The woman looked at Bang Geng and asked, "Who are you?"
Bang Geng replied with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I have something very important to see Brother Mao. Could you please introduce me!"
However, the woman in the white qipao was a very cautious person.
After bringing Bang Geng inside, she did not immediately take him to see Brother Mao.
Instead, she took a small notebook from a drawer and verified Bang Geng's information. Only after confirming there were no issues did she agree to take him to Brother Mao.
Brother Mao had left a guest book with the qipao woman.
The notebook contained the information and photos of some of his friends. Only those who were friends listed in the book would be introduced to him.
Anyone else who tried to introduce someone of unknown origin would certainly not be granted an audience.
Under normal circumstances, whenever Bang Geng and his group met with Brother Mao, it was almost always Brother Mao who initiated the meeting.
After more than half an hour of fuss.
Bang Geng finally met Brother Mao in a small courtyard on the outskirts of town.
"Brother, why are you here?" Brother Mao's lips curled up slightly when he saw Bang Geng, appearing unhappy.
Brother Mao had previously stated that unless it was something exceptionally important, no one should "come looking for him."
Bang Geng's hurried arrival clearly indicated that a major event had occurred.
For someone like Brother Mao, any sudden, major event was bound to be bad news.
Bang Geng hurriedly explained, "Brother Mao, you must save me!"
"The police might already be onto me. My situation is extremely dangerous!"
Brother Mao's mood was already highly tense, and Bang Geng's words made him even more murderous!
Brother Mao, being a ruthless habitual offender, was capable of any means to protect himself.
Bang Geng's hope that Brother Mao would protect his safety was simply wishful thinking.
Brother Mao's current thought was: silence him permanently!
Next, Bang Geng recounted the entire incident of the police investigating him that day, explaining everything in detail.
After listening to Bang Geng's description, Brother Mao had made up his mind completely.
Bang Geng, no matter what, could not be allowed to remain.
Otherwise, if Bang Geng eventually betrayed him, he would be doomed, no matter how deeply he hid.
A sharp killing intent flashed through Brother Mao's mind.
However, in the end, Brother Mao put on a kind and amiable smile.
"Alright, Brother Bang Geng, don't be nervous. We're brothers!"
"If a good brother is in trouble, I, as his elder brother, must help!"
"Phew!" With Brother Mao's agreement to help, Bang Geng's suspended heart finally settled into his chest.
Brother Mao reached out and patted Bang Geng's shoulder, smiling, "Brother, let's go inside for a drink and chat while we drink!"
Brother Mao gestured for the qipao woman to cook a couple of dishes, and he took out two bottles of wine from the cabinet.
Then, the two brothers began to drink heartily.
Brother Mao and the qipao woman toasted Bang Geng, glass after glass.
Bang Geng's alcohol tolerance was limited, and with both of them relentlessly plying him with drinks, he was completely drunk and passed out on the table in less than half an hour.
At this moment, Brother Mao's smile vanished, replaced by a murderous aura.
Brother Mao fetched a coil of rope from inside, fashioned it into a noose, and placed it around Bang Geng's neck.
Bang Geng, at this time, was in a stupor from drinking and completely unaware of Brother Mao's murderous intent.
Brother Mao tied one end of the knot securely to a table leg, then grabbed the other end and pulled with all his might.
"Ah!"
As the noose tightened around his neck, Bang Geng could no longer breathe.
A strong sense of crisis washed over him, and the alcohol fumes emanating from his body suddenly dissipated. His muddled mind suddenly became clear.
"Brother Mao, what are you doing!"
When Bang Geng opened his eyes and saw Brother Mao strangling him, his face changed drastically.
Brother Mao sneered in reply, "Doing? Of course, I'm sending you, you idiot, to the afterlife!"
"You..." Bang Geng, realizing the imminent danger of death, used all his strength to struggle frantically.
Bang Geng, after all, was a vigorous young man.
In his death throes, his strength was still considerable.
With a surge of struggle, he managed to reach across the table and grab a plate.
Then, he struggled to smash the plate and, wielding the broken ceramic shards, frantically sawed at the rope.
When people are under the pressure of a life-or-death crisis, they often unleash immense potential.
Especially for someone like Bang Geng, who had an extremely strong will to survive and was unwilling to perish, his struggles became even wilder.
To save his life, Bang Geng did not hesitate to cut himself, desperately using the shards to saw at the rope around his neck.
Under the frantic struggle, his neck was already covered in cuts, but his struggles showed no signs of weakening.
"Good boy, I originally intended to let you die a more dignified death!"
"Since that's the case, don't blame me for being heartless!"
Brother Mao suddenly released the rope and, with a flick of his wrist, drew a dagger from his sleeve.
Then, wielding the sharp dagger, he lunged towards Bang Geng.
...
That night, Qin Huairu waited at home anxiously, but Bang Geng did not return.
By the afternoon of the next day, when the police came to question Bang Geng for clues, they were informed that he had mysteriously disappeared.
Under normal circumstances, it would take 48 hours after confirming someone's disappearance to be classified as a missing person case.
However, Bang Geng was currently involved in a theft case.
The police station, fearing he had absconded due to guilt, immediately launched a search.
This search turned into a protracted operation.
They searched for three full days but could not find any trace of Bang Geng.
It wasn't until noon on the fourth day that the public security organs received a report that a fisherman, while fishing in Black Cat Lake, had accidentally hooked a corpse.
The body had been submerged in the water for many days and was severely deformed.
However, based on the clothing, the image was extremely similar to Bang Geng's.
Zhang Dalin contacted Qin Huairu, and they went to the scene to identify the body.
It was better not to go; upon seeing the body, Qin Huairu immediately broke down, crying uncontrollably.
Who else could this corpse lying by the lake be if not Bang Geng?
At this time, the preliminary examination results from the forensic doctor also came out.
"Based on our preliminary examination, the victim did not die from accidental drowning!"
"There are obvious ligature marks on the victim's neck, and there are 24 stab wounds all over the body!"
"The victim was likely murdered with cruel methods and then weighted down with stones before being sunk in the lake!"
"Ah... my child!"
Qin Huairu cried even more violently, "Which deranged beast could have killed my child with such cruel methods!"
"Who did this!"