Chapter 41
Time flows viscously in absolute darkness and silence.
Every second felt like a squeeze in their chest, and every breath was deliberately slow, fearing that the slightest sound would bring about a catastrophe. The pain from the Saker Falcon's wound and the tense nerves of the three people made the air in the small space almost solid.
I don’t know how much time has passed, so long that my legs and feet began to feel numb, and my perception of time became completely confused.
finally--
From outside came the dull rubbing sound of a cargo box being slowly moved away.
The three of them tensed up instantly, and Gu Jing's hand silently tightened around the hilt of the knife.
The sound of the lock bolt snapping open was particularly clear in the dead silence. The door of the compartment was opened from the outside, and a flashlight beam pierced into the darkness, blinding people.
"Come out." It was the voice of the sailor from before, still stiff, but it seemed to be less businesslike and more...weird?
Gu Jing was the first to adjust to the light. He squinted his eyes, but didn't move immediately. Instead, he quickly glanced outside the door. The sailor was the only one there. His expression was hard to make out in the backlight, but his posture seemed a little tense.
"What's the situation outside?" Gu Jing's voice was a little hoarse due to the long silence.
"The inspectors have left." The sailor said briefly, stepping aside to make way. "Brother Xiao wants you to go up."
Gu Jing glanced at 739 and Haidongqing behind him. 739 nodded and carefully helped his frail companion to his feet.
The three of them walked out of the cramped compartment one by one and returned to the relatively open lower cabin. The air was still turbid, but it gave people a sense of relaxation, like a rebirth - although this relaxation might be fleeting.
The sailor led the way, walking briskly. All traces along the way seemed to have been cleared, showing no signs of a large search recently.
But Gu Jing keenly noticed that in some corners, there were tiny traces of someone not on board—a bit of unfamiliar mud, a hint of a different brand of cigarettes. Interpol had indeed been there, and the search had been thorough.
Instead of returning to their original cabin, they were taken to a more spacious room on the upper floor, resembling a common room for the crew. It contained simple medical equipment and a supply of food. Qin Xiao sat cross-legged at a table, an open medical kit before him, disinfecting and bandaging a minor scratch on his arm.
When he saw them come in, he raised his eyes with a somewhat gloomy expression.
"Hey, you're still alive?" His tone was as annoying as usual, but there was no smile in his eyes.
"What happened?" Gu Jing asked directly, his eyes falling on the wound on his arm.
"Nothing. I played hide-and-seek with those international cops and got a little bruised." Qin Xiao curled his lips and skillfully wrapped the gauze around it. "Damn, the team leader is an old acquaintance. His nose is sharper than a dog's. He almost sniffed it out."
He bandaged it, lowered his sleeve to cover the wound, and then looked at Gu Jing with a playful look in his eyes: "But, something interesting happened."
He paused, as if he was organizing his words, or as if he was appreciating Gu Jing's possible reaction.
"The team leader privately told me something. The anonymous tip they received was very detailed, practically pointing out that the antibodies were in me, and even hinting at your relationship with Qin Yu."
Gu Jing's heart sank slightly. This was worse than he had expected.
"But," Qin Xiao changed the subject, a hint of sarcasm on his lips, "about half an hour before they boarded the ship, they received a second anonymous letter. The content was even more interesting. It directly overturned most of the first tip, claiming that the first tip was a slander from a competitor and provided a completely different 'clue' pointing to a suspicious ship in other waters."
Gu Jing frowned. This turn of events was unexpected.
"So their search was a bit much, much ado about nothing. It seemed strict, but in reality, they left some wiggle room. It was more like... a formality. Or perhaps, confused by the two conflicting intelligence reports, they were hesitant to kill." Qin Xiao took a sip from the water glass on the table. "My minor injury was just a routine attempt to forcibly inspect my 'important personal belongings', and I resisted a little."
"Who sent the second anonymous letter?" Gu Jing grasped the key point. This was almost helping them out.
"I don't know." Qin Xiao put down his water cup, his eyes sharp. "The method is very clean, and the source cannot be traced. But the timing is too perfect. It seems that they calculated that the first tip would be received and the time for Interpol to be dispatched."
He stared at Gu Jing: "Who do you think it could be?"
Gu Jing's mind raced through several thoughts. Qin Zhengfeng? Impossible. That old lunatic only wanted them dead. Someone within the Gu family? They might not have the ability or intelligence to do so. Other forces coveting the antibodies? It was even less likely they would be so kind as to help them.
An almost impossible thought, like a struggling spark in the darkness, suddenly flashed through his mind, but was then forcibly suppressed by him.
Impossible... He saw the explosion with his own eyes...
"I don't know." Gu Jing finally gave the same answer as Qin Xiao, his voice cold and clear, "Whoever sent it, their intentions are not pure. They might be trying to muddy the waters, or they might be trying to make us let down our guard."
"I agree." Qin Xiao snapped his fingers. "So, don't think the crisis is over. On the contrary, I think we are more like we are in a bigger vortex."
He stood up, walked to the porthole, and looked at the dark sea outside. Only the white traces of the hull breaking through the waves were vaguely visible.
"The first tip-off was an attempt to kill us with someone else's knife. The second anonymous letter rescued us, albeit a bit reluctantly." Qin Xiao turned around and leaned against the porthole. "This shows that besides those who want us dead, there is another group of people... who don't want us to be finished so soon. In other words, they don't want us to fall into the hands of others."
His gaze fell on Gu Jing, with deep inquiry: "How many tricks does Qin Yu have left? Or... are you worth others' help?"
Gu Jing looked back at him expressionlessly, but his heart seemed to be tightened again by that invisible hand. The feeling of suffocation, along with the absurd and unnecessary spark of hope, burned his sanity.
"Instead of speculating about these things, it's better to think about the next step." Gu Jing forcibly changed the subject and also diverted his own attention. "Although Interpol has left, their suspicions will not completely disappear. This ship has been marked."
"That's right." Qin Xiao nodded. "So, the original plan has changed. We can't continue to drift aimlessly on the high seas. We have to find a place to dock in advance."
"Where are you going?"
"A place where nothing is allowed, but everything is regulated." Qin Xiao smiled slyly. "'Freeport' Redmayne. I have a small 'safe house' there. It's time for our distinguished guest, Mr. Viper, to speak properly."
His tone was light, but Gu Jing could sense a chill beneath it. Qin Xiao was about to begin liquidating and extracting value.
"We need intelligence," Gu Jing agreed. Whether it was about Qin Zhengfeng, the current chaotic situation, or even the two anonymous reports, Viper was the key.
"Rest for a few hours." Qin Xiao clapped his hands. "Before dawn, we'll have new identities and equipment. Then, we'll play a little dress-up game and quietly go ashore."
He walked to the door, stopped again, looked back at Gu Jing, and his tone suddenly became meaningful:
"Gu Jing, whoever sent the second letter seems particularly interested in you... or something about you. Think carefully about it. Besides being Qin Yu's widow, what else is there to you that would warrant such a rip-off?"
The door closed, and only Gu Jing and the other two were left in the lounge.
Due to injuries and fatigue, Saker Falcon soon fell asleep under the care of 739. 739 also leaned against the wall and closed his eyes to rest.
Only Gu Jing had no desire to sleep.
He walked to the side of the ship and looked out at the inky black sea.
"Widow"... Qin Xiao's word pierced his heart like a needle.
value?
What else is he worth?
Gu's remnants? Antibody-related research data? Or... something Qin Yu might have left behind, something he didn't even know about?
or……
That absurd possibility he dared not contemplate.
The sea breeze is cold and cannot blow away the fog in my heart.
There seemed to be a very faint grayish-white tint on the sea level in the distance.
It's almost dawn.
The new destination, "Freeport" Redmayne. A place whose very name suggests chaos and danger.
And they are heading there on their own initiative.
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