EM 52. Advice

The new boss assigned to Xingtian was surnamed Kang. He was a moderately well-known arms dealer in Central Asia. Bai Xuyao spent the entire trip sizing him up, staring from every angle before finally shaking his head. “Still doesn’t look the part.”

Boss Kang wore a neatly tailored suit and pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. “What did you expect? A scarred face? Tattoos up the arms? Something a little more savage-looking?”

Bai Xuyao thought for a second, then nodded sincerely.

Boss Kang gave him a look of disdain and casually adjusted the diamond cufflinks on his sleeves. “Uncultured. I’m a civilized man.”

Bai Xuyao still didn’t quite buy it. He asked hesitantly, “But you do all that… stuff. How are you still alive?”

Boss Kang understood what he was referring to. It was the stunned look he had shown earlier, and he had long since gotten used to people reacting that way. He had just been temporarily overwhelmed by how far these soldiers were from what he expected. His life had flashed before his eyes. If he had the choice, he would have brought his own mercenary team. But this mission required full discretion. No outsiders allowed. This team had been assigned from the top down, and he had no say in the matter. He sighed, and changed the subject.

“So what exactly are you guys? Headquarters said you were special ops, but you don’t look the part.”

“We’re not the usual type,” Bai Xuyao said proudly. “You can think of us as mercs. This job’s no different from what mercs do anyway.”

Boss Kang nodded and gave his cheek a light slap. “Then let me give you a piece of advice, little merc. Next time you’re on a job, don’t go around messing with your boss. You’ll regret it. Got it?”

Bai Xuyao shrank back and looked over his shoulder. “Bro?”

Song Feng patted his head. “Be good. He’s right.”

Bai Xuyao immediately straightened up and stared forward like a proper soldier.

The helicopter flew across Asia, swept over the Mediterranean, and finally descended on a yacht in the Adriatic Sea. By then it was evening. The sky was streaked with glowing clouds, gorgeous and unreal. Standing on the deck was a tall Western man in his mid-forties, flanked by several bodyguards in black suits. Each one was broad and muscular. Together, they made an imposing sight.

Boss Kang walked up and shook hands with the man warmly. The two of them laughed and sat down. The man murmured a few words to his subordinates. They nodded and left. Not long after, the yacht slowly began to pull away from the area, heading toward shore.

Song Feng glanced at the direction they were sailing. From the look of it, they were headed toward Italy. Their boss was meeting with the leader of Italy’s largest mafia organization. What exactly the mission entailed, he didn’t know. Judging by the man’s expression, it didn’t seem like they were going to be told either. That was fine by him. The less you knew, the better. Their only job was to keep the boss safe. Nothing more.

All around them was open sea. The breeze came light and steady, tinged with salt. He looked instinctively at Xiao Mingxuan. The other man seemed to sense it too and turned his head. Their eyes met in the air between them. In that moment, they both felt a wave of something unsaid.

They were both thinking of the days they had spent on the run in Malaysia. Back then, it had been the same endless ocean, the same uncertainty ahead. Only the two of them, surviving together, step by step.

Looking back now, if not for that time, nothing that followed would have happened. Xiao Mingxuan gave him a small smile. Song Feng let out a grunt and turned away in mock annoyance.

The yacht soon docked at the port, where several sedans were already waiting. Boss Kang couldn’t bring everyone with him, so he chose Xiao Mingxuan, who looked the most reliable to accompany him in the lead car alongside the mafia boss. The others followed in separate vehicles. Song Feng cheerfully chatted with the black-suited bodyguards the whole way. It only took a short while before he was calling them brothers like old friends reuniting after years apart. Even Bai Xuyao and the rest couldn’t help being impressed.

The motorcade stopped in front of a restaurant. After a pleasant dinner, they headed for the theater. Boss Kang seemed to have a good relationship with the mafia boss. Since they were on the man’s turf, the level of protection wasn’t as strict. Kang waved a hand and said, “Leave two behind. The rest of you, they’ll make arrangements. Go enjoy yourselves if you want, but be back by ten.”

Most of the Xingtian team remained expressionless, but a few glanced at him in silence. Boss Kang straightened his suit and muttered, “Don’t look at me like that, alright? I’m a refined man. Who says an arms dealer can’t listen to a little opera now and then?”

The group prepared to leave. Kang had Xiao Mingxuan with him, then pointed at one more person. “You. Stay too.”

Bai Xuyao blinked innocently. “Boss, I don’t get opera. I want to go with them and watch pole dancing.”

Boss Kang was unmoved. “You don’t get a choice.”

Bai Xuyao blinked again, crushed. “You’re doing this on purpose.”

“You’re not as dumb as you look. Think of it as a learning experience.” Kang turned and walked into the theater. “Follow me, little merc.”

The others followed Song Feng out. Duan Qing asked, “Is this really alright?”

Song Feng shrugged. “No idea. But if the boss says it’s fine, then it’s fine. Who knows what he’s really here for. It’s not our place to ask. Let’s go.”

They followed the bodyguards to a bar, watched a steamy dance performance, had a few drinks, and happily returned to find the boss. Ignoring someone’s resentful glare, they all got back in the car and rode to the mafia boss’s luxury villa for the night.

Xiao Mingxuan quickly divided the team’s schedule, assigning shifts for the night watch before telling the rest to go inside. The night passed without incident. The next day, the group continued trailing behind the boss, who seemed to be conducting business. Most meetings were held privately with the mafia head, and no one else knew what was being discussed.

This routine continued for four days.

On the fifth morning, Song Feng relieved the night shift, telling them to go rest. He leaned lazily against the bedroom doorframe, waiting quietly for dawn. After a few minutes, he heard faint sounds from inside. He checked the time. It was five thirty. The household staff should be waking up soon. He hadn’t expected the boss to be up this early.

He waited a while longer. Still no one came out. After some thought, he leaned in and pressed his ear to the door. Nothing seemed unusual, so he didn’t knock. A few minutes later, the door clicked open.

Boss Kang lowered his voice. “Headquarters said there’s someone on your team named Bai Xuyao. I heard he’s pretty good with computers. Is that true?”

Song Feng figured it had to be mission-related. He nodded. “I’ll go get him.”

At that hour, Bai Xuyao was still asleep, curled up in bed and half-conscious. “What does he want me for?”

“No idea,” Song Feng replied with a grin. “But the boss looked a little grumpy. You know how men are in the morning. Their needs tend to spike. He might be calling you over to blow off some steam. Serves you right for provoking him earlier.”

“…”

Song Feng yanked him out of bed and gave him a once-over. “Put on pajamas. Leave the collar open a little.”

Bai Xuyao was on the verge of tears. “Bro, I don’t want to.”

Song Feng narrowed his eyes. “This is a mission. Don’t waste time.”

Bai Xuyao immediately straightened up and did as he was told. He tugged at the collar of his shirt and shuffled toward the boss’s room. At the door, Song Feng grabbed him by the front and yanked his collar open a little more before opening the door and dragging him inside.

Boss Kang was seated in front of a compact computer. When he heard the door, he looked up. There wasn’t even a flicker of surprise on his face. It was early morning, and the household staff were beginning to stir. Their timing would avoid suspicion. He raised an eyebrow. “So you’re Bai Xuyao?”

Bai Xuyao nodded. Boss Kang stepped aside slightly. “I need you to find something.”

Bai Xuyao approached. “Find what?”

“A file,” Boss Kang said quietly. As he spoke, his wrist moved slightly. A short blade slid cleanly into his palm. Because of the angle, Bai Xuyao didn’t notice a thing and continued examining the computer.

Song Feng saw it clearly. His eyes narrowed, and his body instinctively shifted into a ready stance. But he didn’t move. He could tell this wasn’t a real attack, only an instinctive reaction. People like them, with hidden identities and violent pasts, lived every moment on a razor’s edge. They never trusted strangers easily. He understood that, so he stayed where he was.

Boss Kang drew a breath. This team had been assigned from the top. They were real. No reason to doubt them. His fingers moved slightly, and eventually he put the knife away. He lowered his voice. “This is an internal network. He logs in every morning to handle business. I arranged to take him out this morning, so he’ll probably shut the computer down before breakfast. I already searched everything just now. The file I need wasn’t there. Only this encrypted one. I cracked through two layers of the password but stopped there to avoid being noticed. Headquarters said you had a talent for this, so I’m counting on you. You have one minute. Pull the file, replace it with the one on my desktop. Got it?”

Bai Xuyao said, “Got it.”

“Be careful. If he catches us, we’re all dead.”

Song Feng didn’t stay any longer. He turned and left.

Time passed. The process had its risks, but it went smoothly. From a distance, Song Feng watched as Boss Kang sat at the breakfast table, calmly chatting with the mafia leader like nothing had happened. He narrowed his eyes, thinking they might be planning to leave soon, or maybe even kill the mafia boss and start running. Either way, once that man got back and realized the file had been tampered with, things would get ugly.

He wasn’t wrong.

After breakfast, they moved to the helipad. The mafia boss boarded two helicopters with eight of his own men, departing alongside the group.

The flight was going to be another long one. Boss Kang handed out a stack of files. “Study the area. Let’s try to make sure everyone stays alive. Just so you know, this stop was my last-minute call. Don’t blame me for not telling you earlier.”

Song Feng had already figured it out. Aside from a few scraps about Boss Kang and the mafia leader, the briefing had included almost nothing useful. The entire mission was being made up as it went. Boss Kang himself didn’t even seem sure of the destination and had changed course midway.

He glanced at the files and nearly twitched. They were headed for Registan in Afghanistan. The region straddled the borders of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, and the combined area had a very specific name: the Golden Crescent. One of the world’s three largest sources of narcotics. None of the three governments exercised effective control there. That said everything about the chaos they were walking into.

Xiao Mingxuan and Wei Xiaoyan both felt a chill settle in their gut. This location was dangerously close to the reach of that organization. If they ran into anyone connected, things could get ugly fast.

The helicopters slowly descended into a wide open space. Several rows of wooden buildings stood nearby. The people here wore local clothing and patrolled back and forth with rifles slung over their shoulders. When they saw the newcomers, they all turned to look.

Boss Kang stepped off the helicopter and looked up to greet the man approaching him. The two exchanged polite small talk. Then Kang turned to introduce him to the mafia boss. The group chatted as they headed inside, with Song Feng and the others following close behind.

As they passed through the courtyard, Song Feng glanced toward another helicopter parked not far off. A faint frown crossed his face.

Xiao Mingxuan noticed and asked quietly, “What is it?”

Song Feng rubbed his chin, sounding unsure. “That helicopter looks kind of fam—”

He hadn’t even finished the sentence when a voice carried over from the room ahead.

“It’s not often Mr. Fu comes all this way. Why not stay a few more days?”

A second voice laughed. “No, I’ve got other things to take care of.”

As the two men spoke, the door opened, and the entire group came face to face.

A few figures stood inside. Leading them were two men. One with dark skin in local dress, the other tall and blond, strikingly handsome.

Both Song Feng and Xiao Mingxuan felt a jolt go through them.

Fu Shanming froze for a brief moment, then slowly smiled. It was a thin, sinister smile, edged with amusement.

“Actually,” he said, “I just remembered… I don’t really have anything urgent going on. I’ll be staying a few more days after all.”

Song Feng: “…”

Xiao Mingxuan: “…”