BSI Chapter 585 - 572: Fugitive!
Chapter 585 - 572: Fugitive!
"Was someone just calling my name?" Jiang Yino asked with a startled look after they stepped into the elevator at the KTV.
"What? Don’t tell me you’re hearing things again," Ou Mingsi said, stunned.
"I’m not hearing things. I’m sure I heard someone call my name!" Jiang Yino insisted, shaking her head firmly.
"Don’t be silly! How come I didn’t hear it? Besides, if someone were calling you, they would have rushed over to say hello! Yinuo, you really need to relax. If you keep this up, your nerves are going to snap!" Du Ruanqing said, sniffing as she clung to Jiang Yino’s arm.
"Exactly! There’s no way you were the only one who heard it," Ou Mingsi added with a nod.
After hearing what her two friends said, Jiang Yino couldn’t help but doubt herself. She pursed her lips, shook her head with a sigh, and forced an unnatural smile. "Maybe you’re right. Let’s just forget it."
"That’s more like it!" Du Ruanqing said, then suddenly leaned in and planted a kiss on Jiang Yino’s cheek.
Startled by the sudden attack, Jiang Yino froze for a moment before she broke into a smile and pushed Du Ruanqing away. "You pervert! There’s a camera in here! If that gets leaked, we’ll both be famous!"
"Being famous would be great! Hahahaha!" Du Ruanqing threw her head back and laughed, completely unrestrained, like the tomboy she was.
「In a residential building at the Jinling Provincial Party Committee compound.」
Inside a home whose address number was a symbol of status, Bao Qiudong had been locked in his bedroom since sunset. Hours had passed. He hadn’t eaten or taken a single step outside his room.
In the living room, a middle-aged woman sat on a cheap, ordinary sofa. She turned nervously to the man beside her. "Old Bao, what’s wrong with Qiudong? He won’t eat, and he won’t come out of his room. What is he doing?"
"Let him be! Who cares? It’s better if he doesn’t go out. He should just stay home so I can have some peace of mind for a change!" The man paused, his hand hovering over the page of his book. He pushed his glasses up his nose, the corner of his eye twitching.
That incident at the card room was serious enough to get the attention of the authorities in Beijing, who called him directly. The memory of that anxiety is still palpable. And while his family was grateful to Li Guofu, there was no way they could risk everything they had now for him. It was impossible. Fortunately, Bao Qiudong had pulled back from the brink at the last minute, bringing the matter to a close. If he hadn’t, would I be sitting here now, calmly sipping tea and reading my book?
"You! I swear... He’s our only son. If anything were to happen to him, I’d be heartbroken even if you aren’t! Ugh, forget it. Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall!" After saying her piece, the middle-aged woman pushed herself to her feet.
She hesitated for a moment before walking toward Bao Qiudong’s bedroom. Her hand was outstretched, about to knock, but she stopped. With a deep sigh, she turned and walked back.
Inside the bedroom, Bao Qiudong sat motionless in his chair, a position he had held for hours. The news that Brother Fei and his crew were on the move had stirred a familiar, terrible unease within him. Even though he had no idea when they would make their move while lying in wait, the uncertainty gave Bao Qiudong no peace.
After all, the psychological trauma Qin Fan had inflicted on him was bone-deep.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
Suddenly, the old-fashioned, non-smart Nokia on his desk vibrated twice. It was a text message.
SWOOSH!
Bao Qiudong flinched reflexively and snatched the phone. He quickly opened the message.
"Something unexpected came up. Reward isn’t worth the risk."
The short message glowed on the narrow screen.
Unexpected? How could a simple stakeout have an ’unexpected’ problem? Damn it! What the hell are those bastards playing at?
Seeing the message, Bao Qiudong clenched his jaw. He didn’t reply right away, his mind racing.
If only I could, I’d call off this whole plan right now and wash my hands of it. But if I stop now, how could I explain it to Chen Tiansheng? Worse, what would happen if this delay screwed up Chen Tiansheng’s plans? What consequences would I face? Do I really think my relationship with Chen Tiansheng is some kind of loyal brotherhood? Do I really think he’d be eternally grateful just because I’ve tended his former associate’s grave for a few years?
Bao Qiudong wasn’t that naive. With Chen Tiansheng, he was only looking for an opportunity to exploit him. And he knew perfectly well that Chen Tiansheng felt the exact same way about him.
If it weren’t for the deep-seated hatred for Qin Fan burning inside him, he probably would have never agreed to hire someone to kidnap Jiang Yino. But he had already come this far. His reckless promise had left him with no way out.
He picked up a cigar from the table, lit it, and took several deep drags. Smoke quickly filled the bedroom. Abruptly, he splayed his hands and scrubbed them hard over his face.
"Fuck it! I’ll take the gamble!" he muttered savagely, forcefully grinding the cigar out in the ashtray.
Then, his face twitching with a crazed energy, he typed a reply and sent it. It read: "One million."
The money doesn’t matter. Chen Tiansheng will have these guys silenced one way or another anyway. If I wasn’t afraid of making them suspicious, I’d even have offered five million!
BUZZ!
「Outside the KTV.」
Inside a seven-seater Jianghuai van, the moment the phone vibrated, Brother Fei’s hand trembled as he opened it. He looked at the screen and let out a long breath. "The boss raised the pay to one million," he told the other three men in the van. "So, are we in or out? We decide now."
"Fuck! I was ready to go for three hundred thousand. For a million, is there even a question? I’m in! What are we? We’re desperados!" Xiao Hei was the first to answer.
"Let’s do it," Changmao said from the driver’s seat after a moment of thought.
"Erzi? You?" Brother Fei asked, looking at him seriously when he didn’t answer right away.
"Damn it! My sister’s wanted to buy a house for years, but the prices just keep climbing! What would have bought the whole place a few years ago is barely a down payment now! Two hundred fifty thousand... that’s enough for a down payment back home! It can be her birthday present! I’m in!"
Money talks, especially to desperate men like them. Faced with the temptation of two hundred fifty thousand yuan, Erzi couldn’t resist. That’s just how the world works. To the rich, a few hundred thousand is a drop in the ocean, but for men like them, it was enough to risk becoming wanted criminals.
"Alright then. Let’s hope Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad sees fit to protect us one more time."
With the decision made, Brother Fei’s eyes twitched. His voice was low. "Changmao, drive around to the back entrance and wait. Xiao Hei, go to the front desk. Find out which floor and room those three women are in. We need to be quick. To avoid complications, we’ll grab all three of them."
"Right, Brother Fei!" Xiao Hei replied, then suddenly pulled off his ski mask and reached for the door handle.
"Xiao Hei, what are you doing? Put your mask back on!" Brother Fei yelled when he saw Xiao Hei’s bare face.
"Brother Fei, I’ve got no family to worry about. Even if I get caught, in eighteen years I’ll be a free man again! If I go in with a mask on, someone will call the cops instantly! It’s better for one of us to be at risk than all of us. I’ll get the info, then you guys can go up the back stairs. It’s decided!" With that, Xiao Hei yanked the door open and strode off.
"Brother Fei!" Changmao cried out, his eyes wide with shock.
"Go! Get to the back door!" Brother Fei hissed through clenched teeth, his fists tightening into white-knuckled knots.
He knew that going in without a mask would make it easier to get answers. But he also knew that "easier" came with absolute danger—there would be no lucky breaks.