Chapter 29

Liu Baoshan pointed at Ren Jiahe and said: “You once appeared in my line of sight, but later I realized you weren’t as rich as you looked. Then I found out Jiang Yuanqi is the real tycoon of Zizhen City. After that, you got involved—no need for me to spell it out.”

Ren Jiahe was utterly stunned—and wondered what Liu Baoshan’s purpose was in telling him all this.

Seeing Ren Jiahe stay silent, Liu Baoshan smiled: “The food’s good, isn’t it?”

Ren Jiahe glanced at him in confusion, noticing the man’s face lit up with the wild excitement of a beast about to pounce and tear into its prey.

“Ah!” Ren Jiahe suddenly realized. “You! You poisoned me?!”

“Hahaha! I warned you nicely, but you didn’t take it seriously—what was I supposed to do? You’re on your own now!”

Liu Baoshan’s eyes glinted with malice: “I’m a lone wolf. Why would I trust anyone? You should feel lucky! If I hadn’t feared the gunshot drawing those damn cops, you’d be dead already! Ha! At least you got a good meal before dying—I didn’t shortchange you!”

As he spoke, Ren Jiahe trembled violently and collapsed to the floor. Soon, a trickle of blood seeped from his lips—he lay motionless. Liu Baoshan kicked his body with his foot, sending it sprawling onto its back. He drew a dagger from his waist, ready to stab him several more times!

Suddenly, a figure darted in from outside—a young man, slender and fair-skinned, with delicate features. He gently pressed down on Liu Baoshan’s arm: “Big Brother Shan, don’t let blood spill here. If he’s not dead yet, toss him in the freezer. By tomorrow morning, he’ll be frozen solid.”

Liu Baoshan thought for a moment, then tossed the dagger onto the table and laughed: “You always think ahead! Tomorrow, when he’s frozen stiff, we’ll chop him up and mix him into pork filling. No one’ll ever find him! Hahaha!”

The young man covered his mouth with his right hand, giggling: “So disgusting! Only you could come up with something so vile!”

“Isn’t that exactly why Qing’er likes me?” Liu Baoshan softly stroked the young man’s pale face.

The man called Qing’er extended his index finger, pressed it against Liu Baoshan’s forehead, twisted his waist, and said: “Quick, let’s carry him to the freezer. Leaving him here is creepy!”

He walked toward Ren Jiahe’s head, while Liu Baoshan bent to grab his ankles—when suddenly, Ren Jiahe, who had been “dead,” leapt up! Before Liu Baoshan could react, a gleaming dagger was pressed against Qing’er’s slender neck.

Liu Baoshan froze for a moment, then burst into wild laughter: “Good! Good! Good! Now this is the Ren Zong I know! Impressive! I underestimated you!”

After laughing himself out, he pointed at Qing’er: “You think threatening me with him will work? You’re delusional! Kill him if you want—once he’s dead, you’re dead too!”

“Pah!” Ren Jiahe spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. “Don’t try to fool me! Someone like you wouldn’t entrust such a critical place to him unless he’s your most trusted person. You don’t care if he dies? Hmph!”

No sooner had he spoken than he tightened his wrist—on Qing’er’s pale, slender neck, a thin red line appeared. A trickle of blood began to flow down his throat.

“Ah!” Qing’er cried out in pain. Liu Baoshan shouted immediately: “Stop! Stop! You’re good—I can’t bear to hurt him! But I’m curious: how did you eat the poisoned food and not get poisoned?”

Ren Jiahe’s hands didn’t loosen an inch. He spoke coldly: “Don’t waste time stalling. Figure it out yourself. I’ll tell you this: go to the freezer and bring me two boxes. Hand me the car keys. Your sweetheart comes with me out of town. How about it? You promised ten million—I’ll take six. Once you get me out of the city, we’re even.”

Liu Baoshan’s right hand slid behind his back, gripping the pistol at his waist—but he dared not draw it, fearing the noise would attract the police. He stared at Tan Haiqing’s bleeding neck, weighing his options, then nodded: “Fine. I’ll give you the money and the car. Don’t hurt Qing’er.” He walked toward the freezer door. Ren Jiahe, holding Tan Haiqing hostage, kept three meters between them, eyes locked on Liu Baoshan—he feared traps in the suitcases, so he never let Liu out of his sight.

As Liu Baoshan stepped into the freezer, the cash boxes stacked behind the pork in plain view, Ren Jiahe watched him intently—when suddenly, Liu Baoshan stopped, turned his head, and glanced back. In that instant, chaos erupted! The seemingly frail Tan Haiqing jerked his head sharply left, hooked his right hand around Ren Jiahe’s dagger-wielding wrist, and collapsed sideways. A dull *thud* rang out—and Ren Jiahe crashed to the floor.

As Tan Haiqing fell to his side, he lifted his right leg and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick straight to Ren Jiahe’s chin. The force sent Ren Jiahe sprawling.

Liu Baoshan lunged forward, snatched up the fallen dagger, and without hesitation plunged it into Ren Jiahe’s abdomen. He leapt up, planted his foot on Ren Jiahe’s chest, and chuckled: “Know why I didn’t stab you in the heart?”

Liu Baoshan’s stab was precise—avoiding vital organs. It caused Ren Jiahe excruciating pain, drenching him in cold sweat, but wouldn’t kill him.

Ren Jiahe gasped and laughed at Liu Baoshan: “Hah! Hahaha! With your brain? You’ll never figure it out! You’re a pervert! A madman! You’ll never use your head!”

“Puch! Puch!” Liu Baoshan went berserk, stabbing Ren Jiahe’s cheeks twice. Then, with a single slash from low to high, he cut across Ren Jiahe’s throat. Blood spurted violently, drenching Liu Baoshan’s face and hair.

He looked like a demon risen from hell, eyes blazing crimson. Crouching over Ren Jiahe’s body, dagger in hand, he muttered to himself: “Arrogant fool! Self-important waste! How dare you insult me? I’m a criminal genius! No one can catch me! Hahaha! Hahaha…”

————

Gu Changzheng and his team, searching along the riverbank, finally found the abandoned tin boat. Judging from items left inside, it was unmistakably the one used by Liu Baoshan—but the suitcases pulled from the riverbed contained no cash. The police had been fooled by Liu Baoshan’s diversion.

As Gu Changzheng fumed, an officer on shore reported: “Suspicious tire tracks found on the bank! The same vehicle’s tracks showed clear differences in depth—clearly, the car was either heavily loaded when leaving or heavily loaded when arriving.”

Gu Changzheng immediately ordered the tech team to analyze the details as soon as possible.