Chapter 164
After the first shot, two more shots followed in quick succession. The bullets hit Aubrey and Benjamin's thighs with precision, and their agonized screams came through the phone call so clearly that my ears rang.
As I frowned and moved away from the phone screen to cover my ears, I noticed that Nina's hands only flinched once with the gunshots. After that, she held the phone steadier than anyone, and even zoomed in on the wounds for a close-up shot. She complained to me: "Are the wounds on your legs as deep as theirs? Do you need two more shots to even it out?"
She then asked Michael: "Are you really not legally responsible for shooting like this? Can I try?"
I could imagine Michael's expression off-camera. Even I was shocked by what she said.
Soon Nina rejected the idea herself: "Never mind, it's too bloody. I'm afraid I can't bring myself to do it. You guys handle it— you're better shots than me anyway."
Benjamin quickly begged for mercy, shouting at the phone: "Ms. Wilson, don't, don't do this. We don't need to be enemies. We can make a deal. If you let them release us, I can give you my interests, plus financial compensation, and, and... I can introduce you to resources. Wasn't the western Emerald City project almost shut down a while ago? I can make sure this project proceeds smoothly. My dad has connections with government officials."
Aubrey slammed his head against Benjamin's and scolded coldly: "Shut up."
Michael's voice carried a teasing tone: "Oscar, this is getting interesting again. Why don't you take over?"
I saw Oscar slowly bend down in the phone screen, casually twirling a dagger in his hand, staring straight at Benjamin.
Benjamin's face showed terror, his eyes fixed on the dagger in Oscar's hand, begging repeatedly: "Mr. Lopez, I was wrong. I shouldn't have laid hands on Emily. Please let me go. What I said just now is true. My dad can help you, and he can also work to reduce your costs. Just by saying a few words, you can save at least a hundred million dollars. Mr. Lopez, you can't turn down money."
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Oscar's mouth: "What should I do? Money is just a number to me. What I care more about is who targeted my fiancée. You're the one who cut her face, right?"
He slowly placed the dagger on Benjamin's face and said with interest: "Your face is really ugly. Let me give you some plastic surgery."
Benjamin's voice changed: "Don't, Mr. Lopez. I'll apologize to Emily. I'll give her all the compensation I mentioned. You can call my dad and name your conditions— anything."
Oscar swung the knife, and a line of blood appeared from Benjamin's eye corner to behind his ear. Blood beads slowly seeped out, spreading across his face, cutting off his pleas.
Oscar examined his face and shook his head: "Not vivid enough. And your cheekbones are a bit too high— not good-looking. It affects your family's fortune. I'll shave some off for you later. Don't move. I need to cut through the skin and flesh first before I can get to the bone."
As he spoke, he forcefully slashed across Benjamin's face. Each cut was deep enough to see bone. Amid Benjamin's screams, he wielded the dagger.
Blood splattered on Oscar's face and clothes, but he didn't care at all. Anger floated in his eyes, until Benjamin's screams suddenly stopped - whether he passed out from pain or fear, I couldn't tell.
I softly comforted him from the other end of the phone: "Oscar, don't do this. I'm already fine. Calm down."
Oscar slowly stood up, his gaze gradually turning toward Aubrey.
I saw Aubrey instinctively swallow, looking at Oscar with terror, trembling as he warned: "I advise you to calm down. Even if we broke the law, the law should punish us. What you're doing is intentional harm."
Oscar looked at him with a cold laugh: "So you do have some concept of law? If we hadn't caught you here, were you planning to let Emily go?"
He pulled out a gun from his waist and skillfully loaded it: "A man who can lay hands on a woman doesn't need those hands anymore."
He fired at their bound hands. The other person was terrified, screaming with his eyes closed along with Aubrey.
The screaming turned into one person's cry of pain— the bullet had pierced through Aubrey's palm. He twisted in agony on the ground, screaming continuously.
Oscar kicked his body to the other side, and with another gunshot, his right hand was also pierced through.
Nina's hand finally trembled again, but she still dutifully zoomed in the camera so I could see the close-up. Blood gushed from the palm onto the ground, mixing with someone's urine, flowing to their feet.
Oscar took a disgusted step back: "Also, let me teach you something— don't be too violent with hostages."
He once again aimed the dark gun barrel at Aubrey, finally scaring him into begging: "I understand, I shouldn't have been violent. I apologize, I can also compensate. Don't kill me, please don't kill me."
Gunshots rang out in succession, hitting both his knees: "The bruises on my wife's legs— these two shots barely make up for them."
Aubrey rolled his eyes back— this time he really passed out from the pain.
Of the three people, one remained conscious, but he looked terrified. When he saw them turn their attention and camera toward him, he spoke incoherently: "Don't kill me, I didn't do anything to her. I'll give you whatever you want, please don't kill me."
Oscar's eyes were murderous: "We won't kill you, but since you were with them, you share some responsibility. How about this — I'll give you a chance. Tell us everything you know about everyone and everything. For each extra person you name, you get one less bullet. For each extra sentence, one less cut. How about that?"
The man nodded repeatedly: "I'll talk, I'll tell you everything. I'll say whatever you want to know."
Nina couldn't help but speak up: "Don't worry about what we want to know. Just tell us everything you know. Hurry up. Michael, turn on your phone and record this - it'll all be evidence later."
Half an hour later, he had confessed to all their crimes, including using their positions to embezzle state property, using their power to accumulate wealth, using their status to traffic drugs, disregarding human life, debauchery, gambling, and so on. It was appalling to hear.
An hour later, someone arrived at the room with troops. Leading them was Otha, accompanied by several middle-aged men in uniforms with stars on their shoulder boards - clearly people of high status.
Otha spoke: "Now that you've caught them, hand them over to us. The state will give the victims justice."
They ignored the three men who were barely alive on the ground - as long as they were alive, the mission was successfully completed. They also ignored the frightening bloodstains on Oscar's body, waving for their subordinates to handcuff the three men on the ground separately and drag them away one by one.
Nina whispered to me: "You saw it all, right? Satisfying enough? I'm hanging up now. I'll talk to you when I get back."
With that, the video finally ended.