Xu Yinsheng woke up inside an iron cage.
The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was the cold iron bars.
She looked around—this was a sparsely furnished concrete room, with only a dim twilight lamp hanging and a few wooden stools.
She was locked inside an iron cage, resembling a circus beast taming cage, nearly two meters tall, tall enough for an adult to stand upright.
Looking at this large beast cage, Xu Yinsheng inexplicably felt a strange sense of familiarity and closeness, as if a wanderer had finally returned home.
A dull ache throbbed at the back of her head.
Hiss!
That hit was brutal!
Creak.
The door was pushed open.
The first person to enter was a woman dressed in a cotton-padded jacket and fleece-lined pants, tall and slender, with a pair of striking, spirited eyes that drew attention, though now tinged with some gloom.
It was Jin Xinnuo.
Behind her, several men followed in succession—some wearing suits, others with tattooed arms, and some with their arms in casts. Soon, the entire room was filled.
Jin Xinnuo looked at Xu Yinsheng inside the cage with a complicated expression, a mix of pity and reluctance.
She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated.
At that moment, a long, slender hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, gently patting twice.
“Xiao Jin, you did well this time.”
“In such a remote place, the Federation’s dogs couldn’t find her, but some rookie managed to. Thankfully it’s just a rookie—too much watching movies made him want to play hero and not call the cops. Otherwise, the Federation dogs might have caught us this time.”
Jin Xinnuo’s face paled slightly as she lowered her head and said, “It’s all thanks to Brother Chen’s teachings.”
“Don’t give me that.” The man waved his hand.
“You know I don’t like that nonsense. I’m a straightforward man—reward those who deserve it, punish those who don’t. No more empty talk. There’s a new batch of meds that came in these days—Xicom Sikang. I’ll have someone bring you five boxes later.”
After speaking, he stepped forward, preparing to take a closer look at this rookie.
Jin Xinnuo stepped aside on her own, making way for the man.
He was dressed plainly—not fashionable but neat and clean, wearing a fleece-lined tracksuit that looked energetic.
Especially those eyes—they shone like the rising sun, illuminating everything with an intensely vivid visual impact.
But when Xu Yinsheng got a good look at him, she was stunned, her mouth forming an ‘O’ in shock.
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, staring hard at him.
“You’re not dead?!”
The newcomer was none other than an old acquaintance of Xu Yinsheng’s—Chen Kedi!!
Chen Kedi paused, curiously scrutinizing Xu Yinsheng a few times.
“Seems like you know something?”
“That’s obvious.”
Xu Yinsheng didn’t back down but nodded directly in affirmation.
Based on the recent shared intel, her other half had already confessed to Zhao Yicheng.
Now they were just waiting for Zhao Yicheng to cool off and bring people to rescue her.
The goal now was to buy as much time as possible.
She sat inside the iron cage, tilting her head.
“Let me think… was it a year ago or half a year ago, at that high seas cruise auction? Didn’t you get caught back then?”
“There are always people who want me alive.”
Chen Kedi shrugged.
“Like people in the dark always chasing after a beam of light.”
Xu Yinsheng’s mouth twitched slightly.
At the cruise auction six months ago, she had been kidnapped—or rather rescued—by them.
She knew they were a little unhinged, but she hadn’t expected that six months later, meeting again, their craziness had only gotten worse.
Comparing themselves to light in the darkness?
What nonsense! Our Huayuan Federation is already suffering enough!
Chen Kedi was oblivious to Xu Yinsheng’s inner monologue.
He crouched before the cage and looked her straight in the eye.
“So, lady, what exactly is your purpose for coming here?”
Xu Yinsheng glanced at Jin Xinnuo among the crowd.
Jin Xinnuo’s gaze flickered nervously, avoiding her eyes.
A mocking sneer curled at Xu Yinsheng’s lips as she said with extreme disdain, “She didn’t tell you?”
Ever since Zhao Yicheng’s first backstab, she could no longer tolerate any betrayal.
A second backstab—and from an ex-girlfriend!
Damn!
“That’s true.”
Chen Kedi nodded.
He stood, polite and with a hint of elegance.
“Then let’s get to the point. Lady, how much do you think the people behind you would pay for your life?”
“You’re not going to kill me?”
Xu Yinsheng looked at him in surprise.
Logically, since she stumbled upon the fake medicine cartel, they shouldn’t have let her live!
The next step should have been dismemberment and burial!
“Why would I kill you?”
Chen Kedi asked with a smile.
“After all, you’re one of my ally’s people.”
Ally?
Xu Yinsheng hadn’t quite grasped the meaning of those words yet.
Beep beep beep!!
At that moment, a phone rang.
Chen Kedi gave the woman in the cage a meaningful glance, then took out an old-fashioned phone and answered it.
“So soon? Looks like you planted something on your little pet.”
“Heh.”
A very familiar male voice came from the other end, full of teasing and mockery.
“Release her.”
“No way!”
“She injured two of my brothers. They’re still in casts. They’re my good brothers—priceless.”
The man on the phone paused, seemingly confirming something.
After a few seconds, he spoke.
“What do you want?”
“Need to pay more!”
“How much?”
“One hundred million.”
Chen Kedi immediately demanded an astronomical price.
“Too high. That much money could buy me a better one.”
The man on the other end shook his head, refusing.
“Heh, typical rich man—stingy to the core.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“Ten million.”
Chen Kedi lowered the price.
“One million.”
Zhao Yicheng slashed it by ninety percent in response.
“No way! She hurt my brothers, and that’s just the medical bills!”
“She can’t even beat a dog.”
“Seven million.”
“Three million.”
“Five million, cash, underground parking lot exchange.”
“Deal. But I want no other marks found on my pet after the exchange. She’s quite delicate.”
“Heh, the streetlights will be left on for you.”
Chen Kedi sneered.
The call ended.
Inside the iron cage, Xu Yinsheng listened to the conversation, feeling dazed and her mind spinning.
Zhao Yicheng and Chen Kedi know each other!
From their talk, the stolen bid proposal is connected to both of them!
So it really is an inside job?!
Not just an inside job, but a boss-level mole!
Xu Yinsheng silently mourned the Security Department for three seconds.
The boss was already charming; unfortunately, he chose to be a thief.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Zhao Corporation building, inside the CEO’s office.
Mini Xu was about to pull Zhao Yicheng to rescue her once his anger had subsided.
But despite her pulling, Zhao Yicheng remained unmoved.
He took out his phone and gave her a reassuring look.
Then Mini Xu overheard the entire phone call between Zhao Yicheng and Chen Kedi…
What?!
The mole is right in front of me?
All this time, I was outwitting thin air?
So the real clown was me all along?!
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