Crimson Instinct

Chapter 130: The deal that took place in Tianjin

---

*Xin Lei*

Shi Ruiling took us inside a big room where we finally settled down. There were only a handful of people present who were talking just a moment ago, but the second we entered, they scurried away to their desks as if they saw a monster and buried their heads in the computer seriously doing some work.

"..."

What happened?

"I saw that," said bro, icily glancing at everybody.

"S-sorry, sir. We didn't realize the time-"

But bro cut him off. "Five minutes past break time, and you still didn't realize it? If you didn't realize it for a whole 300 seconds, then should I send you all back to school to learn how a clock works? Clearly, you are not competent enough for the job where time is precious."

Nobody said a word.

I could see the pitiful looks they were giving to him, but bro didn't budge.

"Five minutes is not that long" Liao Huifang softly murmured.

"Exactly why you need people to babysit you. Dilly dally in a dangerous situation and then expect others to save you like a damsel in distress." Bro shot a glare at her.

She froze and shut her mouth. She pursed her lips and showed a wronged expression.

"Forget it, Zhen." Shi Ruiling waved her hand. She clapped her hands towards the people. "Back to work now, everybody."

"You are spoiling them, and that is why they don't learn." He sternly said.

I typed. "Bro, you are acting like a strict school principal."

Bro narrowed his eyes at me, and I regretted saying it.

He sneered. "So how should I act? Like you? Ditzy and carefree, who pokes her useless nose in other people's business when her job is in the operation theatre? You and Dad are enough. If I would be like you, then our family is doomed."

"..."

Liao Huifang coughed from my side.

"Ahem!" Shi Ruiling quickly turned towards Tian Song and said, "Song- oof! I still call you by that name." She shook her head.

I frowned.

I typed. "Still meaning?"

It was Bai Li who replied. "Tian Song is not his real name. He was undercover, so that was the name he used. When I realized that, I was sure that that was not his real name."

Oh yeah...of course. Why would he use his real name in an undercover operation?

"What happened to your intellect, Xin Lei? Have you fed to the dogs? I didn't expect that you couldn't realize such a simple thing. That man is smarter than you. Have some shame."

I sobbed. 

Why is bro's mood so bad?

If he learned that Bai Li had decoded that code first that he sent me in the beginning, warning that there was a corrupt cop in the police, then he would chew me alive!

I looked at Tian Song and typed. "What is your real name?"

"Luo Zhiqiang."

"Zhiqiang means that 'the will is strong.' Nice name." Liao Huifang muttered. She cleared her throat as I glanced at her. "Just a comment."

"Is the chit chat over?" Bro coldly asked.

Shi Ruiling sighed. "Seriously, Zhen, youare no fun at all."

"Then go to an amusement park if you want to have fun."

Shi Ruiling's expression seemed sour.

As we sat down, Bai Li said, "I remember now. Major General said to me once that he has a daughter."

"I am the same. I am the same." She smiled.

"He talks on and on about you. Clearly, he is a doting parent. I see. So you work with the Intelligence."

"Yeah. Dad asked me to join the army, but I felt more comfortable doing this job than the frontlines."

We nodded.

"And by the way, he talks on and on about you too." She giggled. "You are the best soldier that he ever got to work with. That is why he is so invested in proving you innocent. Not only him, but Lin Zihao and Su Weiyuan treat you with a lot of respect."

I smiled. 

"Major General is hyping things up really"

I patted his hand.

Hehe, he seemed embarrassed.

Then suddenly, bro said to me, "Xin Lei. Sit here beside me."

"..."

I followed his gaze and saw that his face was ugly, looking at my hand on top of Bai Li's.

I coughed and quietly withdrew it.

He sneered. "Have your legs got frozen? Now you got a problem sitting with your brother? Is he more important now? I see, sisters really become useless after falling in love."

Bai Li said, "He is right, Xin Lei. After all, you have met him after so long. While we have been 'together' for the past few days. Obviously, he has been missing you."

"Who is missing her?" He coldly shot back.

It suddenly felt so chilly now. Naturally, it was because of bro. His expression was not...good.

Shi Ruiling quietly signed me to sit beside bro, and I did. I grinned and kissed him on his cheek.

He snorted, but his mood looked a little better.

I typed. "Bro, why did you disappear all of a sudden?"

"I had to. We got whispers about illegal dealingseverything from money laundering to drugs. When we investigated, we realized that this wasn't something small. There were a lot of transactions going on secretly. The gang used some unique method to make the deals, and the gravity of certain deals was so big that we knew a powerful person was behind it."

"Yes." Shi Ruiling nodded. "This was a dangerous mission, so our Chief decided to let us go missing.

We could fool the culprits for a long time, but I think they still doubted that the Intelligence is entirely out of the investigation. So just like how Duan Deming acted like a cop, they must be thinking along those same lines that we must be secretly carrying out our investigation too.

"Plus, it was dangerous. There were high chances that they could attack our family members. So even I cut off all my contact with Dad. I think he understood it because he didn't try to interfere and find out my whereabouts."

Bai Li said, "Yes, he must have. That's why he didn't talk about you when I met last time in the hospital."

She nodded.

I typed. "And Dad?"

"I cannot believe he let himself get kidnapped. He is getting old." Bro sneered. "But well, he escaped, so I think there is still some spark left. Actually, the day he escaped, I had already planned with Zhiqiang to raid the base."

Ah, that day when our pictures were out as wanted criminals. It was the same day we attacked Gen Gen's base too.

"But his kidnapping made me realize that the work method was the same. Gen Gen was involved in illegal dealings too. And he kidnapped Dad. So we understood that the same gang does the kidnappings of the victims and these dealings. That is what happened in Tianjin."

Bai Li asked, "What did we exchange in the deal?"

Bro quietly stared at him and asked him, "What do you think?"

"Xin Lei said that there were some foreigners and Asians. The Asians looked like Koreans. So I think that they were from North Korea."

"Why that place?"

"Because South Korea is really an advanced country. North Korea is always at loggerheads with South Korea, and it always searches for some leverage that would put their country above South Korea. South Korea is greatly advanced in technology, so I bet they would want something on similar lines from China to compete with them and raise their place higher than them in the world. Yi Xing's assistant, Zhao Wenyan, handed a small case to the clients, which I am pretty sure could be a USB that might contain some of our innovative technologies. If North Korea could produce something new in technology, then it would be advantageous to them."

"And the foreigners?"

"Xin Lei said that she heard them speaking Russian. So, they are from Russia. Russia is one of the largest arms exporters, second only to the USA. The Russians handed Zhao Wenyan a big bag, and they were loading more from the ship by which they came. The bag must contain arms and weapons of the latest manufacture and technology. Perhaps, we were giving them our technology, and in exchange, Russia was supplying us with arms and ammunition, while for North Korea, they might have negotiated some rights to China. Maybe giving land for setting the gang's base there to expand their scope of operations or a say in their country's politics."

 I smiled and felt proud of Bai Li. I grinned at bro.

Bro dryly said, "He was Major in the Army. He could at least deduce that much."

I pouted.

"And while you are staying away and dumb from the political affairs, you couldn't open your mouth at all to contribute in the conversation."

I bit my lip hard and shrank back in my seat.

I typed. "What is the technology that China was going to give them?"

Suddenly, Liao Huifang's phone buzzed.

She looked through it and exclaimed. "Finally! It's Qi Qiang. Didn't I say about him, who is my University friend?"

I widened my eyes.

Bai Li asked, "Did he reply to you?"

She nodded. "Yes! Qi Qiang said that he wants to talk to us."