Easy for You to Say

As soon as the leader of the thugs spoke, he quickly shook his head vigorously. "No way, this is the sixth floor! My life may be cheap, but with all his money, there's no way he'd throw it away by dying!"

Tang Ao, standing high above and looking down at the five thugs, felt his legs tremble slightly.

Tang Ao wasn't afraid of heights, but jumping off a building...

This was his first time considering it.

For most people, jumping from a height of six floors or more... it would be a one-time experience—if you get what I mean.

A person's center of gravity is in their head, so jumping from such a height would likely mean landing headfirst—certain death. Anyone who survives would be exceptionally lucky, as if they had saved the galaxy in their previous life.

Tang Ao couldn't help but swallow nervously. He shouted down, "Remember, you said you wouldn't move!"

The leader of the thugs felt a jolt of fear in his heart, but one of his companions stepped forward, shouting loudly, "Who are you trying to scare? My boss isn't afraid of you at all! If you've got the guts, jump down and trade your life for his. Eighteen years later, my boss will be back, a hero again!"

"Exactly!" another thug chimed in. "If you're brave enough, jump down! If my boss so much as flinches or steps back, he'll be yours!"

The leader of the thugs shot a deep look at his two brothers. These were truly his good brothers!

On the surface, they were praising him and belittling Tang Ao, but in reality, they were putting him on the spot.

With his lackeys already saying such things, the leader had no way out and no retreat.

If Tang Ao really jumped down...

What would he do then?

The leader of the thugs looked again at Tang Ao, who was precariously perched at the edge, ready to jump. He couldn't help but gulp.

Surely...

He wouldn't really do it, right?

You're Tang Ao, a rich, powerful, and young heir to a super-wealthy family!

Is trading your life for mine really worth it?

The more the leader thought about it, the more convinced he became that Tang Ao was just trying to scare him.

With this in mind, the leader took a deep breath, lifted his head, and put on his usual arrogant expression. He pointed straight at Tang Ao's position and crooked his finger towards himself. "Come on down!"

Tang Ao clearly heard the thugs' words and couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration:

[Now this is what you call a dedicated villain! These guys are really committed!]

[It's a shame they picked the wrong target. I'm a villain just like you guys. The protagonist isn't even here—no matter how well you perform, it's pointless!]

[Dedicated villains like this are hard to find these days. I have to make sure to send these guys to Ye Chen—he'll definitely be able to use them to show off!]

With this thought, Tang Ao gave a thumbs-up to the thugs below.

[Alright then, I'll jump down. Let's hope this guy doesn't die from the impact—he better be strong enough to survive!]

Hearing Tang Ao's inner thoughts, Zhou Ling'er's mind went blank, and her heartbeat seemed to skip a beat.

Tang Ao was really planning to jump down!

To save her, he was actually willing to risk his life!

Zhou Ling'er was on the verge of tears. She couldn't hold back any longer and shouted up at Tang Ao, who was preparing to jump, "Don't do it!!! Tang Ao, please don't do something so foolish! I'm not worth it!"

One of the thugs scoffed, "You silly girl, do you really think this playboy is going to jump down to save you? Impossible. Stop dreaming!"

Zhou Ling'er's voice was hoarse from shouting. "No, stop provoking him! I know Tang Ao—he really will jump! He's already about to do it!!!"

"Who are you trying to fool? This pampered rich kid couldn't fool me if he tried. I'll tell you what—if he dares jump, I'll walk backward for the rest of my life!"

"Yeah, and if this second-generation brat jumps, I'll do a backflip while peeing in front of everyone!"

The thugs became more and more raucous, egging each other on. Meanwhile, the leader of the thugs was sweating profusely.

The leader felt like a balloon, and Zhou Ling'er's words were like needles pricking his fragile heart. His already anxious mood grew even more uneasy.

This kid...

He wouldn't really do it, right!?

He really wouldn't!!!

As the leader stared up in anticipation, Tang Ao's body leaned further and further out.

One small step, then another...

Most of Tang Ao's body was now hanging in midair!

The leader's breathing grew rapid.

A lackey next to him tried to reassure him, "Boss, don't worry. I'm sure he's just pretending. Trust me, with all his money, he wouldn't really risk his life!"

"Oh, you're so smart and superior, huh?" The leader's temper flared at the lackey's words. He grabbed the lackey and pulled him in front of him. "From now on, you stand right here. Don't move a single step. If you move, I'll make sure you never walk again!"

The lackey looked up at Tang Ao dangling from the sixth floor and felt his legs start to shake. His earlier bravado disappeared, and he timidly turned to the leader. "B-Boss, this... this doesn't seem right, does it?"

"You're right, it doesn't!" The leader nodded. The lackey breathed a sigh of relief, ready to step away from the dangerous situation, but the leader added, "None of you move! We'll share the risk together—everyone, come over here and stand in a circle around me!"

At this moment, they didn't care about Sister Hong anymore.

They had the bank card, knew the PIN, and had Sister Hong's ID. Even if she ran away now, she would eventually have to crawl back to them.

As for Zhou Ling'er...

Her eyes were glued to Tang Ao. Even if someone tried to push her away, she wouldn't leave this spot.

The lackeys looked miserable at the order:

"B-Boss, this isn't right!"

"Yeah, Boss, if we all stand here... what if she runs?"

"Boss, you know me—I'm a talker. Everything I say always comes true. Trust me, he won't jump!"

Seeing his lackeys starting to chicken out, the leader became even more determined. He waved his hand and commanded sternly, "If any of you don't come over here, don't blame me for what happens next. Get over here and circle around me! Let's see if you dare to talk big and not follow through. If you don't come... you know what's going to happen!"

Tang Ao, meanwhile, was busy calculating how far he needed to jump to land precisely on the leader without killing him. But before he could finish, he noticed that the five thugs had formed a circle with the leader at the center!

Tang Ao was stunned!

This is way too cooperative!

If I jump down now...

Will all five of them get wiped out?

Surely... not, right?