You Mingxu was thrown back into the same vehicle as before. Only this time, Xing Yanjun was not there—she didn’t know which vehicle he was locked in. She, Xu Mengshan, and Jing Ping had also been separated.
Jing Ping had fallen into the hands of the Yunnan people.
The thought of him shot and bleeding out with every passing second, only to fall into the hands of drug dealers who hated him to the core, tormented her. You Mingxu forced herself not to imagine what he was about to endure, but her mind kept conjuring images of his usual fair, clean-cut appearance and gentle smile. It felt as though a blunt knife were slowly grinding against her heart.
And then there was Xu Mengshan, and the other brothers. The drug dealers would never let them live.
You Mingxu closed her eyes, forcing herself to stay calm.
She was alone in the vehicle this time, but Luo Yu had bound her even tighter—not only were her hands cuffed, but ropes were wound tightly around her body, making escape impossible. The car window was open, and she could hear voices outside.
First, it was Sun Yuan, the Xiangtan Boss who had come with Lei Yu. He chuckled and said, "Boss Xing, how have you been lately? Keeping well?"
You Mingxu looked up and saw Luo Yu and Sun Yuan leaning against the car. Sun Yuan was on the phone.
Xing Jifu on the other end must have said something, to which Sun Yuan replied, "Oh, by the way, a few of your men got a little out of line and ended up in my hands. What do you think we should do about that?"
After a moment, Sun Yuan narrowed his eyes with a smile and handed the phone to Luo Yu. As soon as Luo Yu took it, his tone shifted dramatically, becoming panicked and fearful: "B-Boss! We’ve been set up! The Xiangtan people took both the goods and the money. Yanjun insisted on coming today, and he…" Before he could finish, Sun Yuan took the phone back, and Luo Yu exchanged a knowing smile with him.
Sun Yuan said, "Your son is with us, too."
A moment later, Sun Yuan added, "Alright, I’ll let you speak with your Heir. Oh, and by the way, I just heard it’s not just your son—your daughter is here as well. What a predicament! This is practically cutting off your lineage!" After saying this, Sun Yuan glanced at You Mingxu. Then, he walked toward the vehicle behind them with the phone, presumably to let Xing Yanjun speak.
Luo Yu leaned against the car window, looked at her, and grinned. "See, you’re quite valuable too."
You Mingxu asked, "What do you want?"
A cold glint flashed in Luo Yu’s eyes. "How can I truly take the Hunan Boss’s position unless your father is eliminated? We’ll make him bring enough bargaining chips to exchange for his son and daughter." A sinister smile crossed his face as he spoke.
You Mingxu finally understood the layers of his scheme. Not only had he deceived the police, using them as pawns, but he had also seized the money and goods, eliminated Xing Jifu’s two most capable subordinates, and now he wanted Xing Jifu’s life as well.
She stared at the man before her—fair-skinned and refined in appearance. She had encountered the most brutal serial killers, ruthless bandits, and numb butchers. Yet this man, who toyed with people’s minds, showed no regard for kinship, and possessed unfathomable cunning, struck her as the most terrifying kind of criminal.
She let out a slow breath and sneered, "You truly have no humanity left. As far as I can see, Xing Jifu never mistreated you, and now you want him dead!"
Luo Yu responded with a hollow, mocking smile. "Feeling sorry for your daddy? Don’t bother. He’s scum anyway—played your mom back in the day, then turned around and married some rich socialite. Why waste your sympathy on him? A man like that deserves to die."
You Mingxu had no desire to listen to him dredge up the past. Her mind raced, but she softened her tone and said, "Luo Yu, I have a favor to ask of you."How long had it been since Luo Yu last heard her speak in such a soft, pleading tone? He looked at her without saying a word.
You Mingxu said, "Don’t let them kill Jing Ping. I’m begging you."
Seeing genuine desperation in her eyes, Luo Yu felt an indescribable emotion. He let out a light snort and said, "Sleep with me, and I’ll let him go."
You Mingxu remained silent for a few seconds, then unexpectedly smiled and replied, "Fine."
Luo Yu studied her for a moment before suddenly raising his voice and shouting, "Boss Lei, don’t kill that cop yet. He still has valuable intel."
You Mingxu stared straight ahead, her expression blank.
Just then, Sun Yuan walked back, seemingly in high spirits. He glanced at the two of them, then handed a phone through the car window and pressed it to You Mingxu’s ear.
You Mingxu froze as she heard Xing Jifu’s voice on the other end: "Mingxu."
For a moment, she couldn’t find any words to say.
Xing Jifu: "Are you there?"
You Mingxu: "Don’t come—" But the phone was snatched away by Sun Yuan, who said coldly, "Did you hear that? Your son and daughter are still alive, but who knows for how long. I know you’re in Guizhou too. I’ll send you the coordinates soon. We’ll meet in two hours. Come alone, bring what I asked for, and don’t bring anyone else. If you’re not there when the time comes, I’ll kill your son, execute Luo Yu, Huang Long, and Guo Feirong, and let my men have their way with your daughter before selling her off to Thailand."
Sun Yuan left for another vehicle, and Luo Yu opened the car door to sit beside You Mingxu, with two subordinates taking the front seats. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leaned in, and kissed her cheek, saying, "Sweetheart, the real show is just beginning."
The convoy sped out of the jungle, swiftly retreating along the narrow mountain road before turning and heading deeper into the southern mountains.
You Mingxu’s mind raced. The meeting point they had arranged with Xing Jifu was an hour’s drive away. If they reached it successfully, they would have undoubtedly escaped the police encirclement. That’s right—her fingernail! Luo Yu didn’t know about it. Jing Ping’s satellite phone had long been confiscated by Luo Yu. If the tracker on her could pick up a signal, the police could follow them.
And then there was Yin Feng.
He had been missing since yesterday. Where had he gone?
Thinking of him, You Mingxu felt an inexplicable surge of confidence.
Ahead lay wild, mountainous terrain again, with the off-road vehicle climbing over ridge after ridge where no roads existed. Her tracker might have failed once more. Yet she remembered how Yin Feng always appeared out of nowhere in the strangest ways. Just when you thought it was hopeless, he would forge a path of his own and come to her side.
Would he come this time?
Beside her, Luo Yu rested with his eyes closed, his arm still wrapped around her, his head leaning against hers. He made no further advances. You Mingxu caught the scent of blood and gunpowder on him and felt a wave of disgust. How could there be such a ruthless, calm, and deeply cunning criminal? She could almost foresee that if his plan succeeded this time—if he killed Xing Jifu and evaded the police—this man would undoubtedly become the new ruler of the underworld in Central China.
Was he connected to the Punisher Organization? At this point, You Mingxu felt there was no connection. He was a pure, unadulterated crime lord. Another thought crossed her mind: perhaps the clues left by the Punisher Organization pointing to Luo Yu were deliberately planted to draw the police’s attention.Could he be the Punisher Organization's Hunting Target?
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