Da Kui gritted his teeth in hatred. I said, "Get in the car first. We'll figure something out when we get there."
The two of us got into the back seat, and the car sped away.
I wasn't worried about the two of us, but rather about Lan Ya being captured by them. I didn't know how those beasts would treat her.
The car drove for a long time and stopped at a manor in the suburbs.
There were many bodies of water connected here, and the manor was in the center of the water. Only a tarred road led to a house.
As soon as we got out of the car, we were bound and escorted into a large house.
Lan Ya was also inside, tied behind her back and standing by the wall.
There were several thugs inside, watching us separately.
In the middle of the room was a grand armchair, on which sat a man in a military uniform, about fifty or sixty years old, with a gray beard and a grass-green military cap, exuding an aura of imposing authority.
Da Kui whispered, "We're in trouble. This man is Bo Gang, who has a grudge against Brother Qing. Brother Bao once led people to fight him and drove him into the deep mountains. It seems he's here to get revenge on us."
My heart sank to the bottom. This was it. Even if Brother Qing came, this place was impenetrable. There was only one way in, and it was highly unlikely anyone could break through.
Bo Gang: "Hahaha, didn't expect this, did you? Not only did you not kill me, but I've become an official in the Ministry of Defense. I've captured you here today to eradicate the Ah Qing gang. I'll let you live for a few more hours. When Ah Qing falls into my encirclement, I'll send you all on your way together!"
I said, "We are foreigners. What you're doing violates international law!"
Bo Gang: "No matter which country you're from, you have to abide by the law. Being with Ah Qing means colluding with bandits, and you can be prosecuted. Don't worry, by the time you're gone, I'll have plenty of charges to report to the judge."
I was speechless. "Where there's a will to condemn, there's a way to find fault." Now that we were under his control, there was nothing we could do.
I glanced at Lan Ya. Apart from resentment, there was no fear in her eyes. She truly lived up to being the female boss, looking ready to die.
Da Kui, of course, would not compromise. He had been itching to make a move, but I had been signaling him to hold back.
I knew that if he wanted to make a move, the ropes binding us would be no obstacle. He could break free in minutes.
Bo Gang: "I'm not an unreasonable person. You are my guests here, and I cannot neglect you. I have prepared some gifts to entertain you. I hope you will accept them."
With that, he waved his hand, and two soldiers came in carrying a stool. They placed it in the center of the room and then dragged me to sit on it.
This was definitely not a good gift. I had seen it in movies; it was an instrument of torture. It seemed they saw me as thin and young and decided to make an example of me.
After they made me sit down, they fixed my legs to a pole and then began adding wooden blocks under the pole, each about five or six centimeters thick. It was fine at first, but as more blocks were added, my legs were stretched tighter and tighter, until it felt like they would snap. I gasped in pain.
I forced myself to endure the pain without making a sound. Sweat poured down my face like beans.
What is "life worse than death"? I felt like I was experiencing it profoundly at that moment.
If I had a choice, I would rather be killed with one blow than endure this torment.
Bo Gang watched with a sinister grin, as if he derived immense pleasure from my suffering.
Da Kui's hands were behind his back. From his movements, I could tell he had already broken free from the ropes and was only maintaining the appearance of being bound, ready to counterattack at any moment.
Besides the three of us, there were Bo Gang and four of his subordinates in the room.
There were definitely people guarding the door. If we caused too much commotion inside, we would attract outsiders, and the worst part was that they had guns.
With me in so much pain, neither Da Kui nor Lan Ya could feel good, but they couldn't act rashly, or they might lose their lives.
Bo Gang: "How is it, young man? Is this gift substantial enough? Do you want me to add more?"
I guessed I had become numb to the pain. I didn't react to what he said at all.
He signaled his subordinates to start removing the wooden blocks. My legs were stiff, and even after they were removed, I couldn't bend them.
While they were removing the blocks, Da Kui quickly approached Bo Gang and used the rope to put it around Bo Gang's neck.
Bo Gang didn't expect Da Kui to suddenly appear, and that he had already untied himself.
Seeing their boss being strangled, his subordinates quickly drew their guns and aimed them at Da Kui.
Bo Gang, unable to speak due to the strangulation, frantically waved his hands to stop his subordinates from acting rashly.
I sat on the stool, trying to move my legs, but they were completely unresponsive. I could only watch helplessly.
Lan Ya was being held at gunpoint by someone and stood there, unable to move.
Da Kui, strangling Bo Gang, ordered him to stand up from the armchair and told the soldiers with guns to put their weapons down, or he would strangle Bo Gang to death.
Bo Gang's face turned red, his eyes bulging, his tongue almost sticking out. He waved his hands erratically, possibly signaling his subordinates to obey Da Kui's orders and put down their guns.
The soldiers obediently placed their guns on the ground and stood there with their hands by their sides. Da Kui then told them to untie Lan Ya and me.
The soldiers reluctantly came over and helped us untie the ropes.
After her ropes were untied, Lan Ya quickly came over and helped me stand up.
My legs still had no sensation, stiffly stuck there. Lan Ya held me firmly, afraid I would fall.
I said, "Help me to the wall. I'll stand on my own. You go pick up the guns."
Lan Ya helped me lean against the wall, and she went to pick up their guns. She handed a pistol to Da Kui. Da Kui released the safety and pointed the barrel at Bo Gang.
Lan Ya also handed me one. I had never used a gun before. I saw Da Kui release the safety and copied him, pushing it down. Then I told two soldiers to guard the door and prevent anyone from coming in.
There was still one soldier standing there. Lan Ya handed the rope to him and told him to go tie up Bo Gang.
The soldier, twisting his backside, was reluctant to go. Lan Ya hit him over the head with the butt of her gun. Blood streamed down his nose. He clutched his head, picked up the rope, and walked towards Bo Gang.
After tying up Bo Gang, Da Kui went and tied up the two guards and the other two men. He tied them with unbreakable knots.
Da Kui drove these men into a corner. There was an iron cage there, likely used for locking up people. Now it was perfect for imprisoning them.
The iron cage had a lock on the door. Da Kui locked it, kicked the key into his pocket, then grabbed Bo Gang by the collar and dragged him towards the door.
Bo Gang's mouth was stuffed with a piece of cloth, and he couldn't speak, only letting us do as we pleased.
My legs had regained sensation by now, and although my movements weren't completely agile, I could walk without issue.