CHAPTER 420: CHAPTER 420: TOAST NOT ACCEPTED, PENALTY DRINK IMPOSED

Jiang Xiaoti’s emotions were incredibly complicated at this moment as she frantically explained, "Big brother, I’m just a D-list celebrity barely getting by. All my bank cards combined can only scrape together fifty thousand. Half a million—you’re basically asking for my life!"

Her eyes were red, and exaggeratedly, tears streamed down in four distinct lines as she cried her heart out with a genuine and emotional performance of poverty.

But Hu Yaoji wasn’t buying it—he was in the business of robbery, not charity. "I hate it when women cry. Either pay up or die. Your choice!"

Jiang Xiaoti, who had been kneeling rigidly up till now, turned ashen and collapsed into a sitting position on the ground.

Hu Yaoji wasn’t joking—when he told Jiang Xiaoti to die, he meant every word.

He pulled the trigger, and Jiang Xiaoti was again scared out of her wits. "No! Please, no!"

"Wait!" Li Haidong shouted, stopping Hu Yaoji just in time. "I’ll pay this girl’s ransom."

Hu Yaoji gave Li Haidong an approving glance. "Not bad, not bad. True to being a Chinese—so loyal and righteous. But the rule here is everyone saves themselves."

Ignoring Jiang Xiaoti’s deathly pale face, which looked like she was about ready to be buried, Hu Yaoji added salt to the wound and threatened her further. "Fine, you’ll be the last one I take money from. Think carefully during this time. Can you find a way to scrounge up half a million?"

Jiang Xiaoti breathed a sigh of relief, only to sink back into suffocating despair. She truly couldn’t come up with half a million—Hu Yaoji’s grace period was nothing but a ticking countdown to her death.

"Old man, you’re up," Hu Yaoji said, squatting in front of Li Haidong while holding his phone.

From unlocking the phone to opening the banking app, everything went smoothly, until the moment he entered the password—it kept showing incorrect.

Li Haidong furrowed his brows in apparent frustration. "Why isn’t the password right? I was sure this was it!"

"Stop pretending. Watch out, or I’ll kill you!" Hu Yaoji lost his patience and ordered Li Haidong to use facial recognition to recover the password.

But facial recognition kept prompting that the angle was wrong and failed to verify. Hu Yaoji flew into a rage, firing his gun into the sky. "You think I’m joking? That I wouldn’t actually kill you?"

BANG—

The bullet burst through the air before falling back to the ground, leaving even the always-composed Wei Lan screaming in shock.

——

Sang Ning and Andy were searching the island for the signs of Lu Yujing and the others.

Suddenly, a sharp gunshot pierced their eardrums—both Sang Ning and Andy heard it.

Andy slammed on the brakes, his face pale with terror as he turned to Sang Ning. "Lu... Lu couldn’t be in trouble, right?"

"Get out!" Sang Ning’s expression was steely, her voice heavy.

Andy was still in a daze but mechanically obeyed Sang Ning’s command. He pulled over to the roadside and stepped out of the car.

Sang Ning climbed over from the passenger side to the driver’s seat, peering at Andy outside the car. "Can you find another car to pick you up?"

Andy nodded. It was late, but he should still manage to find a ride.

Sang Ning closed the car door decisively. "Then I’ll ask for your understanding—I’ll be borrowing your car for now."

As the exhaust fumes swept past his face, Andy coughed, waving away the smoke cloud before him.

What? Was Sang Ning seriously planning to head into danger alone? Did she even have enough lives to throw away?

Following the sound, Sang Ning sped off into the night.

——

After firing, Hu Yaoji blew away the smoke from his gun barrel and kicked Li Haidong over. "Fuck!"

Hu Yaoji had already heard the sound of a car approaching in the distance. He suspected Li Haidong had deliberately forced him to fire the gun, hoping to expose their location.

Before getting the money, there was no way he’d kill them outright. He could only resort to threats and intimidation.

Li Haidong was definitely doing it on purpose!

Hu Yaoji muttered in New Island’s local language to the driver that Li Haidong had pulled a trick to lure someone over.

The driver came over, grabbed Li Haidong’s collar, and dragged him aside like a dog, raining down a barrage of punches on him.

The series of blows were fast, ruthless, and precise, leaving no room for counteraction.

By the time Wei Lan screamed and lunged forward, Li Haidong was already out cold, too weak even to lift his head.

After a long while, he coughed out a mouthful of blood—his gums had been ruptured and were bleeding.

Wei Lan was terrified by the sight of blood, convinced that Li Haidong’s internal organs had been injured. She lowered her head and pleaded meekly, "Stop hitting him. Whatever money you want, I’ll pay. Just give me the phone, and I’ll transfer the funds right away."

Li Haidong, reeling from the beating, had completely given up the thought of negotiating with Hu Yaoji and the gang.

Struggling for breath, he suddenly spat out harsh words. "The Li Family doesn’t produce cowards—there’s no money, just my life."

If Hu Yaoji dared to kill him, Li Juezhou would make sure Hu Yaoji’s fate would be far worse.

Wei Lan was boiling with fury and frustration—she could strangle Li Haidong herself. Couldn’t he see the situation they were in? Did he understand nothing about being outmatched? And still, he talked tough!

Li Haidong’s repeated non-compliance and rigid attitude pushed Hu Yaoji to his breaking point. "Fine! If you want death, I’ll grant it!"

Hu Yaoji didn’t truly intend to kill Li Haidong—not yet, at least—not until he got the money.

Instead of a bullet, he went back to savage punches and kicks.

After the sound of gunfire, Qin Feng fell into a brief silence. These guys weren’t bluffing—they really meant business, and his life was probably going to end here.

But he couldn’t stomach turning a blind eye as Li Haidong suffered a one-sided beating.

After just a few seconds of mental preparation, Qin Feng rushed forward and grappled with Hu Yaoji.

Though his hands were cuffed, his legs were freed, and he could still manage to kick. "I’ll fight you to the end!"

Qin Feng threw everything he had into a single attack. After a short sprint, he leaped into the air and kicked at Hu Yaoji with both feet.

The man fell down, but Qin Feng’s attack wasn’t sustainable, as he toppled to the ground with him.

What awaited Qin Feng next was, of course, a merciless beating from Hu Yaoji’s accomplice, the driver.

That pummeling lit a fire in Qin Feng’s determination. He curled up on the ground, twisting and turning to evade the punches as best he could—but barely succeeded in dodging much—and, like Li Haidong, he held strong. "Go ahead, beat me all you want, but don’t expect to squeeze a single cent out of me today!"

Even with barely the strength to breathe, Li Haidong gave Qin Feng a thumbs-up. "Good job, young man of the Qin Family!"

Wei Lan shoved Li Haidong back down. "Would you shut up already!"

Hu Yaoji lifted his gun, this time genuinely intending to murder Li Haidong. "Refuse a toast, take the penalty. Fine, die then."

BEEP—

A sudden blaring horn robbed the moment as Hu Yaoji poised to pull the trigger. Piercing high beams flooded in, briefly blinding Hu Yaoji.

Spotting Hu Yaoji’s hesitation, Sang Ning wasted no time and floored the gas pedal.