Crimson Instinct

Chapter 178: Long time no see

Time: 10:05 PM.

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*Bai Li*

What Su Weiyuan said was the same thing I figured out exactly almost an hour ago. It was obviously someone from the army who had attacked Su Weiyuan.

The question was, if not Yu Zichen, then who?

At his home, Xin Lei and Major General got messages about a location, and Major General was sure that it was Su Weiyuan's message. I was too, only because he was smart as hell. He must have already taken a small transmitter with him when he left to visit Yu Zichen and hidden somewhere on his body. He knew he could be attacked.

So, at the right time, he switched it on, and it sent signals about his location.

I heard Yu Zichen say, "I know this place. It's an hour away from here. There are nothing but old residential apartments that are going to be demolished."

I heard Xin Lei's pitter-patter on the phone. "A perfect place for hiding Su Weiyuan."

Major General said from my right. "We should get going now. Su Weiyuan knows that we will need some time to get there. We need to move fast."

I nodded.

"Wait. I will come with you too," Yu Zichen said.

I said, "Are you sure?"

"I am. I know the place quite well. I can check for any hidden guards. Plus, I also have heat sensor goggles. We will need that to know how many people are guarding the place and at what positions. We cannot dive just straight into the place."

"Heat sensor goggles are of no use to me."

I heard him snort. "You don't need heat sensor goggles, Bai Li. Your senses are sharp enough to detect any movement. You can detect them and take them down at the same time."

I shrugged.

"I am talking about the three of us."

I heard Major General's gruff voice. "Good plan."

I asked, "Is there any building opposite to where Su Weiyuan is kept from where anyone of you can track the guards? We can use bluetooth earpieces. One of us hiding in the other building will relay the location and direction where any guard is standing using those goggles, and we can move accordingly to knock them out."

Yu Zichen said, "That is the same plan, I thought. I know a building that we can use."

I heard Xin Lei typing. "Are you all sure there would be no guards in the other apartments?"

I shook my head. "They wouldn't waste resources. They already have their hands full with Su Weiyuan."

"I think there would be two or three guards at max."

Xin Lei typed. "Plus, Sergeant Zi Mimi."

"Zichen?"

I heard his wife's voice from a distance. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Well...y-yes"

We told her everything, and as I expected, her reaction wasn't in favor of him coming with us as well.

"Zichen. I already told you that I don't want you to be a part of all this anymore." Her voice sounded strained and with a hint of fear and anxiety that I felt creep in her tone.

"I know. I know. I promise I will take care of myself. Just this last time, please?"

Xin Lei suddenly nudged my waist with her elbow. I instantly understood.

I cleared my throat and said, "I think you two should talk it out. We will wait outside. And Yu Zichen. It's fine with us, even if you cannot come. Just give us your heat sensor goggles. We will be sure to return them in one piece."

"Shut up, Bai Li," He spat in what I felt was anger?

What? I am trying to help you here! People seriously don't feel grateful anymore.

Xin Lei kept pushing me from my back, and I could hear murmurs of Yu Zichen and his wife talking as the door closed.

I heard Major General chuckle. "Poor Zichen Stuck between his wife and us."

"That's why I was helping him to make a choice. It should always be the wife. Does he want to live as a divorcee for the rest of his life?"

I felt Xin Lei's fingers slowly touch my cheek, and she suddenly pinched them.

Hm?

I sensed she might be giggling.

Then I smelled her scent wafting closer and closer to me. Her body was almost in my embrace until I felt her soft lips on mine.

I rapidly blinked my eyes. I didn't know what happened to make her so happy, but I loved these small surprises that Xin Lei would suddenly shower on me.

But it was only for a second. I was ready to kiss her back. I already leaned forward to press my lips on hers, but she already pulled back in the next moment.

Damn, it was just a peck! How does that count?

I furrowed my brows and said, pursing my lips. "That's it? When did it start? When did it end? I didn't feel it. Do it again."

"*Ahem*" Major General coughed, and I realized that he was there too.

Was she embarrassed?

"Major General. Can you look away for a moment? No, make that five minutes."

I felt Xin Lei hit me on my waist again.

"You young generation...Ah, I am feeling so old all of a sudden." I heard him sigh.

Then I heard Xin Lei typing. "This is your reward for saying that a wife should always be the man's choice."

I grinned. "Will you kiss me again if I say it again? I can chant it like a mantra if you want."

She typed. "Sure. But after we help Su Weiyuan and get him out of there."

Is that it?

"Where is Yu Zichen? Why isn't he coming back already?"

And I felt that they both burst into laughter.

"Arf! Arf!"

I jerked my head to the side. "Cocoa?"

I almost took a step forward, but I felt Xin Lei pulling me back.

"Bai Li. Calm down," Major General said. "That is a stray dog."

I felt Xin Lei rubbing my arm and patting it. I sensed that she was worried about me.

I smiled. "Nothing. I... thought it was Cocoa for a second."

"Arf! Arf! Arf!"

"Arf! Arf! Arf!"

The dog kept barking for quite a while.

I heard Xin Lei type. "Why is it barking so much?"

I said, "Maybe there is another dog nearby he doesn't like or somebody with who he has a beef with. Dogs start barking and growling when they see or sense someone they don't like-"

I froze.

It felt as if the blood in my veins stopped flowing. Suddenly, a picture in my mind turned so clear that it was foggy all this time. What I just said to Xin Lei suddenly struck me with the truth that was walking by side all this time.

Fuck! That was what Cocoa was trying to tell me. And I always wondered why he got so restless at times.

I felt Xin Lei nudge me gently, and I snapped out from my thoughts.

Major General said, "I feel you have figured something out."

I heard Xin Lei typing. "I feel the same. What is it?"

I covered my face with my hands. "I feel I am so stupid! I am an idiot. Cocoa was telling the truth from the beginning, but I couldn't understand it! I was so pulled in by my PTSD and Tan Ye's death and the guilt that I failed to understand what Cocoa said all this time."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know who killed Tan Ye. Now, I know who was behind me who shot Tan Ye and escaped. It is as clear as day."

Silence.

There was silence for a long time.

"I see" I heard Major General slowly say, "I understand where you are getting at."

I heard the robotic voice again. "I think I know who you might be talking about."

I felt the door open and heard Yu Zichen's voice. "Phew! I finally got the green signal from Jiao. We can leave. I have brought all the things we need. Hey. What happened?"

I smiled. "We have figured out the culprit. Now let's go."

---

At present, as planned, it was a piece of cake to fight those measly guards. Yu Zichen used those fancy goggles from the other building, and we won in a matter of minutes. It wasn't even a fight. Just a one-sided knockout.

The only person we didn't knock out was Sergeant Zi Mimi.

"B-Bai Li?"

I heard General Song stutter.

I smiled. "Yes, General Song. The guilty soldier who you kicked out of the army. Long time no see."

"How are you here? Why"

"You see. Su Weiyuan is quite capable." Then I looked in his direction and said, "By the way, Weiyuan. When did you do it?"

"It was in my shoe all the time. I rubbed my shoes against each other and pretended to try to loosen up the rope tied on my ankles."

"And then you pressed it. It switched on and immediately sent us the message."

"Pretty much."

"Su Weiyuan!" General Song suddenly burst out.