Chapter 638: Turning Someone Over Is an Art

Around eleven at night, Wu Changsheng and Huang Duoduo were escorted, one ahead and one behind.

After being caught, Wu Changsheng's face was ashen, his legs wobbling as he walked, like a sick chicken being dragged to the slaughterhouse, listless all over.

By comparison, Huang Duoduo, whose crime did not warrant the death penalty, was much calmer.

Although Huang Duoduo wore handcuffs, his bulky frame of over two hundred pounds still gave off a sturdy, imposing presence; his gaze was somewhat bewildered, and his whole body exuded a simple-minded, tough aura.

Lin Dongfan gave the escort personnel a look: "First keep Wu Changsheng under watch; wait for my order, then I'll speak with Huang Duoduo alone."

Upon hearing this, Wu Changsheng seemed to feel a panicked sense of abandonment.

He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Director Lin! Director Lin! I'm not in league with G Xiansheng now; he forced you to hand me over, which has nothing to do with me! I've figured it out—I want to redeem myself through meritorious service..."

"Take him away, take him away."

Lin Dongfan waved his hand impatiently.

The next step is clear: turn a villain, have him board the ship and find a chance to seize Xu Jijun, ending this standoff.

Lin Dongfan had actually considered turning Wu Changsheng, to have him board the ship as a rebellious offspring of the villainous group.

But Wu Changsheng is unreliable.

This guy Wu Changsheng is smart; moreover, he has a strong will to survive, his mind full of crooked ways. Once on board, the probability of him seizing a gun and fighting is greater than that of him redeeming himself through service.

This risk cannot be taken; we can only place our hope on Huang Duoduo, who has never killed anyone.

For now, Huang Duoduo is still somewhat bewildered.

Watching Wu Changsheng being dragged away, Huang Duoduo swallowed, his voice low and muffled as he asked: "Director Lin, what... what's going on? Why did you bring us out to the seaside in the middle of the night to catch some breeze?"

Uh, the big guy still hasn't figured out the situation—very simple-minded and tough.

"Come with me for a moment."

Lin Dongfan led Huang Duoduo aside, handed him a cigarette, and personally lit it. Under the night sky, the flame glowed faintly; Huang Duoduo felt honored and startled, not daring to inhale.

To be precise, he was panicked to the point of being at a loss.

Huang Duoduo turned his head to look around; his heart pounded thump-thump, and the entire wharf was under martial law by armed police with live ammunition.

Suddenly he felt the scene resembled an execution ground.

He nervously asked Lin Dongfan: "Director Lin, you suddenly gave me a cigarette... could it be that you're going to execute me tonight? I haven't killed anyone—I don't deserve the death penalty..."

"Don't panic, first smoke a cigarette to calm your nerves." Lin Dongfan struck the lighter again.

Huang Duoduo pinched a cigarette, his thumping heart trembling in his hand; he struggled to bring it near the lighter and took a puff. The ember glowed red, but he couldn't draw the smoke in smoothly, choking and coughing several times before catching his breath.

After he recovered from that startled breath.

Huang Duoduo's heart turned to ash: "Director Lin, thank you for giving me a cigarette to smoke as I face death. Although I feel my death is unjust, rest assured I am clear about grudges; even as a ghost after death, I will not pester you."

"Duoduo, just from your name I can tell you're a pure, straightforward guy."

Lin Dongfan solemnly patted Huang Duoduo's shoulder.

Immediately afterward he gave Huang Duoduo a reassurance: "Rest assured, as long as you follow my instructions, no one will dare to execute you; I can back you up on this."

"Really... really? You wouldn't be joking with me, would you?" Huang Duoduo wore a doubtful expression.

Lin Dongfan held up three fingers, swore to heaven: "May heaven bear witness, if I fail to back this up, let thunder strike..."

"Boom!"

Suddenly a thunderclap rang out, lightning tearing the void.

The wind picked up.

Huang Duoduo also felt his heart sink considerably, gazing resentfully at Lin Dongfan: "Director Lin..."

"Fuck your mother, the Gobi Desert, you're messing with me, aren't you?!" Lin Dongfan cursed heaven, then turned and, as if nothing had happened, reassured the heart‑ashen Huang Duoduo: "That thunder just now was pure coincidence. I renew my oath: if I fail to back this up, may an entire household perish! Now, do you believe me?"

"Why are you swearing such a vicious oath?" Huang Duoduo looked dubiously at Lin Dongfan.

Lin Dongfan patted Huang Duoduo's shoulder again: "When heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a person, it must first win his trust—have you heard that? I hope you can trust me."

"I didn't catch the first part, but I got the second—are you wanting me to help you with something?" Huang Duoduo still wore an expression of incredulous doubt.

Lin Dongfan said: "I want to give you a chance to redeem yourself through service. Tell me, do you want to redeem yourself? Do you want the death penalty commuted to a prison term? Do you want to marry, have children, and carry on your lineage after release? If you do, I can even arrange your marriage and later provide five million yuan in poverty‑relief funds for you—wife, kids, a warm kang bed—none of that is a dream."

Painting grand promises, Fan Ye is serious, his shtick being wealthy and willful.

This wave of terrifying happiness came upon him suddenly; Huang Duoduo drew hard on his cigarette, his voice heavy: "Swear again—if you deceive me, may thunder strike. If there's no thunder this time, I'll believe you."

"Fine."

Lin Dongfan lifted his head to gaze at the pitch‑black night sky; half an hour ago he could still see faint starlight, but now it was black as ink, and he still felt a bit uneasy inside.

"Damn it!"

"Give me some face—this time you absolutely must not thunder again!"

After silently praying a moment, Lin Dongfan again pressed his three fingers together and swore to heaven: "I swear to heaven, if I deceive Huang Duoduo, may thunder strike!"

Before his words had even settled, Huang Duoduo lifted his head to look at the sky's reaction.

After a moment with no sign of rolling thunder, his heart eased considerably; he withdrew his gaze and asked Lin Dongfan: "Keep my death penalty from becoming a prison term, and give me five million yuan in poverty‑relief funds after release—this deal is quite worthwhile. Tell me, what do you want me to do? First, I won't kill anyone."

"I don't do killing either; after all, we are public servants serving the people."

Speaking, Lin Dongfan had already slung his arm around Huang Duoduo's shoulder.

Like brothers.

Speaking frankly to Huang Duoduo: "I'm not asking you to kill anyone; just help me take down one person, and it won't be difficult for you at all."

"Whom should I take down?"

"Take down your former boss—G Xiansheng, that is, Xu Jijun."

"Where is he?"

Huang Duoduo looked all around, and immediately felt a bit bewildered again.

He didn't see the masked boss, only saw a few Municipal Party Committee leaders standing on the wharf, and the armed police on patrol around.

Lin Dongfan pointed to the Elegant Maiden No. 1, over two hundred meters offshore: "See? On that ship he's bound more than twenty people as hostages. The point is he now wants to rope you in, to take you on a desperate flight together, so he shouldn't suspect you. Once aboard, when he's off guard, knock him down—it's no difficulty at all."

"This..."

Huang Duoduo gazed at the large ship faintly visible on the sea.

A conflicted expression appeared on the face: "I really want to redeem myself through merit, but... my former boss treated me like a brother; you're asking me to stab him in the back—that's utterly inhumane! This is something only beasts would do, need extra pay."