Chapter 688 Dark Forces
The others’ faces changed upon hearing this. They didn’t realize the Zhang Family had such capabilities, having thought Mr. Zhang was just a rich and pampered young man and didn’t dare to offend the police. But now it seemed they couldn’t afford to offend the people of the underworld either, given the immense power behind them—and they had already kidnapped the family’s son.
"Isn’t this adding frost to snow?" Lao Si cursed under his breath before glancing at Zhang Xu, whose face was filled with a humiliated expression and looked particularly unhappy. It was then that Lao Si remembered that one of his men had kicked Zhang Xu to the ground and brutally humiliated him.
Could they still return peacefully after that? The more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. Zhang Xu was already enraged and humiliated. If they released him, they could all face utter ruin. In that case, they might as well finish him off cleanly. The thought of the Zhang Family’s pursuit still terrified him.
If they could just eliminate the hostage quickly, they might be able to return quickly. But the immediate problem was how to quickly escape the police encirclement. Regardless of the Zhang Family’s power, if the police caught them, the Zhang Family would surely make their time in prison miserable.
It seemed they had no choice but to trust their second elder brother. If they could exchange him for their second brother, there might still be hope. Everyone hesitated, wondering whether to go through with it, except for one person who remained the calmest—Lao Er.
"Second brother, it’s not that we don’t want to rescue you," they begged Lao Er humbly. "We just had no choice at the beginning, only thought of avenging you later. It wasn’t our intention to abandon you. We are now at our wits’ end; please save us. We are willing to do as you say. Please forgive us and let go of these grievances."
Lao Er nearly laughed at the scene unfolding before him. If he hadn’t spoken up, they probably wouldn’t have realized their mistake, still smugly thinking they could escape unscathed and leaving him, their strategist, behind as if they were unparalleled under the heavens. Fools.
He had not planned on speaking, but since Lin Qi mentioned a chance for cooperation, he had thought about abandoning them. But indeed, he had a plan that required sacrificing all of them to fulfill a grander scheme—something the boss wouldn’t blame him for.
Lao Er’s plan was detailed and involved using Lin Qi. He could tell she was smart, and after this was over, he would definitely meet with Lin Qi alone to see if further communication was possible.
If she was willing to join their organization, they would be much stronger for it. It was clear this girl was different and no small talent, managing to take one of theirs hostage. At worst, she couldn’t be too bad. Now, he was just sacrificing them to give Lin Qi a little gift.