Chapter 41 Part 1: Xu Xu Silently Thought: So manly, really very manly

The task force tracked for two days.

On the afternoon of the third day, they arrived at Mai Zha City. According to their previous clues, this was a place Brother Lu's gang frequented. Thus, the task force was able to better determine this rascal's ident.i.ty.

Mai Zha City was one of the most prosperous cities in Northern Myanmar but it looked like a city that was not so different to any of China's urban-rural areas.There was a huge construction of new buildings, adjacent to the woods and farmland; and there were even some Mercedes Benz and agricultural tractors on the road.

In the center of the city, a few roads were lined with crowded casinos and nightclubs; with neon lights flas.h.i.+ng during the day,extremely loud and noisy music blasting, and the streets filled with many types of pedestrians. A group of people drove a van into an inconspicuous, small building behind a casino.

The task force did not immediately go into arrest him, but they did as Xu Xu said, and prepared to let a longer line out to catch a bigger fish. Deputy Sun Po had arranged for two police officers to stay near the casino to watch it, while the others went to first find a place to settle down.

The locals helped the crooks mix in with the honest folk. To prevent suspicions, Sun Po got Tizsa to go and find a remote hotel. The place that was found was a farmhouse hotel, a small, three-story wooden building, simple and quiet, with a large paddy field as its entrance, but it was close enough to the roads.

Sun Po called for a short meeting to discuss the arrangements for the work ahead and to divide the team for later tasks. Then, he simply waved his hand: These last few days has been tiring, get some sleep everyone. We'll go into position tomorrow morning."

After Ji Bai returned to his room, he bathed, and fell straight to sleep. When he woke up again, the sun had set already. He sent a short text to Xu Xu: "Have you eaten?"

The reply came quickly: "I just got to the restaurant."

Ji Bai smiled, replying: "Wait for me, I'll come immediately."

The restaurant was on the first floor, with some tables placed outside in the open. Ji Bai came down the stairs and saw Xu Xu with her back to him, sitting at a white plastic table not too far away. The corners of his mouth began to rise slightly. Right when he wanted to walk over, Chen Ya Lin and another police officer called to him from the table beside him: "Ji Bai, sit here." Before he could give an excuse, he was pulled to sit down.

Xu Xu had obediently listened to him and picked an empty table that was not used by others. When she heard the movements, she glanced back, continuing to lower her head and eat.

Tizsa had bought out the whole hotel, and a dozen soldiers were currently holding their plates and sitting or squatting in the corridor outside to eat. A few of the others had access to a stove, and were cooking their own food to eat.

Xu Xu had just eaten a few bites, when she felt someone standing in front of her. Lifting her head, she saw it was a dark skinned young soldier, who had placed a piece of meaty, yellowed, grilled fish on her plate.

Xu Xu: "Uh&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; no need, thank you."

But the soldier could not understand, he smiled at her, and left. After walking a few steps, he made a victorious gesture towards a group of soldiers at the porch. All the soldiers booed and watching on, seeing Xu Xu laugh.

If an average girl encountered these circ.u.mstances, she might have been shy and embarra.s.sed, but Xu Xu generally did not have such emotional ups and downs (mood swings). She lifted her eyes to stare at them, being silent or a moment, and put down her chopsticks. Her two hands closed in a praying gesture and politely nodded her head, smiling and expressing her gratefulness.

All of the soldiers smiled more brilliantly. Xu Xu then continued to lower her head and eat. She tasted a piece of fish and it tasted all right.

After a while, another soldier walked over with a large melon in his hands. This was what the soldiers had plucked from the adjacent field. At this moment, Xu Xu felt a little sorry and stood up to decline the offer. The soldier forcefully stopped her hands and put the fruit down. He smiled afterwards and and walked back to the other soldiers with a powerful march.

   ——

Ji Bai ate, while lifting his eyes to watch the soldiers frequently go to Xu Xu's table. Next to him was an old Interpol officer, who laughed and said: "South-Eastern Asian boys all like girls with white skin. Xu Xu will be very popular ah."

Chen Ya Lin said: "In the afternoon, a soldier even told me: 'Chief, your Chinese police officers catch a lot of powerful convicts', but why do you allow small girls to follow you guys around to crack cases? She seems to be even younger than my little sister."

When she said this, the Interpol officer next to her laughed.

Chen Ya Lin added: "I even heard them privately say something about a 'bunny', and they've most likely given Xu Xu a nickname." She sighed: "These soldiers, they are rural teenagers, involved in the war too early, and do not have a proper environment to grow. In fact, most are simple natured, good, and do not mean to harm others."

The old police officer laughed loudly as Ji Bai listened closely. Within the soldier's language and laughter, he really could hear the broken Chinese word for "bunny", "little bunny", etc.

At this moment, the a.s.sembly cry bell rang. The soldiers all stood up to a.s.semble at Tizsa's place. When they went out the hallway, it was suddenly empty. Xu Xu still sat at her original place, buried in eating.

After a while, Ji Bai received her short text: "I can't finish it, is there anywhere I can dump it out?"

Ji Bai replied: "Go behind the hotel and wait for me."

   ——

Behind the hotel was a s.p.a.cious corridor, all paved with yellowish brownish wood, where stepping on it made it creak. Outside, facing the room directly, was a small hill, dense forests, and a gorgeous sunset. Xu Xu sat for a while, and saw Ji Bai's silhouette appear from the corner.

She had used a big iron plate to eat, and the soldiers were very bold and put the food directly on to her plate; fish, beef, sweet potatoes, vegetables, fruits&h.e.l.lip;.. She had generally not touched it, but it was hard to give others food from her plate.

She did not like to waste, and the locals and soldiers cherished food. If people saw her dumping it, it would be bad. However, the hotel didn't have a fridge and she couldn't put it anywhere.

Ji Bai sat next to her. Seeing her furrowed brows, he smiled slightly and, extended his hand to take it: "I'll eat it.  It's not good to waste this food."

Xu Xu hesitated, looking at him sideways: "You&h.e.l.lip;.. can you eat it?"

Ji Bai's eyes swept over the food in her plate: "I can." Just now when he received her text, he resolutely did not eat more.

——

Xu Xu knew that sometimes Interpol's conditions would be hard. However, most of the time, Ji Bai was very particular about people's basic needs,and was as picky as her. Even though the food on the plate had not been touched, she didn't expect that he would be willing to or would automatically and naturally eat it.  

As the sun set slowly, the light in between the trees became dimmer little by little. The hotel's surroundings became quiet but occasionally the soldiers' laughter would be heard.

Xu Xu looked at Ji Bai by her side. Although he ate very quietly, his speed was very fast, gobbling it down, one big mouthful at a time. His food intake was really a lot more than hers and the food on the plate got less and less. So much food could be stuffed into his iron stomach. As the sun s.h.i.+ned on two of their sitting positions, his angular face had a yellow sheen/glow to it, his eyes appeared darker, his jaw was still making chewing motions, beat by beat, revealing a side of him that was not usually seen, an honest and straightforward vigor

Xu Xu silently thought: So manly, really so manly.

Ji Bai soon finished eating and pa.s.sed the empty plate to her. Xu Xu took it and walked a few steps away, however, she stopped and returned. She leaned her head over to and lightly kissed ing his warm heated cheek.

Ji Bai laughed, pulling her into his arms, said: "My room has a few smokes some Myanmar officials gave me. In a moment, I'll fetch them and give them to the soldiers."

"Do you think that's necessary?"

Ji Bai looked at the fair, small and exquisite side of her face: "It's necessary!"

It was important to reciprocate the sincerity that was shown. In this way, they would be more caring towards&h.e.l.lip;.. Ji Bai's little bunny.

   ——

Over the next few days, Ji Bai was basically out all day in all kinds of weather; tracking, on surveillance, and keeping watch. As the logistics person, Xu Xu stayed in the hotel. Everyone's contributions was important, and they had already determined five of Brother Lu's gang's strongholds.

In Mai Zha City, in this type of under-developed country, the government didn't involve itself with the local businesses. The country completely relied on prost.i.tution, smuggling and other activities for its abnormal economic growth. The local Chinese gangs were also numerous in numbers. In short – as long as the government could get money, they allowed anything. If the task force could gather enough evidence, they could justifiably launch their operations in Myanmar, take action and catch them.

   ——

However as they started trying to collect evidence, it was not smooth.

First, the task force secretly went to several families who were rumored to have been blackmailed and robbed from the Chinese businessmen. However, once someone mentions the word 'gangs', their faces immediately looked panic-stricken, and no matter what one said, they would not open their mouths, let alone testify.

The investigation and evidence work was in trouble and they needed another breakthrough.