Niu Ben and the others listened as Liu Jianyi cursed loudly, and for some reason, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him—especially since they still needed him to lure Liu Yutong over. So, they tried to console him.
"If you want life to go smoothly, sometimes you’ve gotta wear a little green on your head. Don’t take it to heart, brother."
"Yeah, man, you gotta look on the bright side. Even if your daughter might not be biologically yours, at least you kept her separated from her real father all these years. That’s gotta count as some kind of sweet revenge, right?"
"Besides, you haven’t even done a paternity test. How do you know for sure she’s not yours? Trust science."
".........."
Just as they were still comforting Liu Jianyi, the phone suddenly rang.
It was Liu Yutong calling.
Niu Ben quickly answered, putting on a deliberately menacing tone. "Hey, Miss Liu, your dad’s currently—"
"Just kill him."
"..."
Beep beep beep... The call ended.
Niu Ben lowered the phone and turned to Liu Jianyi. "Definitely not your kid."
Liu Jianyi: "……"
For some reason, he suddenly felt like dying.
One of the underlings anxiously asked, "Boss, what do we do now? That woman doesn’t even care if her own dad lives or dies. Did we just grab him for nothing?"
"Should we let him go? Or just... toss him in the river?"
Liu Jianyi shuddered in fear and quickly pleaded, "No, no! I’m still a living, breathing life here—don’t be so rash!"
"I think Yutong might’ve thought you were scammers and said that on purpose. Let me talk to her. I’ll convince her."
Niu Ben and the others agreed to Liu Jianyi’s request and dialed Liu Yutong’s number again.
This time, the call didn’t disconnect.
And the voice on the other end sounded noticeably panicked.
"Don’t kill him! I’ll give you money—any amount! I won’t call the police, I swear on my dad and my brother’s lives! If I do, may they both be struck by lightning! Please, just let him go!"
"Oh, by the way... is my brother with you guys too?"
"........."
Hearing his daughter’s voice, Liu Jianyi felt a sudden warmth in his heart, nearly moved to tears.
So he’d misjudged her—she still cared about him after all.
But that last question—"Is my brother with you guys too?"—somehow felt a little off.
Niu Ben and the others also thought Liu Yutong was showing loyalty. Whether or not Liu Jianyi was her real father, eighteen years of affection had to count for something, right?
In the end, they agreed to meet by a river outside the city, with Niu Ben specifically demanding Liu Yutong bring a million in cash.
The moment she hung up, Liu Yutong’s expression turned cold.
Not only did she mobilize every available person, but she also didn’t hesitate to call the police.
That night, Liu Yutong arrived at the meeting spot with Ji Yu in tow.
Just in case, she made Ji Yu wear sunglasses and earbuds.
The riverside was poorly lit, and under the cover of darkness, it was impossible to recognize anyone unless they got extremely close.
Even if Niu Ben’s group shouted, Ji Yu wouldn’t hear them.
Truthfully, Liu Yutong didn’t need to come in person.
The only reason she risked showing up was to confirm whether Niu Ben was there.
If he was, things would be straightforward. If not, she’d leave immediately without revealing the backup she’d brought.
Ji Yu’s towering height made him stand out conspicuously by the river.
On the boat, Niu Ben shone a flashlight toward the figure and immediately grinned in satisfaction.
As expected, Ji Yu was still loyal—just led astray by some snake.
If Liu Yutong had brought anyone else, Niu Ben might not have shown himself, since he’d explicitly warned her to come alone—no extra people allowed.
Of course, Ji Yu was the exception. The guy had been tricked before, but that was just because he was gullible and not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Once he confirmed only Liu Yutong and Ji Yu were present, Niu Ben stepped onto the boat’s bow and shouted, "Liu Yutong! You got the money? Don’t try anything funny!"
But the moment he finished speaking, blinding floodlights suddenly lit up the entire riverbank, turning night into day.
On the embankment, dozens of cars switched on their high beams simultaneously—only a few were police cars, while the rest belonged to Master Jin and his crew.
They’d heard about Liu Jianyi’s kidnapping and came to show support.
Partly to express concern for Liu Yutong, and partly to witness Niu Ben’s downfall firsthand—some people wouldn’t sleep well otherwise.
To top it off, speedboats filled with armed police appeared on the river.
The whole scene looked like Niu Ben’s gang was surrounded by an army of a million.
Niu Ben was stunned by the sudden ambush. When he regained his senses, he snarled, "Liu Yutong, you goddamn snake! You think I won’t kill your old man right now?!"
With that, he yanked Liu Jianyi forward, pressing a knife to his throat, trying to force Liu Yutong and the police to back down.
Master Jin and the others watched, feeling a pang of sympathy for Liu Yutong.
"Even if that man isn’t her real father, he still raised her. After all these years, this must be tearing her apart."
"Yeah! Niu Ben’s got nothing to lose—if he surrenders, he’s getting the death penalty anyway. He’ll fight to the bitter end."
"What do you think Liu Yutong will do?"
"Probably try to negotiate first."
"Agreed."
"........."
Many in the crowd had already heard rumors about Liu Yutong’s background.
The long-lost daughter of the former leader of the Righteous Brotherhood—it wasn’t exactly a secret in their circles, and most understood.
After all, no gang leader would want their child dragged into that life, so sending her away to be raised by someone else made sense.
But regardless, the hostage on that boat was still her adoptive father. Surely she wouldn’t be that cold-blooded.
Yet Liu Yutong’s first words after arriving left everyone speechless.
"I don’t think negotiation is necessary. Niu Ben has blood on his hands—letting him go would be a threat to society. My father has always been a principled man. When I was little, he often told me that if the people were ever in danger, he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself."
"Open fire! A vicious criminal like this can’t be allowed to escape. Even if something happens to my father, he’ll live on forever... in a photo frame!"
Everyone: "……"
The police: "……"
Master Jin and his men exchanged glances, at a loss for words.
They’d expected Liu Yutong to negotiate desperately, even at any cost, to save her father. But her stance was shockingly ruthless.
With the family member’s approval, the police didn’t act immediately—but they did tighten the encirclement.
Niu Ben was instantly thrown into a panic at the sight before him. Hoarse from shouting, he yelled, "Liu Yutong! Have you lost your damn mind? This is your father! Are you really just going to watch him die?!"
But even as his voice grew ragged, Liu Yutong remained unmoved.
Master Jin and the others witnessed the scene as well, a chill running down their spines.
Heartless… utterly heartless!
Who among those present could stay so cold-faced when faced with a criminal holding their own father hostage?
Truly, a woman capable of achieving greatness must have a ruthless heart.
