Chapter 662

Although these few thousand yuan meant little to Yu Ningchen, there were many more impoverished and struggling people besides him; if the amount defrauded was large, it might crush a family.

... However, the moment he came to Cangbei, a family had already gradually begun to collapse.

Liu Zi, seeing Yu Ningchen seemed lost in thought, let out a heavy sneer: "Still daydreaming!" He kicked Yu Ningchen's shoulder again. "Didn't I tell you to start working? Slacking off on the first day of work? I hope you don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, after all, I have plenty of ways to make you suffer."

Liu Zi's expression twisted, looking just like a thoroughly hypocritical monster. Yu Ningchen looked at Liu Zi icily; for a moment, he slowly adjusted his facial expression, lowered his head, and whispered, "But..."

He hadn't finished speaking when Liu Zi jumped up in a rage: "Did I not tell you to stop talking nonsense? Call your relatives and friends. But if you dare to play tricks..."

Liu Zi suddenly pulled a dagger from his pocket, tossing it repeatedly in his hand for fun: "Then don't blame me for the sword and dagger having no mercy. The dagger has no eyes either; who knows where it might land on your body, carving off a few slices of flesh."

Yu Ningchen's eyes were filled with acted hypocrisy, but perhaps because Yu Ningchen performed it so well, Liu Zi didn't discover he was acting at all; instead, he felt Yu Ningchen was now frightened by him, adding a touch of smug satisfaction.

Yu Ningchen finally picked up his phone; when opening the dial pad, he hesitated for a moment.

In fact, before this, Yu Ningchen didn't have many people he could contact; there were only two or three names in his contact list.

At this moment, since he had already come to Cangbei, it was obvious he couldn't call ordinary friends or family, lest they worry because of this.

So Yu Ningchen decisively chose to call Xu Si.

It wasn't because at this time he could only contact Xu Si, but rather out of consideration for Xu Si, who was the only person in his contact list that knew he had already arrived in Cangbei.

When Yu Ningchen sent a message to Xu Si, the other side would definitely detect something abnormal; after all, as a police officer, his reaction speed and thinking ability were much faster than ordinary people.

Moreover, that was Xu Si's private number; even if he called, it wouldn't arouse suspicion.

Having made up his mind, Yu Ningchen raised his head to look at Liu Zi and said, "I don't want to call my family; my mother has gained weight from a serious illness, and my grandmother is taking care of her... I don't want them to know this news, so can I call my friend?"

Xu Si squinted his eyes: "Friend? I advise you not to play those little tricks. Do you want to call for help to the outside? I tell you, it's impossible; before they arrive, I can shoot you dead with a single bullet!"

Yu Ningchen immediately shook his head: "No, no, no, that friend of mine values brotherhood the most; he's a rich second generation, so a few ten thousand yuan, he can definitely bring over."

"Oh," Liu Zi's gaze still carried a bit of suspicion, but he perhaps completely believed the simple college student image Yu Ningchen had created, so he said, "Call then, but if the person on the other end isn't the friend you speak of, I won't show any mercy."

"Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"

Liu Zi sneered: "I've struggled in Cangbei for so many years and mixed my way to this position; I have ten million ways to escape; who has the ability to catch me?"

Yu Ningchen frowned: "What ways?"

Liu Zi didn't want to continue speaking; he raised his chin at Yu Ningchen, quite impatiently: "What do you want? Letting you make a phone call, dawdling until now and still not done; you won't call, right? If you won't call, I'll directly blow your head off with a bullet!"

Seeing Liu Zi finally stop pretending, Yu Ningchen sneered in his heart, then immediately lowered his head. At this moment, Liu Zi walked around to his side to check the string of numbers; seeing it was indeed a private number, he let Yu Ningchen dial this number.

On Xu Si's end, it wasn't connected very quickly; after waiting about five seconds, Xu Si finally answered the phone.

Yu Ningchen didn't even wait for Xu Si to speak, but said first: "Where are you? I want to borrow some money from you."

Liu Zi pondered to himself, listening to the conversation between Yu Ningchen and Xu Si while thinking about something.

529. Life is like a play, the play is like life.

At this stage, many people would choose to cry for help or call their families for assistance, rather than obediently calling to ask for money as Liu Zi required.

So Liu Zi would make two preparations.

Before making the call, he first intimidated the hostage; during the call, he prevented the hostage from having any chance to reach the outside for help, and threatened that if the hostage didn't obediently ask for money, he would send people to find their family.

Such intimidation was often effective because the hostages Liu Zi chose were mostly inexperienced students, easy to deceive, and convenient for him to manipulate.

Just like Yu Ningchen, who was currently making the phone call.

"... Borrow fifty thousand," Yu Ningchen said in a low voice to the person on the other end of the phone, his facial expression written all over with reluctance and vague fear.

When Yu Ningchen called, Xu Si had already detected something wrong; in the past, whenever there was trouble, which time did the police not contact Yu Ningchen proactively? Moreover, Yu Ningchen had even told them he was going to Cangbei.

Since the phone was on speaker, Yu Ningchen chose his words carefully before speaking; he also believed that Xu Si, as a police officer, should be able to detect something abnormal.

After Yu Ningchen finished saying "borrow fifty thousand," a voice came from Xu Si's end: "Borrow fifty thousand for what? Are you having any difficulties recently?"

Yu Ningchen looked at Liu Zi; Liu Zi gave him a signal with his eyes, so Yu Ningchen had to say: "Isn't school starting soon? Our school's tuition is quite expensive too; my family had some trouble and still owes money; I have no money to pay the tuition..."

Hearing Yu Ningchen say this, Liu Zi immediately rolled his eyes.

Sure enough, Xu Si said on the other end: "Our school's tuition, isn't it only about thirty thousand a year?"

"Isn't there also living expenses needed? My family still owes debts now, brother, support me a bit, I'm forced to do this."

Xu Si didn't know how to reply to Yu Ningchen; in fact, he subconsciously thought Yu Ningchen had gotten into some trouble over there; Yu Ningchen's words, inside and out, made him feel very strange.

Seeing Xu Si didn't speak, Yu Ningchen spoke again: "Fifty thousand shouldn't be much money for you, right? I'll pay you back within a year... just consider it helping me."

In his heart, he was somewhat worried, afraid Xu Si would slip up instead of cooperating with him to finish acting out this whole process.

And even if Xu Si really transferred fifty thousand over, Yu Ningchen would exchange the money back later; this fifty thousand was just a necessary expense hidden in Cangbei.

Silence lasted a long time on the other end of the phone; just when Liu Zi was getting a bit impatient, Xu Si finally said: "Fine, fine, fine, I'll lend it to you, I'll lend it to you, okay? Isn't it just fifty thousand? But you must remember to pay it back. Send me your bank card number."

Hearing Xu Si say this, the corner of Yu Ningchen's mouth curled up imperceptibly; it seemed Xu Si was a smart person, and he liked cooperating with smart people.

Due to the needs of the acting, Yu Ningchen's voice also had to carry a bit of excitement: "I knew you, that brother of mine, are qualified! Great, when I get back from Cang..."

He suddenly stopped, and cautiously raised his head to look at Liu Zi.

Liu Zi's face had already sunk, and he raised his fist at Yu Ningchen, threatening him.

Yu Ningchen immediately lowered his head.

Xu Si on the other end seemed to sense something abnormal and asked: "What did you say? Cang what?"

"Nothing, nothing, you heard wrong." After Yu Ningchen finished speaking, he hung up the phone, then lowered his head to open the messaging software and sent his bank card number over.

Afterwards, Yu Ningchen looked at Liu Zi: "After the money is transferred, can you let me go?"

Liu Zi nodded: "Of course; after the money is in hand, you can go back."

Yu Ningchen squinted his eyes, carefully observing the expression on Liu Zi's face.

Liu Zi looked as if he meant every word; if the person here wasn't Yu Ningchen, he would probably have believed Liu Zi's act.

Yu Ningchen sneered in his heart; he knew this kind of person was a money-swallowing beast; mere fifty thousand yuan could possibly satisfy such a person.

This sum of money was just a stepping stone; after tasting the sweetness, Liu Zi would probably ask for more money.

But on the surface, Yu Ningchen still believed this act of his and nodded, saying: "I believe you; don't deceive me."

Liu Zi waved his hand, looking quite impatient: "Would I deceive you?"

Ning Chen lowered his head and muttered, "That's not certain."

"Heh," Liu Zi lowered his head and glared fiercely at him, "I'm doing business. People like us in business value integrity above all."

Ning Chen deliberately said, "So kidnapping and extortion count as business too?"

Liu Zi's expression darkened. He bent down, without a second thought, clenched his fist, and struck Ning Chen in the face. He put no restraint on the force of the blow: "Is that any of your business? Transfer the fifty thousand to me first."

Ning Chen gritted his back teeth hard. His reason told him not to confront the other man directly just yet; otherwise, all his previous efforts would be wasted.

Ning Chen acted very reluctant. Just before entering the password, he looked up and asked, "After I transfer the money to you, will you arrange for someone to send me back to Hua Country?"

Liu Zi barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes: "You'll go back the same way you came."

"Fine," Ning Chen finished entering the last digit of the password, "The transfer limit is fifty thousand, just right... It's transferred. Keep an eye on your end in a moment."

Having spoken, Ning Chen stood up from the ground, brushed off his clothes, and looked at Liu Zi with both fear and loathing in his eyes: "The money has been transferred to you. Can I go now?"

Liu Zi's gaze grew somewhat cold. Staring at Ning Chen as if at a plump piece of meat, he slowly shook his head: "Transfers have a delay. I'll let you go only after I receive the notification here."

Ning Chen hadn't expected him to be so meticulous; he could only nod.

Ning Chen was now gambling, gambling on whether the Liuzi Society would let him go.

After nearly half a day, Liu Zi finally received the notification.

At that moment, Ning Chen was still bound. Hearing the notification sound, he feigned excitement: "Look, has that fifty thousand yuan arrived yet?"

Liu Zi lowered his head and glanced at his phone. He saw there was indeed a notification; he tapped it open and found it was a transfer receipt notification.

Fifty thousand yuan, even after deducting some fees, was still a considerable sum. A trace of pride flashed in Liu Zi's eyes. He turned to look at Ning Chen: "You still can't leave now."

Ning Chen was stunned.

Then he roared, "Why?!"

"Here's the thing," Liu Zi casually fiddled with the gold ring on his hand, "Cangbei has had a small issue recently. The outside is under strict control. If I get caught by the police because of you, wouldn't all my efforts be in vain?"

"What does that have to do with me? I gave you the money as you demanded! I absolutely won't say another word!" Ning Chen stared at him fiercely, as if seeking confirmation, "... You wouldn't lie to me, would you?!"

530. The Second Victim

"That's hard to say," Liu Zi said.

After a pause, he added, "I know you're angry, but it's hard for me too. I've let people go before, and they immediately contacted the police, nearly getting me caught several times."

"Then what does that have to do with me?! Didn't I give you the money as you asked?!!" Ning Chen grew agitated. His performance was so convincing he truly looked like an ordinary hostage enraged after being deceived.

Perhaps because Liu Zi had received the money, he was unusually talkative at this moment, even explaining a few more things to Ning Chen: "Oh, don't rush. This is my old trade; I understand better than you. If I really let you out now, the money I earned before would probably be confiscated. Would you want that?"

"What's that got to do with me?" Ning Chen said.

"How is it not your business? Because of you, I got caught; because of you, my efforts were wasted. Shouldn't I blame you?" Liu Zi spun nonsense, "Anyway, don't even think about getting out now. I won't return that fifty thousand yuan either. I'll let you go once this storm passes."

"But," Ning Chen gripped the ropes, veins throbbing on his forehead as if ready to grab a chair and smash it over Liu Zi's head, "you didn't mention any of this before I transferred the money. You were lying to me all along!!"