The Russian police took away ten corpses, and the injured gunman was taken away in an ambulance to a hospital. He would be questioned after treatment and perhaps they would find out which Bratva he belonged to, perhaps nothing.
Xia Lei did not hold much hope for the result. It was just a gunman so his position in the Bratva wouldn’t be high anyway. There was also the possibility that he did not know who had paid to have Xia Lei killed.
The matter was blown up but with Russia’s current relationship with China, it did not bring any unnecessary trouble. Ling Han showed his identification documents and the relevant paperwork and the Russian police checked them one by one; there was no trouble. Xia Lei answered just a few simple questions during the entire process.
But the knowledge that Xia Lei had killed seven gunmen and heavily injured one all by himself made the hardened Russian policemen look at him in awe; they looked at him like he was a monster.
Ling Han and Tang Yuyan were still giving their statements when Xia Lei turned to walk to the stairwell, out of the corridor.
“Where are you going?” asked Tang Yuyan.
Xia Lei did not look back. “To the rooftop for some air.”
“Some air?” Tang Yuyan almost choked on these words. She made to follow but the police officer taking her statement gestured, telling her that she could not leave.
Ling Han shrugged, and continued acting as interpreter for her.
Xia Lei did not go up to the roof. He had climbed the stairs just one floor up to the sixth floor and entered the corridor.
The hit had failed so Ye Kun was likely contacting the person who had ordered it; Ye Kun was probably the middleman. This was the best time to find out who the mastermind was. Xia Lei could not let this opportunity pass.
He quickly came to the door of Room 452 and knocked.
The door opened and a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Russian woman looked curiously at Xia Lei. She did not recognise this Chinese man at all but he had come knocking at her door. She’d thought that it was the police, coming to ask about the situation. The entire hotel knew about the huge incident downstairs.
“Sir, you….” The Russian woman looked at Xia Lei in alarm.
Xia Lei took out his wallet and pulled out a few 100-Euro notes. He shoved them in the woman’s hand. “Sorry, let me use your bathroom for a bit.”
He didn’t wait for her reply. Xia Lei brushed past her into the room and into her bathroom.
The Russian woman stared blankly at the tightly-shut door of the bathroom, then back at the money in her hand for a while before coming back to her senses. She didn’t mind getting hundreds of Euros for letting him use the bathroom at all. Plus, this man in the bathroom was a handsome one too.
Xia Lei did not dally in the bathroom. His left eye bore through the floor of the bathroom and down into the room below.
The people of Hanwu Weapons were discussing what had happened in Ye Kun’s room. Ye Kun did not join the discussion; he stood on the balcony, smoking. He then pulled out his mobile phone and dialled a number. He then seemed to realise something and waved his hand dismissively as he said, “You guys get out.”
The Hanwu Weapons employees left the room.
Ye Kun called the number and stood in the living room of the room for the call.
Xia Lei focused on his lips.
“What’s this, Mr Ahn?” Ye Kun was furious. “I just wanted those guns, and you guaranteed that the matter wouldn’t be blown up. Do you know what happened just now? Eleven gunmen turned up at the hotel and fired their guns everywhere…”
So it was Ahn Suhyeong!
Xia Lei eyes were ice.
“What? You’re asking if he’s dead? Would I be making this call if that punk’s dead?” Ye Kun seemed to be losing it. “One gunman. He killed off eight on his own! Ah, and one heavily injured. That punk left one alive – that’s a problem. You’d better make sure that he doesn’t let slip anything… That’s no problem then… Okay, I’ll contact you tomorrow. It’s not good to talk here.”
Ye Kun hung up and sat on the sofa, his expression heavy with thought.
He was not stupid. If anyone investigated and found out that he was related to this incident he would be in big trouble.
Xia Lei stopped using his X-ray vision and walked out of the bathroom.
The Russian woman was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, looking straight at Xia Lei with a bit of hesitation in her eyes.
“Thank you,” said Xia Lei politely.
The woman smiled suddenly and stripped the sleepwear from her body to stand naked before Xia Lei.
Xia Lei froze, then ran away.
“Hello? You’ve paid already. What…” Xia Lei disappeared before she finished her sentence.
Russia had been sanctioned by the West because of the Crimean issue, and the price of oil had taken a dive. These two things combined made the domestic economic situation fairly serious so many career women became willing to make some extra money. This woman had apparently seen Xia Lei as a customer but he had run off as soon as she stripped. What was this?
Xia Lei did not go up to the roof when he got to the stairwell but down to the fifth floor.
The police were done taking statements and were getting ready to go. A few policemen nodded at Xia Lei in respect.
Xia Lei was polite too and waved back at them. He even said goodbye.
“Didn’t you go up to the roof for air?” said Tang Yuyan. “I was about to go look for you.”
“Never mind, I don’t want to go anymore. What if there’s a sniper too? I don’t have a gun with me either – it’s too dangerous.”
“We don’t have to stay here. We’re going somewhere else,” said Ling Han.
“Where?” asked Xia Lei.
“The embassy. I’ll go report right now. You guys pack.” Ling Han went back to his room.
Xia Lei returned to his room too. Carnage met his eyes. Blood all over the floor, broken glass everywhere. The engineering box was still on the bed and bullets had left marks on it but it was specially-made and the bullets had not pierced the box, nor damaged the sniper rifles inside.
The Russian police had already opened the engineering box and seen what was inside. Ling Han had produced the relevant documents and the police had not taken the guns for the light weapons exhibition away after they verified it. They surely would have taken the guns if Ling Han had not produced the documents.
There wasn’t much to pack; just one suitcase and an engineering box. Xia Lei picked them up, one in each hand, and walked to the door.
At that moment, a female hotel staff member walked in, pushing a cleaning trolley before her. She was blonde-haired, blue-eyed and was wearing a face-mask.
Xia Lei stopped in his tracks. He’d seen the face under that face-mask and it was Yelena. He hadn’t expected her to be so bold as to turn up here at this time. However, upon deeper thought, this was actually the safest time.
Xia Lei glanced almost subconsciously at the doorway. Ling Han’s room door was closed.
Yelena took up the broom and went through the motions of sweeping up the glass on the floor as she spoke in Russian, “The plan was to meet you tomorrow but this happened. He’s worried about you so he got me to come check things out.”
“Where is he?” asked Xia Lei.
“Right outside the hotel,” said Yelena, “But you can’t go to meet him. Tell me – where are you guys moving to?”
“The embassy,” said Xia Lei.
“Okay, find some way to come out in the afternoon tomorrow,” said Yelena.
“Will he meet me?” asked Xia Lei.
“If there’s a chance.” Yelena’s gaze went to the engineering box in Xia Lei’s hand, her eyes alight. “Is that the sniper rifle you made?”
Xia Lei nodded. “But I can’t give it to you now.”
Footsteps came from beyond the door.
“I’ll walk out of the embassy at noon.” Xia Lei carried the engineering box and suitcase out the door after saying that line.
Yelena continued sweeping, looking all professional in her cleaning.
Tang Yuyan was in the corridor and she was carrying a box like Xia Lei’s. “Are you done packing? Don’t leave anything behind.”
“Don’t worry, I have everything packed,” said Xia Lei.
Ling Han walked out of his room too. He carried an engineering box and dragged a suitcase along with him too. “The higher-ups have agreed and also arranged for someone to come fetch us. Hu Hao is downstairs waiting for us. Let’s go.”
On the other end of the corridor, Ye Kun came out of his room. He spoke loudly when he saw the three of them with their luggage. “Yuyan, where are you guys going?”
Tang Yuyan rolled her eyes at him but did not speak to him.
Ye Kun had no shame. “Mr Ling, where are you guys going?”
Ling Han also just gave him a look, but didn’t say anything to him.
Xia Lei laughed. “Why don’t you ask me, Mr Ye?”
Ye Kun didn’t say anything back. He’d ask anyone but Xia Lei.
Just then, a woman walked out of his room and handed a mobile phone to Ye Kun. He held it up to his ear and said ‘mm’ softly two times, then hung up.
“Really, Yuyan, you should have said something about you guys going to the embassy. I was just worrying over a place to go to. I’ll go with you guys to the embassy. We are all Chinese people, so we should take care of each other, right?” Ye Kun’s tone held an undertone of mockery.
Tang Yuyan tsked. “This guy is still hanging around like a fly.”
Ling Han looked at Xia Lei. “He wants to go to the embassy too. Do you still want to go? I’ll let you make the decision this time.”
Xia Lei thought for a bit. “Sure, let’s go. Why not?”
He had thought it through. Ling Han had called not long ago, and Ye Kun knew about their itinerary soon after. There was no hiding from him so why not stay at the embassy with him instead of switching to another hotel? The Russian mafia wouldn’t dare to try anything like this. He just needed to fend off the threats from Hanwu Weapons there; it was much simpler for him.
“All right, then. Let’s go.” Ling Han walked off.
Xia Lei looked back at Ye Kun, his eyes cold.
“Humph!” Ye Kun scoffed. “We’ll pack up too and go to the embassy.”
The light weapons exhibition was in two days; there was not much time left. He was not willing to just give up like this. He was going to follow Xia Lei wherever he went! He would find his chance!
