"Yes, I'll go right away." Uncle Yi, upon hearing the Master's affirmation that he would save the people, left in excitement.
As soon as he left, the Master sent people to the Zhu family to demand the release of the captives, openly and without reservation.
When Boss Zhu heard that Mr. Fu, the top financier in Port City, was demanding the release of Jiang Qingqing and others, stating he wished to see them, he was surprised but unwilling to comply.
However, considering Mr. Fu's status and position in Port City, he gritted his teeth and handed them over.
Second Brother Zhu was furious upon seeing his elder brother release Jiang Qingqing and the others. "Big Brother, how could you just let Jiang Qingqing go? They are our best leverage against Zhang Liunian. Without them in our hands, why would Zhang Liunian listen to us and pay us with his money and his life?"
Boss Zhu naturally understood this but also understood the consequences if he didn't hand them over.
"Second Brother, you haven't spent time in Port City and don't understand that Port City is divided by class. Mr. Fu just now is a top magnate in Port City. He controls both the underworld and the legitimate world, and can even influence the political climate. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the sky of Port City. Do you think your elder brother can refuse when someone like him wants a few people like Jiang Qingqing?" Boss Zhu wished he could agree, but when someone like that sent a mere subordinate to demand people, he had to obey. This was the survival rule of Port City.
Here, the rich were the true masters. People from Mr. Fu's circle were individuals he might never have had the chance to interact with in his lifetime, let alone offend, had it not been for this matter with Jiang Qingqing. If he dared to offend them, he might find himself in the morgue the next day. This was not a joke, but a fact.
However, he was puzzled as to why Mr. Fu would be interested in Jiang Qingqing and the others.
"Does this Mr. Fu have such a powerful background? Then why does he want to see Jiang Qingqing and the others?"
Second Brother Zhu was momentarily shocked upon hearing his elder brother's words, but afterward, he thought that he was the village chief of the Delta; did he need to fear a rich man?
"Big Brother, even if he's the richest person in all of Port City, we don't need to fear him. Don't forget, I am the village chief, I control the heroin empire, and I have thousands of subordinates. Are we afraid of just one person?"
Second Brother Zhu had always stayed in a small place and, having become a master of a village there, considered himself formidable, daring to provoke even the big shots of Port City.
Boss Zhu was momentarily stunned by his younger brother's arrogant words, then replied after a moment, "Second Brother, I know you have thousands of subordinates, but they have tens of thousands of thugs and henchmen. Moreover, he is the true patriarch of the underworld. Even the three top boxers of Port City respectfully call him 'Sir.' Do you think we can be his match?" If their brothers were truly a match for Mr. Fu, he wouldn't have backed down just now.
"..." Second Brother Zhu was speechless. So, the two of them combined were not his match? It seemed Port City was not as fragile as he thought, and there were quite a few capable people.
"As for why Mr. Fu is interested in Jiang Qingqing and the others, I don't know. Right now, I'm just worried about how we'll proceed when Zhang Liunian comes to demand them. Without the hostages, how will we get Zhang Liunian to pay and obediently fall into our trap?" Boss Zhu was still thinking about Zhang Liunian's arrival in Port City.
Second Brother Zhu said without hesitation, "Mr. Fu wants to see Jiang Qingqing perhaps because he heard of her beauty and wants to see for himself. If she is indeed beautiful and catches his eye, he will definitely keep Jiang Qingqing and not let her go. If she doesn't impress him, he won't release her in the short term either. Therefore, as long as Zhang Liunian doesn't know the people are not with us, we can use this situation to make Zhang Liunian empty his entire fortune and forfeit his life."
Boss Zhu thought this was reasonable. As long as Zhang Liunian didn't know where his wife and daughter were, they could proceed with their original plan. They just needed to prevent Zhang Liunian from seeing them.
"Second Brother is right. However, Zhang Liunian isn't stupid. To make him willingly pay, he might need to see them in person. What do we do if he requests to see them?" Boss Zhu, after all, was a leader and considered matters more deeply.
Second Brother Zhu was not foolish either; he wouldn't have become a village chief if he were. The problem his elder brother raised was indeed important. If they couldn't come up with a solution that benefited both sides, Zhang Liunian might not pay. Wait, why did they have to make Zhang Liunian pay willingly? Couldn't they capture him and then slowly extract his money? Second Brother Zhu laid out his thoughts.
Boss Zhu nodded upon hearing this. "It's feasible, but I don't know if we can successfully capture him without hostages."
"Didn't we already have people prepared at the port? We'll catch him off guard then, and surely we can capture him." Second Brother Zhu felt that their brothers' preparations were sufficient to take down Zhang Liunian in one fell swoop.
Boss Zhu didn't have that much confidence, but he also knew that compared to Zhang Liunian, they would ultimately have a significant advantage, especially since the port was their territory. As long as Zhang Liunian and his group docked, they would only be walking into a trap.
"Yes, this time I've stationed 150 men at the port. I'm not afraid of Zhang Liunian's strength." Boss Zhu felt more secure thinking about his arrangements.
"I'm idle anyway, why don't I go stand guard too?" Second Brother Zhu had nothing to do after arriving here. A thought crossed his mind, and he wanted to go guard for Zhang Liunian's appearance so he could have a good fight.
Boss Zhu thought for a moment upon hearing this and said, "You can go, but be careful. Don't let Zhang Liunian hurt you. His combat prowess is rumored to be very high, to the point where even our fourth brother is no match for him. You need to be aware of your limits."
Second Brother Zhu saw his elder brother's expression darken when he mentioned their fourth brother. Their fourth brother was the most skilled among the four brothers. If even he was no match for Zhang Liunian, it seemed Zhang Liunian was not to be underestimated. If he truly encountered him, he absolutely must not let himself be easily captured.
"I know, Big Brother, I'll be careful." Second Brother Zhu finished speaking, got up, and went to the port with the Zhu family gang, waiting for Zhang Liunian to arrive.
However, Zhang Liunian, whom the Zhu brothers were thinking about, had already arrived at the port. But contrary to what the Zhu brothers expected, he did not come to their Zhu family port but went to another one.
After arriving in Port City, Zhang Liunian did not rush to find the Zhu brothers. Instead, he chose to contact Uncle Yi first to discuss the plan to rescue his wife in detail.
At this moment, Uncle Yi was with Jiang Qingqing, meeting the Master. Coincidentally, they also encountered Tang Guo and another young girl who looked similar to Hua Bao.
"Mom, who is she?" Hua Bao felt that this little girl was very familiar as soon as she saw Tang Zhen, but she couldn't recall where she had seen her before.