In the darkness of night, a Hummer zoomed towards the north, out of Jingdu. The wheels squelched in the mud and there was no one around in its surroundings. The vehicle continued moving forward, as if seeking the darkest, most remote place.

The bumpy road woke Gu Ding-Shan from his rest. He recalled that the car had been heading to Mongolia and that Mongolia was his first stop in his escape. However, he now found himself on a small, deserted-looking road in the middle of nowhere. The darkness before him made him nervous. “Where are we headed?”

“Boss Gu, there were police cars earlier. We have to hide from them,” said the driver.

“And Old Qiu? When is he coming?” asked Gu Ding-Shan. He was inexplicably unsettled.

“He will come, Boss Gu. Don’t worry,” said the driver.

The car went on. The bright headlights illuminated an empty space. Ahead was a small hill and a reservoir.

Gu Ding-Shan was suddenly struck by a thought and he abruptly drew his gun to point it at the driver’s head. “Fucker! Stop the car!”

The driver stopped but was not nervous. “What is this for, Boss Gu?”

Gu Ding-Shan spoke coldly, “You were still a suckling baby when I was doing things like this. Want to kill me off? I’ll kill you first, believe me.”

“I believe you,” said the driver calmly.

“Get out of the car! Out!” Gu Ding-Shan pressed the muzzle of the gun to the driver’s head. “Go back and tell that guy surnamed Qiu that he won’t have peace either if I die!”

“My boss is afraid of not having peace,” said the driver.

Gu Ding-Shan paused. He seemed to realise something.

The glass of the car window suddenly exploded as a bullet flew in from the side and into Gu Ding-Shan’s brain in an instant. Blood splattered and Gu Ding-Shan collapsed onto the back sofa-seat without a sound.

He had gone from a thug on the streets to a billionaire and now he was a corpse. This journey of his had been full of twists and turns and even some legendary bits but this was just a second to the living; it was meaningless.

The driver looked back at Gu Ding-Shan, then opened the car door and alighted.

A man carrying a sniper rifle walked out from the forest next to the road. He and the driver dragged Gu Ding-Shan’s body towards the reservoir...

Gu Ding-Shan had been insufferably arrogant when alive but he had died like a dog.

While Gu Ding-Shan was being sent on his last journey, Xia Lei, Annina and Xia Xue were in Jingdu gorging themselves on the city’s most famous roasted duck.

“I didn’t think that Chinese chefs can make duck so delicious.” Annina was happy. “I like China more and more.”

Xia Xue smirked and looked at Annina, all smiles. “Big Sister Xia Mei, do you like China because of roast duck? It’s not just that, eh?”

Annina glanced discreetly at Xia Lei. She obviously didn’t like China just for the roast duck but she said something else. “What was the last line? Gold? Ear? I only know about ENT doctors.”

Xia Xue was speechless.

This wester-in-law was good in all aspects except communication.

“Xue, I’m going back to Haizhu in two days. You have to study well and take care of yourself,” said Xia Lei.

“What time’s your flight? I’ll send you off,” said Xia Xue.

“No need. Go study,” said Xia Lei.

Xia Xue made a moue of dissatisfaction but did not insist.

“Lei, when are you coming back?” Annina looked at Xia Lei. She called him by his nickname when there were others around and she liked to call him ‘Lukas’ when it was just them.

“I’m not sure but I’ll probably be staying a few days. The company has just Guan Ling-Shan watching over it now and there are many things which she cannot sign off on. I also need to go to Sichuan for a bit and see how the branch company is doing there,” said Xia Lei.

The dust had not settled on the Gu clan affair but it was more or less done. He could finally turn his attention to his business after resolving the trouble about the Gu clan. Haizhu’s Thunder Horse Manufacturing, the branch company in Deyang, Sichuan and the military factory at Jingdu’s Bailu Town - these three companies were like young horses and he wanted to make these young horses into a warhorses, fine steeds. This required a lot of time and effort.

Ring ring ring, ring ring ring.

“Brother, is it Big Sister Bing calling?” asked Xia Xue.

“I don’t know.” Xia Lei pulled out his phone to take a look. It was a stranger’s number.

“Why aren’t you picking up?” asked Xia Xue curiously.

Xia Lei unlocked the phone to answer the call and a voice came from the speaker. “You! The one surnamed Xia! What did you do to my dad?”

It was Gu Ke-Wen’s voice and it was full of poison.

Xia Lei wrinkled his brows. “Miss Gu, you must be mistaken. Your father’s an adult so what does it have to do with me when he’s gone off somewhere?”

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“You must have something to do with it! I know it! It must’ve been your doing!” Gu Ke-Wen was losing it.

“Weirdo.”

“Xia Lei, I won’t let you off! I won’t!”

“You’re crazy.” Xia Lei hung up.

“Was that Gu Ke-Wen, Brother?” asked Xia Xue worriedly.

Xia Lei nodded. He had been in a good mood but one call from Gu Ke-Wen and it was ruined; he didn’t feel like eating roast duck anymore.

From what Gu Ke-Wen was saying, Gu Ding-Shan had gone missing. What was going on?

Xia Lei wanted to give Long Bing a call but he remembered what she had said to him in the Bailu Town police station earlier during the day and dismissed the thought. ‘Long Bing doesn’t want me involved in this anymore so that I won’t anger all the other tigers and burn myself. But based on her capabilities, how can she not know that Gu Ding-Shan had fled? I don’t have to worry about things like this. I just have to guard against retaliation from his friends,’ he thought.

Gu Ding-Shan was missing and Gu Ke-Wu was under arrest, leaving Gu Ke-Wen, a single woman. Xia Lei wasn’t worried about her.

Xia Lei was quiet but Xia Xue huffed in annoyance. “What does that woman want? Hasn’t she given us enough trouble? I’ll slap her for sure if I see her!”

Annina laughed. “You’re awesome, Xue!”

“Of course. I’ve learnt some grappling and mixed martial arts from Big Sister Bing recently. I’m not afraid of her.” Xia Lei waved a white fist.

Xia Lei was struck by a thought. “Xue, what else did Long Bing teach you other than grappling and mixed martial arts?”

“Oh, a lot! Shooting, driving, makeup, shorthand...” Xia Xue listed a whole lot of things in one go.

Xia Lei frowned. What sort of self-defence was Long Bing teaching her? It was agent-training!

“Don’t learn all these from her. Study hard, okay? You hear me?” said Xia Lei with a stern look.

Xia Xue pouted. “Why? Brother, I like learning these skills. You’ve been protecting me since I was a child. No one will dare bully me if I learn these skills. I’ll be able to protect myself.”

Xia Lei hardened his expression. “I said no.”

“Brother, I’m an adult now. I have the right to decide on what I want to learn and what I want to do. You can’t take care of me my whole life. I’m not a little kid anymore. Don’t treat me like a child!” said Xia Xue.

Xia Lei paused and his heart ached inexplicably. Xia Xue had always been a good girl and had never talked to him this way. It seemed she didn’t understand his concerns now, not one bit.

“Xue, your brother is doing this for your own good. Becoming an agent is a very dangerous thing. You won’t like that kind of life.” Annina cautioned her too.

Xia Xue glared at Annina and suddenly stood from the table. “I’m not eating anymore. I’m going back to school.”

“Xue, you...” Annina stood to try to persuade her to stay but Xia Xue left in a huff.

“Forget it, let her go. Kids at that stage are still in their rebellious phase. She’ll understand when she’s truly grown. She won’t listen no matter how much is said now,” said Xia Lei.

“So you’re going to just let her become an agent?”

Xia Lei shook his head. “Nobody’s going to turn her into an agent without my permission.”

“Sigh. If I had a sister she’d surely give me headaches too.” Annina laughed dryly. “Let’s not eat anymore. How about we go out and check on her?”

“Sure, Iet’s go.” Xia Lei got up and left the table.

Xia Xue had not left. She stood next to Xia Lei’s Chevrolet Suburban and kicked pettily at the tyre. She had her little mouth pursed and tears in her eyes and looked like a girl who’d been wronged.

“Go talk to her. I’ll wait,” said Annina.

Xia Lei walked to Xia Xue but he said nothing. He just stood next to her.

Xia Xue glanced at Xia Lei. She didn’t say anything either.

Xia Lei couldn’t help laughing. “Throwing a tantrum? Look at you - you said you’re all grown up how and you’re an adult but you’re still a kid. Who’s going to take care of you if I don’t?”

Xia Xue’s lips moved and she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She let out a puffing laugh.

Xia Lei rolled his eyes at her. “Get in the car. I’ll send you back to the campus.”

“Brother... I’m sorry.” Xia Xue looked down.

Xia Lei patted her on the head. “Silly goose. Why apologise to me? You didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t oppose you learning things from Long Bing but you cannot accept any jobs from her, got that?”

“Nn, I got it.” Xia Xue smiled.

“Oh right, did she mention me or anything when you were learning all these things from her?” Xia Lei suddenly thought of something.

“Yes, we talk about you when we have time,” said Xia Xue, “She said you’re probably the smartest person on Earth. I think she’s exaggerating. You’re a big idiot to me.”

“You dare say that to me, you little rascal?” Xia Lei moved his hand to smack her but Xia Xue had run out of range.

Annina watched Xia Lei and Xia Xue chase each other around the Chevrolet Suburban with a grin on her face, but deep down, she sighed, ‘Why am I missing home?’