"I have two things for you today," Jiang Hai said. "First, help me locate a group called Izo-Edis and Christian-Edis. They ambushed me, and after being eliminated, someone rescued them. I doubt they've left the United States yet, so this mission is yours."
After Galina left, she briefed the team on yesterday's events to strengthen security—but none of them knew that Izo-Edis had already been rescued earlier that morning, a matter of great importance.
They had offended Jiang Hai and still expected to survive? They were foolish. No matter how far they fled, he would eliminate them—they were potential threats.
Hearing Jiang Hai, the two women's eyes hardened. Though still smiling, even Tarak sensed the underlying menace. These women were not to be trifled with.
"Second, help me research this location," Jiang Hai continued, producing the map he had received from Tarak.
Ale'el-Sara immediately pulled out a piece of paper. She wasn't planning to simply copy the map or photograph it—she used a special code that only they could understand to record it. Jiang Hai glanced at the paper: a chaotic mix of English, numbers, and Arabic or Hebrew symbols. It was impossible to decipher, so he gave up.
About ten minutes later, Ale'el finished recording it and tucked the paper into his inner pocket. Seeing this, Jiang Hai smiled and carefully stored the original animal skin map.
Originally, Jiang Hai had planned to go out with Ale'el and Valentina that afternoon, but after assigning their mission, they left eagerly. Having a mission was a joy for them, so Jiang Hai didn't stop them.
After visiting Lelis Kawu and Belyak, who was assigned to protect Zheng Jin, Jiang Hai prepared to leave. Of course, he briefly saw Zheng Jin, who, unimpressed by Jiang Hai—especially with another woman beside him—greeted him politely but remained focused on company matters. Loyal to Qi Jie, Zheng Jin was naturally wary of Jiang Hai's numerous companions.
After saying goodbye to Belyak and Lelis Kawu, Jiang Hai left. On the way out, he ran into Jenny Pond again. She insisted on treating him to a meal as a token of gratitude, having heard it was a Chinese custom.
Jiang Hai smiled. "Work hard," he said, thanking her before stepping into a taxi back to Winthrop.
Meanwhile, a group of eight people was slowly making its way toward New York. Six were strong and healthy; two were injured—one in a wheelchair, the other with a haggard face. These were Christian Edis and his associates.
Christian Edis was furious over his son's condition, but he swallowed his anger, knowing he likely couldn't defeat Jiang Hai. Preserving the family bloodline was his priority, so he used every skill and connection to rescue his son. With six loyal men, they broke into the hospital and fled.
Even after the rescue, their ordeal was far from over. They avoided streets, fearing police pursuit, and took side roads toward New York. Christian Edis had planned to reach a contact in the Gray Road network, create fake identities, then travel to New Jersey to board a flight to Panama.
From the nearby highway came the roar of police sirens. Exhausted, hungry, and low on water, they pressed on, knowing rest was impossible until they left Massachusetts.
Unbeknownst to them, a motorcycle had quietly left Boston, slowly following their escape. Judging by its speed, it would take time to catch up.
Back in Winthrop, Jiang Hai and Tarak arrived at the villa. It was Tarak's first time at Jiang Hai's home, and she approached cautiously, trying to mask her nervousness.
Before reaching the villa, two large dogs dashed out, wagging their tails energetically.
"Wow, these dogs are huge!" Tarak exclaimed. "The Toga tribe also raises dogs, but ours aren't this big." She seemed excited rather than afraid.
Jiang Hai introduced them: "This is Xiao Huang, this is Xiao Bai, and this is Tarak. These are your future companions."
Both dogs were highly intelligent, almost at the level of six- or seven-year-old children. They understood Jiang Hai's words well. Xiao Bai sniffed Tarak eagerly, tail wagging, while Xiao Huang, a blue wolf mastiff, sat calmly nearby.
"Good dogs!" Tarak laughed, patting Xiao Bai's head. Jiang Hai smiled, relieved that her life here wouldn't be boring. Even if she couldn't play with the women at home yet, she had her own companions.
Once inside, Qi Jie and the others had prepared Tarak's room. Darlene and Marianne, girls around her age, gave her a tour. Though they weren't close to Jiang Hai, having a new playmate was a welcome development. Seeing them play together made Jiang Hai happy. Harmony, he thought, was the most important thing in a family.
Sitting on his sofa, Jiang Hai's eyes narrowed lazily. Life like this, he mused, wasn't so bad. As the sky darkened, heavy rain began to fall.
Yet far away, a group of desperate people had a completely different mood. As dusk fell, a glimmer of hope appeared in their eyes—until the sudden roar of a motorcycle made their faces pale.
(To be continued.)