My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 100

Chapter 100: Villain N · “Caged Bird”

Pushed into the car by these men, someone threw a black cloth bag over my head. Then came a heavy strike from a club. I endured the pain, flailing my arms and cursing: “Dammit! You think this is a movie? You think one hit can knock me… it hurts like hell!”

As soon as I finished speaking, I took another heavy blow and successfully lost consciousness.

I was woken up by water splashed on my face. The world spun for a long time before I could shake the water from my head. As my consciousness gradually cleared, I found myself tied tightly to a chair, unable to move. An empty table sat before me, illuminated by a single, low-hanging pendant lamp casting a blinding, white glare. Only the table was visible in the surrounding void.

A hand reached into the center of the light and tapped the table to get my attention. It was then I noticed a dark shadow standing opposite me. I shuddered, staring warily at the face whose features were obscured by the shadows. “Who are you… why did you kidnap me?” I asked nervously.

I heard the sound of a chair being moved. The man sat down, and in the reflection of the light, I finally saw his face. It was a complete stranger. The man lit a cigar, blew a cloud of smoke into my face, and asked unhurriedly, “Do you know what you did wrong?”

I let out a scoff and countered, “How should I know?”

Seeing me play dumb, the man bit his cigar and waved a hand toward the back. “Bring her in.”

The door opened, and the man’s subordinates shoved someone in front of me. Looking closely, it was a woman’s figure. She fell prostrate at my feet. I craned my neck to look until she raised her head. My eyes widened in a mix of dread and fury. “If you’ve got guts, come at me! Let her go!”

A cold, sinister laugh escaped the man’s nose. “Heh, let her go? You think things are that simple?”

Despite the dim light, the bruises all over Sister Hong’s face were starkly clear. The man stood up, walked to her side, and kicked her away brutally before planting his foot firmly on her body. Sister Hong let out a muffled groan of pain against the floor. I struggled against my bonds, roaring, “What kind of man beats a woman? Come at me!!!”

The man turned his head to look at me with contempt, shaking his head with a smile. “Young lady, think carefully—what did you actually do wrong? Don’t let your friend pay the price for you.”

Watching the man increase the pressure of his foot on Sister Hong, I replied through gritted teeth, “Fine. I planted a mole next to Lan Feichun.”

“You thought planting one woman would get the job done? You’re quite bold, thinking things are so simple. I’ll give you one chance. Speak! What is your real plan? If you confess honestly, I’ll spare this woman’s life. If you aren’t honest, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

“Let Sister Hong go, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Slap! The man struck me across the face, his tone remaining eerily calm. “You dare to bargain with me?”

I could only glare at him with hatred. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hand—I noticed a jade thumb ring on his hand—and continued slowly, “Even if you don’t speak, I know what you’re after. Nothing more than… the goods in those containers at the port.”

I remained silent. He returned to the table and tilted the lampshade toward me. The intense light forced me to squint instinctively. I stubbornly turned my head away. “If I weren’t useful to you, you wouldn’t just have me tied up here. You don’t dare kill me.”

The man looked down at Sister Hong. “Whether I kill you or not doesn’t matter, but this woman’s life is far cheaper than yours.”

He turned and left, ordering his men to take Sister Hong away. I had calculated every move of this plan—why did someone know about the mole? Why was it only Sister Hong? Where was Sister Lian? The lamp continued to glare at me; the piercing light meant I could only close my eyes, but sleep was impossible.

I don’t know how much time passed before the door opened again. This time, a familiar face appeared. Accompanied by the clicking of high heels, Qiao Xin stood before me, her lips curled in a mocking sneer. “I knew you were up to no good. Hanging around Guan Shuyun every day, neither wanting her money nor dating her… just lingering. You had to be after something.

“I have to hand it to you, you’re quite brave. If that Sister Lian by Feichun’s side hadn’t suddenly flipped and betrayed you, we’d still be in the dark. You Feifan, just how many things are you hiding from us?”

I forced a smile, responding with equal mockery. “Heh, selling dog meat under a sheep’s head. If Lan Feichun is exposed, you won’t be able to wash your hands of it either. Qiao Xin, since the first time we met at the Lan house, you’ve been my target. We’re both players; I have all the time in the world to waste with you.”

Qiao Xin’s expression grew uglier. “You’ve got guts! You’d better pray for yourself. The people interested in you out there are beyond what you or I can provoke. You’re in deep trouble.”

“How big can the trouble be? At worst, it’s just a dead end. As for you, I suggest you stop while you’re ahead.”

“The situation is no longer under my control. We both know you have dirt on us. If you’re smart, I’ll give you a chance: have your people wipe our files clean. Otherwise, we’ll silence you, burn you to ash, and throw you into the sea. Tomorrow, it’ll be like nothing happened.”

“And if I don’t cooperate?”

“Don’t cooperate? Then we’ll burn that woman called Sister Hong with you. Consider her company for the afterlife!”

“Qiao Xin! I’ll tell you the truth: I’ve already had the files sent to the person they belong to. Even if you kill me, you won’t escape prison!”

Qiao Xin paced back and forth, biting her thumb. I had clearly pushed her to her limit. She seemed to think of a “solution,” and finally let out a chilling laugh. “Hahahaha… I thought we had a bit of a bond, eating and playing mahjong together. Don’t blame me for being too harsh today.”

Qiao Xin hurried out, slamming the door with a loud bang. Sister Lian had betrayed me and Sister Hong—that was the only intel I gained from the conversation. It was ironic and laughable; in the end, someone always turns for money. Wait… Qiao Xin said I had dirt on them… meaning Old A’s investigation is vital. If I gave it to Phoebe, wouldn’t she be in trouble too?

No, no… these people don’t know about Old A’s existence yet. They think I have dirt because they tortured it out of the sisters, but the only thing they gave me was the network list… Yes, that list…

If they dared kidnap me, it means this shipment is vital to them. But for a few containers of fake imports, the amount wouldn’t exceed a hundred million—what is there to fear? The list, the fakes, the pier, the containers… Have I stepped into a different incident altogether?

While I was calmly thinking about what to do next, the door opened again. A group of men brought in strange apparatuses and placed them beside me, attaching wired pads to the soles of my feet. Qiao Xin reappeared in my sight. I had a premonition that something terrifying was about to happen.

My last shred of logic reminded me of the ring Phoebe gave me. My hands were tied behind my back, so I didn’t know if it would work, but I quietly twisted the ring to send out my GPS signal.

Qiao Xin picked up a wire, playing with it as she spoke with practiced cruelty:

“Do you know about electric torture? One milliamp can cause a pseudo-orgasmic reaction. Five milliamps causes physiological reactions and excruciating pain—repeat it a few times, and the body loses bowel control. At ten milliamps, your organs sustain damage, and in severe cases, you’ll be paralyzed. If I switch to low-voltage AC, the pain will be unbearable until your internal organs burn and you bleed from every orifice. Humiliation of the soul and body in one step. You Feifan, you’ve always loved to play. Today, I’ll play with you properly.”

I slipped the ring off during the noise of people moving around and dropped it by my feet. Years later, facing death again, I still felt I had lived a good life. Past hardships had made me stronger time and again, until today, where I dared to face the darkest, most evil side of the world.

What if I die? I haven’t seen the person I wanted to see yet. Some words remain unsaid. If I die, then that’s the end of it.

Qiao Xin walked up to me. She leaned in, looking intently into my eyes. “I’ll ask you one last time: will you cooperate? You Feifan, this isn’t a joke.”

I gave her a tragic smile and changed the subject. “Next time you draw a Kong tile, don’t be in such a rush to show it. Check if there are any fresh tiles in the pond first. If not, then call it—that way no one can rob your Kong.”

Qiao Xin grit her teeth, her eyes wide. Then she laughed, closed her eyes, and turned away. She grabbed my collar and roared: “My brother died more miserably than you! He didn’t even have a whole corpse left, not even a face! And he left behind a ruined reputation! You Feifan! Why do you even exist in this world? Without you, today wouldn’t have happened. Qiao An wouldn’t be dead, Qingfan would have a father, and I’d have no grudge with you! I hate you!”

She turned and went to the machine, fiddling with the settings—likely adjusting the voltage. I lowered my head in silence, and for some reason, tears fell. I was afraid. I was probably going to die. They say the dying see the people they want to see, but my mind was a blank. If asked if I regretted this… I, who was never favored by fortune, have done my best. Naturally, I don’t regret it.

While my mind wandered, the terrifying sensation struck with such abruptness it felt like my body was being ravaged. The current invaded my entire body like thorns; sharp, intense pain seeped into my bones, radiating from the inside out. I couldn’t stop myself from screaming hysterically: “AAAAHHH!!! AAAAHHH!!!”

Qiao Xin turned off the machine. I gasped for air, nearly collapsing. This was more painful than being skinned. Then, an intense wave of nausea hit. I had no strength to move; bitter, yellow bile leaked from the corner of my mouth. Tears and filth mixed together. I slumped in the chair, a pathetic mess. This sight made Qiao Xin scream with excitement: “Does it feel good? This is just the beginning! Even if you want to die, I won’t let it be quick. We’re going to take our time!”