Li Zhongzhi didn't let the phone ring out. He answered immediately, switching it to speaker mode.
"Cui Jie, it's me. Any news on my daughter?"
On the other end, Cui Jie's voice was heavy.
"Mr. Li, our people found a female corpse by the shore. You need to come and confirm it."
Li's face drained of color.
"I'll be there at once."
"Want me to send a car?" Cui Jie asked. "It's best you see the body at the scene."
Selene cut in calmly,
"We'll take you. We were heading there anyway."
But Li shook his head, forcing himself steady.
"Don't waste time. Just tell me the address."
After noting it down, he ended the call.
Selene's eyes softened.
"Let's go. Don't assume the worst until you've seen it yourself."
Wesley frowned.
"If his daughter really is dead… this mission starts in blood. And unlike John, this man doesn't have Dragon Balls to fall back on."
Li's hands trembled, but he forced a nod.
"Thank you."
······
Two Rolls-Royces carried them through the streets. Li sat with Selene; Wesley, John Wick, and Eddie in the second car.
Eddie muttered uneasily,
"Can't be this unlucky, right? We come all this way and… she's already gone?"
Wesley sighed.
"Pray it isn't her. That would break him."
John Wick, stone-faced, said flatly,
"If it is her—and if she was killed—I'll make her killers suffer."
Eddie exhaled.
"Dead or not, it's still a human life."
······
In the other car, Li stared out the window, lost in memory. His wife had died years ago. He'd raised his daughter alone, refusing to remarry. Somewhere along the way, she'd drifted into rebellion. Father and daughter had clashed bitterly.
She'd come to Bangkok in secret, never telling him, and now this…
His throat burned with guilt. All those years of overprotecting her, of trying to shield her… had only widened the rift.
Selene, watching him, finally spoke.
"Mr. Li, our leader sent us here with orders. Your case is our priority. If your daughter lives, we'll save her. If she's dead, and if someone is responsible… we'll make them pay. No matter who they are, no matter what power they have here."
Li clenched his fists, eyes wet. He understood. If it was murder, vengeance was assured. If it was an accident… then even the Brotherhood couldn't change fate.
"…Thank you."
······
The convoy rolled up to the coast. Police cars flanked the road, yellow tape cordoning off the scene. Locals clustered in shocked murmurs, reporters snapping pictures.
At first, the officers on watch thought the luxury cars belonged to rich bystanders. But when the doors opened and four foreigners plus a Chinese man stepped out, heads turned. Their bearing wasn't that of tourists.
Cui Jie blinked when he saw Li climb out of the Rolls-Royce.
"Li? You came in that? And who…?" His eyes flicked to the four Westerners.
"They're Assassin Brotherhood," Li said plainly. "The ones I asked for help."
Cui Jie stiffened. He wasn't just a beat cop; his father-in-law was Bangkok's police chief. He knew the Brotherhood's reputation here, had even visited their branch before. For Li to bring in agents from New York headquarters…
Staring, he muttered,
"Headquarters? For your case?"
Li didn't hide it.
"My case alone isn't worth that. They have other orders. But they swore they'd help me first."
Cui Jie was shaken. The Brotherhood didn't handle missing persons. They took down cartels and crime syndicates. Yet here they were, mobilized by a father's plea.
"Fine," he said quickly. "Follow me."
He led them under the bridge, past reporters snapping wildly at the scene. The yellow tape fluttered in the breeze, holding back the crowd.
"The body's over there," Cui Jie said grimly.
Li stiffened, stepping toward the cordon.
"Stop," an officer barked, blocking him.
Cui Jie flashed his credentials. The man stepped aside. Selene, John, Wesley, and Eddie followed Li across the line.
"Officer Cui," another policeman greeted, pausing his notes.
Cui Jie nodded tersely.
"Bring him through. He has to look."
(End of Chapter)
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