Chapter 47: The Pitfalls of the Tech Reform in the Underworld

Chapter 47: The Pitfalls of the Tech Reform in the Underworld

Jing Yi had just woken up when he heard a murmur of heavy, hushed whispers in his ears.

"Is it him?"

"Not really, are we being fooled?"

"Impossible, how could Mr. Shen scam us? What benefit would it bring him?"

"Anyway, we've already got him tied up. We'll talk once he wakes up."

"That's right, the voice doesn't lie. Once we confirm it's him, we'll take care of him together!"

"Yes!"

"……”

Jing Yi lay still, his hands tied behind his back. He felt a clear sense of restraint over his eyes. He secretly opened his eyes to see faint, shadowy figures in front of him. A black cloth was tied over his eyes, and through the tiny gaps in the fabric, he could barely make out a few indistinct silhouettes.

This is not good. There’s more than one kidnapper.

Jing Yi had originally been waiting for Li Wenzhao to return triumphantly at Li Corporation, but he had underestimated the conspiracy. The target of this plot was never Li Mingzhi; it was him all along.

Jing Yi remembered that just after he had left his office, a strange-smelling towel had been pressed over his mouth, and within seconds, he had blacked out.

Now he was here, conscious but restrained.

He didn’t know if Li Wenzhao had noticed his disappearance yet. These people had managed to sneak into Li Corporation and kidnap him; there might still be accomplices left in the company.

Jing Yi’s mind was in complete chaos.

This was a plot twist that didn’t exist in the original novel. Instead of kidnapping Li Mingzhi, Shen Shubai had kidnapped him.

But why?

Until today, he and Li Wenzhao had enjoyed a friendly and harmonious working relationship. What could Shen Shubai possibly gain from kidnapping a butler? Did he expect it to force Li Wenzhao into concessions or retreat?

This move didn’t make sense to him.

Moreover, these kidnappers didn’t seem very professional. They were chattering away, probably because he was still unconscious. Some were playing video games, others chatting, and there was even the sizzling sound of barbecue.

These people didn’t seem like kidnappers at all; they were more like they were on a casual outing.

Just look at how relaxed they are.

At that moment, a young woman spoke, "Mingming, did you give him too much of the drug? How come he hasn't woken up yet?"

Another woman replied, "I'm not a professional. How would I know the right amount to make him faint? I was afraid he'd struggle and mess up our plan, so I poured almost half a bottle."

"That much?" This was a man's voice.

"Brother Fang Heng, I didn't want to, but it was for everyone's safety, right?" The woman who had drugged him coquettishly said, "Now he's sleeping like a dead pig. Isn't that better?"

"But if he doesn't wake up, how can we confirm if he's the whistleblower?" This time, it was a deep male voice. Judging by the tone, the speaker was probably older.

"Let's wait another half hour. If he still doesn't wake up, we'll use some methods. Breaking one of his legs will definitely wake him up."

"Pei Pei, I’ve heard rumors that you tried to harm your own sister before. I didn’t believe it at first, but after seeing this, I can tell you're truly ruthless."

Pei Pei scoffed coldly, "You think you're capable? Then you do it."

Jing Yi listened with a pounding heart, realizing from the information they let slip that he was in grave danger—this was the Star Void Five, a group he had previously exposed. For some reason, they had evaded legal consequences and were now seeking revenge.

...The clues were provided by Shen Shubai.

How did Shen Shubai know the whistleblower was him?

Jing Yi recalled their past encounters. He had met Shen Shubai more than once, exchanging a few brief words. It was probably during those unintentional conversations that Shen Shubai had memorized his voice.

On the night of the revelation, Shen Shubai was also present and had overheard the erratic heartbeat caused by the bug in his body. Recognizing his voice wouldn't have been difficult.

So, from the beginning, the person Shen Shubai wanted to eliminate wasn't Li Mingzhi, but... him?

Jing Yi: "..."

The protagonist is really overdoing it.

To take out a low-level NPC like me, they’re using such elaborate tactics? They must have too much free time.

Watching the figures in front of him, Jing Yi thought that Shen Shubai was indeed smart. He knew how to exploit these people's desire for revenge, using them as pawns while keeping his own hands clean. If Li Wenzhao were to barge in angrily now, Shen Shubai would appear even more innocent.

The protagonist is really ruthless.

Forget it, I need to figure out how to escape first. Otherwise, my boyfriend might lose it.

As Jing Yi pondered how to naturally and harmlessly wake up, he suddenly heard an impatient male voice next to him say, "Why isn't he awake yet? Pei Pei, weren’t you going to break his limbs? You handle it."

Pei Pei shot back, "Are there no men around? Why do I have to do this?"

A steady male voice said, "Few men are as ruthless as you."

Pei Pei: "You..."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing," Yang Zailun said, "The priority right now is to wake him up and listen to his voice to confirm if he's the one who betrayed us. Why are we fighting among ourselves?"

Pei Pei turned away in frustration. "What are you showing off for? Do you think you're still a high and mighty Best Actor? You're just a gay rapist, worse than a rat crossing the street, pui!"

Qiu Guzheng: "..."

The kidnappers began arguing, giving Jing Yi the perfect chance to pretend to wake up. He acted as if the drug was just wearing off, feeling slightly uncomfortable. As soon as he moved his legs, he caught the attention of those next to him.

Fang Heng: "He's awake."

Qiu Guzheng's face darkened, and he kicked Jing Yi's leg. "Get up and talk."

The kick carried the frustration of a failed intimidation, the force strong enough to cause sharp pain in Jing Yi's calf.

Jing Yi gritted his teeth and muttered curses under his breath. Just you wait, old man. If you enjoy kicking so much, you’ll get plenty of practice in prison soccer.

The five collapsed Star members surrounded him, their eyes fixed on Jing Yi without blinking.

"Talk."

"Since you're awake, open your mouth."

"No tricks, speak honestly, or we’ll kill you!"

"This is a desolate place, so don't even think about screaming. Even if you scream till you're hoarse, no one will come to rescue you!"

Jing Yi remained silent, thinking to himself:

Hey guys, I haven't even said a single line yet. Is everyone in the entertainment industry this eager to hog the spotlight?

You tell me to speak, but also not to speak.

Come on, calm down.

Jing Yi shivered at the cacophony of voices, shrank his neck, and said in a small voice, “You, you, who are you?”

His voice was gentle and soft, filled with the vulnerability and naivety of a small creature.

Jing Yi pressed his lips together. From now on, he needed to alter his voice.

Luckily, it wasn't too hard. His voice was naturally soft, so he could lower it a bit and create a sweet and soft tone.

Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, the five Stars surrounding him were collectively taken aback.

"This doesn't sound right."

"I do think there's some resemblance."

"Don't jump to conclusions. That person the other day spoke quite coherently, and their voice was cheerful and pure, completely different from this person's."

"……In a situation like that day, why the heck were you even noticing if the informant's voice sounded good?"

"Do you have a problem?"

"..."

"If I hadn't been listening closely, how would you have found anyone?"

"Why not just kill him? Wouldn't that be easier? We've already caught him, and letting him go would mean his death anyway. We might as well all die together! At least we'd take someone with us."

"Enough," Qiu Guzheng interrupted the bickering, which was giving him a headache. "What's going on here? Are you trying to spill all our secrets?"

The four finally shut their mouths, though they still glared at each other, clearly not convinced by one another.

Jing Yi trembled and huddled in fear, shaking uncontrollably. Seeing how scared he was, they dismissed him as no threat and left, leaving Qiu Guzheng to handle the interrogation.

Qiu Guzheng eyed Jing Yi suspiciously. "You're Jing Yi, right?"

Jing Yi tilted his head, seemingly confirming his position. "Ah."

"Know who I am?"

"Y-y-y-yes..." Jing Yi stuttered, sounding like a broken record.

Qiu Guzheng's expression changed. How could he recognize me? Is this guy some kind of superfan?

"Y-y-y-y-yes..." Jing Yi stuttered again, "I know."

Qiu Guzheng: "..."

He turned away. "What’s Shen Shubai playing at? Did he tell us to grab a stutterer?"

The others just stared blankly.

Jing Yi: "Shen, Shen, Shen, Shen..."

Qiu Guzheng helps: "Shen Shubai."

Jing Yi nods vigorously, struggling to speak: "Shen, Shen, Shen, Shen... Shen Shubai, is... is... is... mine..."

Qiu Guzheng is startled: "You know him? What's your relationship? Is he playing us?"

Jing Yi: "My... my... my enemy."

Five people: "..."

"No way, this is too frustrating!"

"Agreed, his tongue is a mess. His face is nice, but why does he speak so laboriously?"

"Can this guy really be the whistleblower?"

"No way, that night, the guy spoke fast and clear, I was afraid he'd slap me with his tongue. There's no chance it's this guy in front of us."

"Don't forget, but he's Li Wen Zhao's assistant. Can an assistant be a stutterer?"

Jing Yi panics and hurriedly shifts his position: "N-n-no... I'm n-n-not..."

Fang Heng frowns and says: "Still denying it? We caught you in Li Wen Zhao's office!"

The more anxious Jing Yi becomes, the harder it is for him to speak, struggling: "I'm n-n-not an assistant, I'm a... I'm a... butler!"

"..." x5

Jing Yi continues with his suffocating tone: "H-h-here t-t-to d-d-deliver f-f-food."

"..." x5

The five of them turned away, not wanting to waste another word on Jing Yi.

Afraid of being dragged down by him.

They leave Jing Yi behind, and the five huddle together, whispering quietly.

"Are we being played?"

"Is Shen Shubai using us to take revenge?"

"Not necessarily, what if he's lying to us?"

"Him? Ask him to introduce himself."

"..."

"Brother Qiu, what do we do now?"

While they whispered, Jing Yi quickly lifted his head, peering through the gap under his blindfold to check out his surroundings.

It looks like an old warehouse, with junk piled against the walls, broken windows, five beds in the corner, and some basic supplies.

Seems these people have been hiding here during their escape.

Jing Yi looks around, his heart slowly sinking. No back door, and not a single window he could reach. The nearest window was at least six feet off the ground.

When he still had all his limbs intact, he couldn't even jump up, let alone now.

This is it. We're screwed.

Just after confirming his relationship with Li Wenzhao, he's about to become a widow. He really isn't a good boyfriend.

As he was thinking, the five members of the disgraced celebrity group suddenly fell silent.

Jing Yi immediately lowered his head and, following his usual pattern, began to shiver uncontrollably. "Y-y-you... w-w-want t-t-to..."

"Shut up," Yang Zailun scolded. "You're useless, a total waste of space."

Jing Yi: "..."

Qiu Guzheng signaled for them to be quiet and took out his phone to call Shen Shubai, putting it on speaker. "Mr. Shen, are you messing with us?"

Shen Shubai laughed over the phone, "How'd it go? Got him?"

Qiu Guzheng replied calmly, "Yeah."

"Hahahahahaha, no wonder Li Wenzhao was chasing me to my office to get this person back. He looked desperate. That felt good! Since you've already caught him, why are you still calling me?"

Qiu Guzheng said, "Mr. Shen, this isn't how things should be done. We had a deal—you were supposed to give us info on the whistleblower, but this guy doesn't match the description. Are you playing us?"

Shen Shubai was stunned, "...What?"

Qiu Guzheng walked over to Jing Yi and kicked him again, "Talk!"

Jing Yi stammered, "I-I-I-I w-w-will... w-w-what? D-d-don't k-k-kick me."

Qiu Guzheng: "..."

Shen Shubai: "..."

The slightly distorted voice through the speakerphone, combined with the suffocating stutter, left Shen Shubai momentarily speechless.

In disbelief, he said, "What the hell did you guys catch?"

Pei Pei said urgently, "We were about to ask you the same thing. According to the clues you provided, we caught this person in Li Wenzhao's office, but he's a stutterer, and his voice doesn't match. How could this possibly be the whistleblower? Shen, are you screwing with us? Want to join us in jail?"

Shen Shubai: "..."

After a moment of thought, he said, "Hold on, snap a picture and send it over."

Qiu Guzheng signaled, and Fang Heng immediately took out his phone.

"Trouble! Trouble!" A young man ran in from outside, panicking. "The cops are heading this way!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Shubai immediately hung up the phone and disappeared without a trace.

The five members of the disgraced celebrity group's expressions changed. "We've been tricked. Shen's a jerk—he used us to get back at his enemy! Let's go."

Yang Zailun pointed to Jing Yi on the ground, "What about him?"

Qiu Guzheng thought for a moment, "Take him with us. If we're caught, he can be used as a hostage."

---

Not far from the kidnapping location, Li Wenzhao sat in a police car, with Shu Bei fully prepared beside him. "According to the tracker, the criminals are at the dock up ahead. They're the five celebrities who collapsed recently: Pei Pei, Cen Mingming, Qiu Guzheng, Yang Zailun, and Fang Heng. Has Jing Yi offended them?"

Li Wenzhao furrowed his brows. "Nope."

"Then we'll only know why they kidnapped Jing Yi after we catch them."

The police car sped down the highway, and Li Wenzhao turned his head to look out the window. The outline of Shoucheng Harbor became increasingly clear.

The closer he got to the scene, the more tense Li Wenzhao became. His heartbeat quickened, and his unease grew, as if something destined to be lost was looming. This feeling was mysterious and irreversible, even more unsettling than a sixth sense.

"Team Leader Shu," Li Wenzhao said gravely, "Can we go any faster?"

Shu Bei, understanding his urgency, reassured him, "The lanes have been cleared for emergency travel. We'll be there in ten minutes."

"Team Leader," the young officer in the passenger seat said, "The GPS shows the suspects have left the warehouse and are heading towards the sea."

Shu Bei responded swiftly, "Contact the coast guard. Deploy the patrol boats to prevent the suspects from escaping by sea."

"Understood."

·

Outside the warehouse, Jing Yi’s blindfold was yanked off, and he was pushed toward the back hill.

Jing Yi deliberately slowed down, stumbling as he went. His captor, Yang Zailun, losing patience, hoisted him onto his shoulders and sprinted up the hill.

Jing Yi: "..."

Yang Zailun, like a runaway horse, ran recklessly, jostling Jing Yi so much he felt sick.

Amidst the swaying shadows, Jing Yi spotted police officers in black uniforms and a tall figure among them.

"Eldest young master?"

"Li Wenzhao!"

The tall figure hesitated for a moment.

"I'm here!! The suspects are heading up the hill. I'm at your ten o'clock!"

Li Wenzhao didn’t hesitate. "This way."

·

Half an hour later, the group of five were panting heavily, their pampered bodies exhausted. Except for Yang Zailun, who exercised regularly, the others were showing signs of fatigue.

Halfway up the mountain, Cen Mingming collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. "I can't go on."

"No, the police are getting closer. This place isn't safe," Fang Heng said. "We need to leave now."

"This is seriously weird..." Pei Pei wiped his sweat and said, "In this remote area, with dense trees, we've changed directions several times and even lost our phones. How do they keep finding us? Do the cops have super noses or something?"

Yang Zailun bounced the person on his shoulders, nearly making Jing Yi vomit.

Qiu Guzheng, remaining calm, said, "It'll be too late if we don't leave now. Let's head to the coast this time."

"No way, I can't keep going," Cen Mingming said, weakly waving her hand. "I just dodged some taxes. Worst case, I’ll sell everything to cover the fines."

Yang Zailun was stunned as soon as she finished speaking.

After all, he'd only made a small mistake—immoral and unethical, sure, but not illegal. There was no need for him to flee alongside them.

Yang Zailun was about to say something when he heard a loud bang. Cen Mingming fell to the ground, her head covered in blood.

"Ah!"

"What are you doing?"

Jing Yi was also startled by the scene.

He heard the sickening crack of a skull breaking.

Qiu Guzheng hurled a rock the size of a melon down onto Cen Mingming's head and said with a vicious expression, "We all committed the kidnapping together. If anyone wants to go back and confess, pushing the blame on others, this will be your fate."

They were all ordinary people who had never witnessed such violence, and Qiu Guzheng's act left them speechless.

Cen Mingming lay bleeding out on the ground, and Jing Yi squeezed his eyes shut in terror.

"F*..."

"The kidnapping has turned into a murder."

"The seaside is just ahead. Take the hostage there," Qiu Guzheng glared at Yang Zailun, blood still splattered on his face. "Hurry!"

With Cen Mingming's lifeless body staring up at them, the rest of them didn't dare to defy him anymore and obediently followed Qiu Guzheng.

·

In the forest, on the shadowy branches of a tall tree, two faint silhouettes sat on the limbs.

"Ahhh—Aren't those the five souls we're supposed to collect?" Hei Wuchang yawned and asked lazily.

"Yeah, that's them," Bai Wuchang confirmed, glancing at the Book of Life. "The book is showing signs too. We have ten minutes left, just enough time to finish our job and leave."

Hei Wuchang slowly rose, scanning the group until his brow furrowed. "Hiss..."

"What is it?" Bai Wuchang asked.

"Check out the guy running sideways," Hei Wuchang scratched his head. "I think I've seen him before."

Bai Wuchang's eyes followed, noticing a gentle profile. "There is something familiar... But I can't quite remember. Could he be someone we've sent back before?"

Hei Wuchang thought for a moment but couldn't recall anything. He waved his hand. "Forget it—whoever he is, let's just wrap this up and get out of here. We still need to report to Meng Po Manor later."

Bai Wuchang also dismissed the slight doubt in his mind. With death approaching, he dropped down and hurried through the woods toward the shore.

·

At the seaside cliff, Qiu Guzheng and the others were completely surrounded. Jing Yi was held at knifepoint, being used as a hostage against the police.

Shu Bei holstered his gun and stepped forward. "Qiu Guzheng, you are surrounded. Drop your weapons and surrender."

Qiu Guzheng hid behind Jing Yi, the sharp tip of the knife pressing into Jing Yi's neck.

"Jing Yi!" Li Wenzhao's pupils shrank in horror, and he couldn't help but step forward, but Shu Bei held him back.

Jing Yi winced in pain, seeing Li Wenzhao's changed expression, and quickly said, "..."

"I'm okay, it doesn't hurt."

At this critical moment, his greatest fear was causing trouble for the police.

"Eldest young master, don't worry. With all these officers around, I'll be fine."

"Even if I fall by accident, I can swim and make sure I'm safe. I'll find my way back to you!"

"Mr. Li, you're here too," Qiu Guzheng said with a cold smile. "Looks like you truly care about your butler. That makes negotiations easier."

Li Wenzhao said in a low voice, "What do you want?"

Qiu Guzheng said, "Fifty million in old bills and a helicopter to get us out of here! I'll give you one hour. It shouldn't be difficult for you, Mr. Li, right?"

A chilly gust blew by, and Hei Wuchang and Bai Wuchang appeared at the cliff's edge.

"Five seconds left," Bai Wuchang said, checking the soul ledger. "Get ready."

Hei Wuchang pulled out the heavy soul chain, swung it, and waited for the people above to drop.

But they waited for a long time.

A cool breeze blew past, and the negotiation at the clifftop continued.

Bai Wuchang tapped the soul ledger. "What's up? Is this thing broken? How did someone die already?"

"Ah?" Hei Wuchang leaned over to take a look. "Cen Mingming... a girl, gone?"

Bai Wuchang looked solemn. "Yeah."

"........."

The two ghosts exchanged glances, feeling an unprecedented sense of horror—someone had died before they could collect their soul.

Another huge dereliction of duty!

Hei Wuchang couldn't believe it and grabbed the soul ledger. "Can this thing actually break? Is the underworld Wi-Fi signal too weak? Damn, ever since they updated to high-tech, these things always malfunction and aren't as good as before. Our error rate is increasing, and there's no hope for a year-end bonus. We'll get scolded by Old Lady Meng, drenched in dog's blood. Forget it... I'll just reset it."

Bai Wuchang's face changed. "Don't—"

But it was too late. Hei Wuchang shook the soul ledger vigorously—the next second, dark clouds gathered overhead, a black wind swept through, and the soul ledger swept past, knocking the five people off the cliff.

The Wuchangs: "......"

"Quick, quick, grab those souls!" Hei Wuchang laughed heartily, spreading the soul chain. "All five people, not one missing."

Just as the two ghosts were ready to retrieve the souls, a piercing cry came from the top of the cliff—

"Jing Yi!"

Bai Wuchang's eyebrows twitched, and he looked up in disbelief. Among the five high-speed falling figures, he suddenly saw a face that gave him hypertension.

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!!!!

Bai Wuchang anxiously patted Hei Wuchang's shoulders, speaking incoherently. "Re-re-re-re-retract, retract, retract!"

Hei Wuchang shook him off. "I'm retracting it, don't rush me!"

Seeing that Jing Yi was about to collide with the soul-binding chain, White Wuchang shouted, "That's the little bastard we mistakenly captured before; he's really hard to deal with. Quick, retract the chain, don't let him touch it!"

Hei Wuchang was stunned. "What?!"

He looked up and finally recognized that familiar face demanding repayment.

"Shit!" Hei Wuchang scrambled frantically to grab the chain. "Retract, retract, retract—"

In just a couple of seconds, he cursed, "I’m screwed, this thing requires fingerprint authentication to retract, and my hands are covered in ghost sweat—I can’t get it to work!"

White Wuchang was left speechless.

The distance was too short, and the soul-binding chain spread out widely, covering the entire base of the cliff. Despite Hei Wuchang’s frantic efforts, he couldn’t retract the chain in time and could only watch helplessly as Jing Yi’s body slipped through.

The two ghosts were speechless.

—This is bad!

A sudden gust of wind swept across the cliff, carrying Jing Yi down with it. The momentary weightlessness overwhelmed him as he plunged into the icy water, his limbs weak and his once-prized swimming skills failing him.

Jing Yi could only watch himself sinking to the ocean floor.

...It's so cold.

In his hazy state, he saw Li Wenzhao burst through the water’s surface and swim swiftly toward him.