“You had many opportunities to kill me, but you didn’t,” Hong Da said calmly.
I sighed and thought about it seriously. "Okay." I paused for a moment, then looked into his eyes. "Your name is Hong Da, and you're the biggest drug lord from Southeast Asia who has fled to North America! Am I right?"
Hong Da's eyes narrowed immediately... I saw his gaze instantly turn like that of a venomous snake, flashing with cold light.
I still smiled easily, then casually picked up a teacup, dipped my finger in the water, and drew a circle on the table.
"This is the entire North American drug market share. But all along, the drugs in the North American market have been supplied by South American drug lords and plantations. You, Hong Da, are an Asian. You have connections to the Golden Triangle, but your market is in North America... Unfortunately, because the traditional North American market has been taken over by South America, you can only get a very, very small share. The local North American gangs won't get their drugs from you; your sales channels are only those Asian gangs operating in North America."
Hong Da's face looked rather unpleasant, but I ignored it and continued to deliberately provoke him.
"To be fair, although you're the biggest Asian drug dealer in North America, the market share of Asian drugs in North America has never been large to begin with, so... you've never really had much of a chance. The big North American underworld organizations ignore you, and the other Asian gangs can only operate on a small scale... But this year, your opportunity has arrived." I laughed, "Due to the climate in South America, the continuous hurricanes have greatly affected this year's plantation harvests... There's a clear shortage of drugs in South America, but those addicts and addicts can't go a day without drugs... So the market demands it, and they have to find a way to get drugs from other places! Under these circumstances, you, who were previously inconspicuous in the North American market, have suddenly become a hot commodity... Hey! Now everyone wants to source drugs from Southeast Asia... The Asian gangs in North America have been asking you for a lot of money, haven't they..."
I looked at Hong Da's face; his expression was somewhat complicated, but his eyes remained relatively calm. I decided to provoke him a little more!
“Mr. Hong, your arrival in Vietnam suggests you've established some form of cooperation with the Vietnamese gang… But the problem is, the relationships between Asian gangs in North America are quite complex right now. Your decision to cooperate with the Vietnamese gang is tantamount to helping them suppress other Asian gangs—Chinese, Iranians, Indians. They probably all want to get rid of you now… In that case, the assassination attempt you encountered on the way would be much easier to explain.”
"And you?" Hong Da gritted his teeth and looked at me. He took a deep breath and then slowly said, word by word, "Whom do you represent?"
“I can’t tell you.” I shook my head, looked at Hong Da very seriously, and then said to him, “But I can tell you. I won’t let you die now… It’s in my interest for you to live, so I will protect you. At least for now, we’re on the same side.”
I know there might be many flaws in what I'm saying, but right now, I'm right! Hong Da has no choice but to trust me!
Hong Da's momentum indeed weakened. He lowered his head, pondered for a while, and then raised his head, clearly somewhat helpless: "I'm a drug dealer, but I have both Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry. I can't accept the prices offered by the Chinese, and the Vietnamese are offering higher prices, so I choose to cooperate with the Vietnamese... As for you, brother. I think you represent the Chinese... but I'm not sure if you're from the Big Circle or the Chinese Gang. But I just strongly suspect that from the perspective of either the Big Circle or the Chinese Gang, they should all want me dead."
I patted him on the shoulder: "Why do you have to die? You have connections with drug lords in the Golden Triangle, and you're a drug dealer with your own sales and transportation network... You can be very valuable!"
We then looked at each other. I knew we didn't trust each other, but that didn't matter. As long as he was willing to cooperate with me for the time being, that was enough.
Just as Hong Da was about to sit on the bed, I suddenly had a thought: "Wait!"
A sudden surge of tension gripped me. I stood up and slowly pulled Hong Da to the side... I carefully lifted the sheets and blankets from the bed... My movements were gentle and slow...
After checking myself, I finally picked up the pillow gently, carefully running two fingers along its edge... My expression was serious, and I deliberately moved my fingers very lightly...
Finally, the muscles at the corner of my eye twitched, and my fingers gripped something!
I slowly pulled that thing out of the pillow...
This is a steel needle about ten centimeters long! Exactly the length of a cigarette. The tip is as thin as a hair. I slowly took it out and examined it under the light. The tip gleamed faintly with a blue light…
I let out a long breath, then showed the needle to Hong Da. Hong Da's face immediately turned ashen!
"Brother..." I gave a wry smile, "Looks like I've saved your life again." I carefully took out a metal cigarette case from my pocket and put the needle inside. I carefully put it away.
Looking at Hong Da's wide-open mouth, I laughed and said, "You know what? This needle is poisoned. If I'm not mistaken, it's snake venom. If you had accidentally lay down and your head was on the pillow, the needle tip would have pierced the back of your head, and you wouldn't have felt much pain. You would have just felt numb. By the time you sat up to check... your whole body would have stiffened."
"You...you saved my life again." Hong Da's face was very ugly.
I stood up and carefully checked the entire room: "Now you can go to sleep."
"Sleep?" Hong Da almost jumped up, yelling, "I'm not sleeping in this place anymore! Damn it! Get out! Get out now! I can't stand this place for another minute!"
Part 1: In the Martial World, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter 169: My Mission Is Different
When the car reached Hanoi, Hong Da's tense nerves finally relaxed a bit. But he still became somewhat nervous... and even quite obviously began to show some suspicion towards me.
It's simple. He hasn't contacted anyone since arriving in Haiphong, and in his opinion, no one should be able to find him so quickly! But I'm different; he's starting to suspect every phone call I make…
Upon arriving in Hanoi, we went straight to the "Hanoi Grand Hotel". This is one of only two five-star hotels in Hanoi. There are two best hotels in the city: the Hilton and the Hanoi Grand Hotel.
“From now on, I want everyone to turn off their phones.” Hong Da’s eyes were a little scary, and then he looked at me: “Brother, I don’t want to doubt you, after all, you’ve saved me more than once… but I would feel more at ease if you could turn off your phones from now on.”
“You can choose to break up with me.” My attitude was firm: “My phone won’t be off. The decision is yours. If you can’t trust me, then so be it.”
Hong Da's gaze was initially sharp, but after staring at me for a long time and seeing that I remained unmoved, he finally couldn't help but reveal a pitiful look. He gritted his teeth, then licked his chapped lips, and cried out as if resigned, "Fine! Fine! I believe you!"
He seemed to be bursting with anger, yelling at his bodyguards, "What are you waiting for? Get a room now! Do you expect me to sleep on the streets tonight? And remember, don't use our own IDs!"
I smiled and stood to one side with Xiluo.
We used fake IDs the whole way. Although Hong Da was a bit sleazy and cowardly, he was still a seasoned veteran and always carried at least two sets of fake IDs with him when he traveled.
As I watched the bodyguard checking in at the counter, I glanced at Xiluo and gestured for him to keep an eye on Hong Da, while I immediately headed towards the counter.
"Sir, your room is..." Behind the counter, a hotel staff member in uniform spoke to us politely in fluent Chinese.
In Vietnam, there are many, many people who speak Chinese; in fact, Chinese is the second most spoken language after Vietnamese! This is mainly because Vietnam's tourism industry is largely supported by Chinese tourists! Almost all tourist attractions, hotels, and other establishments have staff who speak fluent Chinese.
"A suite!" Before the bodyguard could speak, I interjected, "Please give me a suite. A presidential suite, a deluxe suite, or a honeymoon suite, anything goes, I need a suite!"
The bodyguard glanced at me, his eyes filled with suspicion. I smiled and turned to look at Hong Da: "What? Afraid of spending money?"
Hong Da was getting impatient: "Do as he says."
“Alright, sir.” The staff member behind the counter looked a little strange. He quickly checked the computer: “I think… there might be a slight problem… Our presidential suite requires reservations… and as for the other suites… we only have one honeymoon suite available right now… Are you really sure you need it?”
I smiled and said, "This is it."
The four of us men went into the elevator. I know some people will find it funny because we booked a couples' suite... a few men.
"What are you doing?" Hong Da asked, somewhat puzzled.
I said calmly, "From now on, the four of us should eat and live together!"
Oh, I forgot to mention, since entering Hanoi... I haven't called Tiger again!
The honeymoon suites in high-end hotels are indeed quite impressive.
Upon entering the room, I saw fresh flowers prepared by the hotel on the table. Walking through the living room and drawing back the curtains, I could overlook the city of Hanoi... although the view wasn't particularly beautiful.
Then we entered the bedroom, and somewhat awkwardly saw that Gu's large bed was covered with red rose petals... and the petals were arranged in a heart shape. Moreover, there were clearly some exquisite candlesticks prepared in the room... apparently for couples to enjoy romantic candlelight...
To be honest, the four of us men were quite embarrassed by the scene. Xiluo's expression was even more interesting; he seemed to really want to laugh, but was desperately trying to hold it in.
"Damn it, bro, what kind of trick are you playing?" Hong Da was a little annoyed.
“I said, from now on, the four of us should stick together.” I looked around at the surroundings: “The sofa in the living room outside is big enough for two people to sleep on.” Then I glanced at Xiro: “Give me the gun.” Xiro immediately complied.
"What are we going to do next? Just hide in the room and rest?" Hong Da's fat face was a little swollen, which I knew was due to lack of sleep. He hadn't rested enough these past two days, and the high level of mental stress was taking its toll.
My expression was cold and I said slowly, "Brother, think about it. From the moment you boarded that ship to the moment we landed and went to the hotel in Haiphong City... people were trying to kill you along the way... and most importantly, they always managed to find you accurately! What does that mean?"
Hong Da remained silent.
I smiled mockingly: "It means someone has been leaking your whereabouts, and has been doing so all along! If you suspected your friend in Vietnam who arranged your trip betrayed you on the ship... then how do you explain the needle in the pillow in the hotel in Haiphong?"
Hong Da's face turned even uglier.
I continued slowly, "You didn't tell anyone about our hotel stay in Haiphong, did you...? But they still found you... So the only explanation is..."
I took a deep breath, then took the gun Xiluo gave me, slowly sat down on the sofa, pointed the gun at the table, and slowly scanned the room with my eyes: "The person who betrayed you is among these four of us."
As I spoke, the gun was pointed downwards. My gaze swept over the four of us, finally settling on Hong Da's bodyguard!
The bodyguard immediately turned pale, jumped up, and shouted angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting! Do you doubt me?!"
He looked like he was about to draw his gun, but my gun was already pointed at him: "Sit down, I haven't finished speaking."
"Mr. Hong!" The bodyguard glanced at Hong Da with some excitement.
"Do as he says." Hong Da squinted, his eyes flashing with a cold light from time to time.
"If it wasn't leaked, then it could only have been me and my brothers who did it." I sneered, a mocking look on my face. "But if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already. There was no need to create so much trouble! If it wasn't us, and it wasn't you... it can't be Mr. Hong who betrayed himself!"
The bodyguard's face was grim. He stared at Hong Da and said with difficulty, "Mr. Hong... I didn't!"
Hong's small eyes flickered. He was clearly struggling with his inner turmoil and hesitation. But in the end, he remained silent.
I glanced at Ciro, who immediately understood and took the gun from the bodyguard's clothes. Because I was pointing a gun at him, he didn't dare resist. I then had Ciro remove the curtain cord and tie the bodyguard up.
Throughout the entire process, Hong Da didn't say a word. He just watched us tie up his bodyguard, and then I held a gun in one hand and pushed the bodyguard into the bathroom with the other.
The bodyguard didn't resist at all during the whole process. But I saw a deep sadness in his eyes! He even looked at Hong Dae with hopeful eyes at the end, but Hong Dae didn't look at him.
I went into the restroom with my bodyguard.
The suite's bathroom was large and spacious, featuring a luxurious bathtub and a cross-flow massage system. Then, Xiluo and Hongdae entered, but Hongdae simply stood at the doorway.
I started filling the bathtub with water. It took me a little effort to push the bodyguard into the tub because he started to resist, but since he was hand and footed, and he wasn't as skilled as me to begin with, I quickly subdued him…
I pushed the man into the cold water. Of course, I didn't intend to drown him; I just wanted to make him take a bath, with most of his body submerged and only his head sticking out.
Then I took a towel, smiled, and gently wiped the water from his face. My tone was calm but cold: "Alright, I don't have much patience left. Now I'll ask you questions, and you just need to answer them. If your answers satisfy me, I might let you go."
"I didn't do it!" the bodyguard said, looking at me with grief and indignation.
I grabbed the jacket he'd taken off when I tied him up, rummaged through it for a bit, and found a cell phone. I turned it on and looked at it…
“That night in Haiphong, while we were drinking on the rooftop of a bar, you made a phone call.” I raised my phone and smiled. “Did you do this or not?”
The bodyguard immediately replied, "No!" After a pause, he quickly added, "You can check my call logs on my phone!"
I had no intention of looking at the phone's call logs: "You're not stupid. Even if there were call logs, you would have deleted them long ago."
I quickly flipped the phone over, removed the battery, and then took the SIM card out. The SIM card had a logo indicating which mobile phone company it belonged to.
Thank goodness, the service quality of foreign mobile phone companies is very good, unlike that of domestic mobile or Unicom companies!
I looked at the trademark, then inserted its SIM card into my phone, made a few calls to inquire, and immediately found out which phone company's service number. I then gave them the phone number and requested to check the call records from the previous night.
The whole process only took me five minutes.
Xiluo was right behind me, and Hongda was beside him. The bodyguard, however, was soaking in the water with a gloomy expression.
"..." I quietly held the phone to my ear, listening to the operator's response on the other end. Finally, I took a deep breath...
My feelings were complicated at that moment; I even felt a bitter taste in my mouth. Then I simply said "thank you" in English into the phone and quickly hung up.
The bodyguard stared at me. I hesitated for a second, then suddenly raised the butt of my gun and slammed it down hard on his head!
Bang!
The bodyguard grunted, his head lolled to the side, and he passed out.
I casually took the SIM card out of my phone and threw it into the toilet. Then I turned around, tilted my head at Xiluo, gesturing for him to take Hongda out, and said calmly, "Alright, the scene below isn't something you want to see."
Hong's lips were trembling, and his expression was unreadable—it was hard to tell whether he was angry or something else. Finally, he gave the bodyguard in the pool a deep look, then turned and left.
When I was alone in the bathroom, I sighed, then took out the silencer from my pistol. I slowly attached it…
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!
Gunshot. With the silencer activated, it sounded like the sound of a sewing machine.