Chapter 446: The Wife

Chen Shi asked, “How did she use you?”

“Actually, I used to come from a well-off family. You could say I was a second-generation rich kid. This woman met me at a social event, and we quickly got married. With my father’s help, her company slowly took off. That’s when she showed her true colors. After using our family, she kicked us to the curb. When my father’s company was on the brink of bankruptcy, she refused to lend a hand. As a result, my family fell apart while her company thrived. Our married life was sweet for only a few months—just enough for her to use me. Then she got busy with her career and distanced herself. I had to constantly seek her attention, but eventually, I sensed something was wrong and hired a private detective. That’s when I found out she was living it up at her company! That whore, that bitch!”

“What do you do for a living?”

“How is that any of your business?” Fei retorted sharply.

Chen Shi thought to himself that this man probably didn’t have a real job. Despite his shabby appearance, his clothes were all name brands upon closer inspection.

The core issue wasn’t just the infidelity. This man was financially dependent on his wife, long term, and had no control in the relationship. His self-esteem was crushed, and this incident seemed to be the final straw.

Chen Shi tried to reason with him, “I think what you’re doing is foolish. These young guys are just your wife’s playthings. Killing them won’t solve anything. Even if you get some temporary relief, it’s a cowardly act. Think about it—if you kill them, what happens next? You’ll be arrested and imprisoned. Does that affect your wife? No, you’ll disappear from her life completely, and she won’t even need to divorce you. If you really want to prove you’re a man, you should confront her directly—not with this gun, which only proves your weakness. Confront her like a man and settle this.”

Fei’s eyes wavered, then he masked his hesitation with anger, shouting, “There’s nothing left to talk about with her. I’m going to kill these pretty boys first to vent my rage, and then I’ll kill that bitch.”

Chen Shi shook his head. “As soon as you fire, the police will storm in and shoot you dead.”

Seeing Fei’s fear, he added, “You know, police usually aim to disable rather than kill. You’ll be shot multiple times but won’t die immediately. Imagine the feeling of a bullet tearing through your body—it’s like a red-hot knife stabbing into you. Your blood will spill inside you, but you won’t die quickly. You’ll slowly bleed out, your body growing colder until you finally pass out and die.”

Already a coward, Fei’s resolve crumbled further. His gun lowered, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

Perhaps this was a chance to seize the gun, but with so many people in the car, it was too risky. Chen Shi suppressed the impulse, extending his hand, “Listen to me. It’s not worth throwing your life away for a woman like this. You’re still young. After a divorce, you can get half the assets and marry someone better. Give me the gun, okay?”

Chen Shi took a step forward. Outside, the police and the passengers inside the car tensed.

Chen Shi took another step, now just a step away from Fei. Suddenly, Fei stepped back, pointing the gun at Chen Shi’s head, shouting, “Call her! Call that woman!”

“We can let you call her. We can even help mediate your issues, but there’s no need to hold a gun.”

“I don’t believe a word the police say. With this gun, I’m in charge. Call her now!”

Fei nervously pulled out his phone and tossed it to Chen Shi. “Press 1—that’s her.”

Chen Shi had no choice. On the radio, Lin Qiupu said, “Don’t call immediately. Give me the number first so I can talk to her and ensure she doesn’t provoke the gunman.”

Chen Shi pressed 1. The contact name that popped up was “Wife.” He quickly hung up and read out the number, asking, “Is this it?”

“Stop stalling and call her!” Fei shouted.

Chen Shi dialed slowly. Meanwhile, Lin Qiupu was already on the phone with her. The line showed busy, and Chen Shi said, “It’s busy.”

“Put it on speaker and keep dialing!” Fei ordered.

Chen Shi did as he was told. After ten minutes, Lin Qiupu said over the radio, “Okay, she’s ready. Call now.”

The phone connected, and a woman’s voice came through, “Fei, what are you doing?”

“Doing what? You shameless woman, I’m going to kill your pretty boys!”

“Heh, you’ve really outdone yourself this time. Go ahead and kill them. I won’t be getting you a lawyer!” she replied dismissively.

“Say that again!”

Chen Shi quickly intervened, “Ms. Yuan, I’m a police negotiator. Your husband has a gun and has taken all your employees hostage. I’m also on this bus. It seems you two have some deep issues. For everyone’s safety, can you talk to your husband?”

“Officer, you can only reason with reasonable people. He’s not one of them. He’s just a worthless, spoiled brat who only knows how to demand money. If he doesn’t get his way, he throws a tantrum. I’m not surprised he’s doing this. I’ve always said he’d destroy himself.”

“Ms. Yuan, let’s all calm down. He has a gun,” Chen Shi reiterated.

“Fine, I’ll calm down. Want to hear my side of the story?”

Fei shouted, “Let her talk!”

“Fei, watch your language!” she said. “Officer, do you know why I married him? I was struggling to start my business and was in debt. Fei said if I married him, he’d support me financially. I didn’t agree immediately, so he sabotaged me, nearly bankrupting my company.”

“You’re lying! It’s all lies!” Fei shouted.

Chen Shi said, “Let her finish.”

Ms. Yuan continued, “I had no choice but to marry him. He helped me temporarily, but soon his father’s company went bankrupt. I had to keep borrowing and running my IT company on a tightrope. It wasn’t until our third year of marriage that I finally got back on my feet. When I had some cash flow, he demanded I use it to help his father’s company. I only paid back what he gave me. For the rest, I refused—why should I? He immediately turned on me. Every day at home was a fight.

“I admit, I love money because, as a woman, it’s the only power I have to change my life. No matter what, I couldn’t let his family ruin me. Of course, economic issues alone didn’t lead us here. This man was a spoiled rich kid who indulged in all vices. Any woman he fancied, he’d go after, both before and after marriage. His father was the same. Like father, like son—they ruined their own family.”

“You’re lying! You’re lying!” Fei roared.

The phone call was followed by a cold laugh, “What, afraid of the truth? Here’s one more thing: this man is only six centimeters.”

Some passengers laughed. Fei pointed his gun at them, “Laugh again, and I’ll kill you!”

Everyone stifled their laughter as Ms. Yuan continued, “I never had an orgasm with him. He said I wasn’t normal, but he must have heard fake ones from women who fawned over him. Our sex life was a mess. I have needs too. I admit I had an affair with an employee. I was thirty then and discovered how wonderful it could be. I got a bit addicted, had flings with a few employees. It was mutual, no money or threats involved. If you don’t believe me, ask Xiao Li and Xiao Wang. They turned me down, but I never withheld their bonuses or treated them unfairly. I admit to having affairs, but they were personal and unrelated to work. Fei, haven’t you had more women than I have?”

“Bang, bang!” Two shots interrupted the call, and the passengers ducked in fear.

Fei held his gun up. Sunlight streamed through the bullet holes in the roof. Tears of anger streamed down his face, “Shut up, you whore!”