Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

Hearing Yang Juehuan's words, Yan Shoubao nearly burst into tears. He thought, how much can those damages be? Compared with my life, what's that worth—a pile of bird eggs? But he dared not say this aloud; he could only think it. Yet then, realizing he was about to die, every defense in his heart collapsed at once, and tears and snot streamed out together. "Brother, I don't want to die! Can you not kill me?"

"Not kill you?" Yang Puqi's eyes bulged. "I've already taken Mingyang's money and said I'd settle things for them. Haven't you heard the saying: take a man's money, spare him no trouble? I gave them my guarantee that from now on Mingyang Heavy Industries would have free passage through Phoenix City."

"Brother, from now on it'll definitely be free—it absolutely has to be! Don't kill me, and I'll never trouble Mingyang Heavy Industries again!" Hearing that Yang Ce's reason for killing him was nothing more than this, Yan Shoubao was momentarily speechless. So his life really was worth so little. But what could he do? The other side's strength was plainly not just a notch or two above his own—even their handguns were several times more advanced than his. One look and you could tell they were professionals.

Hearing Yang Juehuan's words again, he understood at once: these people were professionals who took money and did the job. How could his few bodyguards possibly be a match for professionals?

"Hell no. You think I'll just take your word for it?" Yang Jiyan glared at him. "Our organization has a reputation to protect. If you go back on the deal after I leave, our good name is ruined."

Yan Shoubao's heart lurched. So this fellow really did belong to some organization or other. He had indeed been nursing the idea of getting Yang Ce out of the way first and figuring out his next move afterward—but hearing this now, he was beginning to waver.

An organization like that lived or died on its reputation. If this job failed, who would hire them next time? Did that mean this man was absolutely set on killing him?

"I—I can pay you. Whatever they're paying you, I'll double it. Just don't kill me." Yan Shoubao blurted it out in a rush. But the moment the words left his mouth, he realized what a fool he had just made of himself.

An organization like theirs surely prized its credibility. If word got out that they played both ends against the middle, who would ever dare hire them again?

Sure enough, Yang Xutang frowned. "Are you out of your mind? Our organization has rules. Once we take a job, we see it through for the client to the end. Bribing me won't do you any good."

"Can't we just—can't I just not die?" Yan Shoubao was utterly broken. "Brother, anything but that. I'll do whatever you want, just don't kill me."

"If you don't die, how can I be sure you won't go after Mingyang Heavy Industries again?" Yang Xutang sneered. "We do our jobs in one go. I hate assignments that need rework. If you go back on your word, I'll have to make another trip—and are you going to reimburse me for travel expenses?"

Yan Shoubao had been battered so thoroughly by Yang Ce that he was past caring. Was his life worth no more than a bus fare? "I hate jobs with after-sales service. Hurry up and stop wasting words. If you won't pick a way to die, I'll pick one for you at random." Yang Ce waved a hand. "Though the odds favor the Kick of No Heirs. I just mastered that one, and I find it comes off the foot rather nicely."

"No—not the Kick of No Heirs! Brother, I really don't want to die. Please don't kill me. I swear you'll never have to do any after-sales on me. I—I'll dissolve the company tomorrow. No, in a little while. Isn't that enough? I'll change trades—open a restaurant, a bathhouse, anything. I'll never do this line of business again." Yan Shoubao was truly terrified of death; otherwise he could never have sunk to such despair.

"Is that so?" Yang Xutang sounded as though he were hesitating over Yan Shoubao's words.

Yan Shoubao was instantly overjoyed. From the look on Yang Juehuan's face, he could tell there might still be room to turn this around, and he pressed his advantage at once. "I swear it. In a little while I'll dissolve the company, and then I'll give you a travel allowance. If I ever trouble Mingyang again, brother, you can use that allowance to come do after-sales on me any time you like."

"Oh, that does sound a bit reasonable," Yang Xutang nodded, then said, "All right then, let's do it that way. Saves a bullet, too—mine are custom-made, several dozen yuan apiece."

Yan Shoubao nearly lost his mind. Several dozen yuan—that was his life they were talking about! Yet he dared not show the slightest sign of displeasure. He said to Yang Yanzhou, "Brother, I have the safe key here. There's five hundred thousand in cash inside, take it as your travel allowance. My arm won't lift anymore, so you'll have to get it yourself. The combination is 32, 11, 205."

Yang Ce took the safe key. To be honest, he did not want to just kill Yan Shoubao outright either. Yan Shoubao was a man of some standing in Phoenix City, and if he were killed, it probably would not be so easy to smooth over—after all, a single investigation would turn up the conflict between Mingyang Heavy Industries and Yan Shoubao's Sankun Machinery. The small fry under Yan Shoubao, however, were another matter. Even if Yang Yongjin looked into it, Yan Shoubao would surely dispose of their bodies himself. The mole-faced bodyguard and the pretty boy probably both had blood on their hands, and Yan Shoubao would not want anyone digging into their identities.

In truth, five hundred thousand was a very small sum to Yang Ce—hardly worth mentioning. But the reason he still took the safe key was that he wanted to test Yan Shoubao.

So Yang Ce took the key and crouched down in front of the safe, exposing his entire back to Yan Shoubao. Yet at that moment Yang Ce closed his eyes and used his ability to monitor Yan Shoubao's movements behind him.

Yang Ce deliberately pretended to be clumsy at opening the safe, jabbing the key at it several times without getting it in. To his relief, Yan Shoubao made no move at all; he merely sat there in fear and trembling, watching Yang Ce work the safe.

But while Yan Shoubao did not move, the pretty-boy bodyguard crouched on the floor beside him did. Slowly, he reached his hand toward the gun beneath Yan Shoubao's desk, all the while keeping a wary eye on Yang Juehuan's movements.

The pretty boy breathed a sigh of relief. He had the gun in his hand, and Yang Juehuan still had not gotten the key into the safe. The pretty boy felt at once that his chance had come.

To be continued.

897. The Car-Blocking Incident

897. The Car-Blocking Incident. The pretty boy drew a deep breath, then abruptly raised the pistol and aimed it at Yang Ce.

Yan Shoubao saw the pretty boy's movement as well. For some reason, he suddenly had an impulse to stop him. He simply felt that Yang Yongjin might be killed by this pretty boy.

What happened next was exactly as Yan Shoubao had feared—and he was profoundly grateful that his choice had been the right one, that he had not made any rash move when Yang Ce turned his back. Otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable. The pretty boy had barely begun to raise the pistol when a key struck him square between the brows, sinking entirely into his brain and leaving only the head of the key protruding. The pretty boy's body twitched twice, then slowly crumpled to the floor, lifeless. "I hate people who sneak-attack from behind," Yang Ce said coldly, turning around.

Yang Ce had not put the key into the safe precisely because he meant to use it as a murder weapon. The lipstick pistol could hold only two rounds at a time, and they were spent; Yang Ce had no other weapon, so he had decided to use the safe key as a throwing dart.