I then walked out of the restroom, closed the door behind me, and looked at Hong Da and Xi Luo: "Let's leave here immediately."
Hong Da looked dejected, and he murmured, "He shouldn't have betrayed me... he shouldn't have!"
I simply put the gun away. I quickly straightened my clothes and said, "Alright, anything can happen in this world. You're not the first boss to be betrayed by your subordinates, and you won't be the last."
Hong Da's confidence had almost collapsed at this moment. He looked at me with some helplessness... I saw a trace of helplessness and something strange in his eyes.
Now, he probably really has no choice but to rely on me...
I sighed, slowly approached Hongdae, and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him. Just as Hongdae looked up at me, his neck arching slightly, my hand on his shoulder swiftly slashed down…
There was no further movement; Hong Da had fainted.
Xiluo was stunned: "Xiao Wu, you..."
"Shh." I gestured for him to be quiet. "Now we need to leave here, taking Hong Da with us... I think we're really in big trouble now."
I was forcing a smile, but my mind was perfectly clear!
Xiluo's expression was somewhat blank. I walked closer to him, then put my arm around his shoulder. My expression was undoubtedly solemn, even carrying a hint of... a touch of determination!
“Siro, listen carefully… Do you know what answer I got when I made that inquiry call to the phone company just now?”
"What?" Xiluo blinked, then suddenly realized something. He exclaimed, "Could it be..."
“We’ve wronged him,” I said calmly. “The phone company said he didn’t make any calls last night… He’s ‘clean’.”
Xiluo's expression changed instantly! He stared at me abruptly: "Then what you just did...?"
I sighed softly and grabbed him, otherwise Xiluo would have jumped up excitedly: "I have to make Hong believe me! What do you think? There are only four of us in this room! If the leak wasn't from the bodyguard... and if I said that bodyguard was innocent... then guess who Hong will suspect? Us!!"
Xiluo's expression was somewhat unpredictable, even complicated. He glanced at me, his eyes clearly showing some... "But you mean, we have no choice but to kill him? Kill this bodyguard..."
I sighed deeply, gently patted Xiluo, and said with a wry smile, "Luckily, I'm not that cold-blooded." I walked over and opened the bathroom door...
Inside, the bodyguard was still lying in the bathtub, his body submerged in water, but I had gagged him, and he was still unconscious.
As for the gunshots... I only fired two shots at the wall.
"My good brother, I'm not a murderous monster." I gave a bitter smile.
Xiluo breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with sincerity as he looked at me. Then he said to me very seriously, "Xiao Wu, I really consider you a brother... Although I will support you in whatever you do, there are some things I really don't want you to do."
"Don't worry, I have my principles."
Xiluo visibly relaxed, gave me a tight hug, and then looked at the unconscious Hong Da: "He..."
“We’ll help him out… It’s best to go through the hotel’s back door. I just checked, and this hotel does have a back door.”
We each supported Hong Da on either side and led him out of the room. There weren't many people on the corridor.
We quickly led Hong Da into the elevator.
In the elevator, I had Xiluo help Hongda, while I turned to face the mirror on the wall and straightened my clothes and hair.
Suddenly, Xiluo remembered something, and his eyes widened: "Xiao Wu... wait! You said that bodyguard is innocent... then... then why is it that someone can always find this guy's whereabouts and hunt him down?"
I didn't turn around, but looked at myself in the mirror. I looked alright; my clothes were still neat, although there were some water stains on the hem, but they wouldn't be noticeable unless you looked closely. And those damp spots dried quickly.
I remained calm, pursed my lips at my reflection in the mirror, and then pinched my chin to examine myself closely.
At the same time, I said slowly and casually, "Siro... yesterday at the hotel in Haiphong, the bodyguard did not make any phone calls to reveal our whereabouts... but someone called and told others our location..."
"Who?" Xiluo frowned in thought.
I sighed, then turned around and calmly looked at Ciro. "I! I made the call! Have you forgotten?" I chuckled softly, but even I could feel how heavy my smile was! I continued slowly, "We called Tiger! We told him our exact location! Even the room number!"
Xiluo's expression suddenly changed!
His wide eyes stared intently at me, then he struggled to open his mouth before managing to squeeze out a single sentence: "Xiao Wu...you...you mean...Tiger...?"
I shrugged, then a cold, handsome smile appeared on my lips: "Xi Luo, what task did Eighth Master give you when you came out?"
“Yes…keep an eye on this guy.” Xiluo pointed at the unconscious Hong Da and gritted his teeth, “Then wait until he meets with someone…” He made a downward slicing motion with one hand.
I nodded, then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. My expression was complicated, and I whispered in a very soft voice:
"The task that Eighth Master gave me... is different from all of yours!"
Just then, with a ding, the elevator arrived at the first floor, and the doors slowly opened...
Book 1, Part 1: In the Jianghu, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter 170: The Higher the Class, the Safer.
After coughing a few times, Hong Da finally woke up slowly. He sat down next to me, and I put one hand on his shoulder with a smile on my face.
Hong Da let out a long breath. His face looked a little pale, but thankfully he wasn't very agitated after waking up. Instead, he gave me a deep look before speaking, "Just now..."
"You were a bit agitated just now, I was just trying to calm you down for a bit," I said with a smile.
We're in a taxi now. We just came out of the Hanoi Grand Hotel, but instead of going through the front door, we went straight out the back door and then wandered around to the main street. I just hailed a taxi at random.
Xi Luo sat in the front, while Hong Da and I sat in the back. Although I don't speak Vietnamese, I had at least grabbed a tourist guide from the room, and I easily gave the driver an address.
The car drove around Hanoi in circles, and I suspected the driver was deliberately taking us on a detour, but I didn't really care. Taxi drivers taking tourists on long detours happens all over the world. Besides, the detour gave me an opportunity: I carefully observed behind me the whole way, making sure no car was following us!
Hong Da woke up so quickly because I massaged two spots on the back of his shoulders to help him relax his muscles and improve blood circulation.
"Where are we going?" Hong Da's voice was hoarse, whether from being unconscious for so long or from his low spirits, it was hard to tell: "Why didn't we stay at the hotel..."
At this point, Hong Da finally regained his senses. His voice was somewhat bitter: "My bodyguard..."
I sighed softly: "At least you're safe now. Let's not think about other problems for now. But we can't stay at that hotel any longer."
Hong Da nodded, indicating that he understood.
He thought I had killed his bodyguard, so he left a body behind, and we definitely needed to leave immediately. I didn't intend to tell him the truth. Regardless, I needed to create the illusion in Hongda's mind that he was completely desperate! Therefore, he had to, and could only, rely on me!
I must create the illusion that he is in dire straits! Only under such circumstances will a person's mind break down, and at this moment, Hong Da will be on the verge of collapse, and will lower his guard and give absolute trust to his friendly companions!
And that's exactly what I need.
The taxi slowly came to a stop at Ba Dinh Square, also known as the famous "Ho Chi Minh Square," which is Hanoi's most famous tourist attraction... just like people who go to Beijing will visit Tiananmen Square.
After getting out of the car, the taxi driver, who seemed to be taking a roundabout route with some tourists, and since I didn't call him out on it, paid me readily. He even asked me in broken Chinese if I wanted him to act as a tour guide.
I smiled and refused the money-grubbing driver.
To be honest, I have absolutely no interest in Ho Chi Minh Square; I'm just using it as a transit point.
This is said to be the largest square in all of Vietnam, and its most famous feature is the mausoleum of the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh. There's also the well-maintained square environment outside, plus a former residence of the chairman, and so on…
The overall environment and atmosphere are similar to Tiananmen Square in Beijing. There are monuments and memorial halls, but the scale is much smaller.
The three of us strolled around the square and smoked a cigarette. The fresh air calmed Hongda down, and his mind finally started to work: "What do we do now?"
I glanced at the darkening sky and said, "Let's find a place to spend the night. I've checked, and nobody's following us. So we're safe now."
I glanced at Xiluo; he seemed downcast, his face a little unnatural. I knew it was probably from what I'd said to him at the hotel. For the simple-minded Xiluo, it was all rather shocking. After all, this kind of internal strife, betrayal… and so on, was something this young man, working for the organization for the first time, was still hard to accept all at once.
I know it's not a good time to say anything to him right now; he needs to figure some things out for himself! Fortunately, Xiluo trusts me completely!
I had no interest in going into the memorial hall to see Ho Chi Minh's crystal coffin, even though it's said there are only three such coffins in the world... I didn't have a good impression of Vietnam, so I wasn't enthusiastic about paying homage to their revolutionary predecessors.
The three of us walked for a while, and then I thought for a moment and suddenly asked, "Are there any upscale nightclubs or similar places in Hanoi?"
Hong Da was taken aback. Xi Luo was also somewhat surprised, seemingly not quite understanding what I meant.
I patiently explained, “I think it’s best if we don’t look for a hotel right now, because once we’re out, there’s no guarantee that the hotel staff, maybe the cleaning staff, will go into the room… If the hotel staff see what’s going on in the bathroom, they’ll probably make a big fuss about it immediately… Aren’t you worried that the police will search the whole city? It’s very unsafe for us to find another hotel to stay in at this point.”
After a pause, I chuckled and said, "Also, there are definitely security cameras in the hotel, and they must have recorded our images... So I think we'd better come up with some novel ideas to see where it's safer..."
Actually, I said that to fool Hong Da. At least Xiluo and I knew the bodyguard wasn't dead, but even if we hadn't killed anyone, having a guy tied up in the hotel bathroom would still cause trouble. At this point, finding a safe place to hide for the night was undoubtedly the best option…
Besides, I also have to avoid Tiger!
“But nightclubs…” Hong Da’s face looked a little strange.
I laughed: "Trust me, nowhere is safer than a nightclub! Of course, we're going to go to a high-class place. The higher the better!"
A nightclub is definitely a great hiding place.
Especially high-end nightclubs!
First of all, the environment in these upscale nightclubs is very simple. There won't be any mixed crowds. Because those who can enter such high-class places generally have some status and background! Unexpected things are unlikely to happen…
Secondly, anywhere, these high-end brothels… those who can operate such places absolutely have powerful backers! Under normal circumstances, the police won't go to these places… because their connections are strong enough; some have relationships with the police, and others are people the police wouldn't dare mess with! Believe me, this is absolutely based on experience! Imagine. If a place like this operates high-end establishments, and its clientele are all wealthy and influential people, they naturally wouldn't want to be constantly raided by the police when they come looking for entertainment! Therefore, these kinds of places are generally off-limits to the police!
Generally speaking, when the police are handling a case and apprehending someone, their usual methods include checking airports, ports, train stations, hotels, and other places with large and diverse populations...
I've rarely heard of anyone going to the most expensive and upscale brothels in town to search for information... those kinds of places are generally off-limits to the average person! In some places, even the police can't get in!
Back in Canada, I heard a story about police officers trying to find someone at a famous upscale establishment in Vancouver. They were stopped at the outside and not allowed in… Police? No way! Show us a search warrant! Otherwise, what if you disturb our guests?! Damn! They have powerful connections! They're not afraid of the police!
Besides the police, being in such a place can also reduce the risk of being followed by others to some extent! After all, those situations are relatively simpler than crowds. It's difficult for ordinary stalkers to blend in with a crowd!
One last thing... usually, those kinds of places have VIP rooms! And of course, there's a place in those rooms for you to "rest"!
The price was a bit high... but at least there were three of us, so we weren't afraid to spend the money.
After my explanation, Hong Da understood. His eyes flashed with surprise, and he sighed deeply, saying sincerely, "Brother, you really know how to come up with ideas... but this method is really good!"
I laughed: "You know this place well, so you lead the way. We'll only go to the most upscale places here. The more upscale, the safer!"
Then, I casually patted Xiluo on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Come on, let's go see the enthusiasm of Vietnamese girls!" Xiluo's expression was a little complicated, but he only hesitated for a moment before nodding.
I know that Ciro is still hesitant. He's probably still considering whether or not to trust me... Although I'm his brother, Tiger... after all, he's always been the manager of the repair shop.
“We’re brothers, no explanation needed! Just trust me.” I whispered in Xiluo’s ear.
Xiluo paused for a moment, then finally nodded.
We walked another half block and then hailed a taxi.
Don't think that coming to Ho Chi Minh Square is a waste of time! It's also a good way to avoid being followed and tracked!
If someone tries to trace us through the hotel, they can easily find the taxi that picked us up there! Generally, taxis that stop to pick up passengers outside hotels have some connection to the hotel, and the more upscale the hotel, the more likely they are to have this rule. For example, they could simply call a taxi company to check how many taxis were picking up passengers outside the Hanoi Grand Hotel at what time, and what kind of passengers got in… it's very easy to find out! And there aren't many cars waiting for passengers outside hotels, maybe only eight or ten at most. It's easy to trace them.
But when we took a taxi to Ho Chi Minh Square... it was a completely different story!
This is Hanoi's most famous tourist attraction, and the flow of people is incredibly huge! There are just too many people and too many cars coming and going! We got off the bus here, walked half a block, and hailed another taxi...
In that case, the people tracking us can only trace us to Ho Chi Minh Square, but countless taxis pick up passengers there every moment, and countless people come and go... How can they trace us? The investigation will go cold right there!