BL Ch59

At half-past ten at night, the traffic heading toward the outskirts had thinned, and a Rolls-Royce sped down the straight road, leaving behind a fleeting illusion in the eyes of passersby, heading straight toward the base of a distant mountain.

Ji Lin had calmed down, sending a message to report the situation to Xu Sheng. Neither of them had arrived at their destinations yet, and the approval process for the number’s location tracking hadn’t been completed. It was unclear whether Jiang Sheng was in the rented apartment, in the No. 1 Palace, or somewhere else.

Time was tight, so they could only hope he hadn’t yet made a move on Yu Duqiu and that it was just a false alarm.

Master Zhao was unaware of the truth but deduced from the little officer’s expression that the situation was urgent and could not be delayed. He quickly used his driving skills to head toward the No. 1 Palace.

“You can’t die,” Ji Lin muttered, both hands clasped together, his back hunched, his head buried between his knees in the dark of night. “If he comes back, how will I explain this to him?”

On the other side of the night, inside the No. 1 Palace.

The brightly lit concert hall could seat an entire orchestra.

It had been a quarter of an hour since they were bound, and even if they’d come leisurely from the auxiliary building, they should have arrived by now.

It seemed they had encountered the worst-case scenario—Zhou Yi and Lou Baoguo had taken off their headphones.

That meant they couldn’t rely on them to send reinforcements here and would have to manage on their own.

But two unarmed people trying to subdue three armed criminals while ensuring the safety of the remaining hostages was no easy task.

Still, it had to be attempted.

Yu Duqiu was still leaning on Bai Zhao’s shoulder, blocking the movement of his hands behind him, thinking to himself how slow everything was, and lazily asked, “Are you done? Do you need me to repeat it?”

Jiang Sheng sat cross-legged in front of them, with a laptop on his lap, typing away at the keyboard, his face growing paler.

“Damn! You really sold it all!” he cursed.

Yu Duqiu rolled his eyes. “I told you so, but you didn’t believe me.”

“Impossible! Do you have another wallet?” Jiang Sheng picked up the gun from the floor and pointed it at Bai Zhao again.

Yu Duqiu’s heart skipped a beat.

Jiang Sheng, barely over twenty, still had some childish temper and unpredictable moods. He had been talking to Yu Duqiu earlier because he thought the task was almost done, but now that things weren’t going according to plan, he was frustrated and angry enough to do anything.

Yu Duqiu gently poked Bai Zhao’s back behind him, signaling him to move faster. Then he straightened up, wiped the teasing expression off his face, and said solemnly, “There’s really nothing left. Even if you kill both of us, you won’t get a single cryptocurrency. But if you’re willing to lower the ransom to one hundred million, I can have someone retrieve it right away. That amount should be enough for you to live on for a lifetime.”

In most kidnapping cases, the ransom typically ranges from hundreds of thousands to a few million, and it’s rare to hear about kidnappers demanding over a billion. First, such a large sum would be hard to come by quickly; the longer it took, the more disadvantageous it would be for the kidnappers, and the easier for the police to organize a capture. Even a fool would know that. Second, these desperate criminals were usually not wealthy themselves, and a few million would already ensure their comfort for the rest of their lives. There was no need to take bigger risks for a sum that was almost impossible to get.

Now, it would soon be clear whether Jiang Sheng was acting on his own or if it was a task arranged by someone else that he had to complete.

If it was the former, Jiang Sheng would likely consider the offer and take the money and leave, rather than demanding fifty billion.

If it was the latter… perhaps it was an opportunity for a counterattack.

Yu Duqiu tried to continue persuading him, “Look, cryptocurrency is complicated and involves money laundering. Your two friends here probably don’t know how to handle it. With just you, it’ll take too much time. Why not take cash…”

“I want fifty billion! You only offer this little! Who the hell do you think you’re fooling?” Jiang Sheng shouted, shaking the gun and gasping for breath, his chest heaving, clearly ready to shoot at any moment.

Yu Duqiu didn’t dare to provoke him further and carefully chose words that would sound pleasing, “Well, think of another way. Anyway, I’m already tied up here and can’t escape. You can take your time and think. I’ll cooperate.”

The blond man and the square-faced man nodded, “He’s right, Jiang-ge. It’s still a long way to dawn. You should take your time thinking. If it doesn’t work, you can ask your boss.”

Yu Duqiu and Bai Zhao’s eyes brightened simultaneously.

Jiang Sheng did indeed have someone above him.

“What boss? He’s not my boss!” Jiang Sheng yelled angrily at the two men. “Did I ask you to talk? Huh? You’re just ruining everything. Was that chess piece you left at the door?”

The blond man quickly said, “Of course not, Jiang-ge. We’ve never been to the study. When we moved these people in, we didn’t even see the chess piece. The last ones in were you and that old man.”

Jiang Sheng shot Hong Liangzhang a glare. “That old man has too many tricks up his sleeve. I’ll deal with him sooner or later!”

Hong Liangzhang’s eyes showed fear, and though his mouth was gagged, he could only make muffled sounds.

Yu Duqiu feared that at his age, Hong Liangzhang might not withstand the intimidation. If he had a heart attack, there would be no time to save him. So, he continued to persuade Jiang Sheng, “You have other partners, right? Why not ask him? He might not be smarter than you, but more people brainstorming can’t hurt.”

Jiang Sheng indeed liked hearing compliments, and his anger subsided a little. However, he still eyed Yu Duqiu suspiciously. “Why are you suddenly cooperating so much? What are you up to? I’m telling you, the servants on duty in the entire building are here. Don’t think anyone’s coming to rescue you. They’re all idiots. We had dinner together, and I drugged them all. You should thank me for not poisoning them.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Yu Duqiu replied obediently, not showing any signs of scheming.

Jiang Sheng’s attitude wavered. After some hesitation, he figured that since the other guy’s presence had already been exposed, he might as well leave the mess to him.

So, Jiang Sheng moved away a little to ensure the others couldn’t hear, then pulled out his phone and wireless headset.

The illusion speeding toward the mountain foot was still rushing ahead, and at that moment, familiar music suddenly started playing in the car.

Master Zhao dared not sing along this time, afraid of disturbing the police. He just stepped on the gas.

As soon as Ji Lin saw the caller ID, he immediately answered the voice call. “Hello, Xu-ge, did you catch him?”

“No, I’m still on the way,” Xu Sheng said seriously. “But the bureau intercepted a call Jiang Sheng just made! He used the number he left for the landlord, so he still doesn’t know we’re investigating him!”

Ji Lin breathed a sigh of relief, and the heavy weight in his heart lessened a bit.

Yu Duqiu should be fine for now.

“Has the location approval come through? Where is Jiang Sheng now, who did he call? Have you found out?”

“We haven’t identified who he was talking to yet, but we have Jiang Sheng’s approximate location. He’s in the Xinjing District, probably at Yu Duqiu’s place. The technical team is listening in, and I’m setting up a multi-party voice call. Join me.”

“Okay!” Ji Lin didn’t have headphones on, so he turned the volume down and listened closely.

The moment the call was connected, the phone was pressed to his ear—

“Hey, that guy sold all his coins and said he could only take out 100 million in cash. What do you think, do you want it?”

It was a young male voice. Though it had passed through two voice transmissions and sounded slightly different from the original, Ji Lin could still recognize the voice of the gardener he had met earlier during the day.

At this moment, another male voice spoke: “He’s stalling. If he can’t come up with it, kill one of them. Stop talking, you can always get some useful information before we kill them all.”

Ji Lin’s mind buzzed. At this critical moment, his thoughts froze for a full second.

This voice… it sounded like someone wearing a mask, casual yet unbearably cruel. He had heard it countless times before, echoing in his dreams and waking him up in cold sweats. He would never forget it, even in death.

It was the owner of this voice who had killed Wu Min, Huang Hanxiang, and perhaps… also Mu Hao.

Yet they had used every effort and still couldn’t find a trace of this person, not even a single suspicious figure.

The “Queen” Yu Duqiu mentioned seemed like a fictional character, without any physical form.

And at this moment, the Queen’s whisper was right next to his ear.

It meant that the person being targeted was on the verge of death.

A chill ran down Ji Lin’s back. He instinctively took a lighter breath, gripping his phone so tightly that his knuckles stood out in blue, a thin layer of sweat forming in his palm.

“What’s with your tone? If you’re so capable, come here yourself.” Jiang Sheng seemed dissatisfied with the attitude on the other end of the phone and wasn’t obedient to their commands. “Didn’t they say not to kill him? Can you all make up your minds before giving me orders? First you want me to set up an ambush, then you suddenly want me to kidnap and rob… Wait, is it you acting on your own again? No, I need to confirm if the order is true. Pass the phone to—”

“I’ve told you how many times? Don’t mention any names or codenames on the phone.” The man’s voice was cold as ice. “Also, you’ve been using this number too long. Change it tonight, or don’t contact me again, and you won’t get what you want.”

“…Got it.” Jiang Sheng seemed to have been caught, and he stopped asking further.

The man’s tone softened slightly, as if trying to coax: “Don’t worry, I keep my word. This is the last mission. After you finish, I’ll tell you where he is.”

“Hmm, my bags are packed. If you dare lie to me…” Jiang Sheng’s voice dropped low, “we’ll die together.”

He thought his threat was effective, returning to the main topic and asking in a low voice, “What now? Should we really shoot? I… I’ve never killed anyone.”

Although the situation mostly matched the original plan, with the only difference being the location, Jiang Sheng still hesitated at the idea of actually pulling the trigger.

After this shot, his life would basically be over, spent fleeing and hiding.

“There’s a first time for everything, learn from your brother.” The man showed no hesitation, only emphasizing, “Aim for the forehead.”

Jiang Sheng was confused: “Why?”

“Don’t ask, hurry up, start with the one you dislike the most.”

Jiang Sheng turned around, his gaze falling on the person next to Yu Duqiu, his eyes flashing with resentment: “There’s just the person I can’t stand.”

The man on the phone chuckled lowly: “Then what are you waiting for?”

Yu Duqiu pretended to be tired, yawning dramatically, and as his head tilted back, he quickly glanced behind Bai Zhao—whether it was the nylon rope being too thick and strong, or Bai Zhao not having dinner and lacking strength, the sharp blade necklace had been cutting for almost ten minutes and there were still a few strands that hadn’t broken. Fortunately, Jiang Sheng had been focused on entering the private key earlier, and now had been deceived into making a call from a distance, not noticing anything unusual. The remaining yellow-haired man and the square-faced man’s intelligence was lacking, and perhaps they thought their hands were tied and wouldn’t pose much of a threat. Their vigilance was almost nonexistent, with the square-faced man not even carrying a gun, which was tucked into his waist.

At the current pace, as long as Jiang Sheng’s call lasted another minute or two, Bai Zhao would be able to free himself, quickly grab the square-faced man’s gun, and shoot Jiang Sheng and the yellow-haired man in one smooth motion.

Yu Duqiu was planning this, when suddenly, he saw Jiang Sheng turn and walk toward them.

He wasn’t sure what the person in his ear had said to him, but his expression was somewhat twisted.

“How is it? Have you come to an agreement—” Yu Duqiu tried to make some harmless small talk to stall for more time, but Jiang Sheng completely ignored him and raised the gun beside him directly—

“Bang!”

The painful grunt was distinctly heard in his ears. Yu Duqiu froze for a moment, his body reacting before his mind could catch up, slowly turning toward his side—Bai Zhao’s left arm now had a hole, blood oozing out, slowly staining his crisp white shirt.

“I’m fine.” Bai Zhao gritted his teeth. Though he didn’t make a sound of pain, his jaw clenched so hard that it made a faint clicking sound, beads of cold sweat forming on his nose. His tone remained calm, “It’s not a real gun, don’t be scared.”

Yu Duqiu snapped back to his senses and was stunned again.

Jiang Sheng, not understanding the true meaning of this statement, thought Bai Zhao was belittling his gun and sneered: “Even if it’s not a real gun, it could still kill you. You should be thankful I didn’t aim for your forehead, Young Master Yu. Can we tell the truth now?”

The shot had been so sudden that even the yellow-haired man and the square-faced man were startled. They quickly jumped up, stammering: “Jiang, Jiang Ge, didn’t we say we don’t need to kill, kill anyone?”

“The plan changed.” Jiang Sheng casually made up a story. “The person on the phone said that if someone dies, they’ll take responsibility.”

The yellow-haired man and the square-faced man exchanged glances, both seeing fear and hesitation in each other’s eyes.

Robbing money was just taking away external possessions, but Yu Duqiu was rich and young, so he could make more in the future. It wouldn’t be a fatal blow, so the two of them didn’t feel too much psychological pressure.

But killing was different.

It required a completely different level of psychological resilience.

The yellow-haired man and the square-faced man clearly lacked this kind of mental toughness.

Yu Duqiu quickly snapped out of his daze, forcing himself to calm down and analyze the sudden shift in the situation: the modified nail gun had nearly the same power as a regular handgun. Bai Zhao’s arm was shot through, bleeding continuously. If left too long, he could lose too much blood, and the arm injury would affect the speed of cutting the rope—more force would make the bleeding worse…

Blood… gunshot wound…

He involuntarily looked back at the black hole in Bai Zhao’s arm, staring hard at it. Gradually, his vision started to double, the hole sometimes appearing on Bai Zhao’s arm, and sometimes shifting to his forehead… His subconscious told him not to think about it, but his brain couldn’t stop.

His head throbbed painfully.

“It’s not your fault.” Bai Zhao suddenly said.

Yu Duqiu, dazed from the dizzying illusion, looked up in confusion: “What?”

“No matter what happens to me tonight, it’s not your fault.” Bai Zhao even forced a smile at him. “Actually, when I said you were cruel earlier, I was just seeking some sympathy. I know, given my actions, you’ve already been very merciful to me.”

Yu Duqiu stared blankly at him, the double vision in front of him slowly clearing, his vision coming back into focus, and all he could see was Bai Zhao.

“If you’re scared, just get out of here. I’ll handle it myself!” Jiang Sheng’s angry shout suddenly broke the silence. Yu Duqiu snapped awake, turning to look. He saw the yellow-haired man and the square-faced man cowering together, heads lowered, being scolded: “Then, Jiang Ge, you… you go ahead.”

These two weren’t particularly stupid. Since they didn’t dare to shoot someone, they’d let Jiang Sheng handle it, and even if the police caught them later, they wouldn’t have to take the primary responsibility.

Jiang Sheng felt the two were dragging behind, so he quickly left them behind, walked back to the two, squatted down, and pinched Yu Duqiu’s cheeks, forcing him to look up directly at him. “Young Master Yu, did you see that? My gun isn’t for show. I’ll ask you one more time, do you have any other wallets?”

“…No.” Yu Duqiu took a deep breath, his tone sharp and severe. “If you don’t believe me, keep searching my computer. All my business data is in there.”

If they could stall for just a few more minutes, they still had a chance. Bai Zhao had once been able to hold him by the neck with one hand; even with an injured arm, his ability to move shouldn’t be too affected…

However, Jiang Sheng wasn’t so easily deceived and said, “If you’re letting me check, there shouldn’t be anything to find, right? I’ll just keep waiting until you figure something out. When a dog is cornered, it jumps. A smart man like you, Young Master Yu, should be able to come up with a plan to get me fifty billion tonight, no?”

Yu Duqiu’s gaze, sharp as an arrow, fixed unwaveringly on him, as if piercing through him. “Gathering fifty billion would definitely alert the banks and the police. Even if you manage to get the money, you won’t be able to launder it quickly. Are you sure you want to take that big of a risk? What do you need so much money for?”

“That’s none of your business. Why don’t you think of a way that’s safe and discreet, Young Master Yu.”

“No such method exists.”

Jiang Sheng sneered sinisterly. “Looks like that shot I fired earlier wasn’t enough to scare you. You don’t care about others’ lives, huh? Does it need to hit you for you to feel pain?”

“Yes, it would hurt.” Yu Duqiu gave a cold, bone-chilling smile, his eyes bloodshot, creeping with red from the corners. “But you would die, Jiang Sheng. Do you know what happens to those who shoot at me? Even if you escape tonight, as long as you’re still on this earth, my family will find you across all seven continents and four oceans and bring you to justice. Breaking into a house with a firearm is punishable by death at maximum. Do you know the law? Do you hear me? Are you ready to die?”

His furious voice resounded throughout the music hall, reverberating with an intensity that sent chills down spines and lingered.

“Thud!” The man with the square face collapsed to the ground, legs weak. “D-death penalty… Brother Jiang, please, don’t be reckless…”

Jiang Sheng swallowed hard. “He’s just trying to scare you. If he were that capable, he would have caught me by now. I have to admit, Young Master Yu, you almost had me fooled. But unfortunately, I know your vindictive nature too well. Even if I ran with just a hundred million tonight, you wouldn’t let me go. So why should I settle for less?”

Just as Yu Duqiu was about to speak, a “click” sound caught his attention.

It sounded like a mechanical noise, possibly coming from the ceiling.

Jiang Sheng heard it too. “What was that sound?”

Yellow Hair looked uncertain. “Probably the air conditioning… It does that after running for a while.”

“Your place might be like that, but this guy’s house? He’d hold people accountable for the slightest misplacement of a flower. No way he’d allow the AC to get old.” Jiang Sheng pointed his gun toward the air conditioner. “Go check it out.”

Yellow Hair obediently walked under the central air unit, looking up at the five-meter-high vent. Behind the slats, it was pitch black, and suddenly another “click” sound echoed.

Yellow Hair rubbed his eyes and focused. “I think I saw a mouse?”

Jiang Sheng was speechless. “You should get your eyes checked.”

While he was busy directing Yellow Hair, Yu Duqiu leaned back quickly, glancing at Bai Zhao behind him—headphones were still clutched in his hand… but dark red blood had almost entirely soaked one sleeve. His lips were pale, and sweat was pouring down his face, dripping off his chin.

The gunshot wound was worse than anticipated.

Yu Duqiu tensed up, his hand behind his back twitching slightly as he signaled with his eyes: Give it to me; I’ll handle this.

But Bai Zhao shook his head lightly, continuing his covert actions.

At that moment, Jiang Sheng turned back, noticing their silent exchange. Furious, he raised his gun, swinging the grip toward the uninjured side of Yu Duqiu’s face.

As the forceful blow was about to land, Yu Duqiu clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, bracing for impact.

But “smack!” The pain-filled cry didn’t come from him.

Opening his eyes, he saw a figure fall heavily before him, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Jiang Sheng, enraged, kicked the fallen figure. “What’s wrong with you? Acting all loyal now?”

No matter how hard he kicked, Bai Zhao lay there motionless, blocking Jiang Sheng’s path to Yu Duqiu like an immovable rock.

Yu Duqiu remained silent.

Jiang Sheng grew more furious. “Does he even care about you? I’m almost beating you to death, and he doesn’t say a word. And here you are, risking your life for him. Serves you right!”

He kicked Bai Zhao in the wound, causing a surge of fresh blood to pour from the floor beneath him and pool near Yu Duqiu’s shoes.

Bai Zhao convulsed twice, the pain relaxing his tightly furrowed brow, then he lay still.

Yellow Hair stood frozen, terrified. “Is he… really dead?”

“He’s not that easy to kill, just passed out,” Jiang Sheng sneered. He bent down, grabbing the man’s collar to drag him aside. But Bai Zhao was taller and stronger, so Jiang Sheng couldn’t lift him with one hand alone. He had to put the gun in his waistband and use both hands.

The moment he lifted the heavy body from the floor, the man who was supposed to be unconscious suddenly opened his eyes!

Jiang Sheng’s face instantly turned pale as he reached for his waist, but his body was yanked down by a tremendous force—the man had gripped his arm with his injured left hand. Gathering his strength, he twisted mid-air, landing heavily on Jiang Sheng’s back. His iron-like right arm clamped down on Jiang Sheng’s throat, while his left hand pulled the nail gun from Jiang Sheng’s waistband and pressed it to his temple!

The situation flipped in an instant!

Jiang Sheng, refusing to admit defeat, struggled and shouted to his two accomplices, “What are you standing there for? Shoot him!”

The two men, each holding a gun, hesitated. The square-faced man, still shaken by Jiang Sheng’s brutality, felt relieved seeing him restrained. Yellow Hair, though braver, knew they were all in this together. If Jiang Sheng was caught, they wouldn’t get away either. Shakily, he raised his gun, trying to aim at the two men wrestling on the ground.

Perhaps because he had lost too much blood, Bai Zhao’s movements were not as swift as usual. Several times, Jiang Sheng’s elbow hit him in the abdomen, causing him to grunt in pain, his face growing paler. Yet for some reason, he still hadn’t pulled the trigger, seemingly trying to strangle Jiang Sheng into unconsciousness with brute force.

Jiang Sheng, desperate, bit down on his arm, his teeth breaking through the skin. Blood seeped between his teeth as he laughed maniacally. “Ha! You don’t dare to kill me, do you? I knew it! Coward!”

At that moment, a louder “click” sound came from above, masked by Jiang Sheng’s laughter.

Yu Duqiu’s gaze flicked to the ceiling above Yellow Hair, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes. He shouted, “Get down already! What, waiting until your daughter gets married?”

Yellow Hair looked confused. “I don’t have a daughter… don’t even have a girlfriend…”

“Ahhhhh!”

A roar shook the room as the central air conditioning unit embedded in the ceiling made several loud bangs, as if someone were kicking it forcefully. Unable to withstand the weight, it finally broke off and came crashing down.

Yellow Hair, sensing danger, dodged, but the massive air conditioning unit clipped him, knocking him over. He pushed aside the deformed machine, scrambled to his feet, but before he could steady himself, another loud shout came from the black hole in the ceiling. In an instant, something heavy plummeted down, pinning him to the floor.

A “click”—this time, the sound came from his bones.

The room spun as pain overwhelmed him, and in the last moments of consciousness, Yellow Hair finally understood what he’d seen before—it wasn’t a mouse but a flashlight beam.

Zhou Yi, like a divine soldier descending, climbed off the unconscious Yellow Hair, swiftly retrieved a nail gun from the debris, and aimed at the square-faced man across the room. “Bang!” His shot hit the man’s hand dead on.

The square-faced man howled in agony, clutching his hand with a new hole in it, fell to his knees, and quickly tossed his gun aside in surrender.

Zhou Yi wiped the dust from crawling through the vents from his face. A twisted scar snaked to his eye, and his gaze was venomous. Years of combat experience radiated a menacing aura from within.

With a thunderous, rage-filled roar, the central air conditioning unit embedded in the ceiling suddenly let out a series of deafening bangs, as if someone were kicking it with all their might. Unable to withstand the impact, it finally broke free with a loud crash and came plummeting down.

Seeing the danger, Yellow Hair quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding it. But the unit was massive, and a piece of its falling edge still caught him, knocking him down. He struggled to push the deformed, broken machine off himself and managed to clamber back up, but before he could regain his balance, a piercing yell sounded from the dark opening in the ceiling. Within moments, something heavy came crashing down on him with the force of a landslide, pinning him nearly flat against the floor.

The sound that followed—crack—came from his bones.

Yellow Hair’s vision spun, the intense pain overwhelming his senses. Just before he blacked out, he realized what he’d seen out of the corner of his eye wasn’t a mouse after all—it was the beam from a flashlight.

Like a soldier descended from the heavens, Zhou Yi climbed off Yellow Hair’s limp body, grabbing a nail gun from the wreckage around him. With a swift shot, he nailed the hand of Square Face, who had been reluctantly aiming a gun at his allies, hitting his palm dead center.

Square Face howled in pain, clutching his punctured hand and collapsing to his knees in agony, finally tossing his gun aside in surrender.

Zhou Yi wiped off the dust that had stuck to his face while he crawled through the ventilation shaft. His scar twisted snake-like from his eye to his cheek, his gaze as venomous as a viper’s. Years of combat experience radiated from him like a menacing aura.

He took a deep breath and snarled, “My daughter isn’t getting married in this lifetime!!!”