Chapter 122: An Unexplained Key, A Massive Trouble Brewing

The pickup truck sped toward the hospital.

Inside the hospital, Harrison led three black men directly into the emergency room. The armed security guards and police officers at the entrance swallowed hard as they saw the trio, not daring to step in their way. A doctor was in the middle of stitching up a patient's wound when he saw the three men. He frowned and said, "Hey! Friends, you're not allowed in here. Please wait in the waiting area."

*Thump!*

Harrison kicked the doctor squarely in the stomach. The doctor collapsed to the floor, his glasses shattering. The patient nearby was so terrified that he wet himself.

Harrison stepped on the doctor's neck. "Tell me, where is the Chinese kid who was just brought in with a gunshot wound?"

"He... he’s dead. He's in the morgue over there," the doctor stammered.

"Dead?" Harrison frowned. "How did he die?"

"The bullet pierced the femoral artery in his lower limb. The vessel was completely destroyed, and he died from massive blood loss," the doctor said quickly.

Harrison gestured with his hand, and the four men quickly made their way to the morgue. Liao Jie's body was still waiting to be processed in the temporary morgue. The four men immediately began searching the body. The doctor, trembling, followed them, but upon seeing what they were doing, he was so shocked that he immediately went to call the police.

***

Song Kai sat in his room, looking left and right, feeling a bit restless. Xu Ling was sleeping right next door, yet he couldn't share a bottle of red wine and watch the stars with her. This was unacceptable—absolutely intolerable. Song Kai couldn't take it anymore.

After thinking for a moment, he walked over and knocked on her door.

After a few knocks, Xu Ling’s muffled voice came from inside: "I'm taking a shower. Go back to your room."

Song Kai scratched his head. Hearing that she was showering made him feel even more uneasy. Returning to his room, he decided he would take a shower as well, then use the excuse of having a nightmare to barge into Xu Ling's room and hide in her embrace.

Yes, that was the plan.

As Song Kai was taking off his clothes, he suddenly paused. He felt his pants pocket. There was something hard inside. He pulled it out and saw it was a key. Moreover, it was an incredibly thick key with four massive teeth; it was clearly designed for a heavy-duty, high-security lock.

What on earth? Where did this key come from?

Song Kai frowned, trying to remember, but couldn't. He decided to just go take his shower. Once finished and dressed in clean clothes, he went back to knock on the door.

"Xu Ling, open the door, please. I'm scared being all alone here in a foreign land. I keep having nightmares," Song Kai said pitifully.

"Go back to your room, stop making a scene!" Xu Ling called out from inside. "Song Kai, no more nonsense. I'm not opening the door."

Song Kai scratched his head. It seemed playing the victim wasn't working. Back in his room, he felt bored. Since he couldn't sleep, he decided to go for a walk. As for safety—well, even if it wasn't safe, he figured it didn't really have anything to do with him.

He grabbed a steel rod and said to Xu Ling’s door, "I'm going out for a walk. Do you want to come?"

"No, be careful," Xu Ling replied.

Song Kai sighed. It seemed Xu Ling was determined not to open the door.

Stepping out of the hotel, the streetlights outside were somewhat dim. Song Kai wandered around the neighborhood and suddenly noticed several alleys lit with red lights. Many women, wearing skirts that barely covered their backsides, stood on the street corners, smoking cigarettes.

Song Kai was surprised. *Wow, this is right near the famous Harvard University. I didn't expect to see so many women soliciting customers out in the open.*

*This America... it's really something!*

Unfortunately, Song Kai was afraid of catching something. After glancing at the long legs, he felt even more restless and headed back toward the hotel.

As he passed the hotel entrance, he suddenly frowned. Standing in the shadows by the door were three men. They were dark-skinned and blended so perfectly into the darkness that if Song Kai hadn't had such sharp eyes, he would never have spotted them. It seemed that in a night fight, one should never go up against black men, or they’d be dead before they even knew what hit them.

Song Kai immediately slipped through the side entrance and walked into the hotel. Passing the front desk, he saw a blonde white man with curly hair asking questions.

"Hello, I'm with the Department of Homeland Security. Here is my ID. The two Chinese individuals from earlier are staying here, right?" the man asked. "Which room are they in?"

The receptionist hesitated.

The man impatiently tapped on the counter. "Look at my credentials carefully. What, are you trying to obstruct justice?!"

Song Kai didn't dare to be careless. He lowered his head, walked quickly to the elevator, and returned to his room. At the door, he whispered urgently to Xu Ling, "Xu Ling, pack your things. We're leaving in two minutes. Those guys have tracked us down."

"Who?" Xu Ling asked.

"I'll explain later, just pack quickly." Song Kai went back into his own room and grabbed his bag.

When Song Kai stepped out of his room, Xu Ling was already waiting. Her hair was draped over her shoulders, still damp, and her face was free of makeup, making her look as fresh and beautiful as a lotus flower rising from the water.

Song Kai stared at her face and swallowed. "Sister-wife, you look beautiful."

"Beautiful your head!" Xu Ling said, exasperated. "What is actually going on?"

"Ah? Oh, right, let's get out of here first. Did you leave anything behind?" Song Kai asked.

"No."

"Let's go. Take that elevator—the service elevator. We'll go out the back door." Song Kai grabbed Xu Ling’s suitcase with his left hand and took her small hand in his right, walking quickly. This time, Xu Ling didn't resist or question him; she followed him quickly into the service elevator.

Not long after Song Kai and Xu Ling left through the back exit, seven or eight men with pistols in their pockets arrived at Song Kai's room. Someone pulled out a key card, clicked the door open, and several men rushed in with guns drawn.

However, the room was already empty. The same happened in the other room. Harrison was the last to enter. He looked at the steam still lingering in the bathroom and clenched his fists.

"Find them! You must find that bastard!" Harrison gritted his teeth and growled.

Song Kai and Xu Ling left the hotel and headed toward the school area. It was dark outside. Xu Ling felt a slight chill of fear; for the past year, she had never gone out after dark while studying at Harvard.

"Are there any other places to stay nearby? Like a small guesthouse?" Song Kai asked.

Xu Ling shook her head. "There aren't any small guesthouses around here, but... oh, we could try staying at someone's home. Some families here rent out rooms."

"That works. Let's just find somewhere to spend the night; it's a bit cold," Song Kai said.

Xu Ling pulled her hand away from his and pointed ahead. "Past here is a residential area. People there often rent out rooms or bedrooms."

"Then let's hurry. I'll hold your hand so you don't trip," Song Kai said.

Xu Ling smiled. "I'm not wearing high heels. And even though I'm not as tough as you, I still keep up with my exercise and fitness. Don't worry so much, and stop overthinking things. Let's go."

Song Kai had no choice but to let it go. As they walked, they passed through a street where four young men were smoking in the darkness. Seeing this, Xu Ling instinctively moved closer to Song Kai.

Song Kai didn't dare to be careless either. Truth be told, everyone here seemed to have a handgun. With his current skills, he could definitely handle four men, but if all four had guns, he might not be a match—especially since he had to protect his sister-wife. However, when the four young men saw them, they turned away and left.

Xu Ling let out a sigh of relief and quickened her pace. Song Kai was speechless, muttering to himself, "It feels like this place is two extremes between day and night. During the day, everyone is smiling, but at night, it feels like walking on a ghost road."

"Stop talking, hurry up, it's not far ahead."

Xu Ling and Song Kai turned a corner, and sure enough, they were in a residential neighborhood. The houses were all villas with large lawns in front and back—it was quite nice.

Xu Ling checked a few houses, then pointed to a gate. "Let's try this one. They're renting out their master bedroom for fifty dollars a night."

"Great, finally a place to crash," Song Kai sighed in relief.

Xu Ling rang the doorbell. A moment later, an old man came out holding a shotgun, shouting, "Who is it!"

"We're looking to rent a room," Xu Ling said immediately in fluent English.

When the old man saw that Xu Ling was a woman and noticed her Asian features, he relaxed, walked over, and opened the gate.