Reservoir Dogs chapter 117

Ambush

Originally, Xiao Zhou faced punishment for disrupting court order. It was Sun Xu who hurriedly ran down from the audience, using all his connections and claiming Xiao Zhou had a history of mental illness, to persuade the judge not to pursue the matter further.

He pulled Xiao Zhou to sit aside, “What’s wrong with you?”

Xiao Zhou had calmed down a bit. He looked at the bruises on his arm from the batons, then shook his head, “Thank you.”

Sun Xu said, “Don’t worry, even though I don’t know why the boss admitted to those things, he must have his reasons. He surely has a plan to turn things around, maybe…” He racked his brains but couldn’t think of an explanation, his eyes reddening as he cursed in frustration, “What the hell is going on!”

Xiao Zhou ignored him, looking up to see Ji Yang still slumped in his seat. He suddenly stood up and walked over, standing in front of Ji Yang.

Ji Yang didn’t look at him.

Xiao Zhou asked, “Do you have any other plans?”

“Plans?” Ji Yang’s eyes shifted sluggishly, then he sneered, “What plans could I have? Can you persuade someone who doesn’t want to live to stay alive?” He cursed bitterly, “If he planned to do this from the start, why didn’t he just tell me? Made me worry so much for him for nothing!” As he said this, he choked up, his eyes reddening suddenly.

He wiped his eyes harshly, stood up, and began to pack his things messily into his bag. When he couldn’t fit everything due to the disarray, he kept stuffing things in forcefully. The zipper cut his hand, leaving a bloody gash. He stared at the wound, then swung his briefcase to the ground and stormed out, leaving everything behind.

Xiao Zhou watched his outburst quietly, picked up the bag, and handed it to Sun Xu, “You go back to the office first.”

Sun Xu asked, “What about you?”

“I need to ask Ji Yang something.” He said and chased after Ji Yang.

Ji Yang headed to the parking area. Afraid of losing him, Xiao Zhou ran a few steps to catch up, “What did Jiang Chengyuan say to you before? Why did he suddenly do this?”

Ji Yang’s face was pale, he ignored him, opened the car door, and was about to start the engine. Seeing he was really about to leave, Xiao Zhou quickly opened the back door and got in.

Ji Yang turned his head, “Get out!”

Xiao Zhou said, “Are you really going to abandon him?”

Ji Yang lost control and shouted at him, his eyes red, “Yes, I’m abandoning him! I’m done with both of your messes! What did I get out of all my efforts? Did any of you care? I worked so hard for him, and with one confession, he threw everything away! Even a dog would grow attached after so many years, but I’ve been nurturing a cold-blooded snake all these years!”

Ji Yang’s body first trembled slightly, then uncontrollably shook more violently. Xiao Zhou watched as he frantically swiped everything off the dashboard and even punched and kicked the seat beside him, almost wrecking the entire car.

Xiao Zhou quietly waited for him to finish venting his emotions. “Are you done?”

Ji Yang’s eyes were bloodshot. “No!”

Xiao Zhou said, “If venting on the car isn’t enough, you can hit me. I know you hate me, and I won’t resist.”

Ji Yang looked at him with a strange expression. “Are you crazy?”

Xiao Zhou was dead serious. “I’m serious.” He began to take off his shirt. “It’s too cramped here. Do you want to go outside?”

Ji Yang’s eyes widened further, his fists clenched, then loosened after a moment. “You are both lunatics. Do you think I’m a violent maniac?”

Xiao Zhou put his T-shirt back on and said in a low voice, “Don’t give up on him. I’m afraid something might happen to him inside.”

Ji Yang stared at him in astonishment for a while, then looked away. “You’re really something.” He took a couple of deep breaths. “If you want my help, I have one condition.”

“What is it?”

Ji Yang’s breathing steadied. “I’ll tell you when he gets out.”

Xiao Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, assuming Ji Yang just needed to vent and it wouldn’t be a big deal. He quickly nodded. “Okay.”

Ji Yang straightened his clothes, regained his composure, and started the car. “Do you have any leads on why he did this?”

Xiao Zhou turned his head and looked out the window. “It probably has to do with someone named Wen Ruohan. Do you know her?”

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Next to the playground where they took breaks, there were a few low shrubs. When the wind blew, the dark green leaves rustled. Jiang Chengyuan guessed they were hibiscus trees, which bloomed bright red flowers in spring and summer.

He tilted his head back and closed his eyes as the cold wind brushed his face. Among the grass, there were other wildflowers—red, yellow, purple. Given enough time, he could categorize them all and perhaps collect some to take outside.

A whistle sounded in the distance, calling for assembly. He closed the book spread on his knees.

There were other solutions, but fearing unexpected events, he resolved to do this, considering it an end to past matters. One year wasn’t too long. Reaching this point, he felt rather at ease.

Since coming here, many had caused him trouble. Some were people he had put in here, others were sent to seek revenge, and some just wanted to see for themselves because of his reputation.

He had avoided a few ambushes and fought two fights, barely keeping people at bay, deterring casual provocations. Still, trouble came continuously.

Jiang Chengyuan had stopped smiling much. One, his cold face was intimidating and unpredictable, making others hesitate. Two, he was truly fed up with this life and saw no point in putting on a facade.

A batch of newcomers was transferred from another prison, Luo Jing among them. When passing Jiang Chengyuan’s cell, someone pointed him out, “Look, is that the guy you’re looking for?”

Luo Jing looked over. The man was half-lying on the top bunk, long legs crossed, one arm behind his head holding a book with a yellowed, old cover that hid most of his face. Even in a brief glance, Luo Jing could see the man looked refined, almost pale and handsome, not fitting for this place. Despite the chaos from the newcomers, the man seemed indifferent, not lifting his eyes from the book.

Luo Jing turned his gaze, a cruel smile tugging at his dark, sturdy face. He stopped and entered the cell next to Jiang Chengyuan’s.

That night, Jiang Chengyuan heard screams from the next cell. Someone said a fierce new inmate was asserting dominance.

Jiang Chengyuan didn’t pay attention, just thinking the beating was excessively long, risking fatal injury.

He got cornered in the recreation room again, and when he came out, his clothes were splattered with blood, his cheekbone scratched, chest hurting, limping. He paused to press his right leg; the hit he took to the calf was strong but luckily not on a joint, the bone seemed fine. He adjusted his posture to hide any signs of injury.

He returned to his cell with a new borrowed book, having half an hour left of the lunch break, enough to finish reading.

It was free activity time, most prisoners relaxing in the recreation room or playground, few returning to their cells.

But just as he sat down, more people arrived. Jiang Chengyuan was inwardly annoyed. Was this arranged?

Two groups, outnumbering him. Jiang Chengyuan began looking for an escape. He wasn’t good at fighting and worried about getting injured, which could lead to greater risks here. He still wanted to leave safely. But as he used his agility to dash for the door, someone blocked the exit. He took a step back, surveying the surroundings, surrounded on all sides.

Exhausted, he left an opening, and his limbs were restrained. Pinned to the ground, a knee pressed into his lower back.

Someone walked in from outside, tall and strong, with a familiar face.

Jiang Chengyuan looked at him, frowning in slight surprise. “Luo Jing?”

Luo Jing smiled. “Long time no see, Lawyer Jiang.”

Jiang Chengyuan was somewhat wary, unsure if he was friend or foe.

“Didn’t expect we would meet again, did you?” Luo Jing stood in front of him with his hands behind his back. “It’s ironic how the tables have turned. Back then, I was the one begging you. Now, you’re the one asking me for help. Life sure has a way of coming full circle.”

Jiang Chengyuan lowered his gaze. “It’s not about asking for help. I have a clear conscience.”

Luo Jing sneered. “A clear conscience? You really can spout nonsense. You probably never thought you’d end up in a place like this, did you? If you had, you might have left yourself a way out.” He paced slowly, speaking deliberately. “But I know you prepared for this; Lin Jianan has already promised to protect you. You’re well-connected, capable of navigating any situation. But doesn’t it seem strange to you that things have turned out this way?”

“Did he reach out to you?”

“Yes, the boss talked to me about it.” Luo Jing suddenly grabbed Jiang Chengyuan’s head and lifted his own shirt, revealing a deep scar on his chest, a reminder of a near-fatal injury. “But this scar? This is something you gave me, and it’s only fair that I get something in return, isn’t it?”

Jiang Chengyuan’s pupils constricted, shocked to see how badly Luo Jing had been hurt back then.

Luo Jing snorted and released him. “My guts were practically spilling out. And now you think one sentence can erase everything? It won’t help to find Lin Jianan, or even a god.”

Jiang Chengyuan remained silent for a moment. “I didn’t give the order. You shouldn’t blame me.”

“I know. If you had, I’d have already chopped you up and fed you to the dogs.”

“Then what do you want?”

Luo Jing looked at him, recalling the days when Jiang Chengyuan, in his suit and tie, used to walk into the cell with an air of superiority, only to now be pinned down on the ground, disheveled and at the mercy of thugs. The irony was almost laughable.

Feeling quite satisfied, Luo Jing stood up, walked around Jiang Chengyuan, and ground his foot into his back, leaving a dirty footprint. “Why don’t you beg me? If you beg well enough, maybe I’ll let you go.”

Jiang Chengyuan pressed his face against the ground, cold sweat pouring down as his limbs were tightly restrained, but he didn’t say a word.

Luo Jing circled behind him and kicked one of his legs disdainfully. “Still so stubborn?”

“Alright then. Not all of this is your fault. I’m a fair person. You split me open and left me for dead, but I’ll be magnanimous and just take one of your legs.”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone lifted Jiang Chengyuan’s leg, holding it straight in the air. Jiang Chengyuan, now alarmed, began struggling fiercely, but with seven or eight people holding him down, he couldn’t move.

Luo Jing chuckled coldly, weighing the iron rod in his hand before raising it high and bringing it down with a whoosh.

Jiang Chengyuan’s ears twitched at the sharp sound, clearly hearing the bone crack.

He couldn’t hold back anymore and screamed in excruciating pain. Everything seemed to fade away, leaving only the unbearable agony.

After two or three blows, his entire leg was reduced to a bloody mess, the bones shattered and poking through the skin.

Aside from the first scream, he remained silent, gritting his teeth so hard it was as if they would break.

Luo Jing inspected the leg, satisfied with the result. He ordered his men to step back and poked the twisted limb with the iron rod. “There you go, Lawyer Jiang. I’ve collected my debt. Now it’s time for me to repay the boss’s favor. Rest assured, you won’t have any more trouble.”

Jiang Chengyuan lay motionless, eyes shut, as if dead.

Luo Jing had someone douse him with cold water.

After a while, Jiang Chengyuan finally opened his eyes, the black irises clear but with a lingering haze of blood. “You’re right. I sent you to prison, and you took my leg. It’s only fair.”

Luo Jing looked down at him, unsure of what he was going to say.

Jiang Chengyuan stared at the ceiling, exhaling, his expression strange. “But if I get out, I’ll take your life.”

Luo Jing’s face remained expressionless. He moved closer, squatting down. “Alright. I’ll be waiting.”

Author’s note:

Luo Jing appears in chapters 75, 76, and 78. If you’ve forgotten, you can check those chapters.