Tit For Tat (Beloved Enemy) - Chap 109
The Secretary-General of the Entrepreneurs Association proposed next Monday as the date for the formal signing of the contract.
After GuQingPei received the notice, he called YuanYang and asked if the funds are in place.
YuanYang, “The bank should be able to allocate funds sometime before next week.”
“Is your guaranteed agreement signed?”
“I haven’t received a confirmation date for this yet. I will be signing the agreement with XX Group tomorrow. With their guarantee, there will be no problem with the bank’s funding.”
“You really do have ability. Even XX Group dared to guarantee such a large loan for you.”
“I’ve collaborated with them before and it was a very profitable joint venture.”
“That’s good.”
As YuanYang was talking on the phone, he thought of GuQingPei’s faint frown and engrossed pondering expression, warm currents started to rise up in his heart, “Are you happy?”
“What?”
“If this project is a success and you make a lot of money, would you be happy?”
“Why wouldn’t I be happy?”
“Then that’s good.”
GuQingPei paused, “YuanYang, what is it you want to say?”
“You use to always resent me for always making you upset, causing you troubles. Now, I can finally make you happy for once.”
GuQingPei gently laughed, “You don’t think that you make me angry and give me troubles now?”
“Whatever…”
“You’ve also made me happy before,” GuQingPei said quietly.
YuanYang was shocked. His voice slightly trembled, “What do you mean?”
GuQingPei rubbed his eyebrows and realized that he’d slipped-up. His voice returned to normal, “It’s nothing. Anyways, I have a meeting. After the funding is in place, let me know.”
“Wait a minute!” YuanYang called out, “GuQingPei, I originally don’t want to ask you this on the phone.….have you ever had me in your heart?”
GuQingPei took a slow deep breadth; his voice stuck in his throat and couldn’t swallow.
“You’ve never said it.”
“You asking this…. what meaning is there? Don’t you hate me for dumping you? Aren’t you planning on getting married and giving me an invitation? What’s the point of tangling the past?”
YuanYang slowly asked, “GuQingPei, are you jealous?”
“I don’t have time to continue on with this senseless topic. If there are no other important matters, don’t call me.” After he finished talking, he hung up the phone without hesitation. Closing his eyes, he pressed his temple for a long time.
For him, YuanYang’s issues are far more troublesome and makes him more mentally exhausted than any of his most difficult work. With work, he only needed to dedicate brainpower, but with YuanYang he had to……
When GuQingPei got off work, it was almost nine o’clock. Rarely does he not have any other social commitments so he had planned on going home to take a shower and then go to sleep. It’s been so busy during this time that everyone’s been worn out.
Parking in the underground parking lot, he opened the trunk, intending to take out the dry-cleaned suit from his secretary. At this time, he felt some very slight footsteps behind him.
The sounds of the footsteps are not strange, but it was deliberately light making people feel slightly weird.
He sensed that something is not right. Turning his head, he suddenly saw a dark shadow hovering over him. He couldn’t evade in time and was knocked out by a blow. The pain striking him, GuQingPei staggered and fell directly to the ground.
He subconsciously kneels while holding his head. It starts to darken in front of his eyes. Then the scenery in front of him blurred and his palm touched warm liquid.
There were several figures in front of him, wearing sunglasses and hats. He was unable to see their faces clearly.
GuQingPei wanted to hold onto the car to pull himself up but his head was getting heavier. He finally lost consciousness.
GuQingPei awakened from the freezing cold.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself on a bed, lying on a mattress that has a damp, musty smell. He was in an awkward position with his hands and feet tied. As soon as he was aware of this, his limbs were numb.
It’s really cold.
GuQingPei looked at himself. He had just gotten out of his car with the car’s heater on. Only wearing a shirt, nothing thick covering him so sleeping in the early autumn season like this, even ordinary people would not have been able to stand it.
He remembered the details of his attack and felt a bit of panic in his heart. The wounds on his head hurt even more.
He forced himself to sit, leaning on the headboard, looking around this place that appeared to be a cheap inn. A little faint light seeped through the dark lacquered curtains in the room. It seems like this is the next day.
Who are those people and why did they kidnap him? Do they want money?
GuQingPei consciously asked himself these series of questions. He felt that the greatest possibility is blackmail. What was most fortunate was that these people did not immediately kill him.
GuQingPei felt his head wrapped in gauze but it didn’t seem like there was proper care. His hair is matted to his scalp and his wound is scorchingly painful. He knew he could not stay here for too long. If he gets an infection, it would really save these people from having to kill the captive.
GuQingPei took a deep breath and began to shout, “Is anyone there!? Anyone there!”
He shouted twice and heard some sounds and movements next door. Shortly, heavy footsteps ran over, a burly man obviously looking like a thug pushed the door opened and shouted, “Stop fucking yelling.”
GuQingPei glanced at him and calmly asked, “Where is your leader?”
The thug raised his eyebrows, “How do you know that I am not the leader?”
GuQingPei did not want to tell him that he obviously looked stupid, afraid that he would arouse his anger. So he could only retorted with, “Just my guess.”
The person responded, “Why are you asking for my leader?”
“I want to know why you guys have me tied up and brought me here.”
“Bullshit, you’re not a girl, why else would we kidnap you?”
“You want money, right? Shouldn’t you treat the captive a little better? Give me something to eat. I haven’t eaten all day.”
The thug frowned, “Hmmph, have never seen a captive so pompous. Just wait.” After he finished talking, he went out. A short while later, he returned with a bowl of instant noodles, “Eat.”
GuQingPei showed him his tied hands.
“I don’t care; you just suck it into your mouth.” He slammed the bowl onto the bed, intending to leave.
GuQingPei shouted, “Brother(T/N), wait a bit.”
T/N– The guy is obviously not really his brother, but this is just an attempt to informally address someone in a nice way.
The man turned to look at him.
“Being captured by you like this, I’m very flustered. Can you at least disclose how much money you want? Who do you plan to contact, when can you let me go?”
“I don’t care about this, wait until my older bro(T/N) comes to talk to you.”
T/N, A group of thugs/followers addressed their leader as “Older Bro”.
GuQingPei saw that this person is pretty tight lipped; he couldn’t get anything out of him so he had no choice but to give up. He watched the hot bowl of instant noodles, and even though he was hungry, he couldn’t eat it.
Appearing calm on the surface, his heart is very worried. He didn’t know whether these people would be satisfied just getting the ransom. What can he do if they were to harm him?…..
He thought of YuanYang. Would it be possible for YuanYang to locate him? Can YuanYang find him? Will he come to save him?
GuQingPei’s mind is in chaos. After all, he has never experienced such a thing. His knowledge and experience appears to be weak and lacking in front of these unreasonable criminals.
What to do? Will he be able to get out alive?
If he can’t leave this place alive, his biggest regret is not being able to answer YuanYang’s question yesterday.
GuQingPei sighed, his eyes gloomy.
Not knowing how long it was before footsteps came from the outside, followed by the sound of the door unlocking and opened. The room lighted up instantly, so bright that GuQingPei’s couldn’t open his eyes.
“Director Gu, long time no see.”
GuQingPei suddenly shivered. He opened his eyes and sees the arrogant person standing in front of him. This was the security guard who had attempted use his photos to blackmail him and was taught a lesson by YuanYang!
The security guard smirked, “Director Gu you have suffered. If Director Gu had given more money, I could have gotten a better hotel. Ahh, no, it should be if Director Gu had given enough money last time, then this wouldn’t have happened. You say, isn’t that right?”
GuQingPei crudely responded, “Say it, how much do you want? I’ll have someone get it for you.”
The security guard continued to smirk as he walked toward him, his face tinged with an ominous glint. He reached out to fiercely slap GuQingPei, “You think that this will be resolved with just giving me money? You and that dumb fuck with the surnamed Yuan almost broke my hand. I’m going to chop off his fingers one by one!”
GuQingPei’s eyes darkened, “Honestly speaking, there are really no grudges between us. How much money do you want? I’ll give it to you, just promise not to pursue this any further. But if you really want to hurt people, then this will change everything, why bother?”
The security guard stared at his hair and sneered, “You think I would believe you? The last time you said you’d give me money, then turned around and had a group of underground gangsters hindered me. If I were planning on leaving myself a good way out, I would not be doing this. GuQingPei, the grudges between us is immense, but I won’t touch you right now, wait for the surname Yuan to come, I’ll take care of you both.”
GuQingPei forcibly suppressed his anger and said nothing. YuanYang would not need to come to him; these people will also get him here.
The security guard took out a phone. At a glance, GuQingPei recognized it as his own. He dialed YuanYang’s number, the other end quickly answered. The first sentence out was, “Hey, where have you been?”
GuQingPei’s heart tightened and he instantly shouted, “YuanYang!” He wanted to stop YuanYang from speaking any further. When he went to Shanghai, YuanYang knew it immediately. It is certainly because he went too far out of his regular range of activities so YuanYang would find out. He can’t let these people know that YuanYang could locate him.
The security guard cursed, “Shut the hell up.”
YuanYang was silent for a moment on the phone, then softly uttered, “I recognize your voice.”
The security guard scoffed, “It’s good you recognize it so I don’t have to explain it any further. Bastard, you almost disable my hand, don’t think that I’ll let you go so easily.”
YuanYang coldly asked, “What do you want? How much? Say it.”
“5 million. Get 4.5 million in 45 traveler’s checks with 100,000 denominations in each. The remaining 500,000 will be in cash. You will go alone to the place I specify tomorrow afternoon. My people will bring you over. Don’t play any tricks. I no longer give a shit. If you dare do anything stupid, I’m going to kill GuQingPei.”
YuanYang hardly hesitated, “Fine.”
The security guard scoffed, “You really do care deeply for GuQingPei. The other person in the pictures is you right?”
YuanYang responded meaningfully, “You’ve obviously become smarter.”
“Peh! Gay guys, how disgusting.”
YuanYang, “Where should I wait tomorrow afternoon?”
“I let you know tomorrow, remember, come alone.”
“Just relax, the person is in your hands, what are you still so worried about?”
“It’s best if you think so, or you’d be coming to collect his corpse!”
After hanging up the phone, the security guard looked at GuQingPei coldly, just like watching a dead man.
GuQingPei also looked at him, his suspicions even more puzzling.
Why does this person want traveler’s checks? If it is signed by YuanYang, he won’t be able to cash it abroad or does he have some other means? He had heard the news of using traveler’s cheques for fraudulent scams, but at the time he didn’t pay much attention to it. Adding on, that was also a high-tech crime. He didn’t think that these no brainer hooligans would be able to pull that off.
Moreover, the last time he clearly saw that the man was very afraid of YuanYang. There is only one possibility. He must have been instructed by someone.
GuQingPei’s first thought was YuanLiJiang. After all, he had harmed him before so there was always that lingering fear.
However, he immediately discarded this thought. First, he didn’t believe that YuanLiJiang would use such extreme methods to deal with him. Second, YuanLiJiang has no need to deal with his son in such a way.
If not YuanLiJiang, then who could it be?
Who …. would have interest so closely linked to them?
