Chapter 70 The Game and the Pieces (Part 1) "Indeed, every generation of the Yan family..."
The rough edges of the rope rubbed against the skin of my wrists and ankles, burning with pain. My mouth was stuffed with a wad of cloth, tasting salty, rusty—probably blood.
Yan Quan's consciousness was interrupted by a muffled thud and a pungent smell. When he woke up again, this was the place.
The warehouse was filled with the smell of dust and engine oil. The only light source came from a dirty little window high up, cutting out a few pale beams of light that illuminated the dust particles dancing in the air.
Yan Zhengdong was holding up his phone and recording Yan Quan.
Yan Quan's hands and feet were tied to a chair, and his body was covered with bruises and marks from the impact and the rope bindings. He looked quite disheveled.
The red indicator light flashed as the camera took pictures; time passed in silence and fear, each second feeling like an eternity.
After tapping the screen a few times, Yan Zhengdong looked up at Yan Quan meaningfully and gave him an exaggerated smile.
"Just wait and see, the Yan family is full of romantics."
Even a fool could tell that Yan Zhengdong was willing to risk his life to negotiate with Yan Ceyan.
Greed knows no bounds; even a snake cannot swallow an elephant.
They could have easily seized all of Yan Quan's assets by killing him, but instead, they went to the trouble of orchestrating this kidnapping. Their aim was to reclaim the Yan family's stake in the Yan Corporation's investments, and even, to be even more greedy… the Yan family's real estate business.
"Give me a glass of water, I'm dying of thirst."
Yan Quan glanced at Yan Zhengdong with disdain.
"Tsk." At this moment, Yan Zhengdong completely tore off his usual polite facade and cursed, "You bastard, you have too many demands."
Ha... Yan Quan really wanted to laugh.
After all, Yan Zhengdong's current swear-filled, thuggish appearance is quite different from the business strategist he used to be.
In a sense, Yan Quan and Yan Zhengdong are truly a match made in heaven—they are alike. No matter how high-class and noble they appear on the outside, it cannot change the fact that they are selfish and despicable on the inside.
"Water." Yan Quan opened his lips and repeated it arrogantly again—Yan Quan knew that as long as he was still of value to Yan Ceyan, Yan Zhengdong would not dare to do anything to him.
"Give him water." Yan Zhengdong waved his hand.
Secretary Wang, who was waiting on the side, immediately obeyed and stepped forward to unscrew the cap of the mineral water bottle and pour water into Yan Quan's bottle.
The icy liquid flowed down his throat, and Yan Quan glanced disdainfully at Secretary Wang out of the corner of his eye.
This Secretary Wang... since Yan Quan returned to China, he has been impeccable in both asset restructuring and auditing of bank accounts for embezzlement.
He was only in his forties, but his temples were already completely white.
He truly devoted himself to Yan Zhengdong, even unto death.
"Actually, I don't understand." Yan Quan finished drinking the water, pursed his lips, looked at Secretary Wang, and then said, "I believe I have treated you well."
Yan Quan's gaze and voice gradually turned cold, "Why...betrayed...me?"
After his release from prison, Yan Zhengdong was a "loser" who had lost everything and had a broken leg. No one would give up the road to success with the "winner" Yan Quan and instead go to their deaths with the "loser".
Secretary Wang's eyes flickered, but he didn't reply—that was just his personality; Secretary Wang was always quiet.
"Xiao Wang, you've been with me for about twenty years, haven't you?" Yan Zhengdong suddenly became very proud and put his arm around Secretary Wang's shoulder in front of Yan Quan.
“Yes… twenty-two years ago.” A subtle ripple suddenly appeared in Secretary Wang’s deep, still eyes.
"Alright, alright." Yan Zhengdong narrowed his fox-like eyes and glanced at Yan Quan provocatively: "More than twenty years of friendship is something that an ingrate can't compare to, right?"
Feelings... Yan Quan let out a deep breath with a hint of self-mockery.
How ironic. Yan Quan only talks about interests, and the very things he disbelieves in most always deliver the most fatal and devastating blows at these crucial moments.
Just then, the warehouse door was suddenly pushed open, and a tall, familiar figure stood against the light in the doorway. It was Yan Ceyan.
Yan Ceyan stood alone, carrying a file folder. The light outlined his tall and imposing figure, obscuring his facial expression. But even from this distance, Yan Quan could feel his chilling aura.
"The share transfer agreement is here, and it's been signed."
Yan Ceyan's voice was eerily calm, like a frozen lake. "Release them."
"I need to verify its authenticity." Yan Zhengdong was shrewd and calculating.
“Okay.” Yan Ceyan said this to Yan Zhengdong, but his gaze passed over the obstacles and landed on Yan Quan.
The document bag traced an arc in the air before being caught steadily by Yan Zhengdong. His fingertips flipped through the share transfer agreement, and the smile on Yan Zhengdong's lips grew increasingly greedy: "Tsk tsk..."
"If your father knew that you had sold out the Yan family so easily, he would probably be furious and bleed."
"Sure enough, every generation of the Yan family produces foolish romantics."
Yan Ceyan, who had been called an "idiot" to his face, twitched his brow slightly upon hearing this. He gave Yan Quan another deep look, his pupils churning with complex emotions.
"Now, can we release them?"
"Wait..." Yan Zhengdong's gaze fell on the leg that Yan Ceyan was standing on, and his look suddenly became somewhat eerie.
Yan Zhengdong has always been vengeful.
Yan Ceyan's face remained expressionless: "What do you want?"
Yan Zhengdong pulled a heavy iron rod from the corner of the warehouse, weighed it in his hand, and looked at it with eyes like a venomous snake.
I'm going to cripple one of your legs.
"Just like you did for me."
As Yan Zhengdong finished speaking, Yan Quan's breath caught in his throat for a moment: "Damn, this madman."
"Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Yan family?" Yan Quan blurted out.
"Huh? Revenge?" Yan Zhengdong laughed smugly. "With this share transfer agreement, half of the Yan family is mine. What do I have to fear?"
"Oh—," Yan Zhengdong suddenly laughed and grabbed Yan Quan's hair, "I'm going to beat up your lover, feeling sorry for him now?"
"Hiss..." The pain from being gripped so tightly, mixed with the dust swirling around, made Yan Quan cough slightly, choking as he tried to breathe: "Cough cough—"
Seeing Yan Quan injured, Yan Ceyan instantly changed from a calm trader to an enraged leopard, charging towards Yan Zhengdong: "You dare to touch him and see what happens."
Yan Zhengdong looked at Yan Ceyan rushing over, a strange emotion flashing across his lips, "...They really are a loving couple."
"You want to save people? Then show your sincerity." Yan Zhengdong pressed closer, carrying an iron rod.
"Okay." Yan Ceyan's lips moved slightly. He uttered a few words clearly and firmly:
"I'll pay you back with one leg."
"..." Yan Quan felt a lump in his throat, really wanting to step forward and yell at Yan Ceyan, this idiot who rushed over to his death.
"Hahaha... Watch closely, I'll break his legs." Yan Zhengdong laughed as he twisted Yan Quan's head, raising the iron rod and aiming it at Yan Ceyan's knee.
The adult male's charged arm strike stirred the air within the abandoned warehouse, creating a whooshing sound as a muffled gust of wind swept down—
There were clearly positions he could have used to avoid it... but Yan Ceyan just stood there, motionless, waiting for the heavy stick to fall.
This is like the torrential rain that used to fall.
A figure stubbornly standing downstairs, gazing into the distance.
It's just...
"A stupid dog."
Yan Quan gritted his teeth and finally blurted out the code: "The plan has changed."
"Take action in advance."
At the same time as He Yanquan's words rang out, a muffled thud suddenly erupted across the vast warehouse: "Bang—"
Yan Ceyan delivered a precise and ruthless punch with his right hand, striking Yan Zhengdong's jaw!
A muffled crack echoed, accompanied by the clear sound of bone breaking. The punch sent the adult male, weighing over 100 pounds, flying slightly off the ground before he fell heavily backward.
The situation instantly spiraled out of control.
"Whoosh—" The crisp suit made a rustling sound as it turned around. Secretary Wang, who was standing next to Yan Zhengdong, suddenly turned around.
He reacted swiftly, using a nylon rope hidden in his sleeve to lock Yan Zhengdong's wrist. Then he used his arm to restrain Yan Zhengdong's upper body and neck.
Very professional grappling techniques. It's obvious that they've practiced them countless times in their minds.
Now, Yan Zhengdong, who already had a limp, was completely unable to move.
"You...?" Yan Zhengdong turned to look at Secretary Wang in astonishment, coughing up a breath: "Betrayed me?"
"..." Secretary Wang's eyes darkened mysteriously, and he pressed his lips even tighter before saying, "...Don't move. Otherwise you'll get hurt even more."
Meanwhile, the hired kidnappers who were keeping watch outside the abandoned warehouse realized something was wrong and rushed inside with guns drawn to check the situation.
The bullets were still in the barrel, not yet fired. The kidnappers were all slammed to the ground one by one by Yan Ceyan, whose eyes were bloodshot, with an over-the-shoulder throw, kicking up clouds of dust.
The movements are fluid, efficient, and ruthless, all of them deadly moves honed in real combat.
"Phew..." The tidying up was finished. Yan Ceyan stood there, slightly out of breath, his hair disheveled, his eyes like sharp blades tempered with ice, sweeping over the remaining people who dared not step forward.
"How about trying one closer?"
"I'll kill him." Yan Ceyan's voice was low, yet carried an undeniable power.
"Now, squat down and put your hands behind your head."
Those who were only doing things for money had now turned against their masters and were extremely afraid of losing their lives. The remaining kidnappers huddled together, trembling with fear, their heads in their hands.
"If you dare to move, you die." Yan Ceyan treated the people like prisoners of war on the battlefield, gathering them into a circle and tying them together without any mercy.
After completing this series of reorganization tasks, Yan Ceyan glanced sideways at Secretary Wang.
They discovered that Secretary Wang had already used the spare ropes that Yan Zhengdong had prepared to tie Yan Zhengdong up tightly to the main pillar of the warehouse.
He then gave Yan Ceyan a gesture that said, "Don't worry, he can't escape."
Yan Ceyan was surprised by how quickly Secretary Wang changed his expression: "..."
Now, Yan Ceyan finally realized, belatedly, that this kidnapping was a trap deliberately set by Yan Quan and Secretary Wang.
The purpose of the trap was to completely "ruin" Yan Zhengdong's life by spending it in prison.
"What are you still standing there for?"
Meanwhile, on the other side, Yan Quan tried several times to untie the ropes himself without success. Helpless, he could only call out to Yan Ceyan, who was standing there in a daze, in an annoyed tone:
"Come here. Help me untie the rope."
"..." Yan Ceyan, who had just been in a gloomy and low mood, suddenly came to life because of such a light and casual sentence.
Amidst the chaotic, scattered dust, Yan Ceyan strode towards Yan Quan.
"Rustling—" Yan Ceyan's arm tightened around Yan Quan, gripping him so tightly it felt like he was crushing him. His hot breath lingered, carrying a trembling tremor of relief and an undisguised vulnerability.
"As soon as I woke up, I saw those pictures he sent me..."
"I'm going crazy."
"Shares, property, whatever he wants, he can have it..."
“If you leave me again…I will…” The Alpha’s body trembled slightly from the adrenaline and tension. Warm liquid—whether it was blood or some other liquid—soaked Yan Quan’s collar.
Yan Quan raised his head and looked at Yan Ceyan's disheveled face, stained with blood and dust, so close to his own. In an instant, all the words stuck in his throat.
“…Idiot dog.”
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