The burly man, his bare chest unprotected, approached slowly, clutching a rusty scythe.
Tang Sui noticed the dark red liquid still fresh on the blade. What he had just done seemed all too obvious.
A scar, which stretched across more than half his face, marked the approaching man's cheekbone. Coupled with his rough, tanned complexion, it made him look as ferocious and terrifying as a centipede crawling.
"Finally awake?" The scarred man's bloodshot eyes fixed on Bai Annian, who was curled in a corner, desperately pressing herself into a triangular crevice as if seeking a shred of safety. A hateful glint flashed in his eyes before shifting to Tang Sui, bound to a wooden post, calmly watching him.
Despite her disheveled state and apparent dire circumstances, Tang Sui's exquisite face betrayed no fear or panic as the villain drew nearer. There was only a detached serenity, as if she were observing a clown.
Such a look reignited the scarred man's malice and bloodlust. His eyes turned red, and he saw again the arrogant faces of the wealthy.
They could easily decide the fate of the poor like him...
The scarred man chuckled eerily, a sound that sent shivers through Bai Annian, who was sobbing uncontrollably in the corner. Her terrified gaze fixed on his face as she stammered, "You... aren't you the waiter?! If you kidnap me... and my sister, the Tang family won't let you go!"
She regretted it. She truly shouldn't have followed Tang Sui from the banquet, wanting to find some leverage against her and then pursue her!
Who would have thought someone would actually dare to openly kidnap people at a banquet hosted by the Feng family?!
The fear of death and the unknown made her like a hedgehog bristling with quills against an enemy, her voice shrill as she threatened.
The scarred man looked down at Bai Annian with contempt, a sneer twisting his lips. "Of course, I know the Tang family won't let me go, which is why I don't plan on letting you two go either."
Hearing this, Tang Sui's heart lurched, her gaze faltering.
She watched the scarred man's towering figure, half-hidden in the darkness, and his face contorted with malice. A belated chill snaked up her spine, making her voice hoarse, "What do you want?"
Fear and dread were like sharp knives, piercing her heart, creating another bloody wound in her numb chest, letting out what little blood remained.
But Tang Sui knew she couldn't show fear.
It would only make the villain more eager to torment her.
The scarred man's lips curled. Without the slightest aversion, he raised the back of his scythe and rested it on his shoulder.
The unidentifiable red liquid on the scythe had stained his clothes. The pungent smell of rust, too, confirmed their suspicions.
"Do you know? My companions asked me the same question just before they died. They said they could give me the sixty million ransom for this kidnapping. But what I want isn't ransom." As he spoke, a gleeful smile spread across the scarred man's face, as if recalling a pleasant memory. Ignoring the slight changes in their expressions, he continued his monologue:
"Thirty years ago, my brother and I also kidnapped someone from your Tang family. Ah, yes, the current patriarch of the Tang family, Tang Zeli. At that time, that man deceived my brother. He promised him that if he let him go, he wouldn't pursue the matter, and it would just be a matter of paying to resolve it."
"My naive brother believed him. While I was confronting the police, he released Tang Zeli behind my back." His face contorted at this point, filled with hatred and loathing. His blood-stained appearance, combined with the smell of gore, made him look like a demon crawled from hell, sending chills down their spines.
He touched the scar on his cheekbone with his other blood-stained hand, a chilling smile stretching his lips. "Do you know how I got this scar? It was when those police officers, incited by Tang Zeli's accusations, attacked me. I fought hand-to-hand with a young officer who disarmed me and stabbed me with my own blade."
"But alas, that young officer was still too inexperienced. His fighting skills weren't as good as mine, and he, along with my foolish brother, ended up dead in the warehouse. Ah, yes, the very warehouse you are in now."
As he spoke, his expression suddenly calmed. The ferocity vanished from his smile, replaced by pure malice.
"At that moment, I swore that I would make Tang Zeli, and the Tang family who has been pressuring and cornering me all these years, pay the price."
"That's why I agreed to cooperate with those three greedy fools and bring you here."
This was the first time Bai Annian had encountered such a desperate and deranged villain. Watching the scarred man's increasingly contorted face, she cried hysterically, "If you want revenge, why bring me? I'm not part of the Tang family!"
At this moment, she began to deny her identity.
If it were in the past, she might have feigned a moral high ground and put on a show. But she understood better that this man before her would not allow for any pretense.
If she truly spoke up for Tang Sui, she might end up being the one to die.
So, it was better to be forthright and speak the truth.
Unexpectedly, hearing this, a spark of excitement flickered across the scarred man's face. He "comforted" Bai Annian in a pleasant tone, "But who told you that you are the adopted daughter of the Tang family? I originally intended to kidnap only the heir of the Tang family, but I found you following behind her."
Bai Annian's sobs choked in her throat, regret engulfing her entirely.