Chapter 717: Li Zhenyang Was Tricked

At 1:47 a. m., Room 2801, Building 3, B Zone, Splendid Jiangnan.

Li Shuting curled up on the living-room sofa.

Her hands were taped behind her back with duct tape, and her mouth was also taped.

Although she wore a silk nightgown and had a cardigan over it, the thin clothing could not stop the trembling caused by her fear.

She widened her eyes, watching the man ransacking her home.

Li Hengbo's chest bandage had turned dark red; every movement tugged at the wound, and beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

But he acted as if he felt no pain, his movements rough and swift—rummaging for the medicine box!

Finally he found antibiotics and painkillers; Li Hengbo swallowed a few pills haphazardly; then he took out a fruit knife from the kitchen, cut open the bandage and rewrapped the wound.

During the bandaging, his teeth clenched from the pain, yet he didn't utter a sound.

After dealing with the wound.

Li Hengbo slumped onto the single sofa opposite Li Shuting, panting heavily.

He grabbed the half-bottle of mineral water on the coffee table, gulped down several mouthfuls, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his gaze falling on Li Shuting.

"Are you afraid?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Li Shuting could not answer; she could only stare at him in terror.

Li Hengbo suddenly laughed, his smile twisted: "Don't be afraid; as long as your father cooperates with me, I won't hurt you. After all…"

He paused, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "I once almost became your husband."

He said.

He again fished out the old Nokia phone from his backpack, turned it on, and dialed.

The phone rang five times before being answered.

"Who is this?"

Li Zhenyang's voice carried the fatigue and displeasure of being woken up late at night.

"Secretary Li, it's me."

Li Hengbo's voice was eerily calm.

There was a three-second silence on the other end.

Then came Li Zhenyang's lowered, wary voice: "You dare call me?! You're now a wanted criminal; the police are conducting a citywide manhunt for you!"

"Yes, a citywide manhunt." Li Hengbo said leisurely, "Thanks to you burning the bridge after crossing, you sold me out completely! Now you owe me some compensation at the very least."

He paused, then added:

"Peng Tianhua and Lin Dongfan are hunting me down. Fortunately, Wu Zhou is your turf; in this city, your authority is enough to turn the tables."

Li Zhenyang's breath hitched: "What do you want?"

"It's simple." Li Hengbo looked at Li Shuting: "I'm currently at your daughter's place, with Shuting right beside me. She's safe, for now…"

"What did you say?!"

Li Zhenyang's voice suddenly rose, filled with incredulous fury: "Li Hengbo! If you dare touch a single hair of Shuting, I'll make sure you have no place to bury yourself!"

"I already have no place to bury myself." Li Hengbo gave a cold smile: "Secretary Li, let's lay it all out. I have two options: first, be captured by Lin Dongfan and Peng Tianhua and spill everything I know in court. The case of the deaths of Duan Xinhua and his son Duan Xiaobin—can you cover that?"

"You dare!"

Li Zhenyang's voice trembled, unsure whether from anger or fear.

"Don't rush; first hear my second option…" Li Hengbo continued: "You step in and stop Peng Tianhua and Lin Dongfan's pursuit."

"And then?" Li Zhenyang's voice tightened.

"Then prepare a car, some money, a new passport, and send me abroad." Li Hengbo said calmly: "I'll leave the country forever, taking your secrets to the grave."

The other end fell into Along silence.

Li Shuting's face slightly changed; she seemed to sense her father's furrowed-brow anger from afar—over the years, no one had ever dared threaten him like this.

After Along while.

Li Zhenyang finally spoke, his tone grave: "On what grounds should I trust you to keep your word?"

"You have to believe it now, whether you want to or not." Li Hengbo emphasized without room for doubt: "This is your only choice. If I fall into Lin Dongfan's hands, you'll end up worse off than I! Don't forget how Duan Xinhua and his son died! In that affair, I was just a cleaner—you were the mastermind!"

Another silence followed.

Then Li Zhenyang said: "I need to first confirm Shuting's safety, so let me speak with her."

"Okay."

Li Hengbo tore off the tape from Li Shuting's mouth and held the phone to her ear.

"Dad…"

Li Shuting had just begun to speak when her voice choked up, tears welling in her eyes.

"Shuting, how are you? Are you hurt?" Li Zhenyang asked anxiously.

"I'm fine…" she said, giving Li Hengbo a resentful glance, deliberately cooperating with him: "He has a gun, Dad; you'd better comply with him…"

"I know what to do." Li Zhenyang's voice suddenly turned unusually calm: "Give him the phone."

Li Hengbo took back the phone.

"Li Hengbo." Li Zhenyang's voice regained its usual official authority: "I'm coming over now; before I arrive, you must guarantee Shuting's safety."

"Rest assured, I want a way out, not a life."

Li Hengbo urged again: "But you need to act fast—Lin Dongfan's people should already be downstairs. Ten minutes, and if you haven't shown up, I'll have to use Shuting as a shield."

Having said that, he hung up.

Li Hengbo let out Along sigh, collapsed onto the sofa, the severe chest pain finally overwhelming him, his face twisting.

He looked at Li Shuting, his gaze complex: "Thank you for your cooperation."

...!!!

Li Shuting still wore a resentful look: "I only now realize that you never loved me. Before, you approached me just to curry favor with my father's power..."

"You Li family also treat me as a tool? In the adult world, what's there to talk about love or not love?"

Li Hengbo smirked dismissively, as if the word 'love' were the most unreliable thing in this world, a great irony.

Li Hengbo gazed at Li Shuting.

He added meaningfully: "My ex-wife Xu Yaqiu betrayed me, and I already blew her head off with a gun. You Li family also betrayed me; I didn't kill you, which is already the utmost benevolence and righteousness."

"You killed Xu Yaqiu?!"

Li Shuting's face was full of disbelief, as if only now realizing whether the man before her was human or ghost… No! He's a demon.

"Why look at me like that?" Li Hengbo chuckled lightly: "Your father Li Zhenyang is even less of a thing than I am! Doesn't he also want to get rid of me?"

Hearing this, Li Shuting was momentarily speechless.

She neither affirmed nor denied.

Her father Li Zhenyang indeed wanted to get rid of Li Hengbo, this calamity.

However…

Now Li Zhenyang also has no room for choice.

On the other side, Li Zhenyang, who had just hung up the phone, had already decisively made a decision—preparing to use jurisdictional authority as an entry point to suppress Peng Tianhua and Lin Hengbo.

He made this decision mainly considering two points.

One is considering the safety of his daughter Li Shuting.

Two is considering his own future.

If Li Hengbo were to fall into the hands of Peng Tianhua and Lin Dongfan, it would indeed be very disadvantageous for him! To prevent the situation from slipping out of his control, for now he can only try a desperate remedy.

Li Zhenyang hurriedly called, pulling Chief Liu of the Municipal Public Security Bureau out of bed.

Chief Liu, upon receiving the call, dared not delay in the slightest; before even leaving, he had already ordered his subordinate criminal investigation team to proceed first to Splendid Jiangnan to control the situation.