Hou Wude took a half step back, looking at Lu Pingzhang, who was surrounded by a group of bodyguards and pinned down in the middle. He tilted his head, tapped his ear, and then smiled again: “Lu Ge, I don’t think you understand the situation right now. Let me make it clear to you: you’re as good as dead today.”
Lu Pingzhang stared at him.
Qiao Jin silently unbuckled his seatbelt.
Hou Wude nodded toward the bodyguard.
With a loud clang, Hou Wude’s head slammed against the car body, and his hands reached for the seatbelt tightening around his neck.
“Boss!” “Let go!” “Let him go!”
Five or six bodyguards rushed over to pull Qiao Jin away.
“Back off!” Qiao Jin barked. “Or I’ll snap his neck right now!”
Hou Wude’s face had turned red and blue. The bodyguard was afraid to approach him, so he turned to Lu Pingzhang instead, pressing a stick from his waist against the back of his head and threatening Qiao Jin, “Let go! Otherwise, he’ll die too!”
Lu Pingzhang was being held down by several people. His cheek was covered in blood, his eyebrow bone was split open, and his dark eyes reflected the bloodlight, giving him a fierce appearance.
Qiao Jin wasn’t afraid of Lu Pingzhang like this; he even wanted to go down and hug him tightly.
“We’ll exchange hostages,” Qiao Jin looked at the bodyguard, his eyes showing no trace of panic, his thin lips coldly parting to say, “Take the stick off the wheel, let Lu Pingzhang get in the car, and I’ll let go of Hou Wude.”
The bodyguard glanced around and agreed, “Alright.”
He signaled to his men to remove the sticks on one side, then went to remove the ones on the other side.
As he spoke, he gestured, aiming the tip at Hou Wude: “If he dies, what will you gain, and what will become of you?”
Whether he truly lacked control or was intentionally demonstrating his power, Hou Wude’s neck was already bleeding, and the collar had been soaked in blood within the span of a few sentences.
At that moment, he resembled a brutal tyrant inflicting cruelty.
Lu Pingzhang gasped as he looked at him, blood dripping from his arm, soaking his entire sleeve.
Qiao Jin gave him a deep look, and Lu Pingzhang shook his head slightly at him.
It meant not to be afraid and to leave first if necessary.
Qiao Jin was taking a gamble.
If the bodyguard used a mutually destructive method to decisively break Lu Pingzhang’s leg and threaten him to let go, then he would most likely not engage in a contest of who was more ruthless, and Lu Pingzhang would definitely be the one to suffer.
But he was not afraid. Even if he stained his hands with blood and took a life today, he would still take Lu Pingzhang away.
The two exchanged a glance through the car window, each seeing in the other’s eyes what they wanted to say.
The bodyguard said harshly, “The sticks have all been removed. Let him go first.”
“You have more people,” Qiao Jin said. “Let him go first.”
“Impossible. If I let him go, you’ll drag Mr. Hou away with you.”
He was right; Qiao Jin had indeed planned to do that.
The bodyguard glared at him.
Qiao Jin, with blood trickling down his temple, urged, “Decide quickly. Your boss won’t last much longer.”
Hou Wude’s face was dark, his lips pale, and his entire body hung limply from the car window. At this point, Qiao Jin didn’t need to exert any force; he only needed to hold onto the seatbelt, and Hou Wude would hang himself.
The men released Lu Pingzhang, who swayed slightly and looked at Qiao Jin.
“Go on,” Qiao Jin frowned and urged him.
Lu Pingzhang opened his mouth, but at that moment, the bodyguard suddenly lunged forward and punched Qiao Jin in the head!
The situation changed suddenly. At this point, even if Qiao Jin had cut a piece of glass into Hou Wude’s neck, he would have been unable to avoid being hit.
In the blink of an eye, Lu Pingzhang suddenly sprang up and charged toward Qiao Jin alongside him.
With a thud, Lu Pingzhang arrived first, crashing into the car window. The bodyguard’s iron-like fist followed closely behind, whistling through the air with a powerful gust.
The bodyguard gave it his all, delivering a blow to Lu Pingzhang’s back!
Qiao Jin exclaimed, “Lu Pingzhang!”
Lu Pingzhang lowered his head to look at him, sweat beads forming on his forehead, his face growing pale.
In Qiao Jin’s line of sight, he swallowed two coughs, his shoulders trembling slightly as he leaned against the car door, furrowing his brows and flashing a smile tinged with blood: “It’s okay, don’t be afraid.”
Qiao Jin caught a glimpse of the bodyguard approaching and immediately pressed the glass downward, causing blood to gush out. The bodyguard’s expression changed instantly.
“Back off,” Qiao Jin coldly stared at him through the narrow gap between the car window and Lu Pingzhang, pressing down again and repeating, “I said, back off.”
The other bodyguards reacted and surrounded the area.
Qiao Jin remained expressionless as he surveyed them and asked Lu Pingzhang, “Can you drive?”
Lu Pingzhang smiled again and used his uninjured hand to touch the dried blood on his forehead.
Qiao Jin frowned. “Get in the car.”
“I can’t get in,” Lu Pingzhang said, his strength exhausted. He collapsed to the ground, as if he had been pulled out of water, unable to hold himself up any longer.
“Lu Pingzhang,” Qiao Jin leaned forward slightly, but was immediately stopped by Lu Pingzhang shaking his head.
“How are you?” Qiao Jin looked at him.
Lu Pingzhang raised his head, forcing away the ruthless look in his eyes, leaving only gentleness: “My spine is injured.”
Qiao Jin momentarily forgot to breathe, his eyes flashing with a desperate anger. Before he could act, Lu Pingzhang asked, “If I’m paralyzed for the rest of my life, would you be willing to push me in a wheelchair and take me out?”
Qiao Jin stared at him, trembling all over.
“We don’t have to go too far—just to the park or downstairs in the neighborhood to get some fresh air.” Lu Pingzhang asked slowly while kneeling, “Are you willing, Qiao Jin?”
“What time is it now?” Qiao Jin stared at him. “You’re still saying this…”
“Are you willing?” Lu Pingzhang interrupted him, seeking an answer.
His face was so pale that even his usually dark lips had no trace of color. The sweat that had seeped out had dampened his hair, but one could still see the posture of a ruler accustomed to being above everyone else.
Qiao Jin remained silent for a moment, then clenched his teeth and nodded.
If Hou Wude were still conscious at that moment, he would undoubtedly have cursed loudly, as the bodyguards he had brought with him were wearing expressions of disbelief.
However, dragging this out would benefit Qiao Jin in no way, and Lu Pingzhang needed to be taken to the hospital immediately.
Just as the bodyguards were about to act, several vehicles approached from the distance, with the words “Sparrow Media” printed on their sides.
His neck, which had been choked, was purple and black, with wounds still bleeding. If he had waited another minute to release his grip, Hou Wude might have been choked to death by Qiao Jin.
The people Hou Wude had brought with him rushed forward to help him up, covering the horrific wound on his neck with their clothes.
The car from “Sparrow Media” came to a stop, and the doors swung open. A crowd of journalists carrying cameras rushed out, sprinting toward them at full speed.
The meaning was clear—if Hou Wude didn’t die, having Lu Pingzhang in their hands would provide an explanation.
“Why aren’t you running?” Qiao Jin’s hands were limp, hanging out the car window, his palms and fingers covered in bruises. “Hou Wude can’t even save himself.”
Qiao Jin gathered his strength, got out of the car, and stayed by Lu Pingzhang’s side, afraid that they might impulsively take Lu Pingzhang away.
Lu Pingzhang reached out to grab his hand, but as soon as his fingertips moved, Qiao Jin thrust his hand into Lu Pingzhang’s palm, watching the people in front of them warily like a guard dog protecting its master.
The bodyguards were startled by the commotion, exchanging confused glances, all wondering why Lu Pingzhang had called journalists instead of thugs??
The journalists blocked their path as they tried to carry Hou Wude into the car, snapping photos and asking, “May I ask about this kidnapping…”
“Get lost!” The bodyguard, whose face was hit by the microphone, pushed him away violently, sending him crashing to the ground.
This stirred up a hornet’s nest.
“How dare you push people?” “That’s so uncivilized!” “Which security company are you from?” “…”
Lu Pingzhang gently touched Qiao Jin’s hand, feeling sorry for the marks left by the rope: “Xiao Liu’s company endorses a ointment that leaves no marks. I’ll get you a few boxes to apply when we get back.”
“Don’t say anything.” Qiao Jin was frustrated by his bold attitude and dared not touch him with his other hand.
He took out Lu Pingzhang’s phone, which had several missed calls. Qiao Jin called back.
“I want to talk to you,” Lu Pingzhang said, his eyes barely open, forcing himself to speak, “Don’t be afraid.”
He repeatedly reassured Qiao Jin not to be afraid.
Qiao Jin’s eyes stung, and tears were about to fall.
“Don’t cry,” Lu Pingzhang said frantically, holding his hand. “It’s okay, don’t cry…”
Qiao Jin had never heard him speak in such an emotional tone before. He turned his head and saw a line of cars rushing toward them through a cloud of dust.
When Secretary Yin got out of the car, he stumbled, and even his striped shirt, which was always neatly tucked into his suit pants, was pulled out in a disheveled manner.
Secretary Yin had no time to spare, directing people to restrain Hou Wude and then running over to help carry Lu Pingzhang.
The flashes of cameras continued, and the chaotic voices of the journalists rose and fell.
Qiao Jin took off his coat and covered Lu Pingzhang’s face, afraid that the reporters would take pictures.
Secretary Yin arrived and directed people to carry Lu Pingzhang. Immediately after, Fu Linxiao also arrived with his people, hurriedly getting out of the car and running over from a distance.
Qiao Jin closed his eyes and finally let out a breath of relief.
“Slow down,” he had to let go of Lu Pingzhang’s hand and instruct Secretary Yin, “His spine is injured.”
The traces of emotion in Qiao Jin’s eyes were still visible, but he managed to maintain his composure, even though his hands were still trembling: “He’s unconscious and can’t hear you.”
Secretary Yin nearly fainted as well.
He directed someone to carry Lu Pingzhang on a stretcher, then turned to Qiao Jin and wept bitterly: “Deduct my salary, deduct my bonus—anything! Mr. Qiao, please don’t fire me! Even a scoundrel has a chance to redeem himself. From the day I started working until now, I’ve only made this one mistake… waaahhh…”
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