Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 83 - Hostage Threat Part 2

The two of them exited the Blue Bay Apartment and got into a taxi. Tang Jie told the driver the address he had just heard from Qin Haozhong over the phone. He then glanced at Chen Shuran, who was sitting right next to him in the back seat. Her face was beaming with joy, as if she were on a date with her boyfriend. Tang Jie felt a mix of emotions-part of him was pleased, but there was also a nagging feeling of discomfort.

Miss Chen was now starting to cling to him! It was a sweet burden, yet also a source of endless trouble.

Reflecting on the events involving Chen Shuran, a term popped into Tang Jie’s mind: sweet burden. But he quickly thought that it was strange to think that way. Why was he feeling this way?

The taxi soon arrived at the place Qin Haozhong mentioned, a busy commercial street. Tang Jie looked around carefully but didn’t spot Qin Haozhong anywhere, so he pulled out his phone to call him.

After several rings and no answer, Tang Jie hung up and tried again. It wasn’t until the third attempt that the call was finally picked up, but it wasn’t Qin Haozhong’s voice on the other end.

“Are you Tang Jie?” a disdainful male voice came through the line.

“Who are you?” Tang Jie was taken aback and sensed something was off, but he tried to maintain a calm demeanor.

“We have Qin Haozhong. If you want him back, come over,” the voice said before abruptly hanging up. Tang Jie was left wanting to ask more but then noticed a message coming in.

The address on the message pointed to a secluded area on the outskirts of town. Tang Jie glanced at Chen Shuran, pondering how he couldn’t take her there, yet he was uncertain how to explain it to her.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Chen Shuran noticed that something was off with Tang Jie’s expression and asked.

“Do you remember Qin Haozhong?” After some thought, Tang Jie decided to tell Chen Shuran the truth; otherwise, she might misunderstand him.

Chen Shuran thought for a moment and replied, “You mean the rich second generation you rescued from the car last time?” Her tone suggested that she didn’t think highly of Qin Haozhong, but she didn’t seem to despise him either.

“Yes, he’s gotten into some trouble. It seems there’s been a hostage threat, and he wants me to come over.”

“But going alone… that’s so dangerous. Besides, you aren’t close to him; why do you need to get involved for him?” Chen Shuran was now worried about Tang Jie and didn’t want him to take the risk.

Tang Jie felt that Chen Shuran had a point. However, he had sensed fear in Qin Haozhong’s tone during the call. Even though he didn’t want to get too entangled with him, he had only agreed to be his disciple to avoid seeing him groveling before him-it had just slipped out casually.

“How about I take you back first? I’ll go check it out. I promised him, and I can’t go back on my word.” In the end, Tang Jie decided he had to at least see what was going on. He was also a bit curious; the voice that had directly mentioned his name on the phone seemed somewhat familiar upon reflection.

“I won’t go! I want to go with you! If you leave me behind, I’ll tell Dad!” Chen Shuran replied angrily, refusing to budge. Tang Jie found himself in a difficult position. This was not a joke; if it were just a few hooligans, he could guarantee Chen Shuran’s safety, but if it turned out to be someone more dangerous, he couldn’t promise anything.

Tang Jie looked at Chen Shuran’s resolute face, and suddenly his eyes lit up when he noticed a dessert shop with its lights on beside the street.

“Okay, you wait for me there. I’ll go over first. If everything’s fine, I’ll call you, and you can come. If it’s not safe, I’ll come back to find you right away.”

At first, Chen Shuran wasn’t convinced, but seeing that Tang Jie was considering her safety made a difference. She recalled how scared she had felt during the previous incident. After thinking it over, she agreed but insisted that Tang Jie return within an hour.

To save time, Tang Jie readily agreed. He got out of the taxi and personally escorted Chen Shuran inside the dessert shop. After reserving a private room for her and ordering some treats, he reminded her to wait for him there before he left.

Once back in the taxi, Tang Jie immediately instructed the driver to accelerate toward the outskirts. Twenty minutes later, the vehicle arrived outside, which was surprisingly a deserted factory area.

Looking around at the dark surroundings, devoid of even streetlights, Tang Jie quickly chased after the taxi that was about to leave and asked for the driver’s number. He then called Qin Haozhong again.

“Kid, you’re pretty quick! I thought you wouldn’t dare to come,” the same male voice from before echoed through the phone. The more Tang Jie listened, the more the voice seemed familiar. Before he could respond, the voice added, “We’re in the factory right in front of you. If you want to come in, hurry up!”

With that, the call ended. Tang Jie scanned the darkened path ahead and found a rundown asphalt road leading to the factory. He made his way down the small road, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings.

As Tang Jie arrived at the factory entrance, he could hear voices coming from inside. Just as he was about to listen more closely, the door suddenly swung open, and the lights inside flickered on. Tang Jie saw a group of people gathered in the space.

The person who opened the door was none other than the buzz-cut guy who had arranged to meet him at No. 2 High School last time. As he stepped inside, he spotted a familiar face-the yellow-haired guy he had incapacitated during their last encounter. This time, however, he was sitting in a wheelchair, holding a phone, with bruises all over his face and his left foot in a plaster cast.

As soon as the yellow-haired guy saw Tang Jie enter, he immediately signaled the buzz-cut guy to close the door. With a loud bang, the door shut behind Tang Jie.

Standing there, Tang Jie sized up the people around the yellow-haired guy. Apart from the buzz-cut guy, all the faces were unfamiliar, and some were even masked. What the heck? Was this some kind of gang?

After surveying the room, Tang Jie noticed that Qin Haozhong was nowhere to be seen. Feeling puzzled, he walked toward the center of the factory. The yellow-haired guy gestured to a few disreputable-looking teenagers who came forward, brandishing steel pipes in their hands.

Tang Jie couldn’t help but chuckle to himself; he realized the yellow-haired guy was out for revenge. But looking at those weapons, Tang Jie couldn’t suppress his disdain. Did they really think they could take him on with those? They might as well just tickle him.

What concerned him more were the masked individuals who had not joined the group of delinquents but were standing behind the yellow-haired guy. Judging by their builds, he could tell they were likely skilled fighters-this yellow-haired guy was evidently no pushover if he could recruit such talent.

“Where is he?” Tang Jie asked coldly as he watched the yellow-haired guy and the group come closer. His purpose for being here was to find Qin Haozhong, so he needed to see him.

The yellow-haired guy looked at him with a wicked grin and pointed to the ceiling. Tang Jie glanced up and was instantly shocked to see Qin Haozhong tied up on the roof, dangling from a rope. His mouth was covered with duct tape, and he had visible injuries on his face.

When Qin Haozhong noticed Tang Jie had arrived, his eyes filled with desperation as he looked at him. Tang Jie turned his gaze back to the yellow-haired guy. “Do you have a grudge against him?”

“Kid, I hear he’s your new disciple. So, if I have a grudge against you, doesn’t that naturally extend to your disciple as well?” The yellow-haired guy sneered, spitting on the ground.

Hearing this, Tang Jie felt a twinge of confusion. He glanced back up at Qin Haozhong. The fact that he had taken him as a disciple was known to no one else. How did this yellow-haired guy find out?

“Enough of the nonsense! I’m here for revenge. You broke my leg last time, and now I’m going to ruin yours!” The yellow-haired guy said fiercely. As soon as he finished speaking, the group of thugs with steel pipes charged toward Tang Jie. Tang Jie watched them with disdain, not bothering to evade as he charged straight into them.

“Ah!” One red-haired thug wielding a steel pipe lifted his weapon but hadn’t even struck before he was sent flying backwards. Moments later, the other thugs found themselves on the ground, sprawled in various directions, crying out in pain.

Tang Jie then approached the yellow-haired guy’s wheelchair, looking at him with a smile. “Next time, bring some competent people. Stop wasting my time.”

Surprisingly, the yellow-haired guy was unfazed by Tang Jie’s words, as if he had anticipated that his subordinates would not be a match for Tang Jie. He chuckled back, “Don’t worry, this time I definitely have someone worthy to match you. Otherwise, how would I want to witness your pathetic state as you lie there with broken legs?”

Hearing this, Tang Jie raised his eyes to the masked individuals behind the yellow-haired guy, realizing they were the ones he was referring to. With a cold smile, Tang Jie said, “So what are you waiting for? Come at me!”

With that, Tang Jie kicked the yellow-haired guy’s wheelchair away, sending both him and the chair crashing to the ground. As the impact jolted his injured leg, the yellow-haired guy let out a pained wail and glared at Tang Jie. He shouted at the masked people, “You have to take him out for me! I’ll make sure the boss pays you double later.”

Boss? This revelation surprised Tang Jie. Did the yellow-haired guy have someone backing him?

Before he could ponder this further, the shadows flickered before him, and the masked individuals quickly closed in on him, exuding a powerful aura. Tang Jie immediately sensed they were ancient martial arts masters, but he couldn’t gauge their exact skill levels at that moment.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Tang Jie remained cautious. The person on his left launched an attack, and Tang Jie swiftly dodged. He countered with a joint lock, but the masked man seemed to be dodging on purpose, easily evading the move. Next, a sharp kick came towards Tang Jie’s knee. He spun to defend himself, but the same masked individual immediately retreated after striking, as if they were playing a game rather than genuinely fighting.

Tang Jie glared at the three masked men. “Who are you? If you want to take me down, show me what you’ve got! Hiding and dodging doesn’t count!”

Thinking about Chen Shuran, who was still waiting for him at the dessert shop, Tang Jie didn’t want to waste any more time.