Chapter 258: He Looks Down on Himself
Chapter 258: Chapter 258: He Looks Down on Himself
The video was set in a dilapidated house. On the ground were three people, tied up.
The man in the sand-proof helmet pressed play, and a not-unfamiliar voice rang out.
"Little Deer, Little Deer, you have to save us!"
"Shen Lu, if you don’t come, I’ll make you pay!"
"Little Deer, save Mom! Mom’s scared of the dark. It’s so dark in here, I’m scared, WAHHH..."
The video was only about ten seconds long. After it finished, the man said, "If you want them to live, come with me right now. I’ll give you one minute to think it over."
"Shen Lu, don’t fall for it." Xue Can took a step forward. "A video like this isn’t necessarily real."
Technology is so advanced these days. AI face-swapping is quite sophisticated; dozens of videos like this can be made in minutes.
At this moment, Fu Cheng and Xue Can were in complete agreement. "A single video doesn’t prove anything. We can’t let them lead us by the nose."
Shen Lu actually thought the same thing. ’They’re clearly after me, so I can’t just take the bait so easily.’
"You don’t believe me, is that it?" The man seemed to have seen through her and broadcast another video call.
The screen once again showed the dilapidated room. Liu Qiang was kicked, a signal for him to speak to Shen Lu.
"Little Deer, Little Deer, can you hear me?" Since it wasn’t Liu Qiang’s Light Brain, there wasn’t a dedicated camera pointed at him.
So he could only look around frantically like a headless fly. After someone smacked him on the head and pointed forward, he finally knew where to direct his words.
"Little Deer, you can’t just leave us to die! We’re family—a family that only just found each other. We haven’t even celebrated your birthday yet. Little Deer, they said if you just come over, you can take us away. They won’t make things difficult for you."
"I must have the worst fucking luck in eight lifetimes to have a troublemaking sister like you! Shen Lu, you’d better get your ass over here right now. If you’re one minute late, I’ll make you regret it." Liu Yaozu was still injured and hadn’t fully recovered. Now he was tied up, forced to lie on the ground, unable to get up. This made him feel extremely frustrated, and his words were exceptionally rude.
Yang Jing was already unable to speak. She was a timid person by nature, and now all she could do was stream tears, looking utterly pathetic.
After hanging up the video call, the man gave Shen Lu another ultimatum.
"Ten seconds. If I don’t hear an answer I like, your father’s life is forfeit."
Shen Lu’s expression darkened.
She felt no familial affection for the Liu Family, and they were, admittedly, quite annoying.
’But their crimes don’t deserve death.’
’Besides, it’s obvious they were dragged into this because of me. Watching them die would be enough to weigh on my conscience.’
"Ten... nine... three... two."
"Fine, I’ll go with you." Shen Lu’s throat felt tight, but she managed to get the words out.
"No!" Fu Cheng and Xue Can said in unison. "You can’t go."
"It won’t necessarily be dangerous." Shen Lu said, though it was unclear if she was reassuring them or herself. "My luck has always been good."
The man outside chuckled. "No need to be so tense. We just want to invite Boss Shen over for a chat, see if we can reach some kind of cooperation."
"Is this how you invite someone to be a guest?" Xue Can really wanted to smash his fist into the man’s mouth. "How about I grab your family tomorrow and invite you over as a guest then?"
The man sneered and raised his hand. A black car pulled up behind him. He gestured for Shen Lu to get in. "Please get in the car, Boss Shen. The sooner we talk, the sooner you can come back."
"I’m going with her." Fu Cheng moved to follow. "I’m just a cripple. You’re not scared of me too, are you?"
"If you were just an ordinary cripple, it wouldn’t matter. Right, Young Master Fu?" The man let out a derisive scoff. "Oh, I should be more precise. The *former* Young Master Fu. The current Young Master Fu is Fu Zhen Shan, not you, Fu Cheng."
Fu Zhen Shan was Fu Cheng’s younger cousin. Everyone used to call him the second young master, but now, in a sudden turn of events, he had become the Fu Family’s primary young master.
The man wouldn’t let Fu Cheng go, and he certainly wouldn’t let Xue Can go either. Shen Lu got into the car alone and quickly disappeared into the night.
Xue Can mobilized his subordinates, ordering them to investigate their target’s origins while he followed the car.
Fu Cheng sat in his wheelchair, his expression grim. At that moment, he envied Xue Can more than anything—Xue Can could do something for Shen Lu. Unlike him, if he wanted to do anything, he could only call on others for help.
But the only person he could command and trust was far away on the front lines, and right now, he couldn’t even contact them.
His nails dug fiercely into his palm, drawing faint traces of blood.
’It feels like anything I do, besides praying fervently, is pointless.’
’I hope... I hope Xue Can can bring Shen Lu back safely.’
...
Driving at night during the sandstorm season meant the car couldn’t go too fast.
One reason was the poor visibility. The second was that the car was fitted with extra weight for stability, and driving too fast would put too much strain on the engine, making an accident more likely.
Shen Lu sat silently in the back seat. The man was in the passenger seat, and the driver was focused on the road. No one spoke.
About twenty minutes later, the car stopped.
Shen Lu looked up. She couldn’t tell where they were at all.
"Get out," the man said.
Shen Lu silently took out a mask she had made herself and put it on, then pulled the hood of her jacket over her head.
It wasn’t nearly as effective against the blowing sand as a proper sand-proof helmet, but it was better than nothing.
The wind at night was indeed much stronger. Shen Lu had the fleeting sensation that she was about to be blown away before the man grabbed her arm, half-dragging her into an unfinished, abandoned building.
As soon as they were inside, the wind and sand died down considerably. Shen Lu shook off the man’s grip. "I can walk on my own."
After walking through a sheet metal door, a sudden bright light was blinding. Shen Lu shielded her eyes with her hand, taking a few seconds to adjust.
This was the room from the video. Inside were a dozen or so men who looked like hired thugs. The three members of the Liu Family were huddled in a corner. When they saw Shen Lu arrive, it was as if they’d seen their savior.
"Little Deer, Dad knew you would come!"
"What are you dawdling for? Get over here and kowtow to this man as an apology!"
Yang Jing covered her mouth, crying so hard she was nearly gasping for breath.
Shen Lu ignored the three members of the Liu Family, her gaze falling on the only man sitting on a sofa.
There was no telling how long this derelict building had been abandoned. The walls were filthy, and anything useful had long since been carried away.
The sofa was clearly a high-end leather one, which they must have brought in specifically for this.
’Just to show off?’
The corner of Shen Lu’s eye twitched.
"Miss Shen, a pleasure to meet you." The man crossed his legs. His tone sounded modest, but it was easy to detect an undercurrent of condescension.
Moreover, he called her Miss Shen, not Boss Shen, which meant he didn’t acknowledge the fact that she owned a shop.
’He looks down on me.’ Shen Lu realized with perfect clarity.
"Under these circumstances, ’a pleasure to meet you’ doesn’t quite fit." Shen Lu’s expression was calm. "Let’s just cut to the chase. Who are you? And why did you bring me here?"