The unexpected punch caught Tan Gan off guard, and his mouth took the brunt of it.
“You dare to hit me!” Tan Gan exclaimed in fury, clutching his face. “You fucking dare to hit me!”
Song Linchu had thrown caution to the wind and fearlessly stared back at him. “Try insulting Tan Yue one more time and see if I dare or not!”
“You’re courting death!” Tan Gan swung his fist towards Song Linchu’s face.
Song Linchu swiftly turned his body sideways, evading his attack. He had expected this man, with his sinister demeanor, to be tough and vicious, but it turned out he was so easy to evade.
The bodyguard sitting in the front seat was anxious to protect his employer, but they were already on the expressway and couldn’t stop the car. He could only unbuckle his seatbelt and lean over to grab Song Linchu.
“You dare to touch a single finger of mine, I guarantee Tan Yue will make sure you don’t even know how you died!” Song Linchu declared coldly.
He wasn’t sure if threatening them with Tan Yue’s involvement would intimidate these people, but judging by Tan Gan’s attitude towards him, there should be some fear.
Otherwise, why would they bother with such polite kidnapping methods? It would be simpler to knock him out and toss a bag over his head.
To Song Linchu’s surprise, his words actually worked.
The bodyguard’s movements froze, and he hesitantly glanced at Tan Gan.
Tan Gan, having failed to punch him, didn’t erupt into the rage Song Linchu had expected. Instead, he miraculously calmed down.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and sneered, “What kind of potion did Tan Yue feed you to make you protect him like this?”
Song Linchu replied, “Guess.”
“Fine, very well. You’d better pray that your place in Tan Yue’s heart is that important,” Tan Gan gritted his teeth.
Song Linchu shrugged. “Let’s pray together then.”
Tan Gan realized that this little bastard truly deserved Tan Yue’s attention. Based on his infuriating ability alone, they were a perfect match.
But he knew that now wasn’t the time to harm Song Linchu. If he truly angered Tan Yue, this situation would be far from easy to resolve.
He only intended to hold Song Linchu hostage, to threaten him for some benefits, and didn’t want to engage in a direct confrontation.
“Alright, if Tan Yue doesn’t agree to my conditions and save you,” Tan Gan said with a sly smile, “I’ll find some people to take turns with you!”
The car sped through the night, arriving at a desolate wilderness. Song Linchu had initially thought they would take him to some run-down building or abandoned factory and then send a video to threaten Tan Yue.
To his surprise, they only switched to a six-seat business van in a desolate area.
What surprised him even more was that Tan Gan was carried into another vehicle by the bodyguard.
No wonder his combat skills were so poor; he was actually disabled.
Tan Gan got back into the car and noticed Song Linchu’s gaze on his legs. He smirked, “Do you want to know how they became like this?”
Song Linchu wasn’t particularly interested in finding out.
However, Tan Gan had an overwhelming desire to vent. He wheeled himself closer to Song Linchu and stared at him, full of malice. “That’s right, it’s Tan Yue. You have no idea what kind of devil your lover is.”
“…”
“You must have heard that in order to become the partriach of the family, he used cruel and vicious methods, right?”
Sorry, but I actually haven’t heard.
“Back then, in order to vie for the position of partriach he orchestrated a car accident for me and my father. My father died on the spot, and I became disabled. He reaped the benefits and became the family head.”
Tan Gan spoke with anger in his voice. “He’s a murderer! An evil spirit! Cold-blooded and malicious. He ruined my life, and sooner or later, you will follow in my footsteps! After this incident, he will realize the drawbacks of having someone by his side and will not allow himself to have any weaknesses!”
Song Linchu furrowed his brows slightly.
Seeing his reaction, Tan Gan sneered. “You’ve been protecting him, right? Now that you know his true nature, can you continue to protect him?”
“…” Song Linchu pursed his lips and remained silent.
Tan Gan thought he had successfully intimidated him.he took out his phone with satisfaction and dialed Tan Yue’s number.
——————-
It would take around 20 minutes to drive from Chen Qixiu’s residential complex to the Tan villa, but 30 minutes had passed, and Song Linchu still hadn’t arrived.
Tan Yue sent a WeChat message to Song Linchu, but there was no response.
With a frown, Tan Yue initiated a video call with Song Linchu.
No one answered.
Upon making the phone call, a voice prompt in the receiver informed him that the user he was trying to reach had turned off their phone.
While Tan Yue had a strong desire for control, he wasn’t so paranoid that he would suspect something had happened to Song Linchu or that he was in trouble just because he arrived home a few minutes late. The phone being turned off could simply mean it ran out of battery, and being late could be due to traffic or other delays. After all, Tan Yue didn’t know the exact time Song Linchu got into the car.
After patiently waiting for another ten minutes, Song Linchu still hadn’t returned. Unable to resist any longer, Tan Yue had Cheng Bin call the property management of Chen Qixiu’s residential complex.
Song Linchu should have hailed a car at the entrance of the complex, which was a high-end community with comprehensive security measures. There should be surveillance cameras facing the intersection.
Cheng Bin promptly took care of it.
However, before Cheng Bin could provide any results, Tan Yue received an unfamiliar phone call.
The incoming call displayed as “Unknown Number.” Under normal circumstances, Tan Yue would have hung up on such a call, but now that Song Linchu hadn’t returned, Tan Yue patiently answered.
“My dear little brother,” Tan Gan’s cold voice came through the phone as soon as it connected, “I hope you’re doing well.”
The relationship between Tan Gan and Tan Yue had long soured to the point where they had no contact whatsoever. The fact that Tan Gan was calling him meant it wasn’t without reason.
Tan Yue’s voice turned icy. “Is he with you?”
Tan Gan burst into laughter. “Seems like he’s quite important to you. It hasn’t even been an hour, and you’ve already noticed he’s missing.”
Indeed, it was him.
Their father was mediocre and incompetent, so their grandfather, the previous patriarch of the Tan family, intended to bypass their father and hand over the position of family head directly to one of the brothers.
However, the old patriarch knew that regardless of whom he chose, it would inevitably lead to a battle among the brothers.
Furthermore, he was aware that even if Tan Gan and their father joined forces, they would not be a match for Tan Yue.
Although he wasn’t as biased as their father, he also didn’t want Tan Yue to harm his eldest grandson. Therefore, before his death, he forced Tan Yue to swear an oath that they wouldn’t harm each other as long as Tan Gan didn’t make a move against him.
At that time, Tan Yue desperately needed the shares in the old man’s possession in order to contend with their father. Thinking that this wasn’t an unreasonable request, and not actually intending to harm his brother, Tan Yue agreed.
That’s why, not long ago, when he found incriminating evidence against Tan Gan, he chose to use it as leverage to obtain a piece of land from him instead of sending him straight to prison.
However, he had always held onto the evidence as a means to keep Tan Gan in check, but he never expected that Tan Gan wouldn’t stay put and would commit a major offense.
Tan Yue clenched the edge of the table as he controlled the turmoil within himself and coldly said, “If you dare lay a finger on him, I will make you regret ever coming into this world.”
Hearing Tan Yue’s threat, Tan Gan couldn’t help but feel delighted.
He glanced at Song Linchu.
Song Linchu couldn’t hear what Tan Yue had said. He wanted to give Tan Yue a hint, but unexpectedly, a sharp knife was suddenly pressed against his neck from behind.
The bodyguard sitting in the back seat held the handle of the knife and warned in a low voice, “Keep your mouth shut if you don’t want to die.”
Although Song Linchu had dared to strike Tan Gan, he wasn’t fearless enough to remain unfazed when a knife was pressed against his neck. The cold, gleaming blade rested against his skin, and he could even sense its sharpness. His body stiffened instantly.
Tan Gan was pleased with the substantial bargaining chip he had tied to himself and said with a smile in his eyes, “Don’t be so fierce, dear little brother. I merely invited him to sit here with me. As long as you show enough sincerity, I will naturally restore everything to its original state.”
Tan Yue’s voice had regained its calmness as he said coldly, “What do you want?”
“I have two agreements, currently on their way to your house. Once you sign them, I will release him immediately.”
Tan Yue responded bluntly, “Deal.”
“Hahaha, how refreshing.”
Tan Gan gestured to the bodyguard in the front seat, who understood and took out his phone to send a message. Tan Gan leaned against the back seat. Perhaps because he was in a good mood, the shadow on his face dispersed slightly.
On the side of the Tan family.
Tan Yue’s grip on the edge of the table was so strong that it seemed as if his hand would sink into it. At that moment, Cheng Bin entered the room, his face filled with anxiety. Seeing Tan Yue on the phone, he didn’t say a word but held his phone screen toward Tan Yue, gesturing for him to look.
Cheng Bin’s phone was playing a video, a surveillance recording captured by a mobile phone. Though there were stripes running through the footage, it was still discernible that Song Linchu, who was waiting for a car, was being coerced by two unfamiliar men and forced into a white sedan.
Tan Yue couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw how politely Song Linchu was invited into the car.
He signaled Cheng Bin to immediately locate the position of the vehicle, call the police, and be cautious not to alert the enemy.
As if the person on the other end of the phone knew his thoughts, they said, “My dear brother, this is our family matter. You wouldn’t secretly call the police, would you?”
Tan Yue gestured for Cheng Bin to proceed and replied indifferently, “My people are in your hands. I’m not foolish.”
Tan Gan smiled with satisfaction and said, “Even if you call the police, it won’t make a difference. Your person willingly got into my car. As an elder brother, I’m just taking him for a little ride. The police can’t say anything, right? Hahaha.”
Ignoring Tan Gan, Tan Yue said coldly, “Let me talk to him for a few moments.”
“Fine.” Tan Gan readily agreed and handed the phone directly to Song Linchu.
With the knife still pressed against his neck, Song Linchu held the phone, feeling the increased pressure on the blade— clear warning.
Being held at knifepoint for such a long time, especially in the outskirts where the car was bumping along, no one knew if there would be a sudden jolt that would directly sever his carotid artery. A layer of sweat formed in Song Linchu’s palms.
The car traveled through the endless darkness, without a single streetlight in sight. Song Linchu belatedly felt a sense of fear.
“Gege,” Song Linchu strained to maintain a calm voice, so as not to disrupt Tan Yue’s judgment.
The young man’s slightly hoarse voice came through the earpiece, causing Tan Yue’s heart to tighten.
But he knew that the more he showed concern for Song Linchu at this moment, the more dangerous it would become for him. After all, Tan Gan’s hatred for him was deeply ingrained, bordering on the pathological. When it erupted, he would stop at nothing to destroy what mattered most to Tan Yue.
Including people.
However, he couldn’t appear too indifferent either, or else Tan Gan would think he didn’t value Song Linchu and couldn’t exchange him for favorable outcomes.
“Mmm,” Tan Yue’s voice remained calm with little fluctuation. “Any injuries?”
“No, they treated me kindly and didn’t harm me.”
He even punched Tan Gan.
“That’s good. Don’t be afraid. He won’t dare touch you. I will rescue you soon.”
Song Linchu wasn’t that afraid, but he said, “What kind of agreement does he want you to sign? If it’s too outrageous, gege, you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the knife pressed against his neck suddenly increased in weight. The blade cut through his fair skin, and a bead of blood immediately trickled down his neck.
The sensation of a blade cutting through skin was far from pleasant, and Song Linchu, caught off guard, couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan.
Tan Yue immediately felt as if his soul was about to shatter.
Don’t panic! Stay calm!
To hell with staying calm!
Tan Yue shouted angrily, “Tan Gan! I know you can hear me. If your people dare to lay another finger on him, I’ll ensure you never see the sun tomorrow!”
Tan Gan’s voice filled with a smiling tone came from the other end of the phone. “Understood. The car was just jolting too much earlier, and my subordinate couldn’t hold the knife steady. As long as you cooperate, I guarantee the car will be stable.”
Tan Yue gritted his teeth. “You better keep your word!”
Butler Liu brought in the person sent by Tan Gan to deliver the agreements. He heard Tan Yue’s words, saw his enraged appearance and couldn’t help but wipe his sweat.
He had been with Tan Yue for over a decade and couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Tan Yue angry.
He couldn’t even recall if Tan Yue had ever been this furious.
This Tan Gan, why did he have to touch Tan Yue’s sore spot?
“Bring it here.”
Tan Gan’s subordinate nervously handed over the documents.
Meanwhile, over at Cheng Bin’s location with his team.
They had already tracked the car’s position but it was already empty as the other party must have known that they would quickly locate them based on the car’s route, so they decided to switch vehicles.
Nevertheless, with the advancement of technology, it was still possible to track the location through the mobile signal.
Cheng Bin’s men swiftly pinpointed the approximate location of Tan Gan and his group, on an old and neglected provincial road in the outskirts. They were temporarily unsure which vehicle it was, so Cheng Bin personally led Ah Yong and a few bodyguards to pursue them.
The Tan villa was brightly lit, and it was the first time so many people had visited. Tan Yue sat on the sofa in the living room, his head lowered as he looked at the documents in his hand.
His face showed no expression, but the oppressive aura emanating from him made even the bodyguards responsible for his protection feel the pressure.
The person who ran errands to deliver the agreement for Tan Gan was sweating profusely, afraid that Tan Yue, in his anger, would use him as cannon fodder.
Tan Gan’s two agreements—one aimed to reclaim the land he had yet to fully exploit, and the other demanded that Wanou add an S series to the new product they announced at the beginning of the year, using the excess inventory accumulated from when Changyao stole their product technology and released new items ahead of them.
Changyao intended to seize the market under the pretext of low prices, causing Wanou to suffer heavy losses. However, their plan backfired, as over 70% of their customers chose to return the products, resulting in a surplus in their warehouse that had to be sold at a low price.
Later, Wanou sent them a lawyer’s letter accusing them of plagiarism, and all individuals involved were taken away by the police for investigation. Changyao’s reputation completely collapsed, and major online stores and distributors terminated their cooperation with them.
It was like delivering a fatal blow to someone already covered in wounds, rendering them beyond salvation.
However, the products accumulated, though not as expensive as Wanou’s, still carried their technology and production costs. Tan Gan had invested a significant amount of money to completely seize Tan Yue’s market. If these products didn’t sell, all that money would go down the drain.
He also lost a piece of land.
Tan Gan had taken an unconventional approach, thinking that since Changyao’s products had borrowed extensively from Wanou, he could simply repackage and sell them as Wanou’s own. They would be slightly inferior in quality, allowing for a lower price point.
To prevent Tan Yue from finding loopholes after signing the agreement, Tan Gan meticulously crafted these two agreements, considering every aspect. He made sure that once Tan Yue put his signature on them, the agreements would undoubtedly take effect.
Tan Yue gazed at the terms in the agreement with a heavy and somber expression. His hand that was gripping the pen turned pale, as if he held not a pen but Tan Gan’s throat.
Seeing Tan Yue’s prolonged silence, Tan Gan urged him over the phone, “My dear brother, if you don’t hurry, we’ll soon enter a rough patch of road ahead. The ride will be quite bumpy, but don’t blame me.”
By now, Tan Yue had calmed down. He received a message from Cheng Bin, informing him that they had located Tan Gan’s car and were rushing to catch up. Tan Yue, on the other hand, needed to delay for a while.
He simply couldn’t trust Tan Gan’s character.
“With so much content in this agreement, I have to read it thoroughly,” Tan Yue’s voice remained composed. “Who knows if, after signing, Wanou will become entirely yours?”
“Hahaha, I don’t have your insatiable appetite. I just want to reclaim what rightfully belongs to me,” Tan Gan replied.
Tan Yue remained silent, seemingly engrossed in examining the agreement.
“I’ll give you another ten minutes. After ten minutes, if you don’t sign, don’t blame me for taking action!” Tan Gan said, maliciously.
Tan Yue glanced at another message from Cheng Bin that read, [We can catch up in approximately 20 minutes.] He calmly stated, “Twenty minutes.”
This statement made Tan Gan suddenly alert. He shouted with fury, “Even if you dissected each individual word, it wouldn’t take 20 minutes! Are you intentionally stalling?”
Tan Yue said emotionlessly, “I merely need time to weigh whether he is worth the significant cost.”
“Hahaha,” Tan Gan suddenly laughed. “Just as I thought, Tan Yue. This cold-blooded demeanor is your true nature.”
Tan Gan had put the call on speaker, cunningly observing Song Linchu, curious about his reaction to these words.
Song Linchu turned his head slightly, seemingly reluctant to be part of the spectacle.
Tan Gan grew even more delighted. “Alright, take your time to consider. It’s fine if you give up on him. I’ll find a few people to love and care for him.”
