The detention room had just a bed made of a metal frame and wooden planks. A white blanket sat on the bed, and army-green bedding folded to the size of tofu cubes. There was aldo a toilet bowl, and a sink for washing up. It was quite spartan, and so empty that there didn’t seem to be anything else to do there besides sleep.
Xia Lei felt a headache coming on at the thought that he would have to spend the next two weeks in this environment. In all honesty, he really was blessed by the Heavens for only having to go through this very very light punishment when the higher-ups knew about him being the scapegoat for Shentu Tianyin. They had not pursued the matter with her either.
Tang Yuyan went into the room with Xia Lei with a smile on her face. “I’ll come over to spend time with you when I am free, and help to lessen the boredom. Oh, right, what type of books do you like? I’ll get them for you.”
Xia Lei thought for a bit, and said, “Get me some technical books on science, those about physics, chemistry and uh, optics.”
“Are you really planning on becoming a scientist?” Tang Yuyan had an odd look on her face. “You can’t just amass all that knowledge in ten days or two weeks.”
“Just get me some books. I’m a member of the Academy of Science now, after all. I need to communicate with those scientists. I don’t want to become a scientist myself but I will still need to be able to carry on the conversation when they talk about proposing a formula or discuss a principle. Won’t I be a laughingstock if I become a member of the Academy of Science, and know nothing?” said Xia Lei.
Tang Yuyan gave a laugh. “True. You need to be able to know something to fake it. Sure, I’ll bring you books. I’ll bring you some feminine reading material too.”
“Feminine reading material?” Xia Lei’s face filled with confusion.
“You keep getting duped by women. Your EQ is just too low. I’m going to give you some reading material so you can study up and avoid getting duped by women again,” said Tang Yuyan.
Xia Lei was speechless.
“Okay, I’m off. I have to make a trip to Angel Wings Building too.” Tang Yuyan turned to leave.
Xia Lei called out to her. “Wait. You’re really going over?”
“Of course. You were there too. This is a task my Godfather gave me. I have to finish it.”
Xia Lei hesitated, but still took out the satellite phone which GU Kewen had given him. “This was all done by Gu Kewen. Her aim was to make use of Shentu Tianyin to pressure me, and make me fix the Thunder Dragon intelligent lathe in Rheinmetall AG. You know about it — I tinkered with that lathe before I left Germany. Gu Kewen’s guy will go to Angel Wings Building to retrieve the core parts. Be on the alert, and capture that person. We might be able to get Gu Kewen’s whereabouts out of the guy.”
“Why didn’t you say this just now, in my Godfather’s office?”
“Boss Shi and Ling Han were both mad as hell at that time, and it just so happened to be the time when Tianyin was being released. I didn’t dare reveal any more side issues. Isn’t me telling you now the same? I’ll get scolded one time less if you’re the one who tells Boss Shi this.”
“So Gu Kewen communicates with you with this satellite phone?”
“Yes. There’s a number on it.”
“Give it to me. I’ll contact her when I get to Angel Wings Building and get her guy to retrieve the things from me,” said Tang Yuyan.
Xia Lei handed the satellite phone to Tang Yuyan.
“Ay.” Tang Yuyan sighed. “I suddenly envy Shentu Tianyin very much. She made you a scapegoat for such a big crime, and you’re still doing so much for her.”
“Hurry and go,” urged Xia Lei.
“Anything you want me to say to her?”
“You can tell her… Um. Never mind. It’s nothing. You go.” Xia Lei took his words back before he said it. How could he ask Tang Yuyan to deliver words he wanted to say to Shentu Tianyin himself?
Tang Yuyan went to the door and suddenly looked back at Xia Lei. Her loaded gaze, that shy smile… it gave one the impression of a young girl in love.
Xia Lei didn’t contest her stare, and raised his chin to look at the ceiling.
Oh, an old-fashioned incandescent light bulb. It should be about 100 watts, huh?
“I’m going now. Is there something you want to say to me?” said Tang Yuyan probingly.
“Nn. Have a good trip,” said Xia Lei.
Tang Yuyan rolled her eyes at Xia Lei and went out the door.
Xia Lei lay on the bed after the door was closed, and his emotions went up and down like a roller coaster.
He was divorced. By that logic, he should be relieved, but his heart was still heavy.
Liang Siyao had hurt him once, and that wound had healed only recently when Shentu Tianyin had hurt him again, and even more deeply, more painfully.
‘My old man’s prediction was spot on. Looks like men like me are not cut out for marriage…’ Tang Yuyan, Long Bing and Jiang Ruyi’s faces flashed past in Xia Lei’s head, and he made a decision.
Half an hour later, Tang Yuyan arrived at Angel Wings Building. It seemed like she was alone, but her subordinates were already in place in the building.
The reporters were still there, and they had not left even though Shentu Tianyin had left.
Tang Yuyan alighted, took out the satellite phone, and dialled the number saved on it.
Ring ring ring, ring ring ring…
“Have you made your decision?” Gu Kewen’s voice came from over the line.
“I brought the items. Where are you?” said Tang Yuyan.
“You’re not Xia Lei. Who are you?” Gu Kewen’s voice was filled with alarm and anger.
“I am Xia Lei’s woman. He went to take the punishment for Shentu Tianyin. I’m here on his behalf, to complete the deal.”
“You’re Xia Lei’s woman? Xia Lei sure has a lot of women. You’re probably the one surnamed Tang, aren’t you? Tang Yuyan.” Gu Kewen’s voice was filled with ridicule. “When did you become Xia Lei’s woman? Do all of you Bureau 101 women like to fuck Xia Lei?”
“Enough bullshit! Do you want to do the deal, or not? I brought the parts. Show yourself.”
“Heh heh. You think I’d be so stupid as to come here personally to complete the deal?”
“Then get your guy over. I’m in the entrance of Angel Wings Building,” said Tang Yuyan.
“Stay there, and don’t move. Someone will come in five minutes. I’m warning you, no tricks or—”
“You’re more naggy than my mother! Hurry up!” Tang Yuyan hung up.
Five minutes later, a young man on a skateboard wearing a baseball cap approached Tang Yuyan’s position. He then stopped the skateboard in front of Tang Yuyan, looked her up and down and said, “Sis, someone told me to get something from you. Are you the person I’m supposed to be looking for?”
“Who told you to come get the items? What does he look like? Where was he?” asked Tang Yuyan.
“A baldie old uncle.” The young man pointed at the road. “Over there. He gave me 100 yuan. Say, Sis, give me the items. I want to go to the park to skate after I hand the items over to that guy.”
Tang Yuyan suddenly started sprinting in the direction that the young man had pointed.
“Hey, Sis? What are you doing?” The young man called out from behind her.
A Bureau 101 agent suddenly came charging from the side, and grabbed the skateboard youth, throwing him to the ground.
Tang Yuyan returned a few minutes later. She had not seen any bald uncle.
“Let him go,” she said to her subordinate.
The Bureau 101 agent released the young man.
The young man ran off in a panic.
The satellite phone rang again.
Tang Yuyan picked up, and started cursing as soon as she opened her mouth. “Bitch! You wanna play, huh? I’m game! Bring it on!”
“Tang Yuyan, don’t you pull this with me. Come to America if you want to arrest me. You’d better not go on any overseas missions in your life, or I’ll make sure you end up dead!”
“Sure. Since you say that, I’m going to investigate those people connected to your Gu clan. I don’t believe that those little remnants of the Gu clan are clean. I will first finish them, then come for you!”
Gu Kewen was silent.
“You have some evidence or something, don’t you? Take it all out. Let me tell you that the evidence you have can’t threaten anyone now. Don’t think that you can fight with Xia Lei because you joined the CIA. You will never be a match for him for your whole life. You don’t even qualify to be his opponent!”
Gu Kewen hung up.
Fight? With Tang Yuyan? She was not Long Bing, nor Xia Lei, because she had a huge backer — the Tang Sect, hundreds of years old and still going strong. The disciples of the Tang Sect were not pushovers either. Every one of them was versed in hidden weapons, and deadly poisons.
“Bitch! Damn you!” Tang Yuyan smashed the satellite phone to the ground in anger.
“What do we do now, Section Chief Tang?” asked the Bureau 101 agent cautiously.
“What else can we do? Go back. All of you.”
“Then, you…”
“I’m going to meet another bitch.”
The Bureau 101 agent was speechless.
Fu Mingmei walked into Angel Wings Building and went straight to Shentu Tianyin’s office.
“Our chairwoman is not in.” Fu Mingmei knew Tang Yuyan’s identity, and she did not dare to stop her.
Tang Yuyan’s gaze swept over Shentu Tianyin’s office, and she frowned. “She isn’t hiding from me, is she?”
“Why would our chairwoman hide from you? No, she really does have something to tend to. She is not in the company.” Fu Mingmei spoke carefully.
Tang Yuyan pointed at the office phone on the desk. “You give her a call. I’ll talk to her when the call connects.”
“This…” Fu Mingmei hesitated.
Tang Yuyan spoke indifferently, “Don’t think it’s all fine and dandy because our little dumbass went and became her scapegoat. If I think there’s something wrong with her, then there’s something wrong with her. Make the call, or I’ll drag her in for an interrogation.”
Fu Mingmei walked to the desk and picked up the phone. She dialled, but grumbled in her head, ‘Your little dumbass is divorced but he was still our Tianyin’s ex-husband, okay? How can you even say that sort of thing. How shameless…’
The call connected and Fu Mingmei said, “Tianyin, Miss Tang wants to speak with you.”
The line was silent for a bit before Shentu Tianyin’s voice could be heard. “Give the phone to her. I’ll speak with her.”
Fu Mingmei handed the phone to Tang Yuyan.
“Shentu Tianyin. Where are you?” Tang Yuyan went straight to the point, and she was not polite at all.
“I’m outside, but I don’t know where this is. I went for a stroll, to have some quiet. Why are you looking for me?”
“You know why.” Tang Yuyan spoke coldly, “Don’t think you can just use our little fool because he is kind and treats your relationship like a treasure. I’ll let you off this time on his account. Now that you two are divorced, you are not linked to him anymore. Don’t go looking for him again, and don’t meet him, or else…”
“Or else, what?” Shentu Tianyin’s voice lacked strength and she sounded like she was exhausted.
“You’re a smart woman. You know what I mean. If you harass him again, I’ll take it up with you.”
“Are you… trying to replace me?”
“He was mine from the start. You were the one who snatched him from me!”
Shentu Tianyin was silent for a bit before she said, “All right, I promise you. I won’t go looking for him, but there’s nothing I can do if he comes looking for me.”
“Ha! You think you are so charming?” A faint mocking smile appeared in the corners of Tang Yuyan’s mouth.
“That will be all, Miss Tang. Goodbye.”
Tang Yuyan flung the phone back on the desk with a BAM. “Arrogant woman!” she said angrily.
In the park, Shentu Tianyin put her mobile phone down. Her large eyes misted over with tears.
She had just divorced Xia Lei, but a woman was confronting her and already preparing to replace her. However, she knew that this pain was just the beginning, not the end.