Chapter 101: Two Hundred Million—No, Three Hundred Million!

Chapter 101: Two Hundred Million—No, Three Hundred Million!

Different temperaments called for different methods, and different preparations.

That said, Wu Chen hadn’t kept the call open for this middle-aged man’s benefit. The person on the other end was Su Qingying. He needed her to hear the contents of the conversation, and Li Ruobing, sitting beside her, would hear it too.

The middle-aged man’s face changed, and changed again.

He had threatened to kill someone, and he had no idea who the young man was on the phone with, or whether the other side was recording. If anyone got hold of evidence like that, and nothing happened to Wu Chen, fine. But if something did happen to Wu Chen—even if he hadn’t done it—the moment the police had that recording they would have to investigate him.

And being investigated was what he feared most in the world.

“Ah, brother… I think there may be a bit of a misunderstanding here…” The man looked at the phone sitting in the middle of a live call, then back at Wu Chen. A moment ago he’d been vicious; now not only had his tone gone soft, he was calling him brother.

“Apologize,” Wu Chen said, looking at him.

The man’s face darkened again, then at once forced out a smile. “I’m sorry, brother. Just now I was only—”

“Even your apology is that insincere,” Wu Chen said flatly.

The man’s expression shifted again.

Smack!

He raised a hand and slapped himself hard across the mouth. He feared death. He feared anyone learning what had happened back then. All he could do was soothe Wu Chen’s mood.

“Enough. Let’s talk business.” Wu Chen said it with a smile, then took a sip of tea.

“What does Bai Kaifeng want? What do you want? How much?” The man’s tone was far calmer now.

Because when Wu Chen called earlier, he had said, I hear you’ve made quite a lot of money these past few years. The implication was money. So the man asked outright. He knew he was being squeezed, and he had no choice.

He had hunted Bai Kaifeng for too many years and never found him.

“We can discuss money later…” Wu Chen said, unhurried, watching him. “Over these past few years you’ve given the victims’ families a fair bit of money, haven’t you? A few hundred thousand all told, at least. What was that? Conscience finally stirring? Trying to atone?”

The man’s face changed again.

He had assumed Wu Chen was someone Bai Kaifeng had sent, someone who knew what he’d done back then. But listening now, Wu Chen knew not only about back then, but what he’d done in the years since.

“Honestly, you shouldn’t have done that. Don’t you think it was a mistake?” Wu Chen smiled again. “Once what you did comes out, the fact that you quietly handed them money becomes corroborating evidence…”

The man stared at him, alarmed and uncertain.

“To be fair, for a man like you to climb this far can’t have been easy. Murder, arson—you handled it yourself. I have to say, you really do dare to think and dare to act. But… you truly ought to cherish the wealth and standing you have today. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Name a price,” the man said.

Pay money, settle the matter. Anything money could solve wasn’t a problem. Though he knew Wu Chen might well open his mouth absurdly wide.

Wu Chen had said several things, and the man had given him no clear answer to any of them.

Because he knew Wu Chen was on a call. To say anything was to admit it, and to admit it was evidence. So he understood he must not speak. He still had that much sense.

“How much do you think I want?” Wu Chen asked, with another faint smile.

“One hundred million. That’s the limit of what I can accept,” the man said outright.

It was not, in truth, his limit. He was spending money to buy his life. If there proved to be no way of dealing with Wu Chen, then two hundred million, three hundred million—he would have to accept it.

Naturally he wasn’t going to state his real limit.

“One hundred million…” Wu Chen murmured, and smiled.

“You still think that isn’t enough?” The man’s teeth were set…