Chapter 609: Eight of Them
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After the car endured all sorts of bumps for God knows how long, it finally stopped.
Initially, Li Du had tried hard to calm himself down. He released the little bug out there to track and check the situation.
However, he had no choice but to retrieve it after only a minute.
There was no choice—it was unfamiliar out there. This wasn't Flagstaff. Las Vegas had been undergoing rapid expansion for a few years, and there were new buildings everywhere.
What made him frustrated was that these buildings had not been completed. They flanked the roads like second-rate residential buildings. Going around them was a waste of the little bug's time and effort.
He quickly realized that it was better for him to conserve his energy instead of wasting it. He intended to assess the situation at his destination first before making his plan.
Finally, the car stopped; someone dragged him out of the car.
He lowered his head submissively, with both of his eyes staring at the ground. He did not even look around and seemed extremely compliant.
The man who had dragged him out of the car laughed upon seeing that. Using a loud and clear voice, he said, "Hey, this fat lamb's a sensible one. First time coming across someone who obediently lowers his head after getting out of the car."
A chilling deep voice was then heard, "He should count himself lucky. I was waiting to teach him a lesson if he had looked around."
As he listened to the two of them speak, Li Du tried to placate them. "How do you do, brothers? Please be assured that I'll be cooperative. I'll do whatever you want me to do. I'll definitely not look around or spout nonsense."
He didn't need to use his eyes to see; the little bug had already been released.
There were a total of seven people who had caught hold of him. The one who had peed was probably also there, which would make the total eight. In the end, there were only two who had brought him back. This was what he had discovered along the way.
The vehicle he was in was actually a small van—a very ordinary Ford. The rest of the six people had split into three groups with each pair driving a similar car. They had gone separate ways mid-way into the journey.
From this, he could tell that these people were experts in kidnapping. Even if there had been surveillance on the way, it would not be easy to track them.
Of the two men who were with him, one was tall and the other was short. They had worn animal masks to conceal their faces.
The one who had a clear voice was the taller one. The little bug flew through the mask and saw his face. This guy was black and bald with striking features.
The one with a rich voice was a short black man with a scar below the corner of his left eye. The scar stretched all the way to his temple—it was amazing that he was still alive after suffering such trauma.
The surrounding environment was very desolate. They were in a deserted factory but it was not completely barren. The little bug flew high up to take a look and could see some starry lights in the factory.
There were some tiled-roof houses where they were. The two men pushed and shoved him into a room where the short guy gave him a kick, causing him to fall to the ground. He then said, "Tie him up. Gotta play it safe."
The tall guy chuckled and then skilfully tied both of Li Du's ankles together with steel wire. He then put a black cover over Li Du's head and said, "Look, I dare say we ain't got any chance of error tonight."
Through the eyes of the little bug, Li Du noticed that the two men had taken their masks off after covering his head. They then lit their cigarettes and puffed away.
Seeing this, his heart fluttered, and he quickly arranged for the little bug to fly around.
He wanted to see if there were other people. If there were only two people, he could perhaps try to take the risk.
The steel wire that was used to tie his ankle was new and thin. This type of steel wire would be very hardy when it was new, but once it aged, it would snap easily—like a strand of hair.
The cuffs on his wrists were more troublesome but Li Du noticed that the little bug had been working hard to age them. Now he could think of ways to free himself.
As the little bug checked on the few tiled-roof houses, a car drove in. Six people got out of the car.
At this sight, he retrieved the little bug. Even with its help, he could at most deal with only two people. Now that the whole gang had returned, he would be doomed if he were to make any moves.
"Hey, Ocelot, how was it on the way here?"
"How else could it have gone? The Las Vegas cops were all snoring away in their hay bag beds. Gimme a cigarette, Antelope."
"Beautifully done. Damn cool. I dare say this will be the most sensational headless case of this century."
"I never thought it would go so well. We should have gotten two more of them. Damn, I saw that guy from LA just nearby."
Li Du was shocked when he heard someone shout "Ocelot." He thought Ah Meow had followed them and had been discovered.
But he realized it was not so; these people were greeting one another. The names were the animals represented by the masks they wore. From this, he could tell how discreet they were.
However, no matter how discreet they were, slip-ups could still occur. He had overheard some bad news. These jerks had no intention of freeing him. They were planning on creating a "headless case!"
Upon hearing that, he got anxious, but he still tried hard to compose himself. Calm down, calm down, calm down. No problem at all, I've got a super amazing helper in the little bug. I'll definitely escape.
A man wearing a penguin mask walked forward, and kneeled in front of Li Du. He removed his head cover as he slowly said, "How is it going, buddy? What're your thoughts now?"
The little bug flew through the mask. Li Du was dumbfounded. He knew this person with a round face and a cleft lip—he was the security supervisor at the storage company!
This man was very sensitive; seeing Li Du's stunned expression, his eyebrows instantly furrowed and his eyes squinted.
Having made this discovery, Li Du's heart started to pound. He decided to let things be and continued to look at him with a vacant stare, as though in despondence.
The cleft-lipped man looked at him suspiciously. After more than a minute, he saw that Li Du was still the same. After gradually relaxing, he stretched his hand out to pat Li Du on his face several times. "Hey buddy, I'm asking you something."
Li Du pretended to be frightened, then used all his might to wriggle his body backward before asking fearfully, "Who are you? Oh, I've asked a stupid question. Buddy, what I meant was, what is this all about? Is money what you guys are after?"
Upon seeing Li Du's response, the cleft-lipped man laughed. He looked out and said, "Who said this chap is very cool and calm? I don't think he's any different from the fat lambs from before—all timid and weak Chinamen."
A man wearing a shark mask looked over and sneered, "Good, just kill him if there is an issue. I rather we make nothing than expose ourselves."
Having heard this, Li Du was so scared that he cried out, "Don't, don't, don't. My friends, I will cooperate, I will cooperate with you all. What do you want? Money? I will give it to you. Give it to you, don't kill me!"
This panic was not a pretence—he was facing a group of executioners!
The man with the cleft-lip took out his mobile phone and said, "If you don't wish to die, then work with us. We only wanna get some money, and don't wish to hurt anyone, understand?"
Li Du nodded his head repeatedly. "Understand, understand. I'm willing to give you guys money. Willing to give all my money to you—don't kill me!"