Chapter 195: Preparing for War
Meanwhile, Li Chen, Li Xinjie, Sun Lixia, Li Yanyan, and Zhu Fengrui sat in Li Chen’s villa. After lunch, Li Yanyan had suggested they gather at Li Chen’s place to meet Sun Lixia and Li Xinjie. Zhu Fengrui remarked, "Wow, Li Xinjie, you look like Grandma."
Li Yanyan agreed, "Right, that was the first thing I noticed when I saw him." She then introduced Zhu Fengrui, stating, "Zhu Fengrui is the one who is operating the Li family’s conglomerate."
Zhu Fengrui added, "And that is about to change. I can’t run such a large empire alone while you sit idly."
Li Chen responded, "Well, since you’ve been doing a good job, we don’t want to disturb you."
Li Xinjie chimed in, "Li Chen is right. Why would we disturb you dear cousin" Laughter filled the room, and Li Yanyan added, "Zhu Fengrui, I was hoping... Would you mind coming to stay with me? The villa I stay in right now is not far from this one."
Zhu Fengrui broke into a wide smile and enthusiastically said, "Mom, you didn’t even have to ask! I would absolutely love to come stay with you. We have so much catching up to do after all this time."
Li Yanyan’s face lit up happily as she responded, "Wonderful! I’ll have the maids start preparing a room for you right away. Goodness, it’s been so long, I’m not even sure if you still like the same things or if your tastes have changed over the years."
Zhu Fengrui nodded reassuringly and said, "No need to worry about that, my preferences are still quite simple, Mom."
"Excellent!" Li Yanyan replied. "We’ll make sure your room is ready for you to move in tomorrow afternoon then."
"Sounds good." Zhu Fengrui agreed amiably.
Li Yanyan smiled tenderly to herself, cherishing the prospect of rebuilding her relationship with the son she lost so much time with while in hiding all those years.
Li Yanyan clapped her hands delightedly. "It’s settled then! We’ll have such a wonderful time together, Fengrui. I want to hear all about your studies and your life these past years."
Zhu Fengrui chuckled at his mother’s barely-contained excitement. "Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time to really talk and for me to bore you with all the details," he joked.
Li Chen and Li Xinjie exchanged happy glances at seeing mother and son reunited at last, while Sun Lixia also smiled gently at the touching scene.
The happy atmosphere was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of Li Xinjie’s phone. He answered with a cautious "Yes." The man on the other end addressed him, "Agent 17... or should I call you Li Xinjie now?"
Li Xinjie clenched his teeth and responded sternly, "Li Xinjie." The man chuckled and reminisced, "I am happy you found your family. You know, I remember when you were brought into the organization, a newborn baby. You cried a lot, so I had to stay up late and rock you up and down."
Li Xinjie, cutting to the point, asked, "What do you want?" The man continued, "They are on their way." Li Xinjie’s eyes widened, and he questioned, "So quickly?"
The man explained, "Order from above." Li Xinjie sighed, acknowledging, "I see." The man confessed, "You know, I will probably be killed for telling you this."
"Why did you risk it?" Li Xinjie inquired. The man’s voice softened, "I don’t know. Maybe those nights of rocking you up and down as a baby made me feel like I was your father or something."
Li Xinjie, moved by the unexpected sentiment, replied, "I see. When?" The man informed him, "They are all scattered across Shanghai. Get ready for war, boy. Till we meet again, or probably not. I will get killed anyway."
Li Xinjie expressed his gratitude, "Thank you... and goodbye." He knew that this man had just risked his life to inform him of the impending attack, leaving him with a somber sense of gratitude and an awareness of the sacrifices made for the sake of a shared past.
Li Chen noticed the change in Li Xinjie’s expression, a subtle shift that triggered a sense of concern. Sensing something amiss, he asked, "What’s wrong?" Sun Lixia, picking up on the tension, inquired, "Is everything okay, son?"
Li Xinjie revealed the troubling news, "That was my regional manager. The higher-ups have sent out a hit. Agents of the First 20 have landed in Shanghai." Li Yanyan expressed her frustration, "That bastard." Sun Lixia acknowledged, "He will never let us be."
Li Xinjie added with a heavy sigh, "No one leaves the organization alive." Sun Lixia nodded, stating, "I know." Zhu Fengrui, who was still in the dark asked, "What is going on?" Li Yanyan stepped in, briefing him about how Agent 17 was found and how the organization stole him, raising him as an assassin, leaving Zhu Fengrui stunned and angry. The revelation hit him hard, realizing that the organization had stolen his cousin, depriving him of the love of family while molding Li Xinjie into a weapon for their purposes.
Sun Lixia, determined, declared, "Get everyone ready, and no one leaves the house for the coming days." Li Chen, expressing concern, said, "Mom, they will find us either way." Sun Lixia clarified, "Don’t mistake it, son. I am not running. I am tired of running from the organization. I have done it for years... not anymore."
Li Yanyan, acknowledging the inevitability of the situation, added, "This was expected. We knew the banquet would bring trouble. Time to get ready for war." Zhu Fengrui pledged his support, saying, "I will make a few calls. It’s a war we will win."
Li Xinjie looked at his newfound family and felt relieved. He sensed their love and care. In that moment, he knew he wasn’t going to face this alone. Whatever was coming, they would pull through together, united against the impending storm that threatened to shatter the fragile peace they had managed to build.
They began strategizing, and Li Xinjie suggested, "I know some people who can also help me." Sun Lixia advised, "Don’t call in favors just yet. Let’s see if we can handle this on our own first." Li Yanyan asserted, "Yes, the organization thinks we can take this lying down; well, they need to think again."
As the family prepared to face the imminent threat, a collective determination filled the room. The impending conflict loomed, but their unity and resolve were unwavering. In the face of adversity, they were ready to stand together and confront the shadows of the past, prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.
Li Chen, taking charge, directed his question to Li Xinjie, "Li Xinjie, you know how they operate. Give us what we need to expect." Li Xinjie explained, "We have done this about 5 times. Two agents in the First 20 wanted to retire, and some were people who worked in the office or something. It’s always every agent for himself. The higher-ups give double payment to the agent who completes the mission. So right now, they all don’t trust each other, and they don’t work together. It’s most likely we will be facing one agent at a time."
Li Chen determinedly stated, "I see. Then we will have to kill every agent coming our way." Sun Lixia emphasized, "We need to protect our family." Li Xinjie clarified, "Most of these agents don’t involve people not on the hit list. Only 13 and 19 are that ruthless." Li Yanyan suggested, "Then we lure them in first."
Li Xinjie continued, "Getting 19 is easy; he is impulsive. But 13, she is very calculative, a real strategist and ruthless." Li Chen, surprised, questioned, "She?" Sun Lixia added, "The organization never cared about gender. As long as they could get their hands on the child, they took them." The revelation added another layer of complexity to the impending confrontation, highlighting the ruthlessness of the organization and the challenges the family was about to face.
Li Yanyan, taking charge of preparations, began making a few calls. The challenge of not knowing the agents’ faces added a layer of difficulty, but Li Xinjie, having grown up and trained with most of them, possessed valuable knowledge that could prove crucial in identifying and countering the impending threats. As the family mobilized to face the oncoming storm, their unity and determination remained unwavering, ready to confront the shadows of their shared past.
Sun Lixia stood by the window, her thoughts shrouded in contemplation. Despite years of service to the organization, she couldn’t fathom why it seemed as though the shadows of the past continued to cast their menacing gaze upon her family. The perpetual targeting left her with unanswered questions, adding an extra layer of complexity to the impending conflict. As she gazed out, the city lights of Shanghai glittering in the night, she braced herself for the challenges ahead, determined to protect her family from the looming threat that had haunted them for far too long.
