Chapter 100: The Bastard

Chapter 100: The Bastard

In Zhao Zhiao's study, located in Zhao's Garden, the clock showed 9:30.

Upon learning that his wife had accompanied Mrs. Xu to Baolian Temple for incense, along with Mrs. Peng, Zhao Zhiao couldn't help but overthink it.

If Mrs. Peng was indeed related to the Spirit Fox, then the people Zhao Zhiao had arranged, if they successfully rescued Miss Xu...

With no hostages left in the Intelligence Department, would they kidnap Mrs. Xu to complete the mission?

After all, with Mrs. Peng there keeping an eye on things, it would be easy to make a move.

If this were the case, then Lin Yufan could be in danger.

Zhao Zhiao instructed Shen Te: "Have A Bing go to Baolian Temple immediately to pick up Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Xu and bring them home."

After Shen Te left, he called Guang Touli, ordering the rescue team to hold off.

*

A Xi, carrying the money, initially wanted to have the driver buy a spittoon.

But the driver was squatting by the roadside, munching on sugarcane, and he couldn't be directed, so A Xi had to take the keys and drive himself.

After driving a few hundred meters, passing through the sugarcane fields, he found several bundles of freshly cut sugarcane piled on the road, blocking the entire path.

He honked the horn a couple of times, but the villagers cutting sugarcane inside didn't respond.

A Xi got out of the car and shouted into the sugarcane field: "Hey! Get your sugarcane out of the way!"

The people working in the field seemed not to hear him, so he had no choice but to walk a few steps into the sugarcane field.

There were vaguely two or three people inside stripping sugarcane leaves.

Suddenly, it dawned on him: why did these villagers, after cutting the sugarcane by the roadside, not continue cutting from the outside in, but instead walked inside to strip the sugarcane leaves?

Also, who would place cut sugarcane right in the middle of the road?

It was so quiet around, and the villagers in the field couldn't hear the honking or shouting, which was also strange.

Were they deliberately trying to lure him in?

A Xi instantly became alert and froze. He wanted to walk back to the road and find a way to contact his lookout partner at the intersection.

But before he could turn around, a sharp blade was pressed to his neck.

A Xi's hand, reaching for his gun, was pulled back, and a voice he didn't recognize came from behind: "Thinking of leaving after coming in?!"

A Xi's mind went completely blank, and he couldn't even ask who the other person was.

At that moment, the villagers stripping sugarcane leaves turned and walked over.

The man leading them was someone A Xi recognized—the local gang boss who had spared his life last time after kidnapping Professor Bai.

A Xi quickly pleaded: "Big brother! Big brother! It's me! You let me go last time, saved my life, remember?"

Shui Tou, with a sickle in his hand, laughed and said: "Since you remember that I saved your life, now it's your turn to return the favor!"

"Big brother, just tell me what to do. I will definitely repay the favor."

As they spoke, someone else appeared out of nowhere.

A Xi also knew this person.

It was none other than Cui Yuan, the famous former captain of the special operations team.

He was fired and jailed for a brothel brawl, and after his release, he turned to the underworld.

A Xi glanced at Cui Yuan and Shui Tou, instantly realizing they were sent by the girl's family.

"You're here to rescue the girl?"

Shui Tou smiled and nodded, "Exactly. What's going on inside? Tell us."

A Xi didn't hesitate: "She's not hurt, no danger. I went to buy her a spittoon; she needed to use the toilet."

He then described the situation in the asbestos-tiled courtyard.

After he finished, Shui Tou asked, "You said you wanted to repay a favor. How?"

A Xi thought of all Pei Xing had done to him, and resentment surged in his heart.

He might not be able to do much, but it would be enough.

*

In the Grand Hall, Mrs. Xu prayed and drew lots for her daughter's safety.

Outside, under the eaves, Lin Yufan and Mrs. Peng stood by the railing, looking out at the overlapping mountains and endless sea.

Mrs. Peng sighed, "It's nice here. The air's fresh. We should come more often. I heard the vegetarian dishes nearby are delicious."

"Really? I'll have to try them next time."

Lin Yufan had come with Wang Junyao twice before, but they were always in a rush and never tried the temple's vegetarian dishes.

Mrs. Peng whispered, "Do you know who took Ying'er?"

Though Zhao Zhiao guessed it was the Military Statistics Bureau's secret service, it had to stay confidential.

Lin Yufan played dumb: "I don't know, and I wouldn't dare ask Mrs. Xu. If she wants to talk, we'll listen."

Mrs. Peng sighed, "Times are chaotic; we need to be careful coming and going."

As they spoke, Mrs. Xu came out of the hall.

Mrs. Peng and Lin Yufan approached her.

Mrs. Peng asked, concerned, "How is it?"

Mrs. Xu hadn't slept since yesterday; in a day, wrinkles made her look years older.

She forced a smile: "I drew the best lot. They said to wait for the abbot."

Mrs. Peng held her hand: "Good, Buddha will bless Ying'er."

Lin Yufan asked, "What did you draw?"

Mrs. Xu showed Lin Yufan the top lot: "Turn misfortune into good fortune."

Believing it or not, drawing such a lot brought some peace of mind.

Mrs. Peng asked, "Should we donate some incense money?"

Mrs. Xu: "When the abbot returns and helps my family renew the peace talisman, I will come back to donate."

The abbot is not here today and is said to return a bit later.

They had no choice but to follow the host monk and head towards the resting quarters.

*

The sugarcane blocking the mountain road had been cleared to the side.

Cui Yuan was whispering with Water Head when someone slipped in and quickly spoke a few words to them.

Their boss, Guang Touli, had sent someone to tell them to temporarily halt their actions.

Water Head grumbled, "Then how long do we have to wait?"

The messenger replied, "I’m not sure. Wait for further instructions."

After the messenger left, Cui Yuan frowned, glanced inside, and saw A Xi being held deep in the sugarcane field.

Water Head sighed, "Then I guess we'll just wait."

Cui Yuan shook his head, "We can’t keep holding A Xi like this. If we don’t let him go back, they’ll get suspicious. If we let him go back too early and don’t act, I’m afraid he might turn on us. Also, we’ve taken out their lookouts at the intersection, and they’ll notice soon enough. We can’t afford to keep waiting."

Water Head had never gone against the boss’s orders before and wasn’t about to start now, "What else can we do besides wait?"

Cui Yuan said, "You know the old saying: A general in the field isn’t bound by the emperor’s orders! Our goal this time is to rescue Mrs. Xu. We’ve come this far. If we don’t move forward and just let A Xi go back, Mrs. Xu could be dead in minutes. We have no other choice!"

Water Head hesitated, then said, "You’re the boss. We’ll follow your lead."

If things go south, it’s on Cui Yuan.

A car came up the mountain road from the outside. They thought it was the guy who’d gone out to buy a spittoon for A Xi, but the car didn’t stop and drove straight past.

That wasn’t A Xi’s car.

Cui Yuan recognized the person in the car!

He’d seen him before, watching the secret service members at Zhen’an Apartments through a telescope from his rented room.

Later, he learned that the man was Qin Hai.

Qin Hai was supposedly a newspaper and magazine editor, but in reality, he was a key player in the secret service, and later even replaced Zhuang Ziguang as the leader of the third group of the secret service.

He was Ling Hu’s right-hand man.

There were three people in Qin Hai's car, indicating that rescuing Mrs. Xu had just become even more difficult.

*

When they pulled up to the asbestos-tiled house, Qin Hai stepped out of the car, walked into the yard, and nodded at Pei Xing.

He lowered his voice and asked, "Where is she?"

Pei Xing pointed to the room on the left, "Inside."

"Is she cooperative?"

"Quite sensible, no trouble." The two walked towards the small room on the right.

Once inside, they sat by the window, a spot that conveniently overlooked the yard.

Pei Xing handed him a cigarette and asked, "Has the cargo been shipped out?"

Qin Hai: "The goods have been handed over to your team. They're probably loading the goods onto the ship now. If the cargo ship speeds up, it can arrive in six or seven days. Xu Aizhou, to save his daughter, will definitely push the ship to its fastest."

Lighting a cigarette, Pei Xing mocked himself, "Does this count as a big win?"

Qin Hai laughed, "Why wouldn't it?"

Pei Xing: "Even so, last night Linghu chewed me out, accusing me of being reckless and brainless, disrupting the secret department's plans."

Qin Hai comforted him, "It's the same for everyone. It's hard to get any credit even after completing the mission. But if we don't complete the mission, we're done for."

"I'm done for, but you're different. You can still keep your job as the magazine's editor-in-chief. What else can I do but serve the Party? So I have to fight. When I fight, Linghu says I disrupt the plans. If I don't fight, the director doesn't inform me in advance that they are trying to arrange a cargo ship. It makes me look bad either way." After venting, Pei Xing exhaled a heavy puff of smoke.

Qin Hai offered a few more words of comfort.

Pei Xing asked him, "What brings you all the way out here to see me?"

What else could it be?

Linghu didn't trust Pei Xing enough, fearing something might go wrong, so he sent Qin Hai to help keep an eye on things.

Qin Hai put it tactfully, "The time before the goods ship out is critical. I came to keep you company and help keep an eye on things."

Pei Xing snorted, "Linghu sent you, right?"

Qin Hai smiled without answering.

*

In a side room at Baolian Temple, Lin Yufan accompanied Mrs. Xu, waiting for the host to return.

Mrs. Peng came in from outside, "They said the host won't be back so soon. I've had someone order a meal from the vegetarian restaurant nearby. Mrs. Xu, you haven't eaten all morning, you must eat something."

Mrs. Xu indeed looked very unwell, she shook her head, "I really don't feel like eating."

Mrs. Peng: "Even if you're not hungry, you have to eat something. From yesterday till now, you've only had a bowl of plain porridge. How long can you keep this up? How will you last until Yinger returns? Mrs. Zhao, please talk some sense into her."

How long can you keep this up? How will you last until Yinger returns?

This made Lin Yufan pause for a moment. How did Mrs. Peng know that Xu Yinger would be held by the kidnappers for some time?

Usually, kidnappers release the hostage within a day or two after receiving the ransom.

Since Mrs. Peng didn't know that Xu Yinger would only be released after the Xu family's cargo ship arrived in Taiwan, how could she think it would take several days?

That's a bit odd.

Lin Yufan didn't persuade her, just said, "How about we bring the vegetarian meal here? Eat as much as you can."

Mrs. Peng: "The atmosphere there is better than here. Hot soup and dishes will do Mrs. Xu some good, and she can rest a bit. The host won't be back so soon."

Mrs. Xu thought it over and agreed, "Don't bother having them bring it over. It's so cold, it'll get cold by the time it's brought here. Let's go there to eat."

Mrs. Peng: "Let's go. It's just a short walk."

*

There was the sound of a car outside, and soon, A Xi returned carrying an enamel tray.

A Xi walked to the window and said to Pei Xing, "Captain Xing, I'll take this in for her to use. I can only loosen the rope on her hands."

Pei Xing impatiently said, "If you don't loosen the rope on her hands, are you going to help her take off her pants? Quit asking dumb questions! Go quickly!"

A Xi, used to being scolded, just said "Oh" and walked towards the small room on the left.

"Wait a moment," Pei Xing suddenly called out to him.

A Xi's heart skipped a beat. He halted and turned to face Pei Xing through the window. "Captain, any further orders?"

Pei Xing said, "Untie her hands, and whether she needs to defecate or urinate, you stay inside and watch her. Make sure nothing goes wrong."

A Xi hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Once A Xi was inside, Pei Xing vented, "Look at the sorry bunch we've got in the Confidential Division now! They're worse than street thugs. Low quality, few in number, and we're stuck with this bunch of good-for-nothings. What can we possibly achieve with them?! At least the Secret Service Bureau can operate openly from their offices, while we're skulking around like thieves."

Qin Hai patted his shoulder again, "Times change. We used to be on top, but now it's their turn to be in the limelight."

Pei Xing sighed, reluctant to dwell on the past, as it only deepened his frustration.

"Only by successfully completing this mission can we possibly outdo the Secret Service Bureau. Only by outmaneuvering them can we remain in Hong Kong."

"That's the way it is."

Pei Xing kept his eyes fixed on the door to the left. There were two people guarding the courtyard, one brought by Qin Hai outside, and two drivers.

As long as they remained undiscovered, they were safe here.

If discovered, they had explosives ready, and with Miss Xu as a hostage, he feared nothing.

Qin Hai asked, "Did you post someone at the intersection to keep watch?"

Pei Xing replied, "Yes, why?"

"I noticed someone cutting sugarcane in the field we passed."

Pei Xing frowned, "Someone cutting sugarcane?"

"Yes! No one was in sight, but there was cut sugarcane by the roadside."

"A Xi! A Xi!" Pei Xing called out several times toward the small left room.

Soon, the door to the small room opened, and A Xi poked his head out. "Captain, you called me?"

Pei Xing asked him, "Is someone cutting sugarcane in the field ahead?"

A Xi, ready for the question, answered without a change in expression, "Yes, someone is cutting sugarcane. A Lu is keeping an eye on it over there. It's just some local villagers. They're noisy when cutting sugarcane, so it's probably nothing."

Still uneasy, Pei Xing wanted to take someone to investigate.

Just as he stood up, he heard A Xi call him, "Captain, over here."

"What is it?"

"Come quickly."

Everyone else turned their attention to the small left room. Hearing that Miss Xu was using the toilet, they all wanted to approach but didn't dare.

Pei Xing, known for his bad temper, was disliked by all, but he had one saving grace—he wasn't a womanizer.

Unsuspecting, Pei Xing hurried over.

As he entered the small left room, the door closed behind him.

Inside, Miss Xu, now untied, sat on a chair, looking at them with a mix of confusion and wariness.

"What's wrong? Why did you call me in?" Pei Xing said, sniffing the air. "What's that odor?"

Just as he was about to turn around, his mouth and nose were covered, and a pungent smell rushed into his nostrils.

A Xi, using all his strength from behind, held him down with a death grip.

Pei Xing wanted to resist but found that his body had no strength left.

It was chloroform!

What the hell was A Xi trying to do?

Pei Xing wanted to curse at him, to demand answers, but his mouth was covered, and he couldn't utter a word.

At that moment, A Xi drove a sharp knife into his throat, and blood spurted out.

Pei Xing's eyes widened in pure terror.

"Did you ever think, while you were kicking, hitting, and insulting me, that you'd end up dying by my hand?!" A Xi gritted his teeth and whispered into his ear.

Pei Xing stared ahead in despair. He never imagined he'd die at the hands of someone he'd always despised.

After nearly two minutes of this struggle, Pei Xing finally slumped to the ground.