69: Negotiate with the kidnappers?

Ye Chen stood still, looking down at Zheng Xiong.

"Me?"

"I'm your dad!"

"I should've thrown both you brothers against the wall back then!"

Before his words even finished, he clenched his right fist again, and under Zheng Xiong's rapidly constricting pupils, he landed a straightforward punch to the side of his face!

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Zheng Xiong's head snapped to the side, and he completely passed out, his body sliding softly down the wall to the ground... The two women stared at this scene, dumbfounded, their minds unable to process it.

The lightning-fast fight just now, and Ye Chen's final volcanic eruption of punches, had completely exceeded their understanding.

Strong!

Too strong!

Even Ip Man on TV probably wasn't this good at fighting... Ye Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the churning qi and blood within him.

He turned, his gaze sweeping over the two still-shaken women.

"Don't go anywhere now, lock the door, call the police immediately, and wait for them to handle it."

"I must rush back to The Group immediately."

Bing Lan is in danger!

Zheng Xiong just admitted that another group of people had gone to Shuyue Group, and their target was Bing Lan!

Yi Yue was the first to react, her pale face filled with worry.

But she knew she absolutely couldn't hold Ye Chen back at this moment, so she nodded vigorously: "Okay! You... please be careful!"

Sophie also came to her senses, nodding repeatedly, her voice trembling: "I, we'll call the police now!"

Ye Chen said no more, turning and rushing towards the door.

But after only two steps, he suddenly slammed to a halt and turned back.

This sudden movement startled Sophie, who was about to pull out her phone, and Yi Yue, who was clutching a cleaver.

"Forgot something."

Ye Chen said, grabbing the unconscious Zheng Xiong by the hair and effortlessly dragging him up, walking out the door like he was dragging a dead dog.

Zheng Xiong was too strong; if he woke up, he would be a huge hidden danger, and he absolutely couldn't be left here to threaten the two women's safety.

Watching Ye Chen roughly drag Zheng Xiong disappear through the doorway, and then hearing the roar of an engine rapidly fading away.

Sophie finally swallowed, turning to Teacher Yi, her voice ethereal: "Teacher Yi... is Ye Chen... always this amazing?"

The Ye Chen she remembered from high school, though good at sports, was merely a bit faster and jumped a bit higher; compared to the inhuman combat power just now, it was like night and day.

Yi Yue looked at the empty doorway, her hand slowly loosening its grip on the knife, a complex yet proud expression appearing on her face as she gently nodded.

"He...

"Has always been amazing."

It was just that she didn't know Ye Chen had become this amazing.

Sophie seemed to understand vaguely and wanted to ask more, but Yi Yue had already picked up her phone and dialed the emergency number.

"Hello, I'd like to report a crime..."

The call connected, and Yi Yue's voice regained its composure as she recounted the attempted home invasion and assault that had just occurred.

The dispatcher on the other end meticulously inquired about the address and situation, stating that officers would be dispatched immediately.

She hung up the phone.

Yi Yue glanced at the unconscious thugs strewn across the floor, then looked out the door, whispering softly.

"Please... be safe."

...Shuyue Group, top floor conference room.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Bing Lan sat at the head of the table, her beautiful face showing little emotion, only a slightly pursed lip line revealing a hint of solemnity.

Li Qin sat close beside her, her usually bright and cunning eyes now filled with shock and anger, her hands tightly clenched into fists under the table.

The conference room was spacious, but at this moment, it felt oppressively cramped.

Because besides the two of them, the room was packed with burly men in black suits with stern faces.

No less than thirty people.

What was even more chilling was that... at least three or four of them were openly holding handguns!

A man with a pointed chin and a Monkey-like face, his triangular eyes openly scrutinizing Bing Lan, especially lingering on the stunning curves accentuated by her professional attire, his gaze filled with lewdness and greed.

"Tsk tsk..."

He smacked his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"I've long heard that President Bing of Shu Yue is a peerless beauty, and seeing her today, it's true..."

"So fresh and juicy, you could wring water from her!"

"It would be such a shame to 'deal with' her like this, wouldn't it?"

A bald man next to him frowned and admonished in a low voice: "Monkey, control your damn mouth! Second Master said to wait for news from over there; don't you dare cause any extra trouble!"

Monkey pouted, clearly unwilling, the lewd glint in his triangular eyes growing stronger.

"Brother Bao, we're taking them away anyway, so on the way..."

"Hehe, brothers have worked hard, so we should get some sweet rewards, right?"

"A top-tier beauty like this, we might only encounter once in a lifetime..."

"If you want to die, don't drag your brothers down with you!" The bald Brother Bao's eyes suddenly sharpened, glaring fiercely at him. "This is the person the Boss specifically asked for! If you dare to have any twisted thoughts, you won't even need to wait for the police; the Boss will chop you into pieces and feed you to the dogs! Try it if you're not afraid of death!"

Monkey was startled by the ruthlessness in his eyes.

Recalling Zheng Hu's chilling methods, he instinctively shrunk his neck and sheepishly averted his gaze, not daring to speak again.

However, his eyes remained glued to Bing Lan, his restlessness not fading.

Li Qin finally couldn't hold back her anger, her almond eyes wide as she shouted at Brother Bao.

"Hey! Who sent you guys anyway?"

"Do you know kidnapping is a serious crime? It's not too late to regret it now!"

"Whatever he's paying, I'll pay double! Let us go!"

Brother Bao didn't even lift an eyelid, his voice curt: "Little girl, save your breath. In our line of work, it's all about 'trust.' What the Boss ordered, not even a mountain of gold can change."

"Triple!"

Li Qin wouldn't give up, holding up three fingers. "As long as you leave now, I'll transfer the money immediately!"

"Triple?"

Monkey's eyes next to him lit up, and he licked his lips, his lewd gaze darting between Li Qin and Bing Lan.

"Money... is good stuff, but if we add some 'other benefits,' for example..."

"If you spend a good night with me, maybe we brothers will soften up... Ouch!"

Before he finished speaking, Brother Bao kicked him hard in the butt.

Monkey stumbled forward and fell onto the conference table, almost knocking over the teacup in front of Bing Lan.

"If you can't control that bit of flesh in your pants, I'll control it for you first!" Brother Bao's gaze was murderous.

Seeing this, Li Qin immediately seized the opportunity, raising the price like at an auction: "Quadruple!"

A vein throbbed on Brother Bao's forehead, and he suppressed his anger, turning to glare at Li Qin.

"I'm saying this one last time, don't waste your breath!"

"Even if the King of Heaven himself came today, these people are still coming with us!"

"If you dare to incite trouble again, you..."

Li Qin took a deep breath, and without waiting for him to finish, she blurted out a number: "Ten million! Immediate transfer!"

"Hiss—"

A collective gasp echoed through the conference room.

Even the burly men who had been expressionless and alert with their guns couldn't help but let their eyes waver... Damn!

Ten million!

These three words hit everyone's heart like a thousand-pound hammer.

They risked their lives, living by the blade; how much could they get from one operation?

One hundred thousand?

Two hundred thousand?

That was the absolute most!

But ten million... that was enough for them to live comfortably for a lifetime!

Even Brother Bao's breathing became imperceptibly hurried, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes.

Loyalty? Morality?

In the face of real money, they seemed to be wavering... There was no other way.

She offered too much!

All the men in black involuntarily focused their gaze on Brother Bao.

Bing Lan remained seated quietly, as if none of this concerned her.

She knew Li Qin was gambling, gambling on human greed.

But pinning hope on a kidnapper's greed was ultimately too dangerous... Brother Bao's expression changed, his fists clenching and unclenching.

Finally, he licked his chapped lips and asked hoarsely: "You... can you really transfer ten million immediately?"

Li Qin's face broke into a sickeningly sweet smile, and she shook her head: "I can't, no."

Brother Bao's face darkened.

"Damn it, playing games with me?!"

"Don't be so impatient~"

Li Qin blinked, pointing to the silent Bing Lan beside her, "I can't, but my Sister Bing Lan can! As President of Shuyue Group, even a little bit that slips through her fingers would be enough for you to live off for several lifetimes... Right, Sister Bing Lan?"

Brother Bao's fierce gaze immediately turned to Bing Lan.

"You can transfer it?"

Bing Lan's red lips were slightly pursed, just about to speak... "Brother Bao! Are you stupid!"

Monkey, slumped by the table, suddenly let out a strange cry, his triangular eyes gleaming with cunning and excitement.

"Why are you wasting words with them? Just force her to transfer the money! Transfer it to an account we control!"

"The money is ours!"

"And the people won't escape either!"

Brother Bao's body shook, as if waking from a dream!

That's right!

He was almost led astray by this little girl!

Negotiating terms with kidnappers?

Negotiate my ass!

He suddenly turned, his eyes once again becoming extremely ferocious.

"Stop your damn nonsense!"

"Now! Immediately! Transfer ten million to the account I specify!"

"Then you'd better stay put!"

"If you try any more tricks, I'll blow off your clever mouth first, then make you watch with your own eyes as your Sister Bing Lan..."

"Gets 'taken care of' by the brothers!"

"The money, I want! The people, I want too!"

Li Qin: "..."

No... why aren't these kidnappers playing by the rules?

Do they have any professional ethics left?!

Bing Lan sighed softly in her heart.

Negotiating terms with a group of desperate outlaws with no bottom line?

Would they still be called... outlaws then?

Ultimately, it was naive.

However, before she could speak, Brother Bao's walkie-talkie, clipped to his waist, blared with a subordinate's panicked shouts.

"Brother... Brother Bao! Down... downstairs, something's happened!"

"Check the surveillance! Some... someone broke in!"

Brother Bao's face instantly changed. He snatched the walkie-talkie and roared: "What are you panicking about! Explain clearly! How many people? What's the situation?"

The reply from the other end of the walkie-talkie was startling.

"Just... one person!"