In the dim, claustrophobic room, the air seemed to have frozen, heavy with an oppressive stillness. The walls exuded an ancient, musty scent, and a single yellowish chandelier swayed overhead, casting flickering shadows that made the space feel even more eerie.
Townsend stood there, his eyes glinting with cold ruthlessness, staring intently at Crook, who was bound to a chair. A faint, chilling smile played on Townsend's lips. Crook's hair was disheveled, his face marred with bruises from earlier struggles. His eyes were filled with terror, though he tried desperately to feign composure.
"Crook, I don't have much patience," Townsend said slowly, his voice low but laced with undeniable menace. "Hand over the passwords. You know what I want—the bank account codes and the combination to the safe where you're hiding those important documents. Don't force me to get nastier."
Crook swallowed hard, his throat dry with tension. His voice trembled as he replied, "Townsend, this is illegal. I'm warning you, let me go now, or you'll regret it."
At those words, Townsend lunged forward, grabbing Crook by the collar and nearly lifting him off the chair. He leaned in close, snarling through gritted teeth, "Illegal? Hmph, I could kill you and get away with it."
Crook struggled to breathe, his face turning red as he weakly tried to push Townsend away, but he had no strength left.
When Townsend finally let go, Crook gasped for air, his eyes darting as if scheming something.
"I… I really don't know what passwords you're talking about. I've always played by the rules—you've got the wrong guy," Crook stammered, still trying to deflect.
Townsend let out a cold snort and turned to pick up a gleaming dagger from a nearby table. He toyed with it under the light, the blade reflecting an icy glint that sent chills down Crook's spine. "Looks like you won't talk until you're staring death in the face, Crook. You know my temper. I'll give you one last chance—tell me the passwords."
Crook's eyes fixed on the dagger, sweat beading on his forehead and trickling down his cheeks. His lips quivered, but he still clenched his jaw, refusing to break. "I haven't done anything. How can I tell you what I don't know? You're framing me."
Townsend's patience snapped. He charged forward, pressing the dagger against Crook's finger and slicing it slightly. Blood oozed from the cut, and Crook let out a pained scream.
"Talk!" Townsend roared.
"I… I really…" Crook started, but before he could finish, Townsend pressed harder, as if ready to sever the finger entirely. Crook's courage shattered, and he screamed, "I'll talk, I'll talk! The bank account password is 19870512—it's my birthday. Please, don't hurt me anymore."
Townsend narrowed his eyes, studying Crook's face to gauge his sincerity. After a moment, he said coldly, "Just that one password? What about the safe? Don't try to fool me—I know you've got a safe with critical documents. What's the combination?"
Crook's face crumpled, realizing he wouldn't leave this room alive unless he spilled everything. Sobbing, he said, "The safe's combination is… 256389. I swear I'm not lying. Please, let me go."
But Townsend wasn't done. He brought the dagger closer, grazing Crook's cheek and leaving a thin trail of blood. Crook flinched, trembling violently.
"Crook, you'd better not be playing games. If these passwords don't work, I'll make you wish you were never born."
Crook nodded frantically, tears and snot streaking his face as he babbled, "It's true, I swear! I wouldn't dare lie to you. Please, have mercy."
Townsend stood, pulled out his phone, and made a call. "Check these two passwords—one for the bank account, one for the safe. If they don't work, you know what to do."
Hanging up, he sat back down in the room's lone chair, crossing his legs casually.
The room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by Crook's occasional sobs and the faint creak of the swaying chandelier. Every second felt like an eternity to Crook, who stared at Townsend, praying the passwords would hold up.
Finally, Townsend's phone rang. He answered, listening to the report, his expression growing darker by the second. When he hung up, he stood and approached Crook, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. "Crook, you've got some guts, lying to me. Looks like the last lesson wasn't enough. This time, I won't go so easy on you…"
Crook's face turned ashen, his pleas caught in his throat, reduced to whimpering as Townsend raised the dagger once more. The room was again suffocated by an atmosphere of dread, and what awaited Crook next was an even crueler interrogation…
…
Armed with Crook's myriad secrets, Paul and Townsend's plans progressed with increasing ease.
Driven by insatiable greed, Paul and Townsend grew ever more reckless in their scheme to plunder Crook's wealth, each step calculated yet brimming with ambition.
Astonishingly, their meticulous plotting paid off, moving forward without arousing the slightest suspicion from others.
Paul sat in Crook's lavish office, eyeing the company's financial reports on the desk, a smug, greedy smile curling his lips.
He glanced at Townsend across from him and said softly, "Townsend, look at this—our first step went off without a hitch. The company's people are completely in the dark; they haven't noticed a thing about the deal."
Townsend lounged with his legs crossed, casually flipping through a project proposal, his eyes gleaming with calculation. "Hmph, this is just the beginning. Don't get careless. But so far, things are going smoothly. As long as we stick to the plan and keep a tight grip on those contract details, Crook's money will keep flowing into our pockets."
The "cooperation project" they spoke of appeared to be a standard partnership between two companies aiming to expand their markets and leverage mutual strengths. In reality, Paul and Townsend had poured cunning effort into crafting the contract's terms.
In the cost-accounting section, they deliberately left the price range for certain raw materials vague, shifting the burden of high-cost, high-quality materials—originally Townsend's responsibility—onto Crook's company through clever wordplay.