Ten Day Ultimatum

As I watched Xiao Liu gradually disappear down the distant street, frustration boiled within me. I quickly sent a message to Zhang Huanan:
"Are you trying to get yourself killed? Stop contacting me."
To my surprise, there was no response, even though he had read the message.
Resigned, I pulled out a cigarette I had stashed earlier and lit it.

Time ticked by, and my anxiety grew. Waiting for someone who clearly had no intention of showing up felt like a complete waste of time.
Just as I was nearing the end of my smoke, I suddenly heard the car door open. I initially thought it was Xiao Liu returning—but the figure slipped into the back seat.
"Officer Li, I trust you’ve been well."

The voice—unmistakable and chilling—came from behind me, sending a cold shiver down my spine.
It was Zhang Huanan.
"Have you fucking lost your mind? Don’t you know whose car this is?"
Without a care, he plucked the cigarette butt from my hand and inhaled deeply.
"Whose car? There’s no police logo on it now, is there?"

Seeing his nonchalant expression in the rearview mirror only fueled my anger.
"And you’re not even a little concerned I could drive you straight to the station?"
Zhang Huanan scoffed, leaning back with an insufferable smirk.
"Oh, Li, don’t pretend we’re not cut from the same cloth. Seven years ago, when you slapped the cuffs on me, I gave you a hundred thousand yuan for Xuanxuan’s treatment. You, of all people, should understand paying back favors."
"I repaid that debt a long time ago," I growled, barely containing my frustration as an internal war raged within me. I should never have gotten entangled with this vermin.
"I told you to lie low, but you keep stirring up trouble... I should’ve hauled you in myself."

Zhang Huanan flicked the cigarette out the window with a casual smirk.
"Is that how you speak to your daughter's benefactor? Xuanxuan’s in elementary school now, right? Fourth grade, class six, if I’m not mistaken?"
"You—" His audacity to mention Xuanxuan sent a surge of fury through me, making my hands tremble.
"If you so much as think of harming her, I’ll make you regret the day you were born."
"Relax, Li. We're partners, remember?" Zhang Huanan chuckled.
"You help me stay out of jail, and Xuanxuan stays safe."

The weight of the situation crashed over me like a boulder. The chilling truth was undeniable—once you board a criminal’s ship, there’s no getting off.
Seven years ago, when I arrested Zhang Huanan, he offered me a hundred thousand yuan to buy his freedom.
Though I’ve always hated evil, my daughter Xuanxuan suffered from a rare illness—Crigler-Najjar Syndrome (CNS). The doctor explained how rare it was and outlined various treatment options, but none of it made sense to me. The only thing I understood was that my little girl needed a liver transplant—and I needed an impossible sum of money.

Zhang Huanan’s bribe didn’t just buy his freedom—it bought Xuanxuan’s second chance at life. From that moment, I was bound to him. Every time he was close to getting caught, it wasn’t his so-called "exceptional skill in counter-reconnaissance" that saved him. It was me.
The shadow of that hundred thousand yuan loomed over my every move. If I didn’t help him dodge the police, he’d threaten to expose the truth and drag my name through the mud. And so, the shackles of guilt and obligation tightened, dragging me deeper into the mess I had made.
I couldn’t let anything happen to Xuanxuan. She wasn’t just any child—she was the daughter of a fallen comrade, and for ten years, she had called me "Dad." In every way that mattered, she was my daughter.
I met Zhang Huanan’s gaze through the rearview mirror, forcing calm into my voice.
"Zhang Huanan, I have my limits," I said firmly.
"If you want to avoid capture, keep your head down. Push me again, and I swear, you’ll regret it."

His face darkened, and a dangerous gleam flickered in his eyes.
"You motherfucker!" he snarled, leaning forward with venom.
"Li Shangwu, you dare to threaten me? If I get caught, my brothers will make sure Xuanxuan pays the price."
His words pierced me like a dagger.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I’m saying you’d better behave like the obedient dog you are. Don’t get any bright ideas," he said, kicking the front seat.
"Step out of line, and I won’t just ruin your name—I’ll destroy your entire family."
I stared at him through the rearview mirror, and in that moment, a dangerous thought flickered through my mind. If Zhang Huanan was ever caught, the situation would spiral out of control. My reputation, ruined or not, meant nothing now. I had long accepted I would bear the burden of my mistakes.
But Xuanxuan?
The answer was clear.
Zhang Huanan couldn’t be allowed to live.

I was tired—tired of living in this swindler’s shadow, of constantly compromising my integrity, of burying myself in guilt and fear.
Now that Xuanxuan’s illness had been treated, it was time to settle my debt.
Leaving Zhang Huanan alive meant countless others would suffer. I regretted not locking him up years ago, sparing myself this nightmare. But had I made that choice… would Xuanxuan have ever forgiven me?

I looked back at Zhang Huanan, lounging as if nothing in the world could touch him. But I saw it—the wear from constantly running, the tension behind his smugness.
"Zhang Huanan, have you eaten?" I asked casually.
"Eaten?" His brow furrowed, confused by the sudden shift.

"You’ve been on the run a while. I figure I owe you a decent meal. Forget what I said earlier—don’t take it personally."
"Now that’s more like it." He stretched lazily.
"Three days of this crap. All I’ve had is instant noodles while you people watched me."
I nodded and shifted the car into gear, suppressing the pressure in my chest. My mind was racing, calculating. I needed to find a remote place—somewhere his body wouldn’t be found for days. I knew I’d eventually be caught, but first, I had to ensure Xuanxuan would be taken care of.

The rumble of the engine masked the faint click as I disengaged the safety on my handgun, my hand steady. Zhang Huanan ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ was oblivious, reclining comfortably, eyes half-lidded.
I turned into a narrow side alley, slowing the car.
But before I could stop, something snapped.

Zhang Huanan, faster than I expected, lunged forward, wrapping a hard wire around my neck with chilling precision.
A surge of cold dread shot through me—this bastard had planned to kill me all along.
"Zhang Huanan… you’re asking for it…" I gritted my teeth, clawing at the wire, trying to turn around, but my legs were pinned under the steering wheel.

"Quite the strategist, Officer Li…" Zhang Huanan said, tightening the wire.
"Stakeouts usually involve two people, right? Yet here you are, offering me a meal. Isn’t that suspicious? Won’t your partner notice and report it?"
Within seconds, my vision began to blur.
He really meant to kill me—and if I died, Xuanxuan would be next.
I drew my handgun and fired three shots blindly behind me.
The deafening gunfire in the confined car made my ears ring.

"I give you money, and you still want to kill me?!" Zhang Huanan roared, tightening the wire further.
It was crushing. The pressure around my throat was unbearable. My arteries felt like they were going to burst.
In desperation, I fumbled for the seat’s control button. If I could just recline fast enough, maybe I’d create enough space.

But I had forgotten one thing—this wasn’t an ordinary car.
It was a luxury model. Meticulously designed for comfort and safety, the seat reclined at an excruciatingly slow, delicate pace. Its gentle descent was made to cradle a tired body—not save a life.
As the seat slowly tilted back, darkness crept into my vision, swallowing me.
And in those final moments, one bitter thought surfaced:

You really do get what you pay for.
Luxury has its reasons.
At least, as I drifted into unconsciousness—
my back didn’t hurt at all.