After My Cheap Husband Faked His Death, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with His Younger Brother - Chapter 13

“Continue to threaten him! Tell him that this amount of money is only enough to pull some strings and make sure the prisoner lives a bit more comfortably inside. If he wants visitation rights, he needs to pay more.”

The man hesitated for a moment. “But he.”

“Do as I say.”

“Understood.”

The man hung up the phone, pushed the door open, and returned to the private room.

Luo Huai looked up at him.

The man sat down, feigning empathy. His tone turned soft, and his hand surreptitiously took back the envelope. “Little brother, let me be honest with you.”

Luo Huai’s heart tightened abruptly.

“I just called my superiors,” the man lowered his voice. “The ten million is only enough for bribes for now. As for your sister’s case, the other party has been applying constant pressure, and it is difficult for the people at the top to do anything. This money can, at most, make sure your sister stays in a better cell, eats well enough, and does not get bullied.”

He paused, looking directly into Luo Huai’s eyes.

“Visitation rights are very hard to arrange. Without approval from above, you will not even be able to get through the front gate.”

Luo Huai clenched his teeth.

He could tell that this was a last-minute change of plans to extort more money.

Luo Huai was so angry his teeth itched, but he did not lash out. He simply lowered his eyes, looked at the envelope on the table, and remained silent for a long time.

“Give me visitation rights, as soon as possible. I need to confirm for myself that my sister is doing well inside,” Luo Huai finally spoke. His voice was calmer than he had expected. “Otherwise, you will not get a single cent.”

A flash of triumph gleamed in the man’s eyes. He let out a heavy sigh. “Fine, I will try to fight for it on your behalf. But this number.”

He held up two fingers.

“Add another two million, and I will immediately arrange free visitation rights for you.”

Luo Huai closed his eyes.

Two million. He had already emptied all his liquid assets. To get another two million, he would have to dip into that card Pei Jiheng gave him.

But then he thought of Ji Chuli, all alone in that place. He did not know if she was eating enough, if she was warm enough, or if she was being bullied.

He thought of that summer, under the cypress tree behind the orphanage, when she reached out and said, “Come on, let us go tell the director. You have a name now; you are my little brother.”

He wanted so desperately to confirm Ji Chuli’s condition. After two years of zero contact, he had had enough.

Luo Huai opened his eyes.

“Fine.”

The man nodded and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, on which a bank account number and a string of digits were already written.

“I will take this for now,” the man said, zipping up the briefcase and dragging it to his feet. “Transfer the rest to this account within a week. Once the payment is made, the visitation can be arranged immediately.”

Luo Huai took the paper, glanced at the digits, folded it, and put it in his pocket.

“Can I see my sister now?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

The man nodded. “This Saturday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. No other time is possible.”

Luo Huai nodded. He took a deep breath, stood up, and looked down at the man who was greedily hugging the briefcase. His gaze was icy, and his tone was bone-chilling. “The money will be there, but I expect the task to be done perfectly. This is the last time I will accept you changing the terms.”

The man stood up as well, clutching the case. “As long as you are obedient, everything will go smoothly.”

The two left the pub one after the other. The alleyway was dim, and the streetlights had not yet turned on. A thin layer of moisture shimmered on the blue stone pavement.

The man nodded at Luo Huai, turned around, and walked toward the other end of the alley.

Luo Huai stood at the entrance of the pub, watching the figure gradually disappear at the end of the lane.

A sense of powerlessness washed over him. How could he not know that the other party was deliberately blackmailing him and trying to squeeze him dry?

But Luo Huai could not fight back, nor did he have the strength to do so. The Luo and Lin families were both status and profit-driven; they would surely not be willing to stand up for Ji Chuli. Moreover, as far as Luo Huai knew, both families were merchants—they had money but no political power—and they would certainly not offend people with significant influence.

He had considered this early on, which was why he had not spoken of this matter to them.

Luo Huai was usually shrewd, but in this matter, he had become a foolish boy who could not handle anything and followed orders blindly. Yet, he had no better way. Half of his life had been given to him by Ji Chuli. Even if he had to hollow himself out, he was willing if it meant getting to see his sister just once.

There would be hope. What if, just what if he could gather enough money to free his sister soon?

Luo Huai put his hand into his pocket and started walking out of the alley, feeling a sudden, unexplained wave of palpitations.

Halfway there, he heard extremely light, rapid footsteps behind him.

Before Luo Huai could even turn around:

“Mmph!”

A hand reached out from behind, covering his mouth and nose.

That hand smelled of something pungent and spicy! Luo Huai struggled instinctively, reaching out to grab the hand. His fingernails dug into the back of the person’s hand, but his strength drained away in that instant, as if it had been sucked out of his body.

He heard his own heartbeat, growing slower and more distant.

His vision began to blur. The light at the end of the alley turned into a fuzzy halo, then began to shrink, point by point, shrinking until it became a pinprick-sized dot, finally turning into complete darkness.

Luo Huai’s body went limp, and he completely lost consciousness.

Night fell.

Pei Jiheng appeared once again at “Guanlan,” the club where he first met Luo Huai.

The night was thick. The neon sign above the club glowed with dark gold light, understated and noble. A black sports car pulled up to the entrance, and a valet trotted over to open the door.

Pei Jiheng was dressed in a dark suit tonight. His tie was perfectly knotted, and his silver-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. His demeanor was gentle yet aloof, like an ordinary guest out for a night of entertainment.

The person he was meeting tonight was the same one as last time.

On the surface, it was to discuss business—though there was indeed a small deal to talk about, there were even larger matters he was preparing to push forward.

Pei Jiheng walked calmly into the lobby, his leather shoes tapping against the marble floor at an unhurried pace. The elevator doors were open; he stepped inside and pressed the button for the top floor.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a hand reached in from the outside and blocked them.

The doors sprang open again.

A woman walked in.

She was wearing a tight black dress with a very low neckline, leaving her collarbones and shoulder lines fully exposed. Her makeup was exquisite, and her long hair fell over her shoulders, yet she bore no hint of being a nightlife worker; she appeared entirely composed and sharp.

She pressed the button for the top floor.

The elevator doors closed, and the cabin slowly ascended.

Pei Jiheng stared straight ahead, his thin lips moving as he spoke in a very low voice: “Iris, after tonight is over, you may take a vacation.”

The woman called Iris gave a soft “Mm,” her tone flat. “Thank you, boss.”

The elevator space fell silent, with only the slight mechanical hum as the cabin rose.

The numbers jumped until it dinged, the top floor had arrived.

The moment the elevator doors opened, Iris’s arm hooked through Pei Jiheng’s elbow, pulling him in.

The expression on her face changed instantly from cold and indifferent to soft and seductive. A charming smile bloomed at the corners of her lips, and she leaned her body against Pei Jiheng’s shoulder.

Pei Jiheng did not look at her, nor did he have any extra reaction. He stepped out of the elevator with a composed gait.

At the end of the corridor, a bald man walked up to meet them with a smile.

Round face, big belly, eyes squinted into slits as he smiled; he exuded the smoothness and sycophancy of someone who had been tempered by the business world for many years.

“Oh my, Second Young Master Pei, you have finally arrived! Please, have a seat, have a seat!”