Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 43

The flickering light of a dilapidated hanging lamp cast intermittent shadows as tires crunched over puddles and the car came to a stop in the center of the road.

The moment the car door opened, the henchmen beside Zhou Yi tensed up, their breathing slowing to a crawl. The first to react was a burly man standing next to Zhou Yi—Jin Zhao, a long-time follower and his most trusted subordinate. He straightened his back and called out with a voice full of vigor, “Boss Gu!”

The surrounding subordinates hurriedly snapped to attention, their greetings a mix of chaotic energy and unified discipline.

“Boss Gu!”

The rising chorus of voices sliced through the silent night. Gu Nian raised a hand slightly, and they instantly fell silent. The bolder ones stole glances at the newcomer; Gu Nian, with his clean and fair face, didn’t look like the head of Black Crow—he looked more like a college student who had wandered into the wrong neighborhood. But under the combined authority of Zhou Yi and Jin Zhao, no one dared to utter a word.

Zhou Yi stepped forward, reporting in a low voice, “He’s under control. They’re all inside.”

Gu Nian nodded, his gaze sweeping over the men before he headed inside. As he passed Jin Zhao, he paused and commanded, “Jin Zhao, go fetch a bucket of water.”

Jin Zhao snapped to attention. “Yes, Boss!”

Zhou Yi followed closely behind Gu Nian, and the subordinates trailed after them. Li Yong’s choice of hideout was indeed well-concealed; following the stairs down, the room was located deep underground. If someone were to “disappear” here, it was unlikely they would ever be found.

The metal stairs had long since rusted, emitting a sharp creak-creak with every step. Li Yong was bound and kneeling in the center of the room, with several men pointing guns at him. The room was a mess, evidence of a recent struggle. His own subordinates lay slumped and twisted on the floor, clearly devoid of life.

Two other people were tied up in the corner; one was shivering violently, while the other remained relatively calm. As Gu Nian entered, Chen Yan’s face twisted into an expression of utter shock. He recognized Zhou Yi, of course, but seeing Gu Nian standing at the very head of the group made him shrink even deeper into the shadows.

Upon seeing Gu Nian, Li Yong’s expression became frantic and manic. “Gu Nian! It really is you, you backstabbing bastard! I’m the one who supported your rise to power, and this is how you treat me in the end!”

He struggled wildly, but the highly-trained mercenaries behind him held him in a iron-clad grip. Black Crow also ran a mercenary business—it was too lucrative to pass up. Gu Nian had secretly trained quite a few; on the surface, they appeared to be independent contractors, but in reality, Black Crow provided their training grounds, weaponry, and medical care. If any were disabled, Black Crow provided pensions—a win-win partnership.

The men were masked and, due to the nighttime operation, wore night-vision goggles. They were all burly men with bulging muscles. A sharp-eyed subordinate had already brought a chair. As Gu Nian sat down, Zhou Yi stood vigilantly by his side.

“Let’s speak calmly. I don’t care for noise,” Gu Nian said, his expression cold.

He gestured, and Jin Zhao stepped forward, delivering a violent slap to Li Yong’s face. After a sharp crack, Li Yong spat out two teeth in agony. Chen Yan jerked in the corner, burying himself even further into the dark.

“Who fired the shot?” Gu Nian asked, his eyes scanning the room without emotion.

The calm individual was hauled up by the mercenaries and tossed beside Li Yong. Gu Nian crossed his legs, resting his face against one hand as he scrutinized the man.

“Yu Xiao, you have talent. Why are you willing to work for someone like Li Yong?”

Yu Xiao kept his head low. He glanced at Li Yong and gave a bitter smile. “If Brother Li hadn’t saved me, I’d be at the bottom of the ocean in the belly of a fish by now. My sister has been in the hospital for so long, and Brother Li paid all the bills. I won’t betray him. To the victor go the spoils—kill me or do as you wish.”

Gu Nian looked through a software on his phone for a moment; he kept many “interesting things” stored there. As he searched, he spoke: “I recall your sister was in an ‘accident’ and became a vegetable, right? The culprit was never found.”

Found it. Gu Nian’s finger stopped.

Yu Xiao bowed his head, his voice bitter. “Yes…”

Gu Nian clicked on a video and shoved the screen in front of the man’s eyes. Sensing something, Li Yong struggled in panic, muffled cries coming from his gagged mouth as the mercenaries held him down.

In the video, Li Yong was clearly drunk, boasting arrogantly: “Yu Xiao is such a useful dog. He comes whenever I call. I only gave him a few tiny favors and he’s loyal to the core, hahaha!”

A subordinate beside him flattered him while pouring wine. “Brother Li, I heard his sister was quite the innocent beauty.”

Li Yong let out an alcoholic burp and sneered. “She looked decent, but her temper was too fierce. I only used a little force, and she was out cold…”

The words that followed were far too graphic. Yu Xiao sat paralyzed on the ground, his eyes bloodshot and vacant. Gu Nian tilted his body and tucked the phone away.

“Li Yong was afraid the truth would get out, so he bribed the doctor treating your sister. That’s why she suffered brainstem damage and became a vegetable.” Gu Nian uncrossed his legs and leaned forward slightly. “She is never going to wake up.”

Yu Xiao lifted his head dazed, his lips trembling. The room fell into a sudden silence, save for the hum of the sewage machinery outside. When he finally snapped back to reality, he lunged at Li Yong. “Li Yong! I’m going to kill you!”

The quick-witted subordinates held him back, pinning him to the spot. “Boss Gu hasn’t spoken yet. It’s not your place to go crazy here.”

Gu Nian leaned back into his chair and gestured. Jin Zhao stepped forward with the bucket of water. Gu Nian stood up, elegantly rolling up his shirt sleeves. He then grabbed Li Yong by the hair and slammed his head into the water, pulling him out a second before he could drown.

Li Yong coughed and gasped for air, but before he could recover, his head was shoved back into the water. This was repeated until he no longer had the strength to struggle.

Gu Nian threw him to the floor and spoke coldly: “Our grudge isn’t just about this one thing. Over the years, you’ve used Black Crow’s name to commit atrocities. Didn’t I say? Black Crow does not touch that kind of business.”

Li Yong spat out a mouthful of bloody foam. “Leaving such profitable business alone just to play company and do ‘honest’ trade… Black Crow has no such tradition! Even if I die, there are plenty of people waiting to kill you. I’ll be waiting for you in hell!”

Gu Nian straightened up. He looked down at Li Yong as if he were a piece of insignificant trash. He spoke slowly: “Plenty of people? You mean Wei Baiqiang?”

Li Yong’s triumphant expression froze instantly. Gu Nian replied with a malicious smile.