Crimson Instinct

Chapter 108: Showdown at Tianjin (1)

*Xin Lei*

It was almost eight in the evening when we reached Tianjin Port. By that time, the tourists start to disperse.

It was my first time to visit a seaport and man it was huge. There were rows of containers loaded on top of each other. Between every such row, the road was wide enough for small terminal tractors to pass by and unload the containers from the dock to the storage yard.

As we carefully moved forward, I saw the container terminal. Two to three big ships were docked in one berth, and huge gantry cranes were built above them. These cranes were used for lifting the containers from the ships to the trucks in the container terminal. The cranes occupied a wide area.

Lin Zihao had shown me a path that was safe to use to keep an eye on the happenings. Naturally, there would be men guarding the area for any intruders.

We hid behind the marked containers that gave us a clear view of the dock but was still at a safe distance. As expected, a few men were pacing back and forth in the area, holding guns in their hands.

Bai Li asked, "What do you see?"

Liao Huifang said, "Hm. Some men are going around. It looks like they are waiting for the ship."

"Hm. Keep an eye."

We waited. After thirty minutes, the men straightened up.

I saw a ship slowing down at the dock. I didn't want to take the risk of using text to speech even at the lowest volume. ASL was the best option. I took Bai Li's hand and moved his fingers.

'Ship coming.'

The ship finally halted and docked to the port. An automated staircase opened, and I saw a few men coming down from the ship.

"How do they look like? What are they carrying?" Bai Li asked.

Liao Huifang said, "They look like East Asians, but not Chinese. Oh, wait. I see some other fair guy too. He looks like a foreigner. They are holding some bags with them. One of that Asian guys and that fair guy are walking between three men. They seem to be the client."

"...I see. Do you see anyone from our side?"

"No."

It was strange. It was an important client deal, but the boss didn't come yet.

The men at our side greeted the clients. The clients looked like they were asking for someone. 

The gantry cranes then started to unload some containers from the client's ships to our container terminal.

A few minutes later, I saw a figure coming towards the clients from afar.

I narrowed my eyes. As the figure came closer, his face became clearer.

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Yi Xing...It was Yi Xing.

There was also someone walking beside him.

Zhao Wenyan.

I signed to Bai Li. 'It's Yi Xing and Zhao Wenyan.'

Liao Huifang said, "Well, he did behave creepily in the office. And remember how he looked at Bai Li when we left."

Zhao Wenyan came forward first. He seemed to act as a middle man between Yi Xing and the clients.

The clients nodded after Zhao Wenyan said something.

I relayed the same to Bai Li.

Then when it came to exchanging, I saw Zhao Wenyan take out something. It was really a small packet.

I frowned.

What could be so small that fit in such a tiny casing?

Liao Huifang said, "Zhao Wenyan is holding something tiny. So in exchange for all these big containers, they are just giving that tiny thing?"

Bai Li said, "It could be a USB. It could contain anything that could benefit those clients. China's secrets, intelligence, or any confidential information."

"Betraying the country?" She gasped.

"Why not? It's not the first time."

The clients exchanged the bags with the small case that Zhao Wenyan held.

They opened the bag, and Zhao Wenyan looked inside. He seemed to check inside. Then he nodded in satisfaction.

Zhao Wenyan also saw the containers lifted to the terminal.

I signaled Bai Li. "It seems the exchange is done."

Bai Li said, "We have to stop the clients from going back. Whatever Zhao Wenyan gave them, we cannot let them take it back. Let's go."

We moved a little further. "Tell me the angles where the men are standing."

I moved his fingers.

'One is at your two o clock. Two at ten and nine. One at six. Other at four.'

Bai Li nodded. "You take care of two and six. I will take care of the other three."

We slowly took out our guns and put the silencer on them.

I aimed at the one standing at two o clock. I fired the shot, and it landed straight in his throat. He tumbled down.

The clients and the others looked shocked.

"Hey! Who is it?"

They panicked. Bai Li quickly shot two of the other men.

We slowly came out, pointing our guns at them.

Bai Li said, "Good to meet you again, Yi Xing. How is your jaw?"

Yi Xing sneered. "Heh! Bai Li. You don't have to worry about my injury because I will make sure that you suffer a lot worse. I will give you a nice payback for the punch."

Bai Li smiled. "When? From the jail for trying to betray the country?"

Yi Xing laughed. "Oh, are you talking about these clients? They are not my people. They have come for Zhang Chao's deal. When I got the news, Zhao Wenyan secretly contacted them. We just offered them double the price and offers. They canceled the deal with Zhang Chao. I only came here to collect evidence on Zhang Chao for the illegal dealings he is doing. He is enjoying a lot, exposing me to the media. How can I just sit around, doing nothing?"

Bai Li said, "Nice try to blame it on him when you are the one standing here, doing the transaction."

"Bai Li. If you are questioning my presence, then I can also question yours. And please don't say that you are trying to find the truth about those murders. You just want to act noble. But in truth, Zhang Chao sent you here, right? Perhaps he wants to know why the deal got canceled so he called you here with your two 'guides.'"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Sir!" One of Yi Xing's men called out.

"What?"

"We...we found"

"What did you find?" He snapped.

The men gulped.

I frowned. What happened?

The men went back and slowly carried a figure on their shoulders

I widened my eyes in shock.

Zhang Ning?

"I-it's Miss Zhang. We found her unconscious behind a container row."

"Ning!"

Yi Xing rushed towards her and took her in his arms. "Ning. Ning! Get up."

He glared at his men. "What happened!?" He roared.

I was dumbstruck as well.

How did Zhang Ning come here?

Bai Li seemed to be in deep thought. Liao Huifang said, "Hey, how did things take this turn?"

Bai Li whispered. "Something doesn't feel right. I am sure that Yi Xing has something to do with it. He is acting."

"Sir. We found someone who was guarding Miss Zhang."

They dragged a man out and pushed him on the ground.

Yi Xing went forward and punched him on his face. "How dare you kidnap my Ning?"

I must admit that if he was acting, then it was good because he seemed angry.

Yi Xing clutched the man's hair and harshly pulled his face towards him.

"Ah"

"Tell me. Why did you kidnap her? Who told you? Who gave you the orders!?"

The man coughed hard. Then his glance shifted at us, and he widened his eyes when he looked at Bai Li, but he quickly averted his gaze.

Say what!? 

It felt as if

Yi Xing followed his gaze. "I see...So it was Bai Li. I caught you looking at him."

What the fuck!?

The man seemed nervous, but he said nothing.

"It was Bai Li, right? It was this man, right?"

"I...I"

Yi Xing punched him again. "Y-yes! It was this man who told me to kidnap Miss Zhang."

Bai Li chuckled. "Now, I see what you want to do there. You want to pin the blame of her kidnapping on me. That man who shot at Zhang Ning blamed you, so now you want to use the same trick on me."

Yi Xing's eyes were bloodshot. "I love Ning! Do you think I would be crazy to kidnap her?"

"Why not? You kidnapped her. Then you want to pretend as if you found her at the last moment and save her. You will think that perhaps Zhang Ning would change her opinion about you. With this man's confession, you will blame it on me. But didn't you say that you think that I have conspired with Zhang Chao? Why would I kidnap her?"

Yi Xing laughed. "You are right, Bai Li. That couldn't be the case. But now, seeing Ning in such a state, I am sure that you are not with Zhang Chao either. You turned out to be more cunning than I imagined. You knew that I would be here, so you kidnapped Ning here too so that you could blame me that I kidnapped her."

He sneered.

"You want both Zhang and Yi parties to clash against each other so that the real party whom you are working for rises in the elections while we pointlessly fight."