EM 57. The Pursuit

The truck sat lifeless on the side of the road. Some of the team climbed into the back to rearrange the crates, clearing more space for movement. The rest searched both vehicles for anything that could hold fuel.

Song Feng remained on the ground, scanning the area. The terrain here was flat, and the road surface was much better than before. It would allow them to accelerate without concern. With what fuel they had left, the truck could still cover a good distance. Although this wasn’t a paved highway, the ground was hard enough that the tires left barely any trace.

He turned to look behind them and roughly estimated the distance. They were about three hundred meters from the fork they had just come through. If someone ran, they could reach it in under a minute. After thinking it over, he quickly stopped the man pouring fuel. “Wait. Don’t pour it yet. Even if we abandon the jeep, we can’t leave it facing this direction.”

Xiao Mingxuan had noticed him watching that fork and had already guessed what he was planning. He turned and called a few people over. They ran to the fork and began wiping out the tire tracks.

Bai Xuyao caught on immediately. “Bro, you’re planning to drive the jeep to the other side and leave it facing the wrong direction, right? So they’ll think we went that way and chase after it?”

“Not just that,” Song Feng said with a grin. “We should load it with a little more firepower. The truck’s still too heavy.”

Everyone turned at once to stare at the boss. Their expressions stayed calm, but the pressure was clear. Boss Kang let out a quiet sigh and stepped forward. He glanced at the cargo. “All the cheap stuff’s already been thrown.”

Song Feng didn’t move. He crossed his arms and leaned against the metal door with a pleasant smile. “One… two…”

Boss Kang immediately pointed. “Those two crates.” He climbed up, looked around, and kicked at another crate. “These two on the right as well. That’s all. There’s not much left.”

Song Feng gave a nod and grabbed the nearest box. The others followed suit, quickly moving the crates Boss Kang had pointed out into the jeep. Song Feng got into the driver’s seat, tipped his chin toward Wei Xiaoyan and Bai Xuyao, and waited for them to climb in. Then he started the engine and drove off slowly.

Xiao Mingxuan and the others had already wiped the tracks and were waiting nearby. Song Feng passed them, turned the wheel, and began backing the jeep into the fork. Xiao Mingxuan watched the ground. “A little more to the left. Keep going. There. That’s good. It lines up.”

Song Feng responded and pulled the vehicle forward through the fork. The original tire marks had pointed right. Now the new ones curved left. He went back and forth once more to layer the tracks and create a false trail. It didn’t need to be perfect. The men from the base were in a rush and wouldn’t stop to study the details. As long as the general direction looked right, that would be enough. Especially since it wasn’t even certain that the pursuers would come through this particular junction.

He returned to the main road, quickly picked up speed, and raced away in the opposite direction of the truck. In a low voice, he gave the command. “Drop it.”

Wei Xiaoyan and Bai Xuyao opened the windows and threw the crates out one by one. The wooden boxes shattered on the road, spilling weapons that tumbled across the surface before rolling to a stop. The scene looked just like the earlier drops from the truck.

The two clapped their hands. “Done.”

Song Feng slammed on the brake, stepped out, and Wei Xiaoyan began pouring the fuel, draining the tank completely. Bai Xuyao looked around. The area was wide open, with clear visibility. No matter which fork the pursuers came from, they would see the jeep immediately and follow the direction it was facing. He darted over and grinned. “Bro, following you really was the right choice.”

“Of course it was. Stick with me and there’s always meat on the table,” Song Feng said with a smile, draping an arm around his shoulders.

Bai Xuyao hesitated. “What if they realize halfway through and turn back?”

“No idea. Who knows where that road leads? If it turns out to be a dead end, maybe they will. But by then we’ll already be long gone. That’s assuming the truck still has fuel. Either way, this buys us more time. As for where we end up, we’ll figure it out when we get there.”

Bai Xuyao nodded and waited with him for Wei Xiaoyan. Once the tank was drained, they headed back quickly to rejoin the others and continue the escape.

One of Boss Kang’s men, who knew the region better, was now driving. A Xingtian team member sat in the passenger seat, keeping watch on the surroundings in case anything unexpected happened.

The truck raced forward for another half hour. After switching to a different road, they drove for another ten minutes before the last of the fuel ran out. The engine gave out and the truck rolled to a stop. Boss Kang glanced around and said, “Keep an eye on the road. If any vehicles come by, flag them down early.”

The group nodded. Song Feng shifted into a more comfortable position and leaned lazily against Xiao Mingxuan. “How far are we from the Helmand River?”

“Not close.”

Song Feng sighed. “Boss, you’ve been running around Registan all this time. Don’t you have a single reliable contact around here?”

“I do, but I can’t guarantee they won’t stab us in the back. In this business, most people only care about profit. Loyalty’s rare. I do have a few decent connections, but their territory isn’t in this area.”

Song Feng asked with no real hope, “What about your own people?”

“They’re not based here either. But I’ve already called them. If they move fast enough, they should be able to reach us before nightfall.”

The group fell silent. It wasn’t even noon yet, and a few hours could change everything, including whether they lived or died. No one said anything for a while. The atmosphere grew heavy.

Suddenly, one of Boss Kang’s men spoke. “Boss, there’s a motorcycle coming from up ahead.”

Everyone turned to look through the shattered rear window. A motorcycle was slowly approaching along the road. The rider wore local clothing, clearly a civilian. Boss Kang perked up. “Grab your guns and get down there. Take the bike. Don’t damage the fuel tank. I want the gasoline.”

Everyone except for a few calmly-minded ones turned to look at him. Boss Kang straightened his bloodstained suit. “What’s with those looks? I’m in the black market. I’ve done everything from arson to framing people for murder.”

The others nodded. “Yeah, we’ve seen it firsthand.”

“So what’s wrong with taking a little fuel? It’s not like I’m killing anyone.”

“…”

“Move. He’s almost here.”

Bai Xuyao narrowed his eyes. “Why don’t you go do it?”

Boss Kang didn’t even blink. “I’m a civilized man. Not much use in a fight. And I’m your boss. This kind of thing is obviously your job.”

The group gave him a look of pure disdain but got out of the truck anyway. Guns in hand, they trudged off to rob a civilian. Bai Xuyao glanced at Song Feng. “Bro, have you ever done this before? I mean, going after innocent people like this?”

“I remember telling you all before,” Song Feng said with a pleasant smile, eyes on the road ahead, “what matters is staying alive without going against your own beliefs. If you think this goes against your principles, then don’t do it.”

“To me, this isn’t a big deal. We’re just taking fuel. No one’s getting hurt. Right now, survival comes first.”

Bai Xuyao nodded and slung his submachine gun over his shoulder. With full mercenary bravado, he marched forward with the others and robbed the man. They filled the truck with the fuel they had taken and hit the road again. But there wasn’t much gas, and it wouldn’t last long.

Boss Kang gave a fresh order. “Keep your eyes on the road. If another vehicle shows up, we take it too.”

Everyone acknowledged him, though at this point no one had any faith left in his sense of decency. Song Feng glanced over at him. The man had once been a government agent and now survived in the criminal world. Who knew how many people he’d killed along the way. But sometimes, survival really did come down to one wrong step.

Song Feng raised an eyebrow. “So what do you plan to do about Fu Shanming?”

“He’s too sharp. I can’t touch him yet,” Boss Kang said, adjusting his glasses. “But he’s going to have to die eventually. I can’t rest easy while he’s alive.”

Song Feng nodded. He would have done the same. No one liked leaving a threat alive behind them.

The truck roared across the road. An hour and a half later, it rolled to a stop again. It was stifling inside, so everyone climbed down and sat in the dirt, waiting for a car to pass. But no one came. By then it was well past noon. Song Feng let out a long sigh.

“No food. No water. Just a truck full of weapons and a severed head. I finally come out of retirement, and this is the boss I end up with?”

“At least I’m better than Fu Shanming. I don’t harass my subordinates,” Boss Kang said, giving him a sidelong glance. He raised an eyebrow slightly. “I heard you used to work as his bodyguard.”

Everyone turned to stare.

Song Feng’s mouth twitched. “Don’t bring up my dark past.” He paused, thinking back, and sighed. “If I had to pick the best boss I’ve worked for, I’d say Shao Xiujie wasn’t bad. We used to go fishing, take walks, drink tea. Once in a while he’d treat me to something nice. Those days were pretty damn good.”

The group quietly scooted away from him on both sides. Bai Xuyao hesitated, then whispered, “Bro… behind you…”

Song Feng spun around. Xiao Mingxuan was standing there in silence.

“What? Did I say something wrong? Life with you hasn’t been any better. I’m either getting fucked or running for my life. Always dodging bullets. Honestly, if I’m going to settle down with someone, maybe I should just go find Shao—hey, what are you doing? Don’t be rash!”

Xiao Mingxuan ignored him and hoisted him straight over his shoulder. The others silently stood guard as he carried Song Feng back into the truck and tossed him down. He pulled him into his arms and pinched his chin.

“Maybe you should what?”

Song Feng blinked, all innocence. “Did I say something? I don’t remember—”

His words cut off as Xiao Mingxuan leaned down and kissed him, shutting him up completely. The lighting inside the truck was dim, and row of crates blocked the view from outside. It was concealed, close, and charged with tension.

Song Feng quickly wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him back. It had been more than ten days since they’d left on this mission. They hadn’t touched each other once in that time. Lust flared through him the moment their bodies pressed together. There was no resistance, only hunger, as if he could let go of everything and fall.

Xiao Mingxuan knew the situation was far from ideal. He pulled back at once, eyes dark and focused, deep enough to make anyone lose themselves. He gave Song Feng’s cheek a pat. “Next time you feel like praising another man in front of me, maybe think twice. I’ll let it go this time. Get down.”

Song Feng caught his breath. As soon as he saw Xiao Mingxuan about to leave, his face changed. “What the fuck? You can’t just haul me up here and leave me hanging. Ever heard of finishing what you start?”

Xiao Mingxuan stared at him wordlessly. Ancestor, could you keep it down for once?

The Xingtian team kept straight faces, as if nothing had happened. One of the newer men looked visibly shaken. His expression twisted, mouth slightly open, but not a single word came out. Boss Kang, on the other hand, looked entirely unbothered. After a brief moment of thought, he stood up and walked toward the front of the truck bed.

“By the way,” he said, “I forgot to mention. While the head’s covered with cloth, the eyes are still open. I figure you don’t care, but I thought I’d remind you just in case. That’s all. Carry on.”

Song Feng: “…”

Xiao Mingxuan: “…”

The two of them climbed out in silence. Just as Song Feng was about to jump down, he caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. A massive plume of dust had risen in the distance. He drew a breath.

“Is that… a convoy?”