Chapter 95: Chapter 49: Seven Pendants
What should I do next? First, figure out where this place is. Second, call the police, using those two guys’ phones since emergency calls like 110 don’t require unlocking. Third, try to temporarily relocate with Gao Xue’e.
Decision made, He Kao was very nervous, hiding by the door, taking deep breaths to gather his strength.
The commotion just now was obviously heard by the two outside. Old Turtle said, "Brother Niu, did you hear that? Someone inside is awake."
Brother Niu: "It doesn’t matter if they are awake, they are all tied up. The boss instructed us not to go in, and to inform him immediately if we hear anything."
He Kao’s plan unexpectedly failed, like a well-prepared punch landing in the air, because the two of them didn’t come in. He grabbed the table leg with one hand and tried to open the door with the other, but it wouldn’t budge.
The action plan had failed before it even started. He Kao felt anxious but instinctively restored the scene, placing the table and objects back to their original positions. He then slid his left foot back into the zip tie, pretending to still be bound.
There was a small piece of wood stuck in the zip tie’s clasp to prevent it from tightening again accidentally. If necessary, he could pull his foot out again. Fortunately, he wasn’t wearing shoes; otherwise, it would have shown a flaw because the zip tie couldn’t open that wide.
The zip tie on his right hand had already been worn down, so He Kao could only put it back on, loosening it slightly, holding the broken part in his palm, making it look like he was still bound.
He had also put the hood back on in advance and lay back on the sofa chair... As soon as he finished doing so, he heard a chaotic mix of footsteps and talking from somewhere farther outside.
"Old Hong, are you sure no one will come to this place?"
"Chairman Zhao, rest assured. This place has been abandoned for a long time. A few years ago, outdoor enthusiasts would occasionally climb in during the day, but no one dares to enter at night—it’s too eerie, and everyone feels frightened!"
Another person also said, "I have already checked around; there are no gaps in the walls or the main gate. Apart from some stray cats inside, there’s nothing else alive. We are in a central location, far from the outside, and no one can hear any noise no matter how loud."
He Kao recognized that the so-called Chairman Zhao was Zhao Hai Zhen, and the person claiming to have checked the area was Peng Xian. This Old Hong’s voice also seemed familiar to He Kao, but he couldn’t recall who he was for the moment.
Old Hong then said, "Do they owe Chairman Zhao money? I know that young man; he was originally from Puhu Village. His father died twenty years ago. In the bank, he left a safe deposit box without even getting a chance to speak about it.
The bank’s lease recently expired, and they called looking for someone... I heard that the kid got a whole box of gold bars, and Chairman Zhao’s intel is really effective; now he certainly has a way to repay the money."
Zhao Hai Zhen: "Later, we’ll just go inside; have your men guard the outside to prevent anyone from sneaking in. As long as we handle this smoothly, I can give everyone a gold bar each afterward."
He Kao suddenly remembered who Old Hong was! He had seen this person before, from the local Shangwan Village. It was said he used to be a police officer, but for some reason left the force and became the head of security at Joy Valley Amusement Park.
After Joy Valley closed, it was heard that Manager Hong went to work for the Bada Group. There were rumors in the countryside that this person was involved in both the underworld and the legitimate business, and was considered a local big shot.
A few years back, Old Hong almost got taken down, but someone protected him, and nothing happened afterward.
It seemed like this Old Hong was the boss that the two lackeys outside were referring to, and from the sounds of footsteps and conversation, more than ten people had come, apparently led by Zhao Hai Zhen.
He Kao then realized, fortunately, he didn’t take action earlier. Even if he had managed to take down the two guards outside, he still wouldn’t be able to escape. These guys probably think of themselves as important and wouldn’t stay outside all night, but in fact, they were not far away.
With so many voices coming from a distance, he could construct a clearer and more detailed spatial scene in his mind.
Judging by the echo, it must be quite an open space over there, like a hall, and here is a very wide corridor, with rooms on both sides.
The place he was in was a room with a door and walls but no windows. Many other rooms had no walls on the side facing the corridor, just like shops.
While speaking, the group had already reached the corridor, and the door watchers, Brother Niu and Old Turtle, quickly greeted them, "Boss, gentlemen, we just heard noises inside, but then it got quiet again."
Indeed, their boss was Old Hong, who waved his hand and said, "The boss knows they’re awake, and there’s nothing more for you here. Follow me outside to stand guard and prevent anyone from sneaking in."
Old Hong led Brother Niu and Old Turtle away, and the sound of footsteps indicated that three others followed them out. Eleven people remained, talking quietly in the corridor.
An unfamiliar voice said, "Brother Hai Zhen, are we not going in?"
Zhao Hai Zhen: "No rush, let’s wait a bit longer. The one who just woke up should be that kid, He Kao. When he wakes up, he’s sure to be scared out of his wits, struggle a bit, and then be too frightened to move again.
He must be confused. The longer it takes, the more terrifying the feeling becomes. We don’t even have to scare him, and he’ll break down by himself. By then, he’ll confess to whatever we ask."
So, he was playing psychological games, and he wasn’t wrong. If it hadn’t been He Kao just now but Gao Xue’e, waking up tied with a hood over her head, her mental state would have likely almost collapsed soon after.
Bad people are frightening, but being tied up in the dark, unable to move, without knowing anything, that feeling is even more terrifying, even making one wish someone would come quickly.
Another person said: "Brother Hai Zhen is so meticulous; he even placed a bug in the room. Actually, we could listen to their conversation from the outside with our Divine Sense."
Zhao Hai Zhen: "Divine Sense might get disturbed and also has spatial and distance limitations. More preparation doesn’t hurt.
Another person said: "The kid is awake but hasn’t spoken, we just heard a chair noise, and it seemed like something else. It’s silent now, which seems a bit off. Could it be a heart attack?"
Another person said: "It’s quite possible; ordinary people can’t handle such a scare."
Zhao Hai Zhen: "There are two people, so it’s impossible for both to have heart attacks. Plus, that kid is still alive; I can sense his presence here."
Peng Xian timely flattered: "Being able to sense the kid from so far away, Brother Hai Zhen, your cultivation is truly deep!"
They didn’t expect He Kao could also hear them, not surprisingly, considering the abduction went so smoothly, proving that the man and woman had no resistance, being just ordinary people.
At this moment, Zhao Hai Zhen seemed to have received some news, likely from checking his phone, frowning: "There’s a small problem..."
From this point on, He Kao suddenly couldn’t hear their conversation clearly. Just before, everything was distinct, but now it seemed like an invisible barrier.
He Kao couldn’t hear clearly, yet the conversation in the hallway continued—
"...someone went to the E-Times District, somehow discovered their disappearance, and directly approached Old Gou, asking if he did it and demanding he let them go."
"Who?"
Zhao Hai Zhen: "It’s that Lone Wanderer from the Qi Observation Sect, Tier Three Zongheng Scholar Qian Guran. After all, he’s a Tier Three Sorcerer and a bit tricky to deal with."
"Afraid of what! We have five Tier Three Sorcerers here and six Tier Two ones, and we’re afraid of him?"
Peng Xian said, "It’s not a matter of fear or not, it’s best not to leak any news... What did President Gou say?"
Zhao Hai Zhen: "Gou, of course, doesn’t admit it, and insists he knows nothing about it, sending Mr. Qian away... Lest anything happens, I’ll go in first."
The door finally opened, and only Zhao Hai Zhen entered initially; the other accomplices remained in the corridor. With the sorcerer’s senses, whether they entered or not made little difference.
He Kao heard the movement, immediately shrinking his body, exclaiming in terror, "Who...help me! Where is this place, what happened... quickly untie me!"
Zhao Hai Zhen didn’t pay any attention to what he was saying, stepping forward and tearing off He Kao’s hood. He Kao opened his eyes, and in the glare could see nothing, quickly turning his head away again.
This Zhao Hai Zhen, indeed, was like his senior brother Liang Kai, sharing the same habits. Last time, Liang Kai had shone a flashlight in He Kao’s face while hiding himself behind it.
As for Zhao Hai Zhen, he seemed to have covered his head with pantyhose.
**
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