Chapter 60: Hostage

Chapter Sixty: Hostage

“So it was you all along.” The rickshaw driver gripped his gun, staring at Lu Tiankang, who had turned around, and uttered a sentence that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Lu Tiankang, however, immediately understood, though he continued to feign ignorance, smiling as he said, “Young man, I don’t know what you’re talking about. And if you’re here to rob someone, I’m afraid you’ve picked the wrong person—I’m nothing but a poor man myself.”

The rickshaw driver was none other than Ah Hai. After Mr. Li had revealed his plan to Bai Zeshao, Bai Zeshao had instructed Ah Hai to take part as well, and Ah Hai’s assignment to pick up Lu Tiankang had come directly from Mr. Li. On one hand, it was to keep watch. On the other, it was to confirm suspicions, for Ah Hai was a rickshaw driver by trade—no matter how cautious Lu Tiankang might be, he would never suspect a man he hailed from the street.

“Lu Tiankang, you’re already exposed. There’s no point in making excuses. I heard your call just now—every word of it,” Ah Hai sneered coldly.

Lu Tiankang glanced at Ah Hai and realized there was no further room to argue. His only thought now was escape. His eyes darted rapidly, scanning the surroundings for a way out.

After a moment, he addressed Ah Hai: “Brother, could you let me see Mr. Li one last time?”

“Sure, Mr. Li will be here soon,” Ah Hai replied, recalling Mr. Li’s explicit instructions—if Lu Tiankang was indeed the traitor, he was to be kept until Mr. Li arrived. Lu Tiankang’s request matched perfectly with those orders, so Ah Hai agreed.

“Thank you, brother. By the way, when did you join the Red Party? I’ve never seen you before,” Lu Tiankang asked, feigning casual curiosity about Ah Hai’s identity.

But Ah Hai, with a life’s worth of experience that belied his youth, was well-versed in the art of deception. Years spent surviving at society’s lowest rung had made him a chameleon, and he easily matched Lu Tiankang’s idle chatter with fabricated tales of his own.

As they conversed, Lu Tiankang’s mind raced, searching desperately for a way out. But one glance at Ah Hai’s stance made him curse inwardly. Though Ah Hai kept up the conversation, his grip on the gun never wavered, the muzzle trained unwaveringly on Lu Tiankang.

He had no intention of waiting for Mr. Li’s arrival—for when that happened, his fate would be sealed. So he decided to take a risk. “Brother, what if I give you a large sum of money to let me go? What do you say?”

“How much?” Ah Hai’s eyes lit up.

Lu Tiankang, seeing his reaction, cursed his own stupidity—why had he tried to win him over with sentiment, when money could do the trick? “How much do you want, brother?”

“Four—no, ten gold bars?” Ah Hai ventured.

“Forty gold bars? That’s a lot, but I can manage it. Here’s the deal: come with me, I’ll give you the gold when we get there. What do you think?” Trapped in the phone booth and growing desperate, Lu Tiankang misheard, but still agreed readily.

But when he looked at Ah Hai, he found him regarding him as if he were a fool. “You think I’m an idiot? Or are you the fool? If I go with you, I’d never live to see the gold.”

“Then what do you suggest? How could I possibly be carrying that many gold bars?” Lu Tiankang said, feigning helplessness.

“That’s easily settled—see for yourself.” Ah Hai suddenly flashed a brilliant smile.

“What do you mean?” Lu Tiankang asked instinctively.

“Look to your left.” Ah Hai jerked his chin, signaling Lu Tiankang to look to the left of the phone booth.

Lu Tiankang followed his gaze—and nearly died of fright. There, grinning at him, was the all-too-familiar face of Guo Xiaofei.

He had seen, not long before, Mr. Li personally dispose of Guo Xiaofei. Yet here was Guo Xiaofei, alive and well, standing before him.

Guo Xiaofei, seeing Lu Tiankang’s stunned expression, sneered coldly. “Surprised to see me?”

In a flash, Lu Tiankang understood it all. Every bit of this had been a trap set by Mr. Li, with the sole purpose of drawing him out. Fool that he was, he had followed Mr. Li’s plan step by step, right into the snare.

Since Guo Xiaofei was here, Mr. Li couldn’t be far behind. With time running out and his life hanging by a thread, Lu Tiankang resolved to gamble everything on a desperate bid for freedom—better that than wait here to be captured.

Crouching low, he planted his right foot and sprang forward with explosive force. As expected of the vice-captain of the action squad, his movement was swift and precise. Ah Hai was slammed aside, his chest exploding with pain as he crashed to the ground, coughing violently.

It was no wonder Ah Hai had been caught off guard; after all, he was just an ordinary man. Street fights were one thing, but Lu Tiankang was a trained professional.

Guo Xiaofei hadn’t expected Lu Tiankang to resort to violence under such circumstances, but the moment Lu Tiankang lunged and knocked Ah Hai aside, he reacted.

He lacked Lu Tiankang’s agility, but Guo Xiaofei possessed overwhelming strength. Power trumped finesse, and as the struggle drew on, Lu Tiankang began to lose ground, while Guo Xiaofei’s breathing remained calm and steady.

Bang!

Reeling from a counter, Lu Tiankang tumbled to the ground, landing right by Ah Hai’s side. Instinctively, he reached for the gun on the ground and pressed it to Ah Hai’s head.

Bang!

Without hesitation, he fired a shot into the air. From the moment he seized the gun to the moment the shot rang out, his movements were crisp and decisive, without the slightest pause. Guo Xiaofei, seeing this, was forced to halt.

“Come on, Guo Xiaofei, keep going! If you want this kid to live, hand over your gun,” Lu Tiankang laughed maniacally, finally feeling a sliver of safety.

Though the phone booth was in a secluded spot, the commotion between him and Guo Xiaofei, and now the gunshot, would surely draw the police before long—once they arrived, the situation would dramatically shift.

For now, his only goal was to stall for time. If he could hold out, he’d be safe.

“What do you want?” Guo Xiaofei tossed the gun from his waistband to the ground, his face cold as iron.

“Haha, what do I want? No rush, let me think about it for a moment,” Lu Tiankang replied evasively.