Lin Dongping's eyes widened, his pupils constricting rapidly, as if he had seen something terrifying.
His mind went blank, leaving only a single thought: "This is impossible! How could Qin Chuan be here?!"
In Lin Dongping's mind, Qin Chuan should be in Yongnan County now, bogged down by various troubles, disheveled, and then thoroughly taught a lesson by their boss on how to behave.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he never imagined that Qin Chuan would appear at his home...
"You... Qin... Boss Qin... you..."
Overwhelmed by emotion, Lin Dongping couldn't even form a complete sentence. At the same time, he kept backing away, as if preparing to retreat into the inner room.
Qin Chuan saw all this. He stood up from the stool, his long legs striding forward rapidly. Before Lin Dongping could react, he had already reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
"Dongping, are you that excited to see me!"
"It's okay, we haven't seen each other for many years. How about this, to avoid disturbing your uncle and aunt, let's go chat in the outer courtyard? What do you say?"
Qin Chuan said with a smile, looking like a genuine old friend he hadn't seen in years.
Lin's father and mother, sitting not far away, wore smiles on their faces.
Their son had appeared, and as parents, they were filled with pride.
However, Lin Dongping's parents didn't know that Qin Chuan took this opportunity to lower his voice and quickly whisper in Lin Dongping's ear: "If you don't want to implicate your parents, you'd better cooperate with me obediently, otherwise, you know the consequences!"
Just as Lin Dongping was about to resist, he suddenly felt a pain in his ribs, as if something sharp was pressing against his body.
He was very familiar with the object. Without looking, he knew it was a sharp dagger. He could feel the keen edge of the blade through his clothes.
With his parents threatened in front and a dagger pressed against him from behind, Lin Dongping was left with despair.
This was clearly all planned by Qin Chuan. When he saw Qin Chuan appear at his home, he had already harbored the worst premonition.
And now it had come true, and very quickly, in less than two minutes.
Looking at Qin Chuan, who was smiling yet whose eyes were filled with cold ruthlessness, Lin Dongping took a deep breath. He raised his head and grinned at his parents: "Dad, Mom, we're going out for a bit."
"Go! Go!"
"Have a good chat with your friends. You must not have seen each other for many years."
Lin's father and mother said with smiles, their faces full of kindness.
From their expressions, one could tell they were truly honest people, who had lived a simple life.
"Thank you, uncle and aunt."
Qin Chuan called out sweetly and then led Lin Dongping out of the house.
As Qin Chuan was opening the door, Lin Dongping suddenly forcefully broke free from Qin Chuan's arm and bolted, his movements incredibly swift, like a wild horse that had broken its reins.
He was tall with long legs, and his running speed was incredible. In the blink of an eye, he had covered several meters and was about to climb over the wall and escape. Suddenly, a change occurred.
A figure emerged from outside the seemingly empty wall. The person had a cold smirk on their face and swung their fist, striking Lin Dongping's face fiercely.
Terrified, Lin Dongping dodged and changed direction, this time heading for the back door.
Unexpectedly, as he opened the back door, another figure was waiting there, having been there for a long time. Ergou, who had been waiting outside the back door, had a ferocious expression and held a crowbar in his hand.
With an obstacle in front and pursuers behind, Lin Dongping was truly desperate. This was a meticulously planned trap, blocking all his escape routes, leaving him nowhere to go.
"Boss Qin, what... what do you want with me? I haven't done anything."
Lin Dongping shouted in despair.
Qin Chuan remained silent. He simply gave a cold nod to Ergou, San Mao, and the arriving Li Qiang, signaling the three to take Lin Dongping to the car first.
After all, this was his village. If Lin Dongping were to shout loudly and alert others, it would be troublesome.
Fortunately, whether it was out of concern for his parents' safety or some other reason, Lin Dongping did not resist much during the process and got into the car.
The Tiger Head Benz roared to life and sped out of the village, stopping shortly after in a desolate, desert-covered area.
"Lin Dongping, do you think we would have traveled all this way to find you without knowing anything?"
After stopping the car, Qin Chuan lit a cigarette. The light in his jet-black eyes was incredibly sharp, seeming to pierce through people's hearts.
Lin Dongping's face turned pale, and his whole body trembled.
Yes, he was also full of doubts about this question. He believed he had done the deed so secretly that no one knew about it except his immediate superior.
But the problem was, Qin Chuan and his men had found him. Could it be...
Lin Dongping thought of a terrifying possibility.
"Zhang Wenbo has been captured by us!"
At this moment, as if seeing through his thoughts, Qin Chuan's words utterly shattered Lin Dongping's last shred of resistance.
"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!!"
Hearing that even Zhang Wenbo had been caught, Lin Dongping completely broke down, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"However, a person must take responsibility for their actions. Boss Qin, I have one condition: can you promise not to harm my parents? They are innocent..."
Qin Chuan sneered, "I didn't expect you to be such a filial son..."
"Don't worry, your uncle and aunt are good people. I, Qin Chuan, am not a heartless scoundrel. They will be absolutely fine. I guarantee it with my name."
"In fact, I can even give them some money to help you fulfill your filial duty of providing for them for the rest of your life."
Deep within Lin Dongping's previously gloomy eyes, two glimmers of light appeared, then quickly dimmed.
He thought of his impending fate. He would likely never be able to live in the sunlight again. Murder was a capital offense, and even if not executed, he would be sentenced to decades in prison. His life was over.
About half an hour later, the Tiger Head Benz returned to Lin Dongping's home.
"Dad, Mom, here is fifty thousand yuan. Please take it."
"Son will probably be gone for a long time this time!"
Inside the house, Lin Dongping was bidding farewell to his parents. Five thick stacks of banknotes were placed on the table, drawing considerable attention.
"You must take good care of yourselves, and also your younger siblings. Their education must be a success."
"Child, you've only been back a few days, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
When Lin's father and mother learned that their son was leaving again, they were very reluctant, their eyes turning red.
Lin Dongping forced back tears and suddenly knelt on the ground, kowtowing three times. The sound was loud, and his forehead turned red, startling Lin's father and mother.
Qin Chuan, standing by, was slightly moved, then his expression became impassive.
Some mistakes, once made, can never be undone.
"Dad, Mom, in the chest in my room, there are some of my belongings. The password is my birthday. I won't take them this time."
"If the family encounters any difficulties in the future and I haven't returned, you can use it then..."
Lin's father and mother's expressions changed slightly. They were honest and simple, but not foolish. They heard their son's words as if he were making arrangements for his final affairs.
"Child, tell us honestly, where exactly are you going?"
"What kind of work have you been doing all these years?"
Lin's father and mother asked anxiously.
"Uncle and aunt!"
At this critical moment, Qin Chuan spoke, "Dongping and we are going somewhere quite far this time, and it's very likely we'll be going abroad. As you know, going abroad is different from staying in our country. It's difficult to return, and it will take a long time."
"He's just afraid that you two elders will worry too much, and that you won't spend the money you earn, so he chose to do this."
"Don't worry, we'll be back after we finish our business!"
Hearing Qin Chuan's explanation, Lin's father and mother finally relaxed considerably.
"Then... why don't you eat breakfast before you leave? No matter how urgent things are, it won't take much longer."
Qin Chuan hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement, "Alright, we'll leave after breakfast."
Lin Dongping glanced at Qin Chuan, his eyes showing a trace of gratitude...