Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Settlement
"Have you all gotten something wrong? Without my consent, whatever you’ve discussed seems utterly useless." Xu Ke drew out his words, his expression a mix of a smirk and a sneer, resembling the quintessential villain from a movie.
"Don’t you want to know who the other person is? Are you just going to let them go?" Miss Lu nervously asked upon hearing Xu Ke’s words.
"I already know who the other person is, so your information is worthless to me." Xu Ke mercilessly shattered the last sliver of hope in Miss Lu’s heart as he looked at her face.
"Impossible, how could you possibly know? You’re just bluffing, aren’t you?" Miss Lu questioned, full of doubt.
"The kidnappers are already in my hands, so do you still think I’m lying to you? You should know there’s no point for me to deceive you." Xu Ke let out a mocking laugh, his eyes filled with disdain, ridiculing Miss Lu’s overconfidence.
"So, are you planning to walk with me willingly, or should I dispatch someone to ’invite’ you on a trip?" Xu Ke took his seat at the head of the table and spoke leisurely.
"Where do you want to take us? For what purpose?" Mrs. Lu cautiously glanced at Xu Ke and timidly asked, a stark contrast to her previously arrogant demeanor at the police station.
"One of my sisters is being treated for pneumonia in the hospital, while the other has multiple fractures and lies unconscious there. Though they can’t speak for their own justice while asleep, as their brother-in-law, it is up to me to ensure justice is served." Xu Ke did not answer Mrs. Lu’s question directly, instead bringing up a seemingly unrelated topic, whose underlying meaning was clear to those who understood, causing fear—and to those who didn’t, left them as confused as Mrs. Lu, who timidly suggested, "Are they really that injured? Perhaps I could go take care of them and express my apologies?"
Xu Ke looked at her face, trying to discern whether it was a joke or genuine. Once he saw sincerity in Mrs. Lu’s eyes, he let out an ambiguous laugh, "It seems you don’t want to walk by yourselves, so let the boys escort them. Remember to gag them; I dislike noise." Xu Ke’s expression turned entirely cold as he ignored the trio’s loud pleas from behind.
Xu Ke exited the Lu Family estate, casting his gaze eastward, while behind him, the Lu family members were bound and gagged.
"Family Head, should we act now?" The bodyguard followed Xu Ke’s gaze, though the location appeared unremarkable, he knew Xu Ke was eyeing the Feng Family.
Xu Ke remained silent, and just when the man thought there would be no reply, Xu Ke’s voice rose again, "There’s no rush, keep them a while longer, and let me have some fun with this family first." Xu Ke’s voice carried a sliver of icy disdain.
The implication in Xu Ke’s words caused the man to shiver involuntarily, feeling deep sympathy for the Lu family. Sometimes, a quick stab is better than prolonged suffering by a blunt knife—but it was clear Xu Ke wasn’t planning for a swift end, thus, neither should they hope for one.
The three members of Lu’s family remained unaware of the few crocodile tears shed for them in the man’s heart. In the car, Lu Chenyu’s expression shifted from initial panic to contemplation. He didn’t want to senselessly end things here; he needed to grasp a chance for survival. As long as he’s alive, anything can be fought for, but if one is gone, then everything truly is over. For his safety, he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice some things.
At this thought, Lu Chenyu instinctively glanced at his wife and daughter beside him.
In the darkness, Mrs. Lu’s eyes met Lu Chenyu’s gaze, and upon seeing the gleam in his eyes, her heart sank. Although reluctant to admit it, she knew her husband had given up on her and was contemplating how to use her for gain. It’s strange—after so many years with Lu Chenyu, she hadn’t learned much, but she had become increasingly perceptive of his nature.
Yet, because she saw through him, Mrs. Lu’s heart ached as if cut by a knife. How had a marriage of over twenty years arrived at a point of mutual hostility? What in the world had led to this? At that moment, Mrs. Lu felt a bitter taste fill her mouth.
Before they realized it, Xu Ke’s punishment for them had already begun.
With the car driving for a long time, the three sat in the back, swaying until it finally stopped. As the door opened, each of them was roughly pulled out by the bodyguards. Miss Lu stumbled as she got out, almost landing face-first if she hadn’t steadied herself in time.
They were shoved into a warehouse, where the gags were removed, and ropes were untied at Xu Ke’s gesture.
"Curious about where you are?" Xu Ke sat on the lone chair in the room, eyeing the disoriented group as he asked.
Only Miss Lu among them held a vague suspicion in her heart.
Xu Ke’s gaze lingered on Miss Lu for a moment, "Seems someone among you already knows. Indeed, this is the warehouse where Xiaxia and the others were confined earlier. How does it feel to be here?" Xu Ke smiled as he asked.
But he didn’t wait for their answers nor had any intention of teasing them.
"I didn’t bring you here to take your lives today, but everything those two endured, you three will endure doubly. Otherwise, I simply can’t quell the rage in my heart. I’ll be here, watching you gradually become like Xiaxia and them."
With just a glance from Xu Ke, someone immediately understood the signal, stepping into the thick darkness outside the warehouse.
The anticipation is grueling, even for the usually careless Mrs. Lu and Miss Lu, who initially seemed fearless—they both now showed signs of fear towards the unknown and a trace of regret scarcely noticeable but quickly overshadowed by terror.
If Mrs. Lu and Miss Lu reacted this way, then it’s needless to say how Lu Chenyu, lost in his thoughts since the car ride, felt. His nerves were stretched taut, snapping when the bodyguards brought in a large, foul-smelling barrel.
Without warning, Lu Chenyu attacked Miss Lu by his side.