Chapter 39 Twenty million to buy that horse!
This is indeed an extremely important piece of intelligence.
The contents of the small bamboo slip roughly stated that the Yu Kingdom's court had dispatched 200,000 elite troops to rush to Xitun Pass, and the Sha Yue Kingdom would also send 100,000 barbarian soldiers to follow closely behind, expected to arrive near Xitun Pass in about five days.
Duan Wu's mood plummeted.
Three hundred thousand enemy troops are on their way, while on the Da Xuan Xi Tun Pass side, although the Xuanjia Army has been formed and the fairy has provided extremely powerful equipment, the number of soldiers is simply too small.
Two thousand five hundred Xuanjia soldiers, and more than seven thousand soldiers from Xitun Pass, totaling only ten thousand men...
How can we deal with 300,000 enemy troops?
Even if we urgently conscript soldiers from the 60,000 people of Linxian Village, the fighting strength and number of soldiers would still be far from enough!
Duan Wu rushed out of the camp in a hurry, mounted his horse, and rode to the Immortal Cave.
"General Duan!" The guards of Shenxian Cave clasped their hands in salute.
Duan Wu asked anxiously, "Has the Emperor not returned yet?"
The guard said no.
Duan Wu ran to the stone slab where the fairy's telepathic artifact was enshrined, knelt down and kowtowed, and then picked it up and pressed the button.
"Fairy Jinli, are you there?"
Aside from the buzzing sound, he heard no response.
However, based on previous experience, the buzzing sound indicates that you can still talk to the fairy.
He could only hold onto hope and continue asking respectfully.
But then, the light on the communication device suddenly went out, and even the buzzing sound could not be heard.
Duan Wu was unaware that the walkie-talkie had run out of battery, and his face immediately turned pale.
Is the voice transmission device turned off?
Has the fairy stopped contacting us...?
"Fairy..."
Duan Wu knelt down heavily and kowtowed forcefully into the walkie-talkie, "This humble general Duan Wu is not a greedy person, and has never dared to hope that the fairy will always protect us."
"We are already extremely grateful to the fairy for helping us overcome the crisis we faced last time... but..."
"But...we've encountered an even greater crisis! Fairy, please show your power again and help us!"
Several guards present also kowtowed and begged.
Despite their utmost piety.
The walkie-talkie remained unresponsive.
A guard looked sorrowful. "General Duan, has the fairy abandoned us?"
Duan Wu's eyes reddened. "This situation must not be revealed, otherwise the people will not be at peace."
He respectfully put the walkie-talkie back in its original position, and then sent someone to invite the other generals over.
The situation is critical, and we must discuss it together.
——
At this moment, Ning Jinli finally arrived at the gate of her factory in that beat-up van.
She was terrified and took a long detour from the far suburbs.
They deliberately took the most remote roads, fearing that something might go wrong along the way.
Thankfully, everything turned out alright, and we returned safely.
Next, all we need to do is teleport the bodies of the four thugs, along with the van, to the cave.
This was the only feasible solution she could think of last night.
Just as she opened the gate and drove the van a few meters inside...
A police car sped up.
"Stop the car immediately!" the officer shouted through a loudspeaker.
Ning Jinli broke out in a cold sweat instantly and almost floored the gas pedal.
At the critical moment, she tried her best to remain calm, slowly stopped the car, glanced at the rearview mirror, and saw a police officer and a middle-aged man get out of the police car.
What happened...?
Could it be... that the fact that there was a body in the van has been discovered?
Ning Jinli felt a chill run down her spine, and her mind went blank.
The middle-aged man rushed to the van first, stared at Ning Jinli for a moment, and then pounded on the driver's side door, shouting, "It's you! Get out of here!"
"Wh...what's wrong?" Ning Jinli stammered.
The middle-aged man glared angrily. "You have the nerve to ask what happened? That kid who ate with you at my restaurant last night, right? He stole my horse and ran away! Where is he?!"
Ning Jinli was stunned for two seconds.
So that's what it was about?
Is this middle-aged man the owner of that ancient-style themed restaurant?
Seeing the police officers approaching, Ning Jinli quickly got out of the car.
The officer verified her identity, showed his badge, and explained the situation to her.
The restaurant owner called the police, but couldn't find the young man who stole the horse. Finally, they found the person who had dined with the man by checking the restaurant's surveillance footage.
Then, based on the information about Ning Jinli's Mercedes parked outside the restaurant, her identity was confirmed.
So the police officer brought the restaurant owner over.
"Ms. Ning, where is your friend?" the police officer asked.
The restaurant owner, standing to the side, grumbled, "I've lived most of my life, and this is the first time I've ever seen anyone so arrogant! They even dared to steal the horse I kept in the restaurant to add ambiance! And during peak dining hours, in full view of everyone!"
"That's outrageous!"
Do you know how much I paid for that horse?
"Do you know how much effort I put into getting it back from overseas?"
"That was a thoroughbred with top-class racehorse bloodlines! If it weren't for its temperamental nature making it unsuitable for racing, I would never have had a chance to buy it! In the end, someone else snatched it away!"
The restaurant owner grew angrier and angrier, his face turning a deep purplish-red.
Ning Jinli was both nervous and embarrassed.
On her way back, she tried calling Xiao Qidi, but the guy didn't answer.
“I…” Ning Jinli told the truth, “I really don’t know where he is now…”
The police officer casually glanced at the van next to her and then leaned closer to look through the rear window, which was covered with privacy film.
Ning Jinli felt a chill run from her feet straight to her head!
Those four corpses are inside!
She only managed to cover it up with something she found in the van. If the police found it, she would be... finished!
The police officer couldn't see the situation clearly, so he reached out to open the car door.
In a flash, Ning Jinli had a sudden inspiration: "Officer, may I compensate for my friend's loss? Consider it as buying the horse."
The officer turned to the restaurant owner and said, "It would be best if we could settle with compensation."
"Compensation?" the restaurant owner roared. "Can you afford it? That's not something your Mercedes G-Class can compare to!"
Ning Jinli continued, "Name your price. With this handsome police officer as a witness, I will definitely pay."
The restaurant owner said irritably, "Just buying that horse cost me over five million, plus all sorts of fees, shipping costs... and the expenses for feeding it for the first two months after we got it... It must have cost at least eight or nine million, if not ten million!"
Ning Jinli only wanted to pay money to avoid trouble and get it over with as quickly as possible, so she decisively said, "I'll compensate you with 20 million."
The restaurant owner was taken aback. "How much?"
“Twenty million,” Ning Jinli said with a sincere apology. “I’m really sorry for causing you trouble. I think you must really like that horse, but… I really can’t help you find it.”
"Ahem..." The restaurant owner's expression softened considerably, and he asked with some suspicion, "Are you sure you want to give twenty million?"
Ning Jinli nodded and took out her phone. "I'll transfer the money to you now. Please tell me your bank card number."
The restaurant owner no longer hesitated and decisively gave out the card number.
Ning Jinli transferred the 20 million yuan in front of him and the police officers.
The restaurant owner beamed with joy. "Oh dear, look at the mess this has made. Luckily, Miss Ning is a straightforward person, so I won't pursue the matter further."
"Thank you, boss." Ning Jinli breathed a sigh of relief.
“However,” the restaurant owner leaned closer, “I have a small request.”
Ning Jinli tensed up instantly, thinking he was about to change his mind. "Do you want more money?"
The restaurant owner quickly waved his hand, "No, no, no, you've already given me 20 million, how could I possibly raise the price?"
He then opened a short online video on his phone.
After clicking on it, the video playing was of Xiao Qidi galloping through the streets like lightning.
The speed was too fast, the image was blurry, and it was impossible to see his face clearly.
But under the neon lights at night, the blurred image actually enhances the atmosphere, and with the background music added by the video uploader, it looks just like a selected movie clip.
The restaurant owner chuckled and said, "This video has become a huge hit, it's number one in views across the entire internet! I'd like to ask if your friend could come over to my restaurant again and help me promote it while it's trending? I'm willing to pay him!"
This boss is indeed very business-minded.
They've already thought of capitalizing on the buzz surrounding this unexpected event. Besides, netizens who watched the video are saying that the handsome guy on horseback is incredibly stylish.
I can hardly believe that there is such a handsome, noble, and domineering man in this world.
A single, blurry short video has already captivated countless men and women.
"Ah..." Ning Jinli forced a smile, "My friend doesn't like to be in the public eye, and he's very busy with other things, plus he has a very unusual personality, so... he can't help you."
The restaurant owner looked disappointed.
But since Ning Jinli had said so much, he couldn't force her to continue.
"Right, shouldn't we sign a waiver?" Ning Jinli asked the police officer.
The police officer asked the restaurant owner, "Are you sure you don't want to pursue this further?"
The restaurant owner nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes! This young lady has already compensated me, I'm very satisfied, I'm going to withdraw the police report."
The officers then led the two men to the police car outside.
They were given paper and a pen, and they wrote notes, signed them, and pressed their fingerprints on the spot.
Ning Jinli glanced back at the van parked inside the gate and silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully... the police didn't notice.
He should leave after the agreement is signed, right?
"Alright, here's your proof, one copy for each of you. That settles the matter." The officer photographed the agreement for filing and handed it to the two men.
"Okay, officers and boss, take care." Ning Jinli gave a sweet smile.
The restaurant owner got back into the police car.
The police officer opened the driver's side door and was about to step inside when he suddenly stared at Ning Jinli and said seriously, "Fortunately, no traffic accident occurred last night, otherwise it wouldn't be as simple as just paying compensation and settling a settlement."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Ning Jinli nodded vigorously. "I will definitely teach my friend a lesson."
The officer's gaze inevitably fell on the van behind her.
The wheels were covered in mud, and it was just dawn. A young woman drove it back from outside, and all the information conveyed an inexplicable awkwardness.
He casually asked, "You parked your Mercedes at the restaurant and then drove off in this beat-up van, what were you doing?"
“This…” Ning Jinli’s back started to break out in a cold sweat again.
She was really bad at lying, but there was no other way she could tell the truth right now.
It's impossible to explain!
The police officer noticed that her reaction was a bit off and immediately became alert, striding towards the van.
There's definitely something wrong here; we need to check it out!
Ning Jinli stood there, stunned.
She never expected that this would happen just when the person was about to leave.
what to do? !
She couldn't stop her!
run?
Where can it run to?
In that instant, she felt like the sky was about to fall!
As soon as the police opened the car door, they would see that something was wrong inside the car. If they simply removed some of the things covering it, the body would be... exposed!
Ning Jinli's face turned pale as she watched the police officer begin to pull on the car door handle.
She clenched her fists, mustered her courage, and walked quickly over.
There's no other way but to face reality and bear the consequences.
When she gets to the police station, she will try her best to tell the truth. As for whether the police believe her or not, that's no longer something she can worry about.
"Officer, I..."
Splash—
The police officer opened the car door.
Ning Jinli was sweating profusely and had already begun to organize her thoughts to confess, but suddenly she realized that the van was empty.
Let alone corpses.
Even the messy pile of things that covered the corpse was gone!
The empty carriage was completely visible at a glance. The police officer peered around, sniffed, and frowned, saying, "You're just a young girl, how come the carriage smells so bad? It's full of cigarette smoke and sweat."
Ning Jinli's heart was in her throat.
Although we don't know what happened, the body is gone.
However, she was still a little worried that the police officers would smell the blood, but it was all masked by the smell of smoke and sweat from the criminals.
“This car… someone else was driving it before, and they made it so dirty,” Ning Jinli said, forcing herself to speak.
The officer glanced at her again, pondering to himself.
Although it felt a bit strange, there really was nothing in the car.
Then look at this young girl, she looks completely harmless.
Despite being so wealthy, readily paying 20 million in compensation, he dressed very simply.
And they rushed to the factory early in the morning.
Such wealthy children are a rare sight.
Forget it, I won't bother her anymore.
The officer didn't say anything more, got back into the police car, and drove away.
As soon as the car disappeared at the end of the road outside the factory, Ning Jinli felt as if all her strength had been drained away, and she collapsed to the ground.
That night, until just now, it felt like she had a terrifying and bizarre nightmare!
She jumped up with a start, staggered into the van, and lay down to examine it carefully.
If it weren't for the bloodstains still clearly visible in the corner, she would have thought everything that happened last night was a lie.
But……
Where is the body?
How could it just disappear into thin air?
Could it be that the back door of the car was jolted open halfway through the journey, and the body fell out?
"Hiss..." Ning Jinli's hair stood on end.
"No, no!" She shook her head, rejecting the guess.
Because if that were the case, she would see the back door open as soon as she got out of the car.
She also remembered that before getting off the train, she looked back to make sure the bodies covered by debris were still inside the carriage.
In other words, the body disappeared during the time she got out of the car and settled the matter with the restaurant owner.
"Could it be... that I accidentally teleported it there with my mind?" Ning Jinli frowned and pondered. "That shouldn't be the case, since the range of mind teleportation doesn't cover this area."
"So, it's haunted..."
It was just dawn, and everything around was shrouded in a gray haze, with the factory gate lights casting a dim yellow glow.
The car was completely silent, and Ning Jinli felt increasingly uneasy and creeped out by the thought.
This was even more gruesome than moving the body back last night and driving it all the way here!
She trembled all over and backed out of the carriage with her buttocks sticking out.
The moment her foot touched the ground and she turned around, a long, dark, grotesque face suddenly loomed in front of her!
"ah!!!"
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