SA 10.1

A flash of fire momentarily lit up the corner, followed by a loud snap, and the confinement room fell back into silence, save for the heavy moans and gasps of breath. Ye Jingsheng lay on top of Fang Yang, breathing heavily, and said intermittently, “No one’s watching us now, we should plan how to get out, right, Yang ge?”

They didn’t know how long they had been lying there. The cell was dark, void of any sense of time. Fang Yang was the first to stir, nudging Ye Jingsheng. “Asleep?”

Without opening his eyes, Ye Jingsheng snapped back, “Can I even sleep?!” The pain surged through him, impossible to ignore no matter how much he tried to act unbothered. He never imagined it could hurt this much. Silently, he swore that once he got back he would take better care of Xiao Jie.

Fang Yang chuckled softly and leaned in closer. “Didn’t you enjoy it just now?”

Knowing all too well that Fang Yang’s face was smug with satisfaction, Ye Jingsheng didn’t even bother to look. Instead, he grabbed Fang Yang and flipped him onto the bed and straddle his waist. Lowering his voice into a dangerous whisper, he smirked. “How about I make it pleasurable for you too?”

Fang Yang’s smile froze, stuttering, “Ah Sheng, I was just joking…”

Ye Jingsheng raised an eyebrow at him, and after a moment, slapped his buttock. “Yang ge, I was joking too, but first, we need to get out of here.”

Ye Jingsheng might indulge in pleasure, but he never lost sight of survival. Fang Yang, If I can’t settle last night’s score with you later, I’m not Ye Jingsheng, he thought with a wicked smirk. The memory of soul-shattering pleasure flickered through his mind as his gaze lingered on Fang Yang.

Fang Yang sat up and changed the topic. “The guards will deliver food soon. If we don’t escape now, we’ll be stuck for another day. Once the drug-running ship reaches international waters, it’ll be too late.”

Ye Jingsheng responded lazily, “No shit, I already know that. But without weapons, how the hell are we supposed to get out?”

Fang Yang pulled him into a brief hug, then reached into his side pocket and pulled out a gleaming silver thread. Ye Jingsheng’s eyes lit up as he recognized it. “Fishing line?”

Fang Yang wound the thin line around Ye Jingsheng’s neck, applying just enough pressure for the sharp edge to bite into the skin. His smile was cold and calculating. “Ah Sheng, this can kill a man too.”

Ye Jingsheng had to admire him.

The door creaked open, and as two soldiers entered carrying trays of food, Ye Jingsheng suddenly cried out, clutching his stomach as he collapsed onto the bed. The soldiers frowned, exchanging uneasy glances before one stepped forward and asked what was wrong. Ye Jingsheng groaned in pain, unable to respond. The soldier hesitated but moved closer, only to have his arm seized in a vice-like grip. With a sharp twist, Ye Jingsheng threw him onto the bed and slammed a powerful punch into his face.

The second soldier shouted, reaching for his gun, but before he could act, a pair of hands appeared from behind. The fishing line wrapped around his throat, tightening with ruthless efficiency. His body convulsed violently, the line slicing into his flesh as blood began to seep. The soldier clawed desperately at the wall, leaving five jagged white scratches on the iron surface. His screams turned to chokes and retching as Fang Yang stood behind him, his grip merciless, his face cold and unfeeling. The man’s legs flailed and twisted until his movements slowed, then stopped altogether.

His lifeless body hit the ground with a heavy thud, his face grotesquely swollen to a reddish-purple hue, bulging eyes marred with ruptured veins. Ye Jingsheng stared, his chest tightening as he took in the scene.

Fang Yang’s expression remained indifferent, his eyes gleaming with a demonic red light that sent a chill down Ye Jingsheng’s spine. Yet, he couldn’t help but laugh at himself. In this world, who wasn’t ruthless? He had killed more people than he could count. Still, something about Fang Yang’s detached brutality struck a nerve. For a brief moment, his mind flickered to Pei Jun, and the two images overlapped.

“Let’s go.” Fang Yang’s voice was calm, almost casual, as he kicked the corpse aside. Wrapping the bloodied fishing line around his wrist, he swiftly moved to the soldier Ye Jingsheng had beaten unconscious. Without pausing, he strangled him with the same brutal efficiency, then rifled through the bodies and pulled out two guns. Tossing one to Ye Jingsheng, he gave him a pointed look. “If we don’t leave now, it’ll be too late.”

Ye Jingsheng didn’t move. He grimaced in pain as he adjusted his position. “Go? Show me how you go! Get fucked first, then talk about going!” His voice was sharp, every word laced with frustration and pain. The adrenaline-fueled fight had masked the searing ache below, but now it was unbearable. He cursed himself for his earlier indulgence.

Fang Yang chuckled and closed the distance between them. Leaning down, he brushed a gentle kiss against the corner of Ye Jingsheng’s mouth, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “I think I’m starting to like you.”

“Bullshit!” Ye Jingsheng shoved him away but forced himself to stand. Pain or not, he refused to stay here any longer.

They had extracted the whereabouts of Pei Jun and the cargo from a tortured soldier who probably never imagined Fang Yang would crush every bone in his fingers, fulfilling every threat he voiced.

By the time they climbed onto Pei Jun’s ship from the stern, dripping wet, they were barely holding on. Both were strong swimmers, but one was nursing a gunshot wound while the other carried hidden pains. After more than half an hour in the water, making it onto the ship was nothing short of a miracle.

“Are you alright?” Fang Yang pulled Ye Jingsheng into a secluded spot and gently traced his thumb over his pale lips. “You’re so cold.”

Ye Jingsheng gave him a look, “You’re not much better. At this rate, we’ll be dead before we can blow up the cargo.”

Fang Yang knew his wounds had reopened, the dried blood causing his clothes to stick to his skin. He placed a hand on Ye Jingsheng’s shoulder and sat beside him, their bodies pressing together. “With me here, you won’t die.”

The warmth of Fang Yang’s body made Ye Jingsheng feel slightly better, and he couldn’t help but lean in closer. Fang Yang stroked the fold of his shoulder and asked, “Regret getting into this mess with me?”

With half-closed eyes, Ye Jingsheng scoffed dismissively, “At this point, what good would regret do?”

“I’ll send you back to Hong Kong.”

Ye Jingsheng snorted. “A promise made by Ye Jingsheng, even if flawed, is never retracted. I will see this to the end.”

The Caribbean breeze was gentle, carrying a faint briny scent. The stars over South America seemed brighter and more numerous than those over Hong Kong, a dense spectacle of beauty. If not for the danger surrounding them, it would have been quite a scene.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we just got killed here?”

Ye Jingsheng muttered the thought, but Fang Yang gave no response. He turned to look and was startled. Leaning closer, he gave Fang Yang a firm push. “Hey, wake up!”

Fang Yang’s eyes snapped open. He clutched his gun and asked, “Is something wrong?”

Seeing that Fang Yang was utterly exhausted and prolonging things would only make matters worse, Ye Jingsheng got to his feet. “I’ll scout ahead, find some food and antibiotics. Stay here and wait for me.”

“I’ll go!” Fang Yang grabbed his hand, but Ye Jingsheng irritably shook him off, “You’re not as familiar with this as I am. Just stay put.”

Fang Yang said nothing but watched as Ye Jingsheng turned and walked away.

Ye Jingsheng, are you really that familiar with this place?

—

Pei Jun sat alone on a chair, his brows deeply furrowed, intently staring at the two guns laid side by side on the table.

Ah Sheng… When will you change your lawless ways? Are you going to blame me for what happened back then forever?! I hate people who oppose me, and yet you insist on being one!