Hua Se dialed the phone, and Xue Qiandai's pained voice came through.
Huo Yunchao's pupils contracted, and the corner of his eye twitched. "No, how do I know if you guys recorded the audio beforehand to fool me? I want to see the video."
"Do you think you're qualified to negotiate with us?" Hua Se roared, her patience running out.
Huo Yunchao remained unmoved. "If I let go, all 45 diamonds here, including that 33.3-carat blue diamond, will break. They might be blown away by the wind and never be found again. Loose diamonds aren't as precious as a Cartier necklace. Or, you could take a share?"
To kill someone, you must first destroy their spirit. Huo Yunchao had unwittingly sown discord among these people once.
"Show it to him." Gao Ruhai made his decision.
One of his subordinates connected to the video feed. Dai Dai appeared in the video; her face was almost bloodless, and she was covered with someone's coat. She called out to the screen, "Beauty, Beauty Huo!"
Rong Xiao lay on the ground, his body covered in faint footprints, his face and mouth gagged.
Huo Yunchao's eyes were bloodshot. "Dai Dai, I got the item. Don't worry, you'll be able to go home soon."
"I knew it, the person I love would come to save me riding on...cough cough auspicious clouds of seven colors." Xue Qiandai spoke with difficulty, all her grievances mixed with two lines of tears falling down.
Hua Se said in a calm voice, "President Huo, save those cheesy sweet nothings for home. Turn it off." The last sentence was directed at her subordinate.
“Rong Xiao is just a spoiled brat, powerless. Remove the cloth from his eyes and mouth.”
If Rong Xiao heard Huo Meiren say that about him, he would probably feel like he had been hit with a thousand blows.
However, Gao Ruhai didn't really take Rong Xiao seriously; Rong Xiao was just bait. "Do as President Huo says."
Sure enough, on the other end of the video call, the thing that had bound Rong Xiao for five or six hours was gone, and he was still not quite used to it.
"Mr. Huo, you've met the person, now it's our turn to inspect the goods."
"Release them first, and I'll examine them for you right away." Huo Yunchao remained composed and dignified, a true king at the negotiating table, even when he was at a disadvantage.
Hua Se smiled and gave the order to release them by looking at her phone screen.
Xue Qiandai and Rong Xiao staggered out of the video.
Huo Yunchao, visibly relieved, breathed a sigh of relief and opened his bag in front of everyone, taking out a custom-made box from Cartier, a top luxury brand. All eyes were drawn to his hand.
The box opened, and then closed again in the blink of an eye. Everyone was stunned. The enormous diamond, with each facet radiating dazzling light, was a marvel of craftsmanship.
The box was closed.
Hua Se clapped her hands and took a step toward Huo Yunchao, her two subordinates following suit. "Good, very good. Today, neither Xue Qiandai nor Huo Yunchao are leaving, and the diamonds belong to us."
Huo Yunchao was already against the wall, with nowhere to retreat. "If you take one more step, I'll throw the diamond down."
"If you dare throw anything at me, I'll kill you. Do you think Xue Qiandai can escape? She still has a knife stuck in her stomach." Hua Se was like a female demon, a devil from hell. "Be a good girl and listen to me, and maybe I'll take pity on you."
The video feed was projected again.
Xue Qiandai didn't leave; she slumped on the ground, her brows furrowed, clearly in great pain.
Huo Yunchao's breathing became erratic. "What do you want?"
“Kneel down and beg me,” Hua Se said.
Without hesitation, he knelt down, his eyes burning with fury: "I beg you, release Dai Dai. Whatever you want, I'll give you."
His dignity, his pride, his demeanor—all of these can be offered up.
He only prayed that his girl would be safe and sound.
“What I want, you can’t give me. I want the Hua family to remain prosperous and influential; I want my father to walk out of prison and be adorned with glory; I want time to turn back, so that none of this ever happened. Can you give me that?”
"I am a human being, not a god."
"You admit it, there are things you can't do. Everyone says Xue Qiandai saved the galaxy and met you; today, I'll send your damn galaxy to hell."
Hua Se gave a wink to the thug beside her.
The thug held a thick wooden stick, raised his hand, and brought it down on Huo Yunchao's back.
His brows were furrowed in pain, yet his handsome face remained captivating, possessing a beauty bordering on the dark side.
The thug brought down another stick, this time hitting him on the head.
Huo Yunchao felt his brain buzzing, and hot blood flowed out, blurring his vision as it ran down his cheeks.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com