On the vast ocean, the winter morning sun blazed like fire, bringing a hint of warmth to the freezing sea. A ard ship slowly departed the island, heading forward. On deck, Luo Zheng was tightly bound, and he gave a cold glance at the surrounding pirates. He slightly lifted his head, his eyes closing slightly as he looked toward the rising sun, then turned back to look at the island now a distance away, silently wishing, hoping Lan Xue could stay strong and survive, hoping his brothers could take the tourists back to their holand. Even if he were to die this ti, it would be worth it.
Then, Luo Zheng slowly turned his head to look at Song Yan, who wore a fierce expression. His face also turned icy, and he let out a cold laugh, only to hear Song Yan suddenly bellow, "Hit him, hit him hard."
Instantly, several n rushed him from an angle, quickly bringing Luo Zheng down to the ground. Their fists rained down on him like a downpour, Luo Zheng curling up his body, unable to fight back with his hands bound, not even wanting to fight back. Fighting back now would only provoke Song Yan, and if Song Yan regretted his decision and led n to attack the island once again. his efforts would have been in vain.
"For everyone's safety, endure." Luo Zheng silently gritted his teeth and endured, his body tensed up, the pain sweeping through his mind, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, not letting himself groan. Without Song Yan's order, these n didn't dare stop. The butt of their guns was forcefully smashing down on Luo Zheng's body, turning his skin shades of blue and purple, his blood surging, a sweetness in his throat as blood spurted out, spraying on the deck like a blooming poppy—bewitching and eerie. His vision darkened, and he fainted.
"Stop!" Seeing Luo Zheng faint, Song Yan moved forward several steps with a cold face, crouched before Luo Zheng, patted his face and said icily, "Kid, you think you're so tough? You've still ended up in my hands. I'll make you wish you were dead, living a fate worse than death. Co on, wake him up!" These last words were almost shouted, a sense of exhilarating vengeance surging in his heart.
"Splash!" A bucket of ice-cold, bone-chilling seawater was poured over Luo Zheng, waking him up.
Luo Zheng coughed a few tis, feeling that the stifling air in his chest was sowhat relieved. He took several deep breaths and coldly looked at Song Yan, the seawater running down his eyebrows and cheeks, dripping to the ground, his body motionless, silent. At this point, resisting would only make Song Yan more arrogant and pleased, and make him suffer even more.
"You think you're so tough? What about now?" Song Yan said coldly.
Luo Zheng ignored Song Yan, instead, he slightly lifted his head to look at the bright sun in the sky, feeling a flush around his eyes, the sll of blood hinting that his head had been cracked open. Luo Zheng slightly turned his head toward the direction of the island, noticing no trace of the island anymore, the distance too far, just the boundless sea, unsure where Song Yan was heading.
"What, still thinking about those tourists? They won't appreciate your efforts." Song Yan said coldly.
"You should know my identity. It's my duty and my mission to save them, and I take pride in it, not like you, unscrupulously pursuing personal gains. They're all from Japan, right? What do you think will happen if the state finds out the Song family is colluding with the Japanese pirates?" Luo Zheng retorted coldly, speaking with so difficulty but completing his thoughts, his eyes full of disdain as he looked at Song Yan.
Hearing this, Song Yan's face changed dramatically, his gaze at Luo Zheng filled with shock, not expecting Luo Zheng to see through his actions, becoming anxious. If the family fell, the mbers would be nothing, Song Yan knew this well, but then he thought and sneered, "So what? You have no evidence."
"Talking to a smart man does save trouble," Luo Zheng sighed softly and scoffed, "Does it even need evidence at this point?"
"You? Go die." Song Yan's face underwent a drastic change as he burst into rage, kicking Luo Zheng and making him stagger back a few steps. However, having been accustod to a life of comfort, his strength was insufficient, and although Luo Zheng was injured, he quickly steadied himself and sneered disdainfully, further infuriating Song Yan who wished he could cast Luo Zheng into the sea to feed the sharks. His breathing also beca hurried from anger.
"You can't kill ," Luo Zheng suddenly scoffed.
"What?" Song Yan's complexion changed again, taken by surprise as he looked at Luo Zheng. A wave of unease washed over him, feeling caught in Luo Zheng's trap once again, and asked warily, "You're rely an ant in my hand, to be crushed at my whim, killing you is as easy as flipping my hand."
"That hand of yours really can't flip back," Luo Zheng sneered.
"Oh? It seems you're quite confident, let's hear it," Song Yan asked in astonishnt. Previously, he would have disregarded Luo Zheng's words but having gone through so much, Song Yan knew Luo Zheng was shrewd and not easy to handle, and mustn't be taken lightly.
"You're smart enough to figure it out, only you're too clouded by hatred to see clearly. Think about it, and it's better not to hit again, otherwise, we all die together," Luo Zheng sneered, not bothering to explain why, which infuriated yet also alard Song Yan.
After a while, Song Yan still couldn't grasp the key point, which made him even angrier. He looked at Luo Zheng coldly, wanting to order his execution imdiately, yet he felt Luo Zheng was not one to make baseless claims, suspecting there must be sothing he was unaware of. Hesitant to make a rash decision, he asked suspiciously, "Oh, and what makes you think you are in any position to negotiate with ?"
"Position? Do I need one?" Luo Zheng countered with a sneer, coughing a few tis to clear the blood from his throat, before continuing, "By now, rescue teams should have reached the island, securing the lives of the tourists, my biggest vulnerability has vanished; it seems you no longer have the position to negotiate with ."
"What? Let's hear it," Song Yan said, seeing Luo Zheng's confidence, a wave of anxiety flooding over him. He faintly felt he was once again falling behind in Luo Zheng's machinations, which made him feel both ashad and enraged, staring intensely at Luo Zheng with fiery eyes.
"Right now, to you, I am nothing but a hot potato," Luo Zheng sneered, too tired to elaborate further.
Song Yan was startled, slowly starting to realize, and he looked at Luo Zheng, his complexion turning unnatural. Accustod to intrigue, Song Yan suddenly realized he had made a mistake by being overly cautious. While caution is good, overplaying it backfires. Had he attacked the island right from the start, the odds of winning were fifty-fifty, but he wouldn't be in trouble, nor would his family. But now, capturing Luo Zheng seed advantageous on the surface and solved an imdiate issue, yet, in the long run, Luo Zheng was indeed a hot potato—he couldn't release him, but killing him? Lan Xue and her affiliates would go mad avenging him.
"I told you, you shouldn't have co. From the mont you intervened, it beca a checkmate. The island was a checkmate, capturing rely solved the island's checkmate, but thrust you into another," Luo Zheng sneered, his face brightening with the joy of victory.
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