Shen Muyun was blindfolded, gagged, and tied with rough ropes. There were faint cuts on his wrists, and they were bleeding.
“Is this how you treat my brother?”
“Stop talking nonsense, Shen Liuyun. Our patience is wearing thin. You wanted to see your brother, and we have complied. He is not here to be a guest; he is a hostage. Have you not figured that out yet? And you, where is the money? You should have handed it over. And the plane, the plane! Our patience is limited.”
Shen Liuyun paused. “I can only give you half the money now unless my brother appears before my eyes. The plane is ready; the flight path is being applied for, otherwise you will not be able to escape. Did I not tell you that already? Are you satisfied? But the premise of all this is my brother’s safe and sound appearance.”
Brother Shui’s smiling face turned gloomy. “Shen Liuyun, it seems you are not prepared to let your brother live. Half for half; how about we send you half of him? It is an equivalent exchange. You are a businessman; you should understand the basic principles.”
Brother Shui hung up the phone.
“Hello! Hello! You!”
Shen Liuyun’s anxious voice echoed through the empty factory. Suddenly, the clouds dispersed and a crescent moon hung in the sky while casting distorted shadows of tree branches on the ground.
With no other choice, he placed half the cash at the designated spot. Shen Liuyun walked forward cautiously. Seeing no one, he left the backpack on the red paint bucket.
Lu Huainan, in the shadows, watched the entrance. Seeing Shen Liuyun come back, he signaled him to retreat.
Shen Liuyun understood. He stayed calm and hid behind a tree. After a long wait, he saw two sneaky figures at the warehouse door. They were on the phone while looking around cautiously at the backpack on the bucket. One of them moved quickly and took the bag, not even checking the money inside.
Shen Liuyun’s phone vibrated. He moved back to a safe distance before answering.
“You have the money. Where is my brother?”
“Shen Liuyun, the amount is not enough, is it? It is 25 million, yet just a small backpack. Is it really all there? Tell me, do you not want your brother to live?”
Shen Liuyun smiled. “The bag contains cash and checks. It is too much money to carry, so I used checks. If you do not trust them, you can verify them at a bank, though you cannot withdraw until tomorrow morning. Are you satisfied? The other half is in a bank account.”
Brother Shui laughed. “Oh, so that is it. My apologies, I misunderstood. Once we verify the amount, we will naturally release your brother. The other half; one hand for money, one hand for the person. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee you will get your brother back.”
“In this wilderness, where am I supposed to find a POS machine? The money will not be missing a cent. You are clearly stalling. Every minute my brother spends in your hands is another minute of danger.”
Brother Shui clapped. “Oh? President Shen, that is not my intention. It is an equivalent exchange. We need to know if the amount is correct. But if it is wrong, you might never find your brother.”
Shen Liuyun gripped his phone while his knuckles turned white. “I will bring him home safely.”
Brother Shui hung up, ending the conversation.
A subordinate walked over respectfully. “Did you two count it? Is it 25 million?”
“Brother Shui, there is only 1 million in cash. There are checks inside; the amounts are correct, but we do not know if they are real.”
“You two, find the nearest bank and verify them. As for this kid…”
Brother Shui looked at Shen Muyun and gestured to his men.
Shen Muyun felt a surge of pressure. The rope behind his back was already frayed, and he struggled violently. It snapped! With so many of them, it was not the time to act, so he waited until Brother Shui left before moving his wrists.
Taking advantage of the distraction, he pulled off his blindfold. He was in a room inside the plant. Brother Shui was outside. He counted the number of people.
He crawled along the wall and moved toward one of the guards, pinching his throat with precise force. The guard fell unconscious without a sound. He did the same to the one at the door who was dozing off.
Suddenly, a row of people appeared at the door. Brother Shui stood in the center while clapping.
Clap, clap, clap.
“Wonderful. I heard the second young master of the Shen family was weak since childhood, but that does not seem to be the case. Rumors really cannot be trusted. Trying to save yourself? You are in such a rush, and we have not even had our tea yet.”
Shen Muyun assumed a defensive stance with his eyes alert. The two guards he took out were just a distraction; there were many more men inside. He regretted acting rashly, but it had been a necessary survival move.
“Brother Shui, you have the money, and the plane will be here soon. You would not want to add murder to your list of crimes, would you?”
Brother Shui laughed and waved his hand. His men pinned Shen Muyun to the ground. He struggled, but could not break free.
“Originally, we did not want to make things hard for you. But you heard; your brother only gave 25 million. Half for half; that is not our problem, that is your brother’s doing.”
“Brother Shui! Phone call!”
Brother Shui took the phone. “Hello? How is it? Is the money enough?”
“Brother Shui, it is enough. Can we go now?”
“Not yet. The game has just begun. This Shen Muyun is quite interesting. If you do not want to participate, you will only get the 5 million commission. Are you really content with that?”
The other end paused. Before they could speak, Brother Shui continued.
“Do not forget, I have your brother. And your mother is currently in the hospital waiting for a kidney. Even if you get one, there is the surgery cost and the recovery fees.”
“Brother Shui, that is not what you said when we started.”
“Oh? You had better think carefully.”
“Fine. I understand what you mean, Brother Shui. Tell us what to do.”
“Actually, there is nothing much to do. Just some clean-up work. Do you understand?”
“Understood, Brother Shui.”
Shen Muyun kicked the person holding him. The man, in pain, slapped Shen Muyun across the face. His head buzzed, and as he was grabbed by the hair, he felt blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
“Shen Muyun, you are choosing the hard way. Stay quiet and you will suffer less. My brothers have not practiced their combat skills in a while.”
Brother Shui paced in front of Shen Muyun. Muyun knew his chances were slim. He had seen the kidnappers’ faces, which meant they would likely kill him. He tried calling for the system, but there was no response. Perhaps the signal was jammed? It seemed his bad luck was peaking.
“Brother Shui, since you said that, I will be obedient to avoid unnecessary pain; it is not worth it. But can you tell me who planned this kidnapping?”
Brother Shui used the back of his knife to pat Shen Muyun’s face. “Kid, stop asking about things you should not know. We are just here for the money. You think about it; who have you offended? To be targeted like this, tsk, the person you crossed is no small fry.”
“Brother Shui, why do we not make a deal? Since you only want money, that is easy. I will give you a sum. The economy near the coast is good, or if you have somewhere else in mind, just go there. Making money with money is better than living on the edge of a knife, is it not?”
“You have thought of a path for us, have you? Have you not thought about the fact that we all have lives on our heads? We cannot run. This is our fate; we cannot wash it clean. Shen Muyun, your best choice now is to be quiet and wait.”
Meanwhile, Shen Liuyun and Lu Huainan followed the kidnappers’ car to a nearby bank. They waited by the side of the road.
Lu Huainan kept thinking about the background behind Shen Muyun in the video.
“Liuyun, I think I know where Muyun is!”
Before Shen Liuyun could react, Lu Huainan opened the door, hailed a passing car, and vanished within seconds.
“Hey! Huainan… hiss.”
Shen Liuyun saw the taillights and quickly reacted, closing his car door to follow. “This guy.”
Back at the factory, things were anything but calm. Shen Muyun found strength from somewhere, broke free, and kicked his captor in his most vulnerable spot. The man was furious and grabbed Muyun’s hair while trying to smash his head against the wall. Muyun grabbed the man’s arm and reversed the movement, smashing the kidnapper’s head against the wall instead. Blood streamed down.
The kidnapper covered his forehead. “Damn it, kid, you want it the hard way? There are so many brothers here; you really are not afraid of anything, are you?”
Shen Muyun knew his time was running out. Brother Shui was the most dangerous.
Brother Shui clapped while laughing. “Second Young Master Shen, good skills. But can you really escape so many people?”
A cold, fierce light flashed in Shen Muyun’s eyes. He punched one lackey after another. When the others saw this, they joined in. Muyun remained calm while kicking out at them.
Brother Shui watched like he was at a show while sitting calmly in the back.
“You really do not fear death, do you?”
Shen Muyun felt a sharp pain in his lower back; an old injury was being kicked. He stumbled.
Shen Muyun laughed at them. “Is that all you have got? Come on, all at once. Let me see what you are made of.”
Brother Shui’s voice echoed in his ear. “Easy now. I want him alive. Do not break him; do not kill him. I have not had enough fun yet.”
The lackeys did not stop; they grew even more vicious while every punch landed hard.
What Shen Muyun noticed was the sound of a knife being drawn behind him. He turned and kicked the person in the arm. The man fell while his knife clattered to the floor. Before he could pick it up, a large man elbowed Shen Muyun in the face. Blood flowed from his mouth. Shen Muyun wiped it away.
“What, are you not listening to your Brother Shui anymore?”
“Kid, we have followed Brother Shui for so many years. If we did not know what he meant, we would have a problem. We will not break you; we are just having some fun. We have not stretched our muscles in a long time.”
Shen Muyun realized the situation and dodged. If this continued, he would lose. What could he do?
He spotted a wine bottle on the table. With a quick turn, he grabbed it and smashed it against the metal table.
Bang! The bottle shattered, and the liquid splashed everywhere. Sharp shards cut Shen Muyun’s arm.
He brandished the jagged bottle. Some of the men charged, and he slashed at their arms. A chaotic brawl ensued, and the room filled with shouts, groans, and the foul smell of blood.
Brother Shui watched his men being taken down one by one with a meaningful smile on his face.
“Alright, alright, stop. You are no match for him. The Shen family’s second son truly lives up to his reputation. No wonder they call him a madman; so elegant a moment ago, but now, tsk, your combat value is decent. My subordinates were rude and hurt you. I apologize.”
Shen Muyun was in a bad state. With so many enemies, he was covered in wounds. Blood dripped from his forearm, and the injury to his back would take a long time to heal.
Brother Shui walked over personally. “Shen Muyun, being so aggressive is not good. You have to learn to concede. Look, we got 25 million, even if your brother did not follow our exact terms. Originally, I thought half for half, but you hurt my men. How should I handle this now?”
Shen Muyun grabbed Brother Shui’s collar while looking up with a smile. “What can you do? It has already happened. I believe my brother will find this place soon. What, are you scared, so you told your men to stop?”
Brother Shui, annoyed by Muyun’s arrogance, punched him in the stomach. Muyun gasped in pain while clutching his abdomen and gritting his teeth to remain standing.
“Sneak attack? I can do that too.”
Shen Muyun lunged for the wine bottle to strike Brother Shui’s head, but his wrist was caught. He was in too much pain to force it.
“Shen Muyun, your combat skills are indeed high, but we never intended to let you go. When we took this job, the client said they hoped you would disappear from Jiang City. Just now? That was just a game.”
Shen Muyun was shocked. The bottle fell to the floor and rolled under a box.
“What do you mean?”
“Simple. Exactly what I said. But I cannot let you off so easily. It seems I will have to let my brothers vent their anger first. Guess if tomorrow’s headline will be ‘Shen Family’s Second Son Found Dead in Warehouse’? The top comment might even say ‘cleaning up the trash’.”
Shen Muyun tried to break free, but the fight had drained his strength. “Bullshit! I might be a playboy, but I am not a public enemy! If I do not make it out today, my brother will not let you off!”
“Shen Muyun, you are too naive.”
Brother Shui gestured, and his men tied Shen Muyun to the chair Brother Shui had been sitting in.
“The Shen Group originally had only one heir: your brother, Shen Liuyun. You suddenly appeared, even winning contracts. You tell me, what does he think? The brotherly affection act; only someone as brainless as you would believe it. You are truly too naive.”
Shen Muyun was stunned. It really did seem that way. Shen Liuyun had clearly been guarding against him until he suddenly pushed him into the company and involved him in the North City land contract. His attitude had done a 180-degree turn. Even though the system’s favorability only increased slowly, it all started to make sense.
“Pah! Who are you? My relationship with my brother is not for you to judge.”
Shen Muyun felt a sting in his wrists as the rope was tightened. The pain in his back chilled him to the bone.
Brother Shui played with his knife while the tip pierced the skin on Shen Muyun’s neck.
“Originally, I wanted to end you with one cut. But that is too fast. I think your brother and that Lu CEO, oh, Lu Huainan, are probably on their way. I really want to see them arrive only to find you are already beyond saving. How beautiful that scene would be. Death should be an art form.”
Damn it, what kind of freak is this? Shen Muyun wanted to curse him and the system, which was nowhere to be found.
Brother Shui put the knife away and touched the cut on Shen Muyun’s neck while spreading the blood slowly. It was eerie, looking like a blooming rose.
“Do you know? You are like an art piece. I will cut you piece by piece and style you. Hiss, perfect.”
“Are you a psycho?”
Brother Shui ignored him while turning to grab a whip. “You, go to the room and soak the whip in saltwater, then bring it back.”
Shen Muyun understood. He struggled violently, but Brother Shui pressed down on his wounds while the excruciating pain sapped his strength.
“Are you even a man? If you want to kill me, just do it. Stop playing these weird games, making ‘art’ or whatever.”
“In the underworld, who does not know Brother Shui’s name? He loves crafts. Even the hostages he takes are arranged into ‘art pieces.’ The last one was, oh, a male ballet dancer.”
A chill surged up Shen Muyun’s spine. This was not just a kidnapper; he was a psychopath who had artistic ideals for murder.
“Tsk, it is not good to talk about that. Be quiet, Shen Muyun. Relax. To make an art piece, the person must be relaxed. The environment here is a bit bad, but it is quite fitting for an industrial style. Relax, or your limbs will be too stiff to move, which will ruin my creation.”
The lackey returned with the salt-soaked whip. Brother Shui’s eyes lit up, and he even kissed the whip.
“Truly perfect. Let us start with this.”
Brother Shui lashed out at Shen Muyun’s chest. The shirt, already torn from the fight, ripped apart. Shen Muyun’s fair skin was exposed, and the red lash mark stood out vividly as the skin tore open.
Brother Shui inspected the wound with a twisted smile while touching the mark.
“Truly beautiful, do you not think, Shen Muyun?”
Shen Muyun did not know how to describe the freak. “Are you crazy? What is good about this? Do not tell me you like men?”
“You are quite smart. Most of the people I kill are men, and those I make into art are men, too, because their proportions and muscles are just perfect. But looking at you, all the ones before seem vulgar.”
Shen Muyun was whipped until he had no strength left. The wounds burned like fire. His body was being tortured, and now his mind was, too. He did not know if the system realized he was currently passing through an ordeal.
Lu Huainan kept urging the driver. Deep in the night, the intersection lights were all flashing yellow.
“Driver, please, hurry a little more. North City Warehouse, B2.”
“I know, young man. You have urged me ten times since you got in.”
“Driver, it is a matter of life and death. Please, work a little harder.”
The driver pressed the accelerator to the floor. The hour-long journey was cut to half an hour.
The car stopped. Before the driver could speak, Lu Huainan tossed him 500 yuan. “Keep the change. Leave here, fast!”