You Mingxu was thrown back into the original vehicle. But this time, Xing Yanjun wasn’t there—she didn’t know which car he was being held in. She had also been separated from Xu Mengshan and Jing Ping.

Jing Ping was in the hands of the Yunnan gang.

Thinking about his gunshot wound, his life ebbing away with each passing moment, and now in the custody of drug dealers who despised him deeply—You Mingxu forced herself not to imagine what he would endure. The image of his usual fair-skinned, refreshing smile floated through her mind. It felt like a dull knife slowly grinding against her heart.

Then there were Xu Mengshan and the other brothers. The drug dealers wouldn’t let any of them live.

You Mingxu closed her eyes, forcing herself to stay calm.

She was alone in the car now, but this time, Luo Yu had bound her more tightly—not only were her hands cuffed, but ropes encircled her entire body, making escape impossible. Through the open window, she could hear voices outside.

First came Sun Yuan, the Xiangtan boss who had arrived with Lei Yu. He said cheerfully, “Boss Xing, how have you been lately? Are you in good health?”

You Mingxu looked up to see Luo Yu and Sun Yuan leaning against the car as Sun Yuan made the phone call.

After Xing Jifu said something inaudible, Sun Yuan continued, “Oh, right, some of your brothers have been misbehaving, and they’re in my custody now. What do you think we should do?”

After a moment, Sun Yuan smiled with narrowed eyes and passed the phone to Luo Yu. As soon as Luo Yu took it, his tone changed dramatically, showing extreme panic and fear: “B-Boss! We fell into a trap! The Xiangtan gang took all the money and goods. Yanjun insisted on coming today, and he—” Before he could finish, Sun Yuan took back the phone, sharing a knowing smile with Luo Yu.

Sun Yuan said, “Your son is in our hands too.”

After a pause, Sun Yuan continued, “Alright, I’ll let you speak with your prince. Oh, and by the way, I just heard it’s not just your son—your daughter’s here too. What should we do? This could end your entire bloodline!” As he finished, Sun Yuan glanced at You Mingxu. Then he walked toward the cars behind them, presumably to let Xing Yanjun speak.

Luo Yu leaned against the car window, looking at her with a smile. “See? You’re quite valuable.”

You Mingxu asked, “What are you planning?”

A cold flash crossed Luo Yu’s face as he replied, “How could I truly take the position of Hunan’s boss without eliminating your father? We’ll make him bring enough capital to exchange for his son and daughter.” A sinister smile spread across his face.

You Mingxu understood then—his trap had multiple layers. Not only had he manipulated the police as his pawns, but he had also seized the money and goods, eliminated Xing Jifu’s two most capable subordinates, and now wanted Xing Jifu’s life.

Looking at the refined, fair face before her, You Mingxu realized that among all the brutal killers, fierce bandits, and cold-blooded butchers she had encountered, this man—who manipulated hearts, betrayed everyone, and harbored unfathomable schemes—was the most terrifying criminal of all.

She exhaled slowly and sneered, “You truly have no humanity left. I don’t see how Xing Jifu has wronged you, yet you want him dead!”

Luo Yu replied with a cold smile, “Feeling sorry for your daddy? Don’t bother—he’s scum anyway. He played with your mother, then turned around and married a wealthy young lady. Why feel sorry for someone like that? Such people deserve to die.”

You Mingxu had no interest in hearing about the past. Her mind raced, but her tone softened: “Luo Yu, I have one request.”

Luo Yu, unused to hearing her speak so gently, watched her silently.

You Mingxu said, “Please don’t let them kill Jing Ping.”

Seeing genuine pleading in her eyes, Luo Yu felt something stir inside him. He snorted softly and said, “Sleep with me, and I’ll make them spare him.”

You Mingxu was quiet for a few seconds, then surprisingly smiled and said, “Alright.”

Luo Yu studied her for a moment, then suddenly called out, “Boss Lei, don’t kill that cop yet—he still has important intelligence we need.”

You Mingxu stared straight ahead, expressionless.

Just then, Sun Yuan returned in an excellent mood. He glanced at the two of them and held the phone to You Mingxu’s ear through the window.

You Mingxu froze as she heard Xing Jifu’s voice: “Mingxu.”

She couldn’t speak for a moment.

Xing Jifu: “Are you there?”

You Mingxu: “Don’t come—” The phone was already pulled away by Sun Yuan, who said coldly, “Did you hear that? Your son and daughter are alive for now, but who knows about later? I know you’re in Guizhou—I’ll send you the coordinates shortly. We meet in two hours. Come along with what I want, no one else. If you don’t show up, I’ll slice your son’s throat, do the same to Luo Yu, Huang Long, and Guo Feirong, and after my men have had their fun with your daughter, she’ll be sold to Thailand.”

Sun Yuan went to another car, and Luo Yu opened the door to sit beside You Mingxu, with two subordinates in the front seats. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek, saying, “Baby, the show’s just beginning.”

The convoy left the forest, speeding along narrow mountain roads, changing direction to head deeper into the southern mountains.

You Mingxu thought rapidly. Their meeting point with Xing Jifu was an hour’s drive away—if they reached it successfully, they would certainly be beyond the police perimeter. Then she remembered—her fingernail! Luo Yu didn’t know about that. He had confiscated Jing Ping’s satellite phone, but if her tracker had a signal, the police could follow them.

And then there was Yin Feng.

He had been silent since yesterday—where had he gone?

Thinking of him gave her an inexplicable sense of hope.

They were heading into wild mountain territory, their off-road vehicles crossing trackless ridges. Her tracker might fail again. But she thought about how Yin Feng always appeared mysteriously from nowhere—when you thought you’d reached a dead end, he would somehow create his path to reach you.

Would he come this time?

Beside her, Luo Yu rested with closed eyes, his arm still around her, head leaning against hers but attempting nothing more inappropriate. You Mingxu caught the smell of blood and gunpowder on him and felt nauseated. How could someone be so brutal, yet so calm and calculating? She could almost foresee that if his plan succeeded this time—if he killed Xing Jifu and escaped police pursuit—this man would become the new ruler of Central China’s underground kingdom.

Could he be connected to the Punisher organization? At this point, You Mingxu thought not. He was simply a thoroughly ruthless crime lord. Her mind shifted again—perhaps the earlier clues left by the Punisher organization pointing to Luo Yu were meant to attract police attention.

Could he be a hunting target of the Punisher organization?