flstandardbreds Chapter 1023 They're so fierce...
Chapter 1023 They're so fierce...
Lu Xiangwan pursed her chapped lips, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes, and gently shook her head: "I'm sorry, I have no other choice."
Her voice was soft, but it carried a desperate urge, "My daughter is still in their hands..."
Memories, like a burst dam, forcefully breach the floodgates of memory and surge forth.
On the vast and boundless sea, the "Sea Shark" ship, like a black behemoth, sails steadily amidst the waves.
The ship's lights shone brightly, illuminating the surrounding sea. The Governor's elite had gathered there for a grand ball.
The gentlemen were dressed in sharp suits, and the ladies' skirts swayed gracefully.
Raising glasses amidst enchanting music, the air is filled with luxurious charm.
Following the music, we passed through the mezzanine and climbed the steps to the upper cabin, where a completely different world awaited us—
Various gambling games were in full swing, the crisp sound of dice hitting the bowl, the soft rustling of cards being turned over,
The cheers of the winners mingled with the sighs of the losers, and the air was thick with the smells of smoke, alcohol, and money.
Suddenly, with a loud crash, a gambling table was overturned, scattering chips and cards all over the floor.
A man in a wool overcoat had a flushed face and bloodshot eyes.
Clearly blinded by defeat, he pushed through the crowd and tried to slip away in the chaos.
He stumbled onto the deck, the biting sea wind howling past, instantly tearing his coat apart, the hem flapping wildly in the wind.
The man fled in all directions like a headless fly, but when he looked up, all he could see was the vast ocean.
The dock where the ship was boarded is no longer the one it was at – the “Sea Shark” has long since sailed into international waters and become a floating island.
Those who are blinded by greed and want to escape their debts will find no way to get away here.
On the other side of the deck, Feng Zhan had one arm around Chang Miaomiao's waist, his fingertips casually tracing the hem of her skirt.
A mocking smile played on his lips, but his eyes were as cold as ice as he looked down at the fleeing man, as if he were looking at prey waiting to be slaughtered.
The thugs behind him were all fierce-looking, with their arms crossed, closing in on the man step by step, surrounding him at the edge of the deck, leaving him with nowhere to retreat.
The man's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, his voice trembling with sobs as he begged for mercy:
"Second Master, please give me another chance! I'll go back and raise the money right away, and I'll definitely bring it to you!"
Feng Zhan scoffed lightly and slowly dusted off his sleeves: "Why should I believe you?"
Not only did they lose money, but they also dared to sabotage my place—how do you think we should settle this score?
"I'm sorry, Second Master! I was confused!" The man kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead thumping against the cold deck.
"Please, be magnanimous and spare my life. I will definitely compensate you for your losses doubled. Please!"
Just then, a child's voice suddenly came from the stairwell, carrying a hint of timid anticipation:
"Daddy...Daddy...Where are you? Coco sees you! Let's go home...Mommy is sick, please come out!"
The man froze, then whirled around to see a little girl with pigtails clinging to the stair railing.
She stared at him with a pair of clear, large eyes. That was his daughter; he didn't know when she had been brought here.
Feng Zhan's gaze fell on the little girl, and his smile deepened.
But it carried a chilling undertone: "Looks like you still have a nice bargaining chip."
“Dad…” Coco looked at the fierce-looking people around her, who were forming a semi-encirclement.
But Dad lay on the cold deck like a lamb to the slaughter.
Her little hands gripped the hem of her dress tightly. Seeing the heavy, oppressive atmosphere, she wanted to run to her father's side.
But the menacing, terrifying faces of those people made her legs feel like lead, and she could only stop at the top of the stairs.
Her large eyes were filled with confusion as she timidly looked around at everything before her.
Upon hearing his daughter's voice, the man abruptly looked up, his despair instantly replaced by anxiety.
With a furrowed brow, she asked, "Coco, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay home and watch TV with Mom?"
Coco's voice trembled with tears as she timidly explained, "The school requires tuition for art classes..."
My mother couldn't find any money at home. She heard that the Sea Shark was hiring odd jobs, and that you could earn 30,000 yuan a night if you did a good job, so she brought me here.
My mother was worried about me being home alone, so she took me with her.
When I was playing on the lower level, I saw you board the boat. I called out to you loudly, but you didn't hear me; so I searched for you floor by floor...
I just saw you run out of that door on the third floor, so I followed you here..."
As she spoke, her small hands gripped the stair railing tightly, her knuckles turning white.
The sea breeze lifted the hem of her clothes, making her small body appear particularly frail on the empty deck.
The man felt as if his heart was being violently gripped, the pain almost suffocating him.
He tried to stand up to protect his daughter, but a thug next to him stepped on his back and shoved him back onto the deck.
The cry of pain was filled with helpless despair.
"Daddy...don't hurt my daddy, you big bad guy!" Coco ran over without hesitation and pushed the man's legs.
Because he was weak, the man felt that even scratching wasn't enough; his legs didn't budge an inch as he looked at the stubborn little girl.
Feng Zhan's gaze swept over Coco, as if examining an interesting toy, before turning to the man.
His tone was casual: "It seems your family is indeed in urgent need of money." He paused, then changed the subject...
"However, since they wrecked my place, they need to give me an explanation. How about this—"
He leaned close to the man's ear, his voice low yet carrying a venomous allure:
"Your daughter seems quite clever. Keep her as my little maid, and I'll pretend your 'cause of trouble' compensation never happened. How about that?"
The man's eyes widened suddenly, and a beast-like growl escaped his throat: "Second Master, Coco is still too young to do anything!"
Coco looked at her father's excited expression with a mixture of understanding and confusion, then glanced at the frightening smile on Feng Zhan's lips.
Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears: "Daddy, I'm scared... Let's go home, okay..."
The waves crashed against the hull of the boat, making a dull sound, as if lamenting the desperate situation of the father and daughter.
The wind on the deck grew colder, carrying Coco's cries into the boundless night.
"Coco...Coco...Where did you go? Come out quickly!" The woman's choked voice echoed in the corridor, mixed with hurried and flustered footsteps.
"Mom can't live without you... If you were lost, how could Mom go on living..."
Lu Xiangwan looked out at the boundless sea with a bewildered expression, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Amidst the howling sea breeze, Coco's cries could be faintly heard. Lu Xiangwan's heart tightened, her brows furrowing instantly as she looked towards the third deck, following the sound—
The crying became clearer, carrying the unique fear and helplessness of a child.
Without the slightest hesitation, she ran up the stairs.
The searchlights on the top pillar of the Sea Shark illuminated the deck as if it were daytime, and the tense atmosphere made her stop abruptly as soon as she stepped onto the last step.
Coco's cries grew louder and louder. The man lying on the ground was struggling in pain, and a foot was pressing hard on his back, rendering him unable to move.
"Coco?" Lu Xiangwan exclaimed in surprise.
"Mommy!" Coco cried even harder when she saw her, waving her little hands frantically at her.
"Please save Daddy! They're so mean... Coco is so scared..."
Chang Miaomiao nestled in Feng Zhan's arms, her fingertips twirling the tie on his chest, and suddenly smiled meaningfully:
"Second Master, hehe, tonight is really lively. A man, a daughter, and now another woman has been sent up—this deal of ours is not bad."
Feng Zhan leaned down and pecked Chang Miaomiao's lips, his eyes gleaming with amusement: "Not bad. How does my darling want to play?"
The smile on Chang Miaomiao's face vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of ruthlessness:
"That bastard Teng Zijing almost got me thrown in jail! I won't let this go!"
She glanced up at Lu Xiangwan and her family of three, a calculating glint in her eyes.
"Keep an eye on this father and daughter; this woman is quite attractive, let her get close to Teng Zijing."
Find an opportunity to plant a 'time bomb' in him—I refuse to believe that this living devil won't die!
Feng Zhan raised an eyebrow and pinched Chang Miaomiao's chin: "I'll listen to you. But, if it goes wrong..."
"If you mess it up, Second Master can decide what to do with you." Chang Miaomiao's tone was ruthless, her gaze sweeping over the trembling Lu Xiangwan as if she were sizing up a useful tool.
Lu Xiangwan looked at her husband, who was being held down, and listened to her daughter's heart-wrenching cries.
Looking at the sinister faces of the man and woman in front of me, I felt as if my blood had frozen.
She tried to rush forward to protect the child, but was stopped by two thugs who pressed the cold muzzle of a gun against her lower back.
"Don't move," one of the thugs growled.
Coco's cries pierced the deathly silence on the deck, and Lu Xiangwan's vision blurred.
All that remained in their ears were the whispers of Feng Zhan and Chang Miaomiao, and the despairing howl of the sea wind.
She knew that from this moment on, her family had fallen into an abyss.
As the tide of memories receded, only Lu Xiangwan's suppressed sobs remained in the ward, her tears soaking her pillowcase.
Xing Zhongxing handed over a tissue and asked in a slow, deliberate tone, "Where did that baby with the bomb strapped to his head come from?"
Lu Xiangwan took the tissue and pressed it to her eyes, choking back tears as she replied, "It's the child of a newlywed couple from our fishing village..."
Mu Xiaoji's face turned ashen, his voice filled with suppressed anger:
"You yourself are a mother, and you are already so heartbroken over losing your own daughter. How could you possibly do that to someone else's flesh and blood?"
Seeing Mu Xiaoji so agitated, Jiang Chengyu put his arm around his shoulder, silently comforting him.
"It wasn't me...it really wasn't me!" Lu Xiangwan hurriedly shook her head in protest, her voice trembling with emotion.
"They gave me the child! I recognize the butterfly-shaped birthmark on the child's neck—"
A few weeks ago, that young couple, who had no experience, came to my house specifically to ask me to give their child a bath…
Teng Zijing frowned and interjected in confusion, "I remember you were with me in Europe, so why did you only make your move after we returned to China?"
Lu Xiangwan's eyes dimmed, and her voice was so low it was barely a whisper: "Those few people took me to Europe and devised several plans..."
I originally thought it would be easier to act abroad, where you'd be outnumbered and vulnerable, compared to Kunming. But I never expected…
Several of the people they sent to Europe mysteriously disappeared; I was the only one who was lucky enough to escape unscathed.
Second Master told me to hold back for now and act according to circumstances. He also said that after the deed was done, he would spare my family and wipe out all my gambling debts…
As she spoke, her shoulders trembled violently, as if she had returned to those days when she was threatened and coerced:
“I have no choice… Coco is still in their hands, how could I dare to disobey? Every extra day I wait, I fear my daughter will suffer even more…”
A moment of silence fell over the ward, broken only by Lu Xiangwan's suppressed sobs. Luo Shaoqing sighed and handed her a glass of warm water.
"Have some water. What you're saying now is very important for the police to solve the case. Try to think through the details."
Lu Xiangwan took the water glass, her fingertips icy cold, nodded, but tears continued to stream down her face.
She knew that no matter how many reasons she had for her mistakes, they were ultimately irreversible.