Xia Lei got a room in the inn and brought Annina, Sang Qing-Xin and Sang Yue-Yue to the room.
Annina and the mother-and-daughter pair rested in the room while Xia Lei leaned against the window to observe the situation outside. A few minutes later, Gu Ke-Wu’s two bodyguards came into view. They were questioning pa.s.sersby and through lip-reading, Xia Lei discovered that they were describing him, and Sang Qing-Xin and Sang Yue-Yue’s characteristics. The pa.s.sersby had not seen them.
The two bodyguards walked to the inn after questioning the pa.s.sersby.
Xia Lei let out an internal cry of doom. Gu Ke-Wu would come over very quickly with his group of underlings if these two bodyguards entered the inn and described him, Sang Qing-Xin and Sang Yue-Yue.
“Stay here. Don’t open the door for anyone,” said Xia Lei.
“Where are you going?” asked Annina nervously.
“I’ll go draw those two away. Take care of them.” Xia Lei did not explain further; he climbed onto the windowsill and jumped down.
Their room was on the second floor and there was a small alley below. Xia Lei ran to the end of the alley in a few steps, and Gu Ke-Wu’s bodyguards crossed the road and walked to the door of the inn at that same time. Xia Lei did not look at them. He walked calmly out of the alley and to a small restaurant selling breakfast.
Gu Ke-Wu’s two bodyguards quickly discovered Xia Lei. They were astonished - a person they’d been looking for for the whole night had suddenly appeared in front of them, and swaggering about too! They couldn’t make head nor tail of the situation.
“Young Master Wu!” said a bodyguard into a walkie-talkie, “Bailu Town here. We found Xia Lei! H, He’s appeared!”
The bodyguard’s voice and hands were trembling in excitement.
Gu Ke-Wu’s voice came quickly from the walkie-talkie, “Don’t alert him. We’ll be right there!”
“Understood.” The bodyguard put down the walkie-talkie, then joined his co-worker in following Xia Lei.
Xia Lei went into the breakfast restaurant and ordered a bowl of soy milk, two fried dough sticks and a steam-basket of xiaolongbao*. He was tired out from the night of activity and hungry too. He busied himself with eating after breakfast was delivered to his table.
Gu Ke-Wu’s two bodyguards bought cigarettes from a kiosk opposite the breakfast restaurant and continued watching Xia Lei.
Xia Lei pretended not to see and continued eating his breakfast.
Gu Ke-Wu came charging over with his big group of underlings before Xia Lei could finish eating, and had the whole place surrounded.
Xia Lei raised his head to look at Gu Ke-Wu, who stood before him, and gave him a toothy smile. “Oh, it’s Mr Gu. And what wind blew your royal a.s.s all the way over to this remote place? Have you eaten yet? Come, let’s eat together, my treat.
“Hey Boss! One bowl of soy milk, and two more fried dough sticks!”
The boss of the breakfast restaurant had been accosted by two of Gu Ke-Wu’s bodyguards and thrown out - what breakfast? The customers, too, had run out. Who still had the guts to keep eating breakfast here in this situation, up against dozens of gun-toting men of the National Guard?
“Eh? Where’d he go?” Xia Lei looked to his left, and right, pretending to not have realised.
“Drop the act! Where are they, Xia Lei?” Gu Ke-Wu looked coldly at Xia Lei.
“You’re looking for someone?” Xia Lei looked straight at Gu Ke-Wu. “Who?”
Gu Ke-Wu slapped the dishes on the table to the floor and said in anger, “Don’t you play dumb with me! I’m talking about Sang Qing-Xin and her child!”
“Sang Qing-Xin? Her child?” Xia Lei laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I came over from the construction site to have breakfast and I didn’t do anything to p.i.s.s you off. Pay me back for throwing my breakfast to the floor.”
Gu Ke-Wu swung his arm in a slap at Xia Lei.
Xia Lei lifted his hand and grabbed Gu Ke-Wu’s wrist. He pulled hard and had Gu Ke-Wu pressed to the table in one movement.
The National Guard raised their guns and aimed them at Xia Lei. It was tense.
Xia Lei slowly relaxed his grip, then put his hands up and said with a laugh, “What’s this for? I’m not a criminal, so why aim your guns at me?”
Gu Ke-Wu straightened himself and slapped Xia Lei immediately.
Pah! Red finger-marks appeared on Xia Lei’s face.
Gu Ke-Wu grabbed Xia Lei by the collar and sneered, “Xia Lei, it seems you still don’t understand the situation. You think it’ll be all fine once you hide the mother and daughter? Hah! Wishful thinking! Speak! Where are they?!”
Xia Lei was calm. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s my first time hearing this ‘Sang Qing-Xin’ person’s name too. Who is she?”
Gu Ke-Wu released Xia Lei’s collar and gave him a cold stare. “This is your last breakfast. Sorry I didn’t let you finish.”
This was a signal.
Two of Gu Ke-Wu’s bodyguards came forward and grabbed Xia Lei by the arms. One of them took out a pair of handcuffs, prepared to put them on Xia Lei.
Gu Ke-Wu wanted Xia Lei’s life but he could not do it in public, nor shoot Xia Lei to death for no reason in front of so many eyes. He would take Xia Lei to a remote area to kill him.
At that moment, two Buick vans came roaring over and one came to a screeching halt in front of the breakfast restaurant. The door opened and Long Bing was the first one out. She raised her arm without a word and fired into the sky.
Ten black-suited special agents, all carrying rifles, alighted behind Long Bing.
“Put your weapons down!” Long Bing shouted.
The National Guard looked at each other, unsure of how they should respond. They were just serving their two years of conscripted military service and were no match for experienced, professional agents both mentally and combatually. They were scared too when faced with a situation like this.
One of the leaders of the National Guard glanced at Gu Ke-Wu, as if to check his reaction.
Gu Ke-Wu’s face was at its absolute stormiest.
Bang! Long Bing fired into the sky again. “Do you not hear me? Weapons down!”
The second shot cowed many of the National Guard and a number of them pointed their guns down, but they did not dare put their guns on the ground without their leader’s order.
“What are you afraid of?” Gu Ke-Wu screamed bull-headedly, “There’s more of us!”
Long Bing scoffed, “Gu Ke-Wu, are you trying to scare me with unloaded guns? Then again, they wouldn’t dare to fire even if their guns did have bullets.”
Gu Ke-Wu froze dumbly on the spot.
It wasn’t completely true that all their guns had no bullets in them. Xia Lei had used his X-ray vision on them when they’d surrounded him in the breakfast restaurant and discovered that the normal soldiers had no bullets, but the leaders and deputies had bullets in their guns. This was also why he had put his hands up and allowed Gu Ke-Wu to slap him.
China had one of the toughest gun management laws in the world and soldiers partic.i.p.ating in tasks oftentimes had guns but no bullets. There were times when they did get both but this needed approvals from levels of management and was very troublesome.
As a high-ranking agent of Bureau 101, Long Bing knew of this system and how it worked, and because she did, she did not even see these dozens of soldiers as a threat!
Long Bing walked up to Gu Ke-Wu and said coldly, “Gu Ke-Wu, your men have guns, huh? Get them to take them out. Let’s have a fight.”
Cold sweat begun to bead on Gu Ke-Wu’s forehead. His men were indeed holding guns and some with bullets too, but going up against special agents? He wouldn’t dare even if he had the courage of a lion!
Long Bing then said to the leader, “What are you still standing here for? You want to be put under investigation? I’ll give you just one chance. You have one minute.”
The leader paused blankly, then issued an order. “Retreat!”
The National Guard quickly withdrew from the breakfast restaurant, leaving in a rush.
There was just Long Bing, the men she’d brought and Gu Ke-Wu and his bodyguards left. Gu Ke-Wu had the advantage in terms of numbers.
“Let’s go!” Gu Ke-Wu gave up.
Before Gu Ke-Wu and his bodyguards could get to the door, the ten agents raised their guns with a rustle, guns aimed at them.
Gu Ke-Wu sneered, “What’s this? You want to arrest me? You have no right!”
“Ha ha…” Long Bing gave two laughs. “I don’t know how your brain works, Gu Ke-Wu. You think you’re a prince? Or do you think you’re immune to the laws of the country?”
“I’ve no time to waste on talking to you. Tell your men to get out of the way!” Gu Ke-Wu was as arrogant as ever.
“Don’t even think of going anywhere. Remove your guns and put them on the ground. Now!” said Long Bing coldly.
The bodyguards all looked at Gu Ke-Wu. They were starting to get scared.
“You know who you’re talking to? You punk!” Gu Ke-Wu was getting scared too but he had to put up a strong front since things have got to this.
Bang! Long Bing lifted her hand and shot a bodyguard in the thigh as soon as Gu Ke-Wu was done talking.
“Argh!” The bodyguard fell to the ground, holding his thigh.
‘Your men have guns but they don’t dare use it. I have guns and I will shoot who I want, and when I want’ seemed to be her message. This was Long Bing’s way!
Gu Ke-Wu’s bodyguards crumbled. They threw the guns they had on them to the ground and put their hands to their heads, obediently lying flat on the ground. The Gu clan’s money was nice, but no amount of money was as precious as their own lives.
The only one still standing and holding onto his weapon was Gu Ke-Wu. He did not stand for long, though. Behind him, Xia Lei kicked him in the bend of his knees and he lost his balance; he fell to his knees.
Xia Lei pressed Gu Ke-Wu down by his neck and searched him. He found a gun and threw it to the floor.
Gu Ke-Wu twisted around to glare at Xia Lei. Xia Lei simply slapped him so hard that his head turned back to its original position.
“My father will not let you off!” growled Gu Ke-Wu.
“Your father?” Long Bing snorted. “It’s not as if you don’t know his current situation. It’s difficult enough for him to protect himself - how is he going to protect you?” She added, “Take them away!”
Xia Lei relaxed only then. “You should have come last night. You were late today too. You know how dangerous it was for me to handle all these people by myself?” grumbled Xia Lei.
“Treat me to some dumplings. I haven’t had breakfast,” said Long Bing disinterestedly.
Xia Lei was speechless.