EM 67. Departure

The atmosphere in the living room seemed friendly and relaxed. A few people sat on the sofa chatting, appearing to get along well and enjoying the conversation. The members of Xingtian edged further to the side, trying to distance themselves from the strange tension in the air as they continued to watch in silence.

Song Feng sat in the middle of the long sofa, seriously reviewing the documents. On his left and right sat Xiao Mingxuan and Fu Shanming. Not wanting to sit next to either of them, Shao Xiujie had no choice but to take the single armchair diagonally across from them.

“It’s honestly surprising to see you here, Mr. Xiao,” he said. “Things got so out of hand back then, I thought…” He paused, then continued, “But I suppose after more than a year, a lot can change. Looks like I’m behind on updates. I didn’t even know the two of you had made up. That’s embarrassing.”

The moment he spoke, the other two immediately thought of that period when tensions had nearly exploded. Fu Shanming looked at Xiao Mingxuan, eyes narrowing slightly. They didn’t seem to have made up at all.

Xiao Mingxuan’s expression didn’t change. He answered calmly, “I still haven’t properly thanked you, Mr. Shao. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, it wouldn’t have been so easy for Song Feng and me to escape.”

Fu Shanming turned to look at Shao Xiujie, narrowing his eyes again. So this guy really had interfered. If it weren’t for that, he would’ve had the two of them in his hands already, to play however he liked.

“I only wanted to help Xiao Feng,” Shao Xiujie said evenly. “I assumed he’d be able to get out on his own with no trouble. I never thought he’d take a bullet. He almost…” His gaze lingered. “You were there that day, Mr. Xiao. What exactly happened? How did he end up shot?”

Xiao Mingxuan froze. That question struck right at the sore spot. He quickly pulled himself together. “When Song Feng came to rescue me that day, his left shoulder was already injured. After all the chaos that followed, he came down with a fever. Because of that… he let his guard down.” He stopped there, unable to keep going, and instead asked, “I’m not sure how he got hurt in the first place. At the time, I heard he was working as your bodyguard, Mr. Shao. Would you know anything about that?”

Now it was Shao Xiujie’s turn to tense. He avoided the question. “So that’s what happened. When I heard the news about Xiao Feng back then, it really shook me. Was that false report your idea, Mr. Xiao?”

That fabricated news hadn’t sat well with either him or Fu Shanming. Both had nearly gone mad with rage and wanted to tear apart whoever had masterminded it. Fu Shanming glanced at Xiao Mingxuan again, but the man shifted the conversation with a few easy words.

The members of Xingtian scooted even further away. The tension in the room was rising by the minute.

Fu Shanming didn’t care to hear any more pointless talk. He looked at the two of them, then at Song Feng, who was still obediently reading the documents. Taking advantage of the lull in conversation, he leaned over and pulled him into his arms, holding him tight, then gave him a squeeze for good measure. “Baby, let’s go upstairs and play, hmm?”

Song Feng: “…”

The other two froze. Xiao Mingxuan immediately pulled his wife back into his arms. “He’s mine.”

Fu Shanming snorted. “How many times are you going to say that? Aren’t you tired of it?”

Xiao Mingxuan kissed Song Feng on the cheek like no one else was there. “Not tired.”

Fu Shanming had already seen them in bed together, so he didn’t even blink. Shao Xiujie, however, looked visibly colder. He glanced at Song Feng, as if wanting to say something, but seeing the man’s indifferent expression, he knew Song Feng had long gotten used to this. The emotion in his eyes grew heavier.

Song Feng blinked, glanced around the room, and looked at the group curled up nearby. Then he turned to Xiao Mingxuan, eyes full of innocence. The latter patted his head. “How’s the reading going?”

“I finished. I’m going to Thailand.”

Xiao Mingxuan nodded. He didn’t object. No matter where this man went, he would follow.

Fu Shanming looked intrigued. “Baby, what’s your plan?”

“I want your men to help with something,” Song Feng said, narrowing his pretty eyes. “I’m planning to do it the same way as before. Start by taking a few of them out.”

Fu Shanming raised an eyebrow. The so-called “same way” meant going straight for the core members of the organization. Once they were gone, the whole thing would fall apart on its own. He nodded. “I’ll come with you. I’ll have my people dig them out to make it easier for you, and I want to see for myself whether Dian really has someone backing him.”

Song Feng shrugged indifferently. With how much power this man had in Thailand, having him along would definitely work to his advantage.

“I’m coming too,” Shao Xiujie said as he stood up. There was already a gap of over a year between him and Song Feng. He didn’t want that distance to grow any further. After this trip, he didn’t know when they would see each other again. This might be his only chance.

Xiao Mingxuan was instantly displeased, though it didn’t show on his face. He responded calmly, “I remember attending your engagement banquet the last time I visited. It’s been quite a while since then. You must be married by now. This trip will be dangerous. Are you not worried about your wife, Mr. Shao?”

The implication was clear: if you’re already married, why are you still getting involved?

Song Feng reached out and quietly tugged at his sleeve. “That was during the time when Fu Shanming and Shao Xiujie were at each other’s throats. The Liu family sensed trouble and called off the engagement early…”

Xiao Mingxuan: “…”

Fu Shanming chimed in with amusement, “He’s single now. Been waiting for someone this whole time. Can you guess who?”

Xiao Mingxuan looked at Song Feng, his gaze heavy with meaning. Song Feng froze, eyes darting in guilt. He happened to meet Shao Xiujie’s eyes across the room, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t until he felt an arm tighten around his waist that he snapped back to attention and rushed to change the subject.

“How did you know that organization was targeting me? I’m guessing you already knew last year, didn’t you?”

Xiao Mingxuan and Wei Xiaoyan stiffened. Shao Xiujie stayed silent. Fu Shanming narrowed his eyes, a smile slowly curling on his lips. “Baby, you actually…” He was about to say you actually didn’t know those two were injured, but he cut himself off suddenly.

Shao Xiujie was now standing right in front of him, reaching out to ruffle his hair. His eyes were almost gentle.

Fu Shanming’s expression froze. “Let go. What the hell are you doing?”

If he had a choice, Shao Xiujie wouldn’t be doing something so nauseating either. But during the Spring Festival, while talking to Song Feng, he realized that Song Feng had been kept completely in the dark. Though he didn’t fully understand what those people had been planning, after digging into the situation, he could more or less grasp how they had felt. And he agreed that keeping it from him had probably been the right call.

He looked at Fu Shanming and responded to what he had said earlier—about waiting for someone.

“I told you before, he’s in the past. I’m not following him.”

Fu Shanming turned his head aside. “Not for him? Then what, for me?”

Shao Xiujie didn’t answer. Unless absolutely forced, he would never say something that disgusting. He reached out and ruffled his hair again.

Fu Shanming froze once more, feeling completely uncomfortable. He smacked the hand away and turned to leave, visibly flustered and annoyed.

Song Feng stared in disbelief. “What’s with him…”

Shao Xiujie watched Fu Shanming walk off, then turned his gaze back and said in his usual calm tone, “I told you, he’s starved for love. The more someone cares about him, the less he knows how to deal with it.”

Song Feng twitched at the corner of his mouth. “Aren’t you afraid he might suddenly snap and kill you?”

“I haven’t done anything that crosses the line, so for now, no,” Shao Xiujie replied with certainty.

Song Feng didn’t ask further, though he was still a little surprised. “What was he about to say just now? And how exactly did you find out about all this?”

“You and I were the last people he had frequent contact with before you left for the base. Of course that organization had to come to us to find you,” Shao Xiujie said without a change in expression. “That’s how we found out.”

Song Feng nodded, then asked, “They were looking for me since last year?”

“Yeah.” As he spoke, Shao Xiujie exchanged a quick look with Xiao Mingxuan, his expression steady, clearly signaling that he had done all of this for Song Feng’s sake, and it had nothing to do with the others’ intentions. Xiao Mingxuan, while clearly unhappy, had to admit this man had just done him a huge favor.

Song Feng didn’t notice their silent exchange. He rubbed his chin, guessing that Wang Yizhong had probably known about this long ago. He glanced at Wei Xiaoyan and saw the latter looking completely innocent. “What is it, boss?”

Song Feng eyed him with suspicion for a while, but still couldn’t find any flaws. So he laid the documents out on the coffee table and waved the others over. “We’re heading out this afternoon.”

Shao Xiujie stepped forward and said, “Xiao Feng, I’m heading back to take care of a few things. I’ll meet you all later this afternoon.”

Song Feng raised an eyebrow. “You’re really coming with us?”

Shao Xiujie nodded. “No point trying to talk me out of it. You won’t change my mind.”

Song Feng stayed silent. This man had never been one to waver once he made a decision. He could only watch as he left, then turned back to brief the others and assign tasks. He swept his gaze across the room. “Why are you all looking at me like that? What’s with those eyes?”

Everyone was staring at him with open curiosity and anticipation. Bai Xuyao spoke up, “Bro, come on, tell us what’s going on between all of you? Why does it feel so complicated? Is this, like, a love polygon or something?”

Under Xiao Mingxuan’s gaze, Song Feng immediately shook his head. “There’s nothing going on. Seriously.”

That afternoon, they departed from Alor Setar, taking an off-road vehicle onto the North–South Expressway and crossing into Thailand. In order to avoid drawing too much attention, Shao Xiujie and Fu Shanming left earlier by helicopter.

During the trip, Song Feng contacted Wang Yizhong. After a round of harsh questioning, he finally got him to admit that he had started investigating the matter as early as last year. Song Feng requested the files, read through them carefully, and then pushed the laptop toward the others, asking them to memorize the names and faces of the organization’s key members to prepare for the mission.

They arrived at their destination just past midnight. Fu Shanming called to report the confirmed addresses of several core members. Two of them were currently absent. Song Feng memorized each one and laid out the map to divide up the assignments. After more than half a year of experience, this kind of assassination work had become second nature.

Xiao Mingxuan scanned the map, then pointed to an unremarkable bar. “Meet back here before sunrise. Make sure you all stay safe.”

“Yes.”

There were only five core members. Song Feng drew too much attention, so Xiao Mingxuan didn’t let him join the action. Instead, he had him wait near the bar. Song Feng didn’t argue. He sat in the off-road vehicle and used his phone to contact Fu Shanming, requesting the exact locations of the remaining two core members. After ending that call, he dialed Wang Yizhong. Since the man had been investigating all along, he had surely stationed people in the area.

“The organization’s in your hands. I want those last two dead before dawn.”

Wang Yizhong agreed, then asked with concern, “What are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to wipe out all the core members in one night,” Song Feng said, narrowing his eyes, the sharp glint in them hidden by his lashes. “At daybreak, I’ll go pay Dian a visit myself.”

“You’re in Thailand? That whole area is under his control. If you show up…”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” Knowing the man was concerned, Song Feng offered a few words of reassurance. As he spoke, his gaze swept toward the bar and spotted someone approaching. He squinted at them for a while, then said into the phone, “That’s all for now. I’ve got something to deal with.”

He hung up, opened the door, and stepped out of the car. Then he went into the bar and sat at the counter for a drink. Before long, someone took the seat beside him. He glanced over and confirmed that he hadn’t been seeing things. The person really was a full-fledged beauty.

Grinning, he snapped his fingers. “Her tab’s on me.”

The beauty turned to look at him and smiled—a smile stunning enough to bring down cities.

So when Xiao Mingxuan and the others returned from their mission, having completed the job, evaded pursuit, and exhausted themselves in the process, what they saw was Song Feng sitting there chatting with a gorgeous woman, his pretty eyes full of teasing charm.

Bai Xuyao’s eyes lit up. “Damn, she’s stunning…”

Xiao Mingxuan: “…”

Bai Xuyao snapped out of it and hurried over. “Boss, calm down. My brother would never cheat on you…” He stopped himself mid-sentence, because just then Song Feng and the beauty stepped out together, laughing and chatting as they turned into the alley beside the bar. One of them had an arm casually wrapped around the other’s waist.

There was no need to guess what they were about to do.

Xiao Mingxuan narrowed his eyes and stood still. This was no simple situation.

Bai Xuyao watched silently for a moment. “Boss, stay strong.”

Xiao Mingxuan didn’t respond. After estimating the time, he immediately headed after them. The rest of the group followed behind. Just as they turned the corner, they saw Song Feng wrap his arms around the beauty from behind. He slipped past the blade she stabbed at him, grabbed her neck with both hands, and twisted sharply. A crisp crack echoed, and she went limp.

“You thought I wouldn’t make a move just because she’s a woman?” He tossed the body aside like it meant nothing, then sighed with some regret. “Too bad. I’m not into women with spikes.”

Bai Xuyao and the others: “…”

Song Feng strolled out calmly and locked eyes with them. “What’s with those looks? Do I really come off as some horny bastard to you?”

The whole group nodded in unison.

Song Feng: “…”

He let out a disgruntled sound and couldn’t be bothered to deal with them. He turned away and called over his shoulder, “Get in the car. We’re going to see this so-called Dian.”