Even if she was of the highest quality, this woman wouldn't be worth a thousand dollars.

Lu Zude knew that Ling Shu would never be able to come up with that kind of money.

Knowing this, his first reaction was that the other party was crazy, and his second reaction was that Ling Shu was causing trouble.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Lu Zude gritted his teeth and spoke in a low voice, full of malice.

"If you want to attract Mr. Lu's attention, you'll only die faster. When the time comes, he won't care who your hostage is. We'll both be finished!"

Ling Shu still spoke in a nonchalant tone, "I don't have the money, but don't you have it? This is your place, and Lu Zude can't even come up with a thousand dollars?"

Lu Zude was so angry he could barely contain himself, "We're in the business of making money. If you keep this up, no one will want to play with us anymore!"

After Ling Shu shouted out the offer of 1000 dollars, the room fell silent.

Suddenly, someone pushed open the door and bowed to Lu Zude.

"Master Lu, is it this Wan Rong that you have your eye on?"

"Your mother's big-headed ghost! This is just a joke between him and me, let them continue bidding!" With a gun still pointed at his waist, Lu Zude held in his anger and directed it towards the person who had entered.

"Yes, yes!" The person quickly retreated.

Ling Shu laughed, "Why are you so angry? Isn't this place just for fun? I may not have 1000 dollars, but I still have a few hundred. Visitors are guests, you can't just let money go to waste, right?"

Lu Zude realized he was wrong.

This person wasn't crazy, he was just foolish.

As a dying man, in someone else's territory, surrounded by enemies, he still had the leisure to think about women?

"Okay, if you really have money, then go ahead and bid," said Lu Zude with a sly tone, thinking to himself that even if you do win the bid, you won't have the chance to enjoy it.

Ling Shu continued to be carefree and happy, oblivious to the hidden meaning in his words.

Lu Zude had never seen anyone take on the role of a kidnapper with such ease and comfort.

After Wan Rong was taken away for re-auctioning, a woman came up halfway through and played the pipa while Ling Shu sat with his legs crossed, tapping his feet to the beat and humming along.

It was as if he was truly in a brothel, only missing a plate of melon seeds and candy to complete his perfect life.

"Little Lu, this song is too long and boring. Let me tell you a story instead," Ling Shu suddenly spoke up.

Lu Zude was numb to the chaotic names he was called by the other person.

He had no idea what kind of medicine he was selling, and he shut his mouth tight like a clam, refusing to say anything.

Ling Shu didn't expect a response from the other person and continued, "The last time I went to the northeast, I gained a lot of knowledge. I saw a pure gold Buddha tower with various gemstones embedded in it. The tower was extremely light, and when held in your hand, you could hardly feel its weight. When the wind blew, guess what happened?"

Lu Zude: ...You're probably dreaming.

Ling Shu said, "When the wind blew, the bells on the tower rang, and they were as small as grains of rice. They were even intricately carved and hollowed out, a true masterpiece of craftsmanship that left me speechless."

Lu Zude: Hehe, the dream isn't over yet.

Ling Shu said, "It's a pity that the pagoda was stolen and its whereabouts are still unknown. I was also heavily injured while chasing the thief and almost died there. Northeast China is truly a great place with countless treasures waiting to be discovered. If you have the chance, you should go there and I guarantee you won't come back empty-handed!"

Listening to Ling Shu's rambling, Lu Zude couldn't take it anymore and asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Ling Shu laughed and replied, "I mean, if we had met last time, I might not have been able to blackmail you. But now that my injury has healed, even if we're on your turf tonight, you might not be able to escape from my grasp."

Lu Zude was now certain that this person was indeed a lunatic.

The preface had nothing to do with the conclusion, but it was clear that he hadn't thought things through. He had carelessly revealed a small part of his plan, and it was a fatal mistake.

"You're the only one here. Even if you kill me, you won't be able to leave alive," warned Lu Zude coldly.

Ling Shu replied, "Are you sure I'm the only one?"

His question successfully raised Lu Zude's suspicions.

What did he mean?

Did he have an accomplice?

Had there been a flaw in his management, or had someone snuck in?

Many thoughts flashed through Lu Zude's mind as he considered all the possibilities.

"Do you know why you're so short?" the annoying voice on the other end spoke up again, making Lu Zude want to punch him. "You've used all your energy to brew up evil thoughts in your mind, so naturally there's no extra nutrition to grow in other places," said Ling Shu.

He seemed to think he was quite humorous and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Lu Zude had always hated it when people made fun of his height, and Ling Shu had just hit his sore spot.

Now he not only wanted to punch him, but also wanted to take a knife and stab Ling Shu countless times, causing him to bleed to death in fear and pain.

There were countless other tortures that Lu Zude had practiced on others before, and he didn't mind using them all on Ling Shu.

At this moment, two big men came up on stage, with a woman sitting in the middle, held up by their linked hands.

This time there was no naked body, but it didn't make much of a difference. The thin fabric draped over her body only added to her allure, and stirred up primal desires within those watching.

Ling Shu was convinced that among Lu Zude's men, there must be someone who understood the male psyche. Perhaps they had recruited an experienced madam from a brothel, who knew all the tricks to seduce men and could effortlessly employ them.

As expected, the bidding was even more fervent than before, with the final price reaching six hundred taels of silver.

Excluding Ling Shu's earlier disruption of bidding with his one thousand taels, this was the highest bid of the night. But for the woman above, this so-called record was of no use.

From tonight on, her life would fall into an abyss, with no escape from her fate. She had been drugged, her face flushed, struggling in a hazy and unreal state, unaware of the destiny that awaited her.

"Seven hundred!" Ling Shu shouted again, pushing the price up.

Before Lu Zude could speak, Ling Shu said, "I can't afford a thousand taels, but I do have seven hundred taels in savings. Even if I die under the peony flowers, I'll still be romantic as a ghost. I really like this little girl, and the highest bidder wins. You shouldn't have any objections now, right?"

Lu Zude looked coldly at the other party, as if he were looking at a dead person. Similar to when he shouted for a thousand taels, a long-shirted attendant came in to confirm. Lu Zude had already secretly passed the signal, and with Sister Rong and Sister Song, they should have reported to Mr. Lu by now.

It was likely that the venue had already set up a trap, waiting to catch this ignorant little guy.

Thinking of this, Lu Zude was no longer so anxious and angry. He just waited to see when Ling Shu would die.

No one bidded higher than seven hundred.

This woman was obtained by Ling Shu.

The long-shirted attendant came in again, bowing and smiling at Ling Shu, "Congratulations on winning Qian Yu. We have a room here. Would you like to take her back or open a room here? Shall we send Qian Yu over to you first?"

"Let's book a room and send her over first," Ling Shu smiled. "Have you seen the person next to me? He is one of the top members of the Lu family, and we are good friends. Tonight, I want to invite him to enjoy this exquisite delicacy with me!"

Lu Zude snorted coldly but did not argue.

The other party agreed repeatedly and asked, "May I ask when you will come over?"

Ling Shu raised his eyebrows and said, "To ask Mr. Lu to come and find me personally, it's too much trouble for his old legs. I feel embarrassed. Why don't we all gather here, drink tea, and have a heart-to-heart talk? Isn't that wonderful?"

Others avoided Lu Tongcang like a snake or scorpion, but he still held onto Lu Zude and couldn't wait to see Lu Tongcang.

The other party looked at Ling Shu several times, seeming to think that he was a bit abnormal, just like Lu Zude, but still went to deliver the message as requested.

After a short wait, Ling Shu saw the curtain behind the stage being lifted and a group of people walking out. The person surrounded in the middle was none other than the big shot, Lu Tongcang, whose name was well-known in Shanghai but rarely seen in person.

It was happening now!

When Lu Zude caught sight of Lu Tongcang, he took advantage of Ling Shu's momentary lack of response, broke free from his grasp, and rolled to the side with all his might.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Mr. Lu, save me! Quick, kill him!"