When I was still trying to figure out how to ask them to let us relieve ourselves, Ah Cheng spoke first, "Can you let us too..."

Before Ah Cheng could finish, one of them said, "Okay, that's a reasonable request. Everyone has urgent needs."

...

After those two retied us, they didn't immediately get back in the car. They opened the trunk, probably looking for food, because they hadn't eaten either. Although the resting places were different, we were all treated equally when it came to food. We were all starving, but they wanted money, and we wanted our lives!

I had dozed off for a while, but now I couldn't sleep anymore. My whole body was curled up like a hedgehog, trying to keep warm. I wanted to see the sun rise tomorrow, not report to the King of Hell.

The sound of a rooster crowing came from the distant slope, which also meant it was the coldest time of the day. I felt like my body was frozen. To verify this terrible thought, I rolled around on the ground, as if trying to prove that I was still alive.

Suddenly, in the distance, I saw the high beams of a car, very bright and dazzling. Because of the angle, they disappeared again, but my eyes didn't look away. I kept staring at the same spot, as if praying for someone to come and rescue us.

The car lights flashed once and then disappeared. I continued to roll around on the ground anxiously. Ah Cheng was wearing more clothes, so he wasn't as cold as I was. Even though our lives were in danger, he still gave a slight smile, indicating how childish my actions were.

"There's the sound of a car," Ah Cheng said softly.

Actually, I heard it at the same time. In addition to the sound, the lights were shining directly at us. While we were still full of expectations, four people jumped out of the car, each holding a long knife. I thought, "This is bad. If they're not looking for us, that's one thing, but if they are, they'll definitely fight us to the death."

"Was it you who played tricks?" The man with the long knife stood directly in front of me, looking down at me.

"No."

My answer clearly didn't gain their trust. He kicked me and then hit me on the head with the handle of the knife. I immediately felt dizzy. I couldn't even feel the pain because I felt hot blood flowing down from my forehead, directly into my mouth and down my neck.

We were pulled back into the car. They were very alert. The car was already started, as if ready to speed away at any moment. This was truly risking our lives. From the kidnapping until now, there hadn't been a moment when I wanted to break free as much as I did now.

I crouched in the car and saw a person get out of the car outside, carrying a box. He knocked on the car door. The leader inside was very vigilant and only opened the door a crack, asking, "Who are you?"

"Delivering the money."

I looked closely and saw that it was Pei Xianglong's subordinate, the burly guy who had once beaten me. He was also surprised to see me, but he immediately recovered and pretended everything was normal, disguising it very well.

"Do you come down, or do I go up?" the burly guy continued to ask.

"Don't take us for fools. Hand the box in first. If the amount is correct, we'll naturally release the people."

"Martial world rules: one hand delivers the money, the other releases the person." Pei Xianglong's subordinate's tone was also firm.

"Don't negotiate with me. What do we need the people for after we get the money!"

"What if you tear up the deal?" I knew he was deliberately stalling for time.

"Is that really necessary? We're all just trying to make a living."

"Then how can I trust you?"

"It's useless to say more. Give me the box first, and you move the car to the opposite corner." The leader in the car gave a very shrewd condition.

Based on my understanding of them, they shouldn't attack us after they get the money, because there would be no need. No one would want to be branded as a murderer, especially since they couldn't walk away after getting the money. If my car was driven away, the loss would be even greater.

I said to Pei Xianglong's subordinate, "Just do as he says."

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"I believe them. They just want to get to a place with a car."

When the burly guy handed the box to the leader, he winked at me very discreetly. To be honest, I didn't understand it, and I couldn't even guess what it meant. Was he telling me to take care of myself, or were they already prepared? I couldn't be sure.

After taking the box, the car quickly drove forward. In the instant that they passed, I saw Pei Shiyu and Pei Xianglong. They were in a van, sitting in the middle seats. I'm sure they couldn't see me because I was just squatting down and peeking.

The car continued to drive at high speed, as if without a destination. The arrow-like speed didn't know where it was taking us. Ah Cheng seemed to have given up and was huddled at the bottom of the car, not moving at all.

Inside the car, except for the driver, the other three were huddled together counting the money. They were counting very slowly. A million yuan in cash was enough to keep them busy. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't count each bill. As long as the money was real, that's all that mattered.

Leaving the desolate area, the sky was already slightly brighter. People who got up early were already appearing on the road. Taking advantage of the smooth traffic, the car was driving even faster than before. Villages gradually appeared before our eyes.

Just as I was closely observing the outside world, I saw a car parked on the side of the road ahead. Because there were no residents or houses around, it looked particularly conspicuous. There were no lights, but I could see white smoke coming from the tailpipe, indicating that the car was running.

I remembered the gesture that Pei Xianglong's subordinate had made to me, and suddenly I had an epiphany. Could this be the lookout that they had arranged? Fortunately, their focus was on the money, and they didn't notice this clue.

When passing this car, I didn't dare to look back. That would reveal our actions. While I was praying in my heart, my mood was very conflicted. They were counting so carefully, but whether they would ultimately get to keep this money was still unknown.

I suddenly felt a strange sense of sympathy for them. Even if they could safely get the money, would Pei Xianglong's forces let it go? I thought the answer was definitely no. Not only would they recover the huge sum of money, but they would also add to their crimes. Thinking of this, I smiled. I was still in mortal danger, yet I was thinking about their fate.

I never expected that Pei Shiyu would come along today. At this moment, I thought that even if I died in their hands, it would be worth it!