Chapter 111: Reunion with an Old Friend

Guided by the enthusiastic locals, Da Min and Brother Long quickly found the residence of Zhao Zeyi and his boyfriend in Williamsport. It was a typical South American house—a two-story wooden building, somewhat simpler than the European-style detached villas back home, but with a pleasant environment and fresh air. The surroundings were sparse, with few neighbors, and the high latitude brought a slight chill to the air.

They pushed open the door and stepped inside. The place was in disarray, clearly abandoned in haste. Clothes and shoes were scattered across the floor, sofa, and bed. From the sizes of the clothes, it was evident, as the locals had said, that a man and a woman once lived here. The woman was at least 1.72 meters tall, with feet larger than the average girl’s; the man was about 1.8 meters tall and seemed to enjoy working out, as Da Long found gym equipment inside.

Da Min and Brother Long immediately contacted Lin Xiaofeng. Based on the photos they took and some pictures they found, Lin recognized the previous occupants as the young master Zhao Zeyi and, presumably, a Eurasian young man named Ryan. Lin had recently met both Zhao Zeyi and Ryan, noting that the two shared a special bond.

Continuing their search, Da Min and Brother Long came across a notebook—it appeared to be a diary belonging to a man named Ryan. Whether it was the same Ryan Lin mentioned was uncertain.

“In this day and age, there are still people who keep diaries, and on paper no less. Quite rare!” Zhang Xingmin remarked, holding the notebook.

Brother Long snatched it from him, flipping through it carelessly before handing it back with a frown. “Why is there English mixed in with the Chinese? Are you mocking me for not going to university and not learning foreign languages well?”

“It’s not English; it’s Spanish!” Zhang Xingmin replied, a little overwhelmed. He was comfortable with Chinese and English but struggled with Spanish. His knowledge of Spanish was superficial at best, barely enough to grasp the diary’s content fully.

Fortunately, the presence of Chinese allowed them to piece together the general meaning through guesswork.

The entire diary seemed deliberately left behind, and this place was likely Ryan’s home. In truth, Zhang Xingmin and Yang Dalong had trespassed. No matter—they had come this far and needed to uncover the truth; otherwise, the trip would have been in vain.

The diary began before the two arrived in Williamsport. Ryan appeared to be engaged in something profoundly important to him, though the specifics were unclear. Lin Xiaofeng had a rough idea because Guoguo once told him that children raised within their organization were indoctrinated from an early age with the notion of survival of the fittest.

Few, like Guoguo, were fortunate to grow up under their parents’ protection. Ryan, for example, had spent most of his childhood in solitude, with childhood companions scattered far and wide. He had grown accustomed to loneliness, which in his world equated to courage and strength. Especially for boys, after their coming-of-age ceremony, they were expected to venture out on their own, much like lions carving out their own territory.

Before meeting Zhao Zeyi, Ryan was on his “grind,” working dangerous jobs and taking on perilous tasks to earn high rewards. Through years of hard work, he had nearly accumulated enough points to establish his own base and end his dependent lifestyle.

Ryan had already registered with the organization’s center. Reviewing the bases up for auction, he found most were exorbitantly priced, even those on the desert’s edge. Only a remote island far from the mainland was affordable. However, this island lacked self-sufficient supplies and security was questionable, as the Baral people who once lived there had only recently been driven out and might attempt to reclaim it.

Still, the low price was sufficient. The cost of establishing the base would nearly exhaust all his points, and to grow further, he would have to continue his bounty hunting to earn capital.

Because of financial constraints, Ryan accepted the task of escorting Hitomi Yaita. If he had any other option, he wouldn’t involve himself in the fraternal conflicts of these two brothers. Blood ties run deep, as the saying goes, “Brothers quarrel within the walls but unite against outsiders.” If the brothers reconciled and joined forces against him, all his years of effort would be wasted.

To be safe, Ryan fabricated a false identity for the mission. The others involved shared similar cautious mindsets, communicating often but rarely probing each other’s backgrounds, which reassured him.

No trouble arose as anticipated, but a new problem emerged—Ryan felt this person he was escorting was unusual. Given Hitomi Yaita’s ruthless nature toward adversaries, the tall woman must have seriously offended him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have spared no expense to escort her back to the Sleepless City. Yet, beyond some restrictions on her freedom, she showed none of the typical signs of a prisoner.

Could she be Hitomi Yaita’s secret lover? Officially, she was being extradited to face justice in Sleepless City, but in reality, Yaita might be hiding her away.

After observing this tall beauty for days, Ryan finally couldn’t resist and decided to speak with the taciturn woman.

“Hello, I’m Ryan,” he cautiously greeted her.

“Speak Chinese,” Zhao Zeyi, who had long recognized the Eurasian man staring at him for days, replied coldly. He had thought Ryan had recognized him; instead, the young man was merely flirting.

“You look familiar! Have we met before?” Ryan probed further.

“Is that so? You’ve always teased other girls like this since childhood. I never thought you’d remain the same after all these years!” Zhao Zeyi sneered.

Hearing “childhood,” Ryan was certain they knew each other, yet he couldn’t recall who this tall beauty was. Though he had dated many girls, he could count his close female friends on one hand—there was no reason not to remember.

Seeing Ryan confused, Zhao Zeyi’s tone turned melancholic as he spoke in his original voice, “It’s not your fault. When I look in the mirror, I hardly believe this is me.”

Ryan immediately recognized the voice—it was his childhood friend. But how had he changed so much? The gender didn’t even match.

“Xiyi!?” Ryan exclaimed in disbelief.

“Yes, it’s me!” Zhao Zeyi shrugged in response.

“How did you become like this? Oh my God! I can’t believe I’ve been helping others persecute my own friend…” Ryan struggled to accept the truth.

Hoping for some luck upon hearing Zhao Zeyi’s admission, Ryan was crushed by the next words, which confirmed that this mission was indeed aiding the enemy.

Zhao Zeyi replied nonchalantly, “Don’t blame yourself; it’s all that Zhao Fugui kid’s fault. He and I are sworn enemies!”