82 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

As the platform's guards and henchmen raised their guns towards Chen Wan and her group, she tightened her grip on the rope around Xiang Jia Wei’s neck, her voice cold as she addressed everyone on the platform, "Step back. Do you really think you'd enjoy your current privileges without Xiang Jia Wei? Drop your weapons, or I'll send him on his way right now. After all, he's just a worthless piece of trash to me." Chen Wan tightened the rope further, indifferent to whether Xiang Jia Wei could withstand it or not. Her plan was simple: strangle him into submission without actually killing him—yet. Xiang Jia Wei, initially struggling, was now teetering on the brink of unconsciousness. He clung desperately to the rope around his neck with one hand while gesturing frantically towards the armed men on the platform, imploring them to lower their weapons. Zhou Hua swallowed hard. He knew how to rescue a hostage, but he also knew that failing to drop their guns could mean joining the fates of their fallen companions in the lower ranks of zones C and D. Their current status was hard-earned, and Zhou Hua wasn't about to gamble it all away. Moreover, Chen Wan's positioning was tricky; any attempt to shoot her from where he stood would inevitably hit Xiang Jia Wei. Realizing this, Zhou Hua reluctantly threw his rifle to the ground in front of him. Only then did Chen Wan slacken the rope slightly, allowing Xiang Jia Wei to gulp in the fresh air and appreciate how close he had come to death—closer than ever before in his life. Recognizing that his hands still held some mobility, Xiang Jia Wei was struck with a dangerous thought. He cautiously drew a knife from the small sheath at his waist. This knife wasn't for defense; it was to facilitate his sadistic games with alphas. The more violent the spectacle, the more excitement it brought him. This was exactly why others had vehemently opposed him. No one sent to Xiang Jia Wei from zones C or D ever returned alive. Holding the knife in his right hand, Xiang Jia Wei's desire for self-preservation induced a fear of Chen Wan, making his hand tremble despite his notorious ruthlessness. Nonetheless, he forced himself to remain calm, mustering all his strength to stab backwards at Chen Wan. Chen Wan had anticipated his move; she saw where the knife was sheathed. Waiting, curious about what the "trash" would attempt, she watched as he thrust the knife at her. With practiced ease, she caught Xiang Jia Wei's wrist mid-strike, her grip as unyielding as an iron clamp. He could no longer move an inch. Naturally, Chen Wan didn't intend to let him off easily. A sharp crack followed her action, accompanied by Xiang Jia Wei's scream as his wrist snapped, and the knife slipped from his grasp. Chen Wan caught the fallen blade and, with another sharp motion, dislocated his right arm, which made a similar cracking sound. Zhou Hua panicked, reaching for a gun on the ground. Chen Wan's left hand maintained its choking grip on the rope around Xiang Jia Wei's neck, while her right hand pressed the blade against his throat. Her gaze was icy as she warned Zhou Hua, "Stay back. So far, I've only ruined his arm. Touch that gun, and I'll finish him, then turn on all of you." Without waiting for Zhou Hua's response, Chen Wan drove the knife into Xiang Jia Wei's chest. Although not a deep wound, the sharp pain nearly made him faint. “Damn it, Zhou Hua, don’t touch the gun! This woman’s a madwoman; you don’t want to provoke her further!” Xiang Jia Wei screamed desperately, the knife still embedded in his chest just inches from being fatal. The onlookers, including Zhou Hua, were stunned by Chen Wan's brazenness. He had barely begun to stoop when Xiang Jia Wei got stabbed. Frightened, Zhou Hua dared not move again. Gasping for breath and swallowing the searing pain from his chest and wrist, Xiang Jia Wei pleaded weakly, “I didn’t know you were this capable, miss. Had I known, I wouldn’t have dared mess with you. Whatever you want, I can give; please spare my life. Without me, escaping won’t be easy, so keep me alive as your hostage.” “Ha.” Chen Wan chuckled from behind him, her voice echoing across the platform. Everyone was petrified by her, especially Xiang Jia Wei, who shivered at the sound. Without warning, Chen Wan yanked the knife free from his chest, spilling blood. Xiang Jia Wei nearly fainted from the shock, pleading, “I’ll give you anything—everything. After this, you’ll be in charge here.” Chen Wan plunged the knife again in a new spot. “Enough nonsense. Do you think I'm as foolish as you? Only an idiot would believe your promises. From now on, speak only when I ask, or I really don’t know how many stabs it’ll take for you to stop talking.” Xiang Jia Wei's face was a mix of sweat and tears, the pain unbearable as he dreaded what might displease the woman behind him next. He was on the brink of dropping to his knees and begging for his life, though Chen Wan wouldn't afford him such an opportunity. Meanwhile, another "young master" on the platform was too terrified to make a sound. They understood she didn’t care about their connections with the military. While Chen Wan was reckless, they cherished their extravagant lifestyle far too much to risk losing it. Now, they silently hoped that the worst outcome today would be Xiang Jia Wei’s death, not theirs. Each played ostrich, praying Chen Wan wouldn’t notice them. With another pull, Chen Wan withdrew the knife once more, blood oozing from Xiang Jia Wei's chest. Her right hand toyed with the blade against his skin, as though picking the next spot to pierce. Terrified, Xiang Jia Wei watched as Chen Wan spoke to the platform's men again, “Kick your guns away, five or six steps back. And hurry—I’m not fond of repeating myself.” Xiang Jia Wei wished to issue orders for obedience, yet he was afraid even the faintest utterance might upset Chen Wan again. Zhou Hua moved first, considering himself a valiant figure, often bragging that Xiang Jia Wei was his mentor. But seeing the current situation threatened his rich, privileged life, driving him into urgency: “Do as she says, quickly! Or none of us will leave this platform alive.” Zhou Hua, skilled and merciless, commanded the henchmen to comply, and they shoved their firearms to the platform’s center. Qin Ke casually picked up the rifle Zhou Hua had discarded, inspecting the weapon and ammunition briefly before standing by Chen Wan's side once more. Chen Wan grabbed a microphone from a nearby table, handing it to Xiang Jia Wei. “Your turn to speak. Tell your subordinates below to toss their weapons into the pool, and do it swiftly. We’ve gotten to know each other rather well by now, and I think you’ve realized—I have a temper. When I’m upset, my hands slip, and it’s hard to control how deep or shallow my cuts are. So weigh your options.” Xiang Jia Wei, overwhelmed with pain in his wrist and arm, could feel the wound in his chest bleeding. Although Chen Wan hadn’t inflicted a deep wound, if left untreated, he feared excessive blood loss could be irreversible. Now, he regretted everything. Inviting a demon like Chen Wan was dangerous, and he was genuinely terrified. The blaring heavy metal music in the plaza continued unabated. Some of Xiang Jia Wei’s subordinates had noticed the commotion and were casting curious glances, while others were absorbed in the poolside distractions, unaware of Xiang Jia Wei’s predicament. They naively anticipated picking up where the guests left off. Gingerly accepting the microphone from Chen Wan with his remaining good hand, Xiang Jia Wei stammered, "Turn off that damn music." The relentless heavy metal music that had been blaring earlier now felt like a death knell to Xiang Jia Wei. If he could help it, he'd never want to hear such noise again. Upon hearing Xiang Jia Wei's voice, his subordinates immediately turned off the sound system, plunging the sprawling yard into an eerie silence. Even the alphas in the pool sensed something amiss. They ceased their games and glanced over at the commotion on the elevated platform where Xiang Jia Wei was. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Xiang Jia Wei continued, “Listen to my orders now. Everyone, throw your weapons into the pool, move quickly, or I will see to it that anyone who hesitates will die.” The people below hesitated, reluctant to discard their guns, suspecting that Xiang Jia Wei was speaking under duress from Chen Wan and didn't genuinely intend for them to disarm. However, standing on the edge of the platform, Xiang Jia Wei truly did wish for them to discard their weapons. This misstep was significant, but he still hoped to keep his life. He did not want to die!