Before the field agent got close to Xia Lei, Jacqueline Eva suddenly yelled, “Stop right there! If you take another step, I will shoot to kill!”
The muzzle of Eriksson’s gun locked on to the field agent who was moving to arrest Xia Lei. He had already loaded the gun and was ready to shoot the target at any time.
“What do you want?” Gu Kewen knotted her brows.
“Leave this place immediately!” Jacqueline Eva’s voice was firm. “Mr Xia is an honoured guest, invited here by France. We’ve promised him that no other country or person would be able to arrest him in France. I do not care what you guys do to him after he leaves France, but this is France, not someplace where you CIA can do as you please!”
“Who is your chief?” Gu Kewen said in a cold voice, “Give me a number. I will contact him right now.”
Jacqueline Eva suddenly pointed her gun at Gu Kewen. This was her answer.
“You want to stop us with this amount of manpower?” Gu Kewen continued to pressure Jacqueline Eva. “If we were to fight, you guys will die an unpleasant death. Give him to me, go home, take a shower and sleep well. You will find that there will be no problem the next day. We will explain everything to the French government.”
Jacqueline Eva glanced at Eriksson. The latter said nothing, but nodded. Jacqueline Eva relaxed.
This was obviously a sort of secret signal, and the message was related to reinforcements. This was Paris, France after all. It was the territory of the French, and the CIA would never get the upper hand when it came to numbers. It would only be temporary even if they did.
Gu Kewen shot her men another look. This time, four CIA field agents stepped out. She would not give the French people any more time.
“Wait.” Xia Lei finally opened his mouth to speak. “Gu Kewen, do you really think that you can take me away from here?”
“Stop talking. I will have a nice chat with you after we go back.” Gu Kewen subconsciously touched her butt. For some reason, the scar on her butt began to itch again when she was face-to-face with Xia Lei.
Four CIA field agents surrounded Xia Lei. Before they could draw close, four special agents of the French Gendarmerie also came up. Four special agents versus four field agents, four assault rifles against four assault rifles. The muzzles of their guns were pointed at each other, and neither side would back down.The atmosphere became tense. If anyone were to lose his cool, or even show a hint of an intention to attack at this moment, the ground would probably be covered with dead bodies!
“You should give up, Gu Kewen. Did you think I would come here if you can take me away from France?” Xia Lei was not nervous at all. In reality, if he were just to gesture with his hands right now, Gu Kewen’s head would be pierced with a bullet right away.
But he did not do that. If Gu Kewen died here, the CIA would have further reason to press the French government to hand him over. If that happened, he would be in a very tough and dangerous situation. Of course, if the situation became uncontrollable, Jacqueline Eva and the French Gendarmerie’s special forces could not protect him anymore, and if Gu Kewen and the people of the CIA insisted on taking him away, he would get his men to fire.
“Xia Lei, I will take you away today no matter what. It’s useless to resist, whether you’re willing, or not.” Gu Kewen then gave an order right away. “Take him away. If anyone dares to interfere, kill him!”
The CIA field agents followed her orders, taking further radical action. Two or three guns were pointed at each of the French Gendarmerie special agents, including Jacqueline Eva.
A CIA field agent pushed aside the Gendarmerie special agent who was in his way, and took large steps toward Xia Lei.
But right at that moment, the piercing sound of sirens came from the road to the right. A military off-road car lead the way, followed by several armored military vehicles. A machine gunner stood on top of each armoured military vehicles.
The reinforcements had come just in time.
The CIA field agents who were trying to arrest Xia Lei stopped in their tracks.
Xia Lei smiled. “You see? Even America has things it cannot do. You can keep your head for now. I will come for it after I leave France.”
Gu Kewen’s expression was so dark it could scare a person.
The French Special Forces speedily got down from their cars and surround the people of the CIA immediately. Their numbers were three times that of the CIA’s. The CIA, who had previously possessed the advantage in numbers, became the weaker one in the blink of an eye. None of the people of the CIA dared to move, much less capture Xia Lei.
“Put down your weapons!” Eriksson’s voice was as sharp as a knife. “Or we will shoot!”
The CIA field agents did not move but they were nervous. They looked at Gu Kewen, waiting for her orders.
Gu Kewen did not want to accept the current situation.
Bang bang bang! Eriksson shot into the sky three times.
Gu Kewen’s lips trembled but finally she gave her order. “Put away your guns!”
Xia Lei laughed. “Gu Kewen, do you still not understand? I do not know who sent you to capture me, but I know what he is planning. If you die in my hands, then he would have enough reason to press the French government to hand me over. You are being used as cannon fodder and yet you feel a sense of superiority. I am impressed.”
“Are you done talking?” Gu Kewen’s voice was cold.
Xia Lei shrugged. “If I were you, I would take care of my own problems first and not be used as someone’s cannon fodder. You are lucky that you are still alive, but luck will not always stay by your side.”
“Shut up!” Gu Kewen screamed at Xia Lei. She had had enough of his ridicule.
“Mark my words. I will have your head the next time we see each other.” Xia Lei walked towards the Mercedes which was waiting for him.
Jacqueline Eva gave Gu Kewen a cold look. “Do not cause trouble. This is France — even the CIA cannot protect you.”
Gu Kewen snorted and said nothing. She watched as Jacqueline Eva left with Xia Lei and the French Gendarmerie special forces.
“Boss, what should we do?” asked a CIA field agent.
“Withdraw.” Gu Kewen turned to leave but when her back was to her subordinates, her mouth curved into a cold smile. “Sean, is it you who wants me dead, or William Mussi who wants me dead? Whichever one of you wants my life, I will take yours!”
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the building across the Louvre Museum.
“What is wrong with Boss?” complained Alessio. “We went took such big risks to kill Gu Kewen the last time in South Korea, and we could have killed her this time, but why did Boss stop us? It is such a shame that we missed this chance.”
“Yeah, now that we have missed this chance, who knows when we will be able to kill that woman,” said Bagu.
Amanda’s voice came from the communicator, “You two stupid assholes, can’t you see? Gu Kewen was sent here by the CIA to die. If we kill Gu Kewen, then America would have an excuse to pressure the French government. If that happens, Boss would carry the crime of killing a high-ranking CIA official. How would be be able to leave France then?”
As expected of the Zodiac team’s tactical planner. Amanda saw their true intentions.
“You guys should stop talking. We need to catch up.” Park Taeyong’s voice came from the communicator.
The Zodiac team quickly retreated. They came and went without a trace.
This crisis had come quickly, and gone quickly.
Actually, Gu Kewen’s appearance had not been a surprise to Xia Lei at all. There was no way the Americans would not do anything after he came to France. The people of the CIA would show up in front of him sooner or later, he just hadn’t expected that they would be this impatient. He had just came to France when Gu Kewen showed up with her CIA men.
The Mercedes car headed towards the Paris Star.
“Mr Xia, do you know that CIA woman?” Jacqueline Eva broke the silence in the car.
“Yeah, I do.” Xia Lei said, “Her name is Gu Kewen. She is the CIA’s supervisor of Asia. I have some personal grievances with her. She thirsts to kill me.”
“The CIA’s supervisor of Asia? That is not a lowly position.” Jacqueline Eva gave Xia Lei a look. “But you said that she was sent by someone to die. If the CIA are willing to sacrifice such an important person... How valuable must you be to them?”
Xia Lei was silent for a bit, then he laughed. “I slept with the American president’s daughter. She was not willing then.”
“Huh?” Jacqueline Eva was flabbergasted.
“Please keep this secret for me. I’m only telling you because you helped me earlier.” Xia Lei had a serious look on his face.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
Xia Lei replied calmly, “Why would I joke about something like this?”
“Enough. I won’t believe it was this kind of a reason,” said Jacqueline Eva. “I can understand that you do not want to tell me. That’s okay. I do not want to pry into your secrets — I only want to complete my job.”
Xia Lei only smiled and did not say anything more. Nothing that Jacqueline Eva said was true, so why would he tell her the truth? However, even if Jacqueline Eva did investigate, she would not know why the Americans were going so persistently after him.
The car stopped in front of the Paris Star.
“Mr Xia, in consideration of the current situation, it is advisable for you to not leave the hotel without permission. I will leave a few more people to protect you. That’s not a problem, is it?” said Jacqueline Eva as she poked her head out from the car window when Xia Lei stepped out of the car.
“No problem.” Xia Lei agreed without a second thought.
“I will pick you up tomorrow to talk about our collaboration. Good night, Mr Xia.” Jacqueline Eva started the car and drove away without waiting for Xia Lei’s answer.
Xia Lei smiled bitterly. The French were so protective of him only for his technology. The faster they could reach their goal, the better it would be for them, since he had now become a hot potato — the faster you throw it away, the better.
“Like I would do as you want. Dream on.” Xia Lei turned and entered the hotel.
Eriksson escorted Xia Lei to the top with several soldiers of the National Gendarmerie. This time, the Special Forces stationed in the hotel had doubled to 24 people. They not only controlled the top floor of the hotel, but also the elevators and stairways. The hotel lobby, too, was closely monitored by them.
Xia Lei couldn’t be bothered with acknowledging the Gendarmerie’s Special Forces. He knocked on Qing Caiyue’s door.
Qing Caiyue looked quite dazed when she opened the door. She wore a cartoon-patterned pyjamas and looked very cute. When she saw that it was Xia Lei at the door, she immediately perked up. She could not help but smile. “Director Xia, you…”
“Do you have a pencil?” asked Xia Lei.
“Pencil? You came to me for… a pencil?”
“Do you have one? If you don’t I will just ask the people at the front desk to get me one.”
“I do, I will get it for you right now.” Qing Caiyue turned and went into the room. She soon came back with a pencil and a notebook.
“Thank you.” Xia Lei took the pencil and notebook from her hands.
Qing Caiyue hesitated, then pushed her hair behind her ears. She looked at Xia Lei with wide eyes. “Director Xia, did you really come to borrow a pencil?”
“That’s right,” said Xia Lei.
“Nothing else?” Qing Caiyue’s slipped her little tongue out to lick at a corner of her tender lips.
“Good night.” Xia Lei turned and left.
Qing Caiyue stood blankly in the doorway. She stood there for quite a while, motionless.
Which CEO would come to his female secretary’s room in the middle of the night just to borrow a pencil?
Weirdo!