EM 62. Necklace

Wei Xiaoyan had a bad feeling about this mission and tagged along. When he saw his boss gripping someone and refusing to let go, a sudden wave of unease swept through him. He hurried over. “Boss, what’s going on?”

Song Feng tossed the man aside and gave the necklace a shake. “Take a look.”

Wei Xiaoyan’s expression shifted slightly when he saw the familiar skull pendant. He steadied himself. “Could just be a coincidence?”

“No,” Song Feng said firmly. Slinging his submachine gun over his shoulder, he headed toward the jeep, ready to carry out the next phase of the mission. Wei Xiaoyan quickly followed, keeping a close eye on him. His boss’s expression remained unchanged, and his gaze was calm for the moment, showing no signs of an impending breakdown. But Wei Xiaoyan couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t suddenly ditch them all and go off on his own. The uncertainty gnawed at him, and he trailed Song Feng step for step.

They crossed the border into Myanmar, disembarked, and headed into the forest. After several hours of lying in wait, they finally located the core of the organization late at night and launched the assault. The smell of gunpowder and blood lingered long in the dark.

Inside the hastily erected camp, Song Feng stood staring at a group of captives huddled in the center, all of them held at gunpoint. He handed his weapon to Wei Xiaoyan and stepped forward slowly, boots squelching through blood-soaked ground. One of the men from Unit 1 grabbed his arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Got a few questions for them,” Song Feng said flatly. He stepped into the circle, grabbed the leader of the group, then pulled the necklace from his pocket. “I heard every one of you has one of these. Where’d they come from? The last guy just said they were issued from above, didn’t know anything else. What about you? How much do you know? If you tell me the truth, maybe your trip back won’t be too miserable. If you don’t—”

The man had taken a bullet, and his voice was weak, but he immediately answered, “I’ll talk. He told us back then that if anyone ever asked, we should tell the truth.”

Song Feng gave a faint “oh.”

The soldiers from Unit 1 and the border defense force stood off to the side, watching in surprise. One of them made a move to approach, but Wei Xiaoyan held him back and shook his head. “Let him ask. If he doesn’t get the answer he wants, there’s no telling what he might do.”

The others looked even more confused but stayed quiet.

The wounded man drew a few shaky breaths and continued slowly, “He’s friends with our boss. He’s supported us behind the scenes during several operations. When our boss started operating in Central Asia, he gave us these necklaces and told us to wear them regularly. He also gave some to a few other allied gangs. He said… he said he wanted us to notify someone, to let him know that a certain organization had returned…”

Before he could finish, his throat was suddenly seized by a hand. The man in front of him was cloaked in shadow, but his eyes were sharp enough to pierce the dark. A chill spread through his chest, and he fell silent.

Song Feng forced himself to stay calm and loosened his grip slightly. “What’s that man’s name? How old is he? What does he look like?”

The man swallowed hard. “He’s Thai. Looks pretty refined. Not quite thirty. I don’t know his full name, but the boss always called him ‘Dian.’”

“That’s it?”

He nodded quickly. “Everything I said is true. I swear I didn’t leave anything out.”

Song Feng stared at him up close for a while. Once he was sure the man wasn’t lying, he patted him down for a phone, then stood up and walked away from the group. He called Xiao Mingxuan. “Hey, it’s me. Everything went smoothly over here. I’m not hurt. Did the leader of the organization go after that celebrity? You’re over there, right? I need him alive. Don’t kill him. I’ll fill you in when I’m back. Yeah, that’s all.”

Wei Xiaoyan had been following him the entire time. As soon as Song Feng hung up, he asked nervously, “Boss, that guy…”

“I don’t know him,” Song Feng cut in quietly. He thought for a moment, then tapped his forehead with his index finger. “I don’t remember a thing. I don’t know anyone in Thailand either. Let’s talk about it when we get back.”

Hearing that they were returning, Wei Xiaoyan finally let out a breath of relief but still stuck close to him. The group wrapped up the mission and moved out quickly. Song Feng checked his phone for the time. It was nearly midnight. His sister-in-law was probably asleep by now. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to call Wang Yizhong instead.

Wang Yizhong was clearly asleep too. His voice came through groggy. “Hello, who is this?”

Song Feng grinned. “Hey, Boss. It’s me.”

Wang Yizhong woke up instantly, groaning. “For fuck’s sake, do you even know what time it is? What is it now?”

“Nothing too big. Just wanted you to secretly assign some people to protect Sister-in-law and Xiaolin for the time being.”

Wang Yizhong was caught off guard but quickly steadied his tone. “What happened?”

“I found out that organization is back. I don’t know what they’re planning yet. Just send people to watch over them. Don’t let anything happen. I’ll explain more once I figure things out.”

Wang Yizhong agreed immediately. He had no idea how much Song Feng knew but understood it was best not to press. “Try to stay calm. Don’t be reckless. Safety comes first.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Song Feng replied in a low voice. After hanging up, he made another call to the two guys who worked in the U.S. PMC. They had already been discharged from the hospital. As soon as they answered, they started chatting with him like old friends. Song Feng laid out the situation and told them to stay sharp for the time being.

The two of them were clearly shocked but readily agreed. They even offered some advice before hanging up, playing it like they had only just found out about the whole thing. Wei Xiaoyan, listening on the side, could read between the lines. He knew exactly what they were thinking. The near-death ambush they had suffered from that organization was something they would never dare tell Song Feng, a secret they’d take to the grave.

Once Song Feng was done giving instructions, he ended the call.

Wei Xiaoyan, still on edge, stayed glued to his side, watching him carefully. After a while, he finally confirm that his boss wasn’t going to lose it, and he relaxed. He stuck close, fanning him, rubbing his legs, behaving more obediently than ever.

Song Feng found it amusing and smiled. “Are you this attentive when you’re with Duan Qing?”

“As if,” Wei Xiaoyan snorted.

“Figured as much,” Song Feng said lazily, leaning back in his seat.

The rest of Xingtian’s unit watched silently. After getting off the helicopter, they all went over and gave Duan Qing a few sympathetic pats on the shoulder. The gesture left him alarmed. “What’s going on? Did something happen to Xiaoyan?”

Everyone fell silent.

Duan Qing shoved them away and rushed off to look for his boyfriend. In the corridor, he saw Wei Xiaoyan obediently trailing behind Song Feng, clearly heading back to the dorms with him. Song Feng gave him a glance. “What, trying to offer yourself up as a bed warmer?”

Wei Xiaoyan froze for a second, then said seriously, “I trust Boss’s skills. If Boss wants me, go ahead.”

Duan Qing: “…”

The crowd once again gathered around Duan Qing, patting him on the shoulder with wordless sympathy.

Xiao Mingxuan had already returned and was standing at the door, waiting for his wife. He caught every word of their conversation and casually asked, “What are you guys talking about?”

Wei Xiaoyan’s steps faltered. Normally, he would have tossed out a quick “Nothing” and run off, but not this time. These next few days were crucial, and he could not afford to slack off. So he lifted his chin and stayed right where he was, standing his ground.

Song Feng shot him a helpless look. He could tell this guy would not be able to sleep unless he cleared things up tonight. So he smiled and pulled him inside. “Come on.”

Xiao Mingxuan froze for half a second, then hurried to shut the door behind them, blocking everyone’s view.

Duan Qing: “…”

The rest of the group stared at him in collective pity. At this point, no amount of shoulder pats could mend his broken heart. It had already been crushed into dust the moment Wei Xiaoyan stepped inside.

Bai Xuyao had just finished showering. When he saw everyone crowded in the hallway, curiosity got the better of him. He ran over. “What’s going on? Is there a show?”

Everyone chimed in at once, giving him a rough summary of the situation.

Bai Xuyao: “…”

The others looked at him strangely. “What’s with you?”

Bai Xuyao turned on his heel and bolted, but not to eavesdrop. He was headed back to the dorms. Someone nearby reacted quickly and yanked him back by the collar. “Where are you going?”

“Back,” Bai Xuyao stammered. “My brother never made moves on his own apprentices, and now he’s going after our senior. I might be next. Of course I’m running.”

Someone reminded him, “Your senior was the one who made the first move. As long as you don’t do anything, you’ll be fine.”

Bai Xuyao froze, then nodded seriously. “You’re absolutely right.” And just like that, he crept up to the door, biting his finger and getting ready to listen in.

Everyone: “…”

Duan Qing completely lost it the moment he heard “made the first move.” He stormed forward, and under the excited, giddy stares of the group, he kicked open the door and charged inside to find his partner.

A moment later, Xiao Mingxuan came out and asked in a low voice, “No one’s tired?”

The hallway instantly cleared.

Xiao Mingxuan went back inside, sat against the headboard, and pulled Song Feng into his arms. His eyes settled on the necklace in Song Feng’s hand. “NW’s boss was just taken in. If you want details, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Song Feng gave a faint hum of acknowledgment and slowly rubbed his thumb over the skull pendant.

Xiao Mingxuan rested his chin on Song Feng’s shoulder and took the necklace for a look. “You really don’t remember this ‘Dian’ guy?”

“There’s no such person in my memory,” Song Feng said, brows slightly furrowed. “What could his connection to that organization be?”

Xiao Mingxuan exchanged a glance with Wei Xiaoyan. Based on the intel they had, the organization only had one operative on the outside. Could this ‘Dian’ be the one? Xiao Mingxuan turned back to Song Feng. “What do you think they’re trying to do?”

“They probably want to lure me out,” Song Feng reasoned. “I’m not some omnipotent god. It’s impossible to wipe them all out. There are bound to be remnants. But I never had any direct conflict with those leftovers. Most of them only joined for profit anyway, not out of loyalty. What I don’t get is why they’re looking for me now.”

That was the very question none of them had ever been able to figure out. Xiao Mingxuan paused, deep in thought. “Are you sure you got everyone you were supposed to?”

Song Feng’s frown deepened. “I think so.”

Xiao Mingxuan reached over to rub his head. “Could it be one of their relatives?”

“No way. Back then, my older brother dug into three generations of everyone involved. Anyone who needed to be eliminated was dealt with. There’s no way anything slipped through.”

Xiao Mingxuan fell silent. Knowing Song Zhe’s venomous nature, if he said it was clean, then it had definitely been cleaned up thoroughly.

Song Feng glanced at the time. “It’s late. Everyone should get some sleep.”

Wei Xiaoyan hesitated. Of all the people present, he was the only one who had personally witnessed Song Feng’s breakdown. The memory was still vivid, and he couldn’t help feeling uneasy. “Boss…”

Song Feng found his expression amusing. He walked over and patted him on the shoulder. “Relax. I’m fine. It’s been years. Everyone who needed to die is dead. As long as they don’t pick up where they left off or come looking for trouble, I won’t bother with them.”

Xiao Mingxuan and Wei Xiaoyan exchanged a glance. If he could truly think that way, it would be for the best. But thankfully, he still didn’t know the organization had nearly killed those two. If he did, he would absolutely lose it.

Seeing that Wei Xiaoyan still hadn’t moved, Song Feng gave him another pat. “Go to bed.”

Wei Xiaoyan looked at Xiao Mingxuan. With him watching over things, there shouldn’t be a problem. He finally relaxed a little and headed back to the dorms. Duan Qing, who had realized he had jumped to conclusions earlier, obediently walked to a corner under Xiao Mingxuan’s stare and stood there in silence. When he saw Wei Xiaoyan leaving, he immediately followed after him.

The remaining two each took a shower and went to bed. Xiao Mingxuan could tell Song Feng wasn’t asleep and pulled him in closer. “What are you thinking about?”

Song Feng was quiet for a long time before whispering, “I’m wondering if I really didn’t finish the job…”

Xiao Mingxuan leaned in and kissed his forehead. “Don’t dwell on it. If any of them are still out there, they’ll show themselves eventually.”

Song Feng gave a faint reply and closed his eyes. But his mind kept cycling through everything from Africa to Europe to Russia, every route, every detail, every memory. The images and emotions from that time surged up and pressed down on his chest, leaving him breathless. In a low voice, he asked, “Are you asleep?”

“No. What is it?”

“I can’t sleep.” Song Feng pulled him down and climbed on top, straddling him. Before Song Feng could say anything more, Xiao Mingxuan reached up and kissed him.

Song Feng slept less than four hours that night. The next morning, he woke up early and went to question the captured NW boss. But after a detailed interrogation, it turned out the man didn’t know much either. He had no choice but to let it go.

Xiao Mingxuan wasn’t sure what he planned to do next and asked cautiously, “So what now?”

“Have someone look into it first. If it’s just a few small fries, I don’t see any need to go personally.”

Xiao Mingxuan finally let out a breath of relief. They returned to the base and resumed their routine. Half a month later, they accepted another mission. Everyone boarded the helicopter and headed for Central Asia.

There, they saw someone standing ahead with a grin on his face, watching them approach.

The entire group fell silent for a second before asking in unison, “You’ve been gone this long. How are you still not dead…”

Boss Kang: “…”