The Sea's Tide Returns

“I’m being followed?”
“Are you sure? Did they do anything?”
“Not yet. Here’s a picture of their vehicle.”
“Do you need me to do something?”
“Help me find out if they’re government agents.”
“Wild Dog, I must remind you, the organization forbids any member from being exposed. If it’s really the police or security services, you’ll either have to leave the capital or disappear completely.”
After this message, Old Xiao’s avatar went dark. While Hou Rui anxiously waited for the results of Old Xiao’s investigation, an unexpected person appeared.
“Hou Rui, handing out flyers again?” The crowd favorite, Cheng Lin, had arrived. She wore a gauzy long dress, with a short jacket draped over her shoulders, standing out so much that everyone around was drawn to her.
“Yes, life’s tough—no choice but to keep working,” Hou Rui replied casually, though his eyes furtively tracked that car.
“How much do you make a day doing this?”
“Eighty.”
“Oh!” Cheng Lin, who’d never been ignored by a boy before, watched Hou Rui’s indifferent attitude. The rare courage she’d summoned faded quickly, replaced by a flicker of irritation. She muttered, “Well, you get back to it, then,” and hurried away.
Just then, the car Hou Rui had been watching started up.
In an instant, every muscle in Hou Rui’s body tensed. He was prepared for anything—whether an assault rifle or a rocket launcher emerged from that car, he had already mapped out his escape route. If an attack came, he’d vault the market fence and the greenery, sprinting into the residential area to hide.
The street was crowded, mostly with elderly people shopping at the market, so the car moved slowly. As it pulled up in front of Hou Rui, someone he never expected appeared in the driver’s seat: Liu Hai.
While Hou Rui was still stunned, Liu Hai suddenly floored the accelerator, and in a flash, the car shot forward. Hou Rui then saw two men leap from the back seat, snatch Cheng Lin from the roadside, and drag her into the car.
Damn! So they weren’t after me—just passing by! That scared me half to death! Hou Rui patted his wildly beating heart, and just then, his phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hou Rui, do you remember me?”
“Who is this?”
“I’m Liu Hai, damn it!” The caller suddenly shouted, his voice thick with hatred.
“If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.” Hou Rui had no reason to be polite to this guy.
“Still so arrogant, huh? Your girl is with me. Last time at the shooting range, you embarrassed me—how am I supposed to survive in this circle now? Tonight, I’m settling things with you.” Liu Hai ranted on the phone, giving Hou Rui no chance to speak.
My girl? This line sounds awfully familiar! Helplessly caught up again, Hou Rui rolled his eyes at the phone. Last time it was Xia Xiaoru, now Cheng Lin. When did I suddenly have so many girls? No one ever told me! To cut Liu Hai short, Hou Rui asked bluntly, “What do you want? Say it. Another shooting contest?”
“Only brutes play with guns. This time, let’s see who’s got real status—we’re racing.” Liu Hai knew full well that even thirty-five of him couldn’t match Hou Rui in marksmanship, so he switched up the challenge.
Hearing this, Hou Rui suddenly smiled. He’d been wondering when he’d get a chance to take his precious car out for a spin, and Liu Hai had just handed him the perfect excuse.
“Fine, I accept. But I have one condition.”
“Save your last words for when we meet. Midnight, at Shrimp Hatchery Hill, in Jin Gu Port.” With that, Liu Hai hung up. When Hou Rui looked for the car, it had vanished, leaving only a few elderly witnesses discussing nervously.
Should I go or not?
Hou Rui pondered as he walked toward Uncle Yang’s tin shed. If he went, it felt a bit unfair—after all, Cheng Lin, beautiful as she was, had no real connection to him. But if he didn’t, Cheng Lin would surely be doomed; and would Liu Hai really let him off so easily? If that lunatic popped up again someday, it would be worse. Better to end it once and for all now. If Liu Hai ever found Jin Shanshan next time, he’d really have Hou Rui by the throat.
“Why do these things always come to me?” Hou Rui muttered as he stepped into Uncle Yang’s shed. He briefly explained the situation, then prepared to leave and retrieve his car. Unexpectedly, Uncle Yang tossed something at him, which Hou Rui caught—a beautifully patterned men’s bracelet.
“Keep it. It can unlock and saw through things, and the steel wire’s a handy weapon if needed. If you survive tonight, come early tomorrow and make up for the hours you’re missing today.” Uncle Yang was his old self, magnifying glass in hand, making keys without turning his head.
Looking at this gruff old man with a kind heart, Hou Rui’s chest warmed. He quickly slipped on the bracelet and left the shed.
Two hours later, on the highway from the capital to Jin Gu Port, a fiery red Beijing 40 Jeep sped along.
From the outside, the Jeep looked rather worn. The paint was fresh, but the four tires were old and dusty, and the front and rear bumpers bore countless nicks and scratches. The windshield was so foggy it hardly let any light through.
But this refurbished 40 was tearing along at over two hundred miles per hour, leaving other luxury cars far behind.
Hou Rui stomped on the gas, his arms twisting the steering wheel sharply to the left. With a thunderous surge, the 40 shot past a Mercedes 300, then Hou Rui twisted the wheel again, maneuvering the Jeep squarely in front of the Mercedes, executing a flawless overtake.
“Damn, a junk Jeep dares to pass me? I can’t stand for this!” The Mercedes driver was instantly enraged. But as he prepared to retake the lead, Hou Rui’s 40 deftly overtook a BMW coupe as well, leaving it in the dust.
Just like that, overtaking car after car and winning grudges at every turn, Hou Rui reached the mountainous outskirts of Jin Gu Port in less than three hours. Following his navigation, he arrived at the foot of Shrimp Hatchery Hill, where he spotted a makeshift parking lot filled with luxury cars and sports cars—and the car he’d seen earlier at the market, the one that took Cheng Lin.
It seemed this was a small racing circle, for the amusement of the capital’s privileged youth.
Unhurried, Hou Rui parked his 40 in a discreet corner, then began to hike up the mountain. After about twenty minutes, he finally reached the end of the dirt road at the edge of a seaside cliff, where Liu Hai and a crowd were already waiting.
“So you actually dared to show up, kid,” said a guy with exaggerated earrings, someone Hou Rui had never met, who jumped out first.
Hou Rui reached out, shoved the guy’s ugly face aside, and went straight for Liu Hai, “I’m here. Where’s the person?”
“Just look at him, so cocky. People call me Crazy Hai, but this kid’s even crazier,” Liu Hai said, arm around a tall girl, gesturing at Hou Rui for the crowd.
“Enough nonsense. Where’s the person?” Hou Rui’s gaze turned steely. After so many battles, Hou Rui had developed an intimidating, sharp aura without even realizing it.
Last time at the shooting range, Hou Rui had left Liu Hai with a deep impression; to this day, Liu Hai still feared him. This was the real reason for Liu Hai’s resentment and his need for revenge—he needed to rebuild his confidence, and the best way was to defeat the source of his fear.
That was his logic, but as Hou Rui’s murderous eyes bore into him, Liu Hai’s legs went weak. Almost instinctively, he glanced toward a gray Ford Mustang nearby. Hou Rui followed his gaze and immediately saw Cheng Lin, bound to the passenger seat.
Her mouth was taped, tears streaming from her enchanting eyes. When she saw Hou Rui, her tears flowed even harder.
Hou Rui had to admit, in terms of looks alone, Cheng Lin was probably the most beautiful girl he’d ever met—even Jin Shanshan, whom he’d secretly adored since junior high, paled in comparison. But now wasn’t the time for beauty contests; he had to deal with the trouble first.
“How do you want to play this? Say it.” Hou Rui took a breath, ready to settle things with Liu Hai once and for all, to prevent any future problems.
“You don’t even have a car—how can you race?” The same guy who didn’t learn his lesson came at him again, but Hou Rui shoved his face aside once more.
“See that cliff?” Liu Hai said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.
It was a seaside cliff about 670 meters high. Waves from the ocean constantly battered the jagged rocks below, the surf crashing violently, breaking into spray and mist as it struck the smaller stones.
Just hearing the thunderous “whoosh” and “boom” from below was enough to imagine the power of the waves.