An Awkward Reunion

There was no need for farewells, no need for idle words. The chances of everyone meeting again were slim, so Hou Rui simply climbed into the car arranged by the fat chief and headed straight for the border through the night.

By the next morning, Hou Rui had already returned to his homeland. He dug up his hidden belongings, restored himself to the look he’d had on that mountain outing, and entered the small border village openly. He spent a hundred yuan on a hearty meal of authentic hand-pulled lamb rice, then hired a motorcycle to return to Tashkurgan.

What followed was an uneventful, rather dull journey. Hou Rui made it back to Urumqi without incident, then took the train back to the capital. Standing once again before his school gates, watching his peers bustling in and out, bickering and laughing, he was filled with emotions too complex to express. Only days ago he’d been in another country, locked in a life-or-death struggle with American soldiers. Now, he had to join classmates in figuring out how to dodge the teacher’s roll call. The contrast was staggering, and Hou Rui couldn’t help but worry that if this went on too long, he’d end up split in two.

“Hey, Monkey, you’re back! Is the family patient all right now?” A male classmate—one not particularly close—suddenly interrupted Hou Rui’s reverie.

“Ah, yes, it’s all fine now. That’s why I hurried back,” Hou Rui replied, hastily collecting himself.

“Tch, what a waste! If I were you, I’d have stayed out having fun for a few more days. Oh, did you hear? A couple of days ago, Li Lei brought flowers to a girl from the Film and Drama program outside the women’s dorm, but she threw them right back down from the window! Hahaha, I nearly died laughing.” The guy slung an arm around Hou Rui’s shoulder, launching into a string of campus gossip as the two of them ambled through the school gate.

After that, Hou Rui enjoyed a few peaceful days. He attended cultural studies classes with his fellow students from Photography Class Two, learning the theory and techniques required to become a photographer. On weekends, if he wasn’t playing cards with Li Lei and the others for meal cards, he was out on the commercial street with his camera, shooting photos of beautiful women—sometimes even being chased up and down the street by security guards.

But beneath the surface calm, Hou Rui was thinking deeply.

The one million dollar commission for this last red assignment had already been wired to a Swiss account. Hou Rui immediately paid off the training fees for Zero Island and the fifty thousand dollars owed to Jerry. Since he was living a precarious life, never knowing if he’d see tomorrow, he refused to owe anyone anything. So, the first thing he did with his money was pay his debts.

Next, Hou Rui began to meticulously recall every detail of the red assignment—from departure, crossing the border, group assembly, all the way to the chaotic roadside firefight. He replayed the events over and over in his mind, scene by scene. In the end, he could only conclude that luck had been overwhelmingly on his side. In this deadly mission, even such top operatives as Beard and Rock had perished, and someone as skilled as Elf may have lost an eye. Yet he’d managed to stumble through with little more than a few scrapes. Such an improbable outcome could only be explained by extraordinary luck.

But when it came to the next assignment, would he be so lucky again? If fortune deserted him, any small misstep could cost him his life.

Since he was forced to play with fire, the only way not to get burned was to master the skills—to learn about fire, control it, and wield it. That was the true survival law of the dark world: to no longer rely on the whims of fate.

After spending much time working through this, Hou Rui finally gained some clarity about his path forward. He immediately contacted Old Xiao on WeChat and told him he wanted to continue receiving training from the organization.

“Wild Dog, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Last time, the observation training was free because the mission required it. But if you choose to take more courses, your money will run out fast. I suggest you save it, live it up a little, maybe get a girlfriend at school or something!” Old Xiao tried to tempt him into staying comfortable and complacent, but Hou Rui wasn’t having it.

“If I die on my next assignment, what happens to the money in my account?”

“Oh, it’ll be sent to your family as compensation.”

“If they suddenly get that much money, what do you think they’ll do? Won’t they start looking into where it came from? We both know what the organization would do in that case.”

“Hahaha, Wild Dog, you really do think ahead.”

“In any case, I don’t want to leave behind a fortune I’ll never get to spend. Help me apply for the training. As for the specifics, you decide for me.” Hou Rui didn’t trust Old Xiao, but he knew too little about the organization to choose his own courses. He might as well let Old Xiao handle it—at least it would look like they were close.

After ending his WeChat chat with Old Xiao, Hou Rui, at loose ends, left the school. He first went to Changchun Street, but found that Xiao Zhao’s apartment had a new owner—a solitary old man. When Hou Rui asked about Xiao Zhao, the old man swore he’d lived there for years and had never seen any young woman.

At that, Hou Rui understood. The organization had tidied up the aftermath; there was no reason for him to come back here again.

A bit disheartened, Hou Rui began wandering aimlessly, and before he knew it, he’d arrived in one of the capital’s busiest commercial districts. It was midday, and the streets were packed with crowds of out-of-town tourists; the scene was lively and bustling.

Suddenly, a piercing cry for help rang out: “Stop! Thief! Somebody help!” Hou Rui looked up just in time to see a woman in her fifties or sixties tumble to the ground, while ahead, a motorcycle with two riders was revving up to make its escape.

It was an obvious snatch-and-run. Hou Rui dashed over to the fallen woman. “Are you all right? Do you need an ambulance?”

“My bag, my bag!” The woman’s elbow was scraped, but she was too distraught about her handbag—clearly, something important was inside.

“I’ll go after them for you!” Seeing her desperation, Hou Rui blurted out the promise and took off after the motorcycle.

But the bike had already picked up speed, weaving deftly through the line of cars. The gap between them widened. To make matters worse, the two punks on the motorcycle noticed Hou Rui’s pursuit; the one on the back kept slapping his own backside in mockery, taunting him.

No matter how angry Hou Rui was, two legs couldn’t outrun two wheels. Just as he was about to give up, a flash of red flickered at the roadside. A figure suddenly darted out into the crosswalk and, as the motorcycle drew near, launched a flying kick straight at the rider’s chest.

With a loud smack, the rider was knocked off balance, and the motorcycle lurched wildly before crashing hard onto the pavement, skidding a long way and leaving a trail of scrapes. The two punks, who moments before had been jeering at Hou Rui, now tumbled like rag dolls across the ground.

“Beautiful!” Hou Rui couldn’t help but exclaim. To leap out and kick a speeding motorcyclist—especially to land safely afterward—was no feat for an ordinary person. At the very least, this was someone with serious skills.

“Damn you, meddler! I’ll stab you!” The punk who’d been riding pillion staggered up, wincing in pain, and lunged at the figure in red, a spring knife flashing in his hand.

The onlookers, who had surged forward after the crash, instantly melted away at the sight of the knife, scattering in all directions and leaving the red-clad hero alone.

Hou Rui was still fifty meters away. He worried whether the person in red could handle the knife-wielding punk—until, suddenly, the red figure executed a textbook over-the-shoulder throw, slamming the punk to the ground again. But that wasn’t what made Hou Rui slow his steps. Nor was it the close distance, or the athletic figure and long legs that he could now clearly see—it was recognition. He knew this person. The righteous avenger was none other than Jin Shanshan!

He was dumbfounded—utterly dumbfounded. He never imagined he’d run into Jin Shanshan here, much less that the lively high school goddess he remembered would have transformed into such a heroic figure.

“Tough luck running into me today! Stay down if you know what’s good for you—I’m a taekwondo instructor, and if you move, I’ll keep kicking!” Jin Shanshan, her hair cut short, clenched her fists menacingly. Only when both punks slumped in defeat did she nimbly hook the stolen handbag with her toe and catch it deftly in her hand. Then, at last, she turned toward Hou Rui.

He had no time to slip away. He simply stood there as Jin Shanshan walked up to him.

“This is your bag?” It had been nearly a year since they’d last met, and Jin Shanshan didn’t immediately recognize Hou Rui. She simply handed him the bag. “What’s a guy doing with a purse?”

“I was chasing it down for the lady,” Hou Rui muttered, a whirl of feelings in his chest.

“Oh, my darling! Mommy’s here! Let me see, let me see, are you hurt?” At that moment, a gust of wind swept by as the older woman rushed up, snatching her handbag. She opened it anxiously and pulled out a light-colored chihuahua, hugging it tight and showering it with kisses.

Both Hou Rui and Jin Shanshan were left speechless.

A few moments later, a police car arrived. Once the officers had taken the criminals away, the woman returned, still clutching her chihuahua. “Sweetie, these two are your saviors—don’t forget them!” she exclaimed, waving the dog’s paw at them in gratitude.

“No need for thanks. I’ll be on my way,” Hou Rui said, his mind in turmoil, ready to take his leave. But Jin Shanshan, standing nearby, tilted her head and stared at him curiously. “Hey, don’t I know you?”