Night descended and the city lit up like a dream. The black Chevrolet Suburban SUV galloped on the road out of the city. Xia Lei’s thoughts were mixed in with the night wind and he thought of many many things.

‘Si-Yao and the AE Research Centre know I’ve consumed AE capsules so the higher levels of the CIA and American military must know too. The American side has not made a move against me since Si-Yao’s identity was exposed... If the Americans don’t want China to know about this and is unwilling to act because of this, then they will be especially careful when they do make a move. Can I handle it...

‘My powers are getting stronger and stronger; it’s growing and maturing like a child. I cannot guarantee that I’d be able to keep it hidden, and if Bureau 101 discovers this, or China gets information about this from America... How am I going to deal with it?’

Xia Lei was full of worry for the future.

The AE Research Centre and the CIA were his most feared opponents, not Gu Ding-Shan. There was no winning against invincible forces like those.

‘It would be great if my father were here. He would be able to tell me the truth and help me solve this problem, but...’ Xia Lei’s heart hurt inexplicably at the thought of his father, Xia Chang-He. His father seemed to have evaporated into thin air after Yvegenia’s death and he had had no news of him.

Xiziling was a little town by some mountains and Baisui Garden was next to it. It was close to the mountains and by the water and spanned several acres, grand and luxurious. It looked like the palace grounds of ancient royalty from afar.

Xia Lei parked his car on the curb along the road, then went around the town and to Baisui Garden.

Lights were on in Baisui Garden and bodyguards patrolled the premises. Xia Lei hid in the darkness to observe them for a bit and quickly confirmed the number of bodyguards - thirty!

‘So many bodyguards. He must know that Danny’s mission ended in failure and is afraid that I’ll take revenge. So he placed these many bodyguards here, huh?’ A small, cold smile appeared in the corners of Xia Lei’s lips. If so many bodyguards were here, then Gu Ding-Shan must be here too.

There were many bodyguards in Baisui Garden, inside and out, and all on the alert but this sort of defence was useless against Xia Lei. With the power of his eye, Xia Lei was able to go from a small road to the forest behind Baisui Garden, over a wall and into the property through a blind spot in their surveillance in under ten minutes.

Xia Lei crouched in a patch of garden next to the wall and his left eye twitched. His gaze swept through the rooms one by one and he located Gu Ding-Shan five minutes later...

Gu Ding-Shan looked gravely at the evening’s visitors in the study of Baisui Garden. These visitors were not ordinary men - they were movers and shakers with pull and weight.

Gu Ke-Wu was present too. He stood behind Gu Ding-Shan, watching the faces of the visitors.

“It’s getting big, Old Gu. How is it going to be handled?” said one.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking. What era is this now?” said another, “It’s the age of globalisation now and everyone is busy trying to make money. Why must you insist on going after that punk? You’ve moved a stone onto your own foot now, haven’t you?”

“He’s over there. I’ve already told you about the situation there. It’s a very special department and it has to be a matter of life or death if you want to get someone out from that department, otherwise I won’t be willing to deal with that stubborn old donkey, Shi Bo-Ren,” said one.

Xia Lei hid in the dense crown of a broad-leaved eucalyptus tree outside, staring straight at the wall of the study. He could see everyone with his X-ray vision. He could not hear them but he could use lip-reading to decipher their conversation.

Gu Ding-Shan was silent for a bit before he said, “I’ve underestimated that punk. I did not expect that he would be related to that department, but what’s happened has happened. You cannot sit by and watch; we are all in the same boat.”

“We won’t be here if we’re not going to help you,” said one.

“It’s just that this is very troublesome. Your man is over there and you’ll be in big trouble if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut,” said another.

“You can rest assured. I raised him and he is loyal to me. He will not say anything unnecessary,” said Gu Ding-Shan.

“Good. I’ll need two days. You’d better be sure that your man won’t open his mouth in these two days,” said one.

“Don’t worry. I trust my people. I will not let your help go in vain either. I will give you all 10% of shares in a copper mine in Myanmar.”

“Hahaha...” The study filled with laughter.

“You don’t have any good points about you, Old Gu, but you’re quick to do a deal. Good - it’s settled,” said someone with a smile.

“You can count on me, Old Gu,” said one.

They chatted for a bit more before getting to their feet and saying their goodbyes. Gu Ding-Shan walked the visitors to the study door and went back to his study after they left.

Gu Ding-Shan had not appeared anxious at all earlier but he kicked the porcelain teapot off the coffee table when he returned to the study.

“Fuck. Why?” Gu Ding-Shan was outraged. “A punk from the construction sites - how is he so difficult to deal with? Is he really the Monkey King? Danny and the two top-tier foreign killers were not able to kill him either, and there’s two dead and one injured instead!”

Gu Ke-Wu’s lips moved as if to say something but he was silent. He did not understand it either. Danny was already a terribly frightening top-tier killer in his eyes and they had spent ten million to hire foreign elite killers too - three killers and a punk from the construction sites. How did it end up like this? Who could wrap his head around it?

“What do you think?” Gu Ding-Shan looked at Gu Ke-Wu.

“Dad, what’s most important now is to be sure that Danny won’t say anything disadvantageous for us. He was raised by you and also taught by you. He knows too much. It would’ve been better if that punk Xia Lei killed him off but he’s still alive. He’s like a ticking time bomb to us and we don’t know when he will go off,” said Gu Ke-Wu.

“You mean we should kill him?” Gu Ding-Shan’s face darkened. “I did think of it but he is in their hands now. Those people are not ordinary people and killing Danny while he’s still in their custody will draw even greater trouble.”

Gu Ke-Wu gave a scoffing laugh. “Didn’t Uncle Qiu say that he was going to think of something to get Danny out of there in two days? Won’t it be easy to kill Danny once he’s out of there? He’s sustained such serious injuries - just give him some drug and he’ll shut up forever.”

“Two days’ time...” Gu Ding-Shan was doubtful. He had insisted that Danny wouldn’t betray him but he was still suspicious.

“Dad, are you worried that Danny will confess in these two days?”

“Danny is very loyal and I’ve always trusted him, but...” He wrinkled his brows and his tone changed. “But that punk is the cause of my unease. Anything related to him will not end well. Danny is not afraid of death but that punk is full of nasty surprises. If Danny gets tempted by him, or duped, then we would have greater trouble.”

That ‘punk’ was Xia Lei, of course.

Outside the study lip-reading the Gu father-and-son’s conversation, Xia Lei had a strange feeling.

“Dad, your words don’t inspire confidence in me. That punk is just too difficult to deal with. Our Gu clan grew strong in Haizhu and I’ve lost count of how many opponents we’ve defeated but I’ve never seen anyone with an attitude as disgusting as his. Even thinking of his name gives me a headache. We can’t be certain with an opponent like him.” Gu Ke-Wu’s forehead was a mess of lines.

“This cannot do. There must be no mistakes - we must be sure that Danny will not confess.” Gu Ding-Shan seemed to have decided something.

“Dad, how about I go take a look,” said Gu Ke-Wu. “I’ll talk to him personally.”

“No. You can’t go. We cannot be connected to him, not right now,” said Gu Ding-Shan.

“Then who will talk to him?”

“It’s not difficult to get someone to talk to him. You don’t have to show your face for this,” said Gu Ding-Shan, “Go get Danny’s woman and child here, now.”

Gu Ke-Wu paused. “Danny’s woman and child? How come I didn’t know he had a woman and child?”

“Only I know of this. Danny’s woman is in Angel Orphanage. Her name’s Sang Qing-Xin and she is the director of the orphanage. The daughter she has with Danny is Sang Yue-Yue and she’s three this year. With his woman and child in our hands, we just have to let him know and he will never betray us, not even in death,” said Gu Ding-Shan.

“Understood. I’ll go now.” Gu Ke-Wu turned and walked off.

“Bring more men. Be careful,” nagged Gu Ding-Shan.

“Nn.” Gu Ke-Wu grunted and went out.

Beyond the study, Xia Lei grabbed onto a tree branch, dropped lightly to the ground and sprinted to the wall in the back. He was quick and he bent his legs in a jump after a short charge, lifting his body over the three-metre tall wall in one bound. He disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.

This risky invasion of the Gu clan’s Baisui Garden had gained Xia Lei the thing he wanted - Danny did have a wife and child!

This was a breakthrough, but he had to hurry to Angel Orphanage and get Danny’s woman and child away before Gu Ke-Wu did!

This was not a coincidence. If Xia Lei had not used his X-ray vision he would not have discovered Danny’s nervous reactions and suspected that he had a woman and child. In fact, this information had been kept by Gu Ding-Shan to use against Danny as a final trump card; even Gu Ke-Wu had not known about it!

He was now the third person to know of this secret.

The black Chevrolet Suburban SUV galloped on the road leading to the city.