Chapter 168: Who is More Ruthless

After smoking three cigarettes in succession, Zheng Long and the others still hadn't returned.

Li Dong, feeling somewhat irritable, stubbed out his cigarette and glanced back at the black Honda parked about two to three hundred meters away.

The car was parked in a somewhat secluded spot, obscured by trees, so Li Dong couldn't immediately discern what was happening. He turned to head over and check it out.

Zhou Haidong quickly advised, "Mr. Li, let's wait a bit longer. Old Zheng and the others will handle it."

It was broad daylight, and it was best to take action when there were fewer people around.

Li Dong was aware of this, but he couldn't calm down.

The car had followed him all day, and Li Dong was sure it wasn't just a coincidence. Its suspicious behavior suggested ill intentions.

If he let them escape without uncovering the source and cause of this, he couldn't keep living in such constant anxiety.

Just as he was about to go over, he saw Zheng Long running towards him.

Seeing Li Dong's look, Zheng Long nodded and said in a low voice, "We've detained them. There are three of them, and they're not easy targets."

"Detained is good enough."

Li Dong sighed in relief. As for the fact that they weren't easy targets, he had anticipated that.

Since the people were captured, Li Dong wasn't in a hurry to interrogate them, given it was daytime and not convenient with people coming and going.

After thinking for a moment, Li Dong said, "Find a secluded place to take them to. I'll come find you later."

When the two nodded, Li Dong added, "Also, find a couple of reliable and capable men to keep an eye on Yuhan."

Given what happened today, Li Dong wasn't comfortable with Qin Yuhan being alone outside.

If they were just tailing him, he had Zhou Haidong around, but if they were targeting Qin Yuhan, it would be problematic.

Hearing Li Dong's instructions, Zheng Long volunteered, "Mr. Li, if you trust me, I'll keep an eye on Miss Qin."

Li Dong glanced at him, and after a moment's thought, he nodded in agreement.

Zheng Long was capable and had been with him for a while, so he should be reliable.

Seeing Li Dong's approval, Zheng Long was pleased.

He and Zhou Haidong joined Yuanfang together, but while Zhou Haidong's position improved, Zheng Long's status had declined.

Previously, when Li Dong went to Beijing, both Zheng Long and Zhou Haidong were his bodyguards. Due to Zheng Long's inability to drive, Zhou Haidong became Li Dong's driver and bodyguard, while Zheng Long ended up as just a security chief. Zheng Long wasn't content with this.

Though Zheng Long knew he couldn't match Zhou Haidong now, he saw hope with the future boss's wife.

By actively protecting the boss's wife, Li Dong might regard him more favorably.

Li Dong could guess Zheng Long's motives, but everyone has their own interests. As long as it didn't interfere with the job, Li Dong generally didn't mind.

Zheng Long's desire to stand out meant he would likely put extra effort into protecting Qin Yuhan, and Li Dong didn't mind his small personal agenda.

After giving these instructions, Li Dong said, "Old Zhou, handle the matters first. Old Zheng, find a driver and follow me. Try to keep this from Yuhan."

Qin Yuhan was clever. If she knew Li Dong had arranged protection for her, she would surely start guessing.

Li Dong didn't want her to worry, so it was best to keep it from her as much as possible.

Both Zheng Long and Zhou Haidong nodded quickly and went off to handle their tasks.

...

After dropping Qin Yuhan off at home, Li Dong exchanged a few words with Zheng Long downstairs before driving straight to the southern suburbs.

Yuanfang had a small warehouse in the southern suburbs where the people were held.

Upon entering, Li Dong saw the three men lying on the ground, groaning, and frowned.

Zhou Haidong, noticing his expression, explained, "These guys tried to resist midway. We were harsh with them. Little Cao was momentarily careless and got cut by a hidden dagger. We had to use some force, and a few ribs were broken."

Li Dong glanced at Cao Hongbing, who was nearby, and asked, "Where's he injured?"

Cao Hongbing grinned and said, "It's nothing serious, just a scratch. I've got it under control."

Li Dong didn't believe him. After a quick inspection, he noticed a tear in his sleeve.

Pulling up his sleeve, Li Dong's face darkened immediately.

A ten-centimeter-long gash with flesh rolled back.

The wound was still oozing blood, and Cao Hongbing hadn't treated it, just covered it with his sleeve.

Li Dong glared at him, "This is nonsense! With a wound like this, why haven't you been to the hospital?"

He then turned to Zhou Haidong, "And you, indulging in this nonsense too. It's summer. What if the wound gets infected?"

Cao Hongbing quickly said, "Mr. Li, it's really nothing. I've had worse injuries during training. They healed the next day. No need for a hospital."

Li Dong wanted to argue further, but Zhou Haidong chimed in, "Mr. Li, it's a minor issue. I'll bandage him up later."

Hearing them downplay the situation, Li Dong shook his head. These rough men didn't value their lives.

Ignoring them, Li Dong instructed, "First, get it bandaged. Later, get a tetanus shot."

After giving these instructions to Cao Hongbing, Li Dong turned his attention to the three men on the ground, his eyes cold with anger.

He hadn't expected them to resort to knives!

Thinking about it, Li Dong felt a pang of fear. If he hadn't discovered this today, he might have been seriously harmed by these people. It would have been a tragic end.

Not in a hurry to interrogate them, Li Dong examined Zhou Haidong's findings.

Two steel pipes, three machetes, and a blood-stained dagger.

The machetes and dagger were unwrapped and sharp, definitely capable of killing.

The more Li Dong examined the items, the colder his expression became. Whether these people intended to kill him or kidnap him, it was too dangerous!

He glanced at the groaning men and asked Zhou Haidong, "Did they say anything?"

Zhou Haidong shook his head, "They didn't say much. They claimed it was just a coincidence that they were following you and said they would report to the police."

Li Dong sneered, "Coincidence and carrying controlled weapons? Even with broken ribs, they still don't confess. Seems like they're tough. Any ordinary thug would have confessed everything by now."

Li Dong didn't have the time or patience to deal with them. He told Zhou Haidong, "Break a few more ribs. Just don't kill them."

Zhou Haidong didn't say anything further. He stepped forward and delivered a series of heavy punches to one of the groaning men's chest.

"Crack!"

Li Dong clearly heard the sound of ribs breaking. It was the first time he heard the sound of bones breaking so vividly.

He had been in fights before and had injuries, but it was his first time seeing someone writhing in pain from broken ribs.

During the Zhu Hongtao incident, Tan Yong had even beaten someone into a vegetative state.

However, Li Dong wasn't present at the scene, and he couldn't imagine the bloody scene. When he heard about Zhu Hongtao becoming a vegetable, he didn't have a clear concept of it.

Today, seeing Zhou Haidong break a rib with a punch, Li Dong felt a shiver of fear in his heart.