171: Chapter 171 The Untouchable Red Line!!

"Clang!"

The iron gate of the detention center opened, and two haggard figures walked out.

The afternoon sun was warm, but it couldn't penetrate the chill lingering on Li Wenbin and Wang Erxiao.

The two stood by the roadside, crestfallen. Their clothes, unwashed for three days, emitted a sour stench. Their eyes were sunken, with heavy dark circles underneath.

Li Wenbin's hands were still shaking uncontrollably, and his legs felt weak.

Recalling their experiences over the past three days, a wave of sorrow washed over them, making them want to cry.

They had never suffered like this in their lives. Right now, their minds were filled with the pale lights of the interrogation room and the silent gazes of those men in black.

Those eyes were like ice picks stabbing into the top of his head; it wasn't an exaggeration at all.

These people were definitely not ordinary police officers; of that, they were absolutely certain.

But as for who they specifically were, they couldn't guess and didn't dare to ask.

What they could be sure of was that they had definitely crossed the nation's untouchable red line!

"Let's... let's go." Li Wenbin nudged Wang Erxiao beside him.

His voice was as raspy as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. He looked calm, but only he knew that he had thought more than once that he might die there.

"Brother Li... should we get some breakfast first? My legs are weak... I can't walk..."

He had originally thought that being a paparazzi, the worst-case scenario was being caught and scolded. He never expected to run into such a nightmare this time.

When he was caught three days ago, he had clearly felt a cold sensation pressed against his back.

This wasn't reporting the news; this was clearly putting their lives on the line!!

"What are you thinking? We're in the middle of nowhere; where are we going to find breakfast?" Li Wenbin yanked him. "If we don't leave now, what if they change their minds..."

"Right, right... let's get out of here!!" Those words gave Wang Erxiao another shudder.

Just then, a taxi pulled over not far from them, and a passenger got out.

The two almost stumbled as they scrambled into the taxi.

The taxi driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror but didn't dare ask much. He was experienced and could tell at a glance they had just been released from lockup, so he didn't want any trouble.

Only the sound of their heavy breathing remained in the car until it entered the city area, where the aroma of meat wafted from a roadside bun shop.

Pedestrians walked along the street, chatting and laughing. This ordinary scene of everyday life made their eyes sting with tears.

After a while, Wang Erxiao suddenly let out a suppressed sob. "Who on earth did we offend? How did this happen? Brother... did you figure it out? Was it because we took photos of President Lei?"

"Shut up!" Li Wenbin snapped, the veins on his forehead throbbing.

He was more clear-headed than Wang Erxiao and knew that some things shouldn't be said.

Being locked up this time definitely wasn't just because of Lei Jun. He could tell from the attitude of those men in black that they must have accidentally captured something they shouldn't have. And that day... there were two other people beside Lei Jun...

He didn't dare think about who it was because it was pointless.

He would never provoke anyone near Lei Jun again. If any future assignment involved them, he would have to steer clear.

"Stop guessing." Li Wenbin swallowed hard, his throat aching from dryness. "No matter who it is, it's not for us to discuss. This job... we can't afford to take it!" He was filled with regret now. When Liu Wei first approached them, he said they just needed to take some photos of Lei Jun inspecting the construction site, and the pay was triple the usual rate.

He thought it was a simple case of corporate espionage, never imagining he would stumble into such a dragon's den.

Just as he finished speaking, Li Wenbin's phone vibrated wildly in his pocket.

The words "Manager Liu" flashing on the screen made his face darken completely.

"Are... are you going to answer?" Wang Erxiao's voice shook like a leaf. He felt a wave of panic just seeing that name.

Li Wenbin took a deep breath, grabbed the phone, and pressed the answer button, deliberately making his tone sound calm. "Hello, Manager Liu."

"Where the hell have you two been?" Liu Wei's impatient voice came from the other end, with the faint sound of typing in the background.

"Where are the photos? I'm waiting for them! President Zhu has asked several times!!"

Li Wenbin gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white.

He could imagine Liu Wei's bossy face. Three days ago, he might have explained with a forced smile.

But now, there was only the exhaustion and anger of a survivor. "Manager Liu, we can't do this job. We'll refund your money. Find someone else!"

"What did you say?" Liu Wei's voice suddenly spiked. "You wasted so many days, and I paid a deposit! Are you playing me?"

"We're not playing you; we really can't do it."

Li Wenbin's voice also deepened, carrying the resolve of someone who had faced death.

"That place... isn't somewhere we can go. Manager Liu, take my advice: don't wade into these murky waters. Fanmi... isn't as simple as you think!"

He remembered the look in the eyes of those men in black when they crushed the memory card in the lockup. There was no anger, only indifference, as if they were looking at dead men.

He didn't doubt for a second that those people had blood on their hands; otherwise, their gazes couldn't have been so terrifying.

"Bullshit!" Liu Wei cursed. "They're just a phone company, aren't they? Do they actually dare to kill or burn things down? I'm telling you, if I don't get those photos today, you can expect to be ruined in this industry!"

"Suit yourself." Wang Erxiao hung up the phone immediately and blacklisted Manager Liu's number.

After doing all this, he seemed to have all his strength drained away, collapsing onto the back seat, cold sweat soaking the back of his shirt.

Wang Erxiao looked at him, his lips trembling for a long time. "Did we... blow things out of proportion? Should we... call President Lei? To apologize?"

He felt this wasn't over. Those people's eyes were too frightening; he wouldn't feel at ease without apologizing.

"Apologize?" Wang Erxiao gave a bitter laugh. "Do they even know who you are? Apologize? You probably wouldn't even get through the front gate."

"..." Silence fell over the taxi once again.

After a long while, the driver cleared his throat and asked, "Gentlemen, where exactly are you going? We're already in the city center..."

"Just stop here, we'll get out now!" Li Wenbin took a deep breath and spoke.

"Alright!" The driver pulled over.

After the two left, he gripped his collar and said, "Targets confirmed cleared of suspicion. Should I abandon surveillance?"

"That's enough, come back. They're just two blind little shrimps..."

"Yes, sir!"

The taxi suddenly made a U-turn and sped away.

Not far away, Li Wenbin and Wang Erxiao sat by the roadside eating breakfast, tears streaming down their faces as they ate.

"It feels so good to be alive... life is wonderful!"

"We can absolutely never take such dangerous jobs again..."

"Exactly. We also need to warn the colleagues we're close with to be careful too."

"Are you freaking out of your mind? You still dare to talk about this to others???"

"Brother Li, I was wrong. I won't say a word... not even if it kills me!!!"

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