Chapter 008: Surrender

The sounds of drunken men shouting filled the air; it was almost eleven o’clock, and Liang Kefeng didn’t want to waste any more time.

She said, “What if I made your entire family disappear? I’m someone without an ID, so I don’t care; the police can’t track me down. Or maybe we can stop playing with fingers and instead focus on your three kids. Choose one. Who should I go after first?”

Yuan Dong’s eyes widened in terror, shaking his head vigorously. He realized his elder brother’s daughter was a desperate person.

If he had known this, he should have treated her better from the start.

But it was too late now.

Liang Kefeng removed the rag from his mouth. “How do you want to choose?”

“I told you, I spoke the truth! I beg you to spare my family.” Yuan Dong said, saliva uncontrollably dribbling down the corner of his mouth, looking extremely disheveled. “Can you at least help me treat my wound? If I keep bleeding like this, I’m going to die.”

Seeing Yuan Dong’s terrified expression, Liang Kefeng shook her head in disdain. “You won’t die. If you say something I’m satisfied with, then I’ll help you stop the bleeding.”

Yuan Dong had no choice but to comply. “After I recognized your dad last October, he said he would help me find a better-paying job so I could earn a living for my family. He even wanted to help me rent a larger apartment. That day, we were supposed to rent a place, not buy one. But we had a car accident on the way. Your dad was seriously injured; I was lucky to have only sustained minor injuries. On the way to the hospital, your dad passed away. In a daze, I told the doctor that the person who died was Yuan Dong. Only our family of five knows this secret; even Zhu Fengping’s family thinks Yuan Dong is dead, and the person living now is Liang Yaozu.”

This was the truth, aligning with the “death certificate” of Yuan Dong locked in the safe.

She asked, “And then?”

“Then I pretended to be Liang Yaozu and moved in here, becoming the boss of Liang’s.”

Liang Kefeng questioned him, “Since you enjoyed the benefits of being Liang Yaozu, why were you unwilling to take on even a small part of his responsibilities? My dad used to send money home every two or three months, but starting last October, he suddenly went silent. My grandfather was seriously ill; I went through great lengths to have someone write and send a letter, but what about you? You didn’t even acknowledge it. Don’t tell me you didn’t receive the letter!”

“Your dad told me he was preparing the paperwork to bring you all to Hong Kong. I was afraid… afraid that if I got in touch with you, you’d see through my identity. Look, you’ve only been here a few days, and you already… already exposed me. I was wrong, Kefeng. Please spare your uncle. You’ve already cut off two of my fingers.” With that, Yuan Dong began to sob.

“From the moment you impersonated my father, you should have been prepared for this day.”

Fortunately, this wasn’t the original book; otherwise, after the original host’s death, this Yuan Dong would be living off the inheritance, enjoying everything that rightfully belonged to Liang Yaozu.

Yuan Dong cried, “Can you at least help me stop the bleeding? I don’t want to die. I’m begging you.”

“Don’t worry; I won’t let you die just like that.” Liang Kefeng took out some gauze to bandage his wound. “You stay here and behave; I’m going to interrogate your wife. Don’t even think about escaping; I’ve locked the iron gate and the rooftop door.”

Yuan Dong forced a smile. “If you bind me so tightly, how could I escape?”

Liang Kefeng stuffed a rag back into his mouth, stood up, turned off the light, and left.

Not long after, a faint female scream echoed from next door. It seemed his wife hadn’t told the truth either and had lost a finger.

Yuan Dong felt a chill run down his spine, and his fingers throbbed with pain. He didn’t dare move or struggle, fearing it would lead to even more blood loss.

The situation was too dire; his abilities were far too limited, and struggling was pointless.

Outside, the noise from the mahjong hall erupted as guests left, with some yelling and others laughing, a cacophony he could barely comprehend.

It felt like a fleeting dream!

He had only enjoyed a year of luxury with his family, and now… the price was far too heavy.

About fifteen minutes later, a sound at the door made the lights flicker on.

Liang Kefeng squatted down, yanked the rag from his mouth, and plunged the knife’s tip into the floor. “Your wife was smarter than you; she only lost one finger and confessed everything. Yuan Dong, now it’s your turn!”

“Wait!” Yuan Dong’s face was filled with dread. “I’ll give you back Liang’s! I don’t want it anymore!”

Liang Kefeng shook her head. “No.”

“What… what do you want then?” Panic filled his eyes as he faced the uncertain outcome. How did he end up in such a terrible situation, biting down on a hard bone?

“Besides the assets under Liang’s name and my father’s name, you need to return the assets you’ve hidden, including but not limited to the money saved under Zhu Fengping’s name and properties bought in your son’s name. Zhu Fengping has already given me a list, and now it’s your turn. If you miss even one item, I…”

Yuan Dong understood, “You’ll cut off my fingers!”

“How many fingers do you have left to lose?” Liang Kefeng stared at Yuan Dong, a faint smile on her lips. “I’ll chop off your son’s!”

That smile sent chills down Yuan Dong’s spine; he became so nervous he stuttered, “What if I forget something? What if I don’t remember everything?”

“That means you don’t value your son. Don’t have any luck-based thoughts; let’s begin.”

Yuan Dong’s mind was so chaotic he felt like it was tying in knots. “My wife has accounts at Bank of China and HSBC, both under Liang Yaozu’s name…”

“On the bank account, I withdrew and transferred 30,000 each…”  

Liang Kefeng nodded. “Go on.”  

“Recently, I bought a 500-square-foot apartment in the city under my son’s name. That apartment is currently listed for rent but hasn’t been rented out yet. There are also some other investments; some are fixed deposits your dad bought before, and some are in my wife’s name from this past year. The receipts are in the safe in the room; you can check for yourself.”  

“Is that all?”  

“The small car is still under your dad’s name; he bought it two years ago. The mahjong parlor is also in your dad’s name.” The transfer of ownership hadn’t been done because the taxes were too expensive, and Yuan Dong felt it wasn’t worth it.  

This mostly aligned with what Zhu Fengping had provided, and Liang Kefeng deliberately baited him: “There’s more!”  

“There’s nothing else!” Yuan Dong shook his head, pondering. Suddenly, he exclaimed, “Could it be that cursed woman? Did she secretly have her sister help her hide some money?”  

That wasn’t impossible.  

Liang Kefeng decided to go back and interrogate Zhu Fengping.  

As Yuan Dong watched Liang Kefeng leave, his mind was full of questions. Had he just exposed himself? Regret flooded him.  

Zhu Fengping and her three children were locked up in Yuan Baoli’s room.  

The three siblings were bound together with their hands behind their backs, forming a circle.  

Liang Kefeng was merciful and had put hoods over their heads. They could hear sounds but couldn’t see what was happening.  

Zhu Fengping lay on the floor, her hands and feet tied, with a red sock stuffed in her mouth.  

Liang Kefeng had bandaged her injured fingers earlier.  

She pulled the red sock out. “Zhu Fengping, do you know why I have to cut you?”  

Seeing Liang Kefeng enter, Zhu Fengping trembled in fear. “Because… because I lied from the beginning. Kefeng, Aunt Ping knows she was wrong. Please spare us.”  

“It’s not just because you lied; it’s also because Zhu Abao sneaked into my room with malicious intent, and you are the mastermind.” Liang Kefeng sighed. “Do you think losing one finger is enough?”  

Zhu Fengping began to cry softly, “It hurts so much! It really hurts! You have to keep your word; please don’t cut me anymore. My fingers are ugly and rough; don’t get your hands dirty.”  

“I’ll give you one more chance. Where else did you transfer my dad’s money?”  

Zhu Fengping looked at Liang Kefeng and thought that Yuan Dong, that bastard, must have known she was hiding her private money.  

“I just remembered! My sister bought a house, and I borrowed 20,000 from her; this was money earned from Liang’s. I didn’t lie on purpose; I forgot about the loan. Please don’t cut off my fingers!” Zhu Fengping sobbed, snot and tears streaming down her face as she pleaded, “Can I bow to you? I’ll bow! It’s my fault; I made a foolish mistake and sent Abao to find you. I was wrong! I was really wrong!”  

With that, she struggled to get up, kneeling on the ground, banging her head against the floor in front of Liang Kefeng.  

Liang Kefeng swung the knife in her hand down, piercing it straight into the wooden floor in front of Zhu Fengping.  

Zhu Fengping was so frightened that she fell back, losing consciousness.  

Ding-dong!  

The bell tolled eleven.  

Liang Kefeng looked at the unconscious Zhu Fengping and sighed before turning to leave and locking the door behind her.  

In the living room, she called Uncle Kun. Upon learning the situation, Uncle Kun was very shocked. He advised Kefeng not to act impulsively and said he would come over immediately.  

Back in her room, Liang Kefeng continued to interrogate Yuan Dong.  

To gain understanding, Yuan Dong shared everything he could. Finally, he pleaded softly, “Your dad said he would rent a place to us before. Can we still rent it? Otherwise, we really have nowhere to go.”  

Liang Kefeng chuckled coldly. “Don’t worry; you have a place to go.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“You don’t think that if I cut off two of your fingers and you return my dad’s money, that would just wipe the slate clean, right? That would be too low a cost for your crime.”  

Yuan Dong was terrified. “What do you want?”  

Liang Kefeng replied, “I’m giving you two choices. One, you die—die as Liang Yaozu, and I’ll give you a grand funeral.”  

Yuan Dong shook his head; he didn’t want to die.  

“If you don’t want to die, you can go to the police station and turn yourself in! You are Yuan Dong, and you can’t continue living as my dad anymore.”  

Yuan Dong clearly didn’t want to die or go to prison. “But if I turn myself in, who will handle your identity registration? You have no other relatives in Hong Kong. Plus, with the injuries I have, if the police ask, you will be fully responsible. You, without a Hong Kong ID, would be sent back to the mainland immediately.”  

Liang Kefeng sat back in her chair and smiled. “I have a Hong Kong ID, so you don’t need to worry about that.”  

Yuan Dong was shocked. She had already obtained a Hong Kong ID? When did she get it? He realized he didn’t know anything about this niece from the mainland; could it be she had already set a trap for them the first time she arrived?  

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Yuan Dong felt a chill run down his spine.  

Liang Kefeng wiped the blood off the knife with a towel. “And your fingers, weren’t they accidentally cut off by you? How is that my fault?”  

Yuan Dong: “!!!”  

“Do you know how to explain at the police station?”  

Yuan Dong stared blankly at Liang Kefeng. “What should I say?”  

As she sheathed the knife, Liang Kefeng wiped her hands with her handkerchief. “You can say whatever you want. But you need to think carefully; your wife and children are in my hands. If you try to play tricks, there will be consequences. Also, regarding the fact that you impersonated my father, Abao heard everything clearly. If you don’t honestly confess, I can make him testify against you. There are plenty of ways to destroy your whole family if you want to play games.”  

Yuan Dong’s muscles twitched uncontrollably. He shook his head repeatedly. “I don’t want to play; I just want you to spare my wife and children.”  

Bang! Bang! Bang!  

Someone knocked on the iron gate.  

A glimmer of hope flickered in Yuan Dong’s eyes, and Liang Kefeng smiled at him. “You don’t really think someone is coming to save you now, do you? Don’t get your hopes up.”