Chapter 40 Promise
Qi Shichen's tone was stern, and Yu Shu didn't know why Qi Shichen was giving him instructions as if he were giving his last words.
Yu Shu had never experienced anything like this before, and he was afraid.
He didn't understand why Qi Shichen was so alarmed that the two people had only gone to a nearby house to wash up and hadn't returned.
"Mr. Qi."
Yu Shu held the car keys in one hand and gripped Qi Shichen's arm tightly with the other. He was a little scared, but didn't know what to say.
Qi Shichen reached out and grasped Yu Shu's hand.
"Yu Shu, don't be afraid. I'm just informing you in advance how to deal with unexpected situations. I'll be back soon."
After Qi Shichen finished speaking, he released Yu Shu's hand, turned around and left. Time was of the essence, and he had to hurry.
It's getting dark soon.
Yu Shu sat in Qi Shichen's car, holding the car keys that Qi Shichen had given him.
Unlike before, driver Wang Qi didn't stay on the truck all the time. Instead, he stood guard at a distance from the person the young master had mentioned.
Along the way, Wang Qi had observed everyone's behavior, especially the eldest young master's actions.
The young master had gone to great lengths to get close to the other person, and now he was being asked to prioritize the other person's safety. Wang Qi knew that the young master was truly in love.
Qi Shichen followed the grass they had trampled, searching all the way to the farmhouses, but he couldn't find the two people anywhere.
Qi Shichen had a guess in his mind.
If those two were alright, they should have returned long ago. He hadn't encountered anyone along the way. If they were just injured, they would have been carrying communication devices and would have called for help.
He didn't want to alert the enemy, but planned to wait until it was completely dark before sneaking into the farmer's house to investigate.
As it grew later, the group waited for two hours, but Qi Shichen and his men still hadn't returned. They began to realize that something was wrong.
Xiao Zhong found Yu Shu and asked him what Qi Shichen had said to him last. Yu Shu shook his head and said he hadn't said anything, only that Qi Shichen had handed him the car keys.
Xiao Zhong and Chen Tianhua were all restless. They usually followed Qi Shichen's lead and obeyed his orders. Now, Qi Shichen had been gone for so long and hadn't returned.
People started to feel anxious.
Despite their anxiety, they followed Qi Shichen's instructions and dared not leave the place without permission.
Qi Shichen waited in the forest for a long time, until the farmers turned off their lights and went to sleep. He then quietly climbed into the farmers' houses to look for the two people.
There were five farmhouses here. When he turned over the third house, Qi Shichen found the two people in the kitchen where the firewood was piled up.
The two men had been stripped down to their undergarments, and there was blood on their heads. Both of them were unconscious, and it was unknown whether they still had any signs of life.
Qi Shichen walked over and checked their breathing under their noses. Seeing that they were still breathing, he covered their mouths to prevent them from making any noise after waking them up.
Qi Shichen covered their mouths and then used a little force to wake them up.
The two men were awakened by the pain. Just as they were about to make a sound, their mouths were covered. When they saw that the person who came was Qi Shichen, tears instantly fell from their eyes. Their eyes were filled with fear and lingering dread, but then they changed to look like they had been saved after a great disaster.
Qi Shichen pulled a small knife from his leg bindings, cut the ropes, helped the two men up, and quietly led them outside.
But as soon as they stepped out of the courtyard gate, they saw seven or eight people standing outside. These two had been shouting that they had companions when they arrived.
So how could they possibly let their guard down so easily?
Qi Shichen didn't know what conflict these two had with them, but judging from their posture, they probably wouldn't let them go easily.
Qi Shichen stood in front of them and negotiated with those people.
"Gentlemen, I don't know what my friend did wrong to deserve such treatment."
“If you want money, I can give it to you; if it’s anything else, why go to such lengths to kill us?”
One of the men stepped forward to negotiate with Qi Shichen.
After the negotiation, Qi Shichen finally understood what the two men had done. They had come to borrow hot water from them, and the other party had accepted the money and done so. However, these two men had the temper of spoiled young masters and did not respect these mountain people. Every move they made showed their disdain for these country bumpkins.
So they arrogantly order people around to do this and that, and even demand that the other party cook for them. After the food is cooked, they take a couple of bites and then throw down their chopsticks, complaining that it doesn't suit their taste.
The mountain dwellers couldn't stand it anymore and argued with them for a bit, which eventually escalated into a fight. These two young masters, who were used to living in luxury, were no match for the strength of the people who had lived in the mountains for many years.
So in the ensuing scuffle, the young master, unable to win, flew into a rage and grabbed a nearby stool, injuring the homeowner.
After Yamato was injured, he called the others over. Seeing that the outsiders were bullying him, the group started fighting, which escalated into a big fight. In the end, they tied the two of them up.
Yamato was also afraid that if he let the two go back, the powerful and influential other party would send someone to retaliate against them, but if he didn't let them go, their companions would definitely come looking for them after they went missing.
So they were waiting, waiting for the other party to come looking for their companions.
If someone comes looking for them, they will negotiate and discuss terms. Once the terms are agreed upon and the person is released, they will move out the next day.
If no one comes looking for us.
Even if those two people were unlucky.
After learning the whole story, Qi Shichen turned around and walked behind the two men, kicking each of them in the back of the knee, forcing them to kneel down.
Qi Shichen could protect himself, but it would be very difficult for him to take the two of them away unharmed.
In particular, these mountain dwellers have already decided to kill.
"Kneel down and apologize to them, and promise never to cause them any trouble again."
Qi Shichen looked at his two companions coldly.
These two young masters had never suffered such humiliation. Just as they were about to open their mouths and say it was impossible, they were stunned by the way Qi Shichen looked at them, as if they were dead.
The two young masters were used to throwing their weight around outside and had heard a bit about Qi Shichen's behavior, so when they saw the other party's expression, they quickly understood.
If they don't comply, Qi Shichen will protect himself.
The two young masters endured the humiliation and kowtowed to the mountain villagers to apologize. They kowtowed more than twenty times, but the other group did not utter a sound.
It seems they are considering how to resolve this.
I want to let them go, but I'm afraid they'll go back on their word.
These families have lived here since birth. They are isolated from the world and have little awareness of the law. As the surrounding people gradually moved away, only these few unmarried people are reluctant to leave. They plan to spend the rest of their lives here.
Unexpectedly, the peace was broken by these outsiders.
"Here's what I'll do: I'll give you some money, and you can move out tonight. You can go anywhere, and you don't have to worry about them going back on their word."
"In this vast world, no one can find you."
Seeing their hesitation, Qi Shichen offered his chips.
Finally, the group agreed and started negotiating the price with Qi Shichen, eventually settling on 300,000.
They could tell that Qi Shichen was quite skilled.
Therefore, they only agreed that Qi Shichen should call his companion in front of them, have the companion come over alone with the money, and hand over the money. After that, they would agree to the matter.
In front of them, Qi Shichen called Xiao Zhong and asked him to bring 300,000 yuan in cash.
After receiving the call, Xiao Zhong did not make a fuss. He only told Chen Tianhua, who was with him, about it. Then, when no one was paying attention, he went to find the driver, Wang Qi.
The driver knew where Qi Shichen usually kept his money. The driver led the man to the passenger side of the truck and pulled out a sack of cash from under the makeshift bed behind the passenger seat.
Xiao Zhong counted out 300,000 yuan and put the money into his backpack.
As night deepened, no one noticed that Xiao Zhong had quietly left.
Yu Shu was close to the driver, Wang Qi, so he saw their actions and also saw Xiao Zhong leave with a bag on his back.
Yu Shu's heart leaped into her throat; something must have happened. Yu Shu recognized that bag; Qi Shichen had taken the money from that bag when he gave it to the old man.
What does Xiao Zhong need so much money for?
Has something serious happened?
Xiao Zhong followed the road with trepidation. When he arrived, he saw this terrifying scene and almost fainted from fright.
“Xiao Zhong, go two kilometers west, put your backpack there, turn on the flashlight and put it on the backpack, then come back.”
Qi Shichen gave him the order.
Xiao Zhong did as he was told.
After doing all that, Xiao Zhong returned empty-handed.
"The money is located about two kilometers away. You can take the money and leave."
Qi Shichen calmly answered them.
He didn't let Xiao Zhong give them the money directly, to prevent them from demanding an exorbitant amount or going back on their word after receiving it.
After much hesitation, the villagers left a few people to guard the place while they quickly went home to pack their belongings. After taking their things, everyone retreated to a place two kilometers away to get the money.
After the mountain dwellers retreated, Qi Shichen also led his men back quickly. When the group returned to the camp and saw their companions, the two of them felt as if they had survived a disaster.
What followed the ordeal was anger and humiliation.
"I'm going to find someone to kill them."
Qi Shichen stood aside, quietly watching the two of them go crazy.
The group of people in the camp gathered around and asked what had happened. Qi Shichen remained silent, and Xiao Zhong, seeing that his brother was not speaking, did not dare to say anything either.
The two young masters would never utter such a humiliating statement, instead shouting that they would go home and get help.
Yu Shu's eyes were full of worry. He was restless, his palms were sweating, his heart was pounding, and he was repeatedly doing meaningless little things, unable to concentrate at all.
Yu Shu felt as if those few hours had been centuries to him, and he only felt relieved when he saw them return safely.
Yu Shu was startled to realize that he was covered in a cold sweat.
He had never experienced anything so thrilling. Even when he walked towards Qi Shichen, every step he took felt unsteady, as if he couldn't find his footing.
"Mr. Qi, are you alright?"
When Yu Shu asked this question, he didn't even realize that his voice was trembling slightly.
Qi Shichen is right.
He was indeed a little prince living in an ivory tower. His world was monotonous and colorless, but at the same time, it was without any danger. He had never seen the evil deep in human nature.
When Qi Shichen saw Yu Shu's appearance, he began to regret his decision to let those people join the team, which led to this series of events.
What's done is done, and it's too late to regret it.
Qi Shichen reached out and hugged Yu Shu tightly.
He placed one hand on the back of Yu Shu's neck, letting Yu Shu's head rest on his shoulder, and gently patted Yu Shu's back with his other hand, softly soothing the other's uneasy emotions.
"Yu Shu, it's alright now."
"Don't be afraid, no matter what happens, I will protect you."
Qi Shichen gently made a promise to Yu Shu.
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