Chapter 114: A Lesson

As soon as the car door slammed shut, the driver sped away. Seeing that he was surrounded by unfamiliar, grim-faced men in black, Li Yong sensed something was wrong and hurriedly shouted, "Stop! Stop the car! I want to get out!"

*Smack!* Without a word, the man sitting to Li Yong’s left landed a heavy slap across his face, so forceful that it immediately drew blood from his nose.

Li Yong covered his face, dazed, and stammered, "What... what are you doing? Isn't... isn't this about the money?"

The man grabbed Li Yong by the hair, yanked him over, and delivered another brutal slap to his other cheek. "Damn you, you bastard! You didn't even check where you were before trying to pull a shakedown. Do you think money in Jincheng is that easy to come by?"

Li Yong suddenly realized that this must have been orchestrated by Zhang Can or Zhu Senlin back at the Old Stone Studio. It was likely both of them. As he thought about it, a wave of fear washed over him. Back in his hometown, he had seen plenty of how the underworld and the powerful operated; money and connections were the only laws that mattered. Zhu Senlin was undoubtedly a wealthy man, and such people always had their ways. Dealing with an outsider like him—someone with no money and no influence—would be a piece of cake. More importantly, he had no moral high ground; he was the one attempting extortion. No matter how the situation was framed, he was in the wrong.

Li Yong understood perfectly. He had often participated in such bullying tactics himself. If a wealthy person was in the right, it was even easier for them. In this case, Zhu Senlin was clearly in the right. If they dragged him to the police station, he could be charged with a serious crime. Depending on the amount involved—he had demanded two million in the shop—he could easily be looking at five or six years in prison, even in a major city like Jincheng.

Of course, with the right connections and backing, such matters could be dismissed as trivial. It all depended on how the case was handled and quantified.

Li Yong wouldn't have been afraid of being taken to a police station—at least there, if you told the truth, you wouldn't be beaten. But if these men were members of the underworld, he was finished.

Underworld thugs were mercenaries. As long as the boss paid, they would do the dirty work. They were ruthless and wouldn't hesitate to hack off a limb.

After the two slaps left him reeling, and realizing these men were mobsters, Li Yong panicked. He desperately searched for a way to escape. He didn't see Zhang Can in the car; if he were here, he could at least beg for mercy. Besides, Zhang Can’s family was still back in their hometown. If he offended them too deeply, while they might not be able to touch him in Jincheng, they could easily make life miserable for his family back home.

He had no idea where the car was headed or what they would do to him—toss him into the sea or bury him alive in the mountains? The thought made him tremble. A man like him, the more of a scoundrel he was, the more he feared death. A miserable life was better than no life at all.

He didn't dare to ask again. Every time he spoke, these strangers responded with slaps rather than words. It was clear they were targeting him specifically. They had lured him out with the promise of five hundred thousand—how could he have been so naive to believe them?

Li Yong regretted it bitterly, but he knew even if he hadn't gone with them, they would have forced him. Against so many of them, he stood no chance. He was certain they had no qualms about using violence; after all, he had done the same thing back home with local thugs.

If they took him away, a brutal beating was the best he could hope for. At worst, his life was hanging by a thread. Because of his terror, he remained silent, and his quietness spared him further beatings.

Zhang Can was actually in the car behind Li Yong’s, but his treatment was entirely different. While Li Yong suffered blows and pain, those around Zhang Can were respectful, not daring to step out of line.

The three cars left the city, heading toward increasingly desolate areas. Eventually, they reached a place where no houses were in sight, with only wild, overgrown hills and dense thickets on either side of the road.

When the cars stopped, the two men beside Li Yong opened the doors and stepped out. They looked back at him and barked, "Get out!"

Li Yong was trembling uncontrollably. This place was terrifying—a perfect spot to be buried alive. Even if they dug a pit and buried him, the police would never know because no one would report him missing. Liu Xiaoli probably wished he would just vanish.

"What... what are you doing?" Seeing the deserted wilderness, Li Yong nearly collapsed. He asked in a panic, wanting to plead, but he had no money to offer these people. In this situation, words were useless compared to cash. After all, wasn't everyone in the underworld driven by money?

But as an extortionist, Li Yong was penniless. He couldn't exactly promise to pay them once his extortion succeeded. Besides, the person he had tried to extort was clearly connected to these men.

The other two cars pulled up, and seven or eight men climbed out of each. Zhang Can stepped out as well.

Seeing Zhang Can, Li Yong scrambled to say, "Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law, save me..."

*Smack! Smack! Smack!*

Then came the *thuds* of boots hitting flesh. Several men rushed forward, beating and kicking Li Yong mercilessly while cursing.

"Brother-in-law? Have you lost your mind? Who is your brother-in-law?"

"Beat him to death! This kid doesn't know his place. Maybe we should just kill him and dump him in a ditch..."

The beating continued. Li Yong didn't even dare to scream, only whimpering in pain. Every time he made a sound, the kicks and slaps only became more vicious.

Out here, they had no fear of being discovered. Even if he screamed his lungs out, no one would hear. They unleashed their fury without restraint.

Zhang Can stood at a distance, hands behind his back, remaining indifferent. A man like this deserved no sympathy. If he wasn't taught a proper lesson, he would only harass Liu Xiaoli even more aggressively. Now that Liu Xiaoli was staying with him, having this man constantly pestering her would be a nightmare.

The men circled Li Yong, kicking and punching until he was rolling on the ground. They were experienced; they avoided his vital organs, focusing on areas that would cause excruciating pain without being lethal.

Eventually, the men grew tired and stopped to catch their breath. Li Yong, seizing the moment, crawled up and stumbled toward Zhang Can. "Brother... no, no, Brother Zhang... save me! I won't do it again! I’ll leave Jincheng immediately..."

Zhang Can waved his hand at the men who were moving to intercept Li Yong. "Fine, let me talk to him first." He looked coldly at Li Yong. "Make a promise, Li Yong. Leave Jincheng at once. If I see you again, I can't guarantee your safety."

"I promise, I promise..." Li Yong stammered, his expression frantic. Zhang Can suspected that Li Yong would agree to anything just to survive, making his words unreliable. If he weren't fearing for his life, his word might have meant something.

Zhang Can had no experience with such things, but the men who had brought Li Yong were seasoned. They saw right through him.

One of the men gave a sinister grin and pulled out a dagger. The blade glinted, looking incredibly sharp. He smiled at Li Yong and gestured.

Immediately, two men rushed forward, hauled Li Yong up, and slammed him back onto the ground. Two more joined them, pinning his arms and legs down tight.

Li Yong was terrified out of his wits. He knew exactly what was coming. "Boss, please! Let me go! I promise I'll leave, I’ll never show my face here again... Oh! My god!"

Before he could finish, a piercing scream echoed. The man with the knife stepped on Li Yong’s hand and slashed down, severing his thumb and index finger. The pain of losing those two vital fingers on his right hand was agonizing.

The men released him. The one who had wielded the blade sneered, "Listen, Li. This is just a warning. You can go to the police if you want, but if you have any brain left, you’ll realize that your extortion attempt could get you ten years. Losing two fingers is a small price to pay. If you show your face in Jincheng again to harass people, next time it won't just be two fingers. Got it, asshole?"

As he said "asshole," he delivered a brutal kick to Li Yong’s thigh. Li Yong barely reacted; the pain of his severed fingers was far worse.

Li Yong was truly broken now. Seeing the blood gushing from his hand, he realized he would die here if he didn't stop the bleeding. He frantically tore a piece of his clothing to bind the wound.

Zhang Can pulled a stack of cash from his pocket—a few thousand yuan—and tossed it in front of Li Yong. "Take this to treat your wounds and buy a ticket home. If you ever appear in Jincheng again, I can't guarantee your safety."

"Yes, yes, I understand! I’ll leave Jincheng right now!" Li Yong managed to choke out through the pain. He knew the situation clearly: if he stayed, these people wouldn't let him off. They might not dare to kill him, but they would certainly have no problem taking more fingers, or blinding or crippling him. He had always prided himself on his appearance, but now he was a cripple with a maimed right hand.