“Let Her Go!”

Despite knowing the potential consequences if Fang Zhou were to discover the truth, Han Xi still went ahead with her plan without hesitation.

If you’re going to gamble, you might as well bet everything. She never believed in holding back; playing all her cards was the true spirit of a businessperson.

Besides, Han Xi had no intention of letting Fang Zhou find out the truth about this situation.

“Enough with the talk, throw over a stack of money so we can check it!”

The kidnappers seemed to be getting impatient, repeatedly urging Fang Zhou to hurry up.

Fang Zhou obediently crouched down, opened the briefcase, and pulled out a stack of cash, tossing it over to them.

One of the men quickly picked up the stack of money, and after verifying it, his eyes lit up as he reported to his boss.

“It’s real money!”

The lead kidnapper’s eyes flashed with a hint of a smile as he praised Fang Zhou.

“Not bad, you’re an honest man.”

Fang Zhou closed the briefcase and looked up at the kidnappers, signaling them to untie Han Xi.

“I’ve kept my word. Now it’s your turn. Let her go!”

The lead kidnapper sneered, his tone neither too harsh nor too soft as he replied, “What’s the rush? We’ll release her, don’t worry.”

“But, I only told you half of what I meant earlier.”

“You’re an honest man, but your friends aren’t.”

The man’s sharp gaze lingered on Fang Zhou, as if it were a blade trying to cut him open and examine his insides.

Fang Zhou broke out in a cold sweat, his back drenched, and his grip on the briefcase handle tightened.

Did they discover the presence of the mercenaries?

Stay calm, stay calm. Not necessarily. Han Xi’s assistant said they hired high-level mercenaries with years of experience; they shouldn’t be exposed so easily.

He forced himself to remain composed and looked the man in the eye, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I know is that I’ve done what you asked, so you should release her.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the men across from him started laughing, as if mocking him.

“Nice words.”

“First, take off the camera on your chest.”

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to record our faces and send us all to jail.”

One of the armed men pointed his gun at Fang Zhou’s chest, his tone unfriendly.

It was only then that Fang Zhou realized, despite the man’s broken Chinese, he was surprisingly articulate, even knowing slang like “sending us to jail.”

Clearly, this guy was an old hand at dealing with Chinese people.

Fang Zhou forced a smile, pretending not to understand.

“What camera? You guys are funny. Where would I even hide a camera?”

If he removed the camera, he would lose contact with the outside world, and the mercenaries wouldn’t be able to assess the situation through the live feed and choose the right moment to strike.

But the kidnappers weren’t giving him any room to maneuver.

One of them suddenly slapped Han Xi across the face, causing her head to snap to the side.

“Hiss…”

Han Xi gasped in pain, and when she looked up again, a clear handprint was visible on her face, her eyes welling up with tears from the pain.

But Han Xi was a stubborn person. Even in this situation, her expression remained calm, though her tear-filled eyes betrayed her.

The man sneered and threatened Fang Zhou, “Try any more tricks, and next time, it won’t be my hand hitting her—it’ll be this.”

As he spoke, he hefted the tool in his hand, showing off its weight and power.

“Han Xi! FUCK!”

“Don’t hit her! YOU FAGGOT”

Fang Zhou’s heart ached as he saw Han Xi’s condition, feeling as if that slap had hurt him more than it did her.

How could someone as proud as her have ever been hit like this?

He wished he could rush over right now and stab the man who had slapped Han Xi.

But a voice in his head kept telling him, “Stay calm, stay calm. You must stay calm. If you lose your temper, you’ll ruin everything.”

“Han Xi’s life is in your hands. You can’t act impulsively.”

“You have to get Han Xi back home safely.”

Fang Zhou’s mind buzzed as he took a few deep breaths, but the pressure in his chest only grew heavier.

“Don’t hurt her. I’ll do as you say.”

To avoid angering the “kidnappers,” Fang Zhou had no choice but to comply.

A drop of sweat dripped from his forehead as he glanced down at the camera disguised as a button on his chest, reluctantly removing it.

As he did so, he cursed inwardly: How the hell did they notice? These bastards deserve to die!

How dare they hit Han Xi? Once this is over, he’s going to make sure that guy pays for it.

He tossed the camera to the ground and, in a fit of frustration, shouted at the kidnappers, “Is this good enough for you?”

One of the underlings immediately walked over, picked up the camera, and threw it out the window.

“Let her go!”

Fang Zhou repeated his demand.

However, the kidnappers still shook their heads.

Fang Zhou felt their sharp gazes on him again, and then he heard them say, “Take off your shirt and roll up your pant legs. Let me see.”

Fang Zhou’s body stiffened, and a string of curses ran through his mind.

What the hell is this? Are they checking for surveillance gear, or is this just their usual routine?

There are so many of them, all armed, yet they’re treating him like a thief.

“Hurry the hell up! Or do you want your woman to get hit again?”

The man on the other side barked impatiently, his voice rough and his words crude.

But the phrase “your woman” made Han Xi, who was tied up, feel a surge of satisfaction.

She mentally gave the kidnappers a thumbs-up, praising them.

Good teammates! They know how to steer things in the right direction!

Fang Zhou sighed and resigned himself to unbuttoning his shirt, pulling out the pepper spray and other items hidden inside.

Then he untied the small knife and other tools strapped to his calves, tossing them aside.

As he complied, Fang Zhou kept an eye on his surroundings.

It looked like there were only four or five men on the first floor, and with the ones he saw on the second floor earlier, there were probably no more than ten in total.

Escaping from a group of ten would be tough; he’d be lucky to get out without serious injury.

Once he discarded all his gear, he’d be like a lamb to the slaughter, but he had no choice.

He couldn’t let Han Xi get hurt any further.

If they were destined not to make it out today, he would do everything in his power to protect Han Xi.

The kidnappers seemed satisfied and then pointed to his pocket.

“Throw out your phone too!”

“Is this enough for you now?”

Fang Zhou angrily tossed his phone onto a pile of sand nearby, cursing at the kidnappers.

Damn it, if this keeps up, they’ll have him stripped down to his underwear!