He Zhichu had been fishing at the small lake next to his mansion when he received the phone call from Yin Shixiong.
“What did you just say? Who took Nianzhi away?” He Zhichu tossed the fishing rod aside and stood up, the expression on his face was dangerously calm.
“This is what happened: Nianzhi was playing softball against the Indian team, and well… her opponent provoked her by deliberately throwing the ball at her teammates. And…you know how Nianzhi is, she’s young and quick to release her temper. She rushed at her opponent and… got into a fight.” Yin Shixiong stamped his feet in agitation as he talked. He wiped his brow and said, “Please go see what’s going on. To put it simply, there was a free-for-all on the baseball field, and Nianzhi threw the first punch—a very heavy punch, as a matter of fact. The campus police came, arrested both teams, and took them to their office.”
He Zhichu did not reply. He ended the call and strode towards his garage.
A moment later, a Lamborghini roared out of the garage and sped towards Harvard University’s main campus.
…
Over at the campus police office:
A group of girls in baseball uniforms were detained in two adjacent cells.
It did not take long for the girls to be bailed out, one by one.
Eventually, only Gu Nianzhi remained.
The Huaxia Student Association had made several attempts to bail her out, but the campus police refused to let her go.
A black and obese policewoman jabbed a finger at the president of the Huaxia Student Association and shouted, her nostrils flaring, “No, no, NO! I said NO! She assaulted someone and there are serious injuries! There are legal consequences for her actions, and she has to face them!”
Everyone simultaneously took a step backwards when she rose from her chair.
“The other students attacked her—why did you let them go, then?! Don’t they have to face the consequences, too?” The students from the Huaxia Student Association were furious; they could not help but raise their voices.
“Don’t yell at me!” The policewoman’s expression instantly darkened. “I can get you arrested if you keep yelling.”
The Huaxia students did not dare get into an argument with the police woman. They left the campus police office to discuss how to rescue Gu Nianzhi.
“Okay, so Nianzhi attacked a fellow student, and quite viciously at that, but we all know Xin Xinggao deserved it. I was cheering her on, to be honest. We absolutely cannot let her get into trouble over this.”
“I’m with you. Still…” A student chuckled and said, “I can’t believe it. Nianzhi looks so gentle and sweet, and she’s only a kid, really, but man, she fights like a tiger! It wasn’t just Xin Xinggao, I saw her take down a few of the Indian girls who joined the fight!”
“I’m cool with that. A pretty girl like her has to be able to defend herself, or she’s going to have a bad time,” said Zhao Quan with a sigh. He turned to look at the campus police office. “Speaking of which—they won’t try to… take advantage of her, will they?”
They had all read shocking exposés about the dark side of American prisons.
This was a private police department employed by the university, but the police manning the office had been completely unreasonable, all the same. The students were deeply worried for Gu Nianzhi’s safety.
After a brief discussion, some of the students decided to ask the Huaxia Consulate General in Boston for help.
Yin Shixiong had been listening in on their conversation the entire time. He knew this was going to be tricky.
He Zhichu had yet to show, and even if he were here, Yin Shixiong wasn’t sure how much he was willing to do for Gu Nianzhi.
If the students were right and the matter could only be settled with the help of the Consulate General, then Mr. Huo had to know about it.
Yin Shixiong hurriedly sent Zhao Liangze an encrypted email stating that there was an urgent matter to discuss.
When he sent the email, it was already past ten o’clock in the evening over in the Huaxia Empire.
Huo Shaoheng had long since excused himself from the party. Zhao Liangze had wanted to leave with him, but Bai Shuang had insisted that he stay and have a few drinks with her. He was a sensitive soul, and could not find it in him to embarrass her by ignoring her and walking away. He had therefore stayed and patiently engaged in small talk with her.
Zhao Liangze had never had a girlfriend, but that did not mean he was completely obtuse when it came to women. He smiled and pretended not to notice Bai Shuang’s excessive enthusiasm. He neither encouraged nor discouraged her advances.
He had been trained for this—no one could tell what he was thinking, not unless he wanted them to know.
Bai Shuang had also realized by now that Zhao Liangze, although an engaging conversationalist, had not truly opened up to her. It was impossible for her to get to know him better when he kept himself at a polite distance.
“Mr. Zhao, does your work take up all your time?” Bai Shuang handed Zhao Liangze another glass of red wine—his fourth.
Zhao Liangze accepted the wine without hesitation. He smiled and said, “It depends, really. When we’re busy, we don’t get to go home for the whole year. When we’re not, we can sleep at home for six months.”
He wasn’t about to tell Bai Shuang the true nature of his job.
“Oh? Your job sounds very interesting, I had no idea.” Bai Shuang nodded, smiling. “My sister is also a soldier, she recently accepted a transfer offer to the 6th Military Region. She’ll be your colleague in the very near future. I’ll head over to the base and visit the both of you when I have the time.”
“Really? Our doors are always open to you.” Zhao Liangze then noticed that his phone was vibrating. He set his wine glass down, took out his phone, and looked at it—it was an encrypted email from Yin Shixiong.
Yin Shixiong only sent encrypted emails when something was up.
“Please excuse me, I need to make a call.” Zhao Liangze nodded to Bai Shuang and walked to the balcony, phone in hand. He leaned against the balustrade as he dialed Yin Shixiong’s number. “Big Xiong, what’s up?”
Yin Shixiong had immediately moved to a secluded place upon taking the call. He lowered his voice and asked: “Where’s Mr. Huo? Is he there?”
“Mr. Huo already left. I’m still at the party. What’s wrong? Homesick? You want to come back?” Zhao Liangze snickered. “Why don’t we swap places then? I could really use a nice holiday in America.”
“Holiday my a*s!” Yin Shixiong scoffed over the phone. “Nianzhi’s in trouble. Big trouble.”
“Nianzhi?” Zhao Liangze immediately wiped the smile off his face. He asked, his voice serious, “What happened? Is someone trying to mess with her?”
Zhao Liangze knew why Huo Shaoheng had agreed to let Gu Nianzhi go to America.
Had Gu Nianzhi’s past finally caught up with her? Were they about to learn who she really was?
“No, she’s the one doing the messing!” Yin Shixiong paced restlessly in the shade of the trees as he described all that had happened that day: Gu Nianzhi joining a softball game, getting into a free-for-all, and then injuring Xin Xinggao so badly that she had to be taken to the hospital.
Zhao Liangze ‘aahd” and ‘oohed’ as he listened, gaping like a fish the entire time.
After a while, he murmured: “Our little Nianzhi is still as feisty ever, I see.”
“What are you talking about?” Yin Shixiong frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Have you forgotten what she was like at first?” said Zhao Liangze calmly. “She punched and scratched everyone she saw. She was just a little kid back then, but boy, did her punches hurt. She only ever calmed down when Mr. Huo was around.”
Yin Shixiong had some recollection of it. He scratched his head and said, doubtfully, “I don’t think it’s the same thing. Nianzhi, she was all… ugh, I don’t know how to describe it. She’s always been gentle and sweet, really, but she was extremely touchy today, I don’t know why. The slightest provocation and boom! Like a loose cannon.”
Zhao Liangze suddenly remembered the video call that had been disconnected halfway on Gu Nianzhi’s end. He burst out laughing. “Oh man, I think I know why.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, she must have been upset about dropping out of the video call halfway—a connection error, I think. I bet she was mad because she didn’t get to see Mr. Huo.” Zhao Liangze chuckled. “I’ll get ahold of Mr. Huo and let him know what happened.”
Yin Shixiong had just ended the call when a flashy Lamborghini sports car roared into view and screeched to a stop before the campus police office.