96: Chapter 96 The Rabbit Was in a Dire Situation

"Yeah, there's no need to take risks just for fun. We're far more precious than that scum." He Yueyou felt relieved knowing that Cao Xiao was prepared.

Cao Xiao picked up some items to examine them, saying to He Yueyou, "Let's stop talking about him. Yueyou, what do you think about decorating our home like this? Although this style might look a bit like a nouveau riche display, if we did every room in the house this way, people wouldn't think that anymore. They'd call it 'Tycoon Gold' instead."

"Stop daydreaming. Do you have any idea how much gold that would take? Do you even have that much?" He Yueyou gave Cao Xiao a sidelong glance.

"I'm just thinking about it for now. I'll save up slowly when I have some spare money later," Cao Xiao said, though he was secretly calculating how many tycoon-style villas his gold could actually decorate.

While Cao Xiao and He Yueyou were wandering around the room, in a standard suite downstairs, Xu Junhua dragged his suitcase inside and locked the door behind him. This suite was originally meant for his two bodyguards and his secretary, but they were now forced to wait outside. The two bodyguards who had split the jewelry were pacing back and forth anxiously.

As soon as Xu Junhua closed the door, he impatiently threw open the suitcase. However, he was stunned to find nothing but a few rocks inside. The bodyguards had clearly told him there were millions of us dollars and expensive jewelry in there, so why was he seeing rocks? He thought to himself that with the skills of two former mercenaries, no one should have been able to steal the valuables from them without a sound. This meant the two bodyguards must have pocketed the loot and moved it elsewhere, leaving him absolutely nothing. At this thought, he was suddenly alarmed. If the two bodyguards had conspired to swallow that massive sum, and they knew he had discovered it, were they already preparing to flee?

Xu Junhua immediately rushed to the door and flung it open. Seeing the two bodyguards still standing there, he breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they were here, he would find a way to make them cough everything up. Their uneasy expressions only confirmed his suspicions. Pretending to be calm, he said to those outside, "Come in."

Hearing Xu Junhua's words, the two bodyguards pacing outside stiffened. They exchanged a subtle glance, both seeing the guilt in the other's eyes. The jewelry they had taken was worth at least millions of us dollars. However, since there was so much jewelry in the suitcase, they had only taken small pieces that wouldn't be easily noticed. Besides, Xu Junhua didn't know the exact amount, so even if he noticed something missing, he might not say anything, considering it was just a negligible portion. They usually received hush money and extra pay for handling dirty work for Xu Junhua anyway. Thus, the two of them entered the room calmly along with the secretary.

"Tell me, what's going on here? Hmm?" Xu Junhua sat down heavily on the sofa, pointing a finger at the suitcase on the floor as he questioned the two bodyguards.

"Boss, why did you put rocks in the suitcase?" one of the bodyguards asked back in confusion, looking at the stones.

"I put them there? You're saying I put the rocks there? I'd have to be brain-dead to put rocks in there! I'm asking you where the stuff went! Why did I find rocks when I opened the case? Speak!" Seeing the bodyguard still playing dumb, Xu Junhua's rage flared. He leaped up from the sofa and roared at them.

"Wasn't everything packed in the suitcase? I never let go of it the whole way. How could it have turned into rocks? Boss, stop joking with us." The bodyguard thought it was impossible; something he had been holding the entire time couldn't have been swapped without him noticing. Besides, the suitcase on the floor was the exact same one whose combination lock he had pried open. He then thought that maybe the boss was in such a good mood after getting such a huge windfall that he was playing a prank on them—perhaps they'd even get a handsome reward in a moment! So, he said with a smile.

"I'm joking? I don't have the damn time to joke with you! Joke with your sister!" Xu Junhua didn't expect the man to still be so stubborn and even have the nerve to smile so happily at a time like this.

"Haha, isn't my sister Xiao Yun? Cousin Xiao Yun, the boss wants to joke with you!" Seeing the boss mention his "sister," the bodyguard said grinning to the female secretary beside him.

*Slap! Slap! Slap!* Xu Junhua couldn't take it anymore. He raised his hand and dealt several harsh slaps to the bodyguard's smiling face, then cursed, "Like hell it's funny! Is it funny? Hand over the money right now! If you keep grinning, I'll send you to the mines to laugh for the rest of your life. You idiot, do you think I'm a fool? Trying to fool me with some rocks! And the rest of you! Get my money back immediately, or you'll have to face the consequences!"

Immediately, the smiles on the faces of the two bodyguards and the secretary, Xiao Yun, froze and instantly turned into terror.

"Honey, there must be some mistake. I was with my cousin and the others the whole time, and they never opened the suitcase. They are loyal to you and would never do something so foolish; otherwise, they would have run away long ago." The secretary, Xiao Yun, stepped forward and clung to Xu Junhua's arm, rubbing against him as she spoke.

"Oh, really? Then tell me, where did this sapphire ring come from? A stone this size is worth at least a million. Can you tell me about it, honey?" Xu Junhua suppressed his anger and narrowed his eyes. He pulled a ring from Xiao Yun's pocket and spoke softly, but the underlying tone made one's skin crawl.

"Boss, I... I..." Xiao Yun's face instantly turned as pale as paper, and she was too terrified to speak.

Seeing that the secret was out, the two bodyguards were in no better state than Xiao Yun. Taking things they shouldn't have without the boss's permission would lead to severe punishment. Their boss was a ruthless character; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to run a thriving business in war-torn countries. Since they had only taken a small portion, the punishment might be lighter if they returned it. They assumed the boss was furious because he had caught them stealing and was using this to squeeze them. Thus, Xiao Yun's cousin gritted his teeth and said, "Boss, we only took a little bit. We'll hand it over right now. Please don't be angry, Boss. We'll make it up to you. Lao Jin, take it out."

The two bodyguards made their decision, pulling several pieces of jewelry from hidden spots on their bodies and placing them on the table in front of Xu Junhua. Then, they exchanged a look and, gritting their teeth, simultaneously grabbed their own left wrists with their right hands, raised a leg, and slammed their left forearms against their knees with a sickening crack. Xiao Yun screamed in terror, but Xu Junhua remained cold-faced, watching with disdain in his eyes.

"Boss, is this enough?" Lao Jin asked, cold sweat dripping from his forehead as he endured the intense pain.

"It seems you still haven't given up. You think you can fool me with this pittance? Forget just one arm; even your lives combined aren't worth as much as that money. I'm giving you one last chance: hand over everything else immediately." Xu Junhua sneered.

"Ah! Boss, you have to believe us! We really didn't touch anything else! If we did, may we die a horrible death!" Xiao Yun's cousin, the bodyguard who had pried open the suitcase, said in terror when he saw that Xu Junhua still wouldn't let them go.

"I'm not going to waste words with you. One sentence: hand it over now, or I really will make sure you die a horrible death." Xu Junhua's face was contorted with rage as he spoke through gritted teeth.

"I only have six hundred thousand in savings right now. Lao Jin, Xiao Yun, take out all your money." The bodyguard spoke in despair. In his eyes, Xu Junhua was intent on skinning them alive this time.

"I have four hundred thousand." Lao Jin pulled out a bank card.

"I have eight hundred thousand. It's all the money I've saved from what you've given me over the years." Xiao Yun said miserably, taking out her phone to transfer the funds.

"Hahaha! You're really putting on quite a show! It doesn't even add up to two million—not even a fiftieth of that sum! What a bargain you've made. Since you're willing to die rather than hand it over, let's see if your bones are really that tough. You truly won't shed a tear until you see the coffin, will you? Hahaha!" Xu Junhua almost laughed until he cried at the scene.

After laughing, Xu Junhua took out his phone to make a call, watching their performance with interest. Suddenly, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a trace of panic. He saw a cold glint in Lao Jin's eyes as the man approached him. Before he could speak, he saw an arm enlarge in his vision, felt a sharp pain in his neck, and his consciousness began to fade.