Master Tie glanced at the phone, then at Zhao Yuan. His bloody, mangled face was a mask of panic and regret.
He was certain this call was from the Ji Family Brothers. He couldn't help but complain inwardly: 'Boss, oh boss, I called you just now and it's one thing that you didn't pick up, but why are you calling back now? Aren't you just trying to screw me over?'
Zhao Yuan looked at the ringing phone and suddenly had an idea. He patted Master Tie's face with the flat of his blade and said, "What are you spacing out for? Go answer the phone."
"Huh?" Master Tie froze, thinking he had misheard.
Zhao Yuan barked, "What 'huh'? I said answer it, so answer it! Put it on speaker and find a way to lure the Ji Family Brothers here! Don't say I didn't warn you. If you try any tricks, I have plenty of ways to torture you. I guarantee you'll be begging for death but unable to die! Think carefully whether you want to completely throw your own life away for the Ji Family Brothers, who are about to be finished anyway."
Master Tie didn't want to answer the phone, but Zhao Yuan's threat left him no choice.
His life was in Zhao Yuan's hands. What choice did he have but to cooperate? As for the Ji Family Brothers, he could only apologize to them in his heart. After all, it's not like he had any say in the matter.
Trembling, he walked to the desk, and Master Tie reached out to press the speaker button on the phone.
Zhao Yuan's blade was resting on his neck, ensuring he couldn't—and wouldn't dare to—try anything funny.
A coarse, middle-aged man's voice came through the phone: "Who called? What is it? Why'd it ring a few times and then hang up?"
Master Tie stood with his mouth open, not saying a word. Only when Zhao Yuan prodded his neck with the blade, the sharp sting forcing him to accept reality, did he speak. "Second Brother, it's me, Tiezi. A big client showed up at the mine today. I couldn't make the call, so I had to phone you."
Judging by the form of address, the caller was likely the second of the Ji Family Brothers, Ji Chenghai.
"A big client? Who are they? Are they reliable?" Ji Chenghai asked.
"Reliable, very reliable. Boss Liu sent them," Master Tie answered quickly.
This Boss Liu he mentioned was a coal distributor who had worked with the Ji Family Coal Mine several times and had completely earned their trust.
Sure enough, after hearing Master Tie's words, Ji Chenghai said, "If Boss Liu sent them, then there's no problem. Are they at the mine now?"
Master Tie was quick-witted, having already come up with a cover story in the span of these few short sentences.
"Yes, they're inspecting the quality of our coal. From the way they're talking, it sounds like they not only need a large quantity, but they're also planning on a long-term partnership. I can't make a decision on this. Second Brother, when do you think you and Big Brother can find time to come up to the mine?"
Ji Chenghai had no suspicions and said immediately, "Since a moneybags has shown up at our door, we can't be bad hosts. I'll contact Big Brother right now, and we'll head up the mountain together. You make sure you treat them well over there. No matter what, you have to make them wait until we arrive, got it?"
"Got it, got it. Don't worry, I'll definitely make them wait for you," Master Tie replied. Inwardly, however, he was cursing: 'I wish this damn kid would hurry up and piss off, but from the looks of it, he definitely won't leave until you guys get here.'
Ji Chenghai gave a few more instructions and then hung up the phone.
Master Tie turned his head, looked at Zhao Yuan, and forced a smile. But that smile couldn't have been uglier.
He said cautiously, "Big Brother, I've made the call just as you ordered and lured the Ji Family Brothers over. Do you think... you could let me go now?"
Zhao Yuan shot him a glare and scolded, "Don't call me Big Brother. I'm not that old."
"Yes, yes, my mistake, my mistake." Master Tie raised his hand and slapped himself twice across the face, then asked, "Then what should I call you?"
"Call me Grandpa," Zhao Yuan said.
"Huh?" Master Tie was dumbfounded.
"What, you don't want to?" Zhao Yuan asked coldly.
How could Master Tie dare to say no? He scrambled to agree, "I'd be happy to, happy to." Inwardly, he was griping: 'Goddammit, didn't you just say calling you 'brother' made you sound old? So now you want me to call you 'grandpa'? Doesn't that make you sound even older?'
"You want me to let you go?" Zhao Yuan asked.
Master Tie nodded eagerly. "You're a man of great magnanimity. Just treat me like a fart and let me go."
"Stop dreaming. You think I'm going to let you go now, so you can run off and tip off the Ji Family Brothers?" Zhao Yuan sneered, pressing the blade to Master Tie's neck as he marched him out of the three-story building.
By now, the fighting outside had ended. All the thugs the Ji Family Brothers kept at the mine had been taken down by the coal miners.
Zhao Yuan glanced at the thugs and ordered Li Qingbo and the others, "Take them inside the building. The ones who are passed out, drag them in too."
The men immediately complied. Soon, all the thugs, whether conscious or unconscious, were locked into separate rooms.
The iron doors and windows that were supposed to protect them had, at this moment, become the tools of their imprisonment.
Zhao Yuan instructed, "Uncle Li, have someone find some pens and paper for them. Tell them to write down all the crimes of the Ji Family Brothers, as well as their own."
Li Qingbo was a bit skeptical. "Will they agree to write?"
Zhao Yuan smiled. "Don't worry, I have my ways of making them write."
Li Qingbo nodded. From the moment he met Zhao Yuan, the young man had displayed a series of skills that left him dumbfounded. Now, he had complete faith in Zhao Yuan's words.
Soon, Li Qingbo had someone bring pens and paper.
"You write first." Zhao Yuan beckoned Master Tie over.
Master Tie was on the verge of tears. 'What kind of grudge do you have against me? Why do I have to be the one to do everything?'
Though he was filled with resentment and utterly unwilling, Master Tie didn't dare defy Zhao Yuan at a time like this. With a miserable look on his face, he could only walk over to Zhao Yuan.
"Write down all the crimes of the Ji Family Brothers and your own. No omissions." Zhao Yuan tossed a set of pen and paper to him.
Master Tie said pitifully, "Grandpa, the bones in my right hand are broken, I can't hold a pen. And my left hand was bitten by your cat. I really can't write..."
"I don't care." Zhao Yuan had no sympathy for him at all. "I told you to write, so you will write. And there will be no omissions!"
Master Tie had no choice but to take the pen and paper, thinking to himself: 'Fine, I'll just make up a few things. It's not like you'll know if they're real or fake. When you take this to the police, I'll just say you tortured me and forced a confession, that's why I had to write down a bunch of random crimes. Since they're all fake, the police won't be able to verify anything. Then, I can even pin the crime of extorting a confession on you...'
Zhao Yuan seemed to see right through him. He let out a cold smirk but said nothing. He simply called over a few more of the thugs and distributed the remaining pens and paper to them.