When A Snail Loves - Chapter 42.2

Chapter 42.2- Every Step He Took, Treaded in her Heart

Xu Xu had not guessed incorrectly, Ji Bai definitely escaped the explosion.

When Zhou Cheng Bo had been about to unwrap the package, Ji Bai stopped him: “Do not touch it.”

Zhou Cheng Bo looked at his solemn face, and understood. But . . . an explosive – this was something that happened only in television dramas, not to him. He suddenly broke into a cold sweat: “No, it can’t be . . . then what should we do? Throw it out?”

Ji Bai shook his head: “Don’t touch it.” He glanced at the postman who had just left the supermarket, and whispered: “Let’s leave from the back door.”
   ——

Ji Bai slowly and quietly pushed open the grey metal door. He instructed Zhou Cheng Bo to stand behind him while he stood at the side. As expected, when the door opened, a black iron rod came smashing down. Ji Bai swiftly grabbed hold of the man’s arm. He twisted the man’s arm until the sound of the bone being snapped was heard. The man screamed in pain. Ji Bai then grabbed his head and smashed it into the wall, making the man unconscious with bloodflowing from his head.

In front of Ji Bai were many ruthless thugs. It was a life and death situation. A thug brandishing a knife charged at him from behind, and was instantly taken down.

Zhou Cheng Bo shouted: “Get into my car!”

“No!” Could the package have been a decoy with the real bomb attached to their car? Ji Bai assessed the situation and in a low voice, whispered: “Follow me! Run!”

They had only taken a few steps when they saw seven to eight bulky looking men, armed with iron machetes, standing in the alley. As they had probably not expected the two of them to run out so soon, the men were momentarily stunned. The leader quickly drew a gun . . . Ji Bai’s face tightened, his eyes were resolute, and he yelled loudly: “Police!” The sound was so fierce that everyone was startled.

The leader was also stunned into immobility. With great skills, Ji Bai charged forward boldly, captured his wrist firmly, forced him to drop the gun and kicked him on the knee. 

On seeing this, the other thugs yelled and charged at Ji Bai, who immediately suffered wounds all over his body. Behind him, Zhou Cheng Bo was infused with a sudden spirit, and started grappling with a thug. 
   ——

What Xu Xu did not expect, and what the cleaner had not expected either, was that Ji Bai and Zhou Cheng Bo had managed to fend off the gang of criminals, and escaped from the alley. The men that were injured in the explosion were the two men whom Ji Bai had taken down at the back door. They had been taken away by their fellow mates.

Ji Bai and Zhou Cheng Bo ran for two blocks before they found a taxi, and went directly to the hotel where the task force was staying. It was only then that Ji Bai discovered that Xu Xu and Tisza had gone out to find him.

When he found the street where the casino was located, the other two Interpol officers had just arrived, and Tisza looked at him with an unsightly expression: “Ji, Xu insisted on going in to look for you, it’s already been ten minutes . . .”
   ——

Xu Xu strode into the casino and approached the counter to exchange her money for a pile of chips first. The manager took her for a little girl, and didn’t pay her any further attention. Xu Xu smilingly waved her handphone around: “No reception. My mum will be here in a little while. Can you bring her inside to look for me, please? She’s wearing a white blouse, red skirt, and carrying an LV bag; she’s easy to recognise.”

The manager immediately smiled: “No problem.”

Xu Xu first played two rounds of dice. Then she stole a glance at the young security guard near the table. The other security guards looked fierce, some had lazy indifferent eyes, and the others were expressionless. He was the only one who would, from time to time, smile a little and display more enthusiasm. His uniform was brand new.

“Brother, can you buy me a bottle of black tea?” Xu Xu passed him a chip. It was a hundred dollar chip, so he naturally assumed she was a from a rich family and liked to spend freely, and was happy to help her.

He quickly returned with the tea. Xu Xu did not gamble anymore, but sat at the side to rest, and asked him: “You are from Shandong, aren’t you? We are from the same place!”

When he heard her accent, he was pleasantly surprised.

After a while, Xu Xu asked: “Brother Ah Zhi, where is the restroom?”

Ah Zhi said: “I’ll take you there.”

Xu Xu thought before replying: “No need. My mum is coming soon; please let her wait here for me. Your manager knows her.” After she had finished speaking, she waved at the manager behind the counter, the manager smiled and waved back.

Ah Zhi thought she knew the manager, so he nodded and gave her directions. A little later, he even told the security guard standing at the side: “She’s my fellow townsman, and the manager’s friend.”

Xu Xu stayed in the bathroom for a while. When she pushed the door to leave, she didn’t return to the business hall, but instead, turned around and went towards the office.

She dared to enter alone, but it was not without a plan.

Firstly, she looked very young, and would not easily attract attention; secondly, because she had been in charge of logistics these past few days, she was thoroughly familiar with the floor plan of every casino. In general, the back of the casino would have a ‘reception room’, for dealing with casino customers who had not cleared their debts. If Ji Bai had been captured and brought here, he would most probably be kept in that room.

As long as she could find him, she would be able to rescue him.
   ——

The corridor leading to the ‘reception room’ was guarded by a thug, who frowned when he said her: “You’re not allowed here.”

Xu Xu paused and lowered her head, speaking in a trembling voice: “I’m here to pay off my gambling debt, I asked a man at the door named ‘Ah Zhi’ about it, he said he wasn’t sure, so he let me in here to look for the boss.”

The thug was surprised: “Whose gambling debts?”

Xu Xu replied: “My brother’s, his name is Chen Yang. A few days ago I received a phone call, saying he owed ‘Da Fu Hua’ 20 million, I came to give the money . . .” She then pulled out a ATM card from her pocket.

The thug was stunned yet again. ‘Da Fu Hua’ was another casino a few streets away, this casino was ‘Da Fu Hao’. In Mai Zha’s central business district, casinoswere all named for good luck. There were casinos named ‘Fu Hua’, ‘Fu Hao’, and‘Fu Le’. He thought that this little girl had misheard the casino name, 20 million, wow . . .

The thug brought her to a small office, and even poured her a cup of tea: “Wait here for a while, I will look for the boss.”

The moment his figure disappeared up the stairs at the end of the corridor, Xu Xu lightly pushed open the door and followed him out. The corridor was very quiet, her sharp eyes picked out two drops of blood on the wall, and her heart jumped.

She finally reached the ‘reception room’, the door was open a crack, from which issued the sounds of men cursing and groaning.

Xu Xu took a deep breath, and pushed open the door forcefully.

The door swung wide, Xu Xu and the men standing in the room looked at each other.

She saw with a quick glance 2 unknown male bodies with blood lying on the beds.

“Uh . . . Uncle, where is the restroom? Ah Zhi said it was here.”

Several men stared at her in silence, and one of them pointed to the other end of the corridor.

“Thank you!” Xu Xu, wearing an embarrassed look, closed the door, turned around and quickly walked outside.

Thank goodness, it was not Ji Bai. It was not Ji Bai.

The weight that had been crushing her heart eased, and she felt warmth coursing through her body.

She was almost at the end of the corridor, and just had to go round the bend to reach the main hall. Suddenly from behind came rapid footsteps and a loud cry: “Hey! Don’t go!”

Xu Xu halted, and looked back.

It was the thug from before who had gone to look for the boss. He looked suspiciously at Xu Xu: “Where did you go? The boss said you could go up.”

Xu Xu look at him and timidly said: “I’m sorry, I made a mistake. Just now, in your office , I realised that you are ‘Da Fu Hao’. Because my handphone did not have a signal, I used your landline and called ‘Da Fu Hua’.  They said that they would send a car to pick me up at once. I am so sorry to bother you, thank you for your trouble.”

The thug was stunned – the boss’ intention was to take her money first. No one will realise that the money was paid to the wrong group right? But this little lady had actually called ‘Da Fu Hua’, which was operated by another group, and they were even coming to pick her up; they could not intrude into the business of another group, so how could they take her money . . .

While he was in a daze, Xu Xu thanked him with a respectful bow.  Just as she was about to turn around, she saw the door of the ‘reception room’ opened, and several men strode out.

Hearing those men conversing with the thug, Xu Xu quickened her footsteps.

“Wait a minute! What are you doing?” Someone yelled.

Xu Xu’s back was covered in a layer of cold sweat, and her legs felt stiff.

She had already reached the corner; here, it was dim. The door to the main hall was tightly closed, the sound of confused voices reached her from the other end. So close, and yet so far, like seeing mountains that were separated by the clouds.

To run, or to continue to deceive them?

At that moment, a hand abruptly emerged, firmly grasping her wrist. A tall figure appeared from the shadows. Ji Bai’s handsome face, pale and tight; his deep, dark eyes, like pools of ink, gazed intently at her. Holding her firmly, he turned and walked off.

Xu Xu’s mind was muddled, she let him lead her forward. Her cold hands, in his warm, strong palm, now felt as if they were burning up. The vicious criminals behind her instantly became objects not to be feared, not worth thinking about. Her entire body was totally relaxed.

In the bright light, the side of his face was very determined yet silent. His figure was straight and tall like a mountain. Every step he took, treaded into her heart. An inexplicable throbbing sensation rose warmly in her mind, spreading to her blood vessels and into the four limbs of the body. As for her heart, it suddenly beat chaotically.

A few of the men in the corridor had crossed swords with Ji Bai before.  When they saw him, they were stunned. Someone yelled “Go!” and made as if to charge forward.

Ji Bai coldly turned his head, and looked at them with utter contempt.

Perhaps they were arrested by his imposing manner, or perhaps it was because they had suffered a wretched beating earlier, but the several men there remained still,and not a single one stepped forward.

Firmly holding Xu Xu, Ji Bai moved forward without pausing, neither of them speaking a word. By the time they moved through the corridor and out through the casino’s back door, their intertwined hands were sweaty.

Translated by shl and midasz

Edited by Tranzgeek and Mel