743: Chapter 735 Bargaining 743: Chapter 735 Bargaining Li Jinfang’s ordeal made everyone, including Gao Yang, empathize with her deeply.
Their mood was very somber, and even though Little Gamar’s clown-like behavior could amuse them, it did not make them feel any better.
Gao Yang glanced at Little Gamar and said coldly, “It’s too early to start bargaining for your life, so shut your beak for now.”
Li Jinfang stood a bit farther from Little Gamar, just watching him with an icy gaze.
Seeing the look in Li Jinfang’s eyes, Gao Yang knew that Little Gamar was a dead man.
Gao Yang wasn’t entirely sure about Li Jinfang’s thoughts, but he believed that Li Jinfang would not let Little Gamar live.
They needed more time for Gamar’s men to bring the murderer, and dawn was approaching.
At that moment, Glolov leaned in close to Gao Yang and whispered, “Regardless of whether we exchange hostages, where do you think would be appropriate?”
Speaking of exchanging hostages wasn’t quite accurate, but everyone understood the meaning.
After contemplating for a moment, Gao Yang replied softly, “There’s no appropriate place.
None of the locations are safe for us, so we might as well wait in the wilderness.
Let’s stay here and wait for concrete news, then we can randomly choose a place to exchange hostages.”
Golov nodded and stepped aside without another word.
Then Little Gamar approached Gao Yang and said with a bitter expression, “Brother, you don’t really want my life, do you?
Killing me is utterly meaningless for you.
We can come to a better end, brother.
Spare my life, and I’m willing to pay any price for it.”
Gao Yang had seen plenty of people like Little Gamar, whose response was the typical choice of any normal person with money who didn’t want to die.
Naturally, he would use various means to secure a way out.
If it were any other time, Gao Yang wouldn’t mind letting Little Gamar buy his life with money, but unfortunately, although it wasn’t a matter of professional ethics this time, it was about his brother.
For Gao Yang, nothing was more important than his brother’s feelings.
The final fate of Little Gamar depended on Li Jinfang, so Gao Yang had no interest in making any deal with Little Gamar before Li Jinfang made a decision.
Just as Gao Yang was about to scold Little Gamar to shut up, Li Jinfang suddenly said, “You’re willing to pay any price, are you?
Good, how much can you offer?”
Gao Yang was quite surprised.
Li Jinfang never cared about money, regardless of how much it was; he never took interest, and especially not now.
Those familiar with Li Jinfang were equally astonished because he was never the person to discuss money at such a time.
But since Li Jinfang had asked, naturally, no one was going to question his change of heart.
The most excited, of course, was Little Gamar upon hearing Li Jinfang’s question.
For a wealthy man, spending money to save a life was clearly the best option.
After only a brief moment of thought, Little Gamar immediately shouted, “Five hundred thousand dollars, cash, just for my life, with no other strings attached.”
Li Jinfang, with his head covered, was inscrutable, but upon hearing Little Gamar’s words, he just gave a cold laugh and said, “It seems you’re stingier than I thought, or possibly poorer than I assumed.
But either way, your offer doesn’t satisfy me.
Ten million dollars, that’s my condition.
Bring me ten million dollars and I won’t kill you.”
Little Gamar was stunned, and after a long while, he said in astonishment, “Brother, isn’t your appetite a bit too big?”
Li Jinfang replied coldly, “I’m not forcing you to accept it.
You can choose not to spend a penny.”
Now that Little Gamar knew Li Jinfang’s appetite, he could no longer smile.
With a morose expression, he said, “Brother, the most I can come up with is one million dollars.
That’s all I have.
Ten million is impossible; I don’t have that much money.
Even if I were to liquidate my assets and try to raise the cash, I couldn’t do it in a short time.
One million is really the limit I can come up with in the short term.”
Li Jinfang remained silent, and Gao Yang couldn’t help but shake his head, saying, “Buddy, no, Your Majesty, you’re supposed to be royalty, but truly, you’ve disappointed me.
I thought your wealth matched your title.”
With a distressed look, Little Gamar said, “Brother, the title of ‘king’ is just a joke within my own small circle.
I’m not really a king.
Guys, I’m in Africa; how much money do you think I can have?”
Gao Yang shook his head with a sigh and said, “As local emperors go, you’re far behind the drug lords in South Africa.
When they negotiate ransoms with us, they start at ten million dollars as a base unit.
And you, you cap out at one million.
I’m very disappointed, you know?”
In desperation, Little Gamar raised his voice, stamping his feet and exclaiming, “Hey, hey, buddy, as you said yourself, those are the big drug lords from South America.
How could I possibly compare to those guys?
This is Africa.
Even if you killed me, I couldn’t come up with ten million dollars.
Building my palace, no, building my house took most of my savings.
To support my women, I’ve nearly drained my resources.
Guys, please don’t treat me like a real king.
I’m just a pauper with a façade of wealth; I beg you, I’m telling the truth.”
Li Jinfang shook his head and said, “Tell your men to bring the money when they come.
Once I receive the money, I’ll make sure to leave you to them.”
Little Gamar nodded repeatedly and immediately started making phone calls.
After several calls, Little Gamar said with a beaming smile, “Sorry for the inconvenience; I need to make a few more calls to pool the money.
As agreed, I’ll give you all the people you want, and the money too.
All you have to do then is let me go, and that’ll be great.
We can still be friends afterward.
Consider the one million US dollars my compensation for my earlier mistake.”
Little Gamar kept babbling on and on, but no one paid any attention to him anymore.
Gao Yang and the others were on the outskirts of Pointe Noire, not far from the coastline and the highway.
A few minutes’ walk along a small path would take them to the highway; although they had stumbled upon the place completely unintentionally, it proved to be safe enough.
As the sky brightened and time passed 6 o’clock, Little Gamar received a phone call.
Then he excitedly shouted to Gao Yang, “My men have caught those two troublemakers.
They’ll be delivered here soon.
Guys, how shall we exchange the hostages?”
After thinking for a bit, Gao said, “Let them bring the people to the highway.
After we confirm it’s safe, we will let you go.”
Little Gamar shook his head, “No, no, brother, that’s not how a hostage exchange works.
Listen to my suggestion, how about this?
You bring me along, we meet my men at a location, I leave, and you also leave with the people and the money.
OK?”
Gao Yang didn’t hesitate, “OK, I’ll choose the location.
Have your men bring the people over immediately.”
After speaking, Gao Yang checked the GPS, picked a nearby coordinate at random to tell Little Gamar, and said gravely, “If your people have GPS and can read it, tell them to head to this location.”
Gao Yang seemed very cooperative, which delighted Little Gamar.
After he agreed heartily, he promptly notified his men of the exchange location over the phone and then excitedly said to Gao Yang, “They’ll definitely arrive within two hours.”
Gao Yang nodded, then instructed the people around him, “We should start getting ready, stay alert, set up sentries, Eileen stays, and Toad and a few others stay, that’s enough.”
The group swiftly dispersed, but Little Gamar chuckled, “Guys, you don’t need to be so cautious.
Relax, I won’t play any tricks.
There’s no need to be so cautious.”
Gao Yang gave a slight smile and said, “We have to act like professional kidnappers.
Also, shouldn’t I remind you now that if you dare call the police, we will kill you?”
Little Gamar laughed heartily, “Brother, you’re too funny, haha, call the police, what a joke.”
The wait continued, and just over two hours later, Rafael, who was on the outer perimeter, suddenly reported over the walkie-talkie, “Report, people are coming, lots of vehicles, at least thirty.”
Little Gamar’s phone soon rang as well.
After he answered, he immediately excitedly said to Gao Yang, “My men are here; how shall we trade?”
Gao Yang spoke in a deep voice, “Have them stay two hundred meters away, then bring the people we want over.
Of course, if they’ve brought the money, have them bring that over too.”
Little Gamar said anxiously, “What about me?
What do I do?
How can I ensure my safety?
Brother, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but…
”
Gao Yang looked at Little Gamar coldly and said bluntly, “Do you have a choice?”
Little Gamar was at a loss for words, and then he finally spoke a few words over the phone.
Approximately thirty vehicles formed an impressive convoy that stopped within Gao Yang’s field of vision, not quite two hundred meters away but more than one hundred fifty.
Gao Yang didn’t make a big deal of the few meters of difference and let it go without comment.
Many people emerged from the convoy, all armed with guns.
The first thing everyone did after getting out was to aim their guns at Gao Yang and his group.
Then, some people dragged three individuals from the vehicles; six or seven people hauled them toward Gao Yang and his group.
Two others carried bags over.
In total, nine people slowly walked up to about a dozen meters in front of Gao Yang and his group and stopped.
The three people brought before Gao Yang were all bruised and swollen.
Gao Yang looked at Li Jinfang and asked, “Can you recognize them?”
Li Jinfang stared intently at the two young men who could barely stand, nodded lightly, and whispered, “I’d recognize them even if they turned to ash.
Yes, it’s them.”(To be continued.
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