She hefted the gun in her hand. It felt heavy and solid. She couldn't help taking a few more glances at it. Were guns these days really this realistic?
Raising the gun, she aimed at the target across from her and fired with great steadiness. With a loud bang, the recoil numbed Yan Xia's hand severely. She stared blankly as the bullet pierced through the target and hit the machine behind it.
Only then did she realize that the gun Long Tao had given her was a real one, not some toy gun for shooting practice!
Yan Xia put the gun away and examined it several times, confirming that it was indeed a real gun.
"Miss Cheng's marksmanship is truly accurate. You were just a bit off from hitting the bullseye," Long Tao said, nodding approvingly. "Since that's the case, I can rest easy."
Yan Xia eyed him warily. Behind his gentle features, there was an unfathomable smile.
The unknown fear sent shivers down one's spine.
She looked around. Probably since she entered this place, all the doors around had been locked. All the possible exits were guarded. It seemed like there was no way out.
Yan Xia maintained a smile. "Mr. Long, what do you mean by this?"
She waved the gun in her hand. "Did you give me the wrong one, or are you simply trying to test my courage?"
Long Tao said, "I've seen Miss Cheng's courage. After what happened recently, I've come to understand that one must never offend Miss Cheng. The powerful connections behind Miss Cheng are not something an ordinary person can afford to offend. Otherwise, you wouldn't have so many people rushing to protect you as soon as something happened to you."
Yan Xia just smiled without saying a word.
"So, I naturally have to be more cautious. A beautiful woman can be poisonous. I don't want to get myself into trouble."
She already sensed that something was off today. Just as Shangguanyao had said, they might have been just testing her in the past, but to truly gain his trust, she would surely have to go through strict scrutiny.
And today, from the moment she stepped in here, she had noticed the strange atmosphere.
"Cooperation is no small matter. Miss Cheng has shown her sincerity by approaching me several times. I, Long Tao, will surely introduce new suppliers to you. We'll have a long way to go in the future. It's just... I only cooperate with my own people. I'm very strict when choosing my own people, and I must be extremely cautious."
He deliberately paused to create a tense atmosphere, then reached out and took the gun from Yan Xia's hand.
"But I've heard some rumors recently. Of course, I don't want to suspect Miss Cheng. Maybe someone is trying to sow discord."
"It seems someone has been speaking ill of me behind my back. Haven't my previous actions been enough to prove my sincerity?" Yan Xia asked. "What do you want to do, Mr. Long?"
He smiled slightly and stuffed a sharp knife into Yan Xia's hand. "Just joking with Miss Cheng. It would be a big problem if we fired a gun in this place and attracted the police."
Long Tao said, "Then please, Miss Cheng, use this knife in your hand to prove your sincerity in joining me."
He clapped his hands, and two thugs dragged out a blood - covered man from a nearby door. The man's mouth was sealed with tape, and his hands and feet were tied up. He couldn't move and was dragged all the way in front of them.
He fell to the ground and was then pulled up to stand facing them. The man was covered in wounds. One of his eyes was gone, a bloody mess, and the other was swollen beyond recognition. But even so, he still forced his eyes open wide and stared defiantly at Long Tao and Yan Xia, refusing to yield.
Yan Xia's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly had a bad feeling.
"The last time you informed me that my next plan had been exposed, I already knew there was a mole around me. He's the one who betrayed me. But I never let the news out until we managed to get out of that plan safely."
Long Tao's voice was seductive. He used a finger to lift the knife in Yan Xia's hand from below and slowly pointed it at the mole as he spoke.
"Miss Cheng has never committed any crimes. In our line of work, no one has clean hands. Since Miss Cheng said she wants to join me, then get rid of him and prove your sincerity."
Yan Xia's hand holding the knife suddenly loosened. The knife almost fell to the ground but was firmly caught by Long Tao.
Her blood was boiling. All the blood in her body seemed to rush to her head, and her face went numb. She was at a loss for a long time.
Shangguanyao was right. She had underestimated the cruelty of these people. She thought she had made full preparations and could handle whatever happened today with ease.
But now it seemed that she was still too naive.
Long Tao stuffed the knife back into her hand, made her grip it tightly, and pointed it at the man in front of her.
"Miss Cheng's marksmanship is accurate. I'm sure your knife skills won't be bad either. He doesn't need to struggle. It'll be an easy way out for him. Then we can both benefit. Why not?"
The man on the other side was trembling. Yan Xia didn't know if he was trembling because of the pain from his numerous wounds or because he was afraid of death.
As time passed, his breathing became heavier and heavier, and sweat rolled down his forehead. His only remaining eye looked at Yan Xia, with a hint of inaudible pity in it, as if he was asking for help.
Yan Xia had been stalling for time, pretending to be calm. The sweat in her palm had dampened the knife in her hand.
The earpiece crackled, and a voice on the other end sternly warned her.
"No, don't do it. Save him!"
It wasn't Shangguanyao's voice. She was live - streaming this operation, and there should be many people watching behind the scenes.
No matter what, they wouldn't let her do it.
But now she had no way out. If she didn't do it, Long Tao would start to suspect her. How could she deal with the situation then?
"Mr. Long..." Yan Xia looked up, pretending to be calm.
"The sincerity you want shouldn't be expressed like this. There are many other ways to show sincerity besides killing. Before I came here today, I was already prepared. From now on, all the goods in the underground casino will be supplied by you. We're already in the same boat. If something happens to you, I won't be able to get away either. But now you don't trust me. It's really disheartening."
Long Tao half - smiled. "Miss Cheng means you're not going to do it?"
"We're in a cooperative relationship, but Mr. Long is forcing me like this. Aren't I being controlled? Since it's a cooperation, it should be based on an equal footing. Moreover, all I want is a supplier. What other benefits can I get?"
She tried to control herself and reason with him, refusing to do it no matter what.
Long Tao thought for a while, seemingly finding her words reasonable.
He gave a deep grunt and finally said.