Tang Yuyan didn’t seem to have heard what her subordinate said. At this critical time, a memory which was completely unrelated to the surprising turn of events surfaced in her head…

One day ago.

In the family shrine of the Tang Sect residence.

Tang Yuyan lit prayer incense for her ancestors with a sombre expression on her face, and she bowed in prayer.

Tang Yunhai looked at his granddaughter with affectionate eyes, and there was a bit of hope too, as well as gratification and joy.

Tang Yuyan got to her feet when she was done kowtowing, and she said with a smile, “Grandfather, I’m going to Jingdu now. Give me a call if you miss me.”

Tang Yunhai nodded. “Your godfather already called me.”

“Did he nag for me to return? Geeze, he doesn’t feel bad for me at all. He always wants to get me to do work.”

“If you’re going to take over from him, then of course you should put in the effort, and even more than others. But, his call wasn't about this. He said that Xia Lei is coming back very soon.”

A small smile appeared on Tang Yuyan’s lips, but she said, “What does that have to do with me? He’s coming back, so what?”

Tang Yunhai grunted, and rolled his eyes at her. “You smiled right away when you heard that that punk is coming back. You think I’m blind and can’t see it?”

“Grandfather!” Tang Yuyan stamped her foot and acted all pouty.

“Yeah, yeah, stop the act.” Tang Yunhai’s expression turned serious. “He made an exchange and got the avionics technology for the Dassault Rafale for our country, as well as its stealth technology. His great work did not end there. He also got the higher-ups to exempt the Thunder Horse Group from their loan of over 20 billion. He’s impressive! Our Tang clan has been around for hundreds of years, but why haven't we had a talent like him ever, eh?”

“Grandfather, there is no use envying him. Genius like his is something our Tang clan probably would not have even if hundreds more years pass,” said Tang Yuyan.

“If our Tang clan can’t produce one, why don’t you make him one of us?”

Tang Yuyan’s face fell immediately. She did want to, but Xia Lei didn’t.

“After Xia Lei is back from France, and when he shrugs off his debt, he is going to expand his business even more. I got our family accountant to make the calculations and you know that the result of his analysis was?”

“What’s the result?”

“He told me that the Thunder Horse Group will become the largest arms dealing group in China in the next three years, and also be the biggest arms dealer in Asia. For years. For years max for the Thunder Horse Group to catch up to the giant of the weapons industry, Lockheed Martin. And Xia Lei’s assets are set to reach hundreds of billions. Not Chinese yuan, but US dollars.”

Tang Yuyan’s little mouth opened in an O. She couldn’t close it.

“I was doubtful of what he said but he told me that based on the data that I’d given him, and the numbers, he had already made the most conservative calculations. If Xia Lei still has some secret technology he can use, then this estimate of the accountant’s would be realised even more quickly.” Tang Yunhai sighed and said feelingly, “We, the Tang clan, have not been able to grow as he had in a few years though we’ve been around for hundreds of years. Oh, how this hurts my heart.”

“There is no use for you to lament it, Grandfather. He really is very special. Our Tang clan won’t ever have a genius like him,” said Tang Yuyan consolingly.

“Do you still not understand what I’m saying? He has increased the military strength of the nation all by himself, and his contributions to the nation are the greatest, and unprecedented. The merits he has achieved are far greater than what we the Tang clan, and all the government officials have achieved. A man versed in both letters and military means, no, a universal all-rounder! How can our Tang clan let a man like him slip out of our fingers?”

“Grandfather, I know what you’re trying to say but he… he’s avoiding me. I have no way of…”

“Shut your mouth!” Tang Yunhai cut her off and raised his voice. “I am not just saying this casually. This is an order from your Elder! Kneel!”

Tang Yuyan went to her knees with a thump. An order from an Elder. Her expression grew heavy.

“Marry Xia Lei and make him one of the Tang clan. There is no need for me to say how much capital we shall invest into this. I’m only going to say that if he becomes one of the Tang, we will get immeasurable political clout. This is the best chance in the hundreds of years of the Tang clan’s history of us to become the top clan in China. This matter now concerns the Tang clan’s prosperity and our fate. It is not a game. I am now ordering you to use whatever means to be sure that you marry Xia Lei!”

Tang Yuyan nodded in silence.

Tang Yunhai’s palm rested on Tang Yuyan’s head. “Remember this. He is now in the end-stage of entrepreneurship and he’s already amassed enough to start soaring higher. This is your last chance. Later, when he is powerful and an elite businessman in Asia, master of the lifeblood of our country’s military industry, and has uncountable achievements stacked up… How many excellent women would throw themselves into his embrace then, huh? How many can you win against?”

“Grandfather, I…” Tang Yuyan started to say something, and stopped.

“I don’t want excuses. I only want results. He’s avoiding you, so why don’t you take the initiative and seek him out? Shentu Tianyin could do it, so why can’t you? I do not believe that you’d lose to Shentu Tianyin. I’ve already talked with your godfather. Once Xia Lei comes back, he will arrange for the two of you to go on a mission. Just you two. You know what to do now, don’t you?”

Tang Yuyan bit her lip and made a small nod.

Her face quietly grew red, quietly grew hot…

Right now.

It looked like it was going to be a success, but a man in monk’s robes had turned up. This situation was like a bat to the head to her, plus a pail of cold water being thrown on her head!

In the situation earlier, she just needed to work a little bit more and Xia Lei would have been caught. She understood how Xia Lei worked, and she was sure that he would not be able to escape her clutches. Now that things had become like this, how could she not be gloomy and upset?

“Boss? Boss? Boss? What do we do?”

Xia Lei quickly got off of her. “Le, Let’s go take a look.”

Tang Yuyan screamed inside, and felt like she wanted to die and to kill someone.

“There’s no need. It’s just a small matter and my men can handle it.” Tang Yuyan snatched up the communicator and pressed the button. “Block that person off and control the situation. Interrogate him later. The rest of you, break down the door and capture the terrorists. Kill them if they resist!”

“Roger.”

On the screen, an agent who was hidden in the shadows suddenly charged out with his gun pointed at the man in monk robes. As he drew closer, he shouted, “Freeze, don’t move!”

The man in monk robes stopped too and faced the approaching agent. They could not see his face, so they could not see the expression on his face either.

The agent soon stood before the man in monk robes. “Remove your hood!”

The man in monk robes slowly reached his hand up, moving to his hood.

Tang Yuyan’s gaze shifted away from the screen. She held Xia Lei in her arms from behind him and whispered in his ear, “Are you trying to slip away like this? No chance. You cannot play with a Tang woman and just sneak away.”

“I, I didn’t. It’s a misunderstanding.” Xia Lei bit the bullet and explained himself.

“I said that I want a reply at the end of the year, but just now, you… Am I your girlfriend now?” Tang Yuyan held Xia Lei tightly about his waist, not giving him a chance to leave.

At that moment, though, Xia Lei’s gaze went to the screen and he said anxiously, “Call your men to shoot him! Now! Kill him!”

Tang Yuyan paused. She wasn’t sure if this was a lie from Xia Lei to make her let him go.

And in that instant, the man in monk robes abruptly swung his arm, cutting across the agent’s neck. He was extraordinarily quick and that agent had no way of dodging. His neck was cut open before he realised it, and blood spurted from his carotid artery.

The agent fell to the ground, holding his throat.

Tang Yuyan pressed the button and shouted, “Shoot to kill!”

No one fired.

The six agents seemed to be asleep, and unable to hear Tang Yuyan’s command.

Xia Lei would have been able to see the true situation if he were at the scene, but his left eye could not work through the screen. Though he could not see, his experience gave him an idea. “Your men have been killed by the attackers. It’s not just a sniper. There should be at least six of them.”

Six people would be able to take out six targets at the same time. Plus, these were Bureau 101 agents. These terrorists were no ordinary terrorists… they were not terrorists at all!

The situation had turned very complex and critical at once!

Tang Yuyan took a deep breath. She pushed all the mess in her head out, and lay back on the bed to put her jeans hot shorts on in one move. She got herself tidied up as she said, “The gun is under the bed. You get it, and I’ll call for backup right away.”

Xia Lei found a weapons box under the bed and pulled it out.

The box contained two XL2500 sniper rifles, two Gust assault rifles and several rounds of ammunition. He picked up an XL2500 and a sense of familiarity engulfed him. His nervousness decreased.

On the screen, the main door of the building opened suddenly and six gunmen came walking out. They were all in mountain combat gear and holding TAR-21 assault rifles. It was the assault rifle which the Israeli IMI and Barrett company developed, and was also the few actual rivals for the Gust assault rifle.

Xia Lei’s heart thumped. “These guys are not terrorists. They… they are not just six snipers either. Add in the guy who took out your man with a knife, and they should have at least 13 people!”

Tang Yuyan was all ready now. “No need to worry. We have a military zone here, about 30 kilometres away. I will contact the person in charge immediately and our soldiers will come over via helicopter. It will take a few minutes at most. Not one of these guys will be able to run away.”

“Hurry and contact them,” urged Xia Lei.

Tang Yuyan picked up her satellite phone, but she stared blankly when she saw what was on the screen.

“What is it?” Xia Lei moved close.

Tang Yuyan’s expression was heavy. “There’s an electronic jammer. The signal can’t be transmitted.”

Xia Lei’s heart sank immediately.

Shi Boren would definitely not arrange for him to jump into a trap. This mission was, to be frank, a way to get him and Tang Yuyan together. There was only one possibility for this development right now — this was a trap!

Who had set it up?

The CIA?

The FA Organisation?

The Knights Hospitaller?

Or was it the strange and mysterious killer in black robes?

Xia Lei’s brain worked at speed to analyse what was in front of him.

BANG!

A loud sound came suddenly.