Chapter 132:

Xu Chuan could not understand what kind of relationship existed between Lin Qin and Fu Juxing, for Fu Juxing to be willing to offend others just to rescue someone.

A boss could afford to be muddle-headed, but as assistants, they could not afford such carelessness.

At present, Juwan had only just established a firm foothold in Hong Kong and Macau. Under the interference of Li Ting, the network of connections had been painstakingly built. If they pulled a stunt like this, wouldn't it be equivalent to rendering all their previous efforts null and void?

The people from the Yuan family were sitting tight, yet they were taking the initiative to strike first. This was simply too impulsive.

Even though they might not necessarily lose if a real fight broke out, why provoke a conflict that was clearly avoidable and offered zero benefits?

After pondering for a moment, Xu Chuan reported the whole matter to Yu Zhi.

Hoping to brainstorm a good solution, Yu Zhi asked him to send over Lin Qin's profile.

Upon taking a look, the other side immediately understood why Fu Juxing was acting so abnormally. Or rather, this could hardly be considered abnormal; it was a normal phenomenon.

For the sake of Lin Wanbai, Fu Juxing was capable of doing anything. If he were truly afraid of offending people, he would never have reached his current position.

Yet, as an old saying goes, conquering a realm is easy, but ruling it is difficult.

By now, his way of handling matters remained unchanged from the past, which was perhaps somewhat inappropriate. Furthermore, this was all for the sake of a woman. If things continued this way, he would first lose the loyalty of his people, and then he would lose everything.

Over the phone, Xu Chuan said, "What should we do now? I certainly don't advise doing this, but the boss is extremely determined."

Yu Zhi pondered. At that moment, Ke Nian walked in, and Yu Zhi swiftly hung up the call, clearing the information on his computer screen as well.

Ke Nian rubbed his shoulders. "What are you up to? You didn't even respond when I called you for dinner."

"It's nothing. I'm coming right now."

Ke Nian craned his neck to glance at the computer. "Everything alright?"

"What could possibly be wrong?"

"How is Xing-ge doing over there?"

"He's taking care of the kid."

Ke Nian chuckled. "I really am curious what Xing-ge looks like when he's taking care of a kid. Once this current mission is wrapped up, shall we go over and take a look?"

"We'll see when the time comes. We might not have that kind of time. Don't forget, apart from Xing-ge, JW is currently being managed by someone else. Right now, Xing-ge is wholly devoted to pursuing a woman; he has neither the time nor the inclination to worry about other matters."

Hearing this, Ke Nian's smile faded slightly. He gave Yu Zhi a deep look and smiled, "You seem to have a hidden meaning behind those words. Old Wen handles things quite reliably, and a lot of the people in the group respect him. Besides, he's a veteran within the group; he's fully qualified to be the second-in-command."

"Of course he's qualified. No one is more qualified than he is. Not only is he capable of acting as this second-in-command, but he's even capable of taking the boss's place."

"Pff, you shouldn't talk nonsense like that."

Yu Zhi smiled slightly. "I was just speaking casually, you don't have to take it seriously."

"Of course I won't take it seriously. It's a good thing you're only saying this to me. If these words reached someone else's ears and got back to Old Wen, you'd be in for a rough time."

"Ke Nian, whose person am I?"

Ke Nian paused for a fraction of a second, instantly grasping the implication behind his words. As Fu Juxing's direct subordinate, even if those words reached Old Wen's ears, Old Wen had no authority to take action against him.

Yu Zhi said, "Look at your own instinctive reaction—doesn't that show whose popularity runs deeper within the group right now?"

Ke Nian shook his head. "That's just habit. Originally, Old Wen and Xing-ge stood on equal footing—one handling internal affairs and the other external. Only through seamless cooperation did JW achieve its status in the underworld today. No matter what, Xing-ge is the founder; no one could ever replace him."

"I hope so too."

Ke Nian said, "These are not things we should be worrying about. I believe Xing-ge is a man of discretion. Every single thing he sets out to do succeeds. I believe no one can replace his position. If it were so easy to replace him, someone would have done it long ago."

With that, he stepped forward and threw an arm around Yu Zhi's shoulders. "We just need to do things according to Xing-ge's instructions. All these thoughts of yours are things we have no business pondering. You, my friend, always overthink. Why think so much about all this?"

Yu Zhi glanced at him sideways and smiled. "Indeed, I think too much, while you think too little."

"Just let nature take its course. Hesitating and looking backward gets nothing done. Life right now isn't bad either; at least for the moment, I don't want to change it. Living a mediocre life is a lifetime, and living a life of risky thrills is also a lifetime. I prefer the latter." He grinned and tapped Yu Zhi's shoulder with his finger. "Of course, your ambition is much greater than mine, which is why you think a lot more than I do."

Their eyes met. After a mutual glance, Ke Nian let go of his arm and walked out first.

Anyone who managed to enter JW was certainly no innocent and naive fool.

Yu Zhi lowered his gaze to glance at his phone. After a moment of thought, he tapped on the messaging app, replied to Xu Chuan, and instructed him to act according to Fu Juxing's wishes.

...

When Lin Wanbai regained consciousness, she found herself suspended in mid-air by a crane, with an unfinished construction site directly below her.

Her eyes were blindfolded with a black cloth strip, and her entire body was bound tightly like a mummy, making even the slightest struggle difficult. The ropes were tied all the way up to her neck.

The sound of howling wind roared in her ears, blowing her hair into a messy tangle. Whenever she shifted even slightly, she would swing back and forth.

Her abdomen ached sharply. Although Lin Wanbai could not see anything, she could vaguely sense that she was hanging in the air, though the exact height remained uncertain.

"It looks like she's finally awake."

She didn't know who was speaking, and immediately afterward, someone pulled her backward. Within moments, she felt a pair of hands grab her arms, and the next second, the blindfold over her eyes was ripped away.

The very instant she opened her eyes, she was violently hurled forward, and the rope suspending her began to swing in wide, sweeping arcs.

Lin Wanbai instantly realized that she had been hoisted by the crane to a height level with the top floors of the building. There were no other safety measures whatsoever—only a single rope holding her suspended. The people who had tied her here were watching her from the opposite floor.

Because it was nighttime and the lighting was poor, she could not make out their faces.

Moreover, swinging back and forth in the open air like a pendulum at such a terrifying height was enough to scare someone out of their wits.

Roughly estimating, she was suspended at a height equivalent to the twentieth floor. The cars on the street below looked like tiny toy cars, and despite the city's hustle and bustle, no one down below noticed Lin Wanbai up in the night sky.

Fortunately, Lin Wanbai did not suffer from a fear of heights; otherwise, she surely would have died of fright right then and there.

Yet even without acrophobia, her current situation was enough to curdle anyone's blood. Lin Wanbai could not stop screaming, completely losing control of her voice.

Hearing her terrified shrieks, the people inside the building burst into laughter. After letting her swing like this for a while, Old He raised a hand and said, "Pull him back in."

Receiving the order, the men standing near the edge of the floor grabbed the rope and hauled her back inward.

A moment later, she was hauled across and made to stand on the concrete ledge.

As Lin Wanbai steadied herself, she heard a hooliganish voice nearby say, "This guy is as light as a woman." With that, the man grabbed her by the jaw, forced her face upward, and inspected her closely. "Well, well, he really does look like a sissy. Take a look, Boss."

"If he were a woman, things would be much easier to handle."

Only two men were sitting over there. One of them Lin Wanbai recognized—it was Old He.

The other man she had never met before, but since she had thoroughly organized the Yuan family's network of connections beforehand, she recognized him as well: the current head of the He family. She also recalled that he had once been on good terms with Elder Yuan, though their relationship had subsequently grown distant due to some private matters. Ever since then, the two families' seats at banquets and events were kept far apart. No one knew exactly what had caused the falling out between the two families back then, but everyone was well aware of the estrangement.

When the two patriarchs were still in power, they had maintained a facade of harmony while harboring different loyalties. By the time the power passed to their sons, things remained relatively peaceful, though without any further interaction. Now, down to the grandson generation—the current head sitting here—he was notorious for loving to stir up trouble.

Ever since he took power, the two families had already accumulated quite a few major and minor conflicts.

Old He had correctly calculated that this young Master He was a troublemaker who loved to watch the world burn, and who harbored the keenest interest in the Yuan family's affairs. Sure enough, his provocation hit the bullseye right away.

Besides, in his eyes, Lin Qin was an insignificant nobody with no background whatsoever, possessing nothing more than an impressive resume. Such people were the easiest to manipulate. If Fu Yanchuan were to step in to manage things, it would look petty and show a lack of respect for his elders.

As long as it didn't cost someone their life, anything went.

There were so many ways to toy with people; it just depended on how tough this kid's skin really was.

Old He picked up a bottle of chili water from the side and walked over to stand in front of Lin Wanbai. "You've got some backbone, I'll give you that. Actually, I like people with backbone the most, and my absolute favorite thing is making people with backbone bend the knee. Today, let's see how tough your bones really are, Lin Qin. I've prepared plenty of games to play with you, so you must not disappoint me."

He chuckled, lifting his chin to signal the man beside him.

That man grabbed a handful of Lin Wanbai's hair, forcing her head up.

She frowned and looked at Old He. "If senior wishes to play games, as juniors, of course we must accompany you. It all depends on how big senior dares to play. As long as you aren't afraid of the consequences, I will certainly stay with you to the very end!"

"Oh? Quite the tough guy, are you? Fine, let's play then. What do I have to be afraid of losing? As long as you dare, as long as you have the guts, I'll play any game you want with you." He raised the cup in his hand, gently swirling the liquid inside, and said, "Let's start with a cup of your grandfather's specialty secret chili water. I guarantee you'll love it."

As he spoke, his tone abruptly chilled. "Pry his eyes open for me."

"Don't do that, Old He. I think this guy's face is exceptionally pretty. If you pour that into his eyes, he won't look so good anymore later on."

"What?"

"Why don't we pour it into his mouth this time? Once you've had your fun playing, Old He, can you lend him to me for a day? I promise I won't break him."

Old He raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue. "I never took you for someone who swings that way?"

"Old Zhu has always batted for both teams, Old He. Did you only just find out?"

"Fine, fine, fine." Too lazy to continue arguing with him, Old He handed over the chili water and walked away.

This fellow called Old Zhu really was a pighead—not only was he fat and bloated, but his nose was remarkably large and slightly upturned, making him uglier than Zhu Bajie. Lin Wanbai felt like vomiting just looking at him.

Old Zhu rubbed his pig-like claws across her face and purred, "Little cutie, open your mouth nicely. If you're not a good boy, you're going to suffer later on, oh."

Lin Wanbai forced a smile. "How about you drink it for me instead? If you do, I'll serve you and make you happy later. How does that sound?"

"Can't do that. Who told you to offend Old He?"

"If I hadn't offended Old He, how would you have ever met me?" Forcing down her nausea, Lin Wanbai continued, "If they play with me until I'm half-dead later, how am I supposed to serve you?"

Old Zhu burst into a cackling laugh, planted a ferocious kiss right on her cheek, and said, "Alright, alright, alright. I'll go beg for mercy and see how it goes."

With that, he handed the chili water to someone else, walked over to Young Master He and Old He with a fawning grin, squatted down before Old He, rubbed his nose, lifted his chin, and wheedled, "Old He, how about doing me a favor?"

Young Master He had already caught onto the scheme. With a cigar pinched between his fingers, he chuckled with a shrug, suddenly lashed out with his foot, and kicked Old Zhu. "I told you to cut out the lust, but here you go again! Haven't you suffered enough because of your womanizing?"

"A leopard can't change its spots, but I've already restrained myself quite a bit! Still, this one is an absolute top-tier delicacy—better looking than any woman, and even smells wonderful to boot. If you don't believe me, ask Old He."

Young Master He glanced in Lin Wanbai's direction, but because the lighting was poor, he couldn't see clearly.

At that moment, Old Zhu used his head to block the view. "Master, don't look. Don't go stealing him from me."

Young Master He slapped him across the head. "Get lost! Do you take me for someone like you?"

Old Zhu scurried back to Old He. "How about this then? Consider this a favor I, Old Zhu, owe you. Whatever you need in the future, I, Old Zhu, will unconditionally agree to it, and you hand this person over to me. A night of bliss awaits—it's already dark, time to go to bed and sleep."

"Handing him over to you isn't out of the question, but you have to make him behave. If you can make him obedient, anything goes."

"Don't worry, once he's Old Zhu's man, how could he dare disobey you? From now on, whatever you say goes, he won't cause you any more trouble."

"I'll take your word for it for now. He's yours for tonight; we'll see how it goes afterward. If the results are no good, I'll deal with you right along with him."

"Yes, yes, yes! Absolutely!"

Beaming with delight, Old Zhu turned back to Young Master He. "Master, you saw that Old He agreed. You wouldn't want to make things difficult for me, would you?"

"Get lost!"

Before the words had even faded, Old Zhu scampered over on all fours and frantically set to work untying the ropes binding Lin Wanbai. However, because there were so many wrappings, it took him quite a while to get her loose.

Afterward, Old Zhu hoisted Lin Wanbai over his shoulder and took the construction elevator down.

Once they reached the ground floor, he couldn't wait any longer, tossing her straight into a car intending to have his way with her.

Lin Wanbai scanned her surroundings. Taking advantage of the moment he was unbuckling his belt, she waited for the exact second his belt slipped free, moved with lightning speed to snatch the leather belt from his hand, and without a moment's hesitation, whipped it fiercely across his face, following up by kicking him squarely in the groin.

She held nothing back, putting one hundred percent of her strength into the blow. Old Zhu was completely stunned by the strike, and taking a direct hit to his vital spot, he instantly collapsed to his knees, clutching his crotch as he let out a howling screech.

Lin Wanbai quickly scrambled out of the car. There were no lights around, and the ground was uneven.

Yet Old Zhu was no slouch either. Before Lin Wanbai could even run off, her thigh was grabbed in a tight grip, and the next second, a powerful yank dragged her crashing down onto the hard ground.

No matter how much she had trained, running into a seasoned fighter meant she was still no match for them—especially since her combat skills had not yet reached the level of Ji Jie's.

She had to rely on quick wits; fighting head-on gave her absolutely zero chance of winning.

She hadn't expected this pig-headed man to recover so quickly. Didn't men get incapacitated for quite a while when kicked in the crotch?

Old Zhu roared, "You're refusing a toast only to drink a forfeiture! Did you really take me, Old Zhu, for a pig-brain?!"

Lin Wanbai weighed practically nothing. Old Zhu hoisted her up with one hand, threw her back into the vehicle, snatched back the leather belt, and without another word, lashed her fiercely across the body with it. Naturally, Lin Wanbai tried to resist, reaching out to grab the weapon. As her hands clenched tightly around it, the leather strap was violently jerked out from between her palms.

The speed was too fast, the force too great; virtually a layer of skin was scraped right off her palms.

Disregarding the pain, Lin Wanbai braced her hands against the doorframe, hoisted herself up with all her might, and delivered a kick straight toward his head.

Yet her ankle was caught mid-air, and she was slammed down onto the ground once more.

The uneven ground was littered with sharp gravel, which hurt agonizingly upon impact. Before Lin Wanbai could recover her breath, her hair was grabbed. Old Zhu, thoroughly enraged, exerted immense strength, dragging her by the hair toward a pitch-black corner nearby.

As soon as Lin Wanbai caught her breath, she began fighting back again, but she was suppressed every single time.

It was a merciless crushing defeat. Before long, she was dragged right up against the base of a wall, and Old Zhu aggressively moved in to tear at her clothes. Facing her relentless struggles, Old Zhu produced a thin length of cord from somewhere and tied her hands together.

Just as Old Zhu was about to make his move, a string of images flashed rapidly through Lin Wanbai's mind—images of herself similarly bound, while three men attempted to violate her.

"Boss, I've got some special pills here. Want to give them a try? Qiangzi gave them to me a couple of days ago, says they work wonders. Once you use them, a woman turns as soft as water and becomes completely obedient."

"Really? Then let's give it a try. Such a feisty one is indeed a tough nut to crack."

"Alright, I'll go feed her."

Two white pills had been forced into her mouth, while the three men stood by and waited for the drugs to take effect.

Lin Wanbai froze for a split second before snapping back to reality. By then, Old Zhu had already lunged at her. Right as she prepared to fight to the death, she caught sight of several dark figures flashing past as they rushed toward them. In the blink of an eye, Old Zhu was sent flying backward with a kick.

That kick carried a howling wind. Although Lin Wanbai didn't see it clearly, she could feel how vicious that impact was.

*Could Fu Yanchuan have come to rescue me?* she thought.

A wave of relief washed over her, but the next second, she was hoisted up by one of the shadowy figures and whisked away at top speed.

However, it was already too late. Alerted by the commotion, Young Master He's men were closing in.

Though the rescuers were few in number, their combat skills were extraordinary. Passing her along from one person to the next, Lin Wanbai was tossed into a waiting car. The doors slammed shut, and the driver immediately sped away.

The movements were lightning-fast and highly disciplined.

Remaining completely silent, Lin Wanbai slumped against the seat, holding her breath and steadying her nerves.

After an unknown length of time, the driver informed her that she was safe. Only then did Lin Wanbai slowly sit up straight and glance out the back window.

She asked no questions. The car drove all the way until it finally stopped right outside the entrance of her bachelor apartment building.

"You've arrived."

Lin Wanbai looked out, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Will those people..."

"Rest assured, you are safe."

"Alright." Lin Wanbai got out of the car, and the vehicle quickly drove away.

Without lingering, Lin Wanbai hurried upstairs. Once inside her home, she double-locked the door, shut all the windows, drew the curtains, and collapsed back onto the couch, letting out a long breath. Only now did the aches and pains all over her body register, with her palms burning like fire.

When she spread her hands open, she saw two deep gasps on her palms, oozing blood.

It would have been better not to look; the sight of those wounds instantly overwhelmed her with a throbbing pain that made her scalp tingle.

Retrieving her medical kit, she administered some simple first aid before sprawling weakly onto the floor. Staring blankly at the chandelier overhead, her heart pounded wildly. The memories that had surfaced in her panic were now etched vividly into her mind.

She could vividly recall her utter helplessness and despair back then; those emotions were so sharp and clear, as though they had happened only yesterday.

Tears slipped silently from the corners of her eyes, casting a heavy shade of gray over her heart.

She finally understood why Fu Yanchuan was unwilling to tell her everything.

Perhaps a vast portion of her lost memories consisted of deeply harrowing experiences.

Indeed, without any psychological preparation, those truths were truly difficult to bear.

So exhausted. She was so, so tired.

Lin Wanbai closed her eyes, feeling immensely distressed, as if something was tightly choking her throat and making it hard to breathe.

After an indeterminate amount of time, just as she was drifting into a haze, the doorbell rang. She snapped wide awake, instantly sitting upright. "Who is it?!"

No one answered, and the doorbell rang again. Straining herself to stand up, she walked over and peered through the peephole, seeing no one. Frowning in hesitation over whether she should open the door, the bell rang a third time.

She undid the primary locks, leaving the chain latch fastened, cracked the door open a sliver, and looked out. "Who's there?"

"It's me."

Through the gap, Lin Wanbai saw Fu Juxing.

He was dressed in casual attire, leaning on his walking stick as he stood quietly outside. He hadn't urged her to open up, simply looking at her through the door crack. "I waited for you all day, and you didn't answer my calls. Worried that something might have happened to you, I had someone look up your address. After thinking it over, I decided to come see for myself. Seeing that you're safe puts my mind at ease."

After a moment's thought, Lin Wanbai unlatched the remaining chain and let him inside.

"I ran into a small accident on the way, but fortunately I'm fine. I should have called you, but my phone got lost, and it completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

The door was wide open now; Lin Wanbai stood just inside while Fu Juxing stood outside.

Neither of them yielded space, nor did he explicitly ask to come in.

Fu Juxing nodded, his gaze restrainedly sweeping over her form. He saw her disheveled clothes, her swollen and bruised face, the split corner of her lips still seeping blood, and the white bandage on her right palm stained red.

His grip on the walking stick tightened. His thin lips pressed into a tight line, and after a silent pause, he asked in a calm voice, "You're injured. Shouldn't you go to the hospital?"

"It's nothing, just minor scrapes."

As her words fell, another silence descended.

Fu Juxing showed no intention of leaving; his feet wouldn't move, and his eyes refused to look away. "Are you home alone?"

Lin Wanbai nodded. "Yes."

"Do you have medicine?"

"I do."

"Then... allow me to tend to your wounds."

Lin Wanbai gave him a look, pondered for a moment, then nodded and stepped aside to let him enter.

A few minutes later, the two of them sat on the sofa. Fu Juxing meticulously tended to her wounds, and seeing that the bleeding had stopped, he didn't insist on dragging her off to the hospital.

After finishing with her hand, he gently dabbed at the cut on the corner of her lip.

The cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol touched the raw skin, doubling the pain.

Lin Wanbai instinctively clenched her hand into a fist. Moving with swift reflexes, Fu Juxing immediately caught her injured hand, saying, "Don't clench your fist. Hold onto me instead."

"No need, it doesn't hurt," Lin Wanbai uncurled her fingers and declared with a feigned expression of nonchalance.

Fu Juxing gazed at her slightly damp eyelashes. "Men feel pain too, so there's no need to be shy. If it hurts, just say so."

"It doesn't hurt," Lin Wanbai insisted.

Withdrawing his hand, Fu Juxing lacked the heart to continue torturing her and put the cotton swab down.

After a few silent seconds, they spoke almost simultaneously.

Fu Juxing: "Have you eaten?"

Lin Wanbai: "Thank you for your concern..."

Both of them started talking at once, then stopped at the same time. Exchanging a glance, Lin Wanbai managed a faint, pained smile. "I haven't, but I don't have much appetite right now anyway. Many thanks for Mr. Fu's concern. It looks like I won't be able to discuss the cooperation project with you anytime soon."

"It's fine. Have someone bring the letter of intent over tomorrow. I intended to award this business to your firm from the beginning."

"Really? That's wonderful then. Getting beaten up like this can almost be considered worth it."

"What kind of talk is that? It sounds as though I was the one who had you beaten."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

Lin Wanbai couldn't stretch her lips into a full expression; it hurt too much.

After sitting for a little longer, Fu Juxing stood up. "Alright, I'll be leaving first. Take good care of yourself."

"Thank you." Lin Wanbai stood up as well and escorted him to the door. "Goodbye, Mr. Fu."

"Mm. Get some rest. If you feel unwell, go to the hospital."

"Understood."

Lin Wanbai nodded.

After giving her one final look, Fu Juxing turned and walked toward the elevator lobby. Lin Wanbai retreated inside and shut the door.

She let out a long sigh of relief.

Not long after Fu Juxing left, Ye Qiu came knocking, bringing along some medicine and food.

The timing of this visit was remarkably precise.

As she ate her noodles, Lin Wanbai wondered if Ye Qiu had arrived any earlier, she might have run right into Fu Juxing. Yet Ye Qiu had deliberately waited until after Fu Juxing left—was it a mere coincidence, or...

Remaining silent, Ye Qiu simply sat across from her, watching her eat.

When she finished, Ye Qiu handed over a tissue and said, "Nothing like this will ever happen again."

Lin Wanbai took it and wiped her mouth. Pressing the tissue against her injury made her gasp, the sharp sting threatening to bring tears to her eyes. Frowning through the pain, she smoothed her expression a moment later and asked, "Did Mr. Fu say that?"

"Yes. Mr. Fu couldn't come in person, so he instructed me to deliver these things."

"Oh." Lin Wanbai did not probe further.

Ye Qiu said, "Alright, it's getting late, get some proper rest. You don't need to go to the company tomorrow. Rest assured, Mr. Fu will see to it that justice is served for you."

"Mmm."

...

At the construction site.

Old He and Young Master He were tied up like bundles of straw and suspended in the exact spot where Lin Wanbai had been hung earlier, both of them wailing miserably.

Old Zhu was in an even more wretched state. Beaten to the point of losing consciousness, he knelt on the ground, unable to even utter a sound.

The group of men in black left nothing behind. Once their task was completed, they vanished into the night.

Fu Juxing's car pulled up to the edge of the construction site. He stepped out of the vehicle and looked up at the two tiny figures dangling in the air.

Xu Chuan reported, "It has been done according to your instructions."

Fu Juxing stated coldly, "The mastermind has yet to receive his punishment."