Li Baolong walked steadily into the spacious and bright lobby on the first floor. His sharp, hawk-like eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. Soon, he spotted Yang Dayong huddled in the bathroom, trembling like a frightened turtle.
Li Baolong walked towards the bathroom without hesitation, each step carrying an invisible pressure. When he reached the bathroom door, a cold smile appeared on his lips. With a flick of his right hand, a smoking grenade flew straight into the bathroom like lightning.
In the blink of an eye! Yang Dayong, a man of experience and agility, reacted swiftly, flipping over with lightning speed just before the grenade exploded, leaping into the air like a lithe cheetah out of the bathroom. However, despite his lightning-fast reaction, the powerful shockwave from the grenade's explosion and the flying shrapnel still mercilessly struck him.
With a deafening roar, the entire bathroom was instantly obliterated. Yang Dayong screamed and collapsed to the ground, his body riddled with shrapnel wounds, blood gushing from his wounds, looking utterly wretched. But the instinct for survival compelled him to struggle to his feet and stumble toward the door.
When Yang Dayong finally reached the door, he immediately spotted Li Baolong standing not far away. Li Baolong was dressed in a jet-black outfit that completely concealed him, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. He wore a grotesque mask and a thick face mask, making it impossible to see his true face. He looked like a messenger from hell, radiating a chilling aura.
What terrified Yang Dayong even more was that the dark muzzle of the rifle in Li Baolong's hand was pointed directly at him. Faced with this desperate situation, Yang Dayong inwardly groaned, "It's over, it's over, I've really gotten myself into big trouble!" However, he was a seasoned veteran of the underworld, and he knew that if he didn't beg for mercy now, he would likely face certain death. So, enduring his pain, he quickly put on a fawning smile and said to Li Baolong, "Brother, I really don't know what I've done to offend you. If I have offended you in any way, I apologize. I only beg you to have mercy and spare my life!"
Upon hearing this, Li Baolong did not immediately respond to Yang Dayong's pleas. Instead, he coldly asked in a devoid of emotion, "Where are the jade you stole and that person now?" Yang Dayong's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "So this person is the reinforcements the messenger brought. It seems I've really run into a brick wall. This ransom won't be so easy to get, and I might even lose my life here..."
Yang Dayong said with a mournful expression, "That jade merchant... I've locked him up in this jail!" Li Baolong frowned slightly upon hearing this and asked, "Where is the jade now?" Yang Dayong replied unhurriedly, "The jade is with my younger brother. He's a businessman, you know. I specifically asked him to help find a buyer. When the price is right, we'll sell it and make a fortune!" Hearing this, Li Baolong cursed inwardly. This Yang Dayong was truly a shameless scoundrel, trying to profit from both sides! But outwardly, he suppressed his anger and coldly said, "Release the jade merchant first!"
So, Li Baolong led the limping Yang Dayong toward the so-called prison in the nearby military camp. This prison was actually nothing more than a dilapidated, crumbling warehouse, with only a few rooms that had been roughly modified to barely hold prisoners. Chen Zu, meanwhile, had been trapped in this dark and gloomy place for a full day and night. Aside from a bowl of water to sustain his life, he received no other treatment and was unable to get proper rest. Just as Chen Zu was sinking into deep despair, suddenly, he saw a glimmer of light ahead—the heavy iron door was slowly opening.
Li Baolong looked closely and found that Chen Zu had not been beaten or injured, so he said, "You should still be able to walk, right? In that case, you can leave now." Chen Zu was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up and walked towards the door. However, when he reached the door, he couldn't help but stop and looked at Li Baolong and Yang Dayong with a surprised expression.
Li Baolong, his face grim, led Yang Dayong slowly to the entrance of the military camp, where twenty or thirty militiamen, barely able to support their bodies, stood. When these militiamen saw Yang Dayong being held hostage by Li Baolong, they all shouted in unison, "Commander!" However, Yang Dayong remained silent, his lips tightly pressed together. He knew Li Baolong's ruthless methods, especially when he glimpsed the two hand grenades tightly gripped in Li Baolong's hands; he dared not make the slightest move. If Li Baolong made even the slightest movement and threw the grenades, everyone present would likely be instantly killed.
Li Baolong stared at Yang Dayong with icy eyes and coldly ordered, "Get someone to bring me a car!" Upon hearing this, Yang Dayong, though extremely unwilling, had no choice but to turn around and shout to one of the militiamen, "Go to the garage and bring the car over!" The militiaman, upon receiving the order, immediately turned and ran towards the garage.
Not long after, the roar of a car engine grew louder as it approached. Then, a brand-new Toyota SUV appeared before them and came to a smooth stop in front of Li Baolong and Yang Dayong. Li Baolong unceremoniously helped Yang Dayong into the back seat, then turned to Chen Zu in the front passenger seat and said, "Mr. Chen, please sit in the front passenger seat. I'll take you back to your hotel now." Chen Zu nodded and moved to the front passenger seat as instructed.
The vehicle started quickly and sped along the road. Just over ten minutes later, it entered Guogan Street. This street was usually quite bustling and lively, and even though night had fallen, it was still teeming with people and brightly lit. Soon, the car slowly stopped in front of a hotel located at the entrance of the jade market. Li Baolong gestured for Chen Zu to get out, and after Chen Zu safely disembarked and entered the hotel, the vehicle started moving again, continuing deeper into the street.
After driving for a while, the car finally stopped in front of a lavishly decorated nightclub. At this point, Yang Dayong, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't help but speak up: "My brother works in this bar, and this nightclub is also one of his properties. The jade you want is here."
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