"Speak first, let us hear it, letās see if what you say is right." Han Yi grabbed his collar and dragged him to the center of the warehouse with one hand.
"I... when I took the job, I didnāt know the guy at all, never even saw his real face. We only met twice, once to discuss the job, another time for him to pay me. The guy always wore a hat and a high-collared sweater to cover his face completely. He just told me to crash into a car at an intersectionāthe harder I hit, the more Iād get paid. He also said after the crash, just run; if I couldnāt escape, I should negotiate with the victimās family, pay them a bit of money. He said heād cover the compensation. Later I thought, if I negotiate well with the family, he would pay; if not, I could just spend a few years in jail. Getting out in two or three years is no big deal. Iād still have a lot of money left over, enough to make it worthwhile. So after thinking it through, I agreed. Ten grand, enough for me to live on for a lifetime."
"So you started running people over? Do you know this is intentional murder?" Han Yi frowned. If it werenāt for his self-control, heād want to beat him up right now.
"Murder? Brothers, I...I donāt have much legal awareness. I just wanted to make some money."
"Huh, buddy, your way of making money is quite unique. I think this method is feasible too," Chen Haichang said. He called a subordinate over, "Iāll give you ten grand too. Later Iāll let this guy go, and you run someone over. Iāll handle the aftermath. People like him, good-for-nothings, their families probably see them as burdens. After the incident, thereās no need to run. Running is against the law. Weāll adopt a good attitude, admit our mistake, pay the family two or three thousand, and they will definitely be pleased."
"Boss, Iāll take this job. Itās a sure win without loss and thrilling," one of the subordinates said cooperatively.
Hearing this made the driver shudder. "No, no, I was wrong, brother. I know I was wrong. At least no one got hurt, right? Please give me a chance to change. I...Iām willing to give half of the money that guy gave me to you as compensation. Iām begging you, brothers, let me go."
"No need, I donāt lack money. You can keep this money to spend in the afterlife," Chen Haichang sneered.
"No, I donāt want to die, brother. Iām begging you. I have family to take care of. Iāll give you all the money, all of it. I donāt want it. I know I was wrong. Please, both of you, give me a chance to live." The driver was terrified and immediately knelt, kowtowing to Chen Haichang and Han Yi.
Han Yi couldnāt let him have any scars; heād need him to show up publicly tomorrow. With a kick, he knocked him to the ground.
"There is a chance to live. It depends on how you behave."
When the driver heard they wouldnāt kill him, he quickly responded, "Brother, Iāll definitely behave well, definitely behave well. Iāll do whatever you tell me to."
"Yo, would you die if they told you to die?" Chen Haichang sneered, startling the driver into silence.
Han Yi looked at him and laughed, "No need to die. Keeping you alive depends on whether you cooperate when the time comes."
"Thank you, brother. Thank you, brother. Whatever you want me to do, Iāll listen to you," the driver nodded repeatedly, like a pecking chick.
Han Yi ignored the driverās groveling and instructed, "If the police come looking for you again, just tell the truth."
"I..." Saying so would mean going to jail and getting no money.
"Heh, you can choose not to speak, of course. But once we find out, youāll disappear from the world immediately. I always keep my word." Han Yi said, gripping the driverās shoulder, much harder than he had gripped Ye Qing before.
The pain made the driver break into a cold sweat and shout instantly, repeatedly begging for mercy, "Brother, Iāll do as you say, Iāll do as you say."
Even if the driver had other thoughts, Han Yiās grip obliterated them, deeply shaking him. How could someone who seemed so mild cause so much pain with just a squeeze? Is this even human? It was something he thought only existed on TV, but today he experienced it firsthand. The sensation was unbearable, realizing he had provoked such people. If things didnāt go well, there would be a price to pay. This thought sent a chill down his spine.
"Kid, we donāt like people who just talk. If you leave this place, or when you meet the police, or let a second person know about todayās events, your end will be the same as this dogās."
Before the driver could recover, Chen Haichang somehow had a subordinate bring in a dog, which watched helplessly as the dog, after barking twice inside the shackles, was left lifeless.
Seeing the bloody, split-in-half dog made more than just his bones cold; he was numb with fear. Only after recovering from the shock did he realize he had been thrown out of the warehouse, left on a wide roadside.
Once he landed, the driver ran home, terrified, without caring about how he looked.
Chen Haichang, watching the driverās state from inside his car, raised an eyebrow and said, "Did we scare him silly?"
"Would someone who dares to hit someone with a car be so cowardly?" It was certain that he wouldnāt speak out.
When Han Yi returned to the hospital, only Shen Qing and Lin Wan were left in the room.
He learned that Mei Shuping had taken the parents-in-law home.
"While you were gone, Dad said, when you return, you should go home," Lin Wan reminded him quickly.
"Hmm, okay, I know. Did you and Mom eat?"
"I just got the food, havenāt had a chance to eat yet. Iāll first take the meal to Lijuan. You wonāt get home until late; maybe have a bit to fill your stomach first." Shen Qing, seeing her son with so many injuries still running around, was distressed.