DASFAM_95

"......"

Bai Xu didn't dare meet Shang Yanxiao's gaze, wrenched his hand from their tight grip, and walked toward the second floor as if fleeing.

"A' Xu!"

Shang Yanxiao immediately chased after him, squeezing into the bedroom before Bai Xu could shut the door, "A' Xu, listen to me—"

Bai Xu cut him off, "I know what you're going to say! I, I know."

The tremor in his voice revealed vulnerability that was difficult to conceal, yet he pressed it down forcefully, "I, I know."

"Shang Queyan is your biological younger brother. His life already has so many regrets. You couldn't possibly abandon him."

"Even knowing it's Shang Qishun's deliberate retaliation out of desperation, knowing that the moment you go there you'll face unavoidable danger, even though, even though I've already told you before..."

...your ending in the book wasn't good.

Bai Xu couldn't bring himself to say this sentence. After a long silence, he murmured softly, "I'm sorry. I know my words just now were selfish, but I really couldn't hold back."

"Shang Yanxiao, from childhood until now, I've never truly feared anything. Only this time, I, I can't use reason to support your decision."

Shang Yanxiao decisively held him in his embrace, his emotions more complex than ever before.

On one hand was his confirmed lover, and on the other was his blood-related younger brother. He couldn't bear to let Bai Xu panic, yet he also couldn't abandon Shang Queyan.

Bai Xu felt the warmth of his lover's embrace, felt his suppressed and silent breathing, and resigned himself to closing his eyes, "I can't stop you, can I?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao kissed his hair tenderly, speaking with difficulty, "A' Xu, Queyan can't escape. That's a fact."

Shang Qishun wasn't a fool. Even kidnapping a normal person required ensuring they couldn't escape, much less kidnapping someone like Shang Queyan?

The latter's prosthetic leg would definitely be removed and thrown far away at the first opportunity. Without someone to rescue him, the other party had no possibility of escape.

"I'm going to save him. At least then he has a chance, and I, I still have a chance too, don't I?"

"......"

The spacious bedroom gradually became oppressive with silence.

Bai Xu leaned against Shang Yanxiao's chest without moving, simply listening quietly to his steady heartbeat, one after another.

Until it quietly merged with his own heartbeat, inseparable from each other, time seeming to pass for a long while, yet appearing to reach a decision in just a brief moment.

Bai Xu reached up and placed his hand on Shang Yanxiao's back, patting it gently in a soothing manner. His throat seemed to be blocked, and he had to use all his strength to squeeze out a word of consent.

"Alright."

"......"

Bai Xu withdrew from his embrace and made a decisive statement, "But I'm going with you."

Shang Yanxiao's brow immediately furrowed again, "A' Xu."

"You have no reason to stop me."

Bai Xu had made up his mind, and reason once again triumphed over emotion, "I've been involved in everything that's happened this past year. Shang Qishun not only hates you and Queyan thoroughly, he hates me just as much."

"Since he could hire Old Yue to drive a car into someone, he could definitely hire other underworld people now."

"He wants you to bring money and find Queyan, saying it plainly, he wants to seize the chance to retaliate. If that's the case, why couldn't I go?"

If he could take the opportunity to 'retaliate against' one more person, how could Shang Qishun possibly refuse?

Shang Yanxiao understood perfectly. His voice tightened, "It's too dangerous. You're not allowed to..."

Bai Xu suddenly tilted his head and kissed Shang Yanxiao, though 'kiss' wasn't quite the word for it. It was more like an unconventional punishment for venting his emotions.

The pain on his lower lip suddenly struck, while his teeth and tongue were tangled with the taste of blood. Beneath the 'savagery' was a tenderness that couldn't be refused.

Bai Xu forcefully blocked Shang Yanxiao's mouth, and after half a minute, he pulled back with unwilling defiance, "Stop wasting time here with me!"

"You didn't listen when I told you not to go, so don't expect to control me either!"

"You've already figured out that his prosthetic leg will be thrown away by them. Even if you go to trade for him, have you thought about how he's supposed to escape? Do you think Shang Qishun and his men would be so kind as to send Queyan back?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao, knowing he couldn't change his lover's mind, had his brow full of helplessness.

—Buzz, buzz.

His phone received an SMS notification, from that virtual number again.

Just as Shang Qishun had instructed on the phone, five foreign accounts, with an additional note attached below:

"Transfer on time every hour. Don't try any tricks. I'll send you the final address in segments, route by route. Remember, the moment I discover police presence nearby, all you'll see is your brother's corpse."

Bai Xu also caught sight of the message content and made a decisive decision, "Don't bother trying to persuade me anymore. You can't persuade me. Use this time to get the money ready instead."

"What about Xie Qi? Have him contact the police quietly. At least we need to have a backup plan for the ransom exchange."

Shang Qishun was ruthless enough, but Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu weren't the kind to be slaughtered without resistance!

As long as the money transaction went through, the police and relevant authorities could lock down the accounts, and it would make it easier to freeze and recover the ransom later.

The two exchanged a glance and understood each other's thoughts.

Shang Yanxiao's expression shifted slightly, "Alright."

...

The night was longer than ever before.

At the junction between the capital and Langshi, there was a desolate and abandoned forging factory.

The height difference between the first and second floors was nearly five meters. The cement on the surrounding walls was already covered with mold stains, emitting a stench accumulated over many years.

To avoid detection, only one battery-powered light was on in the second floor, casting an extremely limited dim glow that only made the factory appear more cavernous and gloomy.

Shang Queyan was bound at the wrists and lay on the ground, breathing painfully and with restraint.

Below his empty pant leg was stained with blood, and his face and forehead were similarly covered in wounds. If it were an ordinary person, they would have passed out by now.

But Shang Queyan forced himself to stay conscious by any means necessary. He knew that once he lost consciousness, it would only increase the danger for both himself and his older brother.

Around him crouched two thugs, and two more were watching the surroundings. They were all hired by Shang Qishun to do the job.

Tap—tap—tap—

Footsteps echoed on the cement stairs, making a grinding noise.

Shang Queyan's eyes snapped into sharper focus, his gaze fixed firmly in that direction—

Probably because the signal in the factory wasn't good, starting from midnight, Shang Qishun had to go outside with his phone every hour. This was the fifth time he'd gone up and down.

Shang Qishun walked up, and after several days away, he had completely shed his former pretense of refinement and civility—

His eye sockets were filled with bloodshot red, and his dark circles were frighteningly heavy. The stubble on his chin had completely grown out, and his entire face displayed a terrifying pallor.

And most shocking were his hands—

His already disabled right hand was completely wrapped in thick gauze, his left hand in a similarly wretched state, with only his thumb and ring finger remaining.

The gauze on both hands was seeping blood, clearly not properly treated.

Shang Qishun met Shang Queyan's unyielding gaze on the ground and sneered, "You've held on this long without passing out? Shang Queyan, you really are a tough bone."

He had only told Shang Yanxiao that he would keep Shang Queyan alive, but made no promise not to torture him.

From the moment Shang Queyan was brought before him, all the hatred Shang Qishun had accumulated over recent days had found an outlet.

He first had his men beat Shang Queyan half to death, then threw away his prosthetic leg and ordered the others to drag him across the rough cement floor, scraping his stump relentlessly until it was a bloody mess.

Shang Qishun simply wanted Shang Queyan to experience the same piercing pain he was enduring now!

Despite all this, Shang Queyan endured the severe pain and held on until now.

Shang Queyan forced himself to prop up his upper body, "Shang Qishun, you, you can't threaten my older brother with me. I'll drag this out with you till death!"

The murderous intent on Shang Qishun's face erupted again. With both hands in severe pain and inconvenient, he directly stomped down hard on Shang Queyan.

"Ah—"

Shang Queyan gritted his teeth, managing to lock the pain in his throat.

Shang Qishun looked down at him condescendingly, "Don't think I won't dare kill you!"

The reason he kept Shang Queyan alive was not only to threaten Shang Yanxiao into paying on time, but more importantly to lure the latter here.

Because the person he hated most, the one he most wished to kill, was only Shang Yanxiao!

"You don't want your older brother to take the risk, but he can't let you go. Just wait, Shang Yanxiao will be here soon."

Shang Qishun lifted his foot and glanced twice at the small window on the factory wall. The sky had gradually transitioned from pitch black to deep blue. Before long, the night would be over.

But for him, darkness would never pass.

The walkie-talkie placed on the abandoned machinery crackled twice, and the voice of someone watching outside came through, "Boss Shang, the person you've been waiting for has arrived. But it's two people."

One of his subordinates, with keen awareness, pressed the walkie-talkie's communication button and proactively held it out to Shang Qishun.

"Two."

"That's right, he says his name is Bai Xu."

"Are there any cops?"

"No, not a single police car around, and no other suspicious personnel either."

"Search them thoroughly, then bring them over."

"Yes."

About ten minutes later, footsteps sounded on the stairs.

Due to prolonged severe pain, Shang Queyan's vision had become blurred. He struggled to make out the figures on the stairs, his voice hoarse and weak, "Brother..."

As soon as Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu reached the second floor, they saw Shang Queyan's pitiful state.

"Queyan!"

Shang Yanxiao's expression suddenly darkened, and he took large strides to his younger brother's side, "Queyan? You... what happened to you?"

Bai Xu saw the blood trails on the cement floor from dragging and his grip on the box tightened fiercely, "Shang Qishun, your methods are absolutely despicable!"

"Ha, say what you like," Shang Qishun eyed the box in Bai Xu's hand, silently signaling his men to grab it, "Where's the cash I want?"

Bai Xu sensed his intention and, quick on his feet, protected the box and moved closer to Shang Yanxiao.

Shang Yanxiao supported the barely conscious Shang Queyan in his arms and stated the conditions he had already decided on, "I'll give you the cash, but I need to make sure Queyan leaves first!"

Shang Qishun narrowed his eyes, "Shang Yanxiao, you're not in a position to negotiate with me!"

Shang Yanxiao faced his hatred directly, "Don't forget, international transfers have transaction time limits. Even if the money shows as processing, but five large transfers in a short period will only be flagged by the system as a problematic transaction."

"Once the account is frozen, do you think you'll be able to get every penny?"

They had guessed that Shang Qishun's short-term plan couldn't be perfectly executed. There was no way he could find a money laundering team to move the funds a second time.

For instance, right now. Even if he desperately needed large amounts of cash to flee, what he could actually take away was limited.

Bai Xu added, "Oh right, the account the transfer goes to is under Queyan's name."

In other words, only if they let Shang Queyan go and let the other party personally confirm the transaction was normal would this large sum of money actually successfully arrive.

Shang Qishun hadn't anticipated being outmaneuvered by them even now. The frustration in his chest surged again.

"You two really aren't afraid of death?"

"We wouldn't be here if we were!"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao surveyed the surrounding situation and made his demand, "I'll stay here. Bai Xu takes this box, and you send one more person to carry Queyan. The three of them leave from here!"

Bai Xu's expression changed dramatically. This was completely different from their original plan!

Shang Yanxiao sensed his lover's gaze but didn't stop his plan, "Our car is parked at the intersection. As soon as they get in the car, Bai Xu will naturally hand over this box of cash to your men."

"By then, for the sake of my safety, Queyan will also confirm the transfer transaction."

Shang Qishun was unwilling to have control wrested from him again by Shang Yanxiao and gritted his teeth in hatred, "Shang Yanxiao, you..."

Shang Yanxiao cut him off coldly and harshly, "Either we all die together today, or you do as I say!"

"Shang Qishun, I'm willing to stay here as your hostage. What are you afraid of? Isn't it me you want to retaliate against?"

Shang Qishun fell silent, weighing the situation. Finally, he could only grit his teeth and instruct his most trusted man, Old San, "Let them go!"

He looked at Bai Xu, a warning and a threat, "Within ten minutes, if I don't see the money in this box, he dies."

"Before nine in the morning, if the funds have any problems and don't successfully unfreeze and arrive, he also dies!"

Bai Xu's breath trembled, seeming as though he wanted to say something more.

Shang Yanxiao had already made up his mind and quietly signaled, "A' Xu, Queyan's condition can't be dragged out any longer. You take him and leave first."

Shang Queyan's consciousness was gradually collapsing, "I, I won't..."

"Go!"

Shang Yanxiao freed one hand to grasp Bai Xu's ice-cold wrist, "Listen to me."

Bai Xu knew what was urgent and important, and forcibly suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart, "Alright."

He stood up, gripping the heavy box tightly, his face frozen like frost, "Shang Qishun, if you dare lay a hand on him after I leave! Don't expect to live!"

They had come this far. Who wasn't gambling with their life?

Shang Qishun raised his eyebrows coldly, and the remaining three subordinates immediately pulled out their control knives, without exception pointing them at Shang Yanxiao.

The cold blade pressed against his neck, and one light slash could end his life at any moment.

"......"

"Same to you both. You better not try any tricks on me."

...

The morning light was grey and dim, neither fully light nor dark.

Shang Queyan was placed in the passenger seat. While Bai Xu fastened his seatbelt, he whispered in his ear, "Queyan, listen—"

"There's a tracker in the car. In at most five more minutes, Xie Qi and the others will come rescue you! Just hold on!"

Shang Queyan, in his daze, sensed something and wanted to struggle and speak, but was powerless.

Bai Xu knew full well that Shang Yanxiao's move was to leave an escape route for him and Shang Queyan, but he had no intention of taking it, "Queyan, I have to go back and find your brother. I won't leave him alone."

Even in death, he had to go with Shang Yanxiao!

Bai Xu made his decision and firmly shut the car door. He walked back around to the driver's side door and met the gaze of Old San, who was standing with a stern face.

Old San stared at the suitcase in his hand and gestured expressionlessly, "Give it to me. You go."

Bai Xu, seeing that Old San unexpectedly showed no intention of making a move, wavered slightly in his mind, but instead gripped the suitcase tighter and refused to let go.

Old San noticed his non-compliance, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing else. I'm going back with you."

Bai Xu had another plan in mind and spoke directly, "How much did Shang Qishun pay you?"

"......"

"No matter how much he paid you, I'll pay five times. Want to make a deal?"

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