168: Chapter 168 Talking with the Three Women

Old K thought for a moment.

"Fine. Tomorrow night, bring the person here. I'll arrange for a doctor to inspect the goods. If they pass, we'll set the price and trade on the spot."

"How much?"

"Depends on the goods," Old K said.

"A kidney usually goes for two to three hundred thousand. Livers are a bit more expensive, but the risk is higher and they need a match."

"A pair of corneas is around fifty thousand."

"Hearts are the hardest to move; we'd need to find a buyer in advance."

"What do you plan to sell?"

Cao Kun had already made up his mind: "Both kidneys and a pair of corneas. Leave the rest alone."

Old K whistled. "Ruthless! Two kidneys and the corneas—that guy will only be able to lie in bed and wait for death after this."

"He deserves to die," Cao Kun said calmly.

Old K laughed. "I like that ruthlessness of yours."

"Alright, two kidneys and a pair of corneas. Package price: six hundred thousand. After my cut, you'll walk away with four hundred and twenty thousand."

Cao Kun thought about it. While four hundred and twenty thousand wasn't a lot, it would go a long way in compensating Tian Ningning and the other two.

"Deal," he said.

"Then it's settled." Old K stood up. "Tomorrow night at 8 PM, same place. Bring the person, take the money."

He paused and added, "Remember, don't try any tricks."

Cao Kun nodded.

The Bulky Man returned Cao Kun's phone, wallet, and car keys to him.

Cao Kun stood up and walked toward the door.

...

The next day.

The morning sun filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled spots of light on the living room floor.

Cao Kun gathered Tian Ningning and the other two women at Tian Ningning's home.

Cao Kun sat on the sofa, looking at the three women across from him, their expressions complicated.

Tian Ningning, White Lotus Flower, and Tina sat side-by-side on the sofa like defendants awaiting judgment.

The sleepless night had left them looking haggard, their eyes red and swollen from crying more than once.

Cao Kun briefly explained his plan to the three of them.

"What did you say?" Tian Ningning was the first to speak, her voice full of disbelief. "Sell... sell his organs?"

Cao Kun nodded. "Both kidneys and a pair of corneas. Old K offered six hundred thousand. After the commission, I'll get four hundred and twenty thousand."

"While it won't fully compensate your losses, it's close enough."

A dead silence fell over the room.

White Lotus Flower covered her mouth, Tina turned pale, and Tian Ningning's eyes widened.

"This... this is illegal, right?" White Lotus Flower whispered.

"Yes," Cao Kun admitted.

"But when Zhang Genshuo was scamming you, that was also illegal. The difference is that he's getting away with it while you can't get your money back."

"But..." Tina swallowed hard. "Selling organs... won't he die?"

"No," Cao Kun said calmly.

"He'll lose two kidneys and go blind, but he'll live. He'll just have to spend the rest of his life lying in bed in darkness."

The three women fell silent.

They hated Zhang Genshuo; they wished he would die.

But when it actually came to this—when a person was to have their organs removed and be disabled for life because of them—they hesitated.

Cao Kun understood this hesitation.

They were ordinary people, not cold-blooded animals.

Even if they had been scammed and hurt, it was still too difficult to personally decide another person's fate.

"I have a few questions for you," Cao Kun said.

The three women looked up at him.

"First question," Cao Kun's tone was even, "when Zhang Genshuo was scamming you, did he ever care whether you lived or died?"

Tian Ningning's lips moved, but she didn't answer.

"He knew your salaries weren't high, he knew you were taking out online loans, and he knew exactly what that money meant to you, yet he still scammed you."

Cao Kun continued, "While you were paying off interest every month, he was dining at high-end restaurants."

"While you were too anxious to sleep, he was busy scamming the next woman."

"Have you thought about how long it will take to pay back the money you owe? Three years? Five?"

White Lotus Flower's tears began to fall.

"Second question," Cao Kun said, "do you think reporting it to the police will help?"

Tina shook her head. "He said it was a loan, that we gave it to him voluntarily..."

"Exactly," Cao Kun said.

"The law can't touch him. He'll just keep scamming. After you, he'll move on to the next victim."

"If we let him be, who knows how many more women will be ruined by him?"

The three women remained silent.

"Third question," Cao Kun looked at them.

"If the one being scammed today was your younger sister or your daughter, what would you do?"

These words were like a knife piercing through their hearts.

Tian Ningning closed her eyes, and a vision appeared in her mind.

If her sister had been scammed and hurt like this, what would she do?

The answer was self-evident.

"But..." White Lotus Flower was still struggling, "Doesn't this make us the bad guys too?"

Cao Kun looked at her. "What do you think a bad person is?"

White Lotus Flower opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.

"A bad person is someone like Zhang Genshuo, who hurts innocent people for their own desires."

"What we're doing now is making a bad person pay the price so the victims can recover their losses."

"This isn't being bad. This is... treating him with his own medicine."

He paused and added, "Of course, the decision is yours. If you feel this is wrong, I can try other ways."

"But those other ways might not get your money back."

Silence fell over the room once more.

After a long while, Tian Ningning looked up. Her eyes were bloodshot, but her gaze had changed.

"I'll do it," she said. "I agree."

"Ningning..." White Lotus Flower looked at her.

"Lotus, I've thought about it," Tian Ningning's voice was raspy.

"When he scammed me, he didn't care if I lived or died. When he made me take out those loans, he didn't care how I'd pay them back."

"When he took my hundred thousand, he didn't care that it was all the money I had. Why should I care about him?"

She clenched her fists. "The price he pays is what he deserves."

White Lotus Flower was silent for a few seconds before finally nodding. "I agree too."

The two of them looked at Tina.

Tina kept her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly.

After a long time, she looked up. Her face was covered in tears, but her eyes were firm. "I hate him. I wish he would die, but..."

She looked at Cao Kun. "Will he really not die?"

"He won't," Cao Kun said. "I guarantee it."

Tina took a deep breath and nodded. "Then... I agree as well."

Cao Kun nodded. "Good. Then, do exactly as I say."

Next, Cao Kun began to explain the next step of his plan to them.

After detailing the plan, Cao Kun stood up to pour some water.

Tian Ningning watched his back, an indescribable emotion welling up in her heart.

This man was a complete stranger to them.

Before yesterday, they didn't even know him.

But today, he was willing to do something like this for them.

To deal with such dangerous people, to orchestrate such an operation, and to take such a massive risk.

"Cao Kun," she suddenly spoke up.

Cao Kun turned around. "Hmm?"

"Why... why are you helping us?" she asked the question that had been weighing on her mind for a long time.

Cao Kun was silent for a second. "Because I've seen how miserable scammed people can be. I don't want that for you."

He didn't say more, but that was enough.

White Lotus Flower also looked at him with a complex gaze. "Mr. Cao, regardless of whether we get the money back, we... we thank you."

Tina nodded, unable to speak, but nodding frantically.

Cao Kun waved it off. "The job's not done yet. No need for thanks. We'll talk once the money is in hand."

He poured the water and handed a glass to each of the three.

When Tian Ningning took the glass, her fingers lightly brushed against Cao Kun's hand, and her heart skipped a beat.

This man's hands were very warm.

She lowered her head and took a sip of water, thinking to herself: No matter the outcome, I must repay him well.

White Lotus Flower and Tina were thinking the exact same thing.

...