When making a deal with the devil, you always get a little something at the beginning, but later you'll find... the devil is always the devil!
The more you take from the devil, the more blood he'll drain from you, or even take your life directly!
Yu Shuang gave me that exact feeling.
She never intended to share the Qian Wang Ling with anyone, not even if that person's overt strength far surpassed hers.
From beginning to end, Yu Shuang's goal was crystal clear: to seize the Qian Wang Ling at any cost, and for her alone!
Anyone who dared to covet the Qian Wang Ling under the guise of cooperation, if their strength was inferior, she would eliminate them quickly; if their strength was superior, she would find ways to use a borrowed knife to kill!
Ruthless! Truly ruthless!
As an opponent, while Yu Shuang made me grit my teeth in hatred, I couldn't help but feel a sliver of admiration from the bottom of my heart.
What I admired most about Yu Shuang was her exceptional ability to grasp human weaknesses, then guide the situation to her advantage, proceeding slowly and steadily.
Were Dong Chengpeng and Rui Lin wronged in their defeat?
To be honest, they were a bit wronged.
A perfectly orchestrated plan, with everyone except the boss playing the villain, was ultimately ruined by her, a double agent.
If these two men were given a chance to choose again, I bet they wouldn't agree to cooperate with Yu Shuang even if it meant death.
...
When Yu Shuang's subordinates pushed open the door from outside the conference room, I knew clearly that I had been set up by her and Mr. He.
Yu Shuang used the situation to seize the Qian Wang Ling.
Mr. He used the incident to eliminate the mole.
They both won, while I was left to bear the consequences, becoming the biggest loser of the night.
After Yu Shuang's subordinates entered, Dong Chengpeng and Rui Lin, realizing the situation was beyond their control, immediately launched a desperate counterattack before Yu Shuang could even respond to Mr. He.
The two of them stepped forward simultaneously, lunging at Mr. He, who was sitting upright at the bar, from the left and right.
Their speed and proximity were such that even though the bodyguards nearby had already raised their guns and aimed, they dared not pull the trigger.
After all, Mr. He was already eighty-eight years old and couldn't withstand any trouble or fright.
If anything were to go wrong and they failed to rescue Mr. He safely, their guilt would be immense.
Adhering to the principle of seeking no merit but avoiding blame, these bodyguards dared not act rashly.
Seeing this, Yu Shuang immediately shouted at me, who was closest to Mr. He, "Chen Xiang, you can't let them succeed!"
"If Mr. He is captured, none of us will survive!"
Hearing Yu Shuang's words, after hesitating for less than half a second, I decisively chose to act.
Although Yu Shuang had been scheming against me, I knew very well that she only wanted the Qian Wang Ling that she had been desperately seeking.
If she truly wanted to achieve her goal in a more bloody and brutal manner, she wouldn't have needed to cooperate with Mr. He.
Back on the mainland, there had been countless opportunities to attack me and those around me.
From the situation a while ago, it was clear that Yu Shuang had at least sincerely waited for me to make my final choice.
Moreover, I knew with certainty that what Yu Shuang had just said was one hundred percent true.
If anything happened to Mr. He, or if he were captured by Dong Chengpeng and Rui Lin... everyone in this room tonight, without exception, would not survive!
As I reached out and grabbed one of Mr. He's arms, a step ahead of Rui Lin, suddenly...
"Get lost!!!" After a hoarse, furious roar, a cold glint suddenly flashed in Rui Lin's hand, aimed at my wrist.
Honestly, I had always thought Rui Lin was just an arrogant and brainless person, never imagining his combat skills were so formidable.
Caught off guard, I could only instinctively shift my hand slightly due to the body's protective reflexes.
This was the limit of what I could do under a close-range attack aimed at my hand.
The moment my arm shifted slightly, the blade also slashed down like lightning, cutting through my sleeve and revealing a bloody wound.
I knew very well that Rui Lin's intention with this strike was to force me back.
Because in their eyes, Mr. He was the most important hostage at this moment.
After safely evacuating from the Grand Lisboa, the most important hostage would then flip to become me.
Of course, I wouldn't let them have their way!
Taking a blow to my right arm, I didn't pause or hesitate for a single moment. With my left hand, I quickly retrieved the steel plate from the hidden pocket inside my underwear and, in retaliation, slashed at Rui Lin's right hand holding the knife!
This steel plate was the only thing I had hidden on my person.
As for the other steel plates and the Black Star handgun, they had been confiscated by the bodyguards the first time I was brought to the Grand Lisboa.
What a shame...
If I had the gun, Rui Lin's arm would likely be crippled by now!
However, to my disbelief, Rui Lin, who appeared to be a coward, didn't dodge. Instead, like me, he took the blow from my flying plate with his own arm, and...
His knife had already turned and was fiercely slashing at me again.
At this moment, the expression in Rui Lin's eyes was no longer the arrogant defiance of before, but a fearless ferocity and ruthlessness.
I knew what this posture meant; he was showing me with his actions: he was determined to have Mr. He as his hostage! And he wouldn't yield an inch!
Seeing this, the anger in my heart was instantly ignited.
If Mr. He is taken away, I die!
If I protect him at all costs, I live!
If Rui Lin won't yield, I certainly won't either!
Thus, while Dong Chengpeng had already secured Mr. He and was hiding behind his right side to avoid gunfire, Rui Lin and I, fighting for control of Mr. He's left side, hacked at each other with knives and plates, reaching out to grab Mr. He's arm!
As if in a stubborn contest, neither of us dodged, nor did we yield!
This bizarre scene instantly stunned everyone present!
Only Rui Lin and I, as the participants, were clear-headed. Ceding Mr. He to the other side was a dead end for ourselves!
At this moment, not only could I not give an inch, but I had to display a courage and determination as if facing death, striving to gain the upper hand.
Whoever showed weakness in their demeanor, or let out the breath they were holding first, would be one step closer to true death...