Chapter 438: A Leg for a Leg

An hour later, the police car arrived downtown. The street was already crowded due to the holiday, and now it was even more packed. They had to park nearby and push through the onlookers to get closer.

Lin Dongxue grabbed a bulletproof vest from the car and tossed it to Chen Shi, saying, “Put it on.”

Chen Shi reluctantly complied. Wearing this in the scorching heat felt like wrapping himself in a thick winter coat.

Through the windows of the hotpot restaurant, they could see the customers cowering under the tables in fear. A man in a red shirt sat in the center, leisurely drinking cold beer and eating hotpot lamb, with chopsticks in one hand and a gun in the other.

Lin Qiupu removed his gun belt and said, “I’ll go negotiate!”

Chen Shi protested, “You called me here to help, and if you don’t let me negotiate, I’m leaving. Who has the patience to sweat in a bulletproof vest in this heat?”

“You don’t understand. A negotiator must have a certain status; otherwise, your words are meaningless, like farting.”

“That’s just one strategy. Negotiation has many strategies, and I have mine. Watch and see!”

With that, Chen Shi walked in. Lin Qiupu yelled, “The radio!”

He threw the radio to Chen Shi, who tested it and gave Lin Qiupu an OK gesture.

Chen Shi entered the hotpot restaurant, feeling particularly comfortable with the cool air, calming both his body and mind. Lin Qiupu heard the sound of gulping on the radio and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Having a cold beer. It’s so refreshing!”

Lin Qiupu almost coughed up blood. He regretted his decision. Could this guy even negotiate? Was he this casual?

The gunman noticed Chen Shi and pointed the gun at him, signaling him to stop. Chen Shi finished his beer, put down the glass, wiped his mouth, and said, “Hello, I’m the negotiator. How should I address you?”

“Ouyang.”

“Mr. Ouyang…” Chen Shi glanced at a man on the floor, who was clutching his leg and groaning in pain, blood all over the place. “You’ve taken so many hostages. How about letting this injured one go first?”

“No.”

“Please let him go.”

“No!”

“Is it fun?”

Outside, Lin Qiupu helplessly facepalmed. “This guy doesn’t know how to negotiate at all!”

Chen Shi asked, “Can I sit down?”

“No!”

“I’m curious. This street has gold shops, convenience stores, smoke shops, yet you chose to take hostages in this hotpot restaurant. Brother, is there something troubling you?”

Ouyang rolled his eyes. “None of your business. Get out!”

Chen Shi walked to the window. Ouyang warned him, “What are you doing?”

“Helping you, brother. Your windows are open, and a sniper could take you out with one shot. Let me close them for you, okay?”

Lin Qiupu was about to lose his mind. “This idiot! Negotiation is not about helping the criminal!”

Chen Shi closed each window, making the restaurant significantly cooler. Ouyang’s expression softened a bit. “You’re different from those cops.”

“Actually, I’m not a cop.”

“Not a cop?”

“A negotiator. I’m a regular citizen most of the time. By the way, I’ve been to this restaurant before. It’s pretty good. Do you come here often?”

“Not often.”

Chen Shi observed Ouyang carefully, noticing his thick pants and socks. A person’s income can often be judged by their shoes, and Ouyang’s worn-out sneakers indicated a low income.

“Do you have any conditions?”

Ouyang shook his head with a smile. “No need to bother. I’ll surrender after this meal.”

“If you wait until you finish, that guy might die. I suggest you release him first, then you can eat to your heart’s content. I could even join you. We could eat until evening. How about that?”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Do you have a personal grudge against him?”

At the mention of “personal grudge,” Ouyang’s hand trembled slightly while holding the beer glass, but his face remained calm. Chen Shi didn’t miss this detail.

In fact, he had guessed upon entering that Ouyang wouldn’t take hostages in a hotpot restaurant for no reason. He must have a purpose.

Chen Shi asked the man on the floor, “What’s your name?”

“My surname is Zhang… Please get me out of here. I’m feeling dizzy, and my leg is numb…”

“Don’t talk!” Ouyang roared, throwing a handful of enoki mushrooms at the man.

Chen Shi noticed another detail. Ouyang could have kicked him with his left foot but used his right hand to throw the mushrooms. The injured man had a bullet wound in his left leg. Chen Shi looked more closely at Ouyang’s legs and sensed something.

He asked the man on the floor, “Have you met Mr. Ouyang before?”

The man shook his head vigorously. “I don’t know him at all.”

“You don’t know me!” Ouyang grabbed a handful of lettuce and threw it at his face. “Bastard!”

“Big brother, what grudge do I have with you?”

“Say one more word, and you’ll lose the other leg too!”

The injured man fell silent, his lips turning purple.

Lin Qiupu anxiously said over the radio, “Negotiate terms! Quickly, negotiate terms!”

Chen Shi ignored him and said to Ouyang, “If I’m not mistaken, your left leg is fake.”

Ouyang looked at him in surprise.

Chen Shi continued, “Your right shoe is heavily worn, but your left shoe isn’t. Also, you haven’t moved since you sat down. Just now, you could have kicked him with your left foot, but you used your right hand to throw something at him. I think your left leg is either seriously disabled or a prosthetic.”

Ouyang laughed. “You’re very observant!”

He slowly rolled up his left pant leg, revealing a wooden prosthetic. The man on the floor looked shocked.

Ouyang said to the injured man, “Don’t you remember me?”

The man shook his head.

“Let me remind you. Two years ago, on March 18th, this place was a Chinese fast food restaurant. One night, you received an order and asked an off-duty delivery person to help out, promising extra pay. To earn those ten extra bucks, he set out in the drizzle but got into an accident and lost a leg. When he sought compensation, you insisted he was off-duty and it wasn’t a work-related injury.”

The injured man seemed to remember. “I paid compensation! Over a hundred thousand yuan!”

Ouyang, furious, swept the dishes off the table. Lin Qiupu heard the commotion and asked, “What’s happening? What’s going on?”

Annoyed, Chen Shi removed the radio. Ouyang shouted, “I had to hire a lawyer to sue you. Only then did you agree to a settlement. You dragged this compensation out for two years while I lay in bed for two years, losing everything! All because of you and your shamelessness!” He took a large gulp of beer. “I don’t want anyone’s life today. The doctor told me that if a thigh is shot and not treated within an hour, it has to be amputated. Once I finish this hotpot, I’ll surrender, and your leg will be crippled. A leg for a leg. Fair!”