"Everyone, don't make any rash moves, let's see what they really want!" Zhongshi stopped Lu Hu from reaching for his waist with a glance and whispered. He knew that Lu Hu always carried three sharp throwing knives at his waist. Once, he had seen Lu Hu flick his wrist, and the throwing knife had nailed itself into a wooden board ten meters away with a swift sound.
Now, the five burly men in front of them, only one had a gun, the others either had machetes or baseball bats. In theory, as long as they dealt with the man with the gun, the others would be no problem. However, if any of them had a gun or were skilled, they would be in a dangerous situation.
In fact, the current situation was extremely dangerous.
Zhongshi most wanted to figure out the intentions of these bandits. If it was a robbery, he could just give them money to avoid trouble. If it was a premeditated kidnapping, that would be a big problem.
The local Hong Kong triads still had some code of honor. Generally, as long as the police were not alerted and their demands were met, the hostages would be safe, and there would be no incidents like hostage killings. However, if they encountered the Big Circle or those ruthless Southeast Asian gangs, it would be a different story.
These gangs did not have roots in the local area, so they did not care about social impact. They often committed a big heist and then fled, leaving a mess for the local police and triads to clean up.
This was also why gangs from the mainland in the 1980s and 1990s were so feared.
"Everyone, get out, don't f**king dawdle, I just want money, not lives!" Just as the group was looking at each other, the man with the gun had already walked to the car, pointing the gun directly at Lu Hu in the driver's seat, and said fiercely.
As he spoke, the other bandits had already rushed to the minibus. One of the short men suddenly punched the brown glass and cursed, "Open the door, don't f**king waste my time!"
Lu Hu turned to look at the back seat, where Liao Xiaohua and Zhongyi were already in a panic, huddling at the back of the car as if it would be safer there. Liao Chengde was relatively calm, but his eyes occasionally flashed with panic. Only Zhongshi remained calm, nodding at Lu Hu.
The car door opened, and the short man leaped into the car, pointing his machete at Liao Chengde and cursing, "Listen up, follow the car in front, or I'll cut you into pieces!"
Liao Xiaohua and Zhongyi were pale and trembling, too scared to speak, just nodding like chickens pecking at rice. Liao Chengde, facing the bright blade, also changed his expression. Being the oldest, he was naturally seen as the leader by the bandits.
Seeing Zhongshi blink, Liao Chengde felt a bit more at ease. He mustered the courage to ask, "Where are you taking us, sir?"
"Shut the f**k up, just follow!" The short and stocky man was clearly not the leader, just glaring at Liao Chengde and threatening him.
"Don't worry, I and my brothers are a bit short on cash, and we want to borrow some money from you. As long as you cooperate, no one will get hurt, understand?" The man with the gun sat in the passenger seat, still pointing the gun at Lu Hu. He slammed the door and waved to the men outside, then turned to the others with a cold expression.
The bandits outside quickly got into the car in front, and it sped off like an arrow.
As everyone was still in shock, the man with the gun waved his gun and hit Lu Hu on the head with the butt, "What the f**k are you waiting for, follow them!"
Blood immediately gushed from Lu Hu's forehead, but he was tough and didn't make a sound. He stepped on the gas, and the car sped off.
"Brother, I wonder what I have done to offend you?" A few minutes later, everyone had recovered, and Liao Chengde mustered the courage to ask the man in front.
"Heh heh, you haven't offended me. I already said, I'm a bit short on cash and want to borrow some money from you, Mr. Liao. I'm not greedy, four people, one million each, and we'll let you go!" The man with the gun laughed, but his laugh was chilling.
"Kidnapping!"
Zhongshi and Liao Chengde exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking, and their faces turning dark.
If it was a robbery, it would be easier to handle, just give them some money. But if it was a kidnapping, it was a big problem, indicating that they had caught the attention of some people. As the saying goes, there are only a thousand days of thievery, not a thousand days of vigilance. These bandits might come again in the future.
Zhongshi and Liao Chengde thought of this, which is why they reacted this way. Liao Xiaohua and Zhongyi, on the other hand, didn't think much about it. Hearing that four million Hong Kong dollars would buy their freedom, they both sighed in relief.
The two cars sped up the mountain, to a nature reserve called Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, which was mostly covered by pine forests. It was rarely visited at night, clearly a place the bandits had prepared in advance.
The car stopped in a remote area of the forest, and the group was dragged into the woods by the armed bandits. About half a mile from the road, there were several tents, and a campfire was burning in an open area. The surroundings were cleared to prevent forest fires, showing that everything was well-prepared.
Once they were brought here, the bandits formed a circle around them, keeping them tightly contained.
"Alright, guys, we're here. Take some personal items to send back to your families," the man with the gun sat on the ground, playing with his gun, and said to Zhongshi and the others with a mocking tone.
The situation was dire, and there was no point in arguing. Liao Chengde looked at the terrified Liao Xiaohua and Zhongyi, and the calculating Zhongshi. After a long pause, no one spoke, so he reluctantly took off his wedding ring and handed it to a big man, "When you get to my house, just say 'May we grow old together, with the fragrance of osmanthus and orchids,' and my wife will recognize it."
"Today, the red thread is tied, and the pearls are united. May we grow old together, with the fragrance of osmanthus and orchids." These were two lines from a marriage certificate from the Republic of China era, familiar to the old-fashioned, but no longer used today.
"Hmm..." The leader took the ring, examined it for a long time, and then said thoughtfully, "This ring isn't worth much. I didn't expect a rich man like you to be so stingy, tsk tsk..."
Liao Chengde was at a loss. He had not yet made his fortune when he got married, and his wife had worked hard with him for nearly thirty years. It was only in recent years that they had a good life. The wedding ring was a later addition and was not very expensive.
"Xiao Wu, go to the Liao family, remember not to be seen. Ma Si, follow him in another car, and take a few detours on the way back to avoid being followed!" The leader nodded to two men and gave orders.
"Yes, boss!"
"Understood, boss!"
Just as the two were about to leave, Liao Chengde suddenly shouted, "Heroes, please wait!"
"What, do you have something else?" The leader looked at Liao Chengde with interest, but his face was cold, clearly displeased with Liao Chengde's action.
"Take five million, including this brother!" Liao Chengde's heart raced, and he pointed to Lu Hu, who was lying on the ground, barely alive.
Lu Hu had been hit on the forehead by the leader earlier, and the blood had not stopped, staining half his body. He was dragged into the forest by two bandits and looked like he wouldn't last long.
Liao Chengde was meticulous. He thought that the bandits had only mentioned four people earlier. If they left Lu Hu behind, he would surely be in grave danger. Lu Hu was Zhongshi's man, and a million was not much to him. Moreover, it would make Zhongshi owe him a huge favor. Indeed, when he said this, Zhongshi winked at him, and Liao Chengde was overjoyed.
"To pay a million for a half-dead man, you rich people are truly generous! Since that's the case, I can't go back on my word. Hu San, get some bandages and wrap him up, don't let him die!" The leader was delighted to get an extra million and unexpectedly decided to be a good guy.
"Boss, I don't remember what the fat sheep said earlier!"
Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, the man ordered to get the money suddenly said this. His words broke the tense atmosphere, and the bandits around him burst into laughter. The sudden laughter was unusually loud in the dark forest.
"Bang—"
A loud gunshot immediately drowned out all the laughter.
"What the f**k are you laughing at, be serious, this is a kidnapping!" Seeing his men quiet down, the leader put away his smoking gun and cursed, "F**k, can't you say something simpler, old man? Don't you know my brothers didn't go to school much?"
"May we grow old together, with the fragrance of osmanthus and orchids. Say it like that, and she will understand!" Liao Chengde suppressed his laughter and said succinctly.
"May we grow old together, with the fragrance of osmanthus and orchids..." The man repeated it a few times, making sure he remembered it, and then got up to leave. Suddenly, he saw a flash of light in the distance.
"F**k, what the hell is that!" He cursed, not sure if he was cursing Liao Chengde or the strange light in the darkness.
"Ah..." Just as he took a step, he heard several shrill screams from behind. (Thank you to all the readers for your recommendations and support. Your support is my motivation, and I am very grateful! Again, thank you!)