Chapter 105: Why I Don’t Believe It

Yu Hongmei was brutally murdered. All her teeth were pulled out, her tongue was cut off, and her body was covered in injuries. This wasn’t a forced confession. It was extreme hatred.

Was it because of Ma Hexuan’s girlfriend, Shen Qi?

That must be part of the reason, but the key point was the software. 

Was it set to self-destruct or clear itself?

It took Ma Hexuan five full years and 20 million yuan of hard work. Like a child he raised himself, could he watch his own child die? Upon learning that the software was going to self-destruct or be cleared, Ma Hexuan must have wanted to get out, right?

Was it Yu Hongmei who caused all this? Was that why he hated her to the extreme?

Yu Hongmei was Yang Zhichao’s woman. Why would she let Ma Hexuan do this?

No, Yu Hongmei was just his tool, a tool that had lost its value. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been allowed to seduce Ma Hexuan. 

Was that why she was taken to be killed by Ma Hexuan? Were the terms negotiated?

‘Everything makes sense.’

Xiao Yu let out a long breath.

So now, how to find them?

‘No, this thinking is wrong. We must be one step ahead of them. You can’t catch anyone by always following behind. The most correct approach… I’ve already pushed up the high ground before you even leave the fountain! Now it’s not about how to find them. Instead, we need to think about what they want to do most right now. Escape from this city.’

Xiao Yu smiled.

Air route? Impossible. Land? There was a blockade.

The only way he could escape was by water. Why only by water?

The only air route was by plane, and he couldn’t get out without identity information. The city was now sealed off by land, so where could he possibly run? The only option was water, blending into some ships, with the most relaxed inspections before going out to sea. Especially some fishing boats that had little to no inspection, as long as they reported the ship’s departure information.

If he wanted to escape from this city, he could only go by water.

‘But… The ship for going out to sea, you must have prepared it long ago, right? We, the police, also fell for your trick and have been delayed for two days? So, it means that you are very likely by the seaside now. Or have you already set sail? No problem, even in this season, there aren’t many ships going out to sea. Passenger ships are impossible, the only options are fishing boats and cargo ships. So, fishing boats are also ruled out. Because your goal should be to leave the country, right? There is no place for you to hide within the country anymore. Cargo ships? And it has to be an ocean-going cargo ship, right?’

That narrowed down the suspect targets, making them easier to pinpoint. Based on the timeline, they shouldn’t have left the country’s waters yet.

Xiao Yu slowly got up, took a deep breath, and exhaled sharply.

“Bastards, here I come!”

***

On a cargo ship, three men sat in the cargo hold, eating and drinking.

“Brother, don’t think about it. Once we’re abroad, we’ll have everything we need,” said a smiling man, glancing at the sullen man with glasses across from him. “It’s just a woman. What’s so hard to let go of? Men who do big things, how many of them let women hinder their steps towards the vast open sea?”

“Is that so?” The man with glasses slowly raised his head, revealing bloodshot eyes behind his lenses, and sneered, “Then why couldn’t you bear to look when I killed your woman?”

The smile froze on the other man’s face, his expression turning cold. 

“Do you really think I won’t kill you?”

“Would you dare?” The man with glasses, looking even more ferocious, snarled, “You’ve done all this just to get my software. If I die, all your efforts will be wasted. Yang Zhichao, do you dare to kill me?”

“…” 

Yang Zhichao remained silent, coldly staring at the man with glasses… Ma Hexuan.

The man to the side was Joey. He got up and looked coldly at Ma Hexuan, ready to do something.

They had used a trick involving a Caucasian and a corpse to escape from Bincheng.  The police must have been delayed, right?

And in another half day, they would be able to leave the country. Even if the police wanted to catch them—ha! They probably wouldn’t even find the secret room under the elevator shaft. As long as they hid for ten days or half a month, by the time the police relaxed their vigilance, their Caucasian partner would also escape.

All the plans were so perfect. This was all arranged by Yang Zhichao in advance.

But…

Yang Zhichao looked at Ma Hexuan coldly. “Yes, although I won’t kill you, you have killed people, haven’t you?”

“You forced me to do it,” Ma Hexuan roared, looking as if he wanted to devour someone.

“Forced you? Ridiculous!” Yang Zhichao mocked, “You were the one who proposed the jailbreak plan, and I had Lu Jia cooperate with you. You killed two prison guards yourself. You even killed Yu Hongmei. Three lives. Did we really force you?”

Ma Hexuan’s expression was dark and uncertain as he stared at Yang Zhichao. Finally, he slumped into a chair, defeated.

“You have no other path now; you can only follow us,” Yang Zhichao sneered. “Once we leave this country, I’ll control you however I want.”

“That’s quite a statement, but why do I find it hard to believe?”

A cold, mocking voice suddenly echoed in the cabin. Instantly, the cabin fell into a deathly silence.

The three men felt as if they had walked into a remote farmhouse inn in the dead of night, only to discover it was a gateway to the underworld. The waiter was a ghoul with eyeballs hanging from its face, writhing with maggots. The dishes served to them were plates of maggots, rotting flesh, and human heads.

Their scalps tingled as they thought about pretending they knew nothing, hoping to leave before the ghoul reacted.

But could they really escape?

Casually, Xiao Yu strolled into the cabin, his expression calm as he looked at the three men.

Suddenly, Joey moved.

He was a spy trained from a young age, very adept at seizing opportunities. He already guessed that the police or coast guard had surrounded the area outside. His only option now was hostages.

Joey smiled confidently, his combat skills making him feel assured. With a vicious grin, he reached out to grab Xiao Yu.

The next moment, his smile froze.

A leg as powerful as a battle axe struck Joey’s face.

The force of the kick sent Joey flying horizontally.

Xiao Yu grabbed Joey by the neck, lifting him like a chick before he could hit the ground.

“Want to harm me?” Xiao Yu said coldly, staring at Joey up close. “Are you even worthy?”