Crimson Instinct

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*Bai Li*

"Take us to your base. Let's strike a deal," I said to the leader of the gang.

He said, "What is the deal?"

"I will only discuss it with your boss."

It was quiet. I only heard the sound of us breathing. The smell of petrol was beginning to fade away.

I heard somebody's steps walking away from us. I pressed Xin Lei's hand. I felt her fingers slowly tracing letters on my palm.

L, calling.

I paused for a bit. L must stand for leader, and he was calling somebody.

The person he might be calling must be...

It was a whisper, but as I strained to hear him say, I listened to a name. "Rodey is not picking up."

I faintly smiled.

Guess our plan worked.

Before Xin Lei and I left for Andingzhen, I talked to Rong Zhengsheng in the tea house. Xin Lei was taking a shower.

Rong Zhengsheng said, "I guess your enemy, that Rodey or whatever might have found out about me. It will become difficult to bring Xin Nianzu safely back."

"How are you going to contact Xin Nianzu?" I asked.

When he told me about it, I admitted that it was an indeed interesting method. But by now, Rodey would also be getting anxious about finding Xin Nianzu. With his methods, maybe a bit difficult, but it wasn't impossible to find out about Rong Zhengsheng just like he said.

"I am pretty sure Rodey will be there as well, hiding in the shadows while you talk to Xin Nianzu. But we can use the situation to our advantage."

I sensed a hint of amusement in his tone. "Oh, catch Rodey?"

"Yes. He will tell you to take him to Xin Nianzu, and you do just that."

"What? It's dangerous."

I shook my head. "Don't even think about lying to him. He is smart. He will quickly catch on to it if you are taking him to the wrong place. He might be tapping the phone too."

There was a beat of silence.

"Act natural and deny that you know nothing so that he buys it. Otherwise, if you readily agree to take him without any resistance, then he would be suspicious."

"You really know him so well, aye?"

I snorted. "Not even two best friends would know about each other that well. Deny it, but don't push it too much. He wouldn't hesitate to shoot down a hostage around to force you into submission."

"But how will we set the ambush? He would place his minions to guard the area."

I smiled. "Well, if he has some friends, then so do I."

I heard him clap. "Great plan. Connections in our previous profession work wonders indeed. But wouldn't your army friends need the location? The only way is to set a tracker on me."

"I already got that. I figured we would need one soon, so I asked Su Weiyuan to deliver it."

I took a small chip out of my pocket. It was small as in really tiny, but it did its job.

"Hide it in your shirt. Lin Zihao will track your location and raid with his team on time."

"You are already so well prepared."

I shrugged. "Well, it is Rodey. We have to think and plan and be prepared a few steps ahead of him."

Rong Zhengsheng had no problem with the plan.

"Now the main question is, what about Nianzu? He doesn't know anything about the ambush. If Rodey might be tapping the phone, then I cannot risk giving out any clue while talking to Xin Nianzu even if its code language."

I thought about it. "Not on the phone. But while you are already there. You have no choice but to communicate only when you reach there. It is not only to find Xin Nianzu but also to lure Rodey in the trap."

He sighed. "Well, I can only bet on Nianzu's intelligence that he would get it."

I nodded. "He will figure out something is wrong when you signal him somehow. You both just need to buy some time until Lin Zihao shows up. Because if he gets caught too soon, then you will be dead and Rodey would have already left the place."

"Hm. You are right. Something similar had happened before when, during a case, I was in Nianzu's office waiting for him, and the criminal, the real murderer in the case, was already hidden in a closet to attack Nianzu. Nianzu was close in proving the defendant innocent. But it was me. He had a gun. He told me to be quiet."

With Rodey, the situation was going to take a similar turn. "I see."

"Nianzu then came, and well, we somehow made out of it unharmed, but we decided to tap thrice if the situation was fishy."

I nodded. "That's good enough. He is smart. He will understand that we have laid some trap for Rodey."

"Don't worry. He is one smartass." he paused for a moment. "You are not telling this to Lei Lei?"

I said nothing.

"It might seem a full proof plan, but anything can go wrong. I don't want to raise her hopes, especially after what happened in Gen Gen's place. It's better if she knows nothing for now."

Rong Zhengsheng laughed.

"Love is so sweet, isn't it? You look so cute."

"I-"

"Don't even bother to deny it. I have already sensed the tension between you two. I had seen Lei Lei grow right from when she was a little girl. She likes you."

Well…

"I must tell you that Lei Lei is like my daughter. Last night you stayed together in ONE room. You didn't do anything with her, right? That stupid Wu kicked hard on my foot when I was going to oppose."

So it was Guard Wu why we shared the same room. I must thank him later.

And I clearly sensed the pressure Rong Zhengsheng put on the word 'one.'

I wondered if an almost-kiss counted as 'anything.'

"Not until now," I said.

"So, when?"

"If and whenever Xin Lei would want it. Her decision."

"I see."

We talked about Xin Nianzu and Xin Zhen in the last few days, but I was curious about something.

"How are they? Her father and brother."

Rong Zhengsheng snorted. "Heh. You mean in terms of if they would give you trouble as Xin Lei's boyfriend candidate?"

"Pretty much."

I didn't know what his silence meant or what expression he had.

"What's the fun if I tell you now? Discover it yourself. Ah, but I can give you a hint. If it is about Xin Lei's relationship, then their thinking is the polar opposite."

I didn't quite get the meaning. By that time, Xin Lei also came down ready.

At present, I heard the whispers of those men again talking among themselves, and I snapped back from that memory.

I knew why they couldn't contact Rodey, which would greatly work in our favor right now.

I heard the leader's voice. "Come with us."