Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1114 Caught

"No...no..." Zhang San panicked, scrambling to his feet, but his legs gave way and he fell back down. "I didn't look for this...I really don't know what it is...it just fell out by itself..." He stammered, his eyes darting away, not daring to look Ah Hu in the eye.

Ah Hu ignored him, staring intently at the paper, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. He recognized Lili's signature; it was the one she learned to write from a literacy teacher last year, each stroke imbued with care and precision—it couldn't be wrong. But when had she signed an agreement with Li Jianjun? That shrewd businessman Li Jianjun had recently come to the slums to collect protection money; what connection could Lili possibly have with him?

"Speak." Ah Hu suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing Zhang San like a knife. "Did Li Jianjun send you? What does he want this agreement for?"

Zhang San felt a chill run down his spine from Ah Hu's gaze. He knew that if he spoke out, he would most likely die; but if he didn't, judging from Ah Hu's attitude, things might not end well today either. His teeth chattered, and his fingers dug deep into the cracks in the ground. It was as if two opposing forces were fighting in his mind—one shouting, "Speak up, beg him to spare you," while the other screamed, "Don't speak, Li Jianjun isn't someone to be trifled with."

"I...I..." Zhang San's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time. Cold sweat soaked his tattered shirt, sticking to his back in a sticky and uncomfortable way, just like his current predicament, caught in a dilemma.

Seeing Zhang San's dawdling, Ah Hu's impatience deepened. He wiped the blood from his arm, tucked the agreement into his pocket, and walked towards Zhang San step by step, each step feeling like a blow to Zhang San's heart. "Looks like you don't want to talk anymore." His voice was calm, yet carried a chilling resolve. "Fine, anyway, I'll settle accounts with that Li Jianjun guy sooner or later. As for you..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning in his eyes couldn't be clearer. Zhang San was terrified and jumped up from the ground, ignoring the pain all over his body, trying to run towards the door. But he had only taken two steps when Ah Hu grabbed him by the back of the collar and pulled him back like a chick.

"Trying to run?" Ah Hu sneered, slamming him hard to the ground. "You think you can leave this house alive after you've entered it?"

Zhang San lay prone on the ground, his face pressed against the cold earth, tears mingling with the dust as they streamed down his face. He finally understood that from the moment he climbed through that window, he had no intention of leaving alive. The small favors Li Jianjun had offered were nothing compared to a life. But now, it was too late for regrets.

Ah Hu bent down and picked up the broken half of the bottle from the ground, pointing the sharp end at Zhang San's face, his eyes devoid of any warmth: "Since you won't talk, then never speak again."

Ah Hu clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking and turning bluish-white. His eyes, like scorched knives, stared intently at Zhang San: "Stop talking nonsense and hand over that piece of paper! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless today; I absolutely won't let you walk out unscathed!"

Zhang San clutched his bleeding arm, the wound still oozing blood that stained half his sleeve. He grimaced in pain, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, yet he gritted his teeth. He knew better than anyone that the promise signed by Li Jianjun was his only lifeline—it not only stipulated a 5,000 yuan reward upon completion but also subtly mentioned Li Jianjun's scheme to have Lili drug Gu Nan; every word was incriminating. If he handed it over, he would have no leverage with Ah Hu, leaving him completely at their mercy, certain to die.

"Trying to steal it? No way!" Zhang San gasped for breath, his chest heaving. He tucked the tattered bundle under his arm and, dragging his injured leg, charged at Ah Hu. He knew he was no match for him; he could only fight with his last ounce of strength, hoping to buy himself a little more time.

Ah Hu hadn't expected Zhang San to dare resist even in his current state. His eyes flashed with anger, and he nimbly dodged the blow, grabbing a nearby wooden stool and slamming it down hard on Zhang San's knee. A muffled crack echoed, like the sound of bones dislocating. Zhang San screamed and fell to his knees, his knees hitting the concrete floor. The pain made his vision blur, and the cloth bag in his arms fell out with a thud. A crumpled piece of paper slipped out of the bag and fluttered to the ground.

Ah Hu stepped forward, stomping on Zhang San's back with such force that Zhang San almost couldn't breathe. He then bent down and picked up the paper—it was the promise letter signed by Li Jianjun, the handwriting crooked but still legible. He snorted, a smug glint in his eyes: this was crucial; with it, he could reliably extract money from Li Jianjun from now on, no worries about profits. He had no idea that things had already gone wrong with Lili, and this paper would soon be worthless.

"Well, kid, you've got some nerve coming here to steal. You've got some nerve." Ah Hu shook the letter of commitment in his hand, the paper making a soft rustling sound. He looked down at Zhang San, who was lying on the ground unable to move, his tone full of sarcasm. "Don't you even know your own limitations? You dare to mess with me?"

Zhang San convulsed in pain, his vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness. Ah Hu waved his hand and said to his two henchmen beside him, "Drag him away and lock him in a woodshed. Don't kill him; he might still be useful." The two henchmen immediately stepped forward, grabbed Zhang San's arms like a dead dog, and dragged him into the inner room, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.

Ah Hu was holding the letter of commitment, pondering how to ask Li Jianjun for money. Should he make an exorbitant demand first, or take it slowly and gradually? Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door. A henchman scrambled in, his face ashen, his lips trembling: "B-Big Brother! Something terrible has happened!"

Ah Hu frowned, stuffed the letter of commitment into his arms, and said in a deep voice, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic? Is the sky falling down? Did something go wrong with Lili? Is she injured?" He was still worried about Lili. After all, she was someone he had specially arranged to cooperate with Li Jianjun. If she were to die, the whole plan would be ruined.

The younger brother shook his head vigorously, his head bobbing like a rattle drum, his voice trembling: "No...it's not that they're injured...it's Lili, and that guy named Li Jianjun, they were both arrested by the police! Right in front of the Peace Hotel, I saw it with my own eyes, there were several police cars, flashing their lights, wailing and wailing, you could hear them from far away!"

Ah Hu's heart skipped a beat, as if struck by a heavy hammer, and he almost dropped the promise in his hand. He knew Lili's personality; although she was a girl, she was more discreet than many men and would definitely not betray him. But Lili was a friend he had grown up with in the alley. Watching her being taken away by the police, his heart ached as if it were being pricked by needles, a dense and unpleasant feeling.