Lin Li looked at the cars surrounding him, and a sudden wave of fear surged in his heart.
His first instinct was to drive away, to escape.
But where could he go?
Cars were everywhere—in front, behind, to his left, and to his right!
Lin Li's mind buzzed with noise, and he could clearly sense that these cars were coming for him.
Clenching his fists tightly, he forced himself to stay calm and think of a way out.
The area was surrounded by woods. Maybe, if he ran into the forest, he could lose them.
Lin Li flung open the car door and sprinted out in a frenzy.
At that moment, the doors of all the surrounding cars opened.
Nearly twelve men stepped out, wearing masks, sunglasses, and black suits.
They were tall, muscular, and exuded an intimidating aura.
They formed a human wall, trapping him with no way to escape.
"Master Lin," the leader sneered, "Where do you think you're going?"
Lin Li's lips trembled.
This man knew his surname—they were definitely here for him.
Lin Li took a step back, his face filled with terror. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"
"Nothing much. You’ve offended our boss, and we’re just here to teach you a lesson."
Lin Li frowned, frantically trying to recall who he might have crossed.
He had always maintained a gentle and humble demeanor in public.
He rarely made enemies.
Could it be Qin Ruoyao?
He shook his head at the thought. No, it couldn’t be her. Not only had he charmed her completely, but even if she still held a grudge, she wouldn’t dare send so many people after him.
If not Qin Ruoyao, then it had to be Lin Xuan.
Yes, it must be him!
Only Lin Xuan would hate him this much.
"You can’t do anything to me," Lin Li gritted his teeth. "I’m the sole heir of Starlight Group. If you dare lay a finger on me, not only will the police come after you, but my father won’t let you off either!"
"Breaking the law?" Wang Hao sneered. "You’re talking about the law, Master Lin? Don’t you think that’s laughable?"
"As for your father, let him come after us if he dares."
Lin Li’s lips quivered.
Wang Hao had no patience for further conversation. He gestured to his men, "Grab him."
"Yes, sir." Lin Li’s mouth was sealed with duct tape, his hands and feet bound with ropes, and his eyes covered with a black cloth.
He was then shoved into the trunk of a car.
Blinded by the cloth, Lin Li was plunged into endless darkness.
Fear spread through his heart.
What were they going to do to him?
Meanwhile, Qin Ruoyao had just left her class reunion and was heading home.
She hailed a taxi on the street.
"Driver, take me to Wenyan Community," Qin Ruoyao said as she got into the car.
"Sure thing," the driver replied.
The taxi sped off, but Qin Ruoyao didn’t notice the cold smirk on the driver’s face.
Qin Ruoyao had dozed off during the ride.
About ten minutes later, she woke up, frowning. Why weren’t they there yet?
"Driver, where are we?" Qin Ruoyao asked.
The driver remained silent.
Qin Ruoyao looked around and noticed how eerily quiet the surroundings were. There were no other cars in sight.
The streetlights cast a faint glow.
There were a few houses nearby, but all the lights were off—everyone seemed to be asleep.
"Driver, did you take the wrong route?" Qin Ruoyao asked, puzzled.
"No, I didn’t," the driver replied coldly.
Qin Ruoyao finally picked up on the driver’s ominous tone. She recalled recent news about a female passenger being taken to a remote area, assaulted, and killed by a taxi driver. Could this be the same?
Qin Ruoyao began to feel uneasy.
Fearing the worst, she shouted, "Stop! Driver, stop the car!"
The driver slammed on the brakes.
"Little miss, are you sure this is the place?"
"Yes!" Qin Ruoyao forced herself to sound calm.
The driver gave her an unsettling vibe, as if he was planning something sinister.
She just wanted to get away from him.
"Alright, that’ll be forty yuan," the driver said.
Qin Ruoyao didn’t hesitate. She quickly handed over a hundred-yuan bill.
"Keep the change," she said, hurrying out of the car and pretending to walk toward a nearby house.
The driver watched her retreating figure and let out a cold laugh before driving away.
Qin Ruoyao returned to her original spot, watching the taxi’s taillights fade into the distance. She frowned.
Had she overreacted?
It seemed like the driver hadn’t intended to harm her.
Looking around, she regretted her decision. The driver must have just taken a wrong turn or tried to overcharge her by taking a longer route.
She shouldn’t have gotten out of the car.
Now, Qin Ruoyao was left waiting by the roadside, hoping to flag down another taxi.
But in this area, there were no taxis—not even regular cars.
After about ten minutes, a car appeared in the distance.
It was an ordinary family car, not a taxi.
Qin Ruoyao’s eyes lit up.
Finally, she could escape this eerie place.
She waved at the car from afar, ready to offer a generous sum to the driver in exchange for a ride.
Inside the car, a thin man stared intently at Qin Ruoyao.
"That’s her. Hit her. Either kill her or make her miscarry," a voice commanded through his earpiece.
"Got it," the driver replied, his eyes filled with determination.
All he could think about was the large sum of money he’d receive if he succeeded. His daughter’s life depended on it.
He came from an ordinary working-class family.
Recently, his daughter had been diagnosed with leukemia, and he couldn’t afford the treatment.
Three days ago, a man approached him with an offer: if he caused a woman to lose her unborn child, he’d receive two million yuan, enough to take his daughter abroad for treatment.
He couldn’t stand by and watch his daughter die because of his lack of money.
The man had assured him it would look like a simple traffic accident. Insurance would cover it, and he’d face no consequences.
So, he agreed.
This time, he had to make sure the woman lost her child.
Qin Ruoyao kept waving, trying to get the car to stop.
Suddenly, she felt dizzy and didn’t notice that the car wasn’t slowing down—it was speeding straight toward her.
Qin Ruoyao saw the car coming at her and wanted to run, but her mind went blank, and her feet seemed rooted to the ground.
She stood frozen in place.
"Ah—" Qin Ruoyao was struck in the abdomen, her body flung backward like a broken kite.