A hoarse, almost unrecognizable roar erupted from my throat. On one hand, it was to bolster my own courage; on the other, it was the furious roar of a man's wounded pride.
"Finally decided to show your face, you turtle?" The young man looked at me as if I were a gorilla.
I rushed to Luo Tong's side in a few quick strides. Seeing her swollen face and the blood at the corner of her mouth, I asked urgently, "Are you okay?"
Luo Tong didn't speak. She just looked at me with a reproachful gaze. I understood her meaning. She was blaming me for not listening to her. According to her logic, since the other side had already made a move, I should have driven out recklessly to minimize unnecessary sacrifice.
But as a man, I couldn't do that. If I had, even I would have looked down on myself.
"You scumbags, hitting a woman? What kind of men are you? If you have the guts, come at me!" I was furious beyond measure.
"Alright." Before the young man's words had even fully left his mouth, his right foot shot up with incredible speed. Before I could even see it clearly, a sharp, intense pain exploded in my chest, and then I was sent flying.
The young man looked lean, but his strength was astonishingly immense. That single kick sent me flying three or four meters, slamming me directly into the Bentley's front bumper before I crumpled to the ground.
Damn it, he's actually a trained fighter.
The thought had just crossed my mind when a dull, heavy pain spread across my chest, accompanied by a metallic, bloody taste rising in my throat.
I clenched my teeth, desperately swallowing several mouthfuls of saliva to force down the bloody taste. I struggled a few times, trying to stand up, only to realize I couldn't muster even a shred of strength.
"Not only are you a turtle, you're also a weak, pathetic piece of trash. No wonder you hide behind a woman's skirt," the young man mocked wantonly. The surrounding thugs burst into raucous laughter in unison.
Being humiliated like this made my blood boil with rage; I felt my lungs were about to explode. Yet, my numb body refused to obey, leaving me unable to move.
A sense of helpless defeat and extreme shame and anger finally overwhelmed me. I couldn't suppress the bloody taste in my throat any longer, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Luo Tong gasped in shock and hurried over, desperately helping me up. I sat leaning against the Bentley's hood, clutching my aching, heavy chest as I took several ragged breaths. Gradually, some strength returned.
Seeing that I had stabilized, Luo Tong slowly stood up, her face dark. "What's done is done. The situation is settled. What good would it do you to beat us to death here?"
The young man gave a cold chuckle before replying, "What are you saying, Miss Jasmine? How could I possibly beat you to death? My boss, Hu Sanyong, heard you closed a big deal today. He specially prepared some fine congratulatory tea to celebrate with you both. He just sent me to invite you over."
As soon as the young man finished speaking, several thugs closed in. Without another word, they grabbed me, forced me into a sedan, and shoved Luo Tong into another car.
The young man got into our Bentley with two thugs, started the engine, and led the way out.
The cars holding Luo Tong and me immediately started up and followed.
A thug sat on each side of me, twisting my arms painfully behind my back, holding me in a death grip. I couldn't move at all.
I could only barely lift my head to catch a glimpse of the outside through the front windshield.
The car didn't head back to Jiangcheng. Instead, it continued along the road we had come on. After about ten minutes, it turned onto a dirt road leading up a mountain. We drove for another ten-plus minutes before finally stopping.
The thugs roughly dragged Luo Tong and me out of the car. Only then did I see our location: a rustic farmhouse-style courtyard. In recent years, these kinds of small farmsteads had become very popular in our area, catering to city folks who came to eat wild game, drink tea, and such. For those accustomed to the city's hustle and bustle, coming to a place like this for relaxation now and then was a great choice.
But at this moment, I felt no sense of relaxation whatsoever. The sight of the small courtyard filled me with dread.
Following the young man, the thugs escorted us into the west room of the courtyard.
The furnishings inside were simple. A traditional heated brick bed occupied most of the space, with a rustic-looking tea table placed on it.
Sitting cross-legged beside the tea table was a fat man dressed in casual clothes. His age was hard to guess. His head was completely bald, shiny enough to be used as a lightbulb. His facial features were rather ordinary, except for a thumb-sized black mole on his right forehead. A few white hairs grew from the mole, instantly making his entire face look repulsive.
Judging by the young man's extremely respectful demeanor towards the fat man, this was likely the infamous Hu Sanyong.
Hu Sanyong held a teacup, closed his eyes, and gently sniffed the aroma, swaying his head with an expression of intoxication. Then he took a small sip.
"Excellent tea," Hu Sanyong exclaimed loudly, smacking his lips in appreciation.
Then, he placed the teacup back on the tea tray, lifted his drooping eyelids to glance at me dismissively, and turned his gaze towards Jasmine (Luo Tong).
In an instant, those two drooping eyelids shot up. Two beams of undisguised greedy light shot forth.
"Miss Jasmine truly lives up to her reputation. Truly stunning," Hu Sanyong praised, swaying his head just as he had when appreciating the tea moments before.
"What do you want?" Luo Tong asked, her voice very calm.
"Why ask a question you already know the answer to, Miss Jasmine? You know very well what I want," Hu Sanyong said.
"You've got the wrong person. This isn't something I can decide," Luo Tong replied.
"Of course I know that," Hu Sanyong said, shifting his gaze back to me. He scrutinized me for a moment, then let out a cold laugh. "This so-called wealthy businessman from the capital, Boss Xie Dong, is just a scapegoat you found, isn't he?"
Luo Tong didn't refute it. This kind of thing was obvious to anyone with eyes. There was nothing to hide.
Hu Sanyong picked up his teacup and took another sip, stroking his oily, gleaming bald head. Smacking his lips, he said, "Substituting one thing for another, even using military strategy. An expert, indeed."
Hu Sanyong rubbed his head as if deep in thought. After a long while, he finally looked up and spoke again. "I, Hu Sanyong, am not an unreasonable man. I know you two are just the pawns sent to the front lines. I don't want to make things difficult for you. Just tell me who the mastermind behind this is, and I promise to see you both safely out of Jiangcheng. Think it over."
Having said that, he paid us no further attention, immersing himself in savoring his tea.
A full half hour passed. The sun outside the window had already set, and the sky was gradually growing dark. Only then did Hu Sanyong speak again. "Have you thought it over, Miss Jasmine?"
Luo Tong simply closed her eyes, opting for 'out of sight, out of mind.'
"Stubborn," Hu Sanyong chuckled and cursed lightly. Then he turned his head to look at me. "What about you, Boss Xie?"
Are you kidding me? I could never betray my mother-in-law. So I turned my head away, choosing simply to ignore him.
*BANG!*
Hu Sanyong slammed the table violently, his face instantly contorting into a ferocious expression. He roared angrily, "Damn it all! You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Since you won't accept the civilized approach, then let's get vulgar."
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