"Speak."
"I want to help your master with a research project after he wakes up. Once we figure out the principle of the green salt fruit, it will benefit all of humanity." Qiu Bowen's tone was excited.
Before he spoke, Li Chonglou had already guessed what he wanted to do.
This kind of thing was indeed beneficial to the country and the people, and under normal circumstances, he would have been happy to help.
But he knew his master, who disliked being in the spotlight.
Even more so, he didn't want to be put on display for research.
So he could only refuse, "I'm sorry, I can't agree to this. You can ask him yourself when my master wakes up."
Clearly, a hint of disappointment flashed in Qiu Bowen's eyes.
But it was fleeting.
Because Wang Dehong had already arrived with three on-duty cardiologists.
"You guys come and check the patient's heart rate. It's already far beyond the normal range..." Qiu Bowen called out to them, stepping forward to check Lin Zhendong's condition.
Seeing this, Li Chonglou called Xu Lie to wait outside.
He disliked seeing others pointing fingers at his master's body, but this was a hospital, so he couldn't stop them.
He could only avert his gaze to avoid annoyance.
"I'll go prepare some things today," Xu Lie said in a low voice.
Li Chonglou immediately understood and shook his head, "We're not familiar with the place, and we can't get many things."
"Find Ejimu, he'll definitely have the channels."
"I won't go with you, lest we run into Zhao Nianbin and his gang again. Be careful yourself."
Xu Lie's eyes gleamed, and he nodded before leaving.
Not long after he left, Lin Ying rushed over. After hearing Li Chonglou's description of her father's condition, the worry that had been weighing on her for days finally subsided.
Inside, Qiu Bowen was still continuing his work, so the two waited outside the door.
It took nearly two hours, and around nine in the morning, the ward rounds concluded.
As he was leaving, Qiu Bowen, with a beaming face, pulled Li Chonglou aside and said, "Little brother, can you tell me where you got the green salt fruit from?"
It was clear that he had already listed the green salt fruit as his research subject.
He was determined to bring this divine object, which had been legendary for thousands of years, down from its pedestal to benefit the people.
Unfortunately, he had found the wrong person.
Although the green salt fruit only produced one every sixty years, it was all at the bottom of the Qarhan Salt Lake, buried very deep.
Moreover, it dissolved upon contact with water, making its excavation incredibly difficult.
Otherwise, how could there only be this one green salt fruit openly in the entire Xihai City?
Even if he told him that he traded it with Su Yinchuan, it would be useless.
After hearing Li Chonglou's explanation, Qiu Bowen sighed helplessly and left in disappointment.
Shortly after he left, Li Chonglou's phone rang: "Are you the one who hit Duojie yesterday? Ciren Yangla is in our hands."
"Get to Balanggou within half an hour, or she will die a terrible death."
* * *
* * *
With a snap, the call was hung up.
A cold glint flashed in Li Chonglou's eyes.
"Something happened?" Lin Ying clearly sensed something was wrong.
Li Chonglou nodded, "The girl who helped me find the green salt fruit yesterday was captured, and they are looking for me."
He always repaid kindness with overflowing gratitude.
If it weren't for Ciren Yangla yesterday, he knew it would have been very difficult to get news of the green salt fruit.
Seeing Ejimu's fear of Su Yinchuan, he knew that even if he beat him to death, he wouldn't reveal it.
Since Yangla had been kind to him, how could he stand by and do nothing?
"I'll go with you," Lin Ying said, standing up immediately.
Xu Lie had gone to handle his business, and Li Chonglou, unable to use his true energy within the month, was just an ordinary person.
If something happened, it would be a big trouble.
"No," Li Chonglou refused the next second, "Senior Sister, my master's condition is still uncertain, and he may need someone to look after him at any time. You can't leave his side."
"You don't need to worry about my safety, I have my own ways."
Looking at the confidence emanating from his junior brother, Lin Ying was silent for a few seconds.
Her junior brother had weathered many storms.
This time, it was just a bunch of hooligans; it wasn't necessary to resolve it with force.
So she agreed, "If anything happens, remember to notify me in time."
Li Chonglou hummed in response and left the hospital.
After sending a message, he took a taxi straight to Balanggou.
The terrain of Xihai City was different from ordinary cities; it was located in a mountainous canyon.
Beyond the bustling areas were many desolate places.
Balanggou was not far from the hospital, about twenty minutes away, but it was sparsely populated and an undeveloped scenic spot.
It was obvious that by choosing this location, those people did not intend for the situation to end peacefully.
As expected, upon entering Balanggou, he saw two Toyota Prados blocking the end of the road.
Ciren Yangla's hands were tied, her face streaked with tears and fear. Seven imposing and sharp-looking strong men stood beside her.
The leader sat on the hood of the car, his hair dyed golden yellow, and he was using a dagger to trim his fingernails.
The taxi driver saw this, quickly braked, and urged Li Chonglou to get out.
Then, he fled as fast as he could.
Seeing Li Chonglou appear, Ciren Yangla's panicked eyes flashed with a trace of excitement.
"Brother Li... save me..."
She had received over a million yuan yesterday and planned to pay off her father's debts today, living a peaceful life thereafter.
Who would have thought that after taking the money, those people would tie her up?
They demanded that she lure Li Chonglou out to avenge Duojie.
Otherwise, they would kill her.
Driven by fear, she could only recall the number Li Chonglou had given to Su Yinchuan yesterday and report it.
It was originally a helpless move, but she never expected that Li Chonglou would actually come for her.
"Kid, you're quite brave." The blond guy spoke fluent Mandarin, clearly not a Tibetan. He jumped down from the car hood, a sinister grin on his face.
As he spoke, he held a dagger to Ciren Yangla's face.
Then he said, "For a Hei Qima Wu woman, you dared to beat my subordinate. Do you have a death wish?"
"Since you're here, let's talk about compensation."
So they wanted money.
Li Chonglou sneered inwardly and said calmly, "Do you know Zhao Nianbin?"
They were both involved in the underworld in Xihai City. Since he was Han, he should be familiar with Zhao Nianbin.
"You're Zhao Nianbin's man? Damn it, no wonder you're so bold!" The blond guy's expression changed slightly, a killing intent rising in his eyes.
"Don't misunderstand, I just dealt with Zhao Nianbin yesterday. How do you compare to him?" Li Chonglou could clearly see the killing intent and instantly analyzed that they not only knew each other but also had a grudge.
That was good. Originally, he mentioned Zhao Nianbin to bluff.
After all, he had taken care of a local tough yesterday, and this matter must have spread.
If the other party was a friend, it would be enough to make him wary.
If he was an enemy, it would be easy to change tactics.
"You were the one who dealt with Zhao Nianbin last night?" Indeed, the blond guy's eyelids twitched, and he said in disbelief, "Who are you kidding? With your skinny look!"
"Zhao Nianbin has five guns!"
Zhao Nianbin's incident had spread throughout the circles that night, but no one knew the cause and effect.
The people in the ghost market were silenced, and even the police didn't get any news.
After all, it involved illegal weapons; if the news leaked, they would all be wiped out.
So he only knew that Zhao Nianbin had been dealt with, but not by whom.
Of course, he didn't believe Li Chonglou's words. Anyone could come and brag that they had done it, as no one knew the real situation.
"You can ask Zhao Nianbin yourself. Release Yangla, and we'll call it even," Li Chonglou calmly replied. "Duojie deserved to be beaten. Who asked him to bring people to break the glass?"
"You're a boss, you need to distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise, how can you mix in the underworld?"
Hearing this, the blond guy's pupils contracted, and his expression was unpredictable.
After a few seconds, he gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it, you want to teach me?"
"I don't care who you are, you beat my subordinate, so you have to pay with money, otherwise, you won't leave today."
Saying that, he flicked his eyes.
Immediately, two strong men drew their knives from their waists and surrounded Li Chonglou.
Seeing this scene, Yangla cried in distress.
Li Chonglou's heart also tightened.
He had been stalling for time, which was why he had been talking so much nonsense with the blond guy, but he didn't expect the blond guy to not fall for it.
It seemed that the entire Xihai underworld was not as unified as present-day Yong'an.
Instead, it was fragmented and self-governing.
Words alone had no deterrent effect.
And this blond guy who lent money was not honorable.
"Hold on, hold on. Compensation, of course. What's the big deal? Name your price, how much do you want?" Li Chonglou spread his hands, feigning panic.
Seeing his spirit weaken, the blond guy grinned triumphantly, "I thought you were so capable, but it turns out you were just pretending."
"My brothers are all lying at home now, so I won't ask for too much."
"Ten million per person. Bring eighty million, and I'll let you go!"
Hearing this, Yangla shouted angrily, "You're shameless!"
Eighty million?
This wasn't compensation; it was extortion and blackmail.
"Do you know this is kidnapping?" Li Chonglou's face darkened, and he shouted, "Let me tell you, compensation and kidnapping are two different concepts!"
"One is at most an administrative security case, while the other is a criminal case. You might end up in prison for life."
The blond guy laughed coldly upon hearing this, "Kid, who are you trying to scare?"
"If I were afraid of going to jail, would I be doing this job?"
"I'll give you three minutes to consider. Either pay the money, or both of you, this pair of dogs, will die."
"There are lives taken in these mountains every day, you just don't see it. With two more of you, it's just more food for the wild beasts."
"Take him down."
At the blond guy's command, two strong men who had already reached Li Chonglou's side each grabbed his shoulder, twisting his right hand behind his back.
Another held a dagger to Li Chonglou's neck.
They brought him back in front of the blond guy.
"I'm sorry, Brother Li, I've caused you trouble..." Ciren Yangla saw this and tears streamed down her face.
She had thought Li Chonglou would bring that god-like, Vajra-like figure from yesterday, but she didn't expect Li Chonglou to come alone.
He was as helpless as she was; he was doomed today.
"Don't cry. Heaven has eyes. The devil's magic is a foot high, but the Dao is ten feet high. It's not certain who will die," Li Chonglou's expression remained calm and composed, without any trace of panic.
In this situation, the more panicked he was, the more troublesome it would be.
Only by keeping the blond guy and these people steady would he have a chance.
Saying that, he directly stated, "I can give eighty million, but it definitely won't be in cash, and there are limits to transfers."
"Either you take us to a bank, or you let me go so I can withdraw it."
"Take you to the bank?" The blond guy threatened with a cold laugh, "Are you f-ing treating me like an idiot?"
"I certainly won't let you go."
"No matter what method you use, you must have someone deliver the money within a day."
"Otherwise, I'll dig a hole here and bury you!"
* * *
The moment the words fell, a cloud of dust rose in the distance, and several Range Rovers sped over.
The blond guy immediately became tense.