Chapter Thirty-One: I Am a Man With a Family Now

The vehicle drove all the way to the outskirts of the city and finally stopped in front of a house that looked utterly ordinary from the outside.

“Anything unusual?” the man behind the wheel asked a group of people who had been waiting outside.

“No problem at all, Brother Tiger. Everything’s ready just as you instructed,” one of the lackeys replied with a sycophantic grin.

“Good.” The man addressed as Brother Tiger gestured with his hand. “Bring them inside!”

“Understood!” Excitement flashed across the lackeys’ eyes. They knew that this time, two of their gang’s bosses were personally involved in kidnapping a female police officer—rumor had it she was breathtakingly beautiful.

They opened the car door and, upon seeing the unconscious Wang Ying, the men couldn’t help but react viscerally. This woman was even more attractive than they had imagined.

“What are you standing there for? Move it! Finish the job and I’ll let you enjoy yourselves later!” said Da Hu, who had just gotten out of the front passenger seat, his own gaze laced with lechery.

“Thank you, Brother Da Hu!” The lackeys, barely able to contain their wicked excitement, quickly carried Wang Ying and Yang Jiekai into an old, three-story building.

Once inside, they dumped the pair onto a bed. Brother Tiger impatiently shoved Yang Jiekai off the bed and began undoing his belt, but Da Hu raised a hand.

“What’s the rush? Control yourself. Don’t forget, we’re risking all this tonight to avenge our fallen brothers!”

Brother Tiger, momentarily sobered, looked at Wang Ying’s unconscious form, a cold glint in his eyes. “Big Brother, are you sure the drug will work?”

Da Hu’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “Relax. Once she wakes up, the drug will ignite her from within. You won’t need to lift a finger—she’ll be all over you.”

Brother Tiger licked his lips. “Now that’s more fun. Such a beauty would be wasted if she just lay there like a corpse.”

“What about the man?” Brother Tiger asked, glancing at the now-floorbound Yang Jiekai.

“We’ll deal with him later,” Da Hu replied. “Tough luck for him, picking tonight to have dinner with this girl.”

Brother Tiger nodded. “Maybe we should let him have a taste as compensation before we finish him off, hah!”

After ordering a couple of men to drag Yang Jiekai out, Da Hu and Brother Tiger set up a DV camera, lit cigarettes, and waited for Wang Ying to wake up—eager for their starring role in a sordid little film. The very thought sent a surge of heat through their bodies.

But perhaps they’d overdosed her, for the appointed time came and went, and Wang Ying still lay motionless on the bed.

“Brother, why isn’t she waking up? By now she should’ve come around,” Brother Tiger grumbled, his beefy face flushed with impatience.

Da Hu frowned, thought for a moment, and replied, “Maybe we were too generous with the dose. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of time tonight. We’ll wait.”

Just then, a faint voice sounded behind them. “I must say, you two are remarkably patient. If it were me, I’d have jumped her already.”

“Who’s there?!”

Da Hu and Brother Tiger whipped out their pistols and spun around, only to find the man they’d just had carried out now sitting nonchalantly behind them, legs crossed, yawning as if bored.

“Weren’t you already…” Da Hu stammered, baffled. He’d seen this guy securely tied up and taken out. Even if he’d been conscious, there were several men watching him downstairs—how could he possibly escape?

Yang Jiekai smiled easily. “If I dared to eat your drugged food, don’t you think I’d have come prepared? Idiots.”

“You son of a—who are you calling an idiot? I’ll blow your head off!” Brother Tiger roared, leveling his gun at Yang Jiekai’s forehead.

“Wait!” Da Hu stopped him, then asked in a low voice, “How did you discover us?”

Yang Jiekai yawned. “Back at the police station, I saw the two of you lurking around. Then you followed our cab—not exactly subtle. Anyone with half a brain could see you weren’t there by coincidence.”

“Who are you?” Da Hu tightened his grip on his pistol.

Yang Jiekai stroked his chin. “Remember how your two friends got caught? You almost pulled off the switch, but I caught you in the act.”

“You’re the one who ruined everything for our brothers!” Brother Tiger roared. He’d heard how the plan had failed—everything was set, but some unknown guy had intervened. They never learned who it was, which is why they’d targeted Wang Ying for revenge.

Yang Jiekai nodded. “That’s right. It was me.”

“Why did you do it? Do we have a grudge?” Da Hu, the eldest and most composed of the gang, was struggling to restrain himself from pulling the trigger.

Yang Jiekai’s face turned serious. “You’re drug traffickers—I’m a law-abiding citizen. Helping the police catch criminals is my civic duty. I don’t need a personal grudge.”

Da Hu sneered. “You don’t seem to realize your situation. All it takes is a twitch of my finger, and your head’ll burst like a watermelon.”

Yang Jiekai sighed. “Still insisting you’re not idiots. If I wasn’t absolutely sure of myself, do you think I’d be sitting here?”

With a flick of his wrist, a black pistol appeared in his hand.

“My men downstairs—did you…” Brother Tiger recognized the gun as one belonging to his own subordinate.

Yang Jiekai said coolly, “Let’s skip the chatter. Put down your guns and surrender—you might live a little longer. Resist, and you won’t even have time to regret it.”

Da Hu snorted. “We have two guns aimed at your head. Do you really think we’re afraid of you?”

Yang Jiekai narrowed his eyes. “I guarantee I’m faster than both of you. If you don’t believe me, try it. But I strongly advise you not to.”

“Screw you!” Da Hu shouted, finger tightening on the trigger. This time, he didn’t hold Brother Tiger back—they both fired simultaneously.

Bang! Bang!

Two crisp gunshots echoed through the room. Now, two corpses lay on the floor, each with a bullet hole between the brows. Yang Jiekai calmly put away his pistol, muttering, “Told you not to try it, but you wouldn’t listen. Grown men, acting like children.”

This was the remote outskirts, far from the city. Night had fallen, and Yang Jiekai had already taken care of the men downstairs, so the gunshots would not attract attention.

In fact, Yang Jiekai had suspected the two men since seeing them lurking outside the police station. Once they tailed his cab, he was certain they meant trouble—not for him, but for Wang Ying, who, as a police officer, had surely made enemies. So he feigned ignorance, waiting for them to make their move.

He even deliberately chose a spot where an attack would be easy. But the two were slow to act, only making their move after a vendor brought over a “complimentary” plate of eel. Then he realized they hadn’t intended to kill Wang Ying right away.

So he played along, pretending to be drugged, to learn more about the gang. Overhearing their conversation in the car, he recalled recently helping Wang Ying capture two drug dealers. He surmised the assailants were seeking revenge.

Determined to solve the problem once and for all, Yang Jiekai maintained the act, letting himself be brought here before wiping out the entire gang in one fell swoop.

As for why the drugged food hadn’t affected him, Yang Jiekai himself didn’t quite know. Ever since his body had undergone certain changes, he was immune to toxins. The pills he’d bought from a mysterious source were themselves deadly poisons—mere sleeping drugs were nothing to him.

“This should earn me quite a bonus!” Yang Jiekai chuckled as he gazed at the corpses, as if looking at two gleaming ingots of gold. After all, this was a drug trafficking ring—no small catch in China, where such crimes were severely punished. With a bust this big, he was sure to be handsomely rewarded.

“If only every day could be this profitable!” he mused. Only then did he remember the stunning woman still lying on the bed, her hands and feet bound, still unconscious.

Wang Ying looked as if she were in a deep, peaceful sleep. Her delicate face, relaxed in slumber, was tinged with a hint of languor and allure. Her jade-like hands were tied behind her back, and her long, shapely legs were bound tightly together.

Yang Jiekai stared for a moment, gulping. The scene reminded him of those bondage games so popular in Japan. He’d always been curious to try such a thing, but never had the chance—and, besides, women generally despised such games. Yang Jiekai was principled in this regard—he would never force a woman to do anything against her will.

“Calm down, calm down!” He drew a long breath, suppressing the fire in his gut. If he took advantage of Wang Ying while she was helpless, he’d be lower than a beast.

“Wang Ying, Wang Ying, wake up…” Yang Jiekai called her name as he untied her bonds. But the drug was too strong—apart from her increasingly heavy breathing, she remained unconscious.

“Wang Ying…” He finally turned her over and pinched the spot above her upper lip.

“Mmm…” Wang Ying murmured.

Yang Jiekai let out a sigh of relief. “You’re finally awake. Call your colleagues—have them come over. The credit goes to you, the reward to me. Prepare for your promotion!” As he spoke, he reached out to support her waist and help her sit up.

Just then, Yang Jiekai suddenly stiffened—Wang Ying, newly awakened, had wrapped her snowy arms around his neck.

“Hey, what are you doing? I’m a married man… mmph—” Yang Jiekai stammered, trying to push Wang Ying away, but her soft, pink lips pressed suddenly against his.