Chapter 1023: Interrogating the Shadow

He Yuzhu did not dare to blink even once, every nerve in his body pulled taut, taking in every single movement of everyone present without missing a detail.

This hotel was surrounded by enemies inside and out; if any gun were to go off accidentally, Ma Rui's life would be forfeit right here.

He Yuzhu's mind was simultaneously calculating what these guys would do next—like playing chess, looking three steps ahead for every one taken.

The leader of this group was a tall, sturdy white man who lowered his voice and chuckled, "Brothers, see that? That bodyguard, I think he's just for show, completely useless. Better to just strangle him and toss him in the room, saves the trouble."

A tall, thin man beside him shook his head vigorously, whispering, "No, no! The Black Stone Group is behind this hotel. If someone dies, the hotel will be sealed off immediately, its reputation ruined. Can those big bosses spare us?"

The tall, sturdy white man grinned and patted the thin man on the shoulder, "Jack, no wonder you came out of the CIA, you think of everything. Then take him along too; once we reach international waters, just toss him into the sea to feed the sharks, clean and simple."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the tall, sturdy white man slammed a palm onto the side of Ma Rui's neck—Ma Rui's body stiffened, and without even a groan, he went limp on the spot.

The large black man beside He Yuzhu followed suit, slamming a palm fiercely toward his neck.

He Yuzhu had long anticipated this, secretly holding his breath, the Qi in his dantian instantly flooding the muscles in his neck, making his entire neck as hard as iron.

The black man's palm struck, only to feel as if he had slapped a slab of granite, the impact numbing his entire arm and cracking his palm bones.

He couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! What is this bodyguard's neck made of? It's hard as stone, I think my bones are broken!"

The tall, sturdy white man glanced at him and shook his head dismissively, "Dawei, you're over two hundred pounds and built like O'Neal, why are you being so delicate?"

The black man got agitated and cursed, "You think I'm playing with you? Why don't you try it yourself?"

He Yuzhu also took the opportunity to collapse limply, adjusting his breathing to be light and even, as if he were truly unconscious, without a single flaw.

"See, he can't stand you either? You're just a sadist," the tall, sturdy white man joked.

The men worked efficiently, stuffing the two into separate custom-made, reinforced suitcases; the cases had labels from an international logistics company on the outside, with silent wheels and smooth handles, making them noiseless to push.

They pushed the cases through the hotel's back kitchen passage, moving without obstruction, and loaded them directly into a commercial van.

The car windows were covered with thick, dark tint, making it impossible to see what was being carried inside from the outside.

The car circled the block three times in silence before finally cutting the engine in front of a warehouse next to an abandoned pier.

Not long after, a high-end yacht slowly pulled alongside the dock, and the men carried the suitcases onto the deck.

The yacht accelerated, speeding out of the area, and about an hour later, a gray-blue Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer emerged menacingly from the mist.

The warship's gangway was lowered, and He Yuzhu and Ma Rui, along with their cases, were hoisted onto the main deck.

The sturdy white man shouted at a white man with a thick beard, "Colonel, we caught two this time—one is He Yuzhu's nephew Ma Rui, the other is the bodyguard he hired. If you ask me, the bodyguard is useless, might as well toss him into the sea."

The bearded man shook his head, squinting as he said, "No rush. This kind of personal bodyguard often knows more than their master, making them easier to break."

As he spoke, the case was opened, and He Yuzhu felt a sudden glare of light, with several white men looking down at him.

Immediately after, a bucket of seawater was poured over his head, the salty, fishy water filling his nose and mouth, cold and choking.

He Yuzhu pretended to slowly "wake up," and the tape sealed over his mouth was ripped off.

He feigned panic, trembling as he asked, "Who... who are you? Why did you capture Boss Ma?"

The bearded man squatted down, pinching his cigarette butt, and smiled at him, "You're Ma Rui's personal bodyguard; you must have heard plenty about his uncle's affairs, right? If you're smart and cooperate honestly, telling us everything you know, we won't just let you go, we'll give you a sum of money enough to last you several lifetimes."

He Yuzhu nodded repeatedly, his voice tinged with a fawning tone, "Really? That would be great... I will definitely cooperate!"

The bearded man nodded with satisfaction, "Good. Our Boss will interrogate you personally later, so keep your mouth sweet and don't look for trouble."

Ma Rui, watching from the side, saw how well his uncle was acting; he felt both nervous and amused, not knowing what expression to wear.

Soon, the two were escorted into a sealed conference room on the destroyer.

The cabin walls were stark white, and the ceiling was fitted with the most common type of fluorescent tubes, casting a pale, sickly light that made one's eyes ache.

Ma Rui secretly turned his head to look at his uncle, his eyes bright; he wanted to see how his uncle would deal with these arrogant fools.

In the center of the conference room, a white man wearing gold-rimmed glasses sat opposite them with a commanding air, looking Ma Rui up and down for a long time before speaking with a heavy American accent, "You are Ma Rui, correct?"

Ma Rui stiffened his neck; despite being fluent in English, he refused to speak it, retorting directly in Chinese, "That's right, it's your grandfather here!"

The Chinese-faced translator beside him was stunned, but bit the bullet and translated, "He said... he is your grandfather."

Howard slammed a hand on the table and cursed, "Shit! You brat, you're at death's door and still dare to be mouthy!"

Ma Rui was not afraid; instead, he became even more energized, firing off a barrage of words, "You bastards, you talk about democracy and freedom all day, but all you do is engage in the low-life business of kidnapping and murder! You're not even as good as animals! You take pride in what should be shameful; you are the most disgusting, despicable demons!"

Howard was not provoked; instead, he sneered, "Your uncle is Shadow, and he has done many evil things over the years. Since we can't catch him, we'll use you to trade for him."

Ma Rui scoffed upon hearing this, his mouth full of disdain, "Cowards! Can't handle my uncle, so you come for me? What kind of skill is that? I have never done anything against you, what right do you have to capture me? What about the human rights you keep preaching about?"

Howard narrowed his eyes, his tone turning suddenly cold, "I heard your uncle is also in Hong Kong. As long as you honestly tell me his address, I will release you immediately. You won't talk? I'll just toss you into the sea to feed the fish."

Ma Rui tilted his head back and grinned sarcastically, "You idiots really don't learn—since you know my uncle is formidable, you still dare to provoke him? The people who have crossed my uncle over the years have grass growing taller than a man on their graves; don't you have any sense of that yourselves?"

Howard's face darkened, and he spat out coldly, "In my eyes, you aren't worth a penny! Even if you don't talk, your uncle won't be able to run!"

Ma Rui held his head high, his voice clear and every word sharp, "You're about to die yourself and you're still here acting like a big shot, how pathetic!"