Sha Qing

Chapter 110: The "Grave" (2)

"In fact, it is more than just a ring-it's the family seal of the Italian Berardi family. I think you have heard about them."

"Oh, the Godfather's seal." Sha Qing jested, "Do you guys really still keep the old habit of stamping secret letters?"

Alessio blushed as he smiled, seemingly full of embarrassment, "It's also a token of the family heritage. In fact, we call it a 'cursed ring' in private. Its previous owner was my uncle, who died in the assassination; before him was his cousin, Derek, who later died of an electric shock on a cruise ship. One of my cousins, Vincent, wanted to get it too and as a result, the hapless guy fell a dozen floors because of an elevator failure and got smashed into pieces..."

"You believe that?" Sha Qing asked back.

"It doesn't matter, whether I believe it or not. What's important is that I don't want it, but my brother apparently doesn't think so." Alessio shrugged, "I guess if I don't give him this ring, I might die in an accident one day."

"You brothers have a bad relationship?"

"No, it's very good-as long as no key interests are involved."

Sha Qing considered for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll do you this favor as a thank you for taking care of me during this time, but I don't know your brother."

"You'll recognize him as soon as you see him, I promise." Alessio said with a smile.

After some time, the escorting prison guard walked over and knocked on the iron door with a truncheon to remind him of the departure time. He put the ring into his underwear pocket, got up, and walked towards the door. Alessio couldn't help grabbing onto Sha Qing his wrist and whispered into the latter's ear before he could shake him off, "Be careful... of everyone."
Sha Qing nodded slightly, and stepped out of the door opened by the prison guard.
As he walked through the corridor, he saw a familiar face-one of the people he played with during the Mahjong game last time, a professional killer of Hong Kong's Big Circle Gang, Gan. The young Asian man wearing glasses stood in front of them, looking pale, thin, and non-aggressive, but he made the prison guards instantly on alert as if they had encountered a venomous snake.

"Don't be nervous, I just want to come over to express my sorrow and regret." He said in a trembling voice, "Once you leave, we're short of one player again."

Gan started to walk pass them after saying those words but upon closing in on Sha Qing's side, he leaned in and spit out a sentence in a soft voice, "For the sake of the good play you showed us last time, I'll give you a parting gift-search under the floor tiles of the laundry room in the fifth area of ​​the Grave."

The prison guard stepped forward to stop him, but he already slipped away smoothly like a snake.

The corners of Sha Qing's mouth pursed, his mind filled with thoughts.

.
.
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The transfer escort vehicle left the New York Federal Detention Center in the dead of night with its only passenger.

Alessio, who was standing by the window on the seventh floor of the MCC watching the escort car being swallowed up by the night, stretched out a hand to the side and a prison guard handed over a mobile phone onto his palm. He dialed a set of numbers, and upon connecting, he only said two words:

"He's coming."

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

The desolate coastline loomed in the morning mist. The isolated island, two kilometers away from the coastline, is densely covered with many low buildings and is connected to the land only by a long arched bridge, like an acute malignant tumor growing out from a healthy limb. A large barge that has long been immobile is moored along the island and this five-storey white ship is covered with dense windows.