874: Chapter 869 Sending Away the Beggar

The air conditioning on the second-floor cafe was set very low, creating a different world from the sweltering crowds downstairs.

Shen Yan's fingers gently rubbed the wall of the slightly warm coffee cup, his gaze like an invisible infrared beam, piercing the one-way glass to lock onto that corner downstairs.

A good show was unfolding there.

Pei Jue had completely shed his usual demeanor as an elite tech magnate. The collar of his patterned shirt was open, revealing a section of collarbone dampened with sweat.

One of his hands rested roughly on Hans's shoulder, looking like old friends reuniting, but in reality, his five fingers were gripping Hans's trapezius muscle tightly.

Hans, that fat white man, currently resembled a slab of butter being scorched by the sun, visibly melting before their eyes.

Cold sweat trickled from his forehead down his terrified face, dripping onto the back of the hand he was fiercely guarding over his pocket.

Shen Yan watched Hans's eyeballs constantly darting around due to extreme fear and gently shook his head.

This level of psychological fortitude truly didn't match the top-tier algorithms stored in his brain.

Pei Jue downstairs clearly realized this as well. He hadn't even started truly applying pressure, and the prey was already trembling.

Pei Jue leaned close to Hans's ear and whispered at a volume only the two of them could hear, his tone laced with a chilling mockery.

"Mr. Hans, you look very hot?"

Hans shuddered violently, and the hand he had intended to push Pei Jue away with froze mid-air.

"I don't know anyone named 'Viper.' You have the wrong person. I need to board my flight!"

Hans's voice trembled as he tried to mask his inner panic with feigned, blustering anger.

The smile instantly vanished from Pei Jue's face, replaced by a ruthlessness more sinister than any gangster's.

He didn't let go; instead, he increased the pressure. The thick gold chain swung across his chest with his movement.

"Boarding? Going where? São Paulo or Buenos Aires?"

Pei Jue accurately named the two transfer points Hans had booked. Each place name struck Hans's heart like a heavy hammer.

Hans's pupils contracted sharply—the most instinctive physiological reaction when locked onto by a wild beast.

"You... how did you know?"

Pei Jue scoffed, pulled out a crumpled pack of cheap cigarettes from his pocket, and stuck one arrogantly in his mouth, though he didn't light it.

"The person 'Viper' is looking for can be dragged out even if they crawl into a rat hole."

"Our boss heard you brought some local specialties to retire in South America, so he specifically sent me to see you off."

When saying the word 'see you off,' Pei Jue deliberately drew out the final syllable, his eyes flashing with a savage glint that suggested he wanted to tear the man apart and devour him.

This wasn't pure acting.

It was the explosion of all the humiliation, fear, and suppression Pei Jue had endured from Shen Yan these past few days.

He transferred the despair he felt in that office filled with infrasound completely onto the unlucky fellow before him.

Hans's psychological defense cracked slightly at that moment.

He subconsciously clutched the lighter in his pocket. The item inside was his last bargaining chip, and also his death warrant.

"I... I can give you money. I have money!"

Hans begged urgently in a lowered voice, grasping at the last straw like a drowning man.

"Just let me go, and I'll give you the remaining fifty thousand US dollars in my Switzerland account!"

Shen Yan, watching this scene from upstairs, picked up his coffee and took a sip. The bitter liquid spread across his tongue.

The countdown on the system panel was still ticking; there were fifteen minutes until the gate closed.

He wasn't worried that Pei Jue would mess up, because a fox driven into a corner knows how to tear its prey apart even better than a lion.

When Pei Jue heard the figure 'fifty thousand US dollars,' his face showed extreme disdain, as if he had heard a ridiculous joke.

He extended a finger and poked Hans's sweat-drenched shirt with utter contempt.

"Fifty thousand? Are you sending away a beggar?"

"Do you know how much intelligence fees we spent on the black market just to find you?"

Pei Jue's lies flowed out effortlessly, spoken with more righteous indignation than the truth.

Hans's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling too much to speak.

"What I want isn't money."

Pei Jue suddenly moved closer, his bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at Hans, his voice turning abnormally cold.

"I want that lighter."

Hans flinched backward as if electrocuted, his hands tightly guarding his pocket.

"No! This is my only..."

"Your only what? Lifesaver?"

Pei Jue interrupted him brutally, a cruel arc curving his lips.

He turned his head and glanced casually at a few airport police officers patrolling nearby.

"See those people over there?"

Pei Jue lowered his voice, his tone filled with suggestive implication.

"That's Interpol. They've been watching this area."

"If I shout right now, saying you're an fugitive carrying commercial secrets, do you think you can still walk out of this terminal?"

"Or, I can turn around and leave right now, leaving you to those creditors who truly want your life."

"You need to know, some debts in this world cannot be repaid with money; they must be repaid with parts."

Hans followed Pei Jue's gaze. The police officers were indeed looking over, mostly because Pei Jue's attire was too conspicuous.

But in the eyes of a cornered animal, it was a signal of the Grim Reaper approaching.

Immense fear instantly shattered Hans's last shred of rationality.

Compared to the unknown South American gangsters and the prison sentence looming before him, handing over a hard drive seemed to be the only way out.

Even if that hard drive was priceless, dead men couldn't spend money.

Hans's breathing grew rapid, his chest heaving violently like an air bellows about to explode.

"Give... give it to you. You really will let me go?"

Pei Jue knew the time was right. He slightly reined in the aggression emanating from him, replacing it with an expression of 'you know better.'

"We only want the goods, not your life."

"Give me the item, and you can still board this flight. Once you reach South America, no one will bother you again."

This was a verbal promise with no guarantee, but in the abyss of despair, it was enough.

Hans reached into his pocket with a tremble, tightly clutching the cold, metallic block.

He hesitated for one second, just one second.

Pei Jue was instantly about to shout for someone.

That moment of hesitation was completely crushed. Hans quickly shoved the hard drive disguised as a lighter into Pei Jue's hand.

The movement was so fast it was like passing contraband.

"Take it! Hurry up and get lost!"

Hans roared, and his whole body slumped against the pillar as if utterly exhausted.