Souvenir shop

She didn't know when Fei Huangjin would get here. And when he would, it might be too late. She had to find a way to alert the men outside, but not until she was at Song Yinan's side.

Ying Yue checked the bedside clock. A minute had already passed. She was going to need two minutes to get out of the house and at least three minutes to get to the car. This left with her with less than four minutes to come up with something.

Her feet carried her across the room and back to the walk-in closet.

Explosives. I need explosives.

She took a hand grenade from the armory closet and pulled out the thin sash from her wardrobe before running back to the bedroom, stopping at the bedside clock. This clock was one of those old analog ones with a hammer at the middle that hit the twin bells on either side during an alarm.

It was already around ten in the evening. Ying Yue set the alarm for 2 AM and tied one end of the sash to the hammer. She placed the clock back on the bedside table and looped the other end of the sash through the grenade pin.

She stashed the grenade inside the bedside drawer, clamping it there.

Hopefully, when the clock alarms and the hammer moves, it'll tug at the sash and pull out the grenade pin. When that happens, the grenade would go off after a few seconds and cause an explosion.

Ying Yue glanced at the clock. She'd spent two additional minutes setting this up.

She rifled through Fei Huangjin's drawer on the other side and found a pen and paper, quickly scribbling a note for him. She hoped against all else that her plan wouldn't flop, and that the men from the Dragon Club would be able to reach Fei Huangjin in time.

Another minute down.

She didn't have time to change out of her shirt and pajamas anymore, so she just grabbed her running shoes and put that on, slipping out of the back door as fast as she could.

***

Thousands of miles away, Fei Huangjin and Guan Ting were already at the airport, waiting for their flight back to China. There was only fifteen minutes to go before boarding time, but the CEO of Fei International was still pacing the floor of the VIP lounge, unable to sit still.

His thoughts were off to Ying Yue and the fact that she didn't pick up.

At that moment, Guan Ting stepped inside the VIP lounge, curiously holding up a small wooden keychain in the shape of an unusual diety.

"Where've you been? What's that?" Fei Huangjin frowned.

Guan Ting sat down and held it up, examining it closely. Then, he split it apart to reveal what looked like a small blade inside. "There was some souvenir shop out there so I got this." He was never one to like souvenirs, but when the sales lady offered it to him for a really cheap price, telling him that there was a blade hidden inside it that would go well with his tough exterior, he got sold and bought it immediately.

"Souvenir shop?" Fei Huangjin stopped pacing. Come to think of it, he recalled Ying Yue saying something about bringing home some souvenirs. It completely slipped his mind.

He cleared his throat, prompting Guan Ting to glance his way. "Where's that souvenir shop? I need to buy some things for my wife."

Guan Ting's face became blank. If he only knew it only took a souvenir shop to get this guy to stop pacing, he would've thrown him there a long time ago. "I'll take you there, boss."

The other man nodded.

When they got to the shop, the petite but pretty sales lady recognized Guan Ting almost immediately, putting up a bright smile for the both of them. "Sir, you're back! Do you want to get more souvenirs?"

He felt a bit embarrassed with the attention she was giving him and had to stutter out a reply. "He--he wants to get some. Some souvenirs. I mean get some souvenirs." Guan Ting cringed a little with his choice of words.

Fei Huangjin gave him the side eye. Guan Ting was an excellent marksman and one of the best in the Dragon Club, and here he was acting like a boy because of a woman. What a joke. "I'd like to get some souvenirs for my wife." He declared.

The sales lady's eyes brightened. "Your wife!" She beckoned them over to one of the glass cases on one side and pointed at the display. "Our country is lush with pearls, and these freshwater pearls are extremely attractive for women. Would you want these pearl earrings or this bracelet for your wife?"

He didn't need to think about it. "I'll get both."