?45: Chapter 43: Hijacking 45: Chapter 43: Hijacking Suleyman was already half-dead, but he was, after all, still alive.

    The arm around his neck was like a pair of iron pincers that he couldn’t pry open no matter what he did.

    Moreover, any attempt to struggle only made the iron grip tighten, nearly choking him.

    When he was forced to stop struggling, the grip would loosen slightly.

    So Suleyman had no choice but to stagger along as Gao Yi dragged him for about a hundred meters.

    To anyone watching, Suleyman truly resembled a dog.

    Sean’s car finally arrived.

    Gao Yi felt at ease, and Suleyman could be relieved too.

    “I’m sorry…”

    Sean was sincerely apologizing, but Gao Yi interrupted urgently, “The man’s here, no problems, right?”

    Sean’s eyes widened in astonishment, “Why did you bring him here?”

    “You really think I’d believe that I killed the man inside the restaurant?

    There wasn’t time to take a video as proof, so I had to bring him out for you to see.”

    Gao Yi did not let go of Suleyman.

    While talking, he dug out his phone from his pocket and said, “I’ll take the video and upload it myself, give me a hammer.”

    As he released Suleyman, allowing him to collapse onto the ground, Gao Yi leaned in to grab a hammer from inside the car.

    He could certainly kill Suleyman with his bare hands, but it wouldn’t be visually impactful, not direct enough.

    For a smooth ransom collection, it was better to use a method that left no doubt the target was dead.

    “I believe you, of course I believe you!” Sean said urgently, “I’m the client, I don’t need a video for proof.”

    “That won’t do, this job came from the Dark Web, I need to make the Dark Web believe.”

    Gao Yi raised the hammer, and at that moment, Suleyman pleaded tremulously, “No!

    Please don’t!”

    Just then, a person ran out from the restaurant.

    He was holding a pistol, aiming at Gao Yi and them, but quickly picked up an M4 rifle from the ground and aimed it at Gao Yi.

    It must have been someone left in the kitchen.

    The earlier fight ended too quickly, before the inside people could react, and as a result, the bodyguard who was left inside didn’t rush out to his death.

    At this distance, the distant bodyguard didn’t shoot because he saw Gao Yi pick up Suleyman once again.

    Sean said urgently, “Get in the car, use the target as a shield; he’s useful, quick.”

    Gao Yi opened the back door and shoved Suleyman inside.

    Sean drove off before the door even closed.

    Gao Yi said self-critically, “There were still people alive, sorry, I messed up…”

    Sean was silent for a moment, then finally spoke softly, “You stormed in alone!

    You took out everyone!

    You captured the target!

    You call this messing up!

    Then what are we…

    what are the rest of us?!”

    Suleyman’s trembling voice offered, “No matter who you are, no matter how much you earn, I’ll pay double!

    No, five times more!”

    Gao Yi saw that the bodyguard had started to follow them from afar.

    “There’s someone following, what do we do?”

    “Shake them off first,” Sean responded hurriedly, while Suleyman, now a bit calmer, was curled up in the backseat, trying to save his own life.

    “Gentlemen, please listen, you’re assassins, right?

    It’s about money, isn’t it?

    I can pay you a lot!

    A lot!

    Name your price, how about it?”

    Gao Yi was truly unswayed, but when he looked back, he noticed that it seemed like more cars had joined the chase.

    “There are more of them now!”

    Suleyman whispered, “This city is full of my people!

    If you kill me, you won’t be able to escape, why not let me go and leave with a large sum of money?

    If you’re worried about my revenge, then take me to the United States, take the money and let me go, how about that?

    How much do you want?

    Let me name a figure, will two million dollars do?

    No?

    I’ll add more, five million!

    I’ll give you five million, in cash, all unmarked bills.

    I’ll prepare a car for you, or whatever you say, anything goes.”

    The job was worth two hundred thousand, and now the target was willing to give five million to save his life.

    Was Gao Yi tempted?

    No, he didn’t even consider it.

    Playing both sides was not in Gao Yi’s character, and more importantly, he wasn’t foolish—five million sounded like a lot, but whether he could even get the money was one thing, and another was if he would live to spend it.

    Just then, a flurry of dust kicked up in front of the car, and it took Gao Yi a moment to realize that the pursuers behind them couldn’t hold their fire any longer.

    They opened fire, not daring to shoot directly at the car, but at the ground in front of the car, as a warning.

    Gao Yi grabbed Suleyman and barked, “Roll down the window, stick your head out, if they open fire, you’ll be the first to get shot!”

    Suleyman obediently did as told.

    He rolled down the window and while waving his hand, he shouted with all his might, “Don’t shoot!

    No shooting!”

    After pulling Suleyman back in, Gao Yi asked embarrassedly, “Now what?”

    He could easily handle ten men, but being chased and shot at?

    That genuinely scared Gao Yi.

    Being skilled in combat was useless when those behind him had machine guns.

    Sean suddenly said, “No choice, abandon the mission, take the money.”

    Gao Yi was stunned, but Suleyman urged, “A wise choice!”

    Sean continued in a chilling tone, “Ten million dollars, in unmarked bills.

    I know you drug dealers have plenty of cash.

    Now, have your men bring the money to the United States border.”

    Suleyman quickly responded, “Okay, no problem, ten million in unmarked bills, loaded in a car, waiting on the other side of the US border for you.”

    “We’ll take you to the other side of the US, and after we ensure our safety, we’ll release you!”

    Suleyman murmured, “It won’t work if…

    ”

    Sean slashed, “Kill him!”

    Gao Yi immediately raised the hammer.

    Suleyman yelled out, “Okay, okay!

    Whatever you say goes, I’ll comply with everything!”

    Sean suddenly hit the brakes, as two police trucks had blocked the road ahead, and both vehicles were carrying machine guns in their beds.

    Sean slowed down, turned the wheel hard, and the car headed off in a different direction, while the machine gunners on the police trucks refrained from firing, watching them take another route.

    Judging by Sean’s speed, he wasn’t going particularly fast, and the number of cars trailing them was growing, at least a dozen, with the closest just twenty or thirty meters away.

    Luckily, they had Suleyman in the car, or else they’d have been shot full of holes by now.

    Sean exhaled deeply, turning slightly to address Suleyman, “Do you have a phone?”

    “Yes…”

    “Call your people, have them back off, then we’ll discuss where to deliver the money.”

    Suleyman glanced at Gao Yi, he could negotiate with Sean, but without a word from Gao Yi, he dared not even move.

    That was the oppressive feeling borne of fear.

    Gao Yi’s cold stare was enough to sap Suleyman of the courage to even twitch.

    Gao Yi nodded, so Suleyman quickly pulled out a phone from his pocket, pondered for a second, and dialed a number, also considerately setting it to speakerphone.

    The call connected, and Suleyman immediately said, “It’s me!

    I’m not dead!”

    There was a flurry of loud shouting, and Suleyman quickly commanded, “Speak English!”

    Sean stated coolly, “It’s okay, I understand Spanish.”

    Gao Yi was displeased and whispered, “Speak English, I don’t understand Spanish.”

    Suleyman promptly said, “Get ten million dollars ready, I’ll tell you where to bring it in a moment.

    And tell everyone, don’t try anything sneaky, do nothing.”

    “Yes, boss, are you okay?”

    Suleyman snarled, “Of course I’ve been kidnapped!

    Do you even need to ask, you idiot, back off, keep your distance!”

    Suleyman hung up the phone and turned to Gao Yi, “Are you satisfied?”

    Gao Yi waited for Sean’s response, which, after thinking, was, “Where do you think it would be a good place for the exchange?

    Somewhere that would make you feel safe, and us as well.”

    Suleyman cautiously suggested, “How about at the customs port of entry?

    Of course, on the US side.

    My men can’t all get over there, so you don’t have to worry about retaliation after releasing me.

    And I definitely won’t seek revenge, I swear to God.”

    Sean took a deep breath and responded, “No, that’s a good choice for you, but not for us.

    Let’s pick a different city, go to Tijuana.”

    Suleyman whispered, “No, Tijuana…

    It’s not my turf.

    I’ll die if I go to Tijuana; absolutely not.”

    Sean waited, then proposed, “Then let’s do the exchange through your tunnels.

    I know you have tunnels crossing the border, how about that?”

    Suleyman hesitated briefly and agreed, “Okay!

    The exit on the US side, you can rest assured.”

    “Where is it exactly?”

    Without hesitation, Suleyman blurted out a location, knowing full well that if he hesitated, Gao Yi’s hammer would come down.

    After some thought, Sean said, “Alright, make the call.

    Inform your people to have the money ready at the tunnel exit on the US side.”

    Suleyman made another call, this time with more intensity after the connection, “It’s me, I’ve been taken.

    Prepare ten million dollars in unmarked bills, wait at the Mexican entrance for me.

    Don’t bring too many people, don’t try to rescue me, they’ll release me once they get their money.

    If you do anything unnecessary, I’ll be in danger.”

    After hanging up, Suleyman said quietly, “I called my wife with that phone.

    I can’t fully trust anyone else. Sёarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    And, I can follow you to the US for the exchange, but the money can’t go ahead of me; it must pass with me.”

    Sean nodded and then suddenly commanded, “Knock him out.”

    Both Gao Yi and Suleyman were stunned, but then Gao Yi raised his hand and struck Suleyman’s neck.

    “Is he out?

    Uh, sorry, he’s definitely out.”

    First Sean asked, then immediately realized asking was superfluous, and after apologizing to Gao Yi, he took out his phone and dialed a number.

    Once the call connected, Sean said softly, “I have Suleyman, alive, plus ten million dollars.

    Do you want it?”