The next day .

Xiang Wan woke up before the alarm rang .

She was troubled throughout the night and did not have a good sleep .

Bai Muchuan woke up earlier than her and had already gotten everything ready . When he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw Xiang Wan looking at him with her eyes wide-opened .

“Did I wake you up?”

Xiang Wan shook her head . “Nope . ”

“That's good . You should get more sleep . ”

Bai Muchuan placed his s.h.i.+ny pistol into his gun holster .

“I think I had a dream…” Xiang Wan looked at him as he was getting ready to leave . Her voice sounded a little m.u.f.fled as she just woke up—it was full of unease . “I think it was a nightmare as I feel fl.u.s.tered… But when I try to recall what I dreamt, I couldn't remember it…”

She often forgot what she dreamt about .

Although she tried to recall after she woke up, she just couldn't remember a thing . The only thing she knew was how she felt in her dream .

“You little—”

Bai Muchuan laughed .

He walked to the side of the bed and bent down to touch her head .

“Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

She drank beer last night . When she woke up, her head felt uncomfortable .

At this moment, she didn't want to create any trouble for Bai Muchuan and make him worry .

“I'm fine . Just go, I'll wait for your return . ”

“Mm . ” Bai Muchuan smiled at her .

He thought for a moment and bent down to kiss her on the forehead .

“Don't sleep for too long . You can go for breakfast in the hotel but don't step out of the hotel . If you need anything, get 'Laowu next door' to help you—”

Pffft!

Xiang Wan always felt like laughing whenever he said “Laowu next door” .

“Bai Muchuan, you're a contradictory person!”

“What do you mean?” Bai Muchuan stood straight to adjust his tie .

“When we were at Jin City, you were so wary of me being alone with Cheng Zheng . Yet there were times that you suddenly didn't mind at all and even asked me to get him to give me a lift . It's the same with Quan Shaoteng . Just two days ago, you said that Quan Shaoteng is poisonous…”

“Nonsense!”

Bai Muchuan grunted, looking proud as always .

“Is he more good-looking than me? Besides, doesn't this mean that you are the most important to me?”

“…” Sounds so reasonable .

“It just means that your safety is of utmost importance . ”

His slightly curved eyes were smiling .

Even though Bai Muchuan said all these in a joking tone, Xiang Wan knew that he was serious about it .

However, the thought of the possible imminent danger that he would be in, Xiang Wan just couldn't bring herself to smile .

“Don't be mushy! And please be careful . ”

“I know, silly little thing! This is the 108th time you've said that!

He patted her head and pointed at the door . “I'm off now!”

The black-out curtains in the room were drawn closely together . Only a dim light in the room was switched on, which made the whole room felt as though it was still night time .

In actual fact, it was also already bright outside .

Bai Muchuan saw Tang Yuanchu already sitting inside the SUV the moment he went downstairs .

He was leaning on the driver's seat with his eyes half-closed . It felt like he had not fully awakened .

“Where's the rest?” Bai Muchuan pulled open the door at the body of the SUV and took a seat .

Tang Yuanchu was not asleep .

His eyes opened when he heard the sound of the door opening .

Seeing that it was Bai Muchuan, he rubbed his eyes .

“Brother Tu went to buy breakfast… Salimu went along with him to help out . Ding Yifan went to get the stuff that we've prepared!”

He accounted for everyone clearly .

Bai Muchuan saw his bloodshot eyes . “You didn't sleep well last night?” he asked .

Tang Yuanchu avoided his sharp eye contact by pretending to wipe the car's dashboard .

“Yeah! As I hardly drink alcohol, every time when I drink a bit, I'll have a hard time sleeping . ”

Bai Muchuan did not continue the conversation . Instead, he just sat at his seat quietly .

Thus, his silence became a heavy weight pressing down on Tang Yuanchu's heart .

Tang Yuanchu felt a chilly feeling behind his head as he did not get a reply from Bai Muchuan . He even had a feeling that Bai Muchuan had seen through him .

Cough!

Tang Yuanchu turned around slowly . “Captain Bai…” he said rather awkwardly .

He wanted to give some explanation, but he did not know where to start . Rather, he felt that he was not in a position to explain anything .

Out of a sudden, Bai Muchuan asked, “I'm not sure if you've seen the recent news . ”

“News, what news?” Tang Yuanchu looked at Bai Muchuan's grim but expressionless face and forced a smile . “I haven't been paying attention to such news ever since I become an online celebrity… I hardly logged into my Weibo account as I'm afraid of those crying fangirls who wants to marry me… you know, I'm a soft-hearted person, I find it hard to reject people…”

“Don't your b.a.l.l.s hurt when you're boasting?” Bai Muchuan sent a glare over .

“…” Tang Yuanchu chuckled . “It's real . I'm really overwhelmed when the group of girls called me their hubby . ”

“You rascal!” Bai Muchuan laughed mischievously .

“I'm talking about the entertainment news about you and Xie Wanwan…”

That felt like a big hammer on Tang Yuanchu's heart .

Both of his cheeks blushed at that instant . It was a well-kept secret that he thought n.o.body knew, only to realize that the whole world already knew about it—he was embarra.s.sed .

“What kind of news?” He tried his best to fake ignorance in an attempt to save his face .

“Hmph!” Bai Muchuan swept a faint glare at him . “I've seen the photos taken outside a nightclub . The news said you're her little boyfriend…”

“Is there such a thing? ” Tang Yuanchu return an astonished expression . “I've really no idea there's such news…”

For this, he did not lie .

Tang Yuanchu didn't know about the gossip news .

“It has been a while since I read such news…” Suddenly, Tang Yuanchu came to a realization that this was not the key point .

He cleared his throat and looked at Bai Muchuan somewhat uneasily . “Captain Bai, initially, I thought you and Xie Wanwan were a couple… later on, I got to know that it was not the case…”

“So, you started to have evil intentions?” Bai Muchuan cut to the point .

“No no no, how would I dare!” Tang Yuanchu's face was as though the color of bright red berries as he tried his best to defend himself . “That day, she was not in a good mood and couldn't find anyone to accompany her for a drink . She happened to b.u.mp into me so she dragged me to the nightclub… And so coincidentally, I ran into my ex-girlfriend there…”

“Is it the girl who ditched you over a branded bag?”

“Captain Bai…” Tang Yuanchu groaned helplessly . “That hurts!”

“What's there to be hurt about? I wanted to congratulate you in fact . ” Bai Muchuan's gaze was as though he had a lot of experience . “Out with the bad, and the good will come to you!”

Tang Yuanchu was speechless .

He felt that Bai Muchuan's gaze was too meaningful yet he couldn't figure out what Bai Muchuan actually wanted to express .

Was the “bad” he was referring to, his ex-girlfriend? And the good was referring to any other girl, or… Xie Wanwan?

“Tang Yuanchu!” Ding Yifan knocked on the car door, breaking Tang Yuanchu's thoughts . “Open the trunk . ”

“Got it!” Tang Yuanchu replied .

Ding Yifan placed a box into the trunk then got on the SUV, sitting next to Bai Muchuan .

“Boss, everything is ready . ”

Bai Muchuan nodded his head .

At that moment, Tu Liang and Salimu also returned from buying breakfast .

“We walked around a bit but there's hardly anything nice . Let's just make do with it . ”

The breakfast was really simple—it was a very thin slice of b.u.t.ter pancake with some scallion . But it was not the scallion pancake . It did not taste the same and the flavor was not that nice, either .

Bai Muchuan took two bites and put the pancake down .

“Let's talk about discipline for the mission!”

It was Bai Muchuan's habit to stress on the importance of the mission before heading out .

He made use of the time where everybody was having their breakfast and spoke very fast .

After he finished the briefing, he received Captain Zhang's call .

The two of them exchanged a few words before hanging up .

Ding! A new message came in on Bai Muchuan's mobile phone .

“My apologies, Brother Crown Prince . Brother Steel has decided to change to a different meetup location… As you already know, the police are watching us closely . For the sake of everyone's safety, Brother Steel doesn't have a choice . ”

Liang was the one who sent the message .

There was only one important thing to note .

“There's a change of plans!”

The SUV left Nanmu hotel .

Tang Yuanchu followed the new address Liang had provided . With the help of the GPS, they soon drove out of the city .

In this remote, desolate place, the natural conditions were quite bad as most of the lands were barren . But the mountainous regions were green, high, continuous and unbroken .

The road condition was very bad as it was between the mountains .

Their vehicle was as though a tiny ant moving along the rocky terrain, it was a b.u.mpy ride .

Soon, they drove into the mountains . The road got narrower and narrower as they continued their journey . Tang Yuanchu was on tenterhooks as he drove on . The other four were also apprehensive as they looked at the high mountains on both sides of the road .

“Boss, have a cigarette!”

Bai Muchuan caught the cigarette that Ding Yifan tossed over .

He also gave one to Tu Liang and Salimu .

As Tang Yuanchu hardly smoked, he had no tobacco addiction and hence, he did not receive one .

Although Salimu was young, his tobacco addiction was actually rather heavy . He took a puff and looked out of the window .

“We've not seen any vehicle so far? Boss, is Captain Zhang following us?”

“How could he be seen?” Ding Yifan gave a look of disapproval . “Your brain is more suitable to play with computers…”

“Playing with computers is not easy, alright?” Salimu argued back .

Ding Yifan smiled kindly and when he noticed that Bai Muchuan was looking outside of the window without saying anything, he stopped smiling and followed Bai Muchuan's line of sight .

The houses that they saw while on the road were really dilapidated . There was an occasional one or two on either side of the road, but it was short and rundown with no one in sight .

The mountains were like a huge stone hanging above everybody's head . This part of the world that they were now entering was so desolate as if n.o.body lived in it .

“Do you think the address that Liang sent could be where Brother Steel is staying?” Salimu also joined in to look out of the window . “This place feels even more remote than the place that I used to stay when I was a kid . Are they not afraid to live in such a place?”

Bai Muchuan chuckled . “Maybe it's a place specially picked to welcome us?”

Tu Liang, who was sitting at the front pa.s.senger seat, suddenly turned around . “Boss, do you mean… Brother Steel already knew of our real ident.i.ty?”

Bai Muchuan was not certain on that question .

He looked at Tu Liang . “Let's play by ear!”

“Alright…” Tu Liang nodded his head . When he saw an anxious-looking Salimu, he laughed and changed the topic . “How's the spicy hot crayfish last night?”

“It's delicious!” Salimu immediately replied without hesitation . “They tasted so good and they were bought by a beautiful sister who is a celebrity . ”

He seemed a little proud as he looked at Tu Liang and Ding Yifan . “It's such a pity that you guys did not get to see her!”

Tu Liang gave a cackle and teased Salimu like teasing a kid . “Salimu, what kind of wife are you looking for in future?”

Salimu gave it a thought and felt a little shy . “Good-looking ones, just like the beautiful sister last night! Ah!”

Their vehicle suddenly jerked . Salimu was caught by surprise as he was talking, the sudden motion causing his body to lunge forward and knock against the seat in front of him .