Crimson Instinct

Chapter 177: He is my prey

Ying Yue was torn apart. On one side, she was disappointed with Xue Jingjing that she abandoned her. She even blamed her for forcing Jingjing to come to the interview while the truth was the opposite. 

But hearing her loud scream and cries now, she couldn't help but be worried for her. It was almost reflex since, in her own way, she always cared about her for all these years.

She quickly got up, went up to the door, and banged on it.

"Jingjing? Is that you? What is happening outside? What is going on?"

"Shut up, bitch!" The guard from outside yelled at her. "Just stay inside until you are called."

The other guard laughed. "Don't worry. Your turn will come soon."

She pursed her lips. The more she heard her screams, the more her heart was racing with fear.

"Sis! Don't provoke them, or they can take you away," Chu Jie urgently whispered. He held her arm and pulled her back.

"But-"

Long Hu intervened. "He is right. Just stay quiet for now."

She lowered her gaze. For now, she could only comply.

---

Time: 10:01 PM. Twenty-seven hours and twenty-nine minutes left.

Rodey, on the other side, was enjoying the torture show. He was standing at the dark corner, sneering at her with a dangerous glint in his gaze.

Xue Jingjing collapsed on the ground. She was in so much pain that even her eyes refused to form tears anymore. She was bleeding from various parts of her body - her hand that got stuck between the door and the wall, her nails which two men forcefully pulled out of her fingers with clippers, and her arms and legs where hot acid was sprinkled on them. They beat her all black and blue and pierced her skin with numerous sharp objects, exactly at those places where they poured acid on her.

She wanted to cry, but couldn't. She wanted to scream, but not a sound came out of her tired throat. She already screamed to the point that she thought she might lose her voice.

"Please let me go... please stop" her voice was almost a whisper.

One of the men laughed. "But it has been hardly two hours. You are already begging us?"

"I thought she had more spark."

"But I think we should stop now. We don't want her to die so soon."

Ilikeascars nodded. "Yes. We have to save her and her cousin until the last. We shouldn't get too excited."

Xue Jingjing trembled and widened her eyes. Her pleading and begging just went to deaf ears. They were laughing at her pathetic state. And they wanted to torture her even more. It still hadn't ended. 

Tears gushed out, and she was crying hysterically. Their sinister laughter sent chills across her spine. She had no idea that such crazy people existed in this world. 

"I want to go out...I don't want to be here...Mom... p-please...let me go... please"

They only laughed at her.

Rodey smirked at her condition. He was never a part of this side, but he strangely enjoyed her state. Imagining Ying Yue in this condition and then watching Xue Jingjing like that made him feel extremely satisfied.

But he didn't know why. He couldn't comprehend why he felt that way.

A guard came up to him and said, "Boss has called you."

Rodey nodded.

A minute later, he entered the boss's room. There was a screen on the wall through which the boss was watching Jingjing's show, calmly seated its place and sipping tea.

"Rodey."

The boss used its real voice to speak to him. There was no secrecy between them.

"Boss."

The boss smiled. "I am surprised to see you here. I told you so many times to visit here sometimes. But you were always more comfortable outside. What changed this time?"

Rodey shrugged. "Nothing. Just came to know the mess up of the other woman so thought to bring her here too."

It nodded. "I am impressed. She was a loose end for us anyway. I am happy with your work. Glad that you brought her here. We would have more variety now."

Rodey snickered. "Go easy on her boss. She already looks ready to breathe her last. You will get bored with your toy."

"Indeed. We have to save her and the other woman till the boy's turn comes up."

Rodey didn't twitch even a single muscle on his face when the boss mentioned Ying Yue. But a stuffy feeling arose in his chest.

'Please don't let any harm come to her... Please save her'

Ying Lan's voice reverberated in his mind.

"Rodey? Where are you lost?"

"Nothing."

"Good. I called you here for another purpose."

"What is it?"

"Neal."

Rodey raised his brow. "Neal? Who?" Then he chuckled as he remembered. "Oh, that spy cop? The IB caught him in Tianjin, right? Pathetic."

"Yes. That's the problem. He is with them who works for us. That's not good news."

"You want me to finish him?" He lazily asked.

The boss nodded. "I am confident that he wouldn't have said anything until now."

He snorted. "Why would he? He probably- no, he definitely thinks that we are going to save him. So, he is not betraying us. For now. Such a fool. He still doesn't know his position."

The boss sighed. "But how long would he wait? If he feels that we won't come for him, then he could say some unnecessary things."

Rodey shrugged. "I am cool with it. He was a headache for me anyway."

The boss tapped its finger on the desk. "It took me a lot of resources to find that the IB is going to shift Neal in the special prison in their headquarters tonight. Once they reach there, it would become impossible for us to touch him. They have tight security that we cannot compromise."

Rodey understood. "So, the only way is to finish him off on the way."

The boss nodded. 

"Cool. It will be done."

"Also. I am unable to contact the General for a while. Last time he said that some soldiers were sniffing out the truth behind that man's death."

Rodey narrowed his eyes. "What? To prove Bai Li innocent?" He laughed. "They still haven't given up?"

A sudden silence descended.

Rodey said, "Wasn't the General going to finish the soldier he caught? Maybe, he is busy giving the finishing touches, so he is unavailable. He will call you back like always. Anyway. Off I go. Oh, by the way. What happened to that woman you wanted to kill for revenge? Your sister, right?"

The boss stopped tapping its finger. There was an eerie silence that hung in the air.

"She is still well under protection. Unfortunately, I missed my chance in Tianjin and then at the hospital. I failed twice. I am disappointed with myself."

"But, of course, you are not going to give up," Rodey smiled.

"Never. I can only rest when she dies."

Rodey nodded. "Gotta go now."

"Rodey."

He stopped and turned. "What?"

The boss's gaze was serious and unblinking. "Do you think that Bai Li can reach us?"

Rodey smiled. "Technically, he cannot. After I finish off Neal tonight, there shouldn't be any link left for him to come to us."

"But?"

"But he is Bai Li. He is one smartass. Trust me. If the General hadn't interfered that night in the container terminal, then his plan to catch me would have been a hundred percent success. General Song was in the army as a spy, so that saved me. Otherwise, I was as good as dead. Don't underestimate Bai Li just because he is blind."

"Oh, trust me too." The boss smiled. "I am not underestimating his abilities even for a second."

"Yes. So, there is always a chance that he would figure something out. Be cautious. Well, the best way I would suggest is to kill him off as well-"

"No." The boss cut Rodey off as it narrowed its eyes at him. "Bai Li."

The boss stood up from its seat and walked near the screen. It placed its hand on the screen at the spot where Jingjing was lying on the ground.

"He is my prey. Nobody will touch him."

Rodey was surprised for a moment. "Sure. Whatever. Take your sweet time with that bitch. I am off."

---

Rodey stepped out of the boss's room. He went into a corner and took out a cigarette. He lit it and puffed out a long drag. 

"Fuck. Why do I have to deal with Neal? Such a pain"

Honestly, he wanted someone else to do the job, but Boss trusted him more than anything else. Such an important job was bound to come to him, especially since IB was involved.

Two men came out of the torture room, and Rodey heard some murmurs. He craned his neck and saw Risfun and Bloodygame talking.

Risfun said in frustration. "That other woman is fine and all, but when will I get to lay my hands on that waitress? I sooo want to ravage her right now!"

Rodey clenched his fists. A dangerous light flickered across his gaze. He imagined Risfun touching Ying Yue. 

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What the fuck is this annoying feeling? Why am I so irritated?