EM 64. Farewell

After a brief rest, the team got back on the road. Xiao Mingxuan remained on high alert, worried the enemy might not let things go, and ordered everyone to stay vigilant. Though the team didn’t know the full story, they could piece together from that morning’s confrontation that it had something to do with Song Feng’s past. They chose not to ask, knowing it was not the right time. With Song Feng having left on his own, neither Xiao Mingxuan nor Wei Xiaoyan had the energy to explain anything to them.

The convoy included one truck and two jeeps. Xiao Mingxuan, Wei Xiaoyan, and the others rode in the front jeep, leading the way. The second jeep protected Boss Kang. Two more people had been assigned to the truck, one as the driver and the other as a guard. The convoy set out without delay.

Bai Xuyao leaned against the window, staring blankly at the scenery slipping past. “Where do you think my bro went? Do you think he’s in trouble? I want to go find him.”

Boss Kang grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back into the seat. “No idea.”

Bai Xuyao curled up again. He’d overheard the night before that a certain organization was looking for Song Feng. He never expected something to happen so quickly. He turned. “What kind of grudge does my bro have with that group?”

“I was only ordered to dig into their background and, if possible, find and eliminate your brother. That’s all I was told,” Boss Kang replied flatly. He wasn’t surprised to see Bai Xuyao’s shoulders slump in disappointment, so he added, “But since I figured we might end up crossing paths with them, I did a bit of extra digging. That organization was wiped out two years ago, and the one who did it was Song Feng.” He paused, then added in a quiet voice, “Your bro’s really something. You’d never guess it from the way he usually acts.”

Bai Xuyao’s eyes widened. “What happened?”

Boss Kang pulled out his phone, flipped through a few files, and tossed it over. “Here. The whole incident made quite a stir at the time.”

Bai Xuyao immediately started reading, and with every line, the light drained from his face. As the morning’s events fell into place, he flung the phone aside. His fingers clenched until his knuckles cracked, one hand gripping the submachine gun in his lap, the other braced against the door.

Boss Kang shot him a sharp look. “Little mercenary, what the hell are you planning to do?”

Bai Xuyao gritted his teeth. “Fuck it, I’m gonna wipe them out.”

Boss Kang quickly pulled him back. “You don’t even know where their base is. Where the hell do you think you’re going? Sit down. Look at your captain and your senior. They’re dying to run off too, but they’re still here.”

Bai Xuyao seethed, his chest heaving with every breath. He forced himself to silently repeat “mission first” over and over, until the rage finally cooled just enough to sit still.

Boss Kang glanced at him, then looked toward the lead jeep, silently noting that all of them had their minds on Song Feng. Not one of them seemed to care about him. For a moment, he spaced out, then snapped back and tried to remind the kid, “Little mercenary, I’m your boss.”

Bai Xuyao, still worried sick that Song Feng might charge in somewhere alone, muttered distractedly, “I know.”

Boss Kang tried again, patiently. “Which means you’re supposed to protect me. Got it?”

“Oh.”

Boss Kang studied him for a moment. “Really? You got it? What are you thinking about right now?”

“My bro,” Bai Xuyao said bluntly, still staring out the window. “Where could he have gone? You think he’ll be okay?”

Boss Kang inhaled sharply. “I’m your boss. Shouldn’t you be worried about whether I’ll make it out alive?”

“Relax. None of us are even a little bit worried.”

“Why?” Boss Kang said, catching a sliver of hope. “Is it because you’re going to do your job and protect me?”

“Nope,” Bai Xuyao said. “It’s because we’ve always figured the world would be cleaner with bosses like you gone.”

“…”

Xiao Mingxuan kept his eyes on the road ahead, estimating that the convoy would reach its destination soon. If the mission went smoothly, they could leave earlier and then he could go after Song Feng.

The thought of that man made him frown. He forced down the wave of longing and worry that rose in his chest, trying to steady himself. They were still on assignment, and he was the team leader. Everyone’s lives were in his hands, and he had to prioritize the bigger picture. That was why, when he learned Song Feng had left early that morning, he had ordered the group to move forward after a brief silence. They had to complete the mission. But a part of him had already left with that man. No matter how he tried to manage his emotions on the journey, he couldn’t suppress the anxiety. Song Feng was alone, deep in hostile territory. Where could he even go? Would he get hurt? Would he take care of himself?

He raised a hand to rub his forehead, silently warning himself to stop thinking. Any more of this and he would lose it.

He glanced sideways. Wei Xiaoyan was also frowning deeply, likely feeling the same way. In a low voice, Xiao Mingxuan asked, “Last time… what was he like?”

Wei Xiaoyan paused, then gave a bitter smile. “Even while he was still recovering, his condition wasn’t good. He barely spoke. His injuries weren’t fully healed yet when he disappeared from the hospital. We searched everywhere. He’d slipped away and gone to Africa.”

“To settle the score with them,” Xiao Mingxuan said. “He told me. Traced them all the way from North Africa to Europe, then eventually ended up in Asia.”

“Yeah. We helped a little, passed him some intel,” Wei Xiaoyan sighed at the memory. “He was in a really dark place back then. Barely slept. All he wanted was to kill every last one of them.”

“I can understand that,” Xiao Mingxuan nodded. After a pause, he asked, “I saw what was written on the necklace. Do you think it was a deliberate attempt to provoke him? Or is that bastard still alive? Could he have survived?”

“I don’t know,” Wei Xiaoyan said, thinking for a moment with a frown. “But if anyone did make it out alive, I’d bet it was someone who escaped in Russia.”

Xiao Mingxuan tried to recall. “I remember he said he cornered them in an abandoned factory.”

“Yeah. By the Yenisei River. Boss blew up the whole place. Got himself injured in the process too.”

Xiao Mingxuan paused.

So that was the reason Song Feng had to undergo a second skin graft?

Wei Xiaoyan recalled the grim scene and let out another sigh. “Boss was still conscious then. But the injuries on him were bad. Really bad. An ordinary person would’ve been rolling on the ground screaming from the pain, but he forced himself to get up. He dragged his bleeding body through the rubble, pulling out mangled limbs piece by piece, checking the body count, trying to see if they were really all dead. Can you imagine what that looked like?”

Xiao Mingxuan flinched. Wei Xiaoyan went on, “The explosion caught the attention of the local police. They were on their way over. We just happened to be nearby looking for him. As soon as we heard the blast, we rushed over and got there before the cops. Boss refused to leave until he finished counting the bodies. We had no choice but to knock him out and carry him to the car. He still had part of an arm clutched in his hand. He was holding it so tight we couldn’t pry it loose, so we brought it with us. Later we realized the arm belonged to that scum. He was wearing the same clothes that day, and the hand still had a skull ring on it.”

Xiao Mingxuan frowned. “So you’re sure he’s dead? What about the others?”

“We don’t know much,” Wei Xiaoyan said. “The local police arrived not long after we left and sealed off the area. Just in case, we followed the reports closely. They said there were no survivors. All the body parts were cleared out and taken away. We couldn’t sneak back in to verify anything. And then all this time passed without a single sign from that group. We assumed they were gone. Who knew this would happen now…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “It’s still too early to be sure. Maybe the original ones really are dead. Whoever’s shown up this time might just be connected to them somehow.”

Xiao Mingxuan stayed quiet, his brow furrowed as he turned that name over and over in his mind.

Wei Xiaoyan gazed out the window. Truthfully, he had also wanted to leave that morning. But the outcome of this mission was uncertain. The road ahead held too many unknowns. If he dropped out now, it would create a mess. Besides, right before Song Feng went upstairs, the look in his eyes had clearly told him to stay. He couldn’t go against that. He sighed. “Where do you think he went?”

Xiao Mingxuan gave it some thought and analyzed calmly, “He’s not stupid. He must have considered that line might’ve been a deliberate provocation. He wouldn’t walk into a trap that easily. What he needs first is more intel.” He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. “Do you remember what Fu Shanming said to him before leaving, back in the Golden Crescent?”

Wei Xiaoyan blinked. “You mean that message?”

“Yeah. So it’s very likely Song Feng went to find Fu Shanming. But to get from here to Malaysia, he’ll have to cross through their territory…”

“I believe in Boss,” Wei Xiaoyan said immediately. “He’s strong, and he knows how to disguise himself. He’ll be fine.”

Xiao Mingxuan nodded and said no more.

The convoy slowly entered the base and came to a stop. Everyone got out of the vehicles and began their work in earnest.

---

Alor Setar, Malaysia hadn’t changed much. The nightscape was still beautiful. Song Feng had originally come looking for Fu Shanming, but the man had just driven off. With no better option, he tailed him all the way to a Western-style restaurant. From outside, he spotted the two men seated by the window, calmly enjoying dinner. He strolled in at an unhurried pace.

A waiter greeted him politely. “Miss, how many in your party?”

“I’m with those two gentlemen,” Song Feng said, pointing casually in their direction. He walked straight over, pulled out a chair, and sat down with all the ease in the world. “Long time no see. Still alive and well, I hope?”

The two men glanced at him. Since they didn’t recognize him, they assumed he was here for the other and continued eating without a fuss. Song Feng didn’t mind. He leisurely picked up the menu, placed his order, and sent the waiter away before settling in.

It was only then that the two began to sense something was off. Fu Shanming looked up. “Miss, may I ask who you’re here to see?”

“You, of course,” Song Feng replied softly, locking eyes with him. “Ever since our last parting, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. I couldn’t resist coming to find you.”

Fu Shanming frowned. He was gay. He had never messed around with women. Where had this person come from?

Across the table, Shao Xiujie said lazily, “Her voice is a bit rough. Must be a Thai kathoey. So this is your type now, Mr. Fu? At this rate, you might even warm up to women someday. I’m honestly happy for you.”

Fu Shanming ignored the “woman” for now and looked up. “Happy for what?”

Shao Xiujie responded evenly, “Happy that you might not die childless after all.”

Fu Shanming gave a cold snort. “Maybe worry about yourself first. The Liu family already broke off the engagement because of our little feud. When are you planning to find another fiancée? Oh, wait, silly me.” His smile turned nasty. “Your little sweetheart belongs to someone else now. We actually had a lovely night together recently. I was going to send you the full set of photos, but he was so delicious I couldn’t stop. Kept begging for more. I didn’t have time to take pictures. That taste… mm, you’ve never had it, have you?”

Shao Xiujie’s hand paused briefly, but he quickly collected himself. He looked up and met Fu Shanming’s gaze, his eyes stirring with faint turbulence. “I told you not to bring him up again. He’s in the past.”

“Oh?” Fu Shanming raised a brow. “And who’s the present? Are you trying to say it’s me?”

The look in Shao Xiujie’s eyes deepened. Song Feng had spent enough time around him to tell instantly that he was faking it. His heart skipped. Was this man planning to deal with the psychopath using an entirely different strategy?

Just then, the waiter brought the steak. Song Feng immediately lowered his head and began eating, trying his best to blend into the background. He had been dodging that group’s surveillance for days now and hadn’t had a proper meal in a long time.

The other two shifted their focus back to him. Fu Shanming frowned. “Who exactly are you? I don’t think we’ve met.”

Song Feng slowly swallowed a bite of steak, then took a sip of wine. Dropping the act, he returned to his natural voice. “Cold-hearted bastard. I used to be your servant, remember? Cooked your meals, did your laundry, pulled weeds in your yard. And now you’ve forgotten me just like that?”

Fu Shanming nearly choked. He bent forward, coughing hard. Shao Xiujie’s hand slipped, and his utensils clattered onto the table.

Song Feng kept eating unhurriedly and asked in a low voice, “When you said the gates of hell weren’t shut tight, who were you talking about?”

Fu Shanming quickly recovered and gave a teasing smile. “Baby, what is it you’re after?”

Song Feng casually cut his steak into pieces, his tone slow and deliberate. “I want to carve him up inch by inch and send him to hell for good.”