"What are you trying to do? Didn't I already agree to cooperate?" Jiang Yi sounded on the verge of tears.

He had already resigned himself to colluding with Xu Ke, so why was Xu Ke still plotting against him?

Xu Ke spread his hands. "If you don't drink it, I can't rest easy."

Despair flooded Jiang Yi's face. Does this mean my life is completely in Xu Ke's hands now?

Seeing the despair on Jiang Yi's face, Xu Ke patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. As long as you follow my instructions, I'll be sure to give you the daily antidote."

"What? You have more instructions?!" Jiang Yi's expression changed.

"Of course. We need to get evidence," Xu Ke said seriously. "Isn't your boss planning to call the police? You should proceed exactly as you threatened in your recording."

"You mean...?" Jiang Yi's face fell. Is Xu Ke really going to make me become an outlaw?

"That's right." Xu Ke patted Jiang Yi's shoulder again as if to comfort him.

The repeated pats made Jiang Yi's face turn ashen.

Xu Ke left with the bowl. A moment later...

"AH!"

Still tied up, Jiang Yi suddenly felt an inexplicable pain flare up all over his body. His thighs, his calves, his stomach... It felt as if ants were crawling all over him, a sensation that was both agonizing and numbing.

"Argh..." A tremor wracked Jiang Yi's body as another wave of pain hit him. His face went white. "What... what is this?"

Without turning his head, Xu Ke started brewing his own medicine for the day. "The poison is activating. It will pass in five minutes. Endure it."

"You..." Jiang Yi couldn't contain his rage any longer and shouted, "You bastard... ARGH!"

"I-I'll never cooperate with you... ARGH!"

"I'd rather die here than agree to..."

"Please, give me the antidote..."

Jiang Yi completely broke down.

Xu Ke said flatly, "There's no antidote for the first day. Tough it out."

Jiang Yi was speechless.

...

When the pain finally subsided, Jiang Yi collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat. "How do you feel?" Xu Ke asked, approaching with a bowl of his own medicine.

"W-what do you want from me?" Jiang Yi stammered, still sweating profusely. "I'll cooperate. Just don't kill me."

The agony had been too torturous to bear; Jiang Yi was ready to compromise. Besides, Xu Ke is only targeting my boss, not me...

Xu Ke smiled. Poison really does work better.

In reality, the "poison" was just some bitter herbal tea Xu Ke had brewed, though he had added too much of certain ingredients, making it exceptionally bitter. He didn't have the time to procure and brew actual poison. If Jiang Yi knew he had just drunk bitter herbal tea, he would probably be slamming his fist on the table and cursing his head off...

As for why Jiang Yi felt pain, the answer was simple. When Xu Ke had patted him after forcing him to drink, he had secretly struck several pressure points to induce the agony that followed. To recreate the effect of the "poison" flaring up tomorrow, Xu Ke would have to strike him again.

Xu Ke didn't care that Jiang Yi was suffering immensely. This was a man who, for money, had laid in wait outside his door. And when punished, he had plotted to secretly photograph Xu Ke to coerce him into confronting the Journalist Association and the Li Family. For these reasons, Xu Ke felt no pity for Jiang Yi.

Xu Ke drained his bowl of medicine and asked, "Do you know where your boss usually hangs out?"

"He has a habit of going to bars to let loose. I think today is one of those days," Jiang Yi said.

"Which one?"

"I think it's called... Golden K."

Hearing this, Xu Ke's brow furrowed. Golden K Bar? That was the exact bar where Wong Qifu had brutally humiliated Li Jun.

"That's Ye Family territory, if I remember correctly, right?" Xu Ke set his bowl down, pulled a tissue from the dispenser on the table, and wiped his mouth.

"Yes." Jiang Yi's face was pale. "The boss has always been on good terms with the Ye and Li Families. I even saw the Ye Family's Fourth Young Master, Ye Chen, visit our company once. That day, our boss even ordered the prettiest girl in our department to keep him company."

"I see." Xu Ke nodded. "Go to the Golden K Bar tonight and scout it out. If you find your boss, knock him out and bring him here."

Jiang Yi looked at Xu Ke in terror. "Are you really going to go to such extremes?" Threats online are one thing, but to act on them in the real world?

"You're the one taking the risk, not me," Xu Ke corrected.

Jiang Yi's face went white. "I only took a couple of pictures of you. Do you really have to screw me over this hard?"

Xu Ke chuckled. "And what were your intentions when you were taking those pictures? You've already made a fortune sucking my blood. Now that it's time for a little payback, you're going to whine and complain?"

Xu Ke stared at Jiang Yi, who immediately lost the courage to argue.

It had been eight days since the scandal involving Xu Ke and Wong Qifu had erupted. In those eight days, media outlets with good relations to the Li and Huang Families had made a killing. Their articles used Wong Qifu and Xu Ke's names to attract traffic, and they also received a hefty cut of the money distributed by the Li and Huang Families. It was like a festival for them.

That was why Jiang Yi didn't dare to say another word now.

Seeing this, Xu Ke stood up and said flatly, "Just do as you're told. Stop asking so many questions. It's not good for you."

Only then did Jiang Yi fall completely silent.

A moment later, Jiang Yi suddenly remembered something. "Mister Xu, knocking out my boss is no problem... but my hands are injured this badly. Even if I wanted to cooperate, wouldn't this be a bit too difficult?"

Jiang Yi wore an expression of distress, but inwardly, he was ecstatic. I've finally found an excuse to refuse! My hands are a mess. If I go to knock out my boss and he turns the tables and kills me instead, surely Xu Ke wouldn't allow that, right?!

Jiang Yi looked at Xu Ke, brimming with confidence. There's no way he can force me now. He'll have to give up on this idea and think of another plan...

"It's fine. I'll patch you up in a bit," Xu Ke said lightly.

Jiang Yi smiled. "Alright, then I'll help you think of another... what?!"

Jiang Yi's eyes widened. He's going to heal me himself? How is that possible?

Xu Ke walked over with medicine and bandages. "Let me treat this for you. You'll have no problem moving around tonight."

Jiang Yi looked up at Xu Ke, his eyes filled with doubt. "Impossible... an injury this severe..."

Xu Ke didn't reply, simply uncovering Jiang Yi's wounds...

「By 8:30 PM, Xu Ke and Jiang Yi had already arrived at the Golden K Bar.」

The Golden K Bar was already a riot of garish lights and thumping music. Though still early, the place was packed. Handsome men and beautiful women swayed wantonly on the dance floor. The dazzling, hypnotic scene captivated onlookers, making them reluctant to leave.

"Do you know which private room he usually uses?" Xu Ke, his face partially hidden by a baseball cap, asked the bandaged Jiang Yi beside him.

Jiang Yi, whose hands were still heavily bandaged, nodded. "I've delivered documents to him before. I have a rough idea."

"Good enough." Xu Ke nodded.

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