As Zhu Laosan struggled, he waved to his four subordinates, his mind racing. This couldn't be happening. The four men, upon receiving the order, promptly drew their pistols and aimed them at Zhang Liunian.
Zhang Liunian, faced with the dark muzzles of the guns, immediately put Zhu Laosan in front of him, utterly unfazed. "Go ahead and shoot if you have the guts?" he taunted. It would save him the trouble of dealing with Zhu Laosan himself.
Zhu Laosan, sensing Zhang Liunian's attempt to provoke his men, was startled. He wasn't ready to die; he still had plenty of money to spend, and who would spend it for him if he were gone? "Don't shoot, don't shoot!" he cried, a cold sweat beading on his forehead. His words stopped his four henchmen from acting rashly. They could only watch Zhang Liunian's every move.
As Zhang Liunian glanced at Zhu Laosan in his grasp, about to say something, he noticed the stunned Mr. Xue. Changing his tack, he said, "Mr. Xue, this matter doesn't concern you. Perhaps you should leave first."
Mr. Xue blinked in surprise, then smiled. "You are my benefactor. I cannot stand by and do nothing." Mr. Xue had a very good impression of Zhang Liunian and had even considered introducing him to Mr. Fu. He couldn't just watch him get into trouble. This place wasn't like Hong Kong; a single death could lead to a lifetime in prison. He didn't want Zhang Liunian to get himself killed. Seizing the opportunity while Zhu Laosan was in Zhang Liunian's hands, he stepped forward and said, "Boss Zhu, give me some face. Return Comrade Zhang's wife to him. You don't need to deny it, as you have a record, and frankly, across the nation, you're likely the only one capable of such a feat."
"Mr. Xue, I truly didn't abduct his wife," Zhu Laosan continued to argue.
Zhang Liunian, unwilling to listen, pressed, "Still not telling the truth? Do you not value your life?"
"You can kill me, and I will still say I didn't. If I didn't do it, I didn't. You've offended so many people, it's impossible to assume it was me just because your wife is missing."
"I'll just assume it was you. What can you do about it?"
"You clearly don't understand what my name, Zhu Laosan, represents here. It means don't mess with me. If you harm me, our Zhu family will not let you off. Your family won't have a good life either," Zhu Laosan threatened.
Zhang Liunian raised an eyebrow and sneered. Since Zhu Laosan was being uncooperative, he would just use him as a shield to force his way in. "Tell them to drop their guns and retreat to the courtyard wall, with their backs to us." Zhang Liunian wasn't about to leave dangerous weapons right under his nose. He gripped Zhu Laosan firmly and commanded.
Zhu Laosan was furious, but he didn't dare gamble on Zhang Liunian showing him mercy. That was impossible; the man clearly wanted him dead. Faced with life and death, he instructed his men to drop their weapons and squat by the courtyard wall.
Seeing their obedience, Zhang Liunian turned to Zhang Qian. "Xiao Qian, confiscate their weapons and find some rope to tie them up. If anyone resists, I'll strangle their boss."
Zhu Laosan turned purple with rage, but trapped in Zhang Liunian's grasp, he was mere fish on a chopping block. Zhang Qian, following orders, not only collected the guns and locked them in the car but also tied up the men. He then handed a pistol to Zhang Liunian for self-defense, keeping one for himself.
With the gun, Zhang Liunian no longer needed to choke Zhu Laosan. He pressed the barrel to his head and continued forward. "Boss Zhu, can we go inside now? If there's anyone inside, tell them to drop their weapons and surrender. Otherwise, if something happens to you, it would be a shame, wouldn't it?"
"I've told you, your wife isn't here. It's no use for you to go inside," Zhu Laosan said, feeling slightly better without the choking. However, Zhang Liunian was convinced he was responsible and ignored him, issuing further threats.
With no other options, Zhu Laosan instructed those inside to open the door and surrender their weapons. After another round of confiscation and tying up, Zhang Liunian and his group finally entered the Zhu residence. The house was indeed large, with a garden upon entering, followed by the main house.
"You should let me go. The person you're looking for isn't here, and Jiang Qingqing wouldn't be here either," Zhu Laosan suddenly said as they approached the main house, his voice carrying loudly, as if signaling someone. The more he acted like this, the more certain Zhang Liunian became that Jiang Qingqing was indeed there.
"Feeling guilty? Looks like my Qingqing is right here." Zhang Liunian didn't bother with pleasantries and began checking rooms one by one, dragging Zhu Laosan along.
Not far away, Wu Gudi, hearing this from inside a room, looked at Jiang Qingqing, whose mouth was gagged and who was bound like a worm. She immediately stepped forward, dragging Jiang Qingqing towards a hidden chamber. If Jiang Qingqing left, she would die. She dared not resist Zhu Laosan again; she had made several mistakes today, and if she botched this, she might truly be finished.
Jiang Qingqing struggled violently, unwilling to be dragged away. She had just heard her husband's voice; he had come to save her, and she didn't want to miss him. "Stop struggling. He can't save you," Wu Gudi said, seeing Jiang Qingqing's hope for rescue but determined to thwart it. Why should Zhang Liunian, who had caused her so much misery, be able to live happily with Jiang Qingqing? Not long ago, she had been foolish enough to think of repaying his kindness. Now, thinking about waiting to get revenge on the couple by repaying his kindness seemed a lost cause. It would be better to seek revenge now and make their lives difficult. With this thought, Wu Gudi chuckled with excitement, but she suppressed it, afraid to make too much noise.
Jiang Qingqing, seeing the excitement on her face, knew she wouldn't be allowed to reunite with her husband. She struggled even more violently. She wasn't flailing randomly; it was because she had spotted a painting by the secret chamber's entrance. She wanted to knock it down, leave some trace, anything to make her husband notice. But unfortunately, she was tied too tightly, and even though she tried to use her body to collide with it, Wu Gudi didn't give her the chance. Finally, she successfully entered the secret chamber and closed the door.
At first glance, the door looked like a wall. It was impossible to tell with the naked eye that it was made of wood, as it was cleverly integrated, blending perfectly with the wall. Therefore, when Zhang Liunian and his group arrived in the room, they didn't notice the door on the wall.
Seeing no one inside, Zhu Laosan felt that Wu Gudi wasn't entirely stupid and had finally helped him. Zhang Liunian, noticing his hint of pleasure, narrowed his eyes. This room felt peculiar. In his past life, he had encountered all sorts of secret passages. He could see the entire layout and corners of this room at a glance, but unlike the previous two rooms, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he searched along the walls and the floor for any irregularities.
Zhu Laosan's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected Zhang Liunian to linger in this room. Had he discovered something? That was impossible. How could he possibly discover it? "You're quite nervous?" Zhang Liunian was constantly observing Zhu Laosan's changing expressions. Seeing his sudden nervousness, he became even more certain that the room held a secret. His wife might be hidden somewhere in this room, and he wouldn't let them miss each other like this. "You're mistaken. I'm just feeling unwell from excessive blood loss," Zhu Laosan replied, a drop of sweat trickling down his forehead.