"I may not have read many books, but even I know your situation can be summed up with the idiom 'walking into a trap willingly,'" Yang Sandao chuckled.
Wu Zhiming entered the room and pulled a chair over, sitting directly in front of Yang Sandao. He spoke, "This marks our second meeting."
"And also the last, because very soon, you will be dead," Yang Sandao retorted.
"What grievance, what resentment could make you hate me so much that you want to kill me?" Wu Zhiming inquired.
"What grievance? What resentment? You caused my brothers to be captured. What grievance is there to speak of? After killing you, I'll go after Zhou Jianye next. Both of you will die!" Yang Sandao clenched his teeth, his hatred for Wu Zhiming apparent.
Wu Zhiming felt helpless. Yang Sandao had actively sent men to kill him, and Wu had merely acted in self-defense. Yet somehow, Yang Sandao portrayed it as though they had a vendetta akin to patricide or stealing a wife.
That's just how people are—ready to bully others, but when the tables turn, suddenly the fault lies with the other party.
"Perhaps you think of me as just an ordinary gangster, hence your confidence in coming alone to face me. But... let me inform you, standing before you is a formidable sixth-grade martial artist. Have you ever encountered a sixth-grade martial artist in your life?" Yang Sandao asked.
"Sixth-grade martial artist? Not something you come across every day," Wu Zhiming replied. Under his command, there were few individuals at the martial artist level. Greedy Wolf was the weakest among his subordinates, a seventh-grade martial artist. Beyond him was Mole, skilled in infiltration and concealment, whose strength reached the level of a tenth-grade martial artist. Aside from these two, the rest still engaged in the extraterritorial battlefield were mostly martial lords.
Hearing Wu Zhiming's words, Yang Sandao smirked triumphantly and said, "Today, I will let you experience the terror of a sixth-grade martial artist!"
With that, Yang Sandao grabbed a knife and bit down on it, while his other hand grasped another blade.
"The Three-Knife Style is the strongest Yang Sandao!" Yang Sandao stared coldly at Wu Zhiming, as if he already saw him as a corpse.
Three-Knife Style?
Wu Zhiming was quite surprised. This Three-Knife Style was a style from the Foot Basin Country, represented by the figure Soro, who had once earned the title of Shura in the extraterritorial battlefield. Wu Zhiming had never seen Soro, but it was said Soro had already become a martial king-level powerhouse. When he unleashed his three knives, he could casually slash through a hundred and eighty people, incredibly sharp.
This kind of knife technique was rare in the market because there were too few people who could wield three knives simultaneously.
"Prepare to die!" Yang Sandao snorted and charged at Wu Zhiming.
His speed was very fast, already reaching the level of an average sprinter.
This was the speed of a sixth-grade martial artist! Such speed, combined with his weight, once he charged, would generate a terrifying momentum!
As Yang Sandao approached closer and closer, Dong Jian, standing behind Wu Zhiming, reached into his bosom and pulled out a gun, aiming it at Yang Sandao.
Yang Sandao suddenly decelerated and stopped in his tracks!
"Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't!" Yang Sandao raised both hands defensively, shouting excitedly.
"Aren't you the Three-Knife Style? Aren't you Yang Sandao, the strongest? Aren't you a sixth-grade martial artist? Why stop charging?" Wu Zhiming asked with a smile.
"How the hell would I know you had a laser gun!" Yang Sandao exclaimed in agitation. Martial artists, powerful as they were, were still human. A shot could leave them gasping for breath. This was just an ordinary gun; faced with a laser gun, he would be shot full of holes in minutes.
The laser gun, invented thirty years ago, was known as the scariest invention of this century.
The laser gun's emitted light could easily penetrate steel, even thick concrete walls.
Due to its terrifying lethality, the laser gun was strictly controlled everywhere; any gun you might be able to obtain through connections, the laser gun you would never.
Yang Sandao recognized at a glance that the gun Dong Jian held was a laser gun, because the most distinctive feature of a laser gun was its energy clip, emitting a faint blue glow.
Wu Zhiming stood up with a smile and walked over to Dong Jian.
"In this day and age, still wielding knives and shouting to kill? You should know better, you're a big shot in the underworld," Wu Zhiming remarked.
"I know, I know!" Yang Sandao nodded repeatedly, carefully placing the knife on the ground and raising his hands. "Young Master Wu, a laser gun like this can blow a big hole in a person's body with one shot. Even immortals can't save you. Please ask your brother here to be careful."
"You know the terror of a laser gun?" Wu Zhiming asked with a smile.
"Of course, of course! This is strategic material. Young Master Wu is truly remarkable to possess such a thing. I was blind before; I apologize. Young Master Wu, please forgive me, don't bother with someone like me," Yang Sandao said with a smile, trying to appease.
"Our young master is already the head of the family, so you should call him Family Head," Dong Jian interjected.
"Yes, yes, Family Head Wu!" Yang Sandao nodded quickly.
"In fact, I am quite kind-hearted," Wu Zhiming smiled. "Despite your repeated attempts to have me killed and kidnapping my wife, I can forgive you. Just come with me."
"Come with you? Where to?" Yang Sandao asked.
"Come with me to meet someone. Let's go, don't waste any more time," Wu Zhiming said, turning and walking out.
Yang Sandao hesitated for a moment but followed Wu Zhiming. With Dong Jian holding that laser gun, he really didn't dare to defy Wu Zhiming.
The three of them left the room together and arrived downstairs, where they got into a car. Dong Jian handed a pill to Yang Sandao, saying, "Take this and have a good sleep."
"I promise to behave!" Yang Sandao said.
"Either you take it or I'll make a hole in your head," Wu Zhiming threatened.
"I'll take it, I'll take it!" Yang Sandao nodded quickly and swallowed the pill.
In less than ten seconds after taking the pill, drowsiness overcame Yang Sandao. He struggled for a few seconds and then fell asleep.
Wu Zhiming took out a business card from his pocket. It read "Zhou Wenwei."
Wu Zhiming dialed Zhou Wenwei's number.
Half an hour later.
Haixia City, inside a warehouse.
Zhou Wenwei parked his car at the warehouse entrance, got out, and walked up to the iron door. He knocked on the door.
The iron door of the warehouse opened from inside, and Dong Jian stuck his head out. "Come in."
Zhou Wenwei nodded and entered the warehouse.
Inside the warehouse were many goods, with a small open space among them.
Wu Zhiming sat on a chair. In front of him, also sitting on a chair, was Yang Sandao, who had his eyes closed as if sleeping.
"Smiling Tiger Yang Sandao!" Zhou Wenwei exclaimed excitedly upon seeing him.
"I've brought you the person. Now, it's up to you to find any clues about the Luoshen's earring from him," Wu Zhiming said.
"But he seems to have passed out!" Zhou Wenwei remarked.
Dong Jian brought a bucket of water and poured it directly on Yang Sandao's face.
Yang Sandao shivered and woke up abruptly.
"Where is this?!" Yang Sandao looked around in confusion, asking.
"I have a friend who wants to meet you. Rest assured, as long as you answer my friend's questions seriously, I will let you go afterward," Wu Zhiming said.
"Really?" Yang Sandao asked.
"Of course, I come from a respectable family and I'm a businessman. Fighting and killing aren't my style. However, after I release you, I will consider calling the police. Whether you can evade them or not will be up to your own abilities," Wu Zhiming replied.
"Okay!" Yang Sandao nodded. Wu Zhiming didn't mention calling the police directly, only releasing him, which Yang Sandao found hard to believe. If Wu Zhiming said he would call the police, then Yang Sandao would be more inclined to believe it.
Then, Yang Sandao turned to Zhou Wenwei and asked, "I don't know you. What do you want to ask me?"
"Has anyone in your ancestors ever told you that there is a family heirloom in your clan?" Zhou Wenwei asked.
"Family heirloom?" Yang Sandao frowned. "What nonsense family heirloom? If my family had a family heirloom, why would I need to be out here in the society?"
"No? That's unlikely!" Zhou Wenwei frowned. Logically speaking, even if the Luoshen's earring wasn't considered an heirloom, it would still be an extremely precious jewel. It could be considered a family heirloom in anyone's home.
"Dong Jian," Wu Zhiming said calmly.
Dong Jian picked up the gun and fired a shot at Yang Sandao's hand.
Bang!
There was a very slight sound, and a thumb-sized hole appeared on Yang Sandao's hand.
"Ah!!" Yang Sandao screamed in pain.
"Tell the truth, or next time I'll shoot at your head," Wu Zhiming said.
Zhou Wenwei's face turned pale. Wu Zhiming was indeed ruthless, shooting someone at the drop of a hat.
"I-I really don't know if there's any family heirloom!" Yang Sandao exclaimed in agitation.
Wu Zhiming stared at Yang Sandao for a few seconds and then said, "He doesn't seem to be lying."
"You shot him without even confirming if he was lying?" Zhou Wenwei asked in surprise. He thought Wu Zhiming had detected Yang Sandao's lie.
"No," Wu Zhiming shrugged.
Zhou Wenwei felt a chill. Wu Zhiming had shot someone without confirming the truth. This was really treating life as if it meant nothing.
"Wu Zhiming, can't you be more steady?" Yang Sandao shouted.
"Sorry," Wu Zhiming shrugged again, then looked at Zhou Wenwei and said, "I've brought the person to you. If you can't get anything out of him, I'll be very disappointed."
"I'll try my best!" Zhou Wenwei nodded, then said, "So... Yang Sandao, has anyone in your family ever mentioned a pendant in your clan, a teardrop-shaped gem, blood-red in color?"
Upon hearing Zhou Wenwei's question, Yang Sandao's expression changed slightly. Then he shook his head and said, "I really haven't heard of it."
Bang!
Dong Jian fired another shot, this time piercing through Yang Sandao's other hand.
"This time you lied, I can tell," Dong Jian said with a smile.
"I can tell too," Wu Zhiming chuckled.
Yang Sandao looked at the two smiling faces and felt that the nickname "Smiling Tiger" was probably more suited to these two!