I Treat You as My Sister, But You Want to be My Wife?!
Chapter 688 Dark Forces

Chapter 688: Chapter 688 Dark Forces

The others’ faces changed upon hearing this. They didn’t realize the Zhang Family had such capabilities, having thought Mr. Zhang was just a rich and pampered young man and didn’t dare to offend the police. But now it seemed they couldn’t afford to offend the people of the underworld either, given the immense power behind them—and they had already kidnapped the family’s son.

"Isn’t this adding frost to snow?" Lao Si cursed under his breath before glancing at Zhang Xu, whose face was filled with a humiliated expression and looked particularly unhappy. It was then that Lao Si remembered that one of his men had kicked Zhang Xu to the ground and brutally humiliated him.

Could they still return peacefully after that? The more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. Zhang Xu was already enraged and humiliated. If they released him, they could all face utter ruin. In that case, they might as well finish him off cleanly. The thought of the Zhang Family’s pursuit still terrified him.

If they could just eliminate the hostage quickly, they might be able to return quickly. But the immediate problem was how to quickly escape the police encirclement. Regardless of the Zhang Family’s power, if the police caught them, the Zhang Family would surely make their time in prison miserable.

It seemed they had no choice but to trust their second elder brother. If they could exchange him for their second brother, there might still be hope. Everyone hesitated, wondering whether to go through with it, except for one person who remained the calmest—Lao Er.

"Second brother, it’s not that we don’t want to rescue you," they begged Lao Er humbly. "We just had no choice at the beginning, only thought of avenging you later. It wasn’t our intention to abandon you. We are now at our wits’ end; please save us. We are willing to do as you say. Please forgive us and let go of these grievances."

Lao Er nearly laughed at the scene unfolding before him. If he hadn’t spoken up, they probably wouldn’t have realized their mistake, still smugly thinking they could escape unscathed and leaving him, their strategist, behind as if they were unparalleled under the heavens. Fools.

He had not planned on speaking, but since Lin Qi mentioned a chance for cooperation, he had thought about abandoning them. But indeed, he had a plan that required sacrificing all of them to fulfill a grander scheme—something the boss wouldn’t blame him for.

Lao Er’s plan was detailed and involved using Lin Qi. He could tell she was smart, and after this was over, he would definitely meet with Lin Qi alone to see if further communication was possible.

If she was willing to join their organization, they would be much stronger for it. It was clear this girl was different and no small talent, managing to take one of theirs hostage. At worst, she couldn’t be too bad. Now, he was just sacrificing them to give Lin Qi a little gift.

These fools were no issue—just brute force with nothing else to offer, disposable as they were numerous. Being called brothers was a courtesy, not an invitation to strut around and harbor thoughts of betrayal. He wondered if they had even grasped the interpersonal dynamics in all their years with the organization.

Scheming to soar before understanding the lay of the land was laughable. Real power still lay in his hands. They thought themselves formidable, but with just a few words, he had successfully sown discord. Lao Er was delighted and began contemplating how to lure Lin Qi to their side.

First, he would investigate Lin Qi’s background and find an opportunity to meet with her—it was the simplest way. As he thought this, he couldn’t help but reveal a smile.

Lin Qi, watching from behind, felt a chill. How could someone be so strange as to laugh in such a dangerous moment? She wasn’t capable of that. And she wondered if his mind games would actually work—it all depended on whether they chose to trust him. The other brothers were indeed hesitant because trusting Lao Er

meant they had to hand over Zhang Xu. Without Zhang Xu, they would have no more leverage. They babbled amongst themselves.

"Is what Lao Er saying really true? I’m a bit skeptical, and someone has to be sacrificed. What do you think?"

"Lao Er has always been our strategist. Maybe we should trust him this time. I think what he says makes sense."

"Let’s just try it. We can’t get out now anyway, holding out here isn’t doing us any good. It might be better to trust Lao Er and give him a chance. If he really gets us out, then it’s a win for us.

Lao Er probably won’t hold it against us for not rescuing him earlier; a smart person like him knows what’s truly important." After discussing, they finally decided to exchange the captive for Lao Er. This way, they might complete their mission and possibly get out unscathed—the ideal outcome they all desired. So, they laughed and said to Lin Qi:

"Miss, there’s no need for violence. Just speak nicely. What do we do if you harm our Lao Er? We’ve made up our minds to return Mr. Zhang to you, and then you release our Lao Er.

Deal? As long as you agree, we promise not to act. We need to trust each other, right? I’ll count down from three, and then we decide, okay?" As they spoke, they watched Lin Qi closely, fearing she wouldn’t keep her word and might renege once they released Zhang Xu.