This is Xie Nana, as if her family matters had nothing to do with her.
My heart eased a little. If she truly wasn't interested in their affairs, then even if I sent them to prison, it wouldn't implicate her.
If she knew what her father and uncle were up to, perhaps she wouldn't hate me so much.
This might be wishful thinking. Whether she participated in her family's business or not, it wouldn't change the fact that they were father and daughter, bound by blood. As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water. If I sent her father and uncle to jail, possibly facing the death penalty, it would be almost miraculous if she didn't hate me.
Therefore, regardless of whether she cared about their business now or not, it wouldn't change the fact that I was opposing them. Once things erupted, we would be completely finished.
When I heard she was going to plead for them, I quickly dodged her call and said, "I am hosting this meeting. I gathered them here. If I don't go, how can they have a meeting? Please, don't call."
Xie Nana: "If you don't want me to call, then you must shorten the meeting as much as possible. Disperse them after a short while, or I'll come to the venue to find you and disrupt it."
I said, "Alright, alright, I'll try to keep it short. It will end after a short while. Please don't come. They are all important figures, and your father would be angry if you went."
Xie Nana: "I don't care if he's angry. As long as you don't come back, I will go. I heard everything. It's at the East Suburb Club. I know that place."
She heard?
And she knew where? I didn't recall mentioning it to her, unless it was in a dream. Did I really talk in my sleep?
I said, "Don't talk nonsense. We aren't going there."
Xie Nana: "You dare to lie to my uncle too? When you called him, I was right beside him. I heard it myself."
So that's how it was. She was with Hui Ge. It seemed Hui Ge had arrived in Ruili long ago.
That makes sense. She truly knew where we were.
I said, "I promise to return early. Please, don't go."
She said, "I don't care. If you aren't back in my room in two hours, I will definitely go."
My dearest, isn't this a case of "what one fears, one brings about"? If she really went, it would be chaos there.
No matter how I reasoned with her, she insisted on the two-hour deadline. If I wasn't back, she would come looking. I knew that once we went, it would be a point of no return. If we all finished our business, it would be fine, but if the meeting was still in progress, it would be very troublesome.
Just then, Crown Prince's call came in. I released Nana's hand and answered Crown Prince's call.
I said, "Young Master Kang, good morning!"
Crown Prince: "I heard you were also injured. How are you? Did you suffer any wounds?"
I said, "Your information is indeed accurate. I only have superficial injuries. It's nothing."
Crown Prince: "It's good that it's nothing. Has the meeting changed? Has the location been decided?"
I said I was still waiting for Hui Ge's notification and that I would inform him immediately once it was confirmed.
He said, "Alright. I'll prepare myself. Let me know when you've confirmed."
There are people like that, rushing to jump into a trap.
Going there means no return, especially for someone with limited mobility.
After he hung up, I called the Senior.
Senior: "Any changes?"
I said, "Not much change. Hui Ge feared the security wouldn't be sufficient, so he's adding fifty more men. Nothing else has changed."
Senior: "Okay, I understand. Let's stay in touch."
Informing the Senior this way would allow him to make corresponding arrangements.
Da Kui and Young Master Wu would also dispatch personnel to prepare the outer perimeter.
Xie Nana stopped talking and nestled quietly beside me.
I called the front desk and asked them to send up two breakfasts.
I sat on the sofa, my mind filled with the scenes that would unfold in the afternoon. Although I had organized large-scale events before, this time it was a face-to-face confrontation between enemies, clearly on a much larger scale.
The battle was imminent. I could almost see the smoke rising.
Yet, Xie Nana in my arms looked so serene, completely detached from all of this. We were like a pair of innocent young lovers, and in our eyes, the world contained only one thing: love.
I also wished for a world without evil, without conflict, without all ugly things happening. But this was only a fairy tale world. In the real world, human tragedies and comedies were staged every moment.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was probably the food delivery. Xie Nana got up to open it.
The waiter brought up two breakfasts, including milk, bread, and fruit. Xie Nana asked the waiter to set them up for us, then beckoned me over.
I had little appetite. I drank a cup of hot milk and picked up a piece of bread, eating it in small bites.
The cost of the disguise was quite high. I couldn't open my mouth wide and could only stuff small pieces inside, washing them down with milk. I couldn't chew. The Senior had also said I could only eat liquid food.
If I could hold on for a few more hours, I could remove the disguise and be myself again.
Xie Nana watched me eat with difficulty, her heart aching. She fidgeted anxiously, but her efforts were futile.
It took us a full hour to finish breakfast.
I checked the time. It was time for me to go to the Senior's place. I needed to confirm everything before noon, ensuring no mistakes.
I said goodbye to Xie Nana. I couldn't kiss her, but I touched her face and whispered, "Stay in the room and don't go anywhere, okay?"
She said, "You must come back on time!"
Her tone was firm, with no room for negotiation.
I hesitated and said, "I'll try my best. If you're bored, watch TV. Be good."
I hugged her, and it took a long time for me to let go.
I knew that after this hug, I would be me and she would be her. In this world, there would be no Sheng Hao, no love. All that would remain would be deep-seated hatred.
I released her and turned to leave. If I stayed any longer, I feared she would sense my loss of composure and become suspicious.
It was rare for me to hug her so prolongedly, and it felt like a farewell of life and death.
She watched me leave the room with reluctance. I waved goodbye to her.
Then, I turned and left decisively, no longer indulging in tender affections or youthful romance.
The Senior was waiting for me in his room. Time was short, and we still had too many details to iron out. Especially with Hui Ge suddenly increasing their numbers, it undoubtedly added significant difficulty for us.
Things were already like this; we had to push forward.
I picked up the phone and called Mr. Song, confirming the deployment of ambush police forces and whether they had dealt with the reinforcements sent by A Gan.
Mr. Song said, "Don't worry. Everything has been implemented according to the planned schedule. And there's more good news: the coastal police have busted an illegal establishment I reported. A Gan's sister, whom I mentioned, has been rescued. Her identity is being verified, and some procedures are being processed. She can be sent home or here at any time."
I said, "That's wonderful! What do you call this? It's double happiness! When we bring her back, I'll treat you to a drink to thank you properly!" Da Feng Novel Network
Mr. Song: "These are all minor matters, not worth mentioning. As for drinking, I accept your offer first, and I'll be waiting for that drink from you."