The top is all crooked and I don't know what the problem is. I've only been learning English recently, but the words on the bottle are clearly not in English.
"This is Russian!" The fat man chuckled and patted my forehead. "Kid, this is the most authentic vodka! The Russians' favorite stuff! My collection! If you hadn't come today, I wouldn't have been willing to take it out!"
There was also a small refrigerator on the ship. I rummaged through it and pulled out a large glass jar. I glanced at it and asked, "What's this?"
The fat man quickly snatched it away, looking distressed: "Damn it! Be careful when you take it! Don't drop it on the ground, or I'll chop you up and still not be able to afford to pay for it!"
He sighed and laughed, "This is good stuff, the most authentic Russian caviar! I usually can't even bear to eat a few bites myself, but you're getting a good deal today!"
We had dinner right there on the beach, with vodka, caviar, and some fancy food that the Vietnamese had brought back.
I didn't like the caviar, even though Fatty said it was very precious. But Hong Da clearly knew his stuff; his eyes lit up when he saw the vodka and caviar! So the two fat guys quickly became acquainted through drinking.
Although the fat man was injured and shouldn't have been drinking, this kind of street-smart guy who lived on the edge didn't care. He continued to gulp down vodka.
After a hearty meal, the fat man had the Vietnamese man take Hong Da into the cabin to rest.
He glanced at me and said slowly, "I'm setting sail tonight...you..." He thought for a moment and said, "You'd better not take my boat."
He sighed, smiled, and said, "The sea isn't very safe either. You and Xiluo, you two should go back to Hanoi and take a plane from there to leave Vietnam. Anyway, the Vietnamese are looking for Hong Da, so you two are safe in Vietnam."
I nodded: "Then be careful at sea."
The fat man smiled and said, "We've recently fallen out with the Vietnamese. We've had several battles with them during our sea trades. I had no choice but to let Hong Da leave on my ship. He can't show his face in public at train stations or airports; it would be too dangerous. Going by sea is the safest option. As for you... you should take a plane back."
I didn't say anything, but Ciro hesitated. He seemed to want to say something, but I immediately grabbed his hand, stopping him from speaking.
“Let’s do it this way.” I said decisively, “We’ll go back to Hanoi and take a plane.”
The fat man didn't say anything more. He had the Vietnamese people take us to the dock, and then he stood on the boat watching me and Xiluo sail away.
“Xiao Wu…is this alright?” Xi Luo asked worriedly, “Hong Da is someone we control. Now we’re handing Hong Da over to him…”
I smiled and said, "Don't worry, Fatty is absolutely trustworthy... He must have a reason for not letting us go with the ship."
I clenched my fist, and in my palm was something soft and crumpled up—a small ball of paper. I had no idea what was written on it.
That was when the fat guy hugged me just before we parted, and he secretly slipped it into my hand!
Part 1: A Man in the Martial World, Not in His Own Hands Chapter 176: An Encounter at the Airport
It must be said that Hanoi's airport is quite beautiful. It's a newly built airport, and as the capital city airport of a country, it's said to be able to handle four million passengers and cost as much as one hundred million US dollars to build.
We hailed a taxi from Xialong Bay and headed straight to the airport, arriving late at night.
I bought a ticket for the earliest flight at the airport, a direct flight to Canada. However, the plane wouldn't take off until the early hours of the morning, making it a true "red-eye flight."
Ciro and I found a coffee shop in the airport and sat down to rest for a while. When I went to the restroom, I took out the crumpled piece of paper that Fatty had given me at the end.
It wasn't that I didn't trust Xiluo and deliberately kept it from him.
I absolutely trust my brother Ciro! But the fat man secretly gave this to me, and he must have had his reasons for doing so.
I locked myself in a small stall in the bathroom, sat on the toilet, and then carefully unfolded the crumpled paper.
This is a letter.
The handwriting appears somewhat hasty.
"The Great Circle of today is not the same as it used to be. Xiao Wu, you'd better take care of yourself. Now that you're abroad, you can choose for yourself. Perhaps you can pick up any plane from Hanoi and go anywhere in the world!"
I froze, silently read the note again, and then sat there, feeling a mix of emotions I couldn't quite describe.
I remember what the fat man said to me on the ship's deck: "Don't follow in Tiger's footsteps."
Looking at the note in my hand now, the meaning behind the words is practically obvious!
It seems Fatty is also quite dissatisfied with some of Eighth Master's actions. His feelings about Tiger's fate aren't entirely driven by hatred for a traitor; there's also a degree of sadness, like a sense of shared loss.
He told me not to go back to Canada. He wanted me to stay abroad, wander off anywhere, and break free from that Canadian social circle!
I was about to throw the note away when I suddenly noticed writing on the back. I glanced at it briefly and saw several numbers on it, and a line of small print below: "Airport Locker".
I stood up, took out a lighter, burned the note to ashes, and threw it into the toilet. Watching the wisp of smoke slowly rise, I flushed the toilet, then pushed open the door and went out.
Just then, an airport staff member walked in. He glanced at me and seemed to smell the smoke in the air. He hesitated for a moment, then politely said to me in English, "Sir, please do not smoke in the restroom. There is a smoking room not far to the left."
I smiled at him and then walked out.
I felt a little lost, but after thinking about it, I headed straight for the airport's lockers.
Following the overhead signs, I quickly reached the right corner of the airport terminal, where several rows of lockers were located. These lockers were specifically for travelers. They offered storage for various items for a fee, with storage periods that could be extended. It was all about paying for them.
I glanced at the staff members next to me; they were two young girls.
One of the unique features of Hanoi Airport is that many of its airport staff wear traditional Vietnamese clothing, especially the girls, who are all dressed in traditional Vietnamese ao tatami. This type of clothing is somewhat similar to the Chinese cheongsam, but with a very high slit that goes all the way up to the waist... Unfortunately, they wear long pants underneath.
Overall, this well-tailored style really flatters the figure. Two young, pretty girls smiled at me, and I smiled back, then walked straight to the rows of lockers and found the number the fat man had left.
It was a combination lock box. I pressed the combination, and with a click, the box opened to reveal a small leather bag inside.
I looked around, then took out my purse and closed the suitcase. As I walked forward, two female staff members suddenly called out to me.
“Sir,” one of them spoke, in English, though somewhat haltingly, but which I could understand: “Please leave the receipt on your bag; we need to register you.”
I paused for a moment, and sure enough, I saw a small sticker on the bag with a code on it. I smiled, peeled it off, and handed it to the staff member.
Reaching a secluded spot, I squeezed the purse. It didn't seem to contain much; it appeared to be just a stack of items. A thought struck me. I found a small bag, only slightly unzipped it, quickly glanced inside, and then zipped it back up.
Dollar!!
The small leather bag contained a stack of US dollars; judging by appearance, it must have been a full ten thousand US dollars.
Why would a fat man keep $10,000 in cash in a place like an airport?
I know that airport lockers generally only charge by the day. Long-term storage requires a fixed fee to the airport. Only travelers with a lot of luggage would temporarily store items they don't need to carry at the airport…
However, I immediately thought of the answer:
This cash is probably what the fat man kept here for emergencies!
Considering the fat man's main job is helping people escape, and his cunning nature...
Frankly, I suspect this fat guy probably has a reserve of emergency cash stored in many major airports in Southeast Asia!
Unexpected events can happen at any time, and everyone is bound to encounter bad luck. This is especially true for those who operate in the underworld, who inevitably face danger and need to flee. Often, in their haste to escape, they find themselves in serious trouble if they don't have enough money on them.
It's obvious that the fat man has multiple burrows... no, he has far more than just "three burrows"!
If... Fatty had installed such a locker in every airport in Southeast Asia... that would be quite an undertaking! No wonder Fatty is so skilled at making escapes!
but……
Should I really follow Fatty's advice and not go back to Canada?
Obviously not!
I know that Fatty is disappointed with Eighth Master's actions because of Tiger's situation. He regrets his past relationship with me, as he was the one who introduced me to Canada. That's why he's advising me to leave.
But can I leave?
I smiled to myself, inwardly sighing: Fatty, you still don't understand me...
If... if I, Xiao Wu, were willing to live that kind of wandering life, why would I have risked my life and gone through so much hardship to cross the sea to Canada? If I were willing to find a place to hide like a rat and live out the rest of my life... then would all the vows I made back then have been nothing but empty words?
Is Canada not paradise?
No, it isn't! But even if it were hell... wouldn't that be perfect for me?
I squeezed the money in my purse. I was naturally grateful for the fat man's kindness, but I couldn't leave without going back…
Besides, Qiaoqiao is still waiting for me at the repair shop! Even if it weren't for anything else, how could I just leave Qiaoqiao there?
After thinking about it, I decided to put the money back. But when I got back to the locker, I turned back.
Just because I saw someone going through the storage procedures... All stored items have to be inspected! Although the staff won't open your suitcase to look inside, there is X-ray exposure.
If they find out I have so much US dollars in cash in my bag, it'll definitely cause trouble.
Obviously, airport lockers aren't for storing just anything... Otherwise, wouldn't it be too easy for a terrorist to hide a bomb there?
The fat man was able to deposit $10,000 here probably because he had special connections.
I don't have the same skills as the fat guy, so after thinking about it, I decided to keep the money with me.
Although I am grateful for the fat man's kindness, I will not do as he suggests.
I went back to the coffee shop and saw Ciro sitting there in a daze.
"Why did you take so long?" Xiluo saw me and breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you might have fallen into the toilet."
I smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just took a stroll around."
We sat for a while longer. When it was almost time, Xiluo and I got up and went to security.
I hesitated a bit during the security check, since I was carrying $10,000. So I bought a few books and magazines, big and small, and put them all in my bag with the money. The security check went through easily.
As for the guns... we already left them on the fat man's ship.
We rested in the waiting room for a few hours before boarding finally began. Ciro and I leisurely joined the queue at the back. It was a late-night flight, so there weren't many passengers. We were flying with a North American airline.
While waiting in line, a thought suddenly struck me. I remembered the airport staff and girls I'd seen outside, wearing Vietnamese traditional clothing—like cheongsams—which looked quite beautiful. I remembered Qiaoqiao waiting for me at home. On a whim, I decided to buy one for Qiaoqiao as a gift.
At least I can go out once and offer some gifts to Miss Qiao when I get back. If Miss Qiao is happy, my life will be easier from now on.
Thinking of this, I checked the time. There were still ten minutes left, and less than twenty meters to my left was a Vietnamese folk souvenir shop. It was just our turn to board, so I let Xiluo go in first, telling him I wanted to buy something to take back as a gift for a friend. Xiluo immediately understood, smiled at me, and then went in first with his boarding pass.
I turned and hurried toward the folk souvenir shop. Time was running out, so I rushed there and just then saw a garment hanging inside—the very style I wanted. I pointed it out to the staff member and then spoke to him in English.
Unfortunately, the staff member's English was terrible, and I had to use a lot of words and gestures before he understood me. Just as he turned to get my clothes, I casually looked around at some handicrafts and things like horn combs. I picked one up, glanced at it, and whistled somewhat boredly…
Suddenly, I saw a figure reflected in the glass of the counter next to me...
The figure swiftly walked past me, and a thought flashed through my mind!
I actually recognize this person! She's that female assassin working for Tiger...
That stripper!
Book 1, Part 1: A Man in the Martial World, Forced by His Own Will, Chapter 177: Encountering a Ghost!