A white sheet lay over the corpse, only her calves exposed. One glance was enough to confirm the body was female.
Li Zhongzhi's breath quickened as he approached.
Behind him, Cui Jie leaned toward Selene and the others, speaking softly:
"I've eaten with Officer Li before. Never thought I'd see you lot here in Bangkok."
Selene gave him a flat look.
"His daughter is missing. We're handling this commission."
Seeing she wasn't inclined to say more, Cui Jie wisely let the matter drop.
Li drew in a long breath, knelt heavily, and lifted the sheet.
One look. He covered it again, exhaling sharply, eyes closed.
Not his daughter. There was still hope.
He rose quickly and hurried to Selene's side.
"It's not her. My daughter's been gone six days already."
His knees suddenly hit the ground.
"She's all I have left. Please—I beg you, bring her back to me…"
Before the cameras nearby could capture an exploitable scene, Eddie Brock was quick to grab him and pull him back to his feet.
"We told you—if she's alive, we'll return her to you."
Cui Jie nodded inwardly. With the Brotherhood's resources, if she still lived, they would find her. The local police lacked that kind of reach.
Selene's voice cut in, cool and resolute:
"This isn't her. That means our search begins now. Let's go."
Li clenched his jaw and nodded. Together, they left the site.
······
On his way back to the station, Cui Jie received a call: his pregnant wife had started bleeding. Panic surged. She was six months along. He immediately dialed for an ambulance.
······
Elsewhere, Police Chief Chai, Cui Jie's father-in-law, sat across from Zheng Hanshou, secretary to the mayor.
"The mayor's health… is he alright?" Chai asked cautiously.
Zheng's eyes narrowed.
"What have you heard outside?"
"Some media ran critical pieces. But don't worry, I'll—"
Zheng cut him off with silence, then led him to a nearby conference room. He pushed open the door.
Inside, doctors struggled over the mayor himself. Emergency care.
Chai inhaled sharply, stunned.
When they stepped back out, Zheng finally said:
"The mayor's heart is failing. A wax bath won't fix this."
"He's waiting for surgery. He needs a new heart."
Chai's eyes darkened.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Zheng handed him a file.
"Because you're a friend. Tax bureau was sniffing around you. I shut it down."
Chai flipped the papers. It was real. No trick.
Zheng's smile was thin.
"All I want is small cooperation. That Hong Kong father looking for his daughter? Tell your son-in-law to ease off. Don't press it."
Chai froze.
Zheng's tone dropped lower.
"You're about to be a grandfather. You don't want trouble at your doorstep, do you?"
He patted Chai's shoulder and walked away.
······
That night, Cui Jie went to his father-in-law's home.
"Dad, they checked Tingting. She's fine. Doctor says the bleeding was just the baby kicking too hard. Nothing serious."
Chai exhaled, though Zheng's warning still rang in his ears.
"Good. Still—you must watch her closely. Emotions are fragile now."
"I understand," Cui Jie nodded. "But Dad, was there something else?"
Chai's expression hardened.
"Cui Jie, I heard about that Hong Konger's case. It's all over the media, isn't it?"
Cui nodded.
"Yes. They found a body today. We called him to identify it. The press caught him kneeling… it blew up fast."
Chai's brows knit tighter. He already knew from Zheng Hanshou: the girl was in their hands, her heart intended for the mayor. And Zheng held his own life in a vice.
"Cui Jie," he said at last, voice cold.
"Turn over whatever you've gathered tomorrow. Then drop the case. Completely. It ends here."
Cui blinked, surprised.
"You already know? I was going to tell you. Actually, I think following this case through could be good for us."
He leaned in, earnest.
"The media's watching. The Brotherhood swore to handle it, but they'll never take credit publicly. When Li leaves with his daughter, the credit will still fall on us—the Bangkok police. It'll strengthen our reputation."
Chai froze.
"…Wait. What did you just say? Who's handling it?"
Cui answered without hesitation.
"The Assassin Brotherhood. From New York."
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]