Three days later, Zhao Yao took a flight to the poorest country in Europe.
According to the intelligence on his cell phone, the headquarters of the Double-headed Vulture were located here.
When he exited the airport, he saw dilapidated streets, old buses, golden-haired and blue-eyed Europeans and their curious gazes. He shrugged his shoulders and waited for his tour guide to fetch him.
A short-haired lady with yellow skin and dark eyes walked over. She stood out from the crowd, so Zhao Yao spotted her immediately. She looked exactly like her photograph—Large eyes, short hair, egg-shaped face and a little short.
The lady waved and ran over to Zhao Yao. "Greetings, are you Mister Zhao Yao?"
"Yes, that is me." Zhao Yao extended his hand and said, "Are you the student Lin Wanqian?"
"Yes, that is me. Nice to meet you, Mr. Zhao Yao." Lin Wanqian shook hands with Zhao Yao and said, "We agreed on 500 Euros per day, is that alright?" She looked in anticipation at Zhao Yao as she was tempted by such a high price.
Zhao Yao nodded and waved with his hand, "No problem." He took out 500 Euros and said, "This is the tour guide fee for the first day."
Lin Wanqian was excited to see the money but she did not take it. Instead, she asked warily, "Mister Zhao Yao, I only provide basic tour guide services. There are no additional itineraries and I do not go out at night."
Zhao Yao rolled his eyes and said, "Do not let your imagination run wild. Do you think I would be interested in you?" He pointed to the golden-haired ladies on the streets and said, "Look at the European ladies, they are prettier than you. You are safe here."
Lin Wanqian was so infuriated by Zhao Yao's tactless comment that she puffed her chest and glared at him. After receiving the 500 Euros, she calmed herself and said, "Mister Zhao, what do you intend to tour? The southern coastline is extremely scenic and connects to the mediterranean sea. The sea water is so clean that you can see the sand underneath. It is almost summer. The sunshine is lovely…"
To earn the 500 Euro, Lin Wanqian had done her homework by familiarizing herself with the tourist spots.
Zhao Yao waved his hand and said, "I am not going there. I prefer to tour the city."
"Ah?" Lin Wanqian looked at him puzzled and said, "We can go to the Downtown Square, museum, art gallery, opera house and…"
Zhao Yao waved his hand again and said, "I don't want to go there. Bring me to the most chaotic location."
"What? The most chaotic location?" Lin Wanqian was terrified and took a few steps back. She looked warily at Zhao Yao and said, "Mister Zhao, what do you intend to do here?"
"Touring, haven't I told you already? Zhao Yao observed her wary behavior and smiled. "Don't worry, I do not like scenic views when touring. I prefer to immerse myself in the local culture."
Lin Wanqian smiled awkwardly. She was having second thoughts about this tour guide job. Law and order here were not as good as they appeared and she did not want any trouble.
Zhao Yao asked, "Miss Lin, why are you here?" While strolling and observing the scenic views, Zhao Yao discovered that there were very few tourists here.
"I am here to fulfill my summer modules." Lin Wanqian coaxed, "Mr. Zhao, there are places here that are not suitable for touring as they are dangerous. Shall we tour the National Museum in the downtown area?"
Lin Wanqian was not an ignorant kid. Underneath the peaceful facade, was a criminal ring that ran throughout Europe. Every year, large amounts of drugs and kidnapped women were sold here to the rest of Europe and even America.
Maintaining a low profile and avoiding trouble were her survival tools.
Zhao Yao sighed as he was perplexed. He did not know the local language and required a tour guide as a translator.
"Will you accept 1000 Euro?"
Lin Wanqian shook her head violently like a rattle drum while Zhao Yao said, "5000 Euro, only for one day."
Lin Wanqian was dumbfounded and she hesitated for a while before struggling to say, "I will only bring you there and I will not do anything illegal."
"That is enough, let's go."
Along the way, both of them traveled by public transport and on foot. Zhao Yao was enjoying this charming little European country.
There were many cafés on the streets and the locals looked free and easy. When they noticed both of them, they looked as though they had seen exotic creatures. The city buildings looked obsolete and were comparable to second-rate and third-rate cities in China.
As they proceeded further, the scenery changed from public roads to muddy paths, from the downtown areas to rural areas. Finally, they arrived at a street with numerous shacks that were self-constructed by the locals. They were squeezed haphazardly together forming a large labyrinth.
Some local kids begged Zhao Yao for money and were stopped by Lin Wanqian.
Lin Wanqian looked at Zhao Yao and said, "Try not to give them money. Do not take out your money from your wallet. If you want to buy any things, let me pay using Lekë, the local currency. Do not show your wealth. I am sure you understand this."
Zhao Yao nodded, his eyes sweeping around, his ears quivering. He was paying attention to his surroundings.
"There must be a gang here and they will know where to find the Double-headed Vulture members. As long as I am able to find a single member, I will have the ways and means to locate the headquarters," Zhao Yao thought, "To find the local gang…"
He thought for a while, looked at Lin Wanqian and asked, "Where is the red light district?" Although the Double-headed Vulture only dealt drugs, as the largest human smuggling ring in Europe, they would be in cahoots with the local gangs to force women into prostitution.
"Ah? Ah????" Lin Wanqian gazed at Zhao Yao with contempt and said furiously, "How would I know about such places? And… you came all the way here, just to… "
She could not imagine that a person would look for the red light district after a flight. He must be full of energy or rather full of lust?
Zhao Yao said, "Just bring me there."
"Scumbag, you have to go yourself." Lin Wanqian scolded, swiveled and ran off as she did not want to stay any longer. After more than a hundred meters, she regretted.
"This place is chaotic and dangerous. I don't think it is a good idea to leave him here." After thinking for a while, though she disliked him, she had to bring him back to the downtown area.
As she was turning her head, a huge pair of hands covered her mouth and she was pulled into a small alley. She struggled frantically but was made unconscious and carried away.