Did Gu Kewen have a stranglehold on living?

It was better to say that the black-robed man had come at a very coincidental time.

Xia Lei could not sleep all night. His brain worked on the problem all night too but it did not come up with any result he was satisfied with.

“Make the arrangements. I want to return to China,” said Xia Lei to Jacqueline Eva when he got up in the morning.

Jacqueline Eva paused. “You’re going back now?”

“Yes. I have to go back. It’s not safe for me to stay here. Last night, I would have ended up in the hands of the CIA if I had not managed to escape in time.”

“Well, you wouldn’t even have been there if you hadn’t been bedazzled by Beryl. You stay in the hotel, and no one can harm you.”

Xia Lei didn’t think so, however. He thought of the black-robed man. The French would not be able to guard against him if he appeared here. He thought about this, but he still had no intention of telling Jacqueline Eva about it. He said, “I’ve decided. Please make the arrangements. This is not just out of concern for my safety, but out of consideration of our deal. I have to go back to China to process the core high-precision parts for you. Those parts cannot be completed without me.”

“All right, I’ll make the arrangements for you.” Jacqueline Eva climbed out of bed too. She looked left and right, then suddenly held on to Xia Lei’s shoulders and leaned sideways, stretching out her leg to the clothes rack. She was looking for that little white G-string on the highest rung of the rack.

She had long legs as white as snow and a round, perky a.s.s. Her waist curved like a slender bow, and her leg shot out like an arrow, revealing an even more fascinating bit of scenery. There was no question that this was the most beautiful posture for taking something off a clothing rack that Xia Lei had seen in his life.

Jacqueline Eva flicked her pale toe and the white G-string slid down the back of her calf, following the curve of her leg to slide up to her thigh.

“Hmm.” Xia Lei shrugged. “Do you usually put your underwear on like this?”

Jacqueline Eva’s hand left Xia Lei’s shoulder and, not minding his gaze at all, pulled the white G-string up her other leg.

“Will you come back again?” Jacqueline Eva looked at Xia Lei.

Xia Lei gave a laugh. “Is it important to you whether I come back or not?”

Jacqueline Eva laughed too, then said, “Nope.” After a pause, she added, “But I think it will be difficult for me to find another partner in bed as good as you.”

Xia Lei was speechless.

One hour later, at the Villepinte Exhibition Centre.

Xia Lei let Qing Caiyue and his other employees know of his plans to return to China, then made the work arrangements for them.

This news was rather sudden to Qing Caiyur and the employees of Thunder Horse Group, but it did not affect them much. The orders which should have been signed were signed, and the rest of the exhibition time was just going through the process. Many of the Thunder Horse Group employees were already planning their romantic travel times in France, discussing popular tourist spots and plans for shopping. All these things were enough for them to worry over, so they were in no mind to a.n.a.lyse why their Director Xia was suddenly returning to China.

The most disappointed one was probably Qing Caiyue, but she could do nothing but hide that disappointment in her heart.

Once he settled all of his matters, Xia Lei left the Thunder Horse Group exhibition booth and made to return to the hotel. He received a call from Jacqueline Eva, and found that she had not arranged for the quickest flight back to China, but had got him a chartered direct flight back to Jingdu.

Before Xia Lei could walk out of the Villepinte Exhibition Centre, however, he was stopped but a person in the main lobby.

The person stopping him was dressed in a black office-lady suit. She had a small waist and ample curves, and legs in the 3:2 proportion. She had the exquisite facial features of a woman of the East, and also the beautiful blue eyes of a woman from the West, and a smoking hot body. She was none other than the person who had tried to cage him last night but was knocked out instead — Hattori Mei.

Hattori Mei stood in Xia Lei’s way, staring colding at him.

Xia Lei took a step to the side, moving to walk around her.

Hattori Mei took a step to the side too, and blocked his way again.

Xia Lei smiled. “Ah, it’s you. Morning, Mei.”

“You forgot me so quickly?” Hattori Mei finally spoke. “You’re too self-centred.”

“This is a self-centred world.”

“We have to talk.”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll be happy to talk with you about whatever you want, but I have some urgent matters to tend to right now. How about…” Xia Lei pretended to think for a bit. “How about dinner tonight? We can talk as we eat.”

“I want to talk to you now.”

“Now is not possible. Okay, I’ll come pick you up tonight. I have to go now.” Xia Lei moved away again, making to slip away from Hattori Mei.

Hattori Mei grabbed Xia Lei’s hand. “Trying to slip away? Not so easy.”

The smile on Xia Lei’s face disappeared. “I don’t owe you anything, Hattori Mei. I won’t be so polite anymore if you keep acting like this.”

Hattori Mei sneered. “You want to hit me? Then go ahead, I’ll let you hit me. I’d like to see what the media will report when a man hits a woman here, in this sort of place.”

Xia Lei was saying mean things, but actually hitting her, and in a place like this, was not something he could do.

“All right, I’ll give you five minutes.” This was not because he was afraid of hara.s.sment from her. She could not stop him if he really wanted to walk off. He had promised to give her five minutes because he wanted to put an end to his relations.h.i.+p with Hattori Mei, and also because he wanted to know how the j.a.panese had reacted to the development.

“Come with me!” Hattori Mei released Xia Lei’s hand and walked out of the main lobby.

Xia Lei followed her to the open-air carpark.

The door to a Toyota 7-seater car opened, and Hattori Masao stepped out.

Hattori Masao’s guards also came out of a car next to his, but they did not draw close. They stood two metres away and watched Xia Lei like a hawk.

Xia Lei was not bothered about those men at all. He followed Hattori Mei and stood before Hattori Masao, and greeted him first. “You’re looking well, Mr Hattori. You must have had some good news.”

HIs daughter had been f.u.c.ked, the technologies he had had in his hands had flown away, and the man he’d wanted to get rid off was still standing in front of him, hale and hearty, and smiling while saying careless words. If all these were counted as “good news”, then Hattori Masao would be the happiest man on Earth. However, this “most happy” man now wanted most to pull out his gun and blast ten bullets into the head of this Chinese punk standing before him. Ten shots, not one less.

He was itching to do it, but Hattori Masao had good control over himself. A smile slowly spread on his face. “You were still calling me Uncle yesterday, and it’s ‘Mr Hattori’ today. Are you going to call me Hattori the Fool in a few days then?”

Xia Lei smiled. “I wouldn’t dare. It is just a form of greeting. I’ll call you Uncle from now on if you want, okay?”

“Enough, let’s stop beating about the bush.” Hattori Masao put his smile away. “You know why I’m here.” He stretched out a hand to Xia Lei.

Xia Lei paused, then held his hand.

Hattori Masao shook his hand off. “I am not shaking hands with you. I am here to take my item.”

“What item?” Xia Lei put on a confused face.

Hattori Masao scoffed. “You sure are forgetful. That USB flash drive with the technologies of the Thunder Dragon intelligent lathe, XL2500, Gust and h.e.l.lhound technologies on it. I exchanged the AI technology for your technologies, but you stole it last night!”

Hattori Mei chimed in. “Hand that USB flash drive over to us, and we are even.”

“Heh heh heh…” Xia Lei couldn’t help laughing.

“What are you laughing about?” Hattori Mei glared at Xia Lei.

Hattori Masao held back the flames of anger in his heart, and the impulse to slap Xia Lei across the face.

Xia Lei stopped laughing, and his voice grew cold. “You have the audacity to talk to me about the deal last night. If I hadn’t been lucky enough or reacted fast enough, I would probably be lying in some bas.e.m.e.nt right now, and the CIA would also be using torture instruments on me, right? You made a deal with the CIA, and you wanted to send me to h.e.l.l. I escaped, and you actually dare to come looking for me to ask for my technologies? Wow. Do you take me for a fool? Or do you think that I am a weak and cowardly person who won’t dare to do anything to you?”

“You took our AI technology. That is a fact.” Hattori Masao gave him the pre-prepared excuse. “What happened last night was a mistake. I had no deal with the CIA. It is definitely a coincidence that the CIA turned up at my house. Let’s talk about the matter at hand now — you took our tech, so you have to go by our agreement and give me that USB flash drive.”

“I don’t know what USB flash drive you’re talking about, and I did not take anything from you. I was only wearing a pair of underwear when I escaped from your house last night. I still want my clothes back,” said Xia Lei.

“You—” Hattori Masao’s eyes were terrifyingly cold.

Xia Lei scoffed. “Stop making that face at me. I don’t care. Hattori Masao, you had no intention of making a deal with me in the first place. You only let me have one look at the drawings you took out. Does taking one look at them count as taking your technology? My technologies were seen by your engineers too, weren’t they? So since everyone has had a look, what right do you have to demand that I give you another copy?”

“Xia Lei! You took that USB flash drive away!” Hattori Mei was losing it.

“I’ve said it very clearly. I was only wearing a pair of underwear when I escaped from your house. I did not take any SSD. I was running for my life, so why would I be bothering about an SSD?” said Xia Lei.

“Xia Lei, are you planning on going back on the deal?” said Hattori Masao icily.

Xia Lei glanced at his watch. “All right, five minutes are up. I’ll just say one thing. Don’t think that you’re all that. Don’t say that I took your technology. Even if I did, what can you do to me? Sue me in French court? Or are you going to send your agents to arrest me? Do whatever you want, but let me give you a word of warning. If you make a move against me, I will make sure to pay you back and settle our accounts!”

Xia Lei turned around and left after saying that.

“b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Hattori Masao smashed a fist into the window of the Toyota. The gla.s.s shook, and cracked.

Hattori Mei kept her eyes on Xia Lei, and they were cold. Of all the people there, she was the one who had the most hatred for Xia Lei. She had given so much to their cause to get a result, but her sleeping with him, letting him play with her and take everything of hers was all for nothing. How could there be such a thing in this world!

She could not stand it!

“Mei, call your younger brother. It’s time he did something,” said Hattori Masao.

Hattori Mei nodded.