~
the 8th of February, 2026
Once A-Li caught up with them, she was able to hear their chit-chat well, pouting still; A-Xuan was never chit-chatting with her!
They were taking turns, down darker and darker corridors, and getting into a part of the gang's HQ she had never been to before, even though she had been downstairs, to the underground floors, there was a special elevator that would take them there. It was something of a treasure vault for Jin Zixuan, he kept his priceless blackmail materials and possessions down here, and the place was insanely safeguarded and protected.
- So, Boss! – the Dude chirped again, skipping by A-Xuan's side, which inevitably made A-Li roll her eyes. Was this stupid girl... flirting?!
- So, Boss!!! What's on the menu for t'day?
This made A-Xuan laugh bitterly for some reason, but he answered softly:
- Today, babygirl, we are chasing a rat. Task numero uno! I got you some nice and dusty 20th century CCTV shit you can play with! – he sniggered.
- Yay! – the kid beamed up at him.
- And then, we'll have to find a moron. – A-Xuan growled, stopping in front of a massive door that looked like fortified steel, and which A-Li could swear had not been here last time she visited HQ last year.
- Asshole, huh. – she hissed, both on the account of the "babygirl", and the "moron" thing.
But they didn't hear her; in fact they totally ignored her, as they were chatting and pacing forward.
- Is the moron a rat too, Boss? – the girl tilted her head to the side, curious.
A-Li held her breath.
A-Xuan did not turn around to look at her, but the pause he made was very meaningful right now.
- No. – he said after a prolonged, cold silence.
– The moron's just stupid. – he grunted.
Out of nowhere, the young mobster produced a small remote control device from out of his pants' pocket and pressed on it. A-Li had never seen it before, but the steel door squeaked slightly, opening slowly and gradually, just to reveal another set of doors – sliding doors to an impressive new elevator.
Neither Jin Zixuan, nor the kid were surprised, and Jiang Yanli had to clench her teeth in exasperation: it meant that she was the only one of the three of them for whom this passage into the structure was news. She told herself to breathe and not lose her temper and give The Dude another win today, as she reminded herself that the Jin Gang was one of the richest, and most prestigious in the country, with traditions dating back centuries, probably, and she had only joined them a couple of years ago.
The ride down took longer than she had expected; the elevator was too large in her opinion, but then she thought that it was designed to be sturdy enough to transport both people and heavy equipment to the core of the earth.
She shook her head slightly. A-Xuan knew what he was doing, she was getting proof of it yet again, and she vaguely wondered just why she could not force herself to trust him enough still.
The chit-chat did not affect her any more, she shunned listening now. Her thoughts skidded sideways, and back to worrying about her brother, and she tried not to fear that he might be already dead.
