Chapter 762: Chapter 747: Visitor on a Snowy Night (Part 6)
"Hello, Mr. Liu, this is Yao Ruyi. Please reply when you receive this, over!" Just one simple sentence, yet spoken from Yao Ruyi’s mouth, it was filled with awkwardness and tension. But this seemingly ordinary statement brought immense shock to Lin, Xu, and Bi in the surveillance room.
"No way, these guys are too damn bold, contacting us right after the gunfire! What’s going on?" Bi Dahu was the first to break the silence. Xu and Lin were equally puzzled about the other party’s intentions.
Today was full of bizarre and unreasonable events, one after another, making Old Xu really wish he could crack open their heads to see if something was wrong with their nerves.
"Old Xu, how about we let Liu Fugui take the call, so we can see what exactly they’re up to."
Liu Muhua’s suggestion quickly gained Old Xu’s approval. After all, the clues were already broken, and the situation was chaotic. Maybe they could find out something from this call, though necessary cautionary measures were still needed.
Old Xu and Old Lin immediately took their positions, one returning to their combat post to handle any possible conflict, while the other hurried downstairs to deliver the hand-held radio.
In the short distance of three floors, less than a minute had passed when the radio transmitted Yao Ruyi’s request to talk more than ten times. But just as a bewildered Liu Fugui got the radio and was informed of the incoming call from Yao Ruyi, the other party ended the request.
"What’s going on, Commander Xu!" After confirming there was no incoming signal on the radio, Liu Fugui finally asked for the details.
Old Xu pulled a chair, took two sips of tea, and explained after catching his breath, "Yao Ruyi just requested to talk to you, but didn’t mention anything specific. That’s what happened, Mr. Liu. Do you know why he’s contacting you?"
The question left Liu Fugui quite helpless. In fact, he was just as clueless about this matter as the others. But one thing was certain: the party trying to contact him right after the shooting was definitely up to no good.
Facing Xu Renjie’s attentive eyes, Liu Fugui helplessly spread his hands and replied, "Commander Xu, I really don’t know. Do you think I should respond to them?"
Xu Renjie pondered over it briefly. The interruption could have led them to mistakenly think they were unilaterally refusing to talk.
If Liu Fugui called back now, it would likely reconnect the conversation. Old Xu quickly nodded, "Sure, Mr. Liu, please contact them. We need to find out their true intentions urgently, so please."
Old Xu’s sincere and polite attitude surprised Liu Fugui, but he was also curious about what the other side was up to. Calmly, Liu Fugui pressed the call button and said in a deep voice, "This is Liu Fugui. Who wanted to talk to me just now? Over!"
Being scolded fiercely by Black Shadow in the backseat, Yao Ruyi seemed to grasp at a life-saving straw and quickly replied, "Mr. Liu, it’s Yao Ruyi! Were you taken hostage? The snow was too heavy, and I was too nervous and accidentally fired. I hope you weren’t hurt. I didn’t do it on purpose, I’m really sorry..."
Everyone in the villa was stunned. A string of apologies and explanations from the other party left everyone dumbfounded. Liu Fugui had to move the radio away from his ear to avoid the amplified voice from nervousness.
"Alright, enough with the nonsense!"
"Slap!" Following a piercing slap sound, Yao Ruyi’s machine-gun like chatter abruptly stopped.
Liu Fugui cast an enquiring look at Old Xu, a notably wise move under the circumstances. He could see that a series of events had left the opposite side doubtful about his true intentions for coming to the villa.
And this call from Yao Ruyi had provided him with a chance to clarify his stance. Since the other side did not trust him, he opted to remain silent, leaving the reply to Yao Ruyi in the hands of Old Xu and his team, allowing him to clear any future accountability.
Frankly, Old Xu was also contemplating how to navigate the current situation. From the call previously interrupted with Yao Ruyi, it seemed like he was under someone else’s control, hinting that the other party might have plans for further action through this call.
Could Liu Fugui also be part of this? However, Liu Fugui didn’t directly respond to them but waited for Old Xu to speak first, which was quite chaotic. Old Xu thought it over slightly, then queried, "Mr. Liu, what do you think? Can you trust these subordinates of yours?"
Liu Fugui shook his head with a bitter smile, "Commander Xu, to be honest, I really can’t trust my own people right now. You know that Yao Ruyi was accidentally found by our search team on the road not long ago, so his loyalty to me is questionable. Especially after such an incident, it’s hard to believe in them."
"Then what do you think we should say back to him?" Old Xu cleverly returned the ball, eager to hear Liu Fugui’s genuine thoughts, and possibly assess his stance.
The latter only spread his hands helplessly and said, "Commander Xu, I’m really confused at the moment and don’t know what to do. Time is pressing. If we don’t respond soon, I’m afraid the call will be interrupted again, so..."
"Got it!" Old Xu lightly patted the table and quickly gave his answer, "Mr. Liu, just tell them you weren’t held hostage and feign being shot in the leg. If they want to come to the villa and meet you, have them surrender their guns first!"
After hearing the instructions, Liu Fugui quickly understood their intention. This move was to minimize risk under all circumstances, no matter the opponent’s purpose or affiliation. Once they disarmed, it’s like pulling the teeth of a tiger, leaving them non-threatening.
This outcome was precisely what Liu Fugui hoped for, as he was deeply suspicious of Yao Ruyi and the others.
Old Xu’s approach also essentially safeguarded his safety. Without further hesitation, Liu Fugui promptly pressed the call button and followed the instructions, "Xiao Yao, I wondered why you fired just now. I’m not too badly hurt, though I’ve been shot in the leg; the villa has already treated me, so it’s not a major problem. Also, I haven’t been taken hostage, don’t say anything reckless. Over!"
Liu Fugui deliberately feigned weakness from a bullet wound, in sharp contrast to his previously confident tone, yet Yao Ruyi and the others did not notice this. They were now experiencing a mix of joy and sorrow.
On one hand, the joy was that Liu Fugui hadn’t been kidnapped, and he was safely settled, meaning when they met with him, the inconvenience of finding a place to stay wouldn’t be an issue.
On the other hand, the sorrow was over having possibly injured him, as if he blamed them, it could be quite severe.
Go or not go, that was the question. Holding the phone, Yao Ruyi was caught in a dilemma, but it was only him who was troubled, as the other two people in the car faced no such problems.
Seeing no response from Yao Ruyi for quite some time, they grew impatient. In the dead of night, with the car parked in the middle of the road, the golden opportunity to check into the villa was just there. If they didn’t grab it, wouldn’t that be quite foolish? (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
