Wan Quan and his men, though thugs and ruffians in their hometown, would have dared to fight Nan Feng and his crew if they had possessed weapons.
However, unarmed and outnumbered, they were no match for their adversaries and could only submit to the oppressors' tyranny.
The six men were quickly herded into separate vans and driven away.
San Pang was taken alone to a loft in a farmhouse, where two menacing thugs took turns watching him around the clock.
After a day and a night without a drop to drink, San Pang, who was naturally overweight and had a large appetite, was famished and parched. He could only beg his guards for some water.
Nan Feng then appeared before him.
"Uncle Nan, please give me something to eat. I really can't take it anymore."
San Pang gulped down the mineral water Nan Feng offered and then asked for food.
Nan Feng smiled at him, "San Pang, I heard from your master that you're quite wealthy. But your bank account only has three thousand yuan. Is all your money at home?"
"Uncle Nan, I don't have any money. I just work for my master. He only pays me three thousand yuan a month, and I haven't saved anything over the years. I've spent it all on food, drinks, and entertainment."
"Is that so? But your master said you betrayed him and were secretly taking money from a big boss. You bought a fully furnished 180-square-meter apartment in the county town with cash. Is that not true?"
San Pang was stunned. He realized his master had thoroughly investigated him and was plotting to harm him.
Nan Feng patted his face, "San Pang, a wise man adapts to circumstances. Call your family and have them transfer money."
San Pang clutched at the straw, "Uncle Nan, I'll have my family send money. Will you let me go?"
"Letting you go is impossible, but I'll make things a bit easier for you. Do you know where your companions went?"
San Pang shook his head.
"Besides having their families send money, they will also be used to lure their relatives and friends here. If that fails, they will be sold to telemarketing fraud companies. Once those companies deem them useless, they will become professional blood donors, and eventually, their organs will be harvested one by one and sold on the black market."
"Uncle Nan, please let me go. I'll have my family send money."
Upon hearing about organ sales, San Pang was so terrified he could barely speak.
Nan Feng chuckled, "San Pang, your master said you've learned his true teachings and are skilled in sleight of hand. If you cooperate and can get fifty thousand yuan from your family, I can arrange for you to work at a casino. You'll have more freedom there, won't be beaten, and your living conditions will be better. There's even a chance you can go home."
"Uncle Nan, my family doesn't have that much money. My master knows this. I only had twenty thousand yuan saved for building a house."
"You can borrow it. Your master said you're close with a big boss. It shouldn't be a problem to borrow several hundred thousand from him, right?"
San Pang shook his head, "Uncle Nan, that boss my master mentioned is my classmate. He's currently wanted and on the run. I can't contact him at all. My previous income came from casino dividends. After the casino was shut down, I've only been getting dividends from a company. The company also pays me a monthly salary of five thousand yuan."
"Is that so? What company, and how much are the annual dividends?"
"It's a vegetable trading company that supplies vegetables and local specialties to a large supermarket chain. We invested some of the money we got from casino dividends into this company, so I became one of its shareholders. The company hasn't been established for long. Last year, the dividends were only fifty thousand, but this year it's expected to be two to three hundred thousand, and it will increase in the future. My classmate is making a lot of money outside and investing more into the company, which is developing rapidly."
"I hope what you're saying is true."
After speaking, Nan Feng left. He needed to call Brother Mao to verify San Pang's claims.
San Pang felt despair. Escaping from here seemed almost impossible. However, he saw a glimmer of hope in his status as a shareholder. Nan Feng and his men were after money. As long as he had hundreds of thousands in annual dividends, they would keep him alive. After all, those lured here were mostly penniless, and the profit to be squeezed from them was limited. Like Wan Quan and his ilk, even if you squeezed them dry, their families couldn't afford a hundred thousand yuan for their release.
Even ants cling to life. San Pang's sole objective now was to survive. With life came hope, even if the chance of escaping was minuscule.
Ten minutes later, Nan Feng returned, carrying a bowl of rice.
"San Pang, you've been honest and haven't lied to me. Eat this rice first, and then we'll talk."
"Thank you, Uncle Nan."
San Pang eagerly took the bowl of rice, not caring if there was any dish to go with it, and began to devour it.
"Drink some water, don't choke."
Nan Feng handed him another bottle of mineral water. He had just confirmed with Brother Mao that San Pang's classmate was indeed wealthy, owning a trading company, a lumber mill, and investing tens of millions in an amusement park. Brother Mao was unaware of San Pang being a shareholder in the trading company, but it proved San Pang wasn't lying; it was normal to conceal such information.
In less than two minutes, the large bowl of white rice was gone without a grain left. After taking a sip of water, San Pang's spirits improved significantly.
"San Pang, it's impossible to let you go, but I can offer you a chance to live a slightly more comfortable life, depending on your cooperation."
Nan Feng collected the bowl and chopsticks and sat down in front of him.
"Uncle Nan, tell me. I will cooperate."
"You're smart. Do you know what's happening to your companions? Let me tell you, they've each been beaten at least twice. Forget white rice; they have to beg on their knees just to drink urine. You're more sensible than them. You didn't resist from the start. No one has hit you so far, have they?"
"No."
"Good. First, call your family and tell them you want to invest. Have them send twenty thousand yuan. Is that a problem?"
"No problem. I'll call. My parents will definitely send the money."
To save his life, San Pang would do anything.
"Very good. Don't rush. I'll let you make the call later. Second, can you lure a few people from your hometown? I heard from your master that the brothers under your classmates are quite wealthy. It would be best to lure them here."
"Uncle Nan, I won't lie. I might be able to lure others. I called Wan Quan and his group, and a few more wanted to come; they'd be here with a phone call. However, luring Brother Jian's brothers is impossible because they all have good jobs with excellent benefits, and they are absolutely loyal to Brother Jian. No amount of temptation can change them. Most importantly, those core brothers are all by Brother Jian's side, and I can't even contact them."
San Pang knew his limits. He could deceive others, but not Liang Liang and the others. Liang Liang had advised him not to come; how could he be lured away? Even if you told them they could earn a million yuan a month here, they wouldn't be tempted.