"Miss Situ."Cao Yang stood up with a bright smile, greeting her politely.
Situ Meixin nodded lightly. "Long time no see."
"Miss Situ—"
"Whatever you have to say, let's talk outside." She cut him off and walked out of Zhonghua Tower.
Cao Yang only wanted to ask about his sister-in-law. It was just one sentence. But since she already said so, he could only follow.
"So many people?" He glanced at the ten men following behind her. "All your bodyguards?"
"Mm."
"Someone trying to kill you? Why bring so many?"
Situ Meixin ignored him.
The group walked out of Chinatown and arrived at a quiet café.
A Black waiter served them two coffees.
"What do you want from me?" Situ Meixin stirred her coffee, looking at him.
"I want to ask—where is my sister-in-law?"
"Your sister-in-law?" She looked confused.
"At the Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel last time, you two chatted alone for a long time."
"Oh, you mean Miss Hu Qing."
"Yes. Where is she?"
"How would I know? After Hong Kong, I never saw her again. Haven't contacted her either."
Cao Yang frowned at her. She didn't seem to be lying… and she had no reason to lie to him.
Did Sister-in-law never come to the U.S.?
Cao Yang let out a bitter laugh. Of course—they were all liars.
But then he shook his head. She didn't fully trust him when she left. Why would she trust Situ Meixin? Even if she was in America, she might not have contacted her.
"Anything else?" Situ Meixin took a sip of her coffee.
Cao Yang shook his head blankly, thoughts a mess.
Situ Meixin gave him a deep look, then stood up to leave.
Cao Yang didn't think much of it—his mind was still chaotic.
Suddenly—
A wave of murderous intent!
He looked up. Situ Meixin had already left the café, but her bodyguards were still inside.The killing intent came from them.
Cao Yang's heart tightened. He instinctively reached toward his lower back.
He didn't bring a gun on the plane—only a dagger he bought last night.
Bang!A gunshot!
Then the screech of brakes.
Three vans stopped outside the café, doors sliding open as masked, burly men jumped out with rifles.
They opened fire at Situ Meixin.The first shot missed, and then came a hail of bullets.
"Miss, watch out!"
A bodyguard shoved her aside, shielding her with his own body.Dozens of bullets tore through him, turning him into a sieve.
"Ah-Bao!"Situ Meixin screamed as the bodyguard fell like a honeycomb.
She quickly reacted and retreated back into the café.
Her remaining bodyguards formed a protective circle around her and returned fire.
"Two of you take Miss and retreat through the back!"
"Everyone else—hold the line!"
The café entrance became an all-out firefight.
Customers and staff were screaming, hiding in corners and under tables.
Only Cao Yang remained calm.
He studied the masked men. Even with their faces covered, their golden hair and exposed forearms made it clear—They were white.
They were targeting Situ Meixin.Nothing to do with him.
Then why did her bodyguards radiate killing intent toward me earlier?
One after another, her bodyguards fell.
Cao Yang realized he should leave—if the masked men broke in, they might kill him too.
To them, he looked like one of her men.The Black and white civilians hiding in the corners were unlikely to be mistaken, but he would be.
He crouched low, grabbed a fallen guard's gun, and slipped toward the back exit.
The back alley was already filled with gunfire.
The two bodyguards escorting Situ Meixin were fighting six masked attackers.They managed to kill four, but both were severely wounded and collapsed.
The last two masked gunmen raised their rifles at Situ Meixin—
Bang! Bang!
Both dropped dead.
Situ Meixin had already resigned herself to death—and was stunned when she realized the ones who fell were the attackers.
She looked toward the source of the shots…It was Cao Yang.
Her emotions tangled—shame, guilt, confusion.She had tried to kill him without a real grudge, and yet he saved her life.
"Move!"Cao Yang grabbed her hand and sprinted away—reinforcements were coming from behind!
"Go to Chinatown! The Fick Mafia won't follow us there—it's forbidden territory for them!"
The Ficks were an Italian-American mafia family, with a century-long history.Their influence spanned several states, dealing in gambling, drugs, loan-sharking, arms, human trafficking—Anything that made money.
Cao Yang didn't care who they were or why they wanted her dead.
He cared about one thing—
Why did her bodyguards want to kill him earlier?
They entered a narrow alley in Chinatown.The pursuers stopped, unwilling to step in.
Situ Meixin leaned against a wall, panting heavily.
"I'm calling my people." She pulled out her phone, planning to counterattack—and rescue her remaining men.
Before she could dial, Cao Yang's hand wrapped around her slender, pale neck.
Her feet left the ground instantly.Air vanished from her lungs as she struggled, slapping desperately at his wrist.
Cao Yang lifted her with one hand, face cold as ice.
"Why did you try to kill me?"
He had replayed everything in his mind while running.
The killing intent came from her bodyguards before the Fick Mafia attacked.That meant the murder attempt wasn't from the mafia—it was from her people.
He had never wronged them.Why target him?
If the Ficks hadn't interfered, he would've been fighting her guards right now.
A terrifying thought struck him.
His heart went cold. His grip tightened.
"Did Hu Qing contact you? Did you kill her for money? And now that I came looking for her, you wanted to get rid of me too?"
Money corrupts anyone.His suspicion was reasonable.
Situ Meixin's eyes rolled back, tongue sticking out.She couldn't speak.
Cao Yang released her, but pressed the gun barrel to her forehead.
"Talk."
Cough! Cough!She collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.
"You're guessing wrong… I've never met Hu Qing!"
"Then why kill me?"
"I was hired."
"By who?"
"Su Yuanshan."
Cao Yang frowned—he had just seen Su Yuanshan earlier today.
"Bullshit. I don't even know him. Why would he want me dead?"
Situ Meixin sneered weakly."What, did you offend someone powerful back in China?"
Cao Yang didn't reply—silence was confirmation.
"You didn't even check who funds those princelings living luxurious lives overseas?"Her voice was cold."Who provides them the money?"
"Su Yuanshan?"
"Yes."