Xiao Yang.
The sight of the dark muzzle instilled endless fear; no one wants to die. But Xiao Yang’s expression didn't change in the slightest. He took the cigarette he’d only puffed twice and jammed it, quick and precise, into the barrel of the gun, his hand moving in a rapid, fluid blur.
*Click, click, click!*
The handgun’s parts were dismantled, falling to the floor one by one.
The man’s jaw dropped. He stared blankly at the now-useless grip left in his hand. He had only been a second slow on the trigger, but that single second had cost him his only chance.
The gun was gone, but the man still had his own skills. He had just started to lift his leg when Xiao Yang’s foot pinned his knee down. A sudden, agonizing pain tore through his abdomen; his face turned deathly pale as layers of cold sweat broke out over his skin.
Xiao Yang grabbed him by the hair to keep him from collapsing and said flatly, "Tell me. Where are they?"
The man gave a miserable laugh. "Do you think I’d tell you?"
They were his cash cow; he wouldn't reveal their location for anything. Besides, he didn't believe Xiao Yang would dare to kill him. If he died, that mother and daughter wouldn't live either!
Xiao Yang said coolly, "You only want money. I can give you one hundred million, and I promise not to call the police. Out of a two hundred million ransom, you certainly wouldn't end up with one hundred million for yourself."
The man hesitated at these words, but a moment later, he scoffed. "Hmph. Empty words. Why should I trust you?"
"So, there's nothing to discuss, then?" Xiao Yang’s eyes narrowed. He reached out, grabbed the man's right shoulder blade, and wrenched it hard.
"Ahhh!!!" The man let out a blood-curdling scream.
Xiao Yang smiled coldly, giving him no chance to beg for mercy. With a sharp *crack*, the shoulder blade was snapped clean. The man rolled his eyes back and passed out from the pain.
This level of brutality... Xiao Yang hadn't bothered to hide it from Lin Zhengrong and Steward Gong. It wasn't to intimidate them; it was simply that both men were seasoned veterans who had seen it all—there was no need for the unnecessary trouble of dragging him elsewhere to force a confession.
Lin Zhengrong asked with some concern, "He’s not dead, is he?" If the man died, his wife and daughter would be in danger.
"He’s just unconscious." Xiao Yang told Steward Gong to fetch a basin of water and then pushed the man's head into it.
*Glug, glug.*
After a few bubbles rose to the surface, the man’s legs began to flail. Xiao Yang pulled his head out of the basin and said, "If you don't talk, your other shoulder blade won't survive either. You kidnapped them for money—I’m offering you one hundred million, and you won't have to split it with anyone else. Is that not enough?"
The man gasped for air, panting. "If I tell you, will you really give me the money? Heh... I’m afraid the moment I get the cash, I'll be arrested by the Protectors or silenced by you."
"You have no choice," Xiao Yang said calmly. "I still have a full day to find them. If you don't tell me, I'll find them anyway, but you'll have suffered through hell at my hands first. If you tell me, you save me the time and walk away with one hundred million."
The man went silent. He felt Xiao Yang’s logic was sound. With street cameras everywhere these days, if someone really put their mind to it, there was a good chance they could be found within a day. Having already experienced the agony of a shattered shoulder blade, he had no desire to experience it a second time—it was a pain no normal human could endure.
Most importantly, the temptation of keeping one hundred million all to himself was immense. Including himself, there were eight people involved in the kidnapping. As the leader, he could only get forty million at most, with the remaining one hundred and sixty million split among the other seven.
Having suffered a loss, being offered a massive incentive, and facing the risk of their location being exposed, the man buckled under the dual pressure and the single temptation. He asked, "You’ll really give me one hundred million and let me walk away?"
A smirk played on Xiao Yang’s lips. "I, Xiao Yang, keep my word."
The man hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Fine! I agree to cooperate, but I have a condition."
"Speak."
"I want to see the money first, and I must have the money with me before I take you to the place where they are being held!"
"Fine." Xiao Yang signaled for Lin Zhengrong to go and arrange the funds.
Almost an hour later, Steward Gong returned, saying that one hundred million had been prepared and was waiting in the SUV outside.