With that, Chen Kedi’s finger twitched.
Xu Yinsheng, perfectly timed, squeezed out a few tears.
They streamed down her cheeks and fell to the ground.
She bit her lip, trying hard not to cry out. Her appearance was like a delicate white lotus, incredibly endearing.
“Master, save kitty, kitty’s so scared~”
Chen Kedi’s mouth twitched.
He inexplicably smelled the faint scent of white lotus tea.
At the ventilation duct window, Zhao Yicheng, who had just pried open the iron bars and was about to climb in, froze.
He slowly backed away, raising his hands to show he was unarmed.
“Don’t hurt her. What do you want?”
“Back off, I’m taking her out first.”
Chen Kedi grinned ferociously, the gun pressed to the back of Xu Yinsheng’s head.
He really wanted to shoot this ‘beast’ who disregarded human life, just as he was executing justice.
But he also knew if he actually killed Zhao Yicheng, he and Xu Yinsheng probably wouldn’t get off this cruise ship alive.
Zhao Yicheng cared about the ‘hostage’ in his hand, but the cruise ship security wouldn’t care about the lives of a female slave or a thief.
Standoff.
Now, he could only use the ‘hostage’ in his hand to negotiate as much as possible.
By the time He Zizhang arrived with four bodyguards, all they saw was a young man dressed as a white-robed attendant holding the silver-haired loli hostage, in a standoff with Zhao Yicheng.
“Tell your men to put their guns down!”
Seeing the bodyguards all raising their pistols at him, Chen Kedi dared not act rashly and could only shout loudly.
“You have half a minute, or I’ll blow her brains out!”
Chen Kedi threatened with a cold laugh, then, holding the silver-haired loli, retreated several meters.
He kicked over nearby cargo, using it for cover, shielding his left, right, and rear.
The silver-haired loli trembled with fear, biting her cherry lips tightly, not daring to let out a single cry.
Time passed minute by minute.
Over a minute had passed.
The four bodyguards held their guns aimed at Chen Kedi, simultaneously protecting He Zizhang behind them, showing no intention of lowering their weapons.
They were He Zizhang’s bodyguards, not Zhao Yicheng’s.
Even though a minute had passed, Chen Kedi didn’t choose to shoot Xu Yinsheng in certain areas as a deterrent, just as he had said—his gun was only aimed at ‘beasts’ and ‘dog-like creatures’ who had been stripped of their humanity.
Just as the tension between the several individuals reached a breaking point.
At this moment, the kidnapped silver-haired loli moved.
She suddenly raised her head, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“Master~ Don’t worry about kitty, kitty’s not scared~”
“Kitty loves Master so, so much~ After kitty’s gone, Master must live a happy life~”
The silver-haired loli’s voice carried intense attachment and sorrow.
Hearing these words, everyone who had already chambered their bullets froze.
Their expressions were grim, somewhat unbearable, but they chose not to lower their guns.
Zhao Yicheng clenched his hands.
He turned to look at He Zizhang and whispered, “Zizhang.”
“Understood.”
He Zizhang waved his hand, and the four bodyguards simultaneously lowered their pistols aimed at Chen Kedi’s head, protecting him behind them.
Zhao Yicheng calmly looked at Chen Kedi.
If someone were to see his clasped hands from behind, they’d notice his fists were tightly clenched, fingernails deeply digging into his flesh.
He restrained himself and politely asked, “The guns are down. Now, let’s talk about your conditions.”
“A fully fueled lifeboat, fresh water, food, and a sea chart.”
Chen Kedi listed his conditions, “Also, I don’t trust you. I’ll take her with me until we’re at a safe enough distance. I’ll give her a lifebuoy and a marine locator.”
“I can guarantee I absolutely won’t put her in danger. People in our line of work are trustworthy!”
To achieve great things, one must be greatly trustworthy.
Chen Kedi was indeed a man of his word; however, his credit only extended to ‘humans.’
“The first few conditions are fine, but not the last one.”
Zhao Yicheng slowly shook his head, “I don’t trust you.”
“Are you saying you want her to die?!”
Chen Kedi sneered, pressing the gun to Xu Yinsheng’s temple, clearly indicating there was no room for negotiation.
Xu Yinsheng sobbed piteously, tears welling in her cat-like crimson eyes.
“No, we can change the condition.”
Zhao Yicheng raised his hands, signaling he was unarmed, and gradually approached Chen Kedi, who was holding the ‘hostage.’
“Back off, or I’ll shoot!”
Chen Kedi threatened while retreating, his gun shifting from Xu Yinsheng to Zhao Yicheng.
As the distance between them grew shorter, Zhao Yicheng seemed to assume he wouldn’t shoot, and the available retreat distance also dwindled.
Chen Kedi’s heart turned ruthless!
“Last warning.”
His index finger rested on the trigger.
“Three!”
The sound of “two” had barely faded when Zhao Yicheng moved, leaving only an afterimage in his wake, swiftly darting past the other man.
However, just as he was about to reach Chen Kedi.
A gunshot echoed, and a splash of blood erupted!
Zhao Yicheng’s left shoulder dropped, but his momentum held.
With one punch, he sent the gun flying from Chen Kedi’s hand!
Without his gun, Chen Kedi backhanded the ‘hostage’ behind him, drew a small knife from his waist, and charged, blade in hand.
As the saying goes, a gun is faster beyond seven paces, a knife within seven.
And compared to Xu Yinsheng, a female slave who could be discarded at will in the eyes of the cruise ship security, Zhao Yicheng, a wealthy merchant invited by the cruise ship’s main auctioneer, was clearly more valuable.
Chen Kedi held the knife in his left hand, his right formed into a claw.
Ever since inheriting the old beggar’s fighting style, he had never lost in close combat.
However… the next instant, a fist the size of a sandbag grew larger and larger in Chen Kedi’s vision.
“How is this possible… so fast~”
Chen Kedi only had time for this single thought.
He was violently sent flying, arcing through the air, directly crashing into a shelf ten meters away.
Chen Kedi’s left face was swollen like a pig’s head.
He struggled to get up from the ground, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
He clutched his abdomen with his right hand; three ribs had broken, and every breath and word caused excruciating pain.
“How could he be… so strong…”
With that, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted.
Zhao Yicheng dug out the bullet from his left shoulder; drops of fresh blood dripped onto the floor. Xu Yinsheng caught a sweet scent, and she licked her lips.
Damn, so fragrant.
A bodyguard handed over a medical kit.
The remaining men disarmed and restrained the unconscious Chen Kedi.
Zhao Yicheng briefly tended to his wound.
He picked up the silver-haired loli from the ground. Someone’s blood from his left hand dripped onto Xu Yinsheng’s lips, staining them crimson, strikingly beautiful.
Sweet.
Xu Yinsheng pursed her lips.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thank you, Master, kitty was so scared~”
Xu Yinsheng buried herself in Zhao Yicheng, pretending to tremble with fear, in actuality to prevent Zhao Yicheng from noticing the look of disappointment on her face.
She glanced at the man restrained on the ground.
Ah, good luck to him.
Man she’s a demon she knows when to get out of a losing battle and take the winner’s hand ✋