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Chapter 219: Chapter 188 Do you think there is a bullet in my gun?_1
"Looking for a friend? Then how do you explain having the key to room 307?" The robot said coldly.
"I... I guess the hotel owner gave me the wrong key. I clearly asked for the key to room 309, yes, 309. The owner must have misread the number because he was half-asleep; seven and nine do look somewhat alike."
Pushed into a corner, Pi Qiang came up with an excuse, silently commending his own ’intelligence’ in his head.
"Weren’t you just saying that you were going to find your friend? Why would you need a key to enter?" The robot sneered.
Thinking quickly, Pi Qiang retorted: "That friend of mine went out shopping. I didn’t want to wait, so I asked the owner for a key."
He felt that his story was becoming more and more plausible and was even slightly proud of it. As long as his subordinates hadn’t confessed, his story would hold up perfectly. Judging by the fact that none of them seemed to be drenched, he was probably the first one they had woken up.
Extremely nervous, he was now completely absorbed in the fantasy that he could bluster his way through this.
"Then why did you threaten the owner with that gun?" The robot asked, his tone implying a concealed smirk.
"There are no bullets in my gun, I was just joking with the owner."
But just as Pi Qiang finished speaking, he felt something cold pressing against his forehead and immediately realized it was a gun. Though it was his gun and was empty, it was still made of metal and could be quite painful if it hit him. In a flustered voice, he quickly said, "Brother, I was telling the truth. I was just joking with the owner."
"You sure don’t learn until you see the coffin, huh? Let me play along with your joke, tell me what happens if I shoot you in the head?" The robot sneered.
Upon hearing this, Pi Qiang’s face turned pale. Confused about the man’s intention, he hurriedly said, "This...brother, I’m not lying, everything I said is true."
"Do you think there are no bullets in my gun?" The robot asked coldly.
As the man before him revealed his inner thoughts, Pi Qiang’s face changed, and he awkwardly said:
"Ah? No, I didn’t..."
But before he could finish, the robot swung around the gun and shot Pi Qiang in the leg. Muffled noise, then the sound of the shell casing hitting the cement floor and bouncing ’merrily’.
The pain in his leg made Pi Qiang realize in an instant that he’d been shot. Clutching his wound, he wailed, "Ah, spare me, brother, spare me!" He had been cut before, but never shot. Pain was all he felt now.
Simultaneously, his heart filled with terror. Only now did Pi Qiang realize that the gun in the man’s hand was not his, but somewhat longer than his own.
Narrowing his eyes to see by the flashlight’s glow, Pi Qiang was almost scared out of his wits by the sight before him. This... was it a silencer? Definitely. Otherwise, how could the gunfire be so faint? And the gun seemed to be a foreign make, not domestic. Coupled with the robot’s stern face, Pi Qiang felt he had been badly betrayed by the backstage manipulator.
Is this what is called being alone?
What is this man and gun before me?
A hallucination?
With such a formidable armed bodyguard for close protection, how dare they ask me to come with an empty gun?
Bloody deception.
He was certain these people were neither police nor special agents. Police wouldn’t shoot as a means of interrogation, and if they were special agents, they would disclose their identities, and he wouldn’t dare conceal anything. He would never dare to oppose the state.
They must be bodyguards hired by that person!
Damn it! Who on earth am I trying to kidnap? The bodyguards not only have guns, but also silencers. This is domestic territory, not a Hollywood action film. This is bloody terrifying!
At this moment, Pi Qiang, who had been harboring a glimmer of hope, could no longer bear it. Having a gun was one thing, but daring to shoot was another. He definitely couldn’t afford to mess with this group of bodyguards. If something were to happen to him, he wouldn’t get any justice, nor would anyone avenge him. Damn it, it was the other party who provided the false information to harm him first. If they showed no kindness, neither would he. He didn’t care who they were. He would spill the beans and see what happened later. It was better to face possible death in the future than to die now.
"Brother, I was wrong. I confess, we were instructed by Boss Xiong. He gave us a fifty thousand yuan down payment and promised another hundred thousand upon completion. He said he just wanted to ask Tang Zekai a few questions, not kill him. We’re just ordinary hooligans, we wouldn’t dare take on a murder job," Pi Qiang said hurriedly in panic. If he didn’t confess now and they shot again, he would truly be wronged. He didn’t want to end up disabled.
"Are you telling the truth?" the robot inquired, slightly waving the gun in its hand.
Frantically, Pi Qiang affirmed, "Absolutely, every word of it. If I lie, you can shoot me right here and now."
"Tell me more about Mr. Xiong, the relationship you share with him, and the details of this kidnapping task," The robot asked key questions.
"Absolutely, Mr. Xiong is the owner of Dingqing Jewelry Company in Province City. His name is Xiong Zhiyang, and he is worth billions, a significant figure in Province City. I used to be a security guard at a nightclub where he was a regular customer. Over time, we got acquainted, although we don’t have a close relationship. However, this morning Mr. Xiong approached me to kidnap someone for him, provided me with Mr. Tang Zekai’s exact address along with a deposit of 50,000. He asked me to complete this task without notifying anyone else. He also said that once I captured Tang Zekai, I should move him to a safe location and hand him over," Pi Qiang narrated succinctly.
Continuing his account, he said, "I considered the task to be fairly simple since Mr. Tang isn’t a big shot; otherwise, he wouldn’t be residing in this sort of hotel. Hence, I agreed under the assurance of Mr. Xiong that no killing would be involved. So, I assembled a couple of my guys and planned to ambush Tang during a quiet moment. Well, you already know the rest of the story, now that we are caught and brought here by you guys."
Tang Qing, back in the command room, was more confused than ever as he listened to Pi Qiang’s account. He was baffled by the number of enemies his Uncle had. Two from before, and now another one from a domestic jewelry company. After some thought, he decided he would prefer not to delve into it. Capturing Mr. Xiong and interrogating him seemed like the most efficient plan to clear things up.
Thus, Tang Qing instructed the robot to summon Xiong Zhiyang. He left the arrest plan and the interrogation process up to the analysts to plan and execute.
Upon receiving the instruction, the robot conveyed to Pi Qiang, "You call that Xiong guy right now. Let him know that the job is done and ask him to come immediately."
"Yes, indeed," Pi Qiang hastily responded.
As he finished his words, he fumbled to pull his mobile phone from his pocket.
"Remember to mind your tone. If he doesn’t show up tonight, I’ll have to serve you a bullet," the robot warned threateningly.
The blood-curdling threat threw Pi Qiang into a shudder of fear, as he hurriedly responded, "Yes, I get it, bro."
He then took several deep breaths in an effort to loosen his tense muscles and to prepare himself for his crucial performance. He feared that any mistakes on his part could cost him his life.
He scrolled through his contact list and dialed the number of Xiong Zhiyang.
"Beep... Beep..."
Every beep hit his chest like a mallet, making him feel increasingly suffocated. He had to brace himself against the pressure to ease his anxiety.
After a third beep, a husky voice from the other end inquired, "Pi Qiang, how did it go?"
The sound of the voice lifted Pi Qiang as if he had just been relieved of a heavy burden, and the pressure and tension seemed to vanish.
"Mr. Xiong, I have caught and knocked him out. He’s now in a safe place. When can you pass by here?" Pi Qiang said with a chuckle, trying his best to maintain a normal talking pace, fearing to sound unnatural.
He felt his heartbeats thump as he waited anxiously to see if Xiong Zhiyang was able to notice anything unusual in his voice.
"Great! Tell me the location, and I’ll be there immediately," said Xiong Zhiyang, his voice brimming with joy. While he thought it was odd that Pi Qiang’s voice sounded a bit weird, he didn’t pay it too much attention, assuming it was due to Pi Qiang just feeling nervous for his first time handling a job like this. He hardly considered the possibility of Pi Qiang having been caught by the police. After all, Xiong hadn’t done anything yet. Pi Qiang was well versed with local terrains and was no fool, Tang Zekai didn’t have much support back at home either. Besides, he had a backup plan; he was certain he could wiggle out of any sticky situation unscathed.
"Alright, I am at..." Pi Qiang mentioned an address, which the robot had shared with him.
"Alright, great. I’ll be there straight away," Xiong Zhiyang replied. He was already up late waiting for this news. He deemed it best to get it over with tonight so as not to allow any unexpected twists and turns.
"By the way, Mr. Xiong, don’t forget the remainder of the 50,000," Pi Qiang reminded him. To give Xiong fewer reasons to doubt the situation, this had to be stated.
"Haha, have no worries. I, Xiong Zhiyang, do not owe my friends," Xiong Zhiyang laughed in response.
"Excellent, let’s meet soon," Pi Qiang concluded.
"Okay," Xiong Zhiyang replied.
After the call, Pi Qiang turned to the robot, looking pitiful. He had no clue what fate awaited him after being manipulated like this. More urgently, his wound was still bleeding. He was in pain. He wanted a hospital, he wanted to live, return home, he longed for his mother, and he even contemplated reforming. He began realizing how perilous the shortcuts he had been taking were.
