Chapter 8
852 Words
The three men who kidnapped Chu Xiaoxiao were notorious desperadoes from Nanwan, locally known as "The Three Mad Dogs!" They had been hired by a mysterious employer who offered a hefty sum to kidnap the heiress of the Chu Corporation.
If this job succeeded, the trio could retire overseas and live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
The leader of the group was ruthless and cunning—the undisputed mastermind.
The second brother was a timid yet sleazy man, skilled in vehicles and theft, with a sharp mind.
The third brother, though slow-witted, was the best fighter among them—a former underground boxer and the leader's most trusted enforcer.
The second brother had his own agenda. Working swiftly, he set up a makeshift military tent.
The leader forced Chu Xiaoxiao inside, secured the entrance, and planted himself in front of it, refusing to budge.
"Boss," the second brother sat beside him, feigning curiosity while stealing glances at the tent, "who do you think hired us? And why target the Chu family’s daughter?"
"Don’t ask questions you don’t need answers to. The more you know, the more trouble you invite. Remember what happened to your old crew?" The leader shot him a cold glare.
The second brother was capable, but his scheming nature made him hard to control. He forced a nervous chuckle. "Right, right! My bad, Boss! Still, this girl’s got terrible luck. Instead of staying safe in the city, she wanders into this backwater—made our job easy!"
"Luck played a part," the leader admitted. "The Chu Corporation is a rising giant in Fujian. They’ve expanded fast under that mother-daughter duo, even moving into Southeast Asia. My guess? This kidnapping was ordered by one of the old-money factions whose profits they’ve cut into."
The second brother’s eyes gleamed. "So the girl’s worth a fortune! Ten million seems low for this job. Split three ways, it’s barely over three mil each—peanuts compared to what those rich brats spend on sports cars!"
The leader’s gaze turned icy. "How many times must I say it? Know your place. If you had their power, you could squeeze more out of this. But we’re just hired blades—used for dirty work, then tossed into the Huangpu River when we’re no longer needed."
The second brother swallowed hard under the leader’s glare. "J-just joking, Boss! Ah, Third’s taking forever gathering firewood. I’ll go help." He hurried toward the island’s dense woods.
The leader watched him leave, a flicker of murderous intent in his eyes.
"You’re wrong," he muttered into the wind. "It’ll be split two ways. Five million each… more than enough."
On the other side of the beach, the third brother stood before an abandoned fishing vessel, flashlight in hand, puzzled by the dilapidated boat.
"Why so many holes? Doesn’t look like it hit rocks—more like it was shelled?" He scratched his head.
In the darkness:
Nie Yun: "..."
Mechanical insects: "..."
Maybe they’d overdone it.
"Whatever. Tearing planks off this wreck’s faster than gathering wood. Not bad, eh? Guess I’m getting smarter—gotta learn from the Boss more often!"
Grinning, he boarded the "ship," sweeping his flashlight around before heading to the cabin for furniture scraps.
But as light flooded the cabin, he froze. Instead of decay, the space was unnervingly tidy, stocked with living supplies.
His instincts screamed—someone was here.
Then came a metallic shink from below. Before he could react, a silvery cable coiled around his ankle.
"What the—?" His flashlight traced the cable upward… to an anchor resting on a beam.
Panicked, he reached for his knife—just as the anchor leaped off the beam.
No ropes, no mechanisms. It simply… jumped.
Did that anchor just commit suicide?! The absurd thought barely formed before the cable yanked him upside-down.
Dangling, he stared at the swaying anchor, mind reeling.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Footsteps approached, stopping behind him.
He couldn’t see the figure, but its malice pressed against his skin like a blade.
"Who’s there?!" His hair stood on end.
Ghost ship legends—oh god, did I walk into one?!
THUNK. A frying pan met his skull. Darkness swallowed him.
Nie Yun tossed the now-liquid metal pan back into the Sea Wolf, grinning. "Great teamwork for our first collab! Now, let’s see what this guy’s packing."
A satellite phone. A Swiss army knife. A pistol—Type 54, 7.62mm, standard issue for Chinese gangs. Two spare mags. Basic survival gear.
Nie Yun blanched at the gun.
"Holy hell. If not for my little helpers, I’d be eating lead." Firearms were rare in China. These weren’t ordinary kidnappers.
Tucking the pistol into his waistband, he glanced at the unconscious man.
"Don’t waste resources. Strip his supplies, then tie him up."
The anchor melted into silver tendrils. The third brother crashed down, only to be cocooned in liquid metal.
When it receded, every metallic item—even his belt buckle—was gone, leaving him bound in unbreakable cables.
Satisfied, Nie Yun turned toward the tent’s distant glow in the night.
- Writer
