RNP Chapter 1111 Li Jianjun was stunned
Chapter 1111 Li Jianjun was stunned
"If you have something to say, we'll talk about it back at the station." Old Chen's tone was like ice, leaving no room for negotiation. His sharp gaze swept over Li Jianjun, the scrutiny in his eyes carrying an undeniable authority. "This is not the place for you to argue. Stop trying to play tricks."
The two police officers nearby could no longer contain themselves. They grabbed Li Jianjun, who was still throwing a tantrum, and dragged him out. His arms were tightly clamped, and he couldn't move, but he didn't stop struggling and cursing: "Why are you arresting me? Gu Nan! You despicable person, you framed me! I won't let you get away with this!" His foul language echoed in the narrow corridor, making the walls vibrate, but it only sounded pale and powerless, like the mournful howl of a trapped beast before its death.
Gu Nan stood still, the cigarette between his fingers half-burned, ashes falling to the ground. He watched as the police dragged Li Jianjun downstairs like a dead dog, watched the police car with flashing lights slam its back door shut, and watched the red and blue lights flicker on the opposite wall.
The siren's wail faded into the distance, its sharp roar gradually weakening until it was swallowed by the traffic around the street corner and disappeared completely from sight. Gu Nan then slowly exhaled a smoke ring, the smoke blurring his features, but a cold, mocking smile played on his lips—a smile tinged with both disdain and resignation. Li Jianjun had meticulously plotted to drag him down, even going so far as to collude with outsiders to set a trap; now, he had only himself to blame for his predicament.
He stubbed out his cigarette, turned, and walked steadily toward his office. The echoes of Li Jianjun's shouts still lingered in the hallway, but they were swept away like dust, leaving no trace.
Meanwhile, Zhang San, crouching low like a mouse stealing oil, tiptoed into the rented room where Lili used to live. He gently pushed the peeling wooden door, which creaked so loudly it made his teeth ache. He froze, too scared to breathe, pressing his ear against the door for a long time to make sure there was no sound outside before daring to continue inching in. He had a plan in mind—a few days ago, Li Jianjun, drunk, had confessed that Lili had hidden a written guarantee he'd made in the room. That thing could completely hold Li Jianjun hostage; if he got his hands on it, given Li Jianjun's cowardly nature, he might be able to extort a considerable sum of money, enough for him to live a carefree life for a while.
The room was a mess. Several unwashed clothes were piled on the floor, emitting a strong smell of sweat and a faint musty odor. On the table against the wall sat a leftover steamed bun, covered in green mold, its sour and dusty smell wafting into his nostrils, making him wince. But Zhang San paid no attention to any of that. His eyes were only on the guarantee that could be exchanged for money. He started rummaging through drawers and cabinets: the broken wooden box under the bed was full of old shoes. He emptied them all out, leather shoes, cloth shoes, and rubber shoes rolling all over the floor. He knelt down and picked up the shoes one by one, shaking them, not even letting go of the mud in the soles. There was an old cloth bag stuffed in the crack of the cabinet. It felt hard as if it was hiding something. He quickly pulled it out and opened it, but there was only half a bag of coarse salt and a few rusty coins inside. Finally, he even took out the cotton wadding from the pillowcase and shook it. White cotton wadding flew all over his face, but there was no sign of any paper. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, trickling down his cheeks and dripping onto the dusty floor, spreading out in a small, dark, damp patch.
"Where is it...where is it hidden..." Zhang San muttered to himself, his fingers rummaging through the junk in an old, peeling wooden box—needles, scraps of cloth, broken hair clips... Suddenly, he felt a cardboard package tightly bound with a rubber band. His eyes lit up instantly, as if he had grasped a lifeline. His hands trembled slightly as he quickly pulled it out and opened it—indeed, there were several yellowed pieces of paper with Li Jianjun's crooked handwriting on them. It read, "I guarantee to pay Lili fifty yuan after the deed is done, and I will never go back on my word." At the end was a bright red handprint, which looked particularly glaring in the dim light, but it made Zhang San's heart pound like a drum.
"Finally found it!" Zhang San grinned, revealing two rows of yellow teeth. He carefully folded the guarantee into small pieces, stuffed it into his breast pocket, patted his chest as if he were carrying a heavy gold ingot, and turned to sneak out of the house—this thing was now his life-saving charm, and maybe he could use it to get more benefits from Li Jianjun in the future.
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded outside, thumping down the hallway, followed by the click of a key being inserted into the lock. The sharp "click" startled Zhang San. Was it Lili returning? Or her vicious accomplices? He didn't have time to think. He frantically looked around. The tattered sacks piled in the corner were too conspicuous, and the space under the bed was a mess from his recent ransacking—there wasn't even a place to hide. Finally, his gaze fell on the old wardrobe with its missing door in the corner; that was the only place in the room where someone could hide.
"Something's not right. There's noise coming from inside." A rough, hoarse voice came from outside the door, sounding wary, and the voice even coughed deliberately. "Go in and take a look."
It was a man's voice! Zhang San's heart leaped into his throat. He never expected anyone to come at this time, especially one that sounded hostile. What was worse, there was more than one set of footsteps. If he charged out, the other side outnumbered him, and his small frame would definitely be at a disadvantage—after all, he was there to steal. If a fight broke out, even if it ended up at the police station, he would be in the wrong. He would end up losing more than he gained and even going to jail.
In a moment of quick thinking, Zhang San flung open the wardrobe door and squeezed inside. Several old cotton-padded coats were piled up, emitting a mixture of camphor and musty odors. He quickly shrank further inside, pressing his back against the cold wooden floor, then gently closed the door, leaving only a narrow crack for ventilation. The camphor smell from the coats made him wince, but he dared not make a sound. He could only hold his breath, peering through the crack in the door, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would shatter his ribs.
The door was pushed open with a bang, and the leader was a burly man with a three-finger-wide scar above his left eyebrow, looking menacing. He was none other than Ah Hu, Lili's boss. Behind him were three henchmen, each with fierce eyes, wearing tight-fitting short jackets that revealed tattoos on their arms, clearly street thugs. As for why they hadn't gone to arrest Gu Nan, Ah Hu knew—a few henchmen were enough to keep an eye on things there; Gu Nan looked refined and polite, but he was just a chicken without claws, incapable of causing any trouble. It was Lili's place, on the other hand, that had recently attracted some shady gossip, and he was worried, so he came to check it out himself.