ABT ### Chapter 0189: Zhang Shuai in Dire Straits

With the surge in A4 sales, the media's attitude towards Zhengxin Audi had become increasingly favorable. Li Fanyu now received numerous calls, and if the number was unknown, it was almost certainly a media request for an interview. He wasn't particularly interested in these requests. 

After the live broadcast, his Weibo followers had nearly reached ten million. A few days ago, to thank Sai Lulu, Li Fanyu had gifted two million yuan worth of presents in her live stream, dominating the tycoon leaderboard on DouNi Live. The constant exposure had turned him into a complete internet celebrity. Given his current popularity, he could easily handle brand marketing online without needing the hassle of formal media interviews.

Interviews with the media differed from showing off online; if he made any slightly inappropriate remarks, netizens might laugh it off, but in a serious media outlet, it could be taken out of context and criticized. Therefore, he had little interest in these journalists' requests.

With An Ning having streamlined the company, Li Fanyu found himself with plenty of free time. He decided it was time to handle some unfinished business.

As the year-end approached, Zhengxin Company was bustling with activity, everyone focused on their tasks. In this busy atmosphere, few noticed that Zhuzi, from the repair shop, hadn't shown up for two days.

Li Fanyu was in his office, resting with his eyes closed, when his phone buzzed. It was an unfamiliar number, seemingly from a public phone booth. He waited patiently, and as expected, the phone rang twice more, each time disconnecting after a few rings. This was the signal he had agreed upon with Zhuzi, indicating success.

He dusted off his non-existent dirt, stood up, and stretched lazily. Looking out at the smoggy sky, he chuckled coldly, "Zhang Shuai, sabotaging public and private interests might only get you a two-year sentence, but that’s not enough. Let’s add some spice to your experience."

In an internet café in a certain neighborhood of Tiancheng City, Zhuzi was tightly bundled up. Dressed as a construction worker in a Liberation Army coat and hat, his face covered with a filthy Pikachu mask, he exuded an unplaceable air of menace. He logged into an overseas server, masked his IP address, and used a voice changer to make a call. After saying only two sentences and reporting an address, he immediately shut down the computer and cautiously exited the café.

In a dim basement of a secluded neighborhood in Tiancheng City, a person was struggling to breathe through layers of tape binding him, his eyes and mouth sealed shut. From his build and the glimpse of his face, there was no mistaking that it was Zhang Shuai.

Zhang Shuai was starving and exhausted, having been confined here for over twenty hours. Reflecting on the past couple of days, he shivered uncontrollably. He had thought exploiting the handover loophole to screw Zhengxin would be a minor issue, but the damage to Zhengxin had been significant. When the A4 faced an initial reputation crisis, he fled, taking a clandestine ride back to his hometown.

He had been nervously following Zhengxin's updates through the news and online sources. Seeing the A4’s sales improve and hearing no news of Zhengxin filing a lawsuit against him, he let his guard down and returned to Tiancheng. After all, he couldn't stand the rural life without Wi-Fi.

However, the day after returning to Tiancheng, his world turned upside down. The previous evening, while stepping out to buy cigarettes, he was abducted and brought to this hellish place. His eyes and mouth taped shut, no matter how much he yelled, the person in the room remained silent. His heart was pounding with fear. Was this a kidnapping? But if it was, why hadn't they made any demands?

Although Zhang Shuai wasn't wealthy, he had worked in procurement for many years. Scraping together a hundred to two hundred thousand yuan wouldn’t be impossible.

Despite Zhang Shuai's struggles, his captor remained silently hidden in the corner, watching him. Finally, that snake-like figure left the room that morning, carefully inspecting Zhang Shuai's tape bindings before departing. During this check, the blindfolded Zhang Shuai keenly heard the sound of metal hitting the floor.

After the man left, Zhang Shuai painstakingly removed his shoes and, with bare feet, searched the floor. Using every ounce of his strength, he finally managed to pick up a small knife with his toes. In desperate situations, people can tap into extraordinary potential, and only fate knows how Zhang Shuai managed to cut through the tape. To Zhang Shuai, this process was more agonizing than childbirth.

Panting heavily, with tears and snot streaming down his face, he tore off the tape from his mouth and eyes. Having been in darkness for so long, even the dim light of the room's lamp caused his eyes to hurt. But once his vision adjusted and he saw his surroundings, he jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Spread out on the table before him was a heap of pill-like objects. Zhang Shuai picked one up and instantly froze. These were pills—how could they be here? Was he kidnapped by drug dealers?

As he pondered this, the basement door was kicked open. A group of burly men with fierce looks stormed in. Seeing Zhang Shuai barefoot, disheveled, and tear-streaked, the first man through the door laughed and called out.

"Boss! We found our missing stash! This guy was about to start using it himself!"

Startled, Zhang Shuai quickly threw the pill back onto the table, waving his hands frantically. "Gentlemen! This is a misunderstanding! I don't know anything, really, I don't!"

The men in the room eyed him with a mocking gaze, like a flock of vultures circling a wounded, dying antelope. After a moment, a man wearing a wool coat strode into the room. Seeing Zhang Shuai and the items on the table, a sinister smile spread across his stubbled face.

"Kid, you're something else. You managed to clean out my seven stash houses without anyone noticing. If you hadn't cost me money, I'd consider making friends with someone with skills like yours."

Ignoring Zhang Shuai's panicked gestures, he scoffed and ordered his men, "Gangzi, pack up the goods. As for this fool, you know what to do."

The first man, grinning broadly, responded, "Got it, boss." He then drew a steel knife from his waist and advanced on Zhang Shuai step by step.

The basement echoed with a blood-curdling scream. Almost simultaneously, police sirens wailed loudly in the neighborhood.


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