Chapter 264 - 263: 800,000 to Buy His Worthless Life

"I understand, which is why I’m only asking for eight hundred thousand. Young Master Jin, your family’s business is massive; you can’t possibly fail to produce such a small amount.

"Give me eight hundred thousand, and I’ll take my wife and leave Shunping City immediately. We’ll go far away and never come back. From now on, I’ll take this matter to my grave and never breathe a word of it to anyone," Chen Dinglai promised.

Eight hundred thousand!

Though reluctant, Jin Shilong breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Eight hundred thousand was indeed not an unreasonable sum for the Jin family. If he could settle this matter with money, he would be more than satisfied.

Just as he was about to nod, Jin Zhenhai raised a hand to stop him, then typed a line of text on his phone and showed it to him.

Jin Shilong nodded and feigned anger. "Chen Dinglai, do you think the Jin family’s money just falls from the sky?"

"Young Master Jin, I have no other choice..." Chen Dinglai’s voice carried a hint of pleading. "Those are five human lives. If the police catch me, I’m dead meat. Just treat this eight hundred thousand as buying me a way out. I promise I’ll leave as soon as I get the money."

Hearing this, Jin Shilong’s tone softened a little. "Fine, eight hundred thousand it is. But I need to gather the funds. I’ll call you when I have it all together."

"Young Master Jin, I can’t wait that long. If I don’t get the money today, I won’t be able to leave. And if I’m caught by the police then, there’s no telling what I might say."

Jin Shilong’s face turned livid at those words. He knew Chen Dinglai was threatening him.

He hung up and slammed his phone onto the desk with a heavy THUD.

Jin Zhenhai raised his hand and slapped Jin Shilong, roaring, "You ungrateful son! If you hadn’t done such a stupid thing, why would you be threatened by a peasant!"

"Dad, there’s no use talking about this now. We have to stall Chen Dinglai first."

Back then, he had merely taken a fancy to a woman and slept with her, but she had stubbornly insisted on suing him. In a fit of anger, he had rounded up her family and imprisoned them in the ancestral hall to play with as he pleased. Who knew the two old folks would end up dying of sheer fury first by accident? The woman’s husband had put up a desperate fight and ended up dead as well. Left with no choice, he had wiped out the rest of the family—young and old—and buried them in the ancestral hall.

He had personally handed that matter over to Chen Dinglai. From tracking and kidnapping to burying the bodies, Chen Dinglai had handled every single step. If he truly fell into the hands of the police, then he, Jin Shilong, was finished.

The reason he had kept Chen Dinglai around was that the money he paid him was enough to keep an ordinary person quiet, and Chen Dinglai had indeed stayed silent for three years.

But he had underestimated human greed. Once someone tasted the sweetness of unearned wealth, they would only want more.

"A dog kept for too long starts thinking it’s human. Eight hundred thousand is more than enough to buy his pathetic life!" Jin Zhenhai let out a laugh—short and icy, like a blade scraping across metal. "He’s asking for eight hundred thousand this time. When he runs out of money later, his appetite will only grow. We can’t keep this man alive!"

"I was thinking the same thing." Jin Shilong nodded, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"Call Chen Dinglai right now. Tell him your accounts are frozen and that if the police notice such a large transfer, they’ll suspect you. Insist on a face-to-face transaction to give him the eight hundred thousand in cash. Then, have Gusan take him out. Tell him to do it cleanly and leave no traces behind."

"Understood." Jin Shilong picked up his phone again and dialed Chen Dinglai’s number.

"Hello? Young Master Jin? How is it?" On the other end of the line, Chen Dinglai’s voice carried an irrepressible sense of urgency and anticipation.

"I can give you the eight hundred thousand." Jin Shilong’s voice was as calm as if he were discussing the weather. "But the Jin Group has been facing some financial scrutiny lately. Large transfers are monitored by the bank and would raise police suspicion. I can only give you cash."

"Cash works too! When can I get it?"

"Tonight at seven. The abandoned brick factory in the west of the city. Come alone," Jin Shilong said with an air of absolute, unquestionable certainty.

"Okay! Okay! Thank you, Young Master Jin!" Chen Dinglai’s voice was filled with gratitude and excitement.

Jin Shilong said nothing more and hung up directly.

Meanwhile, Chen Mingli called Yang Xun again.

"We found him. The man in the sketch is Chen Dinglai, a local from Bluestone Town. He runs a small parts processing factory in town. It’s not large, but he’s been running it for many years.

"The strange part is that two years ago, he was still a factory worker. Suddenly, he came into some money to start a business, and now he’s considered a small-business owner," Chen Mingli reported over the phone.

"Captain Chen, we can make the arrest now. Give me the address, and I’ll head over too."

Before Yang Xun could even finish, Chen Mingli had already given him the address.

Chen Mingli now completely trusted him. If they could catch the killer, Yang Xun and Zhao Linglong would undoubtedly take the top credit.

This time, Yang Xun did not bring Zhao Linglong. Instead, he brought Zhou Yuan and a few others.

Bluestone Town was very quiet at this hour. Parking the car at the entrance of a narrow alley, Yang Xun pushed the door open and stepped out. He walked down the alley for a few minutes before stopping in front of a two-story building that looked quite old.

The iron gate was shut tight. A few washed-out garments were hanging in the yard.

Yang Xun raised his hand and knocked on the door.

After a long while, the hesitant sound of footsteps came from inside. The door opened a crack, and a woman poked her head out, her face full of vigilance.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Excuse me, is this Chen Dinglai’s house?" Yang Xun’s tone was gentle. "I’m an assistant investigator with the Shunping City Public Security Bureau. I’d like to ask you a few questions."

The woman’s expression changed, and she instinctively tried to close the door.

Yang Xun was a step faster, reaching out to block the door. "Don’t be nervous. I’m not here to arrest him. I just want to ask you a few things."

Li Xiufang hesitated for a moment before finally letting go of the door, stepping aside to let Yang Xun into the yard.

The living room was kept fairly tidy, but it was obvious that the owner hadn’t been in a good state of mind lately. Half a glass of unfinished water sat on the coffee table, and a few instant noodle boxes were piled in the trash can in the corner.

Li Xiufang sat on the sofa, her hands clasped on her knees, her gaze carrying a hint of unease. "What... what do you want to ask?"

"Has your husband contacted you recently?"

Li Xiufang froze for a moment, her eyes darting away. "No. He hasn’t been home for days."

Yang Xun didn’t speak, merely watching her quietly. His eyes were calm and piercing, as if they could see right through all her thoughts.

He knew Li Xiufang was lying. The traces of recent activity in the house clearly showed that Chen Dinglai had returned—unless, of course, she was having an affair.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Li Xiufang lowered her head, her fingers subconsciously twisting the hem of her shirt.

"Ms. Li, your husband is in danger," Yang Xun began, his tone extremely serious. "He did some dirty work for someone, and now those people want to silence him. If you know where he is, it’s best you tell me. Otherwise, you’ll be collecting his corpse very soon."

Li Xiufang’s body trembled violently, her face instantly draining of color.