Lan Ya stood up and hugged me, saying, "Hua Zi, no matter who he is, he's been hit, so be it. Does he have two heads? Whatever the consequence, Lan Ya will bear it with you."
This time, he didn't call me "younger brother," nor did she call me "sister." They addressed us by our names directly.
I was deeply touched. After such a major incident, she didn't think of protecting herself but resolutely stood by my side.
I held her tightly. If she had confessed her love for me before, I merely went along with it. But at this moment, I suddenly felt she had become an inseparable part of my life.
She was different from Xiao Hong and Jing Lei. Xiao Hong was another me, a part of my life, so if anyone harmed her, I would fight to the death for her! Jing Lei was like my family, my siblings. She gave me the warmth of home, and with her, I felt a sense of belonging. As for Lan Ya, she gave me the courage and confidence to live, to elevate my life!
These three women were my entire life!
Lan Ya felt my affection. After all, the night of the incident, she lay in my arms, and I had no other thoughts.
Lan Ya buried her face in my shoulder. At this moment, she had shed all her armor and reverted to being a little woman.
I truly wished for this to last forever, without conflict, without bloodshed, for all eternity.
However, this current situation was a headache. Bo Gang's matter was still unresolved, and now this Crown Prince had appeared. It was truly a life-threatening predicament.
Our hearts were both pounding. I could feel Lan Ya's entire body trembling.
I roughly cupped her face with my hands, bringing her face to face with me, and then kissed her.
Lan Ya still tried to evade, but I didn't give her a chance. I held her tightly in my arms, and everything instantly ignited!
Just then, the phone on Lan Ya's desk rang!
She hesitated for a moment, then struggled to break free from my hands and, with a hint of panic, reached for the phone.
Lan Ya: "Brother Bao, yes, yes, I understand."
It was Brother Bao’s call. I figured it was about one of two things: Bo Gang or the Crown Prince.
Neither of these men would wait idly for us; each was more dangerous than the other.
Lan Ya hung up the phone and said to me, "This is trouble."
I quickly asked, "Is it Kang Gong from Nancheng?"
Lan Ya nodded and said, "Kang Gong explicitly demanded an explanation from Brother Bao and wanted your arm as a token to present to him!"
I gasped, realizing that this Kang Gong was indeed no ordinary person; his demands were ruthless from the start.
I said, "I'm the one who did it. I'll go to him with both my arms and legs, and he can take whichever he wants!"
Lan Ya: "Are you stupid? Why would you go knowing it's a suicide mission? Leave it to Brother Bao to handle; you don't need to get involved."
I said, "From his tone, it seems I must show myself. If fate dictates it, I cannot escape it. It's just an arm; I'll give it to him personally and see if he dares to accept it. Trading an arm for a life is worth it!"
Lan Ya: "Brother Bao is already on his way. Let's wait for him to arrive before we make any plans."
I said, "That's fine too. Let's see what Brother Bao thinks."
After a short wait, Brother Bao entered the room with Da Kui.
Brother Bao didn't ask for details about what happened. He simply sat on the sofa and said to me and Lan Ya, "There's no room for negotiation in this matter. It's either fight or hand over the person. Which do you think I'll choose?"
We remained silent, looking at him. He continued, "In the more than ten years since I entered this line of work, I've never had dealings with Kang Gong. I've only heard about him; I know he's ruthless, unscrupulous, and has many subordinates. Furthermore, they have armed forces on the other side. If we confront him, it's equivalent to declaring war on him, and we'll be facing enemies several times our number!"
He paused and said, "I think we should use our wits and employ a strategy of 'borrowing a knife to kill.'"
Lan Ya and I looked at him, puzzled. He smiled and continued, "Didn't Bo Gang ask us to pick up the goods? We'll first secure the goods and stabilize Bo Gang. Then, we'll find a way to use Bo Gang to have him deal with Kang Gong over there."
I said, confused, "They generally mind their own business. It might be difficult to create conflict between them."
Brother Bao: "Don't forget, Bo Gang has another identity: a military representative in the government army, with the authority to deal with illegal troop movements. I know that a significant portion of Kang Gong's rosewood is obtained from guerrillas, and it can only be smuggled in. I believe Bo Gang could very well be involved in this transaction."
I gave him a thumbs-up and said to Brother Bao, "This is killing two birds with one stone! It not only strikes at Kang Gong but also stabilizes Bo Gang. This will give us time and energy to deal with them here."
Brother Bao: "Yes, this battle is inevitable, it's just a matter of how to fight it. Only by making him divert most of his energy to dealing with the other side can we take advantage of the opening to destroy his base! By then, when he realizes what's happening, it will be too late."
Brother Bao said, "I've already made arrangements with Brother Qing. He will have three hundred men ambushed on the other side along the border. As soon as we make a move here, they will come over immediately. You contact Bo Gang now and tell him there's a business opportunity that yields a profit ten thousand times greater than the one he mentioned. Ask him if he's interested."
I said, "Okay, I'll contact the intermediary now."
He had taken my number that day and given me the contact person's number. That person was stationed in the Sino-Burmese border town and could be met at any time.
However, special coded messages had to be used, and the code had to be changed with each communication to avoid errors.
I dialed the number. It rang seven or eight times before it was answered.
I first recited the code, and only then did the other side respond.
I conveyed Brother Bao's message to him and asked him to quickly contact Bo Gang, emphasizing the urgency.
The person acknowledged and discussed the coded message for their next call, asking me to wait for his news.
After hanging up, the room fell silent. Under the dim light, everyone sat there with grim expressions, not saying a word.
Da Kui stood beside Brother Bao, his eyes vacant as he stared at the wall, as if all this had nothing to do with him.
I held my phone. Although I knew a call wouldn't come so quickly, I still feared it might suddenly ring.
Lan Ya got up to pour tea for everyone. We had all been tense, and our throats were parched.
We grabbed our cups and gulped down the tea.
Brother Bao: "Kang Gong wants me to meet him tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, so we must act before then and cause trouble in his front yard first."
I admired Brother Bao's decisiveness. In just a short while, he had arranged everything perfectly.
Just then, my phone rang. I checked the number; it was indeed the contact person.
The person on the other end said that the General wanted to know the detailed information, fearing I was playing tricks.
I said it was crucial intelligence about a rosewood smuggling syndicate. If they were apprehended in one fell swoop, he wouldn't need to deal with that business for the rest of his life; he'd have more than enough to live on.
The contact person said that General Bo Gang would call me on a special line after he finished reporting. It would be a strange number, so I should answer it without worry, as the General would speak to me personally.