Late at night, a cab drove to the north of the city near the highway entrance. Anna and Jennie got out of the car while they were still miles away from their destination. And the driver looked surprised by it.
âKeep the change, sir!â Anna said as she handed the driver a fifty-dollar bill and looked him in the eyes.
The driver took the bill and kindly reminded her, âThank you. Please be careful because this is a dangerous neighbourhood. Do you two live here?â
Anna said with a nod, âOur house isnât far away. Weâll just walk there because the road ahead is rocky. Thank you so much:â
After that, the driver drove away.
The location was desolate. There were dim street lights on both sides of the road, and no one was in sight. Anna turned on her phoneâs navigation and walked slowly to the abandoned power plant by the river with Jennie.
âBoss, theyâve arrived.â The large, abandoned plant echoed with a manâs voice.
William soon walked down the stairs. He walked down the concrete stairs slowly, wearing his military boots. More dust drifted in the dim light with each step he took âI told you that | only allowed you to come alone,â William said, surprised, as he saw Anna standing beside Jennie.
Jennie turned to face him and shouted, âShe drove me here because | didnât know the way. Cut the crap, William. Iâve brought the money. 348 Donât You Dare Hurt Him! Whereâs Ryan?â
William glanced at Jennie with a cold stare and said, âHeâs where he belongs. Show me the money!â
âHere itis,â Jennie said, pulling the check from her pocket.
When William saw the check, he froze and yelled angrily, âJennie, are you kidding me?!â
Jennie screamed angrily, âHereâs your money. You want to break your promise, donât you? In that case, Iâll die with you and immediately tear up the check! Then you wonât get a penny from me!â
William gave her a stern look and said, âDo you think Iâm stupid? | know what will happen after that. Youâll tell the bank after |
take the check. After | get to the bank, | will not be able to get the money at all. Plus, the police who are there in ambush will take me away.â
âHuh? What do you mean?â âI want them in cash,â William explained.
When she heard this, Jennie almost shivered with rage, âYou didnât even say that in the first place! Besides, | donât even have that much cash! Are you out of your mind?â
William frowned at Anna and said, âFine! | want one of you to stay and the other to pick up the money tomorrow morning. You wonât see him unless you give me the cash.â
âWilliam, you f*****g asshole!â Jennie tried to rush over to William and hit him. However, Anna stopped her.
Anna answered, âOkay, Iâll stay while she goes to the bank to get the money. But we have a request. | want to know if Ryan is still alive.â
William had no idea who Anna was. He looked at her and said, âWho the hell are you? Who are you to make a deal with me?â
348 Donât You Dare Hurt Him!
Anna lied calmly and said, âI work at the hotel and | am Ryanâs best friend. You must allow me to see him! Otherwise, weâre not sure whether we will exchange $5 million for a corpse or a living person.â
Meanwhile, Jennie winced, gritted her teeth, and yelled angrily, âIf Ryan gets hurt, | wonât give you a penny!â
Their words irritated William. He became even more enraged when he realized he wouldnât be getting the money for a while.
âBring that guy over here,â he said, pacing around and kicking the man next to him.
The gang member bolted up the stairs. He then dragged Ryan to the ground and slammed him to the ground. Ryan stumbled and fell to the floor, landing on his back. His brows were covered with frost, and he appeared to have passed out.
âRyan!â Anna and Jennie both shouted. But Ryan didnât respond.
Jennie asked anxiously, âWhat did you do to him?â
William said impatiently, âHeâs too weak to take the cold wind. It has nothing to do with me.â
Anna had suspected something was wrong from the beginning. Since they had brought the money, William should have turned over Ryan to. them. However, William didnât do it until they forced him to do so.
âWhatâs wrong with him?â Anna asked angrily.
The gang member beside William grumbled, âWhy are you speaking to William this way? Heâs far too frail! He has a high fever because he spent the night in the wind. This has absolutely nothing to do with us!â
âShut up.â William gave him a stern look.
âWhy donât you guys take him to the hospital?â Out of nervousness, Jennie asked a stupid question. Then she realized they didnât care if Ryan was sick because they kidnapped him. 348 Donât You Dare Hurt Him! William said grimly, âCut the crap! You have to give me the cash before twelve tomorrow! Otherwise, | will drown him in the lake!â
Because William was being too aggressive, Jennie knew it was not the time to deal with them. Her son was lying on the cold ground, making her heart ache, So, she had no choice but to agree to Williamâs demands and went downtown with a gang member to withdraw money from the bank.
Jennie left shortly after nightfall, so Anna had to stay there and wait with them for a long time. The wind was blowing in through the factoryâs wall.
Taking a step back from William, Anna couldnât bear the thought of Ryan lying on the cold floor. She said, âWill you help Ryan get up and find him a chair to sit inâ
donât give a f**k!â a gangster said, rolling his eyes at her.
Anna said grimly, âItâs too cold today, so he might get sicker if he lies on the floor all night. That way, youâre not going to get the money. And you will definitely regret it!â
William looked at them and said, âShut the f**k up and go get him a damn chair.â
The man dragged a broken chair over and leaned it against the wall. He then helped Ryan sit on the chair and lean against the wall. For fear that heâd fall off, they roped him to the wall.
After that, William surveyed Anna, When he realized she had remained calm, he began to suspect her. He asked, âYouâre Ryanâs best friend? How come Iâve never seen you before?â