Lu Jingcheng regarded Jiang Xiao with a bemused expression, not entirely dismissing his claims as mere nonsense. After all, anything related to Zhuang Zhou Meng Die was far removed from science; there could very well have been inexplicable phenomena during Jiang Xiao's rescue.
Crossing his arms, he leaned in with genuine curiosity, eager to hear what Jiang Xiao had to say. "How are you going to prove it?"
Jiang Xiao scanned the room until his gaze landed on the fruit knife in the fruit bowl. He swiftly grabbed it, causing Lu Jingcheng to jump. "Jiang! Xiao! What are you doing?!"
Jiang Xiao carefully touched the knife's sharp edge, its metallic glint shimmering in the sunlight streaming through the hospital room. He hesitantly prodded at it, then quickly pulled his hand back.
"What are you doing?" Lu Jingcheng's expression shifted to one of concern as he watched Jiang Xiao play with fire.
"I'm proving it to you!" Jiang Xiao exclaimed. "I'm not joking, Cousin! I gained this incredible ability—invulnerable to knives and bullets!"
Lu Jingcheng shot him an exasperated glance toward the bright sun outside. "It's still daytime. Why are you talking nonsense? Did you get knocked silly?"
"Come on, I'm serious!" Jiang Xiao pleaded.
"Jiang Xiao, I'm not joking either. You might need a CT scan for your head. A bruise shouldn't affect your mental state like this," Lu Jingcheng retorted.
Seeing Lu Jingcheng's skepticism, Jiang Xiao grew desperate. "Just wait, Cousin!"
Without another word, he lunged at his arm with the fruit knife. Just as the blade was about to pierce his skin, Lu Jingcheng lunged forward and stopped him.
"Jiang Xiao!"
Jiang Xiao felt the knife's edge grazing his skin, a sharp pain followed by a trickle of blood. "Wait, this isn't right!" he exclaimed, bewildered. "Cousin, I swear it's true! When Peng Ang and Chen Xinyuan tried to attack me, their knife couldn't hurt me, and the rope couldn't strangle me. They were both terrified!"
Lu Jingcheng frowned deeply. "Are you sure?"
Jiang Xiao nodded vigorously, but just then, Lu Jingcheng's phone rang. It was a colleague informing him about Peng Ang and Chen Xinyuan's confessions during interrogation, emphasizing their rambling and nonsensical statements.
Who could possibly be invulnerable to knives and bullets? Was this some sort of martial arts drama?
These criminals might have the guts to commit crimes but lacked the courage to own up to them.
After hearing that, Lu Jingcheng began to feel more convinced that Jiang Xiao's experience had indeed occurred.
"Regarding the police interrogation later, just leave out these details," he instructed.
"But wouldn't that interfere with judicial fairness?" Jiang Xiao asked, concerned.
"It won't. I plan to report this situation. Perhaps there are already government agencies looking into Zhuang Zhou Meng Die," Lu Jingcheng replied.
Jiang Xiao's eyes widened. "Is there really a secret department?"
Jiang Xiao initially thought that the existence of such secret departments was merely a plot device in novels, but reality had proven otherwise.
"It's none of your business," Lu Jingcheng replied coolly, casting a sideways glance at Jiang Xiao.
Jiang Xiao sighed in defeat. "Fine, I get it. I won't let those two bastards, Peng Ang and Chen Xinyuan, off easily. They might not die, but I'll make sure they rot in prison! How could they even betray their own kind? Luckily, I survived this disaster. By the way, Cousin, how did you find me?"
"Peng Ang is nothing, but his cousin, Chen Xinyuan, is surprisingly cunning. You could say he's like a crafty rabbit with multiple burrows; he created a smokescreen for the police and even spent a lot of money to bribe some shady friends for cover!"
It had been extremely difficult for the police to pinpoint Jiang Xiao's location in such a short time, but if things had dragged on a bit longer, had Jiang Xiao's abilities not manifested, the police would have arrived only to recover his body.
"Wait a minute!" Jiang Xiao suddenly realized something. "What does this have to do with Zhuang Zhou Meng Die?"
Lu Jingcheng chuckled and looked at him. "What do you think allowed us to get accurate information about you so quickly?"
Before Jiang Xiao could respond, Lu Jingcheng gestured for him to stop. "I know you're curious, but you can read the trending news over the next few days. It's all about you and Zhuang Zhou Meng Die. Jiang Xiao, you've become quite famous this time."
Jiang Xiao's eyes widened in shock. "So it was Zhuang Zhou Meng Die who saved me?"
He immediately began rummaging around for his phone, only to remember that Peng Ang and Chen Xinyuan had already sold it after wiping it clean. He had just bought a brand new Hua brand phone!
"Cousin, can I borrow your phone?" he asked.
Without hesitation, Lu Jingcheng handed it to him. Jiang Xiao's fingers flew across the screen until he found a headline: "Capital Tycoon's Only Son Kidnapped, Spends 200 Million for Survival and Divination!"
Two hundred million?! Was his life really worth that much?
Hearing Jiang Xiao's mumblings, Lu Jingcheng couldn't help but admire his odd priorities. Despite this shocking revelation, Jiang Xiao seemed more concerned with the monetary value of his life.
However, reading the report gave Jiang Xiao a clearer picture. He and his cousin had witnessed Zhuang Zhou Meng Die's tremendous capabilities during the Wu Changsheng and Qin Lifang case. As for the invulnerability to knives and bullets, it must have been part of the extraordinary powers she provided in exchange for that astronomical fee.
"Cousin, what will happen to Chen Xinyuan and Peng Ang?" Jiang Xiao asked.
"Kidnapping, extortion, attempted murder—all serious offenses. They'll be sentenced concurrently, so the lightest they'll face is life imprisonment," Lu Jingcheng replied.
"That's so frustrating!" Jiang Xiao slammed his fist down on the hospital bed. After all he'd been through, those two instigators wouldn't even get the death penalty.
Lu Jingcheng patted Jiang Xiao on the shoulder. "Just consider yourself lucky to have survived. When you return to the capital, take some time to recuperate. Uncle and Auntie are already on their way; you really scared them this time."
He had not only scared his parents, but he had nearly lost hope of seeing them again. It was only in moments of life and death that he realized family ties were the most unbreakable bonds.
"Where am I right now? Also, I need to thank Zhuang Zhou Meng Die for saving me. I'll contact someone to reach out to her!" Jiang Xiao said.
Lu Jingcheng shook his head. "Do you think these extraordinary figures care about a few meals? Zhuang Zhou Meng Die is now a rising star; her daily income is at least in the millions. If you're looking to forge a friendship, good luck with that."
Zhuang Zhou Meng Die's meteoric rise had caught the attention of many both within and outside the industry, with numerous offers coming her way. However, as of now, no one knew anything about her beyond what the executives at the Raccoon Platform had managed to gather.