But Zhou Qiqi's merciless words just now exposed all of Xu Zao's carefully crafted lies.
Xu Zao panicked and turned pale, fearing that Brother Long had believed Zhou Qiqi's words and seen through her exaggerated "tragic experiences".
She quickly turned around, adopting a coquettish and aggrieved tone, and reached out to tug at Brother Long's sleeve:
"Brother Long~ Don't listen to her nonsense! It's not like that at all! She's spouting lies. I just... I just want to avenge my family, I..."
But to her utter surprise, Brother Long had absolutely no patience to listen to the grievances and disputes between these women.
He waved his hand dismissively, interrupting her performance.
"What's all the arguing about? Isn't it annoying? Who has time to listen to the petty squabbles of two women! Just because you say it's true doesn't mean it's true!"
He originally had some curiosity about Zhou Qiqi, this "tough nut to crack," after all, Zhou Qiqi was indeed very beautiful.
But after listening to their commotion, I immediately lost all interest and found it incredibly noisy.
Xu Zao mistakenly thought that Brother Long was showing her favoritism and trust, and a surge of secret joy and gratitude welled up in her heart.
She was about to turn her head and give Zhou Qiqi a smug look, wanting to show off a bit.
But then, out of the blue, Brother Long shouted again, "Wait a minute!"
That cold, emotionless voice startled Xu Zao, whose heart had just settled, causing it to leap into her throat again, and cold sweat instantly soaked her back.
She turned around stiffly.
Long Ge stared at her with a sinister look in his eyes, his tone chillingly cold:
"What you told me before, that she contracted a factory, that her husband's family were high-ranking military officers, and that they were extremely wealthy, you weren't just lying to me, were you?"
His rough hands casually reached for the homemade pistol tucked at his waist, its gleaming threat undisguised.
"If you dare to play tricks on me and make me waste all this time..."
He didn't say anything more, but the dark muzzle of the gun said it all.
Xu Zao had no doubt that if he had really lied to him, he would be shot the next second!
She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She barely managed to hold back her emotions and tears welled up uncontrollably. With a sob in her voice, she quickly made a promise:
"How could that be, Brother Long! It's not fake! It's absolutely not fake! It's been in the newspapers! She really is rich! The bank even lent her 10,000 yuan! Now that her factory is selling so well, she must have plenty of money, at least... at least 30,000 to 50,000 yuan!"
As she spoke, she shook her palms, which were covered in sweat.
"Thirty to fifty thousand?!"
The sum of "thirty to fifty thousand" was a huge amount of money in those days, enough for them to live a carefree life for more than half a year.
Upon hearing this, Brother Long's eyes immediately lit up with greed. He snorted with satisfaction and removed his hand from the gun.
"That's more like it."
The thugs behind him also became excited and restless when they heard this number.
The skinny monkey leaned closer, rubbing his hands together and drooling as he asked:
"Brother Long, since this fat sheep is so rich and we've already kidnapped him, shouldn't we hurry up and tell him to pay us?"
Brother Long chuckled, looking like a cunning old fox:
"What's the rush? Let her wait a couple of days! Her family doesn't know she's been kidnapped yet. Once they're frantic with worry, we'll send word to them. Only when they're desperate and scared will they obediently hand over the money and not dare to try anything funny!"
He glanced smugly at his subordinates.
"Just like when we used to rob those rich people, we beat them up first, and they'd behave and tell you where they hid their money. People won't cry until they're in their coffins! If we rush to ask for the money now, they'll think we're afraid of trouble and start acting tough!"
The skinny monkey immediately bowed and scraped to the side, flattering him:
"Brother Long is right! That's brilliant! He truly lives up to his reputation as Brother Long!"
The other bandits also followed suit, flattering Brother Long and making him look quite proud.
"Um,"
Brother Long nodded approvingly and gave the order.
"These next few days, you guys keep a close eye on her! She's our cash cow, don't let anything happen to her!"
The subordinate quickly assured him, "Don't worry, Brother Long, we're experts at this!"
At this moment, Xu Zao spoke timidly, with a hint of ingratiation:
"Brother Long, could I...?"
As she spoke, she made a slapping gesture in Zhou Qiqi's direction.
This gang of people routinely robbed and tortured hostages, so Brother Long naturally understood what she meant.
Brother Long naturally understood what she meant, and frowned:
"Didn't you say this woman has a fiery temper? What if you push her too far and she tries to kill herself? Who am I going to get my money from then? Don't cause any trouble before you get the money!"
He paused, looking at Xu Zao's disappointed expression, then softened his tone slightly, his voice carrying a cruel mockery.
"However... giving her a few slaps to teach her a lesson and make her realize who she is now isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just don't go too far. After we get the money..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Xu Zao already understood. His face immediately brightened, even showing a twisted excitement.
She walked up to Zhou Qiqi in a few steps, looked at the face that filled her with intense jealousy and hatred, raised her hand and slapped it hard with all her might!
"Slap!" A crisp and loud slap echoed in the mine.
Caught off guard, Zhou Qiqi was slapped so hard that she staggered to one side, fell heavily onto the cold, gravelly ground.
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