Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 244 Hiring a Killer

The house, which was not particularly new but was clean and tidy to begin with, was now covered in all sorts of filth, a protest by the masses against the Liu family's shamelessness.

The few panes of glass that the Liu family had managed to acquire were in a terrible state, smashed to pieces.

Although Liu Yanran was spared many punishments because of the child in her womb, the villagers would not let the Liu family, this filthy family that had tarnished the reputation of Wangjia Village, off so easily.

Those who were deceived by Liu Yanran and used as pawns were especially furious.

It's incredibly ironic that they trusted Liu Yanran so much only to be betrayed like this.

It was precisely for this reason that they couldn't wait to harm the Liu family, hoping to express their determination to sever ties with the Liu family through this method.

This is why such families usually live extremely miserable lives, and some even commit suicide by jumping into rivers or wells.

A beheading is nothing more than the head hitting the ground; cutting flesh with a dull knife is the most painful.

Of course, it's also possible that some people are thick-skinned and have strong mental fortitude, allowing them to live comfortably under such circumstances.

Although the Liu family is in dire straits, Wang Chengpeng shows them no sympathy whatsoever.

The current situation is entirely their own doing; they deserve this punishment.

If bad people go unpunished, that is the greatest injustice to good people.

However, this injustice is now actually happening right before Wang Chengpeng's eyes, and the people under surveillance who have already left are the best proof of it.

With the help of the whistle, Wang Chengpeng quickly found Zhu Hong, who was hiding to the side, and asked him:

"Zhu Hong, you've been keeping an eye on the Liu family. Have you noticed anything unusual lately?"

Zhu Hong scratched his head and said, "Brother Wang, the Liu family knows how to save face, but they haven't gone out much, so we can't figure out what's going on."

"The only strange thing is that those who were originally monitoring the Liu family have left for some reason, and the Liu family has regained their freedom."

Although he didn't have X-ray vision, Wang Chengpeng could still see through the broken glass that there were indeed people in the Liu family's house.

Seeing this, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and put down the bundle on his back, which was the luggage he had temporarily prepared for Zhu Hong.

In the rush, Wang Chengpeng didn't have time to prepare much, so he only brought Zhu Hong some dry food, receipts, and money.

That quantity was enough for Zhu Hong, the glutton, to use for more than half a year while he was away.

Handing over the bundle, Wang Chengpeng solemnly said:

"Zhu Hong, I have an extremely important task for you to handle. Do you have time?"

Seeing Wang Chengpeng's increasingly serious expression, Zhu Hong's expression also changed, and he replied firmly:
“I have time, of course I have time. I’m served delicious food and drinks every day, but they don’t let me do anything. I feel guilty about it.”

"Brother Wang, just tell me what exactly needs to be done."

Upon receiving the package, Zhu Hong subconsciously opened it and took a look, only to find that although the package was not large, it was full of hard currency.

Such a huge sum of money suddenly reminded Zhu Hong of a possibility. He glanced at the location of the Liu family and said:

"Do you want me to kill these two people silently?"

"I'll do the work, don't worry."

“They deserve to die, and I wouldn’t feel any guilt if I killed them.”

"I will take this baggage and fly far away, and I will definitely not involve Brother Wang."

"Just remember to tell Xiaoyan that I have to go on a long trip and may never come back."

Wang Chengpeng: ...? ? ?
Zhu Hong, as expected of someone who followed a gangster in his previous life, has a rebellious streak deep down.

This kind of thinking that leads to killing at the drop of a hat is unacceptable and must be corrected in time.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng immediately spoke up to warn Zhu Hong, saying:
"Don't let your mind wander; you mustn't do anything illegal or against the law."

"It's not that they don't deserve to die, it's just that there's no need to drag you into this mess. They don't deserve it at all."

"If nothing unexpected happens, the Liu family will escape soon. You just need to help me find out where they finally settled down."

"As long as I can find them, I have plenty of time to play with them."

Moreover, death is not necessarily the most terrible punishment. If arranged properly, living might be the greatest punishment for Liu Yanran.

The Liu family was already carrying a lot of luggage when they fled, and with Liu Yanran as a burden, Zhu Hong was able to catch up without even needing a bicycle.

Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng's instructions, Zhu Hong was momentarily stunned, then nodded and said:
"Okay, I'll keep a close eye on them and make sure they don't escape my sight."

"Well, you don't need to tell Xiaoyan what I just asked you to say."

Wang Chengpeng wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he sensed a hint of disappointment in Zhu Hong's eyes.

Shaking his head slightly, Wang Chengpeng thought to himself that this must be his imagination. How could Zhu Hong, that big oaf, be a bloodthirsty person?

Perhaps he was simply disappointed because he couldn't do anything big for him, after all, Wang Chengpeng's hundred yuan had indirectly saved his life.

After arranging for Zhu Hong to monitor Liu Yanran, Wang Chengpeng breathed a slight sigh of relief.

As long as Wang Chengpeng knows Liu Yanran's whereabouts, it doesn't matter if she escapes this predicament for the time being. He has plenty of time and means to overturn the case.

He had absolute evidence in his hands, and as long as there was a place where he could reason things out, Liu Yanran would not be able to escape his grasp.

That's right. How could Wang Chengpeng, who even forges and copies IOUs multiple times, only have one audio recording as evidence?
The tape he gave to Xie Shaohua was merely a backup of the recording; if it was destroyed, so be it, it wouldn't be enough to let Liu Yanran escape punishment.

However, the situation is unclear right now. Unless he has someone he can trust, Wang Chengpeng would never be so foolish as to hand over the evidence.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Chengpeng's inner turmoil finally subsided somewhat. He felt that his strength was still too weak, and a sense of powerlessness arose spontaneously when faced with this kind of situation.

Perhaps I should try to get in touch with Song Wenxin again, since among the people I know, she might be the only one with some influence.

If he wanted to bring down the entity that protected Liu Yanran, then he might be able to use Song Wenxin's power.

He still had many trump cards up his sleeve, enough to tempt Song Wenxin and make her help him wholeheartedly.

Thinking this way, Wang Chengpeng felt he still had to go to Shanghe City tomorrow.

The enemy is getting stronger. If I don't quickly build up my own power, I'm afraid I'll soon be devoured by the enemy, leaving not even bones or scraps.

To be fair, Wang Chengpeng did not make any mistakes in this contest.

However, the reason why bad people are called bad people is that they will not think that they are wrong. They will only see that Wang Chengpeng has been hindering them and intend to do everything they can to eliminate Wang Chengpeng.

A prophecy!
Just as Wang Chengpeng was worrying about his future, Zhou Xia was also plotting a conspiracy against him.

Following Li Weiguo's directions, Zhou Xia quickly found Bi Jun in a courtyard filled with all sorts of people.

Looking at the refined-looking, thin scholar before him, Zhou Xia was filled with doubt and asked:
"You're Bi Jun, that ruthless killer?"

Upon hearing Zhou Xia's question, a fierce glint flashed in Bi Jun's eyes, instantly transforming him from an innocent lamb into a bloodthirsty beast. A mocking smile appeared on his lips as Bi Jun said:
"If I look like a bad guy, how can I take action without attracting anyone's attention?"

After saying that, Bi Jun took out a dagger from his pocket and started showing it off in front of Zhou Xia.

Although the dagger is more flexible than other weapons, it seemed to come alive in Bi Jun's hands, dancing like a butterfly, which was simply unbelievable.

This is Bi Jun proving his strength to Zhou Xia!
As expected, after seeing Bi Jun demonstrate his skill, Zhou Xia was much more convinced and said:

"You do have some skill; it wasn't for nothing that I went to great lengths to find this place."

"I need you to kill someone for me, Wang Chengpeng from Wangjia Village."

After saying that, Zhou Xia threw a piece of paper in front of Bi Jun, which depicted Wang Chengpeng's appearance.

Although it's simple, it's generally possible to identify who it is, preventing the mistaken killing of the wrong person.

Licking his lips, Bi Jun became interested and said:
"You should know my rules; the price I pay for a job isn't low."

"It's surprising that he's such a young man, and from the countryside. I really don't know what he did to offend you, a city lord, that you'd have to hire someone to kill him."

"Let me guess, could it be that your woman was stolen?"

"You city folks are really funny. You're the ones who mess around, but you can't stand seeing the people you mess around with marry honest men."

Faced with Bi Jun's sarcasm, Zhou Xia's face turned ashen, and he said, "I'm here to talk business with you, not to listen to your nonsense."

"Name your price. If possible, it would be best to wipe out this whole family of scourges."

Despite Zhou Xia's threat, Bi Jun remained unfazed and continued talking to himself:

"He's really ruthless; he's a heartless city lord after all."

"Let me see. If you can provide twenty small yellow croakers, I'll agree to help this time."

"Twenty small yellow croakers for one human life, human life really is worthless."

Bi Jun was indeed quite talkative, but he was the only person Zhou Xia had found who could help him, so he could only patiently explain:
"Ten small yellow croakers. If you can also take care of this whole family, I'll offer fifteen small yellow croakers."

Just kidding, Li Weiguo only gave him nineteen small yellow croakers in total, and hiring someone to kill someone involves a huge risk, so Zhou Xia was unwilling to pay such a high price.

However, he seemed to have forgotten one thing: it was now entirely a buyer's market, and he had no choice but to negotiate.

As expected, Bi Jun quickly refused, saying:
"I would consider it cheap to exchange twenty small yellow croakers for one human life, yet you are pushing your luck."

"This price can't be lowered; at most, I'll give you a few more lives as a bonus."

"If you feel the price is not right, you can directly find someone else better."

"That's murder. I'd be taking a huge risk if I did it. I could easily get arrested."

Bi Jun didn't take Wang Chengpeng seriously at all; his only worry was whether he would be arrested.

A rollover?

Just kidding, how could I possibly crash?

Seeing that Bi Jun was completely unmoved by reason, Zhou Xia gritted his teeth and decided to agree to the deal.

Compared to the risks of keeping Wang Chengpeng, this extra small yellow croaker is nothing.

Moreover, he still owed Wang Chengpeng 500 yuan. With the debt canceled after the person's death, he still made a few hundred yuan in profit.

If Zhou Xia hadn't been confident he could get rid of Wang Chengpeng before, now that he'd secured Li Weiguo's support, he naturally wouldn't be afraid at all.

Thinking this, Zhou Xia said, "Okay, go and kill Wang Chengpeng's family. After you're done, I'll give you twenty small yellow croakers."

thud,

That was the dull thud of a dagger being plunged into the table. Bi Jun roared in fury:

"Comrade, do you think I'm a fool?"

"We don't have a rule of 'do the job first, then get paid'."

"Pay in full upfront, or don't even think about getting me to do anything for you. I'm leaving right after this job, I won't have time to come looking for your money."

"If you have the ability, it would be best if you could also get a gun, so that I can be more confident in making this move."

Startled by Bi Jun, Zhou Xia instinctively flinched and nearly fell to the ground.

In particular, the murderous aura that Bi Jun had just revealed gave him the illusion that the other party was about to attack him.

After a moment's thought, he finally decided to accept Bi Jun's price; he couldn't sleep or eat properly if he didn't kill Wang Chengpeng.

Thinking this through, Zhou Xia said, "Okay, I accept your price."

"I'll prepare the things now and deliver them to you before sunset."

“Wang Chengpeng lives in a corner of Wangjia Village, and there are no other houses nearby, so he is very easy to kill.”

"I hope to hear the good news I want by tomorrow morning, otherwise don't blame me for turning my back on you."

Seeing that Zhou Xia had agreed to his price, Bi Jun's expression softened considerably, and he said:

"Don't worry, reputation is the most important thing in our line of work."

"But if you only have one night, then you have to get me a gun."

"If I don't take the time to scout out the location and understand the situation at the target's home, I won't be able to guarantee my safety, and the mission will be difficult to complete."

"Even if it's just to ensure the mission doesn't fail, either stop rushing me, or provide me with a killer weapon."

Although firearms were already under control at this time, due to lingering issues, many people may still have stockpiles of them at home.

Although Zhou Xia didn't have it, he could ask Li Weiguo for it.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally decided to give it one last try and put more pressure on the matter, since he didn't want his money to go down the drain.

Thinking this through, Zhou Xia immediately made up his mind and said:

"You will see what you want before sunset."

Bi Jun made an "OK" gesture to Zhou Xia, then laughed and said:
"I'll do the work, don't worry."

"Let alone a family of four or five, even a family of more than ten people is no problem."

“These people who lack a sense of crisis are like dead pigs once they fall asleep, completely at my mercy.”

(End of this chapter)