Back in high school, when studying “The Tale of Xiangji Studio,” the Chinese teacher read the last sentence, using the phrase “dark as night.”
At that time, the teacher was on the stage, talking about the loquat tree with a melancholic expression. Jiang Shiyan, sitting below, grumbled disapprovingly, “Not seeing daylight sounds great. You can play games as long as you want and sleep whenever you like.”
Tang Yang, who ranked first in Chinese class, agreed, “You can wake up whenever you want and fall asleep watching dramas on your phone.” She closed her eyes, imagining, “If someone brings food and drinks, it would be heaven on earth.”
Jiang Shiyan clicked his tongue and elbowed Tang Yang, “Call me daddy, and daddy will bring you food.”
“Bring it to your sister!” Tang Yang laughed and playfully attacked Jiang Shiyan’s belly.
Jiang Shiyan dramatically scrunched up his face, “Ouch, my fat hurts!”
Tang Yang couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
The Chinese teacher adjusted his glasses, “Tang Yang, stand up!”
Now, finding themselves in that very situation, they finally understood how young and naive they were about love back then.
The place where Wei Changqiu confined Tang Yang was a suite, fully equipped except for windows.
For Tang Yang, turning on the lights meant daytime, and turning them off meant night. Meals were delivered three times a day by dedicated staff, and the food was good. In her spare time, Tang Yang would flip through the financial magazines in the room or scribble formulas on scratch paper. The guards who came to check on her a few times couldn’t understand the complex formulas, so they gave up.
The room had central air conditioning. Tang Yang didn’t mind, but carrying a little “puppy” in her belly, she often went to the bathroom’s high window for fresh air.
Occasionally, when her stomach ached slightly, she would gently caress her abdomen and comfort it softly, “Be good, little puppy. You’ll see the big dog soon.”
Sometimes, when she stayed in the bathroom a bit longer, someone would knock on the door.
Tang Yang would carefully close the window on tiptoes and flush the toilet.
As the water rushed, Tang Yang would come out expressionless, “Ever heard of constipation?”
Indeed, a strong woman… The person who knocked would sheepishly rub their nose.
Jiang Shiyan would also think about Tang Yang, wondering if her belly was very big when she came to Yi Xiu to see him on Thursday, and why he, as blind as he was, didn’t notice.
He wondered if she was uncomfortable during pregnancy if she suffered from morning sickness.
At such times, he would recall an even more embarrassing fact: they had mistaken Tang Yang’s morning sickness for a stomach problem… No, Tang Yang was adorable; he, Jiang Shiyan, was the idiot.
Zhou Mo would visit Tang Yang every evening. After Tang Yang finished talking to Jiang Shiyan about things, she always called the baby in her belly “Jiang Xiao Gou” (Little Jiang Puppy).
Jiang Shiyan, having heard this many times, suddenly asked one day, “Will it go ‘woof woof’ in your belly?”
Tang Yang couldn’t believe what she heard, “I want to rush back and hit you.”
But she couldn’t.
Tang Yang’s mood sank.
Jiang Shiyan said on the other end of the phone, “I want to hug you.”
But he couldn’t.
They both laughed, then as they laughed, they fell silent again.
Most of the time, Tang Yang asked Jiang Shiyan about his situation.
In the dim, stuffy conference room after an all-nighter, facing a floor littered with cigarette butts and silent executives, Jiang Shiyan’s voice was extremely gentle, “I’ve been eating well and resting well. You should too.”
The other end softly responded, “Mm.”
Jiang Shiyan called out “Yang Yang,” his entire heart knotted together.
He thought, his past self who had suggested breaking up was too stupid. He really couldn’t live without Yang Yang.
Jiang Shiyan met Tang Yang when he was fifteen, and now he was almost thirty. From confusion to clarity, he couldn’t imagine how he would face each day’s sunrise, noon, and dusk with a pale version of himself if he didn’t have Tang Yang.
The night Tang Yang disappeared, Jiang Shiyan boldly cut many marketing collaborations. These past two days, he had been busy inside and out. The daily ten-minute phone calls with Tang Yang were his only solace, like the last breath of air a lung patient gasps before suffocation.
————
From July 22nd to 23rd, several groups of people managed to get by.
Just as the heat of “Tang Yang’s disappearance” was about to die down, on the evening of the 23rd, after Jiang Shiyan and Cheng Siran’s people finished sifting through the city’s surveillance footage, Yi Xiu’s official Weibo account directly released several video clips—
The first clip showed Tang Yang being forced into an elevator at Huishang, and four maintenance workers carrying two large boxes out of the elevator.
The second clip tracked the license plate, showing a van zigzagging through small roads and main streets before stopping at a hotel’s back door.
The third clip showed the maintenance workers carrying two large boxes into the hotel, and a few minutes later, supporting a seemingly just-awakened Tang Yang coming out.
The time and location were marked in the footage. The maintenance company belonged to the Jiujiang Group, the four workers belonged to Jiujiang Security, and even the hotel belonged to Jiujiang Real Estate!
This series of evidence indicated that Tang Yang’s disappearance was not accidental.
The videos directly implicated Jiujiang in a suspected premeditated kidnapping!
Yi Xiu wasn’t a small company, and Jiujiang wasn’t just established a day or two ago.
Yi Xiu’s official Weibo directly tagged “Jiujiang Real Estate,” instantly causing an uproar!
At this time, Wei Changqiu also found Tang Yang to conduct the first negotiation about the USB drive.
Tang Yang requested to go downstairs for a walk, and Wei Changqiu agreed readily.
When they got downstairs and saw the whole picture, Tang Yang understood the reason—
The industrial park occupied a vast area, open on all sides, with a thin twilight hue coating the black square railings on all four sides.
The park had four gates, and all visitors were blindfolded before entering. Once inside, all the buildings in the park were identical three-story white structures, the same on both sides, like a maze.
Tang Yang looked around; the park had no place names, no road signs. In front of each building stood a simple wooden sign with an arrow and two numbers resembling coordinates.
Tang Yang’s throat rolled unconsciously.
Wei Changqiu noticed beside her, “Remember you’re from 06, the building that came out of 06.”
Wei Changqiu snorted a laugh, “Feeling dizzy?”
Tang Yang’s expression said it all.
However, after walking a few more steps, Tang Yang suddenly realized: that if ten meters were taken as one coordinate unit, anyone only needed to know the coordinates of their building and the correct direction to reach their destination, convenient and quickly, avoiding the need to ask for directions.
Tang Yang’s face showed no relaxation. Wei Changqiu led her to a bench to sit down.
A warm breeze blew, and people in suits passed by, occasionally nodding in greeting to Wei Changqiu.
“What do you want?” Wei Changqiu asked bluntly.
Tang Yang picked up a fallen leaf from beside the bench, “Everything is about the equivalent exchange,” she said, playing with the leaf, “I noticed the loopholes in Jiujiang Charity. You’re detaining me here, you want the USB drive, so what can you give me?”
Wei Changqiu didn’t speak.
“Fame and fortune,” Tang Yang didn’t lack money or fame. She casually twirled the leaf stem, “Or give me a position as a branch bank president?”
If anyone else had asked, Wei Changqiu wouldn’t have bothered, but Tang Yang indeed had something valuable, and he needed to get it back quickly.
Wei Changqiu took out a cigarette from her bag and lit it. Tang Yang subtly avoided it.
Wei Changqiu said, “You should know better than me that bank presidents are appointed by the head office. I can’t do anything about that,” she took a puff of the cigarette and blew out a smoke ring, “But if you can get there yourself, I can guarantee you’ll sit comfortably and securely.”
Tang Yang wasn’t surprised by this answer and changed the subject, “It seems Jiujiang doesn’t lack money, why would they care about ten billion?” Tang Yang held the leaf horizontally in front of her eyes and looked at a helipad in the distance.
Wei Changqiu followed her gaze, “Ten ten billion is a thousand billion.”
“Many of Jiujiang’s commercial projects are shown as under construction, but only a few are completed,” Tang Yang asked, “Don’t you need to put them into operation quickly to recover costs?”
Wei Changqiu turned her head and stared at Tang Yang for a while, then suddenly asked, “Miss Tang, have you always had good grades since childhood?”
Tang Yang’s worst grades were still in the top ten or so in her class, so she could claim this. Tang Yang nodded.
Wei Changqiu turned her head back, “Do you know that when you have everything written all over your face, it’s especially endearing?”
Tang Yang was stunned, “Thank you.”
Wei Changqiu found it even more amusing, “I’m more than a decade older than you. When the big sister was running around, observing people’s facial expressions, you were probably still being praised by teachers and thinking about what to eat for lunch.”
Tang Yang: “I thought more about dinner.”
Wei Changqiu: “If you want to get information from my mouth, wait another ten years.”
Tang Yang: “I wouldn’t dare.”
“Let me know when you figure out what you want. We’re all sensible people here.” Wei Changqiu extinguished her cigarette butt on the bench armrest and stood up.
Tang Yang covered Wei Changqiu’s cigarette butt with the leaf.
The initial probing between the two sides was over.
To show sincerity and maintain control, Wei Changqiu permitted Tang Yang to wander around the park that evening.
When Tang Yang called Jiang Shiyan using Zhou Mo’s phone, Qin Yue, Cheng Siran, and others were nearby.
Tang Yang recalled Wei Changqiu’s words one by one.
She can’t do anything about the head office appointing her…
Tang Yang: “There are no Jiujiang people in Huishang’s head office.”
She can guarantee a stable and secure position…
But even a branch president has performance indicators. Tang Yang couldn’t guess.
Qin Yue frowned, “Does she mean the branch will lend to Jiujiang’s small projects?” Could it be used as collateral?
Tang Yang shook her head, “Doesn’t seem like it.”
The third point, which was also the most important one.
Jiujiang’s ten-billion commercial circle was indeed a facade.
Although Tang Yang had already known this from looking at the USB drive earlier, hearing it directly from Wei Changqiu’s mouth still inevitably made her heart tighten.
On the morning of July 24th.
Jiujiang found Yi Xiu’s competitors to join the marketing battle. Led by “Jing Kan,” the competitors and Yi Xiu’s official media were engaged in a fierce war of words.
Jing Kan stated that Tang Yang was in charge of the Jiujiang project, so it was normal for her to be with the Jiujiang people, using past photos of Tang Yang and Wei Changqiu inspecting Jiujiang as evidence.
Jing Kan could say that Tang Yang had work-related interactions with Jiujiang, but to blatantly write “Credit Review Department Head Tang Yang is in charge of the Jiujiang project”…
While Jiang Shiyan cursed at Huishang’s top management for being shameless and Jing Kan for being incompetent, he ordered screenshots to be saved as evidence. Meanwhile, Yi Xiu’s official media released photos of several people holding Tang Yang’s arms in rebuttal, asking, “Is this how you conduct business negotiations?”
Jing Kan: Maybe the other party was sick or something else, the picture is blurry and unclear.
Yi Xiu: Media should focus on facts. Please take responsibility for your words and provide Miss Tang’s medical diagnosis if she is sick.
Jing Kan: Jiujiang has a good social image and strong credibility, this is a fact.
Yi Xiu: If a murderer had good behavior in the past, does that mean their first murder doesn’t count?
Some fans cheered for Yi Xiu, while others said Yi Xiu resorted to aggression when they couldn’t argue anymore, saying they were as unruly as Jiang Shiyan and asking what kind of example this set.
As both sides argued inconclusively, Jiang Shiyan took out a cigarette, then thought of something and threw it in the trash.
He took out a piece of gum from his pocket. Before he could unwrap it, an unexpected phone call came in.
Zhang Zhilan’s voice trembled slightly.
“Min Lin’s good friend Zhuang Zhuang’s mother cleans at that Jiujiang chain hotel. That day she was sick, so I covered her shift. When I was sweeping the hallway, I ran into those four people and Miss Tang. I wasn’t sure if it was Miss Tang at the time, she was struggling, so I took several photos in a row,” Zhang Zhilan choked up, “I’m sorry I don’t use Weibo. I’ll send you the photos right away…”
Jiang Shiyan immediately arranged for his assistant to handle the potential work issues for Zhuang Zhuang’s mother who might be investigated and thanked Zhang Zhilan.
Then, Jiang Shiyan looked at the photos released by Yi Xiu with a deep gaze. The photos circled Tang Yang’s dazed facial expression and the bruises on her wrists.
The public opinion tug-of-war caused another huge uproar!
At noon on July 24th, Tang Yang was brought to Wei Changqiu’s office. A Go board was set on the desk, with Wei Changqiu and Tang Yang sitting at opposite ends, their expressions solemn. In the context of playing Go, it could be described as a tense game.
Moreover, Tang Yang had taken leave last week, so playing Go with a friend during her time off was perfectly normal.
After the photographer finished shooting and put away the props, Tang Yang remained in her chair, “What happened?”
Tang Yang had a pair of clear, lively eyes. When she asked the question, it was as if she didn’t know anything.
Wei Changqiu’s gaze locked onto Tang Yang.
After a while, “Your family is worried,” Wei Changqiu said, raising an eyebrow and joking with hidden malice, “What do you think would happen if I treated Tu Chen’s words as nothing and just got rid of you here?”
Tang Yang countered, “Like how Wei Changchun betrayed Chen Zhanggang?”
Wei Changqiu’s expression tensed.
Tang Yang continued slowly, “Chen Zhanggang saved Wei Changchun, Wei Changchun stepped on Chen Zhanggang to rise to power, took several million from the factory’s raw material procurement funds to smuggle contraband, brought back tens of millions and became successful from then on—”
“You need to understand your current situation,” Wei Changqiu said word by word.
Tang Yang: “Am I not in the Ecological Kingdom?”
Wei Changqiu’s chest heaved.
Tang Yang prattled on, “I just don’t understand, with your skills at whitewashing, why do you still keep that steel factory in Jiujiang—”
The phone on the table vibrated.
Wei Changqiu glanced at Tang Yang, stood up, and went to the balcony to answer the phone.
The surveillance camera was right above, but Tang Yang still took the opportunity when Wei Changqiu left to swiftly check the documents on her desk.
Wei Changqiu had initially been facing away from the office, but when Tang Yang stood up, she turned around and stared directly at Tang Yang while talking on the phone.
Tang Yang pretended to look for documents on her desk, but her peripheral vision caught Wei Changqiu’s lip movements reflected in the metal surface of the safe in the corner.
“Bing Shen… 515… 1349 batch… Jiujiang project…”
Batches 515 to 1349 of Bing Shen had problems and were being investigated. The Jiujiang project had been halted by Huishang’s head office.
When Wei Changqiu finished her call and returned, Tang Yang was sitting calmly in her seat.
The documents on the desk were deliberately left by Wei Changqiu for Tang Yang to see. They were just charity loopholes, sacrificing a pawn to protect the king. She could let Tang Yang grasp at them.
Tang Yang did indeed see them, but she had already seen these documents with Zhou Mo.
Jiujiang headquarters was pressuring Wei Changqiu.
Wei Changqiu stood next to Tang Yang, “When do you plan to hand over the USB drive? You should know my habits after seeing its contents,” Wei Changqiu said, “Before we completely lose face with each other.”
“The day after tomorrow at the latest.” This time, Tang Yang was straightforward.
Wei Changqiu stood for a moment, then suddenly kicked Tang Yang’s chair before leaving, as if venting her anger.
Wei Changqiu had promised Tu Chen not to harm Tang Yang, originally harboring intentions to do so, but later, more information about Tang Yang was brought to her attention by Zhou Mo: Tang’s grandfather had passed away, but his deputy now wore epaulets and had good relations with Tang’s parents. Tang’s mother’s public influence needn’t be mentioned, and Tang’s father was a recipient of a special government allowance.
Family background was much higher than the threshold of wealth, not to mention the Jiang Shiyan family…
Unless necessary, Wei Changqiu couldn’t touch her.
Tang Yang followed Wei Changqiu out. Downstairs, she again plucked leaves to play with, casually throwing them and then sticking them into the soil, as bored as a child playing house.
Wei Changqiu, her chest full of frustration, cursed and ordered the driver to start the car.
Tang Yang watched the black Lincoln drive away.
That evening, Tang Yang mentioned to Jiang Shiyan about small factories named after Jiujiang, and Jiang Shiyan told her about Zhang Zhilan’s situation.
As Tang Yang listened, she reported another address, her mind adding and subtracting based on the two numbers she had heard in Wei Changqiu’s office earlier that day.
On the morning of July 25th, Tang Yang was still being watched by two people as she took a walk.
A business car stopped at the entrance, and four or five young people wearing masks and sunglasses got out, chatting and laughing.
Tang Yang stood nearby without moving. One of them made eye contact with Tang Yang, then quickly went up and playfully slapped a companion’s backside. The companion naturally wanted to retaliate, and the person dodged repeatedly, chasing and playing around. Their phone “accidentally” fell on the edge of the grass.
At the spot directly in line with the ninth brick from left to right.
“Damn!” The person shoved their companion, giggling as they picked up the phone, and the group entered the building.
Tang Yang plucked a few more leaves and slowly tore them in her hand, then crouched down to tie her shoelace before returning the same way.
At noon, Tang Yang was in her room when Zhou Mo arrived early.
Jiang Shiyan investigated all the small factories in City A named after Jiujiang. 514 had gone bankrupt and deregistered their legal entities, and 834 were on the brink of bankruptcy. 1349 minus 515 equals 834, but only 514 had gone bankrupt, one less than Tang Yang had deduced.
515, 514, 515, 514…
Like a curse.
Suddenly, a memory flashed in Tang Yang’s mind. She hurriedly asked Jiang Shiyan to give the phone to Qin Yue, then swiftly recited a string of numbers. Qin Yue double-checked; not one was wrong.
But Tang Yang had only recited 514 numbers, missing one.
It was like a set of dominoes missing one piece, the most crucial and central first piece.
Over the phone, everyone was in a silent standoff.
Zhou Mo suddenly spoke up, “Wei Changqiu’s office has a safe that can only be unlocked with her fingerprint. Inside is a stack of documents.”
Qin Yue: “Isn’t the kid maintaining the system? Tang, did you get what he gave you?”
Tang Yang: “I got it from the leaf, and ate it, so can Shi Jin get the fingerprint now?” The highest authority fingerprint archive in Jiujiang’s internal network.
There was a moment of silence on the other end.
Qin Yue: “Yes, we can.”
Zhou Mo: “Amplify the public opinion by one more digit. Wei Changchun and the others arrived at the ecosystem this morning. Blow up the topic to a point they can’t withstand, and they’ll hold an emergency meeting ahead of schedule. Jiujiang’s emergency meetings usually last twenty to thirty minutes. Counting the retreat time, we can stay in Wei Changqiu’s office for ten minutes.”
But all this was premised on producing a corner of the USB drive.
The consequences of doing this could only be two: one, Tang Yang was lying about having the USB drive; two, Tang Yang had leaked information.
Regardless of which outcome…
“Impossible,” Jiang Shiyan’s attitude was resolute, “The USB drive is in my hands. You must retreat first.”
Zhou Mo and Tang Yang: “This is the best opportunity.”
Qin Yue was an uncompromising hedonist, but for Tang Yang’s sake, she was willing to sit at the coffee table in Jiang Shiyan’s office. She fiddled with the computer for a while, then showed Jiang Shiyan a screen displaying a red dot, “Tang Yang went in for 1349, for 515, and also for 001,” Qin Yue persuaded earnestly, “Shi Jin is also inside, and Tang Yang has eaten the locator given by the kid—”
“Tang Yang is pregnant,” Jiang Shiyan said flatly.
At these words, Qin Yue remembered this fact, and she and Zhou Mo fell silent.
Carrying a child was like carrying an accident; any mishap could lead to an irreversible situation…
The exact time for Shi Jin and his team to maintain Jiujiang’s internal network had been changed to 11 AM to 1 PM.
It was already noon.
The second hand of the wall clock ticked, each tick matching the heartbeats of the four people.
Tang Yang understood a certain person’s feelings and all his considerations. But some opportunities, once missed, are gone forever. Moving the USB drive simultaneously meant alerting the police. It had taken so much effort for Jiujiang to be in the spotlight for several consecutive days, for Wei Changchun and all the Jiujiang Group’s top executives to be in the kingdom, for everyone to reach this point flawlessly…
12:05 PM.
Tang Yang softly called out, “Jiang Shiyan…”
On the other end of the phone, Jiang Shiyan’s eyes were half-closed, his lowered eyelashes trembling.
Tang Yang called a second time, “Jiang Shiyan…”
Jiang Shiyan held the phone with one hand and rubbed his face with the other, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.
Tang Yang paused, then called for the third time, “Jiang Shiyan…”
Jiang Shiyan hung up the phone directly.
12:10 PM.
Tang Yang’s disappearance case was filed, and Jiang Shiyan had a phone call.
The police obtained a search warrant. Huishang’s head office completely halted the Jiujiang project and demanded a thorough investigation of the transactions between Jiujiang and Huishang’s City A branch.
Public opinion surged like mountains and seas. Jiujiang touted their charitable achievements. Jiujiang’s top executives suggested that “Tang Yang’s disappearance” might have other hidden factors, and Jiujiang was investigating.
Then, Yi Xiu revealed the first case from the USB drive.
With just a corner of information, netizens were already in an uproar.
“Desecrate the corpse,” “Drawn and quartered,” “Beasts,” “Is this the same as Jiujiang Real Estate and Jiujiang Commercial Circle?” Comments flooded in…
As Zhou Mo had predicted, Jiujiang’s top executives convened an emergency meeting.
Tang Yang changed into a pair of sneakers prepared by Zhou Mo and went out.
The guards stopped the two of them.
Zhou Mo’s face was as calm as still water, “Manager Wei asked me to bring her over.”
The guards let them pass.
Zhou Mo led Tang Yang into the corridor.
Outside, sirens of green, blue, and camouflage vehicles wailed, all heading to the same place.
Inside the Ecological Kingdom, the highest-level alarm had been sounded. Staff members descended to the front of each building, preparing for a large-scale evacuation.
Zhou Mo’s hand hovered just above Tang Yang’s waist, protecting her as they turned left and right to reach Wei Changqiu’s office.
Shi Jin transmitted the fingerprint to Zhou Mo, who skillfully found a model printer.
Tang Yang stood by the window, seeing for the first time those researchers in white coats spread across every corner, like the softest, purest white clouds, concealing rivers of blood beneath.
Downstairs, dozens of helicopters at the edge of the kingdom roared to life. Researchers began queuing, preparing to board.
Upstairs, with a soft “ding,” the safe opened. Zhou Mo took out the documents, and Tang Yang quickly flipped through them, stopping at a page. Zhou Mo blinked to take a photo. Tang Yang flipped again, Zhou Mo blinked again.
Yi Xiu began to reveal the second case, the third case. Related keywords set records, dominating the entire trending list.
After Zhou Mo and Tang Yang photographed what they needed, Tang Yang put the documents back in their original place, intending to leave.
At this moment, three armed forces entered the Ecological Kingdom’s surveillance area, engaging in a firefight with researchers trying to escape. Wei Changqiu, Wei Changchun, and others received news that someone was carrying a locator. They hurried towards the office in panic. The documents!
Wei Changqiu walked while looking at the tablet in her hand. The tablet displayed many green dots and one red dot. As she approached her office, the red dot grew larger, indicating it was getting closer.
Meanwhile, Shi Jin also noticed that Jiujiang had activated an anti-location device. He switched out of the maintenance interface to block the signal to Wei Changqiu’s tablet.
The moment Wei Changqiu turned the corner, the red dot on the screen went out.
At the same time, Wei Changqiu’s group and Zhou Mo and Tang Yang collided face-to-face at the office door.
Was the locator with Zhou Mo? Or Tang Yang?
The Ecological Kingdom was vast. Removing the locator could take them twenty minutes.
Gunshots and clamor seemed both distant and near.
Their gazes met, and their breathing grew heavy.
Tang Yang said to Wei Changqiu, “I heard sounds and didn’t know what was happening, so I came to ask you.” She was also trying to buy time.
Wei Changchun looked at Zhou Mo, about to speak.
Wei Changqiu defended, “I vouch for him, it’s not him.”
At this moment, a series of clanging footsteps sounded. Security personnel carried several large black boxes into Wei Changqiu’s office.
Wei Changqiu, Wei Changchun, and the others went in. Zhou Mo also pushed Tang Yang in. The security personnel opened the boxes, which contained neatly arranged P-series firearms and knives. Wei Changchun and the others armed themselves. Wei Changchun gave Wei Changqiu a look, then left, passing by Tang Yang and Zhou Mo.
Wei Changqiu had two people behind her. She gestured for them to restrain Tang Yang, “Zhou Mo, arm yourself.”
Zhou Mo obediently went to the boxes.
Wei Changqiu searched Tang Yang but found nothing. She quickly unbuttoned the top three buttons of Tang Yang’s shirt. The cold knife tip grazed Tang Yang’s stomach and abdomen.
“How long ago did you swallow it…” Wei Changqiu’s words were slow and vicious.
Tang Yang’s gaze wavered, “I don’t know what you mean.”
Wei Changqiu: “Or I could just cut a little lower,” she said as if discussing the weather, “Tu Chen said you might be pregnant. Otherwise, we could take care of the baby too,” Wei Changqiu’s voice was gentle but her expression ferocious, “Or else, vivisecting the mother while the baby is still alive would be very cruel.”
Tang Yang let out a laugh through her nose, wanting to say something but unable to speak.
The two men, receiving a look from Wei Changqiu, pinned Tang Yang to the desk.
Wei Changqiu approached, but before she could raise the knife again, her entire body froze as if electrocuted…
Zhou Mo had somehow appeared, holding a gun with both hands, its dark muzzle aimed directly at Wei Changqiu’s temple.
The two men restraining Tang Yang wanted to move.
“A gun is faster than a knife,” Zhou Mo said, tilting his body and slowly bringing the gun muzzle closer to the back of Wei Changqiu’s head.
Wei Changqiu’s face showed a moment of disbelief, and then she said in a deep voice, “A Mo, what are you doing—”
For the first time in front of Wei Changqiu, Zhou Mo was neither calm nor obedient.
He licked the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with the wild anticipation of revenge, like blood. Zhou Mo’s voice was like a gloomy, twisted hand slowly closing, “Tell me, was Shanshan’s last taste the same as yours now, or a million times more painful…”
The gun muzzle also slowly pressed against the back of Wei Changqiu’s head.
Pressing close.