460 Hi

The big boss felt like his luck had hit rock bottom that night. First, his old friend came with unfriendly news, then before he had the time to digest the news, the thief who stole his stuff was rescued, and that was before he could find out where she had taken his stuff. That was not the worst. Just as the big boss thought the day could not get any worse, something even more unfortunate proved that he was wrong. Due to the system malfunction of the entire villa, the important person who was locked up underground was not asleep like they were supposed to be… or perhaps they were, but they were woken up by the huge commotion. In any case, the person saw the chance, and just as everyone was lost in their thoughts, they gathered the courage and burst through two defense lines.

The person had not only escaped from the underground basement—they had successfully walked out from the bustling villa and almost gotten their freedom by running out the courtyard.

If not for the fact that the person had also stepped on a pressure plate and been 'rescued' because the people around him thought that he was an ally, he might have easily walked out the villa. Just imagine the shock when the bodyguards discovered his true identity. The person's identity was more important, and he was much easier to recapture than Ye Shuang and Su Zheng. Therefore, the big boss changed his plan at the last minute to focus on dealing with the former. Then, the former used the gun that he had hidden to put up a last struggle, and due to the fact that the big boss did not wish to physically harm the person, they took another half an hour before the dust settled. By then, Su Zheng and Ye Shuang had long disappeared.

…

Inside the brightly lit living room, the big boss was pacing about in a circle. To his side was an old foreigner who was trussed up and had his clothes roughed up. The latter kept his head lowered from disappointment and shame. It was as if once his hope had been dashed again, he no longer cared what happened to him. Deep breaths, more deep breaths.

Knowing that the kidnapped would not sympathize with him and he could not harm the old foreigner to vent his anger… the big boss had no choice but to swallow the emotions that were raging in his heart. He forced a smile to present a kind front. "Sir, why would you want to run? I must admit I have tried my best to make your stay here comfortable. You have nothing to worry about, or is there something that's not to your satisfaction?"

The old man refused to answer and looked away.

After another few deep breaths, the big boss waved away the guards who walked forward wishing to teach the old man a lesson. He pursed his lips and sat down on the sofa across from the old man. He thought about it and said, "Actually you should know very well that as long as I stay here, at least I can guarantee your safety. If the people outside know that you're still alive, things might not be this simple."

Be it a bluff or a real threat, when that was said, the old man was finally willing to give the big boss some reaction. He lifted his head, and his sharp gaze cut the big boss. He chuckled coldly. "Is it not because you're making a bet?"

The big boss shrugged and admitted it readily. "I do have that in mind."

Then he signaled for his people to leave the room. When there was no one else in the living room, he sighed weakly. "Everyone is out for themselves. No matter my intention, at least my decision now is advantageous to you… At least it has saved your mind, no?"

After getting an affirmative answer, the old man was surprised by the boss' honestly. He was willing to continue this conversation, so he sat up straighter. "I know you have your own underground force in your country. Perhaps that lent you some confidence, or perhaps the benefits have blinded your eyes. No matter what, I still think it's a bad idea for you to get involved in our organization. It's not as simple as you think. Especially since you have silently hidden me away, a target that you should have taken care of, considering you are in a cooperative relationship with someone."

No matter the location, there was no one in the world that would tolerate a traitor. That was the point that the old man could not wrap his head around. How did the man before him dare make the gamble that he would not lose in this dangerous bet?

If they were looking at this seriously, the chance of the big boss losing was much higher. That was because, in the end, no matter who won, as someone who had betrayed others, the big boss would not gain the trust of the eventual winner.

"That's where you're wrong. You have no idea who I am dealing with." The big boss shook his head. "Neither you nor Madam Grace would share a piece of the cake with me, so to expand my forces, I could only choose to side with your enemy. Temporarily keeping you safe… honestly, you are merely a hostage that I keep to ensure my own survival."

After all, the bigger the business, the higher the risk.

The big boss smiled freely. "If our plan fails in the end, I will use your life in exchange for my own. In that case, you will live, but if I am successful, I might allow you a chance to live. After all, you will have lost everything then, or I might decide to tie up all the loose ends… At least when you consider everything, you have a seventy-five percent chance of survival, don't you? And for now, you are enjoying a fairly comfortable life and not being fed to the sharks as was requested by my partner."

That sounded sincere. It was clear that the big boss was serious about keeping the old man alive… at least for now. But that was how the big boss calculated things. The old man naturally had his own way of seeing things as well. Since he was still alive, if he did not escape, the chance of him living in the future was fifty-fifty, and that was dependent on the man's mood. However, if he managed to escape, he could not only secure a one hundred percent chance of survival, he could contact his ally to inform them of what he had learned.

So, no matter what, he had to try to escape!

The two who adhered to different philosophies had a less than fruitful chat. The big boss who had the advantage realized that he was unable to persuade the old man, so in the end, he shrugged and had his people take the old man away. He ordered to increase security and put the man out of his mind.

About half an hour after the old man was placed back in the basement, a ridiculously handsome face poked out from under his bed. A white row of teeth smiled at the old man. "Hi, do you need help?"