Two and a half months ago--New York
At 7:50 p. m., in the bustling " Metropolis Opera House," Puccini's " Madame Butterfly " was entering the climax of the play. A Western female musician in a Japanese unlined garment was singing the most thrilling soprano aria in the whole play," A Beautiful Day."
It was as if the recitation had climbed into the clouds and echoed in the ears of every audience. Presumably, this famous song sung by a famous musician would definitely linger in their hearts for three days.
On the right side of the stage, in the third box from the front, sat a lady in her thirties, dressed elegantly. Beside her was a muscular man in a suit.
A lady with brilliant blonde hair was leaning against the man beside her like a little bird. The man with black hair and eyes was definitely of oriental descent.
Gao Jian's body was tall and sturdy. Even when he was sitting on a chair, people could still see his imposing figure at a glance. The burly man wrapped in high-quality fabric perfectly complemented the texture of the suit. He had a more noble temperament than a model, making him stand out from the crowd.
The dark tanned skin that had been baptized by the scorching sun looked strong and slender without any special modifications. It reminded people of wild black panthers that crawled in the tropical jungle to attack their prey. In the eyes of many women, it was more tempting than the bronze skin that Western men deliberately created.
Although his neatly combed black hair was obediently stuck to his temples, it could not hide the sharp eyes hidden under his bangs.
His eyes were clear and bright, and he had a strong, handsome face with a deep outline and a slightly wild aura.
In New York City, where people of all races were mixed, such foreign couples were everywhere. Therefore, even if this couple walked on the streets, they would not attract the attention of others.
At 9:20 pm, when the second half of the opera was about to end, the man got up and left the box. Another man who brushed past him took his place.
His silent actions did not attract anyone's attention at all. After a few minutes, he quickly blended into the crowded crowd and disappeared into the night like a shadow.
His eyes, which shone with the color of obsidian and were darker than the night, stared at the instructions on the LCD screen without blinking. Rey Schumaher frowned and read the contents into his mind unhappily.
Although he had a westernized name, he looked like an Oriental. He didn't know if he was Chinese or not because he had lived in the most powerful country in the world since he was sensible.
In a building in the corner of New York's Manhattan district, although the surrounding environment was messy and disorderly, it was incredible that it allowed people to maintain absolute privacy.
"Sneak in…again?"
Ray muttered to himself as he typed on the keyboard of his laptop.
Staring at the CD that he had brought back from the opera house an hour ago, the frozen expression on his handsome face could not be considered good-looking. If it weren't for his sister who had disappeared without a trace, he would never have accepted the CIA's request.
After being abandoned by his biological parents for unknown reasons, he and his younger sister, who was three years younger than him, were naturally adopted by the orphanage. Perhaps it was because they were both lonely people in the world, but he and his sister Felice had a closer relationship and connection than ordinary siblings.
Even so, the two of them walked on different paths after they became adults. Felice, who was kind-hearted by nature, became a member of the CIA with a passion to save and help others. However, he, who often fought and caused trouble since he was a teenager, chose a path that was completely opposite to his sister.
Mercenary was a profession that most people had a negative impression of, but it was a good way to gain freedom and a high salary. Ray had to admit that he had indeed done a lot of bad things in this line of work, because it was natural to take people's money to eliminate disasters, but he could honestly say that he had never killed anyone.
Even in this line of work, he could be considered a well-known figure. His style of doing things was swift and straightforward, becoming the main reason why all parties invited him.
As long as one could afford to pay him, they would be able to hire him. Therefore, in all kinds of missions, the word 'crime' would more or less be involved.
Felice did not want to see her only brother become the most wanted criminal with a high bounty on his head. She tried every possible way to persuade him to cooperate with the CIA to offset his long-standing crimes. He was quite satisfied with his mercenary life and was originally unwilling to bend to such restrictive conditions, but in the end, he was defeated by his family and signed a contract with the CIA to become their exclusive mercenary.
In fact, the missions he carried out were similar, but the only advantage was that he was no longer a wanted criminal of the country, because he was now working for the country and not for private purposes.
The incident happened about a month ago. Felice, who was a CIA agent, suddenly disappeared during a reconnaissance operation. Although he and the CIA were anxious, they had no clue.
Then, today, he received a piece of news from a CIA agent, pointing out that Felice's disappearance was likely related to a drug cartel that specialized in doing evil in America. Two years ago, he had contact with the group for a private mission. Since it had to be a secret operation, on the surface, he had nothing to do with the CIA. In fact, Ray, who worked for them, became the best candidate.
That being said, that was the area that Ray was most unwilling to step into again.
As a mercenary, his instincts told him that he was lucky to be able to escape unscathed last time, but he might not be so lucky next time. Therefore, although the CIA had asked him to participate in this operation, he firmly rejected it. At the same time, he tried his best to dissuade Felice from having anything to do with this group.
At that time, she had promised him that she would quit the mission, but she had mysteriously disappeared less than a week after she nodded.
It turned out that he didn't want to get involved in this mess even if he died. No matter how the CIA lured him or threatened him with reason, he was determined to never get involved in this trouble again, but his sister easily broke his decision.
Although this was a foolish act of walking on a tiger's back, knowing that there was a tiger in the mountain.
"Let's leave it to fate."
Scratching his hair hard, he sighed heavily. He had no choice but to move the mouse in his hand and read the information on the disc without missing a word.
It was not easy to infiltrate a well-organized group, but for Rey, who had been through hundreds of battles, it was something he could do with just a few moves.
The mission's instruction was for him to " lurk ". Of course, he knew that this was to investigate the accuracy of this information in a secret operation.
However, the best way to confirm a piece of information was to infiltrate the organization. Therefore, even though his superiors only ordered him to investigate the periphery, he still did his own thing and sneaked into the criminal group that he had invaded two years ago.
At first, everything seemed smooth sailing.
In less than a week, he was promoted by his superior with impeccable work ability and skilled interpersonal relationships. He quickly entered the middle management class and was one step closer to his goal.
He also knew the danger of being in the limelight, but his desire to protect his sister made him unable to take care of everything, so he chose the fast but dangerous path.
Ignoring the warning in his heart was indeed not a wise choice. Just as he was about to slow down his attack, his direct superior came to him with an unreadable expression.
"Come with me, Alf.”
It was hard for him not to be suspicious that such a thing happened during his rest time.
His intuition warned him that something was wrong, but Ray nodded without changing his expression and followed his boss, who had called him by an alias, into the car.
It had been almost a month since he infiltrated this place. This was the first time he was allowed to approach the center of the organization.
The German-made car with excellent performance slowly drove into a large iron gate, and a long and seemingly endless road extended in front of them.
The tropical climate of Central America gave birth to lush trees on both sides of the road, and the faint sound of birds competing could be heard at the top of the towering jungle.
The Benz RV was moving at a fixed speed of 30 to 40 kilometers per hour. As Rey took note of the surrounding environment, several main houses stood in front of him like castles.
Judging from his current position in the group, he should still have a long way to go before he could enter this place. Therefore, his superior's actions deepened his doubts.
However, since he had already arrived, he could only remain calm. The only choice now was to wait for an opportunity to strike.
"Come here, Alf." The superior who walked in front of him looked confused." Mr. Duffers said he wanted to see you.”
It was Lan Nia Jett Dufirs, the leader of the organization wanted to see him.
In an instant, an uneasy premonition hit Rey's chest. No matter how he found an excuse, with his current status, it was 100% impossible for him to need to meet him!
The only reason was that his true identity had been exposed.
This was really bad.
Ray could not help but smile bitterly. Not to mention that there was no progress in the investigation, they could not even stay here anymore?
No, if this was the outcome, it would still be good. According to his understanding of Blue, his ending would most likely be reporting to hell.
He had already realized this before coming here. The only regret was that he could not find out his sister's whereabouts in time.
However, even though he had to assume the worst, it was not destined to be the case.
"Did you make a big mistake at work?”
There was no doubt that Ray might have ulterior motives. His boss, who had yet to understand anything, asked him in a low voice at the turn of the spiral staircase.
To him, Alf was a rare serious and capable subordinate. It seemed that he had made an irreparable mistake to be questioned as he was not considered a high-ranking person.
Shaking his head, Ray gave him a similarly confused smile.
His boss was really naive and kind. He had never doubted him at all and even asked such a question about his subordinates.
This made him feel a little guilty.
He knew that when his true identity was exposed, this kind boss would definitely be implicated by him, but with his current situation, he did not have the extra ability to get him off the hook.
From the corner of his eye, he scanned the place he passed by with a 180-degree vision. He tried his best to imprint it into his mind in case it came in handy one day.
His years of experience had developed this habit of being silent, so in the eyes of others, his movements were no different from those of his superior who was leading the way. However, they would never have thought that under his nonchalant appearance, he had actually engraved all the movements around him into the depths of his brain.
The security was quite tight.
Although there were no guards standing guard by the door, the pulse of human scent hidden in the surroundings did not escape Ray's observation.
It seemed that he couldn't act rashly.
These bodyguards hiding in the dark were planning to appear like a tide and capture him as soon as there was any movement, right?
The air was filled with tension and a sense of imminent danger.
Under such circumstances, the average agent would have lost his cool and wanted to strike first. However, the rich experience of mercenaries taught Ray to think calmly. The best policy was to stop the enemy by staying still.
Without any unnecessary movements, he would not arouse the other party's suspicion. This was also one of the experiences he had learned from rolling around the underworld and the underworld for many years.
"Come in, Alf."
The boss, who knew nothing and never suspected him, opened a delicately carved and elegant door after the two of them passed through the winding passage.
After following his superior into the thick and exquisite door, he closed the door from behind and subconsciously looked at the furnishings in the room and searched for a possible way out.
However, even if there was a glimmer of hope, it disappeared when Ray realized that he was surrounded by security personnel.
The tall man, who had been standing in front of the windowsill with his back to the door from the moment they entered, turned around, allowing the person to see his true face.
"Mr. Duffers, I've brought Alf here.”Ray's superior said respectfully to the man who was slowly walking towards them.
Ray, who was slightly taller than the average American man, often stood out in the crowd, but Lan Niya Jett Duffers was obviously much taller than him.
Lan Zhen's identity and appearance were a mystery to the outside world. Even the CIA could not get any information. When he infiltrated the group two years ago, Ray was only operating outside the organization, so this was the first time he saw Lan Zhen. Niya? Jet? The true face of Duffers.
It was a handsome face that made people hold their breath. Regardless of whether it was a man or a woman, when they saw him for the first time, they could not help but be mesmerized by his charm.
His ice-blue eyes were like a cloudless sky, but also like an unfathomable abyss. They were so deep that people would have the illusion of drowning in them. With his beautiful gray-silver hair, if one were to take a glance at him, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was not a human but a god who had descended from the heavens.
He had a tall and sturdy figure, a strong and fit body without a trace of fat, and perfect muscles that were even better than marble statues.
What was incredible was that his slightly feminine appearance and sturdy figure did not stand out at all. Instead, it gave people an impeccable sense of balance. Perhaps it was because his beauty had a sharp danger that made people not feel weak at all.
Although his handsome and flawless appearance made people unable to look away, Ray somehow shivered when he faced him.
Perhaps the smile on his lips had a cruel taste, Ray always felt that his beauty had a chilling evil.
"Kro Alf?" The man spoke in a steady and low voice that was neither too fast nor too slow. He was born with the ability to convince people easily.
Shocked by the melody that seemed to reverberate in his heart, Ray felt an electric current run through his body.
"Yes."
Hearing Ray's matter-of-fact reply, a bone-chilling smile appeared on his lips. In the next second, he was already beside him.
"Perhaps I should call you Rey Schmach.”
His heart trembled, and Rey tried his best to calm himself down.
"What did you say?"
He pretended not to understand what he was saying.
Although he was mentally prepared that his true identity had been exposed, if he didn't pretend to be innocent and evade the responsibility, how could he find a chance to escape?
"Or do you prefer the name Delor Ban?”
When he heard the alias he used two years ago come out of Blue's mouth, Ray knew that he had lost the upper hand.
This meant that Lan not only knew his true identity, but she might even know his purpose for coming here. In addition, he said that he used a fake name two years ago. It seemed that he was planning to settle the score together with the last time.
The corner of his eyes kept searching for a chance to escape, but all the exits were sealed.
That was natural. It was because he had completely grasped the truth that he had sent people to bring him here to be interrogated and silenced. Of course, he would not have the chance to escape.
"Mr. Duffers, what are you talking about?”It seemed that Ray's superior still did not understand what was happening in front of him. He was still confused.
"You didn't realize that there was a big problem with your subordinate, and you still have the cheek to ask what happened to Mr. Duffers!”Standing behind Lan, a middle-aged man who looked like a bodyguard strode forward.
"This…"
"Because of your negligence, you have seriously endangered Mr. Duffers 'safety. In theory, you should be executed immediately. However, considering that this is your first offense, it is polite to only expel you.”The Head Bodyguard, who was responsible for the safety of the Defias family, had the power to punish anyone who harmed the family.
" I..." Never in a Dream had he thought that there would be a problem with Alf. He was speechless.
"Forget it." With a wave of his hand, Lan exempted him from his punishment." Just drop him by two levels.”
"Yes."
Although this place was part of Central and South America, it did not seem to be under the jurisdiction of any country. In the domain of the Defias family, there was a set of " family rules " that could be followed. Other than that, the members of the organization were not bound by other laws. It was just like a small country of its own.
Compared to the Sicilian mafia families, the Defias family seemed to be more free and less controlled by other powers.
Blue shifted his gaze away from his bodyguard and turned to Ray, who remained calm and collected.
"Because it's not entirely his fault.”He looked at Ray with cold praise." The Eye of Darkness does things without hesitation. It's not easy for him to notice this intruder.”
Since he already knew his true identity, it was not surprising to know the code name he used when he was a freelance mercenary, but Ray did not intend to admit it now.
"Mr. Duffers, you seem to have made a mistake.”Ray smiled insincerely, still trying to pretend to be innocent, but he was secretly on guard.
He had to rely on his own hands to create a way out. He was ready to use his best escape technique, but his right hand had only turned less than ten degrees when he was discovered by the sharp-eyed Blue.
"Don't move!"
He roared, but his expression did not change.
Ray was shocked. Other than his sister, who was studying with him, no one else should know about this move, not to mention that his movements were so small that they should not have been discovered.
But even if he was detected, he could still move. Anyway, he was going all out. Life and death were up to fate.
Just as he was about to ignore Blue's warning and get ready to take action, a sudden chuckle entered his ears and made him stop.
He didn't understand. If he knew about his secret move, he should also know that it might endanger the safety of the others beside him. Then why was he still laughing?
"If you move, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”
Lan crossed her arms and smiled.
"What?"
"You can try, but you will regret it.”
He couldn't guess the meaning behind his words, but that cruel and seemingly ulterior smile made Rey hesitate for a moment.
His rationality told him to act immediately, but his intuition told him to wait and see.
Seeing his hesitation, Lan chuckled again.
"I can assure you that what you are doing now is a wise choice.”
Ray stared at him silently, trying to guess his true intentions.
Lan then instructed the others to take the people who were in the way away. There were only a few bodyguards and the two of them left in the room.
Blue walked to the small door on the other side of the room under Ray's confusion.
"Come in and meet your brother."
Upon hearing his words, Ray felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen.
His gaze was as slow as a slow-motion video. He stared straight at the mahogany door that was only slightly larger than the average size.
The wooden door, which was slightly simpler than the decorations in the room, opened. From behind the door appeared the figure that Rey had been thinking about day and night, but he had never expected to meet in this way.
His breathing was so loud that it filled his ears, and his heartbeat shook his body.
With a slight flash, the figure that was originally just a shadow suddenly appeared in front of Ray.
"Big brother."
Felice walked into the room and stopped beside Blue.
Perhaps it was because they had not seen each other for a long time, her voice sounded a little timid to Ray.
"How is it? I didn't lie to you, did I?”
Lan's lips still had that infuriating smile.
Ray felt all the sweat on his body dry up in an instant.
Indeed, if he hadn't listened to his instincts and acted first, Felice, who was on the other side of the door, would have been killed by him. She was right in the area that would be destroyed by his actions.
He had almost become the murderer of his own sister.
In the blink of an eye, after the fear passed, an even greater doubt surged towards him.
Felice was indeed here, but the situation before him seemed to be a little different from the " imprisoned " or " kidnapped " he and the CIA suspected.
Not to mention the fact that the basic handcuffs were nowhere to be seen, the gorgeous and clean clothes she was wearing, which were thousands of miles away from the prison uniform, made him even more confused. What puzzled him the most was why she was leaning against Lan. Niya. Jett. Dufirs like a little bird.#
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