Eye of the Storm
In the past few days, Lu Min would plan his marriage proposal ceremony every day after get off work, and he would keep it a secret from Sang Qi, saying it was a surprise.
Sang Qi pursed her lips. Everyone knew it was a marriage proposal, so this really wasn't much of a surprise.
Nanjing was blanketed in snow again this weekend, creating a unique and beautiful scene.
On a weekend when she wasn't working and it was snowing, Sang Qi had planned to stay home and watch dramas with Lu Min. However, Lu Min went out early that morning, saying he had something to do.
In fact, Sang Qi knew that Lu Min was definitely planning a marriage proposal, so she didn't say anything and let him do as he pleased, just to see what kind of shocking proposal he could come up with.
Sang Qi took a nap after lunch, and slept until about four o'clock in the afternoon.
She got up and drank a glass of water; outside the window, snow was still falling lightly.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Lu Min had the key with him, so it probably wasn't Lu Min.
But then I thought, could it be a marriage proposal ceremony that Lu Min prepared, and he deliberately rang the doorbell at the door?
Thinking of this, Sang Qi happily ran to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, a tall man stood in the doorway, wearing a hat and a mask, with the brim pulled low so that his eyebrows and eyes could not be seen.
Sang Qi knew the moment she saw that the man was definitely not Lu Min.
“You are…” Sang Qi stepped back warily.
Unexpectedly, the man rushed forward, grabbed Sang Qi by the neck, and then used his other hand to cover Sang Qi's mouth and nose with a thick towel.
Sang Qi struggled desperately, but soon after, he felt dizzy and eventually fainted.
Seeing that Sang Qi had fainted, the man picked her up and left without saying a word.
Lu Min got home after 7 p.m.
His proposal ceremony is all set and will take place tonight. To mark the occasion, he bought a bouquet of bright red roses on his way home from a florist.
"Sang Qi!"
He carried the flowers into the house and was surprised to find that the lights were off.
He put the flowers aside, went back to his room to check, but there was no one there; the person wasn't home.
He figured Sang Qi must have gone out, so he called her.
The call was answered quickly.
"Sang Qi, where did you go?" Lu Min asked as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Amin..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Min's expression changed drastically.
"You finally called?" The person on the other end of the line chuckled softly. "I knew you and Sang Qi wouldn't die so easily."
Lu Min's gaze sharpened, his voice icy: "Jin Hai, what exactly do you want!"
"You know that," Jin Haiyun said calmly.
"You fucking haven't given up yet?" Lu Min gritted his teeth.
Jin Hai chuckled: "So what if it is? I've fallen out with Qian Kunpeng now. He doesn't know that you and Sang Qi are still alive. Only I know. As long as you give me the storage device, I will definitely not hurt Sang Qi. After all, she is Hua Ge's daughter and my sister-in-law. Moreover, once I get the storage device, no one will know that you and Sang Qi are still alive, and Qian Kunpeng will not be able to find you again."
Lu Min chuckled, his laughter filled with utter disdain.
"Give the phone to Sang Qi, I have something to say to her."
Jin Hai didn't refuse, and soon Sang Qi's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Lu Min, give him the storage device, I don't want to die."
Lu Min raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"
"Don't anger him. Quickly give him the storage device. I put it in my drawer, inside that titanium steel necklace."
Lu Min lowered his gaze and remained silent for a long time before saying, "Give the phone to Jin Hai."
The phone was back in Jin Hai's hands.
“Just tell me the location and time, and I’ll get the storage device for you,” Lu Min said calmly.
"So readily agreed?" Jin Hai was somewhat incredulous.
Lu Min smiled: "My woman is already in your hands, what do you want me to do? This is Nanjing, not some remote mountainous area in Yunnan. You wouldn't dare to lay a hand on me here. This is a society governed by law."
Jin Hai chuckled: "Fine, I doubt you'd dare to try anything funny."
"We've been brothers for so many years, do you think you wouldn't know what I'm thinking? So, stop talking nonsense and give me the address and time."
Jin Hai said leisurely, "Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, Xinghewan Phase II."
"good."
"I'll be there on time. I just want to get what I need. I won't hurt Sang Qi, really!" Jin Hai said earnestly.
Lu Min nodded: "Fine, you take care of my wife. If you let her go hungry or freeze, I'll never forgive you."
Jin Hai chuckled: "Alright, I didn't even know you were such a romantic."
"..."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Min looked up the Xinghewan Phase II project.
Actually, the Xinghewan Phase II mountain area was a new real estate development zone, but it was only half-built when the owner went bankrupt. Phase II became an unfinished building and has been abandoned ever since. Few people have set foot there. It is indeed a place where one can hide.
After figuring out the route, Lu Min immediately went to report it to the police.
The next morning, Lu Min got up at around 5 a.m. and went to the police station early to discuss with the police how to surround and rescue the people.
After some discussion, Lu Min drove alone to Xinghe Bay, where the police secretly followed him.
Arriving at Xinghewan Phase II, one sees several unfinished buildings standing tall, surrounded by ruins and overgrown weeds, which appear even more desolate and bleak under the harsh winter.
After Lu Min got out of the car, he saw Jin Hai waving at him from the third floor of a building.
The accompanying police quickly and discreetly surrounded and ambushed the building where Jin Hai was located.
At that time, Lu Min had already gone up to the third floor.
Sang Qi was found tied to a chair, unable to move.
Lu Min felt a pang of heartache upon seeing Sang Qi's disheveled appearance.
Jin Hai walked over lazily and chuckled, "Did you bring the things?"
Lu Min glared at him angrily: "What the hell are you doing, tying my man up like this? Are you looking for death?"
Jin Hai shrugged: "What if they escape if we don't tie them up tighter?"
"..."
After laughing, Jin Hai said seriously, "I'm not going to joke with you anymore, give me the stuff."
Lu Min took out a titanium steel necklace from his pocket and casually tossed it to Jin Hai.
Jin Hai quickly reached out and took it, examining it closely: "Are you sure?"
"If you don't believe me, then forget it." Lu Min went to untie Sang Qi.
Jin Hai put the necklace back in his pocket: "Okay, I believe you."
Lu Min's eyes suddenly turned cold: "How can you trust me so much? Aren't you afraid I'll call the police and sell you out?"
Jin Hai smiled and said, "You, Lu Min, value brotherhood and wouldn't betray your brothers. Besides, I really just want this storage device, nothing more."
Lu Min couldn't help but feel guilty.
He didn't value brotherhood as much as Jin Hai claimed.
“I’m curious…” Lu Min looked at Jin Hai, “Why did you break up with Qian Ganpeng for no reason?”
Jin Hai's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Yang Hao is a traitor. He was captured by Qian Ganpeng. Yang Hao is one of my men. He will no longer trust me, and naturally he will no longer cooperate with me."
Yang Hao has been captured! Lu Min's expression became complicated.
Qian Ganpeng is a treacherous and ruthless man; Yang Hao is likely to suffer a terrible fate.
"Aren't you going to save them?" Lu Min was furious, glaring at Jin Hai.
"I saved him!" Jin Hai shouted, retorting to Lu Min.
Jin Hai sighed dejectedly, "All the men I brought were killed by Qian Ganpeng. I almost didn't make it out..."
At this point, Jin Hai's eyes turned sinister: "That's why I must get the storage device. Once I've strengthened my power, why should I be afraid of Qian Ganpeng? At that time, I will avenge Brother Hua and Yang Hao. I will make Qian Ganpeng pay for his crimes in blood!"
"But your path to revenge is not honorable! It's an illegal path!" Lu Min still tried to persuade him.
"So what if it's illegal? I did it. I'll admit it if the police catch me someday. If you want to live a good life and be a law-abiding citizen, that's fine. You don't have to be like me. I have no relatives or friends, I'm all alone, and there's nothing I can't let go of."
Before leaving, Jin Hai patted Lu Min on the shoulder: "Don't blame me, I had no choice but to do it. If you need anything in the future, just give me a call, and I'll help you through thick and thin."
Lu Min was slightly moved, and his expression immediately became complicated.
"Let's go, see you in Yunnan sometime." Jin Hai waved and went downstairs.
At that moment, the police officers who were lying in ambush quickly rushed out from their hiding place. Seven or eight armed police officers surrounded Jin Hai and took him into custody.
Jin Hai was shocked. He turned around abruptly to look at Lu Min, his lips trembling, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"I'm sorry!" Lu Min lowered his head in remorse.
After a moment, Jin Hai chuckled, shook his head and sighed, "I really overestimated our brotherhood. To be honest, I really didn't expect this."
Lu Min pursed his lips: "I don't want you to make the same mistake again. The crackdown on organized crime is so strict now. Going back to those old businesses will definitely lead nowhere. I really consider you a brother and I don't want to see you sink into depravity. The police are also investigating Qian Ganpeng's influence. He will be caught soon and punished by law. Those who were killed by him will rest in peace."
Jin Hai curled his lips into a desolate smile: "Never mind, never mind, it's fate." With that, he loosened his grip on the titanium steel necklace, which fell to the ground.
Then he added, "Lu Min, I don't blame you. You have your choices, and I have mine. Let's leave it at that."
"Jin Hai, turn back," Lu Min advised him. "If you turn back, we'll still be brothers."
Jin Hai lowered his eyes and chuckled to himself. After a while, he said, "Alright, alright, enough with the nonsense."
Lu Min remained silent and watched as Jin Hai was escorted into a police car by the police.
Sang Qi remained silent throughout, simply staying quietly by Lu Min's side.
Lu Min composed himself and looked steadily at Sang Qi. Her little face was dirty and her hair was messy like tangled weeds, which made him chuckle.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you." Lu Min lovingly cupped Sang Qi's face in his hands, gently stroking her smooth cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.
Sang Qi didn't say anything, just looked at Lu Min pitifully.
Lu Min hugged her and held her hand tightly: "Let's go home."
On the way home, Lu Min told Sang Qi to take a nap, but Sang Qi shook her head and said energetically, "I'm not sleepy."
Lu Min simply smiled and let her be.
After passing several traffic lights, the car got onto the elevated road. There were fewer cars, and Lu Min sped up. The whole way, there was silence.
Sang Qi suddenly felt uneasy and tentatively asked, "Should I have asked you to call the police?"
Yesterday, when Sang Qi was on the phone with Lu Min, Sang Qi asked Lu Min to give the storage device to Jin Hai. This was sarcastic, because Sang Qi has never been a coward.
Lu Min was surprised when she said that.
Then, Sang Qi added, "Don't anger you."
Usually, when kidnappers abduct someone, the way they provoke them is to call the police. Sang Qi's statement was ironic, meaning he wanted Sang Qi to call the police.
Of course, Sang Qi is a shrewd person. She wouldn't let Lu Min call the police casually. The reason she dared to tell Lu Min to call the police is that she has enough judgment and confidence to be sure that Jin Hai can't escape and that she herself will not be harmed.
Sang Qi said calmly, "Actually, Jin Hai isn't a bad person. I can tell. When I was captured by Qian Kunpeng, he was relatively kind to me. He just wanted a storage device and didn't want to hurt us. Moreover, he values relationships. I was certain he would trust you, which is why I asked you to call the police. Was I wrong?"
Lu Min clicked his tongue: "What nonsense are you thinking now? You did nothing wrong. He should be punished. It's none of your business. Besides, maybe this way he can see the error of his ways."
Sang Qi fell silent.
When Sang Qi got home, the first thing she saw upon entering the room was the bouquet of red roses on the coffee table, which were no longer vibrant.
She stared at the bouquet of roses, lost in thought, for a long time.
Lu Min slumped lazily onto the sofa, letting out a long sigh of relief, as if relaxing his entire body.
“These flowers are…” Sang Qi held the bouquet of flowers.
Lu Min smiled and said, "I originally planned to use this to propose to you, but this unexpected thing happened."
Sang Qi, holding flowers, sat down next to Lu Min: "What was your proposal ceremony like?"
Lu Min pressed his temples: "You'll find out."
Sang Qi pouted: "Stop being mysterious, just tell me. I was kidnapped because I thought you were going to surprise me with a marriage proposal, so I let my guard down."
"Really?" Lu Min sat up straight.
"Of course."
"Alright," Lu Min said.
Sang Qi looked on with anticipation.
"Come with me." Lu Min stood up.
Sang Qi followed up: "Where are we going?"
"To the proposal scene."
Sang Qi didn't ask any questions and followed Lu Min with her head down.
Lu Min drove towards the old town, and after about half an hour's drive, he arrived at an old residential area.
After getting off the car, Lu Min led Sang Qi inside.
By this point, Sang Qi could probably guess what was going on.
Lu Min bought a house.
The elevator went up to the 25th floor, and after getting off, I arrived at the door of apartment 2502.
Lu Min took out his keys and opened the door. The moment he opened the door, Sang Qi saw balloons, flowers, ribbons, LED ambient light strings, and a projection screen.
Lu Min turned on the projector, and images of snow-capped mountains and forests were projected onto the screen, accompanied by soothing English songs and handwritten text.
High-altitude snow-capped mountains, forests and meadows—that's where they met.
In fact, Sang Qi didn't care about these fancy things; her focus was on the house.
"Where did you get so much money to buy a house? Housing prices in Nanjing are not low."
Lu Min smiled smugly: "Do I look like a poor person?"
Sang Qi clicked his tongue a few times: "Even if you earn a lot as a team leader, you might not be able to buy a house in Nanjing right away."
Lu Min poked Sang Qi's head: "Are you stupid? I made a lot of money when I was involved in the underworld."
Sang Qi covered her mouth: "I almost forgot, the illegal and criminal things you did before did bring in money quickly."
What constitutes breaking the law and committing a crime?
"...Isn't that so?"
"..."
“Actually, you don’t need to buy a house. Don’t I already have one?” Sang Qi said, looking at the spacious, bright, and fully furnished apartment in front of her.
It's a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment with a minimalist style of decoration. This type of apartment is a typical fully furnished, ready-to-move-in property, and the community has a high occupancy rate.
In order to propose, Lu Min went through a series of steps in just a few days, from viewing properties to signing contracts and taking possession of the property, which can be described as very fast.
“That house was left to you by your mother; it was your premarital property. This house, however, belongs to both of us; the property deed lists it as our house.”
"Wow, that's quite an improvement in your ideological awareness."
Lu Min smiled and said, "Of course."
As he spoke, Lu Min paused, then quickly took out a ring he had prepared beforehand, opened the box to reveal an exquisite and dazzling diamond ring, and knelt on one knee: "Will you be my wife?"
Sang Qijian burst out laughing. Who proposes like that?
Lu Min frowned: "Say something."
"Okay, okay, I'll do it."
Lu Min immediately slipped the ring onto Sang Qi's finger, then intertwined their fingers tightly: "Is that okay?"
"It'll do." Sang Qi looked at the ring in her hand, suppressing the upward curve of her lips.
"When do you want to have the wedding?" Lu Min asked.
Sang Qi hesitated for a moment: "Let's not do it. It's a waste of money, and neither of us has any relatives or friends to invite."
Lu Min shook his head: "We have friends. Don't you want everyone to witness this wonderful moment?"
Sang Qi stroked his chin and thought for a moment: "That's true."
"Linna, Zaxi, Yanqi, Yanfeng and his wife, Yinya, Yang Hao and other friends will all come. It's enough with them. It doesn't matter if there are no relatives or friends." Lu Min had planned it out long ago.
Sang Qi's eyes lit up: "That's true, they are all friends who have helped us along the way, even in life and death."
"uh-huh."
"Alright then, I'll do as you say," Sang Qi said with a smile.
"Okay, I'll make the arrangements. You just need to focus on marrying me."
"good."
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