Chapter Seventy: Love Even in Death

  The five top marksmen of the Hongmen gang fired their guns simultaneously and fell to the ground, each continuing to fire and wound enemies while using cover to approach Ye Haodong. The number of infiltrators from the Middle East was not large, and these five were all crack shots, so soon the gunfire ceased to be intense, and the mini-machine gun's explosive sound had stopped; the fake dancer had been shot in the forehead by Lin Shouyi and died instantly. Lu Wending shouted in Russian for the surviving gunmen to surrender their guns without being killed, but the response was a declaration of defiance in the form of gunfire. Lu Wending hid behind a sofa serving as temporary cover and fired back angrily. A bullet penetrated the sofa and hit him in the lower back, passing through his abdomen and creating a fist-sized hole; his intestines spilled out. Lu Wending fiercely stuffed his intestines back in and continued to return fire. The gunfire grew more sporadic, and the assassins were now few in number; when the last gunman fell, the sound of police cars could be heard outside the nightclub.

  Russian police once again confirmed their attitude of sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight in the gangster fire event.

  In the hospital, Lu Wending was rushed into the operating room for emergency treatment. Ye Haodong's buttocks were injured by a stray bullet from Mini Mi, and after examination in the operating room, the doctor said it was not a big deal and asked the nurse to push him into the ward.

  In the ward, when he saw Jiang Lan's worried and tearful face, he intentionally exaggerated his pain more than tenfold. His face was flushed red, and his eyes were filled with a desperate gaze, as if a dying lover was making their final confession: "Lanlan, don't be sad for me, everyone will die, I'm lucky enough to have you by my side in my last moments, heaven has been kind to me."

  Jiang Lan saw Ye Hao Dong's hands covered in fresh blood, his face also had blood on it, and his chest was stained with blood. For a moment, she couldn't tell where he was hurt and thought he might be seriously injured. She burst into tears, hugging Ye Hao Dong tightly and kissing him uncontrollably, saying between sobs: "It can't be, you won't have anything happen to you, you've been through so much already, you won't die... as long as you don't die, I'll do whatever you want, I don't need anything else, I just want to be your little woman, please come back to me..." She couldn't finish speaking and was overcome with tears. The doctor came in from outside, looked at them strangely, and comforted Jiang Lan in Russian: "Don't worry, he's fine, just some minor abrasions on his buttocks, no need for hospitalization."

  Ye Haodong couldn't understand Russian, so he didn't know what the doctor was saying. The doctor was paying close attention to Jiang Lan's reaction as he spoke. When Jiang Lan heard Ye Haodong's true condition, her expression only stiffened for a moment before quickly returning to its previous sorrowful state. Ye Haodong thought the doctor hadn't told her about his illness, and just as he felt at ease, Jiang Lan's small hand had already reached the location of his butt wound and pinched it viciously. Ye Haodong let out a pained cry and jumped up like a carp. Jiang Lan burst into tears and flung herself onto the hospital bed, hugging Ye Haodong while hitting and scolding him: "You bad thing, teasing me! Is your heart made of stone? Are you intentionally trying to make me sad to death?"

  "Do you really like that old fellow? Why risk your life to save him?" Ye Haodong asked, dodging the topic.

  Jiang Lan was indeed deceived, shaking her head lightly, hugging Ye Haodong tightly, and asking in a low voice: "Don't you believe me? Do you think I would like another man?"

  Ye Haodong held her in his arms, gently stroking Jiang Lan's back: "I trust my eyes, so I can see how much you were struggling just now. Are you working for the country?"

  Jiang Lan covered his mouth again and shook his head: "Don't ask anymore, okay? I won't say anything. You just need to know that if you had died just now, I would really have given up everything to go with you."

  Victor surprisingly came out unscathed from this incident. He arrived at the hospital room door with a bouquet of flowers. As soon as he entered, he thanked Ye Haodong profusely in his stiff Mandarin. Ye Haodong was displeased by Victor's presence and gave him a cold face.

  "Dear, leaf..." Ye Haodong interrupted him bluntly: "Alright, alright, you'd better not speak Chinese anymore, it's too tiring to listen. Save your gratitude for later when we meet in person. Now, if you have something to say, say it; if not, then go do what you should be doing."

  Victor pointed at Jiang Lan and hesitated, "I... look for her." Ye Haodong waved his hand impatiently. Jiang Lan stood up and followed Victor out.

  In the middle of the night, in an empty corridor, only the two of them were present. Viktor handed a USB drive to Jiang Lan and told him that it contained the complete design drawings for the SU-33 that the Republic needed. He also mentioned that the last few components would be shipped out tonight. Before parting ways, Viktor stuttered in Chinese, "This thing... has been in my pocket all along... I deliberately delayed giving it to you, thinking time would make you forget him and like me." This sentence was surprisingly more fluent than usual, indicating he had practiced it beforehand. Jiang Lan smiled and shook his head, "Thank you for keeping your promise, Mr. Viktor. I think we can only be work-related, my mission is over, and maybe we won't see each other again in the future." He then turned around and left.

  Victor left, Jiang Lan quietly returned to the ward, Ye Haodong had endured the pain and stood up. Jiang Lan scolded: "What are you doing? You're shot and still not honest." Ye Haodong worried: "Old Lu is still in rescue, I want to go take a look."

  Jiang Lan: "Your men are all at the emergency room entrance. Don't they inform you of anything in a timely manner?"

  Ye Haodong shook his head and stretched out his hand for Jiang Lan to support him as he walked towards the emergency room.

  Lu Wending finally passed the three-day critical period. This made Ye Haodong breathe a sigh of relief. The target of those Middle Eastern people was only Viktor, and at that time, Ye Haodong and his men had the opportunity to stay out of it, but Ye Haodong got his brothers involved in this matter for his own woman. If Lu Wending died, Ye Haodong would feel very guilty.

  Jiang Lan's mission was over. As soon as she came out of the Huaxia embassy, she rushed to Ye Haodong's villa in Moscow. Lu Wending was fine, and Ye Haodong put down his worries. Seeing Jiang Lan arrive, he was exceptionally happy. The two long-separated lovers hugged each other excitedly, eagerly enjoying their blissful time together.

  Outside the window was the silent, low-temperature Moscow. Inside, the passionate and fiery young men and women were excitedly shouting and gasping for breath. After the fiery passion had been vented, Jiang Lan gently lay in Ye Haodong's arms.

  "My work in Moscow is over and I'll be free for a while, in a few days I'll return to Gangcheng, do you need me to bring anything back home?"

  As the Spring Festival approaches, Ye Haodong's mood is somewhat low. He picks up a cigarette from his bedside table, lights one up, and plays with the lighter in his hand, not speaking for a while.

  Jiang Lan could see that he was preoccupied, so she used her slender hands to gently caress him, trying to distract his attention. "I heard my brother say that your second aunt gave birth to a daughter, and Wang Ayi is delighted. By the time you return, that child will probably be calling you 'Old Uncle'."

  Ye Haodong extinguished the cigarette and held Jiang Lan in his arms, maintaining a female-on-top position. His stiff little brother quietly slipped into Jiang Lan's body again. After Jiang Lan let out a long, gentle cry, the two remained silent and tightly connected, neither moving nor speaking, holding each other tightly.

  "After a long time, Ye Haodong said: 'It won't take long for me to go back. The world is big and there are many good places, but except for China, I don't like anywhere else. Mr. Situ, who was my master for half of my life, risked his life to return to his hometown after death, so that he could fall leaves and return to his roots. We Chinese people, no matter where we go, can't forget the taste of our hometown's soil. The sky in Gangcun is always gray and the air quality is far inferior to Vancouver, but if I have a choice, I think I will settle there in the future. Are you willing to go back with me?"

  Jiang Lan was naturally willing, but she thought of her deceased father, thought of the hatred she had been hypnotizing herself with for so many years, and thought of the work and ideals she was persisting in. She let out a faint sigh: "If I could choose, I would be willing, perhaps one day my ideal will come true, and I'll go find you."