Chapter 975: Swallowing People Whole and Not Spitting Out Bones

You Wenchang was utterly stunned; his few brothers froze, then burst into excitement.

They never expected their big brother to pull such a move—perfect! This time they’d hit the jackpot.

“Big brother!” One guy pulled out a knife, pressing the tip against Zhou Andong’s neck. “This guy’s loaded. Five grand’s too little—we need at least fifty.”

You Wenchang’s head rang like a bell; his only thought was: if I ever get another chance, I’ll hire literate thugs.

Even elementary-school level would be better than this stupidity. Are their brains full of shit? How dumb would I have to be to kidnap Zhou Andong in a hotel lobby?

Watching the security guards and police swiftly surround them, You Wenchang wanted to cry but had no tears left.

He never dreamed that such a famous man as Zhou Andong would not only break his word but also be this treacherous.

He didn’t know that because of the Entrepreneur Forum, the Garden Hotel’s security had been pushed to its absolute limit.

So the moment Zhou Andong shouted “I’m being kidnapped,” twenty or thirty guards and plainclothes officers appeared.

One officer raised his gun, pointing it at the man with the knife, barking: “Drop the knife!”

The knife-wielding thug was stunned too—he understood security, but why so many cops? Had they raided a police nest?

You Wenchang was utterly hopeless; he felt these cops were clearly in on Zhou Andong’s scheme to trap him.

“Bang!”

You Wenchang kicked the knife-wielder hard, sending him flying, then raised both hands high, forcing a smile.

“Mistake… it’s a misunderstanding…”

He wasn’t given a chance to finish. One officer grabbed his collar and swept his legs out from under him.

Thud! Clean and swift—he went down. Two other officers immediately pinned his arms behind his back and slapped on handcuffs.

The other four were cuffed too, no questions asked, and dragged away immediately.

Zhang Shenghui watched them haul You Wenchang off, sighing: “This guy, why pick on anyone else? Why target Zhou Andong—the man who swallows people whole and doesn’t spit out bones? It’s like the God of Longevity hanging himself—just too damn long-lived.”

Wu Hongkang also stared at You Wenchang and his men: “What can you say? They ran into Zhou Andong. That’s fate.”

Jian Qiu listened nearby, her lips twitching.

At that moment, a middle-aged man in uniform stepped forward and saluted Zhou Andong.

“Young Master Zhou, it’s our oversight that caused you distress—we deeply apologize.”

Zhou Andong smiled slightly and shook the man’s hand: “Just an accident. No one could have predicted it.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Sweat beaded on the man’s forehead. This conference had brought over seventy people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, all already arrived.

For Zhou Andong to be kidnapped was an outrage. If word got out, it would be a devastating blow to Yangcheng’s—and even Guangdong Province’s—investment appeal.

Zhou Andong was already a leading figure in China’s business world. If even he could be kidnapped, who the hell would dare invest here?

Zhou Andong understood the man’s genuine gratitude; the officer immediately issued orders: this incident must be kept secret, then he began questioning Zhou Andong about the details.

Zhou Andong pulled forward Zhou Anlei, who had been hiding behind him: “This is my cousin. Over a year ago, our family gave him some money to come to Yangcheng and make his fortune.”

He’d been silent since then; our family didn’t worry much. He’s an adult—what’s there to fear? And it’s over two thousand kilometers away. Even if we worried, we couldn’t do anything.”

“But I never expected—just now, while walking around, I saw my cousin begging at a mall entrance. When I went to ask what happened, those kidnappers showed up.”

“They claimed my cousin owed them fifty thousand, and since I’m his younger brother, I should pay. Then they took me hostage. I thought I’d just pay fifty thousand to settle it quietly.”

“But once we entered the hotel, they raised the price to fifty thousand—and threatened me with a knife, saying they’d kill me if I didn’t pay. They’re untrustworthy. Even if I paid, they wouldn’t let me go. So I shouted for the police.”

The officer nodded, glancing at the cowering Zhou Anlei. If Zhou Andong hadn’t said he was his cousin, the man’s shifty eyes and timid posture would’ve made him look like a fugitive.

Zhou Andong kicked Zhou Anlei in the ass: “Speak up. How’d you get into debt? And what happened to your leg?”

Zhou Anlei cowered again, making Zhou Andong want to kick him again.

“Always mumbling and stammering—ever since we were kids. You’re twenty-something, still acting like this? No wonder you ended up like this.”

Zhou Anlei kept his head down—he was guilty: “When I got to Yangcheng, I checked into a cheap inn. At first I didn’t know what to do, just wandered around. For meals, I ate at the steamed bun shop next door.”

“Over time, I got friendly with the owner. One night, he said he’d take me somewhere fun. I didn’t think much of it. Turns out it was a casino…”

Zhou Andong understood—he’d been set up.

Zhou Anlei had always loved card games at home, though stakes were small—three or five yuan a day—but his addiction was strong.

Plus, alone in a new city with money in hand and no one watching, how could he resist stepping into a casino?

“At first I bet small, but I won every day. Then I got bold, bet bigger, won over ten thousand. Then I started losing—lost it all.”

“I couldn’t accept it, so I borrowed from the casino—lost another twenty thousand. After that, they refused to lend me more, and forced me to beg for money to pay the debt. One day, I begged for over twenty yuan, thinking I’d use it as fare to leave for another city.”

“I’d already reached the bus station when they caught me, dragged me back, broke my leg, and warned me—if I ran again, they’d break the other one.”

Terms like “shell game,” “casino,” “serious injury,” “kidnapping,” and “extortion” flashed through the officer’s mind—this was clearly a criminal syndicate.

“Young Master Zhou, we’ll solve this case as quickly as possible and give you a full accounting.”

Zhou Andong shook the officer’s hand again: “Thank you for your trouble.”

The officer left and immediately reported to headquarters. Deputy Mayor and Public Security Bureau Chief Chen Daixue was furious upon hearing the report.

Kidnapping Zhou Andong? Unthinkable—especially now. This was smearing Yangcheng’s name, trying to destroy the city.

He immediately convened a meeting to form a special task force, ordered interrogation of You Wenchang, and demanded the harshest possible punishment.

Wu Hongkang and Zhang Shenghui, who had been watching the spectacle, finally stepped forward now that it was over.

“Tsk tsk tsk!”

Zhang Shenghui circled Zhou Andong two or three times, clucking: “Young Master Zhou is truly Young Master Zhou—swallowing people whole and not spitting out bones. I’ll keep my distance from now on, or I’ll get screwed and never even know how I died.”

Wu Hongkang nodded seriously beside him: “Agreed. I think we should keep some distance—it makes me feel safer.”