Symbols

When Si Weimin came back, he was holding a small box on his hand. Xu Jia Li gazed at him questioningly.

"I thought I won't have to tell this to you but it seems I really have to."

When Si Weimin opened the small box, there were items in clear ziplocks, "What are those?"

"This one is the red button that Zhen Nian found on your bed when someone intruded your place," Si Weimin glanced at Xu Jia Li before he continued, "I told Zhen Nian not to tell you."

She nodded her head as she gazed at the red button inside the clear ziplock. She examined it carefully. It had gold linings on the edge and engraving on its center, "Is this intertwined vines?"

"It looks so," Si Weimin nodded, "I guess, it has something to do with the person who entered your room."

"That's careless of him to leave something behind," she frowned before she pointed at the other two ziplocks, "And those?"

"This one is the diamond found in the parking lot by Thomas that night."

"A diamond? From my gown?"

"No, not from your gown. From someone present at the parking lot that night."

"Who could it be?"

"That's what I asked Thomas to find out," Si Weimin took a deep breath before he continued, "But I can't contact Thomas now."

"Where's he? What happened to him?"

"I don't know but I have this bad feeling that something happened that night at Royal Night Club."

Si Weimin showed the cuplink to her, "This one I found on Royal Night the night Thomas vanished."

"Does that belong to Thomas?"

"No, not his. I asked Wang Guo to search this kind of cuplink and find its pair."

"Did he find out who sell such design of cup link? It's unusual. Even the shape is peculiar."

"Wang Guo can't find any store who sell this. I guess this is not sold as an ordinary item."

"Min, I think it has something to do with my revenge. Someone's doing his move to stop me," Xu Jia Li looked seriously at Si Weimin as she observed the cuplink on her hand.

"There's something more," Si Weimin held Xu Jia Li's hand. He caressed it gently before he said, "The man on your apartment said that he's in league with Feng Chen."

"Feng Chen?"

"Zhou Jiayin's assistant," Si Weimin answered, confirming Xu Jia Li's speculation.

"Do I really have to be surprised?" she smiled bitterly as she gazed at Si Weimin.

"I hope I was able to get more… I'm sorry, love…"

"What happened, honey?"

"They found out Si Family's basement. They helped him escaped," Si Weimin began to recount what happened.

Xu Jia Li's head felt like exploding from what Si Weimin told her. She shuddered as she tightened her grip on his hand, "How did they find out the basement when it's been there for a long time. Is there a mole among your men?"

"No, I know my men."

"Then how did they find out?"

Suddenly, a thought rushed through Xu Jia Li's mind. She shivered. She looked straight at Si Weimin, "Actually, there's something that I want to tell you."

Si Weimin stiffened from the seriousness on Xu Jia Li's face. He managed to nod as he stared at her.

"I think these things were interconnected. I think you're right about Thomas. He might have known something, that's why he's missing. These objects seem to be our only clue to finding out who wanted me dead," she clenched her fists as she continued, "Last night, when we were talking, my phone suddenly hung."

"I thought you just hang up."

"No, I tried to crack the code and saw that there's a virus in my phone. I managed to copy everything on the person's server. This is what I found."

Xu Jia Li handed her old phone to Si Weimin. She went to the files and opened the one she got from the server. All her previous conversations, her locations, emails, call and message logs, camera and pictures were recorded in the server.

"This is the reason why they know where I am. They've been locating me so easily through my phone. I've been careless not to know. That's why they know that I was going to Yudong Village that day and surprised me with the carcass. Now, I realized where I saw that scarred man. He's the same man who held the carcass, though he doesn't have that scar back then."

"How did they put the virus in your phone?"

"I still don't know. It was put there manually even before the phone was given to me."

"Did you locate the person?" Si Weimin asked through gritted teeth.

"No. They used different VPN," Xu Jia Li shook her head before she stated, "I think they knew that the man was in your basement right after you talked to me last night. They want me to stop but… I won't."

****

"It's time to end him," The man wearing a fine linen blue Kung Fu Tai Chi suit ordered the beautiful woman sitting on the couch.

"B-but, it isn't the time yet."

"Are you sure you're not chickening out, Snow?" the man raised his brow as he puffed his cigarette.

"Maybe she is," the other woman beside Snow spoke mockingly, "Her heart is beginning to be soft."

"No, why would I?"

"If you're not up to the task, then let Beryl do it," the man turned his gaze at the woman who sneered at Snow.

"I can do it," Snow answered lazily, "Watch your manners, Beryl. You're still under me. Not because you managed to get Chao Zu out of that basement, you're better than me," Snow slapped Beryl hard, "Remember that it's also you who almost put us in danger by acting mighty when you know nothing about hacking at all."

Beryl put her hand on her cheek as she glared at Snow, "Why? What have you done for the organization than to brag that you're the master's daughter?"

"It's nothing to you. Just stick to your role and stay the fuck out of my business."

Once Snow was gone, Beryl looked at the man, "Master, Snow can't do everything. Just let me handle Thomas. Aren't I the one who managed to get him in the first place?"

"She's more capable and she's still my daughter after all."

****

"I'm sorry, Mr. Young but it's your time now," Beryl slapped the man in front of her. She disregarded Snow's words. She hated her and how mighty she thought she was. She put the knife on Thomas' neck, making the impact caused some blood to drip from the wound.

Thomas flinched but he didn't make a sound. He still had blindfold on his eyes.

"What do you want?" Thomas' asked with a weak voice.

"It's not your place to ask," Beryl grinned menacingly as she stabbed the knife directly at Thomas' thigh.

A loud cry escaped Thomas' lips. He was really weak. His body was full of bruises and wounds that Beryl incurred on him. Another stab landed on his shoulder. The woman seemed to be decided to make him die a slow and painful death.

He knew by now how good the woman was in using knife and dagger. He grimaced in pain and he was about to pass out when another woman's voice startled him.

"Aren't you cocky, Beryl?"