Chapter 53: Another Ten Million
The room was as deep and dense as thick ink, so profound it seemed capable of swallowing everything whole.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting mottled patterns on the bedroom floor. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lingfeng He stared at his phone with an expression both strange and unsettling.
*Bang.*
With a sudden force, he smashed the phone violently against the wall.
His face turned an iron gray, eyes blazing like burning flames, glaring furiously at the shattered remains on the floor.
The phone lay in ruins—its screen shattered, components scattered across the ground.
Duoduo Quan curled up in the corner of the sofa, terrified, hands clamped tightly over her ears, her eyes filled with fear and unease.
She watched Lingfeng He’s enraged glare, her heart gripped with dread, as if she herself were the instigator of this catastrophe.
“Speak! What exactly is going on? What do these messages mean?” Lingfeng’s voice was low and powerful, each word squeezed out with an undeniable authority.
Duoduo’s voice trembled as she dared not meet his gaze. “In the early hours... while I was still asleep, suddenly the phone rang. Groggy, I glanced at the caller ID... it was him.”
“Him? Who him? Be clear!” Lingfeng’s brow furrowed deeply, impatience and menace thick in his tone.
Duoduo shivered, her voice growing softer. “The leader of the trio of brothers. At first, I thought I was dreaming, hallucinating... so I hung up.”
---
“And then?” Lingfeng’s voice dropped even lower, as if ready to explode.
“But... the phone rang again. I clearly saw the caller ID—it was definitely him. When I answered, the voice was strange, as if altered by a voice changer.” Duoduo broke down in tears by this point.
Lingfeng’s expression darkened further. He clenched the glass tightly; his knuckles cracked audibly under the strain.
He took a deep breath. “What did he say?”
Choking back sobs, Duoduo continued, “He said... he knew about what was between us. He demanded ten million transferred to a designated account within three hours. If the money wasn’t received by then, he would go live and make the three brothers reveal the truth.”
“What?!” Lingfeng suddenly stood, his eyes filled with disbelief and fury.
Duoduo’s fear deepened as she watched his reaction.
She gripped the sofa’s armrest tightly, as if it could anchor her trembling heart. “At first, I hoped it was just a bluff—that he wanted to extort some money. I told him we had none and that he could livestream all he wanted. But... but then he said...”
“What did he say?” Lingfeng’s voice turned icy and merciless.
Duoduo’s voice trembled as she spoke, “He said... ‘Don’t you care about spending the rest of your life in a dark, hopeless prison? Don’t you care? Doesn’t Lingfeng He care about his future? With a murder on his hands, wouldn’t he have nightmares when the night grows silent?’”
By then, Duoduo was sobbing uncontrollably, her eyes tightly shut, too afraid to look at Lingfeng again.
Lingfeng closed his eyes, took a deep breath.
---
“Duoduo, you should go home first. I’ll handle this,” Lingfeng’s voice was low but resolute, leaving no room for doubt.
A cold gleam flickered in his bloodshot eyes.
Duoduo looked at Lingfeng, worry and reluctance filling her gaze. “What should we do now? Who exactly is this person? How did he find the brothers’ residence? And how does he know about the murder?”
“Let me think. He’s out in the open, I’m in the shadows. I don’t know who he is. You go back first, wait for my call,” Lingfeng said again.
Duoduo nodded and walked toward the door.
Watching her figure vanish beyond the threshold, Lingfeng turned to the window and yanked the curtains aside abruptly. The sunlight stabbed fiercely into his eyes.
His eyes shone like cold blades, gleaming with icy light.
“No matter who you are, no matter what forces stand behind you, I will make you understand the consequences of crossing me!” Lingfeng vowed silently.