A bird in a cage

As night fell, the wind began to pick up.

The moonlight was originally as bright as water that night, but when the evening wind rose, dark clouds covered the sky, and the world suddenly lost its color, becoming shrouded in darkness.

The car was parked in front of a small hotel.

Lu Min bought a high-speed rail ticket for tomorrow morning. As long as he gets to Nanjing safely tonight, everything will be fine.

However, Lu Min has been unable to contact Sang Qi, and he can't even reach Lin Nazaxi.

Lu Min had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

There was a knock on the door. Lu Min was startled and cautiously opened the peephole to look. It was Yin Ya, who had just returned from buying food.

Lu Min lowered his guard and opened the door.

"What's the situation outside?" Lu Min asked.

Silver Fang placed the items on the coffee table: "I didn't find anyone suspicious, so it should be safe."

Lu Min nodded.

"Don't think too much about it. Eat first, then get some sleep, and you'll leave tomorrow," Silver Tooth said.

Lu Min shook his head.

Silver Fang sensed something was wrong: "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

“We can’t get in touch with Sang Qi or the others.” Lu Min’s jaw tightened, his gaze heavy.

"Can't get in touch? Zaxi and Sister Linna too?"

“Yes, we can’t get in touch with any of them!” Lu Wang’s brows furrowed deeply.

Silver Teeth clicked his tongue: "That shouldn't be the case. The tracking chip is with us. Qian Ganpeng's men should be doing everything they can to track us. Zaxi should be fine, so why can't we contact him?"

Lu Min gritted his teeth and said, "Qian Ganpeng is a cunning man, and it's hard to say what he might do."

As he spoke, Lu Min slammed his fist on the bedside table, veins bulging on his arm: "Damn it, I shouldn't have separated from Sang Qi. Now she has no idea what's going on, it's driving me crazy!"

"Don't worry, they're probably all fine, their phones just ran out of battery."

As soon as Silver Fang finished speaking, the lights in the room suddenly went out, and darkness enveloped them.

Lu Min tensed up immediately.

Just as Yin Ya was about to speak, Lu Min immediately shushed him, signaling him to be quiet.

Silver Teeth quickly covered her mouth, her eyes wide open.

Lu Min tiptoed towards the door and opened the peephole. The hotel corridor was also dark, with no signs of human activity.

Lu Min carefully opened the door and walked slowly along the corner of the wall towards the stairwell.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out behind him, and Lu Min turned around abruptly.

In the darkness, a flurry of footsteps and gunshots rang out. Lu Min quickly hid at the stairwell and went down from the third floor to the second floor.

Just then, the sounds of fighting came from upstairs; it was the sound of Silver Fang grappling with someone.

Lu Min couldn't let Silver Fang fight those thugs alone, but those men with guns had chased him up to the second floor. Now that he was going to help Silver Fang, he had to take care of them.

Just then, gunshots rang out again. Bullets flew through the darkness, hitting the walls and doors, creating various sounds.

Lu Min found cover and crouched down, wondering what to do, when a hand reached out from the darkness behind him.

By the time he realized what was happening, the hand had already tightened around his neck.

The arms wrapped around Lu Min's neck tightened, and a feeling of suffocation rushed to his head.

Lu Min's face flushed red instantly, and veins bulged on his forehead. The man was very strong; Lu Min couldn't pry his hands off even with both hands.

Lu Min gritted his teeth and roared, as if his whole body was filled with brute force. He grabbed the man's arm, tilted to the side, and threw the person who was holding him from behind in front of him.

The man cried out in pain as his arm went limp. As soon as Lu Min's neck relaxed, he clenched his fist and smashed it into the man's face.

Just after Lu Min threw three punches, a blunt object swung from behind him, followed by a muffled groan, and Lu Min's head felt like it was splitting open.

Lu Min turned around groggily, only to have another blow come down from behind. Lu Min's head was struck again, and his vision blurred instantly.

Blood trickled down from her hairline, covering her entire face. At that moment, her consciousness slowly faded, and her strength drained from her body...

When his eyelids drooped, Lu Min's eyes were completely plunged into darkness.

...

When Sang Qi opened her eyes, all she saw was a white ceiling.

She sat up abruptly and looked around.

It was a spacious and bright suite, furnished in a sophisticated yet minimalist style.

Sang Qi looked away and saw that there was a needle inserted into the back of her hand, with an IV drip attached.

A faint pain shot through his head, and Sang Qi pressed it with his hand in discomfort, only to find that his head was wrapped in bandages.

Was she injured?

At this moment, her mind was in turmoil.

She couldn't remember how she got injured, nor how she got here.

What exactly happened?

Amidst a sea of ​​questions, the person who pushed open the door was somewhat surprised to see Sang Qi asleep.

The person who came in was wearing a nurse's uniform.

"Great, you're awake!" The nurse quickly turned around to call for someone.

Sang Qi watched the nurse's departing figure, lost in thought.

She removed the IV needle, untied the bandage on her head, and got out of bed.

Barefoot, I walked to the window and saw a riot of flowers below, surrounded by lush, verdant vegetation.

In the garden, several tall men dressed in black suits were guarding the area. They were all very tall and strong, and it was obvious that they were thugs or bodyguards.

Upon seeing the people downstairs, Sang Qi's first thought was that he had been captured by Qian Ganpeng.

She grew increasingly panicked and hurriedly went to the door, only to find the long corridor outside the room deserted.

Sang Qi looked around to make sure it was safe and no one was there before quietly slipping out of the room.

Just around the corner of the stairs, Sang Qi bumped into a familiar male face.

It was Jin Hai and Yang Hao.

Sang Qi was startled and immediately turned and ran.

As she turned around, she saw Qian Ganpeng leading a large group of people towards her.

Sang Qi's breath hitched, and his heart pounded.

Qian Ganpeng smiled and said, "That's great. After being unconscious for so many days, Miss Sang has finally woken up. Now that she can walk and move around, there shouldn't be any major problems, right?"

As Qian Ganpeng approached step by step, Sang Qi unconsciously retreated, but unexpectedly bumped into Jin Hai behind her.

Sang Qi quickly dodged to the side, but was caught between two people, unable to move forward or backward.

"What exactly do you want? I've said it many times, I don't have what you're looking for!" Sang Qi shouted, unable to contain himself any longer.

Qian Ganpeng chuckled coldly and said unhurriedly, "Don't rush, Miss Sang. I'll take you to see someone. You can give me your answer then."

"People? Who are you taking me to see?" Sang Qi asked, bewildered.

Qian Ganpeng smiled, said nothing, and left with his men.

Sang Qi looked at Jin Hai: "What do you want to do? Let me tell you, don't mess around, my boyfriend won't let you get away with this."

Jin Hai asked with a knowing look on his face, "You mean Lu Min?"

“…Otherwise what?” Sang Qi raised his head and stared directly at Jin Hai.

Jin Hai gave a cold laugh and left.

Yang Hao looked at Sang Qi, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"Yang Hao is gone."

"Oh." Yang Hao followed Jin Hai.

"Hey, what exactly do you want?" Sang Qi's head was completely messed up.

………

Forced back to her room, Sang Qi was like a bird locked in a cage, unable to go anywhere.

She leaned against the windowsill, gazing at the clear blue sky and lush green vegetation outside. She knew she was still in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan.

Located in a secluded mountain area, this place is tranquil and pleasant. The room features European-style villa design elements such as a fireplace, suggesting it is a villa.

If I'm not mistaken, this should be Qian Ganpeng's private estate.

In such a private estate, security is tight, and once you're trapped, escaping is by no means easy.

Sang Qi turned his gaze away, sighed, and felt anxious and uneasy.

The door opened, and footsteps sounded behind her. She turned around and saw Jin Hai and Yang Hao enter.

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Sang Qi asked, feigning composure.

Jin Hai smiled faintly: "It's nothing. Qian Ganpeng and I are taking you to see someone."

Sang Qi squinted: "Who exactly are you taking me to see?"

Jin Hai said, "You'll know when we get there."

After saying that, Yang Hao stepped forward and gestured for her to enter: "Miss Sang, please."

Although it was called an invitation, I was actually pushed into the car by several burly men.

Sang Qi cannot resist now; the time is not in her favor, and she cannot act rashly.

………

The car left the hillside manor and drove along the winding mountain road for more than half an hour before stopping.

As soon as Sang Qi got out of the car, he found that the surrounding mountains and forests were dense and the valleys were deserted. He saw several buildings that looked like the first floor of a factory, but those buildings had long been abandoned and no one was there. They were overgrown with weeds inside and out.

Sang Qi wanted to take a few more glances at her surroundings, but someone behind her pushed her, urging her to hurry up and leave.

Sang Qi snorted irritably and followed Qian Ganpeng and Jin Hai.

Upon arriving at the second floor of the factory, one finds a large number of people guarding the area, along with tables, chairs, benches, knives, spears, clubs, chains, and whips—resembling a torture chamber.

A person was hanging from the roof beam, covered with a white cloth, but the white cloth was stained with bright red blood.

Sang Qi observed the person covered by the white cloth and said with amusement, "Do you want me to watch you torture people? Are you trying to make an example of someone to force me to reveal the whereabouts of that storage device?"

Qian Ganpeng raised an eyebrow and laughed, "You're very smart, but you've guessed wrong this time. I'm not trying to warn you; I'm trying to threaten you."

"Threatening me?" Sang Qi asked, puzzled.

Qian Ganpeng's smile deepened, and he raised his hand to signal. His subordinates understood and stepped forward to lift the white cloth.

The white cloth fluttered to the ground, and Sang Qi turned around to look.

With just one glance, Sang Qi felt as if her heart had been shattered into pieces, the pain unbearable. She was so frightened that she covered her mouth, her legs became unsteady, and she almost fell. Fortunately, Jin Hai helped her up.

The person was suspended in mid-air, swaying slightly, with blood dripping from their wounds onto the ground.

The man was beaten so badly that he was almost unrecognizable, but Sang Qi could still recognize his face through the thousands of scars and bloodstains.

That's Lu Min.

Sang Qi's eyes reddened instantly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"You bunch of lunatics, murderers!" Sang Qi suddenly lost control of her emotions, violently shoving away Jin Hai who was supporting her, her eyes filled with hatred.

"Why are you doing this to us? Why won't you let us go!" Sang Qi roared, his voice filled with anguish.

Jin Hai's face was pale, as if he was suppressing his emotions, while Qian Ganpeng looked relaxed and said leisurely, "Lu Min's life is now in your hands."

Sang Qi stared at Qian Ganpeng with tears in her eyes, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.

Qian Ganpeng raised his hand again, and his men lowered Lu Min down from mid-air.

As soon as he landed, his men went forward and untied Lu Min's ropes, then poured a bucket of ice water over him.

The icy water jolted Lu Min awake. His eyelashes fluttered a few times before he slowly opened his eyes.

Seeing that Lu Min had woken up, Sang Qi burst into tears. She desperately pried Yang Hao's hands off her, broke free from his grasp, and then rushed to Lu Min, holding him in her arms and sobbing, "Wake up, are you alright?"

Her voice was filled with sobs and trembling.

At first, Lu Min was a little dumbfounded, but he quickly came to his senses.

Sang Qi was captured.

"You actually captured Sang Qi!" Lu Min said angrily.

Qian Ganpeng sneered: "You think you can fool me just because you have a tracking chip? I've already arranged for people to lie in ambush near that village. Every vehicle that comes in or out will be monitored and tracked. I won't let you, Lu Min, get away with this, and I certainly won't let Sang Qi get away with this either."

Lu Min smiled. As expected of Qian Ganpeng, he was full of cunning.

After laughing, Lu Min looked Sang Qi over and saw that she was unharmed and that Qian Ganpeng had not tortured her, which put him at ease.

At that moment, Sang Qi's tears kept falling, and she couldn't hold them back no matter what she did.

"I'm sorry, I failed to protect you. I'm so sorry."

Lu Min's eyes reddened, and he lowered his head in remorse.

“No, no, no, you’re very good…” Sang Qi cried as she cupped Lu Min’s face and lifted his head.

Every wound on his body felt like a knife stabbing into her heart, causing excruciating pain.

"How did you get yourself into this state..." Sang Qi choked up and couldn't speak, her words trembling as she finished her sentence.

Lu Min shook his head and forced a smile: "It's nothing, I'm not alive yet."

As he spoke, he raised his eyes to look at Qian Ganpeng: "Release her, and I'll help you find the storage device. Once you find it, you can do whatever you want with her, as long as Sang Qi is safe and sound."

Qian Ganpeng laughed and said, "Do you even have the right to discuss things with me now?"

"Then what do you want?" Lu Min glared fiercely at Qian Ganpeng.

Qian Ganpeng raised his chin, and then a man stepped forward and pulled Sang Qi away, while two men tied up Lu Min.

"What are you trying to do? Let me go!" Sang Qi struggled, but no matter what she did, she couldn't break free.

After Lu Min was tied up, someone picked up a leather whip and lashed Lu Min's body. The sound of the whip hitting flesh gave people goosebumps.

"No... stop hitting him!" Sang Qi shouted, she didn't want to see Lu Min tortured like this.

Qian Ganpeng lit a cigar and said slowly, "Miss Sang, if you don't want anything to happen to Lu Min, then hand over the storage device. It'll be better for everyone."

Sang Qi shook his head violently: "I have no idea what a storage device is, and I can't give it to you even if I wanted to."

Qian Ganpeng nodded and said, "Then let's continue to enjoy Lu Min being tortured."

"No!" Sang Qi trembled all over. "Please don't continue, please, really!"

"Stop." Qian Ganpeng waved his hand, and his men stopped.

Lu Min curled up on the ground, his whole body convulsing in pain, and his wounds bleeding uncontrollably.

Sang Qi collapsed to the ground, as if all her tears had dried up in that moment.

"Miss Sang, I'll give you some time to consider."

“But… I really didn’t…” Sang Qi said embarrassedly.

Qian Ganpeng exhaled a puff of smoke: "My patience is limited."

Sang Qi looked at Lu Min, who was lying on the ground covered in wounds, and bit her lower lip without saying a word until it bled.

Qian Ganpeng sighed and said, "Lu Min, Lu Min, you see that the woman you like doesn't care about your life or death at all."

After saying that, he gestured with his lips, and his subordinate nodded in understanding. He then picked up a bucket of salt water and forcefully splashed it on Lu Min.

The pain, which had subsided, returned after being poured on with salt water.

"Ah..." Lu Min roared in a low voice.

His voice reached Sang Qi's ears in waves.

She had never heard such a horrific scream before.

His men dragged Lu Min up and pushed his head into the water, where bubbles kept rising.

Forced to be submerged in the water, the intense suffocation made him struggle desperately with his hands and feet, but because he was bound, he could not break free and could only tense and contract all his muscles, suppressing his breath until he almost stopped breathing.

In this situation, Sang Qi froze, unable to release even the most intense emotions.

Jin Hai frowned throughout, his expression complex.

"He's going to die." Yang Hao looked at Jin Hai, his tone not very calm.

Jin Hai gritted his teeth and finally spoke: "Save my life, otherwise things will get complicated later!"

Qian Ganpeng thought it was about right, so he agreed.

His men lifted him up, and as soon as Lu Min's head was out of the water, he instinctively gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently and frighteningly.

Seeing that everyone was alright, Sang Qi finally felt relieved, closed her eyes briefly, and calmed herself down.