Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 44

Black Crow was a triad organization, but it maintained a sophisticated internal management system. Gu Nian sat at the undisputed apex of the pyramid. Beneath him was a second tier of six executives who managed various sectors; they answered only to Gu Nian, but each had their own sphere of responsibility.

Zhou Yi was one of the six and Gu Nian’s most trusted confidant; general orders were usually disseminated through him. Beside Zhou Yi, the other five were: Wei Baiqiang, Qi Shou, Li Congguang, Jiang Xueyi, and Zhao Xinyang.

Except for Wei Baiqiang, who was a veteran member, the others had all been hand-picked and promoted by Gu Nian after he took power. Gu Nian’s personal unit of mercenaries possessed terrifying combat capabilities—most had fought their way out of the rainforest alongside him and were loyal only to him. Because of this, the five executives didn’t dare act out in the open; after all, their own subordinates were merely street thugs in comparison.

Li Yong felt a chill wash over his entire body as he stared dazed at Gu Nian. Gu Nian turned and walked back to his seat.

“Who do you think leaked your location? Wei Baiqiang certainly has some nerve, daring to sell my information to someone in Country Z.” Gu Nian paused, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips.

The person who had made the deal with Xiao Yuan must have been him. From the moment he re-established contact with Zhou Yi, Gu Nian had set him to investigate the leak. “However, he is clever. He didn’t reveal any of the truly vital information. He was leaving himself a path of retreat.”

Zhou Yi had obtained the lead on Li Yong directly from Wei Baiqiang before bringing a squad of mercenaries to storm the hideout. “Sacrificing a pawn to save the king… he certainly knows how to play the game.”

Gu Nian looked at the icon on his phone, where Wei Baiqiang was incessantly sending apologies and explanations. He gave a cold snort—the man didn’t even dare show his face. Gu Nian typed a reply: ‘Hand over that club of yours to Jiang Xueyi.’

After sending the message, he ignored any further pleas for mercy. Although that club was a hassle to manage, no one dared cause trouble there because of the Black Crow name, and the profits were substantial. Losing such a cash cow would be a deep blow even to a veteran like Wei Baiqiang.

Li Yong also understood then that he had been completely abandoned.

Gu Nian reached out and drew the dagger from Zhou Yi’s belt. He narrowed his eyes; though the lighting in the room was dim, the cold glint of the blade proved it could cut through iron like it was butter.

“I’m actually quite skilled with a knife. But lately, I’ve found that apples are incredibly difficult to peel. Tell me…” Gu Nian stood up and approached Li Yong. He leaned down, staring directly into the man’s eyes. “How about I practice on you?”

Gu Nian curled his lips into a pure, innocent smile that matched his face. Li Yong’s skin crawled; he whimpered and tried to back away, but the mercenaries held him firmly, even pinning his head in place. Gu Nian’s blade drew near the center of the man’s forehead, then suddenly paused.

“Oh, right. I forgot to tell you something.”

As if suddenly remembering something, Gu Nian stopped his movements amidst the man’s wide-eyed terror. He leaned close to Li Yong’s ear and whispered: “Remember that criminal investigator who shot your younger brother? That was my father. I should thank you for bringing me to Black Crow—otherwise, I never would have reached the position I hold today.”

Li Yong’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. However, after that, he could no longer make any sound other than a blood-curdling scream.

Ultimately, Gu Nian found the screaming too grating and ended the man’s life with a single gunshot. Blood flowed across the floor like a small river—just like the ground behind Pei Jichuan when he had collapsed. Gu Nian stared at Li Yong with a complex expression before tossing the gun to Yu Xiao.

“Since things have reached this point, I’ll grant you one last bit of dignity. I’ll see to it that your sister is buried with you.”

He didn’t look at Yu Xiao again. Instead, he checked the time on his phone. It was 4:00 AM; dawn was approaching. He had to be back before the sun rose, or it would be problematic if Pei Jichuan woke up and found him gone.

Yu Xiao picked up the gun with trembling hands. He flipped off the safety and pointed the barrel at his own temple. “Thank you, Boss Gu.” He pulled the trigger.

With a sharp bang, he collapsed, the liquid erupting from the wound merging with the crimson river beneath him. The subordinates’ hair stood on end; they no longer dared to question the identity of the person before them.

Gu Nian turned to Zhou Yi. “Have Jiang Xueyi take over Wei Baiqiang’s club. She won’t be back for a while, so you manage it for her in the meantime.”

Zhou Yi nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Gu Nian prepared to leave, but Jin Zhao’s booming voice stopped him. “Boss Gu! What about this one?” Jin Zhao hauled the shivering Chen Yan out of the corner. Chen Yan was already numb with terror.

Gu Nian turned back, looking at the person Jin Zhao was holding. He looked somewhat familiar. Gu Nian walked closer; it seemed to be a university classmate of the original owner, someone who had even organized a class reunion. His name was Chen… something.

Zhou Yi stepped forward to explain. “He was the one who leaked your movements to Li Yong.”

Gu Nian’s brows furrowed in disgust. “Deal with him alongside the others.”

Hearing this, Chen Yan cried out in a panic, “Lin Nuo! Don’t kill me! We’re classmates! We’re classmates—”

Jin Zhao covered Chen Yan’s mouth with a savage grin. His powerful arm locked around the man’s neck. Chen Yan’s face turned purple, and after a desperate struggle, he went still.

Gu Nian didn’t care. He walked out, followed by Zhou Yi and the group of men. Before getting into the car, Gu Nian gave Zhou Yi a few more instructions, then climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He didn’t leave immediately, but rolled down the window and beckoned.

Zhou Yi’s eyes brightened. He stepped forward quickly and leaned against the window. Gu Nian’s cool hand reached out and touched his swollen cheek. Zhou Yi stood perfectly still, looking down.

“Does it still hurt?” Gu Nian asked casually.

“It doesn’t,” Zhou Yi replied instantly.

“I’m relying on you to look after Black Crow and Tianyu. I still have to stay in Country Z for a while. You’ve worked hard.” Gu Nian offered a faint smile, a hint of tenderness coloring his features.

Zhou Yi was dazed by the sight. “Alright,” he replied blankly.

As Gu Nian drove away, Zhou Yi remained on the roadside, staring at the direction in which he had vanished. Behind him, a subordinate poked Jin Zhao and whispered, “Brother Jin, does Boss Zhou like Boss Gu? Look at him, he’s totally lost his soul.”

The subordinate thought of Boss Gu’s appearance—it was indeed… but then he remembered the bloodshed inside, and any romantic thoughts vanished. Jin Zhao crossed his arms and let out a huff. “You only just realized? Boss Zhou stares at Boss Gu’s shadow so much I’m surprised he hasn’t burned a hole in it. They make a good pair, but if they really got together, who would be on top and who would be on the bottom?”

Jin Zhao rubbed his chin, thinking seriously. Likely due to his naturally booming voice, he didn’t seem to know how to whisper; Zhou Yi heard every word.

His face darkened. The surrounding subordinates shrank back like quails, but Jin Zhao remained oblivious. Zhou Yi’s hand slammed onto Jin Zhao’s shoulder, startling him.

“The Boss said to seize Wei Baiqiang’s club. You seem to have plenty of free time, Jin Zhao—so you can go handle it personally.”

Zhou Yi was smiling, but Jin Zhao let out a wail of despair. “No! Brother Zhou, I was wrong!”

Zhou Yi ignored him and walked away, his tongue pushing against his swollen cheek. Fortunately, I slapped myself a few more times on the way here to make the swelling more obvious, he thought. He was in an excellent mood as he headed off to handle the cleanup.