C16 The Price Increased

Faang Yi watched Ho Lee's retreating figure and let out a quiet sigh. This was, by far, the quickest and easiest money-making she had ever witnessed. Zheng Hann mopped the sweat from his brow, a twinge of pain in his heart. That money should have been his, but staying alive was the priority now. The rest could wait; after all, the money was bound to end up in his hands eventually.

Ho Lee nodded, pleased, his gaze finally resting on the silent Zhao Menglong.

Zhao Menglong seethed internally, but the situation forced him to submit to Ho Lee. "I'll offer 8 million!"

"Not enough," Ho Lee replied, shaking his head.

What! Zhao Menglong's eyes widened as he quickly grasped Ho Lee's intent. He was jacking up the price right there and then. Despite his family's wealth, he would need his elders' consent to access such funds.

"12 million is all I can muster!" Zhao Menglong said through gritted teeth.

"Still not enough," Ho Lee said coolly, dismissing the offer with a mere two words.

"Twenty million!" Zhao Menglong blurted out.

"And that's still not enough!" Ho Lee was well aware of Zhao Menglong's affluent military-backed family, with relatives who had aggressively expanded their businesses. To them, such a sum was a drop in the ocean.

Zhao Menglong shuddered, his face a mask of changing emotions, before he finally conceded defeat. "50 million!"

Ho Lee fell silent, then turned his attention to Lin Jiayang, who had previously bid a mere two million.

Lin Jiayang, feeling Ho Lee's eyes on him, quickly hung his head and muttered, "I... I don't have that much money."

"I'm not interested in your money," Ho Lee said, his voice tinged with amusement.

"Ah?" Lin Jiayang's eyes shot to Ho Lee, incredulous. He couldn't believe Ho Lee would let him off so easily, and anxiety began to gnaw at him.

"I want the entire Lin family estate," Ho Lee declared, enunciating each word.

"What?" Lin Jiayang's cry of disbelief was so loud he collapsed to the ground, stunned. Xue Jing, standing behind him, turned ashen. She had chosen Lin Jiayang for the prosperous life his family wealth could provide. But now, because of a single sentence from Ho Lee, it was all about to vanish into thin air.

Xue Jing was consumed with regret, berating herself for ever breaking up with Ho Lee.

"Decide for yourself," Ho Lee told Zheng Hann, his gaze dismissive. "I'll leave him in your hands." The Lin family's wealth held no appeal for him; his aim was simply to give the spoiled brat a lesson and show him the price of his callousness.

Lin Jiayang, frantic, pleaded, "No, no, I'll give you all my family's wealth. Just don't turn me in!"

Ho Lee's sneer was cutting. "Better make it quick."

Within ten minutes, Ho Lee had collected a stack of checks and IOUs, easily worth a fortune. He turned to Zheng Hann, "Have your man gather these up and come with me."

Zheng Hann hastily complied, signaling his men to exit. As they were leaving, Ho Lee faced the roomful of wealthy heirs, brandishing the IOUs. "I expect timely payments, or I'll be making house calls. You're familiar with my methods."

Heads bobbed in agreement as they watched him depart.

Faang Yi and Xue Jing stayed close on Ho Lee's heels. Noticing Zheng Hann and his crew congregating at the forest's edge, Faang Yi murmured, "What's your plan?"

"Just go ahead. I've got something to handle," Ho Lee replied, his tone detached.

With a lingering glance at Ho Lee, Faang Yi tugged Xue Jing away.

Once they were at a distance, Zheng Hann offered a strained smile. "Brother, now that you've wrapped up here, can we go?"

"Go?" Ho Lee chuckled darkly. "After all the killing and arson, did you really never consider your own mortality? You're staying."

Screams of terror erupted from the forest's edge, sending a shiver down Faang Yi's spine as she sat in the car.