Chapter 8 Morning Hearing of the Way

Gao Yi was indeed seriously injured this time, but he also recovered much faster than others.

Having been trained in martial arts from a young age, his physique was different from that of ordinary people.

By the time twenty-something days had passed, Gao Yi was able to leave his sickbed and move about freely, and after a whole month, he was finally able to leave the clinic that had saved his life.

Since the last time he came with two bodyguards, Luca hadn't visited again. However, this time Luca showed up not with bodyguards but carrying a rather large shopping bag.

Tossing the paper bag onto Gao Yi's hospital bed, Luca said expressionlessly, "Five hundred and twenty-four US dollars in total. Change your clothes, and I'll wait for you outside."

What could be worth over five hundred dollars? Gao Yi thought Luca was trying to swindle him, but as he started pulling items out of the paper bag, he realized that Luca was quite meticulous.

A cell phone worth 499 dollars, brand new and unopened.

Additionally, the paper bag contained a pair of shorts, a T-shirt, flip-flops, underwear, and a shopping receipt. The receipt showed amounts in Thai Baht, but after rough conversion, it indeed totaled around twenty-five dollars.

Gao Yi put on the new clothes and took the new phone, walking out of the hospital room.

Once able to get out of bed, Gao Yi made rounds in the small courtyard of the clinic every day. Although he had only seen the doctor a few times, he was quite familiar with the only nurse there.

Today, he was going to leave, and Gao Yi wanted to bid the doctors and nurses farewell. However, when he left the hospital room and then the courtyard, he didn't see anyone to send him off.

Well, no send-off then. It was a back-alley clinic, after all. There must be some rules of their own.

By "outside," Luca meant outside the clinic. When Gao Yi went through the only little door to the outside, he found Luca standing there, looking dejectedly into his cigarette.

Turning his head to glance at Gao Yi, Luca threw the cigarette he had only taken a couple of drags from onto the ground and stamped out the butt with his foot. He nodded towards a scooter parked right at the door, saying, "Let's go."

A scooter? Really?

Gao Yi got on the scooter, traveling down the country's tarred roads, feeling the free wind.

Although it was quite sunny, the feeling was indeed very good.

The clinic was quite remote, a fair distance from downtown Bangkok. Riding the scooter, it took almost an hour to get there.

Close to noon, Luca finally brought Gao Yi to a place, a busy stall with ceiling fans overhead and no enclosures around it, making it very hot.

Luca didn't speak, so Gao Yi kept silent as well.

Following Luca to a square table, Gao Yi watched as Luca sat down and, with a straight face, picked up the menu; Gao Yi couldn't help but ask at last.

"Did I... offend you or something?"

Luca's attitude toward his partner wasn't exactly hospitable, especially on this great day of discharge. Why the perpetual look of someone owed money?

Yet after he raised the question, Gao Yi realized he did indeed owe Luca quite a lot of money.

Luca lowered the plastic menu, revealing a pair of eyes that looked unfriendlyly at Gao Yi. After a pause, he finally lowered the menu completely.

With an upward turn of his mouth showing a friendly smile, Luca said stiffly, "You haven't offended me. To celebrate your full recovery, let's celebrate."

After saying that, Luca waved a waiter over and ordered, "Two charcoal-grilled prawns, two servings of pineapple fried rice, two bottles of beer, thank you."

Luca didn't speak Thai, so Gao Yi could understand, and hastily said, "I can't have prawns... they are... they are..."

Gao Yi meant to say prawns were taboo, but he didn't know how to say that.

Seeing the confused look on Luca, Gao Yi simply said, "Bad for the injured."

"I never heard of that. Why would prawns be bad? Fine, you order."

Gao Yi felt Luca's expression was quite disgruntled when he handed over the menu.

Was it that begrudged to treat someone to a meal?

After all, he owed tens of thousands of dollars on the side; was it worth getting upset over one meal?

Gao Yi didn't think it was the case. He glanced at the menu and pointed to a dish of charcoal-grilled pork neck meat for the waiter, saying, "I'll have this, and then this."

Definitely no pineapple fried rice. Regular fried rice would do.

When the waiter left, and once he was gone, Gao Yi said to Luca, "Why haven't you shown up recently? I've been looking forward to you taking me shooting every day."

"I've been indisposed lately; I've been making preparations."

Luca sighed deeply, then placed a tiny SIM card in front of Gao Yi, saying, "Install the SIM card, and I'll send some information over. You'll understand once you see it."

"Information? You've found intel?"

Luca nodded and said softly, "Yes. The intel wasn't too expensive. It cost a total of five hundred dollars, that is, two hundred fifty dollars for each of us."

Gao Yi hesitated while taking the card, then nodded and said, "Hmm, and then?"

"But the news isn't good; the target is now in Tachileik, not too far from us, but he always has six bodyguards around, four of whom carry long guns, and two bodyguards who are always close by to protect him."

Handling the phone in search of where to insert the card—a fruit-brand device he hadn't used before—Gao Yi struggled.

Unable to help himself, Luca took out his phone, tapped a few times, and placed it in front of Gao Yi, saying, "The target goes out frequently. He often leaves home and goes to his company, which is good news. But don't forget the six bodyguards that are always with him."

Gao Yi realized his earlier thoughts were too simplistic. He had thought the target was just a wealthy person protected by a few bodyguards, but he had instinctively assumed these bodyguards would be unarmed.

In the environment Gao Yi was familiar with, guns were exceedingly rare.

Applying domestic habits to guess the behavior in a lawless place was not a good idea.

It wasn't until he saw the clear photos, four people with AKs slung over their shoulders standing behind a middle-aged man in a white shirt, that Gao Yi suddenly realized his target wasn't someone to be taken down easily.

"Uh, the bodyguards..."

Seeing the guns, Gao Yi felt a subconscious fear, having only just been shot himself and discharged from the hospital.

Luca continued, "The good news is that the target often goes out with only two bodyguards lately. The bad news is, this won't last much longer, and we may not make it in time."

Gao Yi looked at Luca and asked, "What do you mean?"

"The target's on vacation currently, often going to a new entertainment venue in Tachileik. He doesn't bring many people when he goes out to play, but when he goes to his company, he's accompanied by at least six bodyguards. The new building for his company is about to be completed, and after he returns to his work routine, he'll no longer visit the venue daily. Unfortunately, our target is a workaholic."

"How much time do we have?"

Luca spread his hands and replied, "The target's company will start operating in the new office building on April 20th, and today is April 13th, meaning we have at most one week."

One week, that was indeed a tight timeframe, and even Gao Yi felt the pressure.

Luca said softly, "You've just recovered; I don't think you can take action within a week."

In the meantime, as the food was served, the conversation paused, and they began to eat and talk while eating.

Finally tasting delicious food after a month on a hospital diet, Gao Yi felt everything was tasty.

He dug in without saying much, eating heartily.

When the meal was nearly finished, Gao Yi said confidently, "Don't worry about my health. I might be weak, but killing someone is not a problem. What concerns me is that I've yet to practice shooting."

Luca raised an eyebrow and remarked, "Gun skills can't be learned in a few days. If you just want to get familiar with firearms, we can go this afternoon. If you want to learn good gun skills... forget about it."

"Just to get a feel for it. Let's go shooting this afternoon, and then we'll find the target tomorrow, how about that?"

This time Luca was genuinely surprised. He looked at Gao Yi and said, "You're in more of a hurry than me?"

"I'm not one for dawdling. Once decided, I act quickly. Knowing where the target is and having an opportunity, why not act fast?"

Having said that, Gao Yi added confidently, "As the saying goes, 'To hear the way in the morning is to die content in the evening.'"

"What does that mean?"

"Learn the location in the morning, kill him in the evening. It was said by Confucius. You know who he is?"

"I don't know, but it's a good proverb. It suits an assassin well."

While chatting and finishing the meal, Luca wiped his mouth with a napkin. After a series of taps on his phone, he suddenly said, "Our meal totals eight hundred twenty-two Thai Baht, plus twenty Baht as a tip. That's four hundred twenty-one Baht each. I'll cover for you first, and you can pay me back when you have the money. Don't worry; I jot it down accurately; it won't be wrong."

Gao Yi paused for a moment, then replied, "No, that's not necessary. This meal is on me. Just put it down as... nine hundred Baht in my account."

ps: Thank you to Moon Song Qiufeng for their Silver League membership, and thanks to Weiyu Aijin, Captain, Iron Rod, jaclkerly, firsita, Qian Xunyue, and Sweet Candy for their League leadership.

Old Water here expresses his gratitude to everyone.