Chapter 168 Entering the Tiger's Den Alone
Although Yang Liu had been following Zhang Yi for several days, Zhang Yi was inherently suspicious and wouldn't easily trust anyone, so he was now starting to doubt even Yang Liu.
Yang Liu quickly distanced herself from the situation: "I'm not close to her. We used to get along fairly well, but she moved away and we haven't been in contact since. Don't believe her."
Zhang Yi, of course, wouldn't believe Yang Liu's words. He snorted coldly and asked again, "Is that so? Since you're not that close, why did you come to find her? Don't you know who we are? Or are you not afraid of us?"
Jiang Mi feigned a weak and fearful demeanor; her delicate features were captivating in the dim light, evoking pity in me.
"Of course I was scared, but when I thought about how my best friend's fate was unknown, I was also worried day and night at home. The government had given up, so Liu'er was probably in grave danger. That's why I didn't give up and came to look for her myself."
At this point, Zhang Yi seized on another key point: "What did you say? The government has given up? You're not lying to me, are you? Just a few days ago, my men heard that the government was looking for us. Your lie isn't convincing enough."
Jiang Mi said calmly, "That was before, as you said, several days ago. Besides, the government issued a bounty, and there would be a reward if you were caught. So the people looking for you might not be government officials, or they might be other people."
Zhang Yi squinted at her: "Don't you need those bounty posters? How can I believe what you're saying?"
Jiang Mi retorted, "Why would I lie to you? Did you think I would come all this way to this dangerous place just to trick you? Besides, as I said before, I own a restaurant and I'm very wealthy. That bounty isn't even enough to cover my restaurant's daily income. Why would I care about that little bit of money?"
Upon hearing this, the people around exclaimed in amazement. They realized that this woman was so rich. If they could capture her, wouldn't it be like capturing a money tree?
Zhang Yi remained unmoved. He was still skeptical, so he returned to his seat and looked down at Jiang Mi, saying, "Is that so? Whether what you say is true or false, once you're on my turf, you can't leave easily. Not only can you not rescue your good sister, but you'll also have to stay here with her. How do you feel about that?"
Jiang Mi first looked confused, then her face showed fear: "I...I haven't thought about this. I'm only thinking about finding people...What do you want in return for letting us go? How much money do you want? I can give you anything, as long as you let us go. Don't worry, we won't expose your location. With the money, you can go wherever you want."
Seeing that Jiang Mi seemed genuinely innocent, Zhang Yi lowered his guard slightly.
"Really? How much money do you have? You're quite arrogant. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a wealthy merchant from Shushan County. Compared to the richest restaurant in Linshui County, you're only a tenth as rich as him, which is already pretty good."
Jiang Mi deliberately concealed her abilities: "That's because you don't know how capable my elder brother is. This restaurant was opened by my elder brother. He is very good at business. The restaurants in Linshui County may not be our match. As long as you ask my elder brother for money, he will agree to any amount. He dotes on me. If you don't believe me, ask Liu'er."
Yang Liu, whom Jiang Mi called Liu'er, was completely bewildered. She didn't know what Jiang Mi was up to, but it seemed that she could only use Jiang Mi to leave this place. No matter what Jiang Mi was planning, she was sure that Jiang Mi would not stay here. So as long as she went along with Jiang Mi and left, it would be to fulfill her wish. Other things could be dealt with after they left.
"Yes, Honey has three older brothers. She is the youngest sister. All her brothers love her very much, which is enviable."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow: "Really? You just said that you two weren't that close, but now you're calling each other by nicknames? Liu'er, you've been with me for several days now, I hope you don't take me for a fool, you know?"
Yang Liu nodded hurriedly in fright: "Yes, I have no ill intentions towards the boss. I was quite surprised that she was able to come here. Please don't make things too difficult for her, for my sake."
Zhang Yi was quite clever; he had always had great faith in his own intuition.
They also act according to their intuition.
"I don't really trust this woman. Second brother, I'll give her to you. This young lady is pretty and has delicate skin. She must be a top-quality woman. You'll get a good deal."
The second-in-command had been eyeing her for a long time. He had his eye on Yang Liu before, but unfortunately, the eldest brother had also taken a liking to her, so he didn't get a chance. Now that this girl was even prettier, he happily said, "Then thank you, eldest brother. I'll consummate my marriage with her tonight."
The second-in-command was a one-eyed man, blind in one eye, which he covered with a black cloth. His smile was extremely lewd, suggesting he was a wicked fellow.
Jiang Mi outwardly appeared frightened and unwilling, but inwardly she was quite pleased. This second-in-command seemed much easier to fool than the first-in-command. Zhang Yi truly lived up to his reputation as the leader, being so vigilant. It seemed he had the ability to sit in this position.
A group of men burst into laughter. Yang Liu smiled as well. She moved closer to Jiang Mi and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Jiang Mi, Jiang Mi, I never thought you'd end up like this. I don't care why you came here today, but you're like a lamb entering a tiger's den, there's no escaping it now. You're destined to become just like me."
Jiang Mi ignored her. Her purpose in coming was not to save Yang Liu. What would happen to Yang Liu in the end was up to fate.
The second-in-command walked over and reached out to touch Jiang Mi's face, but Jiang Mi dodged him.
The second-in-command's smile vanished. In front of so many brothers, he felt utterly humiliated: "You bastard, how dare you look down on me? Believe me or not, I'll execute you right here and now!"
A brother nearby advised, "Second Master, be gentle. She's a delicate girl after all. You're scaring her. She's so beautiful, you should treat her well."
The second-in-command's expression softened a bit, but he still didn't give Jiang Mi a friendly look: "You, come with me to my room, I'm going to teach you some manners!"
Amidst the laughter of a group of men, Jiang Mi reluctantly followed the second-in-command away. As she left, she saw Yang Liu return to Zhang Yi's side, nestled in his arms, trying her best to please him. However, only Jiang Mi could see the deep disgust and hatred in Yang Liu's eyes towards Zhang Yi.
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