novelzi Chapter 187 -
Chapter 187 -
The old house gradually fell into silence.
The lanterns hanging from the cracked wooden beams swayed gently with the passing night breeze, causing the shadows across the walls to stretch and shift as though they were living creatures watching everything that happened inside the room.
Fu Fong lowered his head and remained quiet.
Bao Li’s proposal continued to echo over and over inside his mind.
Work with me.
Give me information.
Help me destroy the Fu family.
For a long moment, he did not answer because the truth was far more complicated than he wanted to admit.
He hated them.
He hated Su Long.
He hated Fu Sheng.
He hated the way the entire village seemed to revolve around them, praising their names wherever they went and speaking about them as though they were heroes who had descended from the heavens.
Meanwhile, whenever people looked at him, all he saw in their eyes was disappointment and ridicule.
Ever since he and Li Mianmian had been forced out of the Fu family, that bitterness had never truly disappeared. Instead, it had settled deep inside his heart, growing a little heavier with each passing day.
Sometimes, when he heard people praising Su Long, he wished she would fail.
But no matter how much resentment he carried, Fu Fong was not a fool.
Slowly, he lifted his head and looked toward Bao Li.
Tiger Alley had existed for years because men like Bao Li ruled through fear, intimidation, and bloodshed. A person who could build such a force would never trust anyone completely, and someone who betrayed others for a living would never hesitate to betray his own allies the moment they became inconvenient.
Today, Bao Li was asking him to betray the Fu family.
Tomorrow, after obtaining what he wanted, he could just as easily decide to silence the only witness who knew too much.
Fu Fong slowly clenched his fists.
Across from him, Bao Li sat quietly in his chair, his expression unreadable as he watched every small change on Fu Fong’s face.
Finally, he spoke.
"Have you made your decision?"
Fu Fong drew in a slow breath, forcing himself to remain calm despite the fear creeping through his body.
After several moments, he slowly shook his head.
"I won’t do it."
The words were quiet, but they seemed to freeze the entire room.
The masked men standing around them immediately looked toward Bao Li, and the atmosphere inside the old house suddenly became so heavy that even breathing felt difficult.
Bao Li’s faint smile slowly disappeared.
His eyes remained fixed on Fu Fong.
"What did you say?"
Fu Fong swallowed hard, but this time he did not lower his head.
"I said I won’t help you."
His voice was not steady, but he forced himself to continue.
"I may not like them."
"I may hate many things they have done."
"And I may even wish they would lose everything they have now."
He paused before meeting Bao Li’s gaze directly.
"But I will never work with people like you."
The room fell completely silent.
Bao Li slowly rose from his chair and walked toward him, his footsteps echoing through the abandoned house until he finally stopped directly in front of Fu Fong.
Looking down at him, he smiled once again.
Only this time, there was not the slightest trace of warmth in that smile.
His voice was soft, almost gentle.
"No one has ever said no to me."
A cold shiver ran down Fu Fong’s spine.
Several of the masked men immediately stepped forward, and one of them even rested his hand on the knife hanging from his waist as though waiting for a single order.
However, Bao Li simply lifted one hand.
The man instantly stopped.
For several long moments, Bao Li said nothing at all.
Then, unexpectedly, he began to laugh.
"You have more courage than I expected."
Fu Fong remained silent.
Bao Li turned around and calmly returned to his chair before sitting down once more.
Resting one elbow against the armrest, he casually waved his hand.
"Untie him."
The masked men looked at one another in surprise.
"Leader?"
Bao Li did not even look at them.
"I said untie him."
Without daring to question him again, they stepped forward and cut the ropes binding Fu Fong’s wrists.
As feeling slowly returned to his numb hands, Fu Fong rubbed them carefully, but he made no attempt to run because he knew there was nowhere he could possibly escape to.
Bao Li watched him quietly before speaking again.
"I have no intention of forcing you tonight."
Fu Fong frowned slightly.
A faint smile returned to Bao Li’s face.
"I am willing to give you one day."
His fingers tapped lightly against the wooden armrest.
"Go back to your home."
"Think carefully about everything that has happened."
"Think about your resentment."
"Think about the way the Fu family abandoned you."
"Think about everything they have taken from you."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And then ask yourself whether they are truly worth protecting."
Fu Fong’s expression remained cold.
Bao Li slowly pointed toward the door.
"My men will escort you back safely."
The words sounded polite, but both of them understood what they truly meant.
It was not kindness.
It was a warning.
Bao Li looked at him one final time.
"When the sun sets tomorrow, I expect to hear your answer."
A slow smile spread across his face once more.
"And Fu Fong..."
He paused just long enough for the silence to become uncomfortable.
"...choose very carefully."
His fingers tapped softly against the armrest again.
"Because if you refuse me a second time, there will never be an opportunity for a third."
The old wooden door creaked open.
Two masked men stepped forward and silently gestured for Fu Fong to follow them.
Before leaving, he glanced back one last time.
Bao Li was already sitting quietly in the shadows again, half of his face hidden beneath the flickering lantern light.
At that moment, he no longer looked like an ordinary man.
He looked like a poisonous snake waiting patiently for its prey to make a mistake.
As Fu Fong stepped out into the cold night air, a heavy feeling settled deep inside his heart.
He had managed to leave that old house alive.
But somehow...
He knew that this matter had only just begun.
.....
The abandoned house disappeared behind him as Fu Fong walked alone beneath the moonlit sky.
The two men Bao Li had ordered to escort him stopped at the edge of the forest without another word, turning around and vanishing back into the darkness as though they had never existed.
Only after they were completely gone did Fu Fong finally allow himself to breathe.
He raised a trembling hand and rubbed the deep red marks left behind by the ropes around his wrists, but the pain there was nothing compared to the heaviness pressing against his chest.
Bao Li’s proposal had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.
The truth was, he had never truly forgiven the Fu family.
He hated the way everything had changed.
He hated watching Su Long become the person everyone admired.
He hated hearing people praise Fu Sheng and speak of the Fu residence as though it had become the heart of Unit Fifty.
Sometimes, when he heard those conversations, a part of him wished they would all disappear.
But Bao Li...
That man was different.
There was something behind his smile that made Fu Fong uneasy.
A man who could build a place like Tiger Alley through fear and bloodshed would never treat anyone as a true ally.
Today he might ask for information.
Tomorrow, after getting what he wanted, he could just as easily silence the only witness.
Fu Fong lowered his head.
No matter how much resentment he carried, he knew one thing for certain.
A snake that bites others will eventually bite the hand feeding it.
The village lights gradually came into view through the trees.
He let out a long breath.
At least he had made it back.
Tomorrow...
Tomorrow he would think of a way to deal with Bao Li.
Just then—
A strange sound drifted through the quiet night.
Crunch.
Fu Fong’s footsteps slowly stopped.
The sound had come from somewhere behind him.
He frowned and looked over his shoulder.
The narrow road was completely empty.
Moonlight stretched across the ground, illuminating nothing except the old trees swaying gently in the wind.
"...Who’s there?"
His voice sounded much weaker than he intended.
No answer came.
After waiting a few moments, Fu Fong shook his head.
Perhaps tonight had simply frightened him too much.
He turned around and continued walking.
Crunch.
The sound came again.
This time it was closer.
Fu Fong’s entire body stiffened.
He spun around immediately.
Still nothing.
The road remained empty.
A cold feeling slowly climbed up his back.
Without realizing it, his pace quickened.
One step.
Then another.
Soon he was almost hurrying toward the village entrance.
The lights were right there.
He only needed to walk a little farther.
Suddenly, a dark figure dropped silently from the branches above.
Before Fu Fong could even react, another shadow appeared from the side of the road.
His eyes widened.
His mouth opened to shout.
But a rough hand covered it instantly.
"Mmph!"
He struggled violently.
His elbow slammed backward, striking someone’s ribs.
A muffled grunt sounded in the darkness.
Fu Fong broke free for the briefest moment.
"Help! Someone help—"
A heavy blow landed against the back of his neck.
Pain exploded through his body.
His legs gave way beneath him.
As he collapsed, he caught a glimpse of several figures surrounding him.
Unlike Bao Li’s men, these people wore no masks.
Their faces, however, were hidden beneath wide straw hats that cast deep shadows over their features.
One of them looked down at him and spoke in a low voice.
"Take him."
Another man frowned.
"Are you sure we have the right person?"
The first man nodded.
"There is no mistake."
Fu Fong’s heart nearly stopped.
They weren’t surprised to see him.
They had been waiting.
Waiting specifically for him.
He desperately tried to push himself up, but strong hands grabbed both of his arms.
A dark cloth was pulled over his head.
The world disappeared once again.
The last thing Fu Fong heard before he lost all sense of direction was a quiet voice speaking somewhere beside him.
"Move quickly."
"This bastard had dared to anger master.. he’ll surely be thought a lesson."