Chapter 271 - IF ONLY

Zhong Feng felt overwhelmed and confused as he walked out of the bathroom like a zombie. He thought he had prepared for all the eventualities. However, Hu Lei had still been captured. He could not understand how things could go so wrong.

"Brother-in-law," A cheerful voice called out as he walked towards the event.​​

Kaito walked over leisurely while giving the guards a side glance of superiority. They had been looking at him suspiciously just as he had been about to enter the banquet hall. It could be said that their eyes were not bad…

Still, how could they think that he looked like a suspicious person when he was simply there to support his brother-in-law?

The loud call snapped Zhong Feng out of his daze.

He looked at his watch and realised that he had wasted five minutes on useless thoughts instead of searching for Hu Lei.

The sooner he began his search, the faster he would be able to find her safely.

He walked to Kaito and grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him away from the event entrance area. Kaito was surprised by the gesture and frowned at the unusual behaviour. Zhong Feng was not a tactile person, and Kaito had noticed.

However, soon after, his eyes sparkled with a mischievous light.

"Brother-in-law, we can't. Hu Lei would kill me." He teased with a smile.

Zhong Feng gritted his teeth as he held back the impulse to hit him. Once he found Hu Lei, he would have her deal with him. For now, he needed his help.

He took him up to his exclusive hotel room in Demesne. While he was anxious to discuss the matter of Hu Lei's disappearance, he did not want to speak in a place where people could hear about the occurrence.

If the information spread out, it might become more difficult to find Hu Lei.

He had learnt a lesson years ago when some unrelated people had claimed to have seen Hu Lei when he was searching for her all over the world. All that while, she was imprisoned in Antarctica. Those people only wanted to earn a little money from him.

While he did not mind spending money, the time wasted could not be recovered.

When he closed the door, he faced Kaito with a rare emotional face.

The other man backed away with dramatic wariness.

"Brother-in-law, keep a clear mind." He spoke while clutching his collar with the fear of a young maiden.

"This is not the time for jokes. Hu Lei has been kidnapped." Zhong Feng spoke solemnly.

Kaito snapped out of his little dramatic play and looked at Zhong Feng with the seriousness of the man who led the most feared ȧssassin group in the world.

"What happened? Is it the group I warned you about?" Kaito asked.

"I believe so. The mercenaries did cause some chaos, but they did not enter the hotel. I need you to tell me the complete information you found so I can determine what happened." Zhong Feng did not want to rush out without the right details in case he endangered Hu Lei further.

"The woman in charge of the mercenary hire seemed to want to destroy your event, but she made it clear that she did not want you dead. I ȧssumed she had a grudge against you." Kaito said with narrowed, contemplative eyes.

"What woman? Where?" Zhong Feng felt like he was hearing a fairy tale without a start or an end.

Kaito waved a hand casually.

"I have been listening to the chatter in the local mercenary groups for a while since there is no movement on an international front concerning your case. I learnt about a strange woman hiring a large group of low-level mercenaries for an impromptu task today. I decided to check it out." Kaito paused. "How was Hu Lei taken?"

Zhong Feng took out his phone and tapped on it harshly with tense fingers as he answered the question. "I believe that she was lured out of the party and was ambushed inside the hotel by some experienced people."

"Speaking of which, the woman had some tough-looking military-like guards with her," Kaito added.

Zhong Feng's eyes turned fervent. "How were they dressed? What were their weapons?"

Kaito frowned. "Black fatigues with standard ȧssault gear for covert missions. Why?"

Zhong Feng did not answer.

His mind turned with firm realisation. It was that group that had come to take Hu Lei. He had ȧssumed that it was an overconfident mercenary who had managed to succeed, but it seemed that the group could not be bothered with middlemen anymore.

He calmed his thoughts and dialled an international number. He paced as he waited for the other end to pick up.

As soon as the other person responded, he spoke curtly for a minute or so before hanging up.

"What else have you not told me?" He turned to Kaito.

Kaito's lips twitched a little.

It was not like he had deliberately hidden information. He just felt a little awkward when he remembered the hungry and lascivious look on that woman's face.

"The woman-in-charge asked me to meet her at Rocky Dock. No, she did not specify a time. She said to meet her after the party which I ȧssume is the end of the ambush, not the actual Zhong Industries party." He spoke quickly.

"That's quite a distance away if we ȧssume that she meant it. But chances are, she would not risk losing Hu Lei over a moment of pŀėȧsurė." Zhong Feng surmised.

'It would be more than a moment.' Kaito grumbled in his heart.

"I still think that she has a reason for picking out Rocky Dock. Perhaps, she has plans to escape on water from the coastline. It is the most practical solution. She is probably moving Hu Lei through the city in a car. She probably has a ship waiting." He kept his complaint inside and offered real insight.

"My exact thoughts. If she is set on having you, she will probably have someone wait for you at Rocky Dock. Then, that person would bring you to another location after determining you do not have other contrary plans." Zhong Feng added.

Kaito nodded and smiled.

"We have one mind and synced thoughts. If only you weren't my brother-in-law…" Kaito levelled a deep gaze on Zhong Feng, and it was uncertain what he was thinking.

Zhong Feng chose to firmly believe that he wanted to recruit him into the Shadow Brotherhood.

Fortunately, the moment was cut short by the rat-tat-tat of a chopper descending on the hotel roof.

"Let's go." Zhong Feng ordered with a determined look in his eyes.