The CEO is domineering, the devil Boss is addicted to pampering

Chapter 1392 Yunrui's Sincere Devotion: Intelligence King Atai

Atai grabbed Qi Ruixiang's arm and practically dragged him into a narrow alleyway.

The alley was lined with mottled adobe walls, with moldy straw piled at their base. A damp, musty smell mingled with the distant stench of gunpowder, making it hard to breathe.

He forcefully pushed Qi Ruixiang against the wall, placing his hands on the other's shoulders, his knuckles turning white from the force, his eyes fixed on Qi Ruixiang as if he wanted to devour him alive.

"Are you crazy?!" Atai's voice was extremely low, but it was filled with uncontrollable anger, and his spittle almost sprayed onto Qi Ruixiang's face. "How many times have I told you, don't meddle in other people's business! The look in your eyes just now, you wanted to rush up and fight Mr. Shen's men to the death. Have you forgotten why you came here? If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

His chest heaved violently, and his breathing was heavy; he was clearly quite frightened by Qi Ruixiang's reaction.

Atai originally just wanted to earn some money delivering goods and sell frogs to save face, but he never expected that his "apprentice" would be so impulsive. In Black Rock Village, let alone going against Shen Chengyu's people, even taking a second look at something you shouldn't could cost you your life.

They are currently in a "master-apprentice" relationship. If something happens to Qi Ruixiang, he will have no way to explain it to Shen Chengyu's people. At that time, let alone making money, it will be a problem whether he can even leave the village alive.

Qi Ruixiang was pressed against the wall, his shoulders aching, but he didn't struggle. He knew that Atai was truly desperate and genuinely trying to protect himself. He took a deep breath and softened his tone: "Brother Tai, I know I was wrong. I acted impulsively just now."

"Impulsive?" Atai sneered, releasing his hand from Atai's shoulder but remaining wary. He took a half step back, arms crossed. "In Black Rock Village, impulsiveness is suicide! Who do you think you are? Someone who can stand up to Mr. Shen? Let me tell you, here, Mr. Shen's word is law. Even the local armed leaders have to give him some face!"

His gaze swept over Qi Ruixiang, noticing the resentment and anxiety in the other's eyes. The words he was about to say ultimately came out wrong. He sighed, his tone softening slightly: "Fine, for Brother Frog's sake, I'll tell you the truth. You know what you're doing, so stop making a fuss."

Qi Ruixiang's eyes lit up and he nodded quickly: "Brother Tai, you can tell me, I will definitely listen to you."

"The woman who was tied to the pillar just now, that was Gu Yunxi, right?" Atai lowered his voice, his eyes scanning the alley entrance warily. "Mr. Shen brought her here, not for revenge, but for her skills."

"Her skills?" Qi Ruixiang asked instinctively.

“You must have heard of ‘Project Nightingale’ while you were out there, right?” Atai lowered his voice even further. “It’s a chemical weapons project, extremely powerful. Mr. Shen wants to use it to cooperate with local armed forces and monopolize the drug and weapons trade in the Golden Triangle. And Gu Yunxi is the core developer of this project. No one in the whole world knows better than her how to improve this project.”

Qi Ruixiang's heart sank.

He only knew that Gu Yunxi was a chemistry genius, but he never expected that Shen Chengyu kidnapped her for something so dangerous.

If Project Nightingale is truly perfected, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Mr. Shen's business, on the surface, is drug smuggling, but in reality, it also involves arms dealing and human trafficking."

Atai continued, a hint of fear in his voice.

"This Black Rock Village is his headquarters. It has laboratories, armories, and prisons where 'goods' are held. The guards in the village are all desperados he recruited from all over the country. Each of them has a murder case on his hands and is not afraid of death at all."

“Then… take care of her…” Qi Ruixiang’s voice trembled slightly.

“Mr. Shen won’t hurt her for now.” Atai shook his head. “He still needs Gu Yunxi to perfect the ‘Nightingale Project.’ Before the project is completed, Gu Yunxi is his ‘treasure.’ At most, he’ll just scare her a little to get her to cooperate. But if Gu Yunxi continues to refuse to cooperate and pushes Mr. Shen too far, then it’s hard to say—Mr. Shen is ruthless and capable of anything.”

Qi Ruixiang fell silent. Some of what Atai said were open secrets, while others sounded like hearsay, making it difficult to discern the truth from the falsehood.

But one thing he was certain of was that although Gu Yunxi was safe for the time being, her situation was still dangerous. Shen Chengyu's patience was limited, and once he felt that Gu Yunxi was "useless," or found someone to replace her, Gu Yunxi's life would be threatened.

"What are you thinking about?" Atai couldn't help but ask when he saw that Atai was silent.

“He went to so much trouble to bring Gu Yunxi here, he wouldn’t hurt her easily. What he needs most right now is the results of the ‘Nightingale Project’, so he will try his best to meet Gu Yunxi’s needs. As long as she doesn’t do anything too outrageous, Shen Chengyu won’t really do anything to her.”

“That’s true, but when people are pushed to the limit, they’re capable of anything.” Atai frowned. “Gu Yunxi seems very stubborn. If she continues to refuse to cooperate, Mr. Shen will eventually lose patience. At that point, not only her, but all of us who have had contact with her may be implicated.”

Qi Ruixiang nodded, agreeing with Atai's assessment. He knew Gu Yunxi's stubbornness better than anyone.

Back when they were together, Gu Yunxi never easily yielded to anyone, and even under immense pressure, she would stick to her principles. Now, facing Shen Chengyu's threats, she most likely won't compromise easily either.

"So what should we do now?" Qi Ruixiang looked at Atai, his eyes asking a question.

"What do you mean, what should I do? I don't know anything!"

Qi Ruixiang fell silent.

In his mind, there was Yang Xiaotang and his newborn daughter on one side, and Gu Yunxi, who was being tortured and imprisoned in the village on the other.

“I can’t wait,” Qi Ruixiang suddenly spoke, a resolute glint in his eyes. “Shen Chengyu is just bluffing her now; he might really do it tomorrow. I must finish this quickly…”

"Are you crazy?!" Atai's eyes widened, unable to believe his ears. "How are you going to save her now? The village is full of guards, you can't even get close! Even if you did get close, could you fight off those guards with guns? If you do this, not only will you not be able to save her, you'll also get yourself killed!"

“I know the risks are huge, but I have to try.” Qi Ruixiang’s voice carried a hint of determination. “Brother Tai, I know you’re doing this for my own good, and I know you don’t want to cause trouble. If you don’t want to help me, I won’t blame you. But please, don’t stop me.”

Looking into his determined eyes, Atai felt a mix of emotions.

He knew he couldn't persuade his "apprentice." Qi Ruixiang's personality seemed gentle, but deep down he possessed an indomitable tenacity; once he set his mind on something, he would do anything to achieve it.

"How do you want to bet?" After a long silence, Atai finally asked.

Qi Ruixiang's eyes lit up: "Help me find out where Gu Yunxi is being held. Also, what is the shift change time for the guards in the lab? I want to find an opportunity to sneak in, meet with her, check on her situation, and then figure out a way to get her out."

Atai frowned, hesitating. He knew this plan was extremely risky; if discovered, both he and Qi Ruixiang would die. But then he thought again, they were now in the same boat; if something happened to Qi Ruixiang, he wouldn't be able to escape either.

Rather than letting Qi Ruixiang act impulsively, it's better to help him plan things out, which can at least reduce some of the risks.