Two months of peace passed before the goods were seized.
The weather was gloomy, with a hint of rain in the humid air.
The breeze brushing against her cheek was sticky, prompting the woman inside the car to slowly close the window.
With the wind silenced, the atmosphere inside the car grew heavy.
In the back seat were two women: Huo Ai, the manager of Coral Reef Group, and her partner, Dong Enyu.
Dong Enyu turned her head to look out the window, noticing a thin layer of mist forming on the glass.
It was raining… Thinking back, the incident happened suddenly.
Half a month ago, Haijiao prepared two containers of arms to sell to Wutang.
After the contract was signed, the arms were shipped from an overseas port.
However, the cargo ship was intercepted halfway, forcing the transaction to halt.
From the information and threats received, it was clear that the robbery targeted Haijiao and expressed strong dissatisfaction with Wutang.
The robbers were the bandit army that had long cooperated with Wutang.
“Stop the car here,” Huo Ai’s hoarse voice pulled Dong Enyu back to reality.
She realized that the view outside was no longer the monotonous highway but a lively entertainment district.
Despite the light rain, it didn’t affect the city’s pleasure-seekers.
Neon lights illuminated the entire street, and the men and women in front of her wore fake yet weary smiles.
Huo Ai had the driver stop by the roadside and got out of the car, with Dong Enyu following suit.
They were here today to hold a rescue meeting with Wutang.
They slipped between two clothing stores, where an old staircase came into view.
Huo Ai, familiar with the place, walked up, while Dong Enyu hesitated for a second before following.
The dilapidated staircase led to a second-floor café with a British classical atmosphere.
It wasn’t entirely a café, as the doormen were two burly men with shaved heads, resembling movie bodyguards in suits.
“Huo Ai,” the woman in front announced her name first, then pointed to the woman behind her, “Dong Enyu.” The two bodyguards pulled out photos from their suit jackets, confirmed their identities, and opened the wooden door, saying, “Please come in.” They were quite polite.
Dong Enyu smiled and followed Huo Ai into the café, but her smile faded as soon as she stepped inside.
Coffee aroma? Classical music? “Typical underworld style,” Dong Enyu muttered, voicing her thoughts.
The narrow café had no waitstaff, only men standing in two rows holding guns, and Wutang Boss Di Wei, sipping coffee with his legs crossed on the sofa, along with his trusted subordinate, Luo Ye, who was always dressed in a military uniform with a peaked cap.
“Would you like some coffee?” Di Wei put down his coffee cup and asked with a smile.
Huo Ai ignored the men holding guns around her, walked forward with a smile, and calmly found a seat.
“No need to trouble yourself.” As soon as she spoke, Di Wei waved his hand, signaling the woman beside him to step back, as if she were the owner of the café.
Dong Enyu glanced at Luo Ye, noticing that the eyes under the shadow of the cap were staring at her intently.
The woman sighed helplessly.
The intense gaze clearly questioned why Dong Enyu wasn’t wearing the bracelet Luo Ye had given her.
Dong Enyu covered her left wrist.
Huo Ai didn’t like her wearing necklaces or bracelets, for reasons unknown.
“Enyu?” Huo Ai called out, reminding the woman standing at a distance to come over.
“Yes, I’m coming.” Dong Enyu shifted her gaze from Luo Ye, a subtle move that didn’t escape Huo Ai’s notice.
At the same time, Huo Ai also turned her gaze to Luo Ye, and their eyes met briefly, a calm yet slightly amused dark gaze meeting deep, emerald green eyes, sparking a faint connection.
“Let’s not waste words.
What do you think about this incident, Manager Huo?” Unaware of the change in atmosphere, Di Wei adjusted his hair and sat up straight.
“Provocation,” Huo Ai tapped her thigh lightly with her index finger, speaking calmly.
“It’s just a childish provocation.
From the calls and messages, it’s clear that the other party is jealous of Wutang and Haijiao’s partnership, like losing a best friend and resorting to revenge.”
No matter how you look at it, Wutang’s rise was closely tied to the bandit army.
Now that they’ve abandoned their old love, it must be hard for them.
Or rather… their steady source of income has been cut off.
“They proposed only one reconciliation plan,” Huo Ai had Dong Enyu spread the printed data on the table.
“Unless we abandon our cooperation with Coral Reef Group, this batch of goods and any future shipments intercepted will belong to them.
If we don’t pay a ransom, they will destroy or sell the goods.”
In other words, if they can’t have it, no one else can.
“Tch, they’re like parasites,” Di Wei kicked the table in frustration, causing the coffee cup to clatter.
“There’s no benefit in working with them.
Those guys should see reality by now.
In this era, where do pirates have a place? And they’re still playing these games.”
Huo Ai crossed her arms, her expression maintaining a slight smile.
A professional smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“What should we do? Terminate the contract?” Di Wei turned to Luo Ye, grinning mischievously.
Terminate the contract? Luo Ye raised the brim of her cap, her wolf-like eyes staring directly at Dong Enyu.
This gaze wasn’t hostile, but it made the woman uneasy.
Dong Enyu clenched her hands slightly, meeting Luo Ye’s gaze without flinching, from head to toe, and back again… until Huo Ai placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her two inches closer, no more, no less.
“What does Miss Luo think? Are you planning to terminate the contract with us, or…” Huo Ai tilted her head, smiling.
“Continue the cooperation?” Her smiling eyes felt devoid of warmth, like a lifeless doll’s gaze.
Huo Ai’s smile was always like this, perhaps even more so now.
“Continue the cooperation,” Luo Ye lowered her cap, her deep voice magnetic.
“That’s right.
I’d rather choose the option with the least loss than pay a penalty,” Di Wei laughed, slapping his thigh.
“The option with the least loss?” Huo Ai returned her gaze to Di Wei, withdrawing her hand from Dong Enyu’s shoulder.
As if relieved of a burden, the woman glanced at Huo Ai, feeling a chill down her spine during those brief seconds.
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, and Dong Enyu blinked, shaking off the strange feeling.
“Yes,” Di Wei nodded, a mysterious smile on his face.
“Proceed with X Plan.”
… The so-called X Plan was still unclear to Dong Enyu before she boarded the ship.
In the evening by the dock, the woman stood with a briefcase, staring at the speedboat in a daze.
She watched as the crew slowly docked the speedboat, and a few men hurriedly refueled it.
Not far away, two cars were parked by the roadside, with Di Wei and Huo Ai leaning against them, engaged in conversation.
But Dong Enyu noticed that Huo Ai hadn’t looked at her once since she got out of the car… The inexplicable sense of distance reminded her of what happened in the morning.
It had been a day since the meeting in the Red Light District… but a thin veil suddenly enveloped the two of them, obscuring their view of each other, yet allowing them to touch… This elusive feeling made Dong Enyu uncomfortable.
It was unsettling… “Is this trip safe?” Dong Enyu asked as she put on her suit jacket, seeing the woman not far behind her in the dressing mirror, her long black hair resting on her shoulders, focused on something on her phone.
The code name Di Wei casually gave, X Plan, what exactly was it? Dong Enyu could only speculate.
From the black briefcase Huo Ai brought her, it seemed to be cash.
As the saying goes, money talks.
If they offered the bandit army a generous amount, they shouldn’t make things too difficult for both sides.
This was probably the most amicable solution, right?
Huo Ai didn’t respond, her head down, scrolling through her phone with a blank expression.
Dong Enyu felt a bit awkward, putting on her jacket.
Just as she opened the drawer, a delicate bracelet caught her eye… the three million from Luo Ye…
“Not sure.” A hoarse voice startled the woman, causing her to close the drawer.
Turning around, Huo Ai was already standing behind Dong Enyu, just two steps away.
The woman blinked, taking the briefcase Huo Ai handed her, while stepping to the right to block Huo Ai’s view of the drawer.
“Is that so? If I don’t come back, you can find a new partner.” Her tone was like a wife preparing for divorce, with a hint of self-mockery and helplessness.
She almost said “congratulations.” What did Huo Ai say in response? Dong Enyu recalled, brushing her wind-tousled hair with one hand.
She remembered the woman only responded with a faint “hmm.”
“The fuel is full! Ready to go!” The noise around her was constant, as Wutang’s men removed the fuel hose, and a few men quickly closed the fuel tank, jumping back onto the dock from the speedboat.
Dong Enyu tightened her grip on the briefcase, intending to look back one more time, but Luo Ye’s gaze stopped her.
As their figures crossed paths, the warning look in the other person’s eyes left Dong Enyu feeling inexplicably uneasy.
She furrowed her brows, straightened her back, and decisively boarded the ship.
This voyage was just Luo Ye and her, and the long-awaited solitude turned into this kind of scene, as if a war was about to break out, and even her mood rose with the waves to a certain level.
Dong Enyu stood outside the cockpit, watching the land grow more distant.
Indeed, not taking a last look at Huo Ai left her a bit unsettled… a bad premonition lingered.
“Are you scared of going deep into the enemy’s lair this time?” Dong Enyu took out a cigarette she had brought along, lit it, and took a shallow puff as she asked.
She heard the sound of boots on the wooden deck, gradually approaching her.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, and the warmth from behind made Dong Enyu tilt her head slightly, meeting Luo Ye’s eyes hidden under the brim of a hat.
Scared? Dong Enyu had never seen anything resembling fear in those eyes.
The woman shrugged, feeling Luo Ye hold her empty left wrist for a second or two before letting go.
“Come here.” Luo Ye tugged at Dong Enyu, pulling her into the cockpit.
Before the woman could react, Luo Ye opened the suitcase they had brought with a ‘snap.’
What lay before her made Dong Enyu hold her breath.
Her fingers, holding the cigarette, trembled slightly, and the ash scattered in the sea breeze.
Reflected in her pitch-black pupils was Luo Ye’s emotionless face, and beside her, a case full of… weapons.
