As she spoke, she exerted a slight force with her wrist, and the blade immediately dug half an inch into the flesh. The yellow-haired thug let out a pig-like howl in terror.
"Don't come closer! Boss, don't come closer! She'll kill me! She really will!!"
Blood trickled down the yellow-haired thug's neck, staining his collar, silently declaring to everyone that she wasn't bluffing.
The bald boss and the others were instantly intimidated.
They never expected this seemingly delicate woman to be so ruthless.
She wasn't scaring them; she really dared!
"What... what do you want?"
The bald boss didn't dare to make any more rash moves, and his tone softened.
Meng Ruozhao's mind was racing. She knew she had to use this hostage to buy time and make them hesitate.
"Throw your car keys over! All of you, back out of the store! Right now!"
After giving the order, she added another sentence in a menacing tone.
"Otherwise, I don't mind making a few more cuts or even taking his life directly!"
Her calmness and ruthlessness completely exceeded the expectations of these hooligans.
They originally came to cause trouble and maybe extort some money. They never thought they'd end up causing a life-or-death situation.
Even less did they expect to be cornered by a woman who seemed completely defenseless.
If word got out, how could he still make a name for himself in the underworld?
But if this incident got out of hand and was known by the higher-ups, they'd be in deep trouble.
The bald boss was very hesitant.
However, looking at the continuous seepage of blood on his comrade's neck and his face distorted by extreme fear, the bald boss gritted his teeth. He knew they had met their match today.
He motioned for his subordinates to do as she said, and a car key was thrown at Meng Ruozhao's feet.
"Back off! All of you back out!"
The bald boss was the first to exit the warehouse.
The others looked at each other in dismay but could only slowly back away, their eyes still fixed firmly on Meng Ruozhao and the knife in her hand.
In the warehouse, only Meng Ruozhao and the trembling yellow-haired thug she was holding hostage remained.
The air was filled with a thick smell of blood and an extremely tense atmosphere.
Meng Ruozhao's heart was pounding wildly in her chest, almost breaking through her ribs. Her hand holding the knife was trembling slightly from exerting too much force.
But her eyes were still firm, like a lone star in the cold night, shining with a cold light of survival and resistance.
She knew this was only temporary safety.
The crisis was far from over.
She had to find a way to find a real way out before these people came to their senses or lost their patience.
The warehouse door was closed again, blocking the covetous gazes from outside.
But the sense of crisis didn't dissipate. Instead, it was like a substantial thick fog, squeezing the limited air in the warehouse.
Meng Ruozhao's back was tightly pressed against the cold door panel as she gasped for air.
Her hand holding the knife was trembling violently out of control due to extreme force and high mental stress, and her palm was full of cold sweat.
The yellow-haired thug she was holding hostage was shaking like a sieve. The wound on his neck wasn't too deep, but the blood kept flowing. The pain and fear had completely defeated him.
He kept begging for mercy: "Be... beautiful lady... spare my life... I was wrong... I'll never dare again..."
Meng Ruozhao forced herself to ignore the stabbing pain in her wrist and the burning pain on her cheek. Her mind was working at an unprecedented speed.
She knew the people outside wouldn't let it go so easily.
They might rush in at any time before the police arrived.
The hostage in her hand was her only bargaining chip now.
"Shut up!" she hissed. Her voice was hoarse but carried an unquestionable authority. "If you want to live, do as I say!"
The yellow-haired thug immediately fell silent and looked at her in horror.
"Where's your phone?"
Meng Ruozhao asked, her sharp eyes scanning him.
"In... in my pants pocket..."
The yellow-haired thug replied tremblingly.
Meng Ruozhao motioned for him to slowly take it out with his uninjured left hand.
The yellow-haired thug didn't dare to disobey and managed to take out his phone with difficulty.
"Unlock it, call the police, and turn on the speaker!"
Meng Ruozhao ordered, the blade still firmly pressed against his neck. "If you try any tricks, you know the consequences."
Between going to jail and dying immediately, the yellow-haired thug didn't hesitate to choose the former.
He trembled as he unlocked the screen with his finger, dialed 110, and pressed the speaker button.
"Hello, this is the 110 police hotline..."
The call was quickly connected, and the clear and calm voice of the dispatcher came through.
Under Meng Ruozhao's intense gaze, the yellow-haired thug started babbling in a crying voice.
"Hello... I'm calling the police... We're at No. 212 Chenglin Avenue, in the [Fuyunxuan] store..."
"Th... there are people breaking in and robbing... and... and kidnapping... Help!"
The dispatcher immediately became alert. While calming his emotions, she quickly asked for specific details and the exact address.
Meng Ruozhao listened intently. After confirming that the information was basically accurate, she let out a slight sigh of relief.
All she needed to do now was wait for the police to arrive.
After the call ended, Meng Ruozhao didn't let her guard down.
She couldn't let this yellow-haired thug have another chance to resist.
Her eyes searched the warehouse, and she saw some hemp ropes piled up in the corner, used for tying large rolls of fabric.
"Go over there and squat down!"
She escorted the yellow-haired thug and slowly moved to the ropes. Then she kicked the ropes in front of him with her foot.
"Use your left hand to tie your feet together. Make it a tight knot!"
The yellow-haired thug was extremely cooperative now in order to save his life.
After hearing the order, he endured the sharp pain in his right arm and clumsily but seriously used his left hand and teeth to tightly tie his ankles together.
After Meng Ruozhao confirmed that the ropes were tied firmly, she ordered him to turn around and stand by the shelf.
Then she wrapped the other end of the hemp rope around the shelf and tied him to the shelf, creating a temporary restraint.
In this way, he couldn't escape for a while.
After doing all this, Meng Ruozhao was almost exhausted. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she was breathing heavily.
She leaned against a roll of fabric and took a short breath, but her ears were like the most sensitive radar, constantly monitoring the sounds outside the door.
It was eerily quiet outside the door.
There was no expected discussion or attempt to break in. This instead made her uneasiness grow stronger.
Did those hooligans leave, or were they plotting a counterattack?
Just then, a faint, different kind of commotion came from the front hall of the store!
There seemed to be hasty footsteps, the sound of heavy objects falling, and a few indistinct shouts!
Meng Ruozhao's heart skipped a beat! What was going on?
Could the police have arrived so quickly?
No, there hadn't been enough time since she called the police!
Could it be... Pei Jiangmu?
This thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
No, he should still be in the neighboring city for an exchange and learning activity and wouldn't be back until next Monday.
Then who could it be?
Could it be a passerby who saw something wrong in the store and came in to check?
It was very likely, after all, the store had been smashed and was in a complete mess.
Moreover, they had driven the van to the door when they were about to move things, which was very eye-catching.