“I failed to catch Qiao Yi, but I caught someone else who is also very important to Qiao Ying,” Xiao Yi reported to the leader of Shadow Organization on the screen: “Please allow me to bring this person back.”
JOKER: “Bring them here.”
Xiao Yi: “Yes.”
Qiao Ying suddenly received a video call invitation from an unknown number, clearly a hacker’s doing. But their skills were inferior and could not break through her firewall to force a video call.
Qiao Ying tapped to accept the call.
JOKER’s face covered by scrambled code appeared on the screen. “We meet again,” the distorted voice said.
JOKER looked Qiao Ying up and down: “You seem to have recovered well, how disappointing.”
Ye Si was about to step forward to deal with this leader of Shadow Organization. Qiao Ying stopped him with a wave of her hand.
Without wasting words, Qiao Ying asked directly: “Should I come find you, or will you come get me?”
JOKER: “Poland, Nigeria, New Delhi, Canberra. Care to guess where I've hidden them?”
Qiao Ying outside the screen remained expressionless.
JOKER: “I’m easy to deal with. I’ll allow your three friends there to rescue them.”
Clearly trying to get rid of Ye Si, Cheng Jinyan and Qin Hanyue.
Three hostages across four countries, scattered wide enough.
What a sly old fox.
Qiao Ying smiled coldly with scorn: “Tough words from an old coward afraid to get his hands dirty.”
Isn’t he afraid she would bring Cheng Jinyan and the others to attack together, hence this little scheme?
JOKER: “From the way you talk to the way you handle things, you two are so alike. I look forward to officially meeting you more and more.”
“I'm giving your friends one week. If they don't show up in a week, I'll kill all three.”
“If you say these three don't threaten you, I can always catch someone who does. I have plenty of patience to play games with you.”
“For old time's sake, let me remind you about the one you care for most. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him here.”
“Remember to come alone. If I find out you brought company, I guarantee he will suffer a fate worse than Blood Shadow.”
“You’re so smart and know her so well, finding me shouldn’t be difficult for you.”
“After crossing paths for so long, it’s time we met properly.”
“Oh right, I have an old friend of yours here that I bet you’re dying to see. I look forward to witnessing your reunion.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
The video cut off and JOKER disappeared from the screen.
An “old friend” – everyone present knew exactly who he was talking about.
Ye Si said firmly to Qiao Ying: “I forbid you to take suicidal risks to rescue those insignificant nobodies.”
Qiao Ying didn’t respond, only said: “It’s a long journey with only a week's time. Get prepared.”
Ye Si could hardly believe it. “You want us to rescue them?”
Qiao Ying replied: “Whether to rescue them or not, it’s time to end this.”
Ye Si: “Then at least wait until you and I have recovered from our injuries.”
With grave look, Qin Hanyue asked her: “Are you truly going by yourself?”
Qiao Ying met his eyes. “Do you have a better idea? This day would come sooner or later.”
Ye Si had a dark expression on his face. “I won't agree for you to go on a suicide mission. I'm not leaving you to go save those bastards I don't even know.”
“I never tolerated intimidation in my life. That old creep sure has a contagious sense of humor trying to threaten me with three deadbeats.”
Qiao Ying said: “You’re still injured. You don’t have to go; I’ll arrange for others.”
Ye Si’s agitated response: “Are you trying to piss me off? Going there alone, do you expect to come back alive? It’s suicide!”
Qiao Ying stated with certainty: “I will.”
Ye Si exclaimed anxiously: “You WILL?! They have already laid massive traps all over waiting for you to go die. Don’t be so full of yourself!”
Cheng Jinyan agreed: “I also disagree with this suicidal mission. Yes, we have a blood debt that must be settled with them. But with things as they are, it’s very difficult to slowly wear them down like before. At least wait until you’ve fully recovered then we can wage an all out war with them.”
Qiao Ying remained silent.
Seeing her attitude, Ye Si stopped trying to persuade her. “Fine, set on dying huh? I’m going with you. If we die, we die together.”
Having worked through last night without rest, plus this series of incidents with them, then hours of directing an intensive surgery, Qiao Ying felt irritated, disturbed by the leader of Shadow Organization.
Qin Hanyue, who had stayed quiet all this time, spoke up: “Have you contacted Moon Shadow? If we can get inside help from Shadow Organization, with a good long term strategy, perhaps this battle may stand some chance.”
He knew Qiao Ying would definitely rescue Sachs regardless, even marching to certain death, even with no hope of winning.
This had already happened before right?
She took that risk and lost her sight for Sachs.
If she feared death and didn’t go, that wouldn’t be her.
So, knowing he couldn’t persuade her, Qin Hanyue remained the calmest. Rather than futilely trying to stop her, he thought how to keep her alive.
Hearing this, Qiao Ying turned to him with a smile, clearly thinking along the same lines already.
Qin Hanyue told her: “You didn’t sleep last night right? Rest first, once you’re awake, we can strategize at length.”
After washing up, Qiao Ying went straight to bed after lunch.
Waking up that evening to a call, it was Qiao Yi now awake and calling for video.
She assured him: “Focus on healing, tell Instructor Hou anything you need. I’ll rescue them back.”
Qiao Yi felt extremely guilty about Huo Chengdong’s injuries.
Qiao Ying comforted him: “Huo Chengdong is fine now, don’t worry.”
Qiao Ying told him: “They’re your relatives, it’s understandable that you worried for their safety. They went after me, the cause originates from me, my involvement implicated you. You have no part in this.”
Qiao Yi asked: “Will you be in danger?”
Qiao Ying smiled and assured confidently: “I’ll be fine with your big brother Qin protecting me.”
Qiao Yi wondered: “Is big brother Qin stronger than them?”
Qiao Ying smiled. “Do you even need to ask?”
Still worried, Qiao Yi said: “Mom and the others too, will they...?” Cruel as Li Lilian had been, she was still his birth mother, how could he not care at all.
Qiao Ying promised: “I will get them back.”
After reassuring Qiao Yi, Qiao Ying lay in bed lost in thoughts.
Later, she got up, out to the living room sitting on the floor at the desk, continuing work on that unfinished bomb.
Two whole days passed in a flash.
Ye Si and Cheng Jinyan were all on the verge of crazy worry while Qin Hanyue was losing his cool too. Only then did Qiao Ying finally call them to discuss counter strategy.
All three came up showing matching black eye circles.
The Xu brothers were also called over.
A world map lay spread open on the table.
“I know where their bases are in Poland, Canberra and Nigeria. May need some time to locate the one in New Delhi though.” Qiao Ying had just finished speaking when an encrypted message came to her phone.
Checking, it was from Moon Shadow.
After viewing the message, Qiao Ying said: “Now I know where it is.”
