Chapter 125: Search

Chinatown in New York is a famous, large Chinese-speaking district made up of several streets. It is also the largest overseas Chinatown in the world. On the streets, restaurants and shops are lined up side by side, with crowds of people, all speaking Cantonese. The atmosphere is quite similar to Hong Kong’s Temple Street. For Chinese people living overseas, this scene feels familiar and convenient.

It is now around 1 AM, and a three-story building on the eastern side of Chinatown still has lights on. From the window, one can occasionally see shadows moving inside.

In the basement of this building, Chang’an sat motionless in a chair, as if deep in thought. The tea on the table next to him had already gone cold.

Suddenly, the rhythmic sound of metal clashing broke the silence without warning.

Chang’an’s eyes flickered. He immediately walked over to a large wooden cabinet full of miscellaneous items. With a forceful shove, he moved the cabinet aside, felt around, and pried open several wooden floorboards that had long been detached. Beneath them was a metal panel with a keyhole.

Chang’an took out a key from his pocket, turned it in the keyhole, and with a flick of his hand, lifted the entire metal panel.

“How long has that kid not cleaned this passage? Damn it, it’s covered in spider webs.” Lei Yin cursed as he walked up from the passage under the panel.

“Sir, thank you for your hard work. If I remember correctly, the last cleaning was about three years ago, and he moved out afterward,” Chang’an said with a suppressed smile, walking up to help him remove the webs stuck all over him.

“This is the emergency escape route you use, you should clean it up once in a while,” Lei Yin said, sitting down on a chair.

After making tea for him, Chang’an sat down as well.

After taking a sip of tea, Lei Yin said, “Tell me the details of the incident.”

“Yes, Sir. Two nights ago, Little Lei was invited to an annual gang meeting. However, on the way there, he was ambushed. Both drivers and five bodyguards died in the cars. Two vehicles exploded, leaving them unrecognizable. Four hours after the incident, I received a call from those guys.”

“Were there any witnesses?”

“We found two homeless men who had been shot. They should be the so-called witnesses,” Chang’an said with a bitter smile.

“What was the police’s response?”

“They thought it was just a gang conflict, so now they’re constantly monitoring us.”

“To kill his subordinates and then forcibly abduct him… I can’t tell whether the kid has gotten weaker or the other side is too strong,” Lei Yin sneered.

“Please don’t be angry, Sir. The other side had planned this in advance. This isn’t entirely Little Lei’s fault.”

“I know. Did you hear his voice on the phone?”

“Yes, the other side only made him say two sentences. But from those two sentences, I translated using our internal code, and two words came up: ‘Men in Black’ and ‘Island.’”

“The ‘Men in Black’ part is irrelevant, anyone could guess that, but ‘Island’ is useful. That likely means he’s on an island now. However, he probably doesn’t know the specific location. What conditions did they offer?” Lei Yin set down his tea cup.

“All the names of the Black Dragon members, full transfer of all assets, and all internal company data. They explicitly told me that as long as the transfer of ownership was completed, they would release him immediately. They need us to show our sincerity by agreeing to this,” Chang’an said in a low voice.

“It seems they just want to control Black Dragon, not destroy it. It’s understandable; after all, controlling an established power like Black Dragon is much easier than starting a new gang from scratch. Who is the recipient of the property transfer?”

“A brokerage firm called Meiler. I’ve already checked—this company was only recently registered. The owner is an American man named Robert Johnson. He’s a retired military veteran, and his background is so clean it’s almost unbelievable. It’s like he saved up pennies to start the company. The entire staff, including the janitor, consists of only five people,” Chang’an said, somewhat bewildered.

“That’s the worst shell company I’ve ever heard of. If we find anything there, I might as well retire. Let’s not discuss that anymore. I remember you told me a few years ago that you and Little Black installed something on yourselves—how’s that going? Does it still work?” Lei Yin asked, looking at him.

The device Lei Yin referred to was a small signal transmitter, similar to a tracker but different in that its signal is sent in a layered form. The transmission range could reach up to 200 kilometers. Although the range was impressive, it only sent a signal once every half hour due to battery limitations, and the batteries had to be replaced every month. The rings that Chang’an and Lei Li wore were actually this device.

Both Chang’an and Lei Li were key figures in Black Dragon. Apart from the threat of assassination, kidnapping was also a very real possibility. To prevent such incidents, Chang’an had specifically instructed people to research and develop this device.

Hearing Lei Yin’s question, Chang’an walked over, holding a map he had retrieved from a nearby bookshelf.

“Sir, less than four hours passed between the incident and when they called. Also, based on Little Lei’s coded word ‘Island,’ I immediately dispatched people to search the nearby islands of New York in secret. Finally, we intercepted his signal near an island called ‘Hart Island.’ However, something strange happened. When I sent people back to receive the signal, they couldn’t pick anything up. There are only two possibilities: one is that he’s being held in a sealed space where the signal can’t get out. The other, the worst-case scenario, is that his signal device was discovered and destroyed,” Chang’an said, his expression grim.

“Thinking about it won’t help. The only way to confirm things now is to enter the island and check. Is the covert team ready?”

“I’ve instructed them to be on standby. Do you want to act now, Sir?” Chang’an asked.

“Of course. This sort of thing needs to be resolved quickly. Let’s go. You can tell me more about the island while we’re on the way,” Lei Yin said as he stood up.

“Yes, Sir.”

※※※

On the swaying yacht, Lei Yin carefully observed the small island ahead through a telescope.

It was still deep into the night, and with no moon in the sky, the island appeared as nothing more than a dark mass. Even with Lei Yin’s sharp vision, he could only make out its vague outline.

He lowered the telescope and sighed. This was the most uncertain operation he’d faced in decades. Besides knowing a little about the enemy’s background, he had no idea about their power distribution or internal situation. On the other hand, while Black Dragon had long operated in the shadows, it had been around for many years, and with its recent frequent expansion, others had gathered some general understanding of it. It was dangerous when the enemy is in the dark and you’re in the light.

But despite the uncertainty, he had to go and save that kid. After all, he was his master.

The only advantage they had now was that the enemy might still be unaware that they had started their operation. If they could strike when the enemy wasn’t prepared, there might still be a chance for success.

Looking at the rising waves on the sea, it seemed like the wind would pick up tonight.

Lei Yin turned to Chang’an and said, “Are you really sure you want to come with me? Don’t forget, if both Little Black and I are gone, someone will need to take charge.”

Chang’an, also wearing a wetsuit, shook his head and replied, “Sir, if this were the past, maybe I would stay. But after learning about your experiences, I suddenly realized something. Whether it’s Black Dragon or anything else, they’re just external things. Even if we’re gone and Black Dragon disbands, the brothers below will still survive. Black Dragon is a gang, not a righteous organization. If the people under us want to cause chaos or commit crimes, let them. Those government officials won’t just sit by and watch. So, why should I worry? I just want to do what I want while my body still allows it.”

Seeing his calm smile, Lei Yin knew there was no point in persuading him further.

He touched the ring on his finger inside his glove and said loudly, “Alright, everyone, let’s get to work.” After speaking, he put on his breathing apparatus, strapped on the oxygen tank, and was the first to jump into the water.

After him, Chang’an and the other twenty or so members of the covert team also jumped into the water.

Unlike the turbulent waves above, the sea beneath was eerily calm.

After about a kilometer of diving, the group finally reached the beach near the island.

Once they confirmed there was no one nearby, Lei Yin led the others into the forest on the island.

After hiding the oxygen tanks, masks, and other gear, everyone started taking out the equipment from their waterproof bags and changing into their gear on the spot.

When everyone was ready, Lei Yin did a quick check, then led them toward the center of the island.

After walking nearly a kilometer, Lei Yin noticed that aside from a few dilapidated wooden houses along the way, there were no signs of habitation on the island.

Could they have guessed wrong this time?

Another half kilometer later, he suddenly stepped on something rectangular. He picked it up and found it was a tin can. Nearby, there were several other similar items.

After sniffing the can, Lei Yin muttered, “Looks like those guys have definitely been here. This can was opened today.”

Chang’an walked over and said, “Sir, it’s been over half an hour, but I haven’t received any signal from Little Lei’s transmitter. Could it be that they’ve already evacuated?”

“I don’t know. For now, we can only keep searching. Hopefully, they’re still here.” After speaking, Lei Yin threw the can aside and continued deeper into the island.