Any accidents would result in their own personnel losing their lives.
Huo Shaoheng had no choice but to be cautious.
Gu Nianzhi took a deep breath and shook her head. “Fine then, I’ll listen to you. I really don’t understand any of this.”
Gu Nianzhi finally had another harsh realization that she should leave the professional tasks to the professionals.
Huo Shaoheng stood up, saying, “I’m already arranging the operation. A batch of light weapons will be transported from the sea tonight, and I will pick them up.”
Zhao Liangze quickly stopped him. “I am more familiar with this area. Let me go,” he said.
“No need. You will stay here with Nianzhi, and maybe Bai Shuang will come find you tonight. You can talk to her.” Huo Shaoheng explained the situation and then said to Gu Nianzhi, “I put a gun in the safe inside the master bedroom. It is loaded with bullets, and the safety is on. If something goes wrong, remember to take the gun out and protect yourself.”
Formal hotel rooms generally had safes for guests to store their valuables.
“Safe?!” Gu Nianzhi’s eyes instantly lit up.
Huo Shaoheng’s words were like a beam of light, illuminating her foggy mind.
The problem she had been thinking about was suddenly solved.
She quickly took out her phone and looked something up. It was exactly what she thought.
She replied excitedly, “I know what the 365 letters in the poem stand for!”
Huo Shaoheng and Zhao Liangze exchanged glances. “What is she talking about?”
“Bai Shuang gave us a hint! That poem has 86 words and 365 letters. I know that the bank’s address is 86 Bank Street, and I have been wondering what the 365 letters represented.” Gu Nianzhi was very excited. Her tiny face glowed, firmly attracting Huo Shaoheng’s eyes to it.
He stretched out his hand to stroke Gu Nianzhi’s hair falling beside her cheeks and said with a smile, “Calm down. Speak slowly.”
“Yeah.” Gu Nianzhi squinted at him and smiled comfortably like a spoiled cat getting petted.
Zhao Liangze closed his eyes. “Just say it if you have something to say. Don’t act all lovey-dovey in front of me.”
Gu Nianzhi glanced back at him, then squinted her eyes in a smile. “The number 365 should represent the number of a bank safety deposit box!”
“Bank safety deposit box?”
“Yes! A safety deposit box!” Gu Nianzhi showed Huo Shaoheng and Zhao Liangze the information she had looked up on her phone. “Look, I looked up how to rent a safety deposit box on the bank’s website. These numbers start from one to show the options they provide. Of course, many numbers have been occupied already. This means that the safe has been rented!”
Like hotel rooms, banks also provided safety deposit boxes for customers to rent and store valuables in.
If Gu Nianzhi guessed correctly, maybe the item they needed was in the bank’s safety deposit box number 365!
Huo Shaoheng relaxed his expression and slowly smiled. “That makes sense. It seems that it is in this safe.”
“But…” Gu Nianzhi spread her palms and said frankly, “We don’t have any credentials, so how can we ask to open this safety deposit box?”
Zhao Liangze whistled and said with a smile, “You don’t need to worry about that. Would we need to get involved if we had the credentials?”
He winked at her.
Gu Nianzhi was stunned for a moment, then asked, “Huh? You can open the bank safety deposit box without credentials or a key? Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“We can still be good friends if you can understand this without it being pointed out.” Zhao Liangze snickered and shook his finger at her. “Alex is an expert at opening bank safety deposit boxes!”
Gu Nianzhi, “…”
Huo Shaoheng stood up casually and said calmly, “It seems that I must be there for this matter.”
“No!” Gu Nianzhi immediately objected. “They may be waiting for you to show up. What if it’s a trap?”
“How did the trap appear? I shouldn’t go if this is a trap?” Huo Shaoheng put his hand on Gu Nianzhi’s shoulder and said, “When Bai Shuang comes to lead you into the trap, you can leak this piece of information. Don’t worry about anything else.”
Since he was the enemy’s actual target, he didn’t mind playing with them.
Huo Shaoheng liked this kind of excitement and uncertainty because every minute and every second of the game made his heart beat wildly.
Huo Shaoheng left in a hurry, but Gu Nianzhi was extremely worried. She paced around inside the bedroom with her arms crossed.
Zhao Liangze was dizzy from watching at her and remarked sharply, “Sit down! You will make me faint if you walk around one more time!”
Gu Nianzhi, “…”
She sat down beside Zhao Liangze and looked at him in confusion. “Are you not worried at all?” she asked.
“Don’t worry. Those people are no match for Alex.” Zhao Liangze was very confident in Huo Shaoheng’s abilities.
Gu Nianzhi shook her head. “I’m not talking about Alex; I’m talking about Bai Shuang.”
Zhao Liangze lowered his head, and, after a while, he whispered, “I hope we all guessed wrong. I hope it’s not too late for her.”
Gu Nianzhi put a hand on his shoulder and said encouragingly, “Don’t give up. It’ll be ok!”
…
During dinner, Bai Shuang came over as expected.
She brought over a bottle of red wine and said with a smile, “I’m here to help myself to dinner. Am I welcome?”
Zhao Liangze looked at her. She was wearing a red dress that resembled fire. Her face was beautiful and, when their eyes met, it was like a sledgehammer struck Zhao Liangze hard on the heart.
His eyes began to feel strained, but his expression looked as if nothing happened as he smiled and said, “Welcome, welcome! Come sit down.”
He took the initiative to bring Bai Shuang a knife, fork, and other tableware and asked her what she needed.
Bai Shuang looked at the dining table to see fried yellow croakers, steamed prawns and scallops, and a few large lobsters. She couldn’t help but smile and replied, “You guys really know how to enjoy yourselves. I came at the right time.”
She sat down next to Gu Nianzhi, bringing over a wine glass and offering to fill it.
Gu Nianzhi put her hand on the wine glass and said with a smile, “I can’t drink. You drink with Brother Ze.”
“Really?” Bai Shuang was a little embarrassed, so she had no choice but to pour another glass for Zhao Liangze.
Zhao Liangze rubbed his wine glass and said happily, “I have something to do tomorrow, so I can’t drink tonight.”
“You have something to do tomorrow? What’s the matter? Do you need my help?” Bai Shuang asked with great interest. “I am not very busy over the next few days.”
Gu Nianzhi glanced at Zhao Liangze and confirmed he was subtly hinting his permission before turning her eyes to Bai Shuang. She whispered, “…I think I know what the 365 letters mean.”
“Oh? That’s amazing!” Bai Shuang blinked; her face flushed with giddiness. “What do you mean?! I’ve been thinking about it all day, but I couldn’t figure it out at all!”
Her expression was much too exaggerated…
The corner of Gu Nianzhi’s mouth twitched before she replied nonchalantly, “It should be the number of a bank safety deposit box rented to customers.”
“You mean the number of the safety deposit box?!” Bai Shuang violently patted Gu Nianzhi on the shoulder as she said, “You are too smart! I think that must be right!”
“That must be it.” Gu Nianzhi’s eyes crinkled into half-moons when she smiled. “Brother Ze said so, too. He already sent a message to Huo Shao.”
Zhao Liangze nodded calmly and said, “Huo Shao will be here tomorrow. He will definitely be here in person for such a big event.”
Bai Shuang’s pupils instantly constricted in excitement, and she stammered, “Huo… Huo Shao will really come tomorrow?!”
“Of course.” Zhao Liangze looked directly at her. “Isn’t this what you were hoping for?” he asked.
“I… I… I was just asking a random question.” The smile on Bai Shuang’s face faded. She no longer had an appetite for dinner and stood up to say, “I just remembered that there was something else I needed to do, so I’ll be leaving now.”
Hurrying to the door, she seemed to think of something. She turned around and said, “See you tomorrow!”
A long time after she disappeared, Zhao Liangze finally withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened. He turned his head and saw that the large lobster in front of him was peeled with only the shell remaining. He was furious. “Gu Nianzhi! You can eat your own! Why do you want to eat mine too?!”
Gu Nianzhi chuckled and quickly ran out of the dining room.
…
Bai Shuang returned to her room, her heart beating wildly in her chest.
After a long silence, she dialed Li Dexi’s phone number and left a voicemail for him.
“The target has taken the bait; he will arrive at Cape Town tomorrow.”
After receiving this news, Li Dexi also discovered that a boat had inconspicuously arrived at the port that night. He was convinced that Huo Shaoheng was on it and trying to sneak into the city.
He commanded his personnel, “Plan A has begun. I will personally direct it.”
It didn’t matter if Huo Shaoheng didn’t show up in the end; he would kidnap Gu Nianzhi anyway. That meant he wouldn’t have to worry about Huo Shaoheng not following him.
