Chapter 207 - 207: Suspicious Ghost
Gu Ci stayed in a hotel to be closer to the competition and also to meet with Lu Zhiyuan, Jiang Junlin’s residence, which was a forty-minute drive from the competition venue.
“Brother, all the rooms are booked, so no need to run around. I’m fine, and Chen Fei is here,” said Gu Ci softly. “We’re a bit unlucky to encounter a terrorist attack.”
Jiang Junlin furrowed his brows, and Gu Ci knew what was going on. This wasn’t an ordinary attack, as her brother’s expression indicated. Gu Ci asked, “I saw in the news that the attackers are all dead?”
Jiang Junlin nodded. “Yes, the case has been solved. It’s quite unusual.”
At least he knew who was behind it, but he didn’t know who had killed them. The method was clean and left no traces. Pei Qiuying had suffered a major setback.
“Brother, you’re here on a business trip, you must be busy. Don’t worry about them,” Gu Ci said, taking out a gift box. “Brother, since we might not be able to celebrate your birthday on Christmas Day, 1 wanted to give you a gift in advance.”
“What is it?” Jiang Junlin asked with a light smile as he accepted the gift.
“Open it and see!”
Jiang Junlin opened it to find a men’s brooch with a soaring eagle design adorned with gemstones. The chain was fixed with a diamond, suitable for wearing on a suit at evening events.
Jiang Junlin was a stickler for details, and he liked to accessorize his suits with small embellishments. He clearly liked it.
“This is a really thoughtful gift,” he said with a light laugh, accepting the gift and trying it on. It fit perfectly and was eye-catching without being too flashy.
Gu Ci felt relieved to see that he liked it. Whatever she gave to Lu Zhiyuan, he would appreciate, but her brother was more discerning in all aspects.
“Brother, how are you going to celebrate your birthday?”
Jiang Junlin didn’t pay much attention to his birthday. If he was at home, it would be a simple family dinner, and his business partners knew about his birthday and would send gifts. He didn’t like hosting birthday parties; he found them bothersome. The most extravagant celebration he had was his 18th birthday.
“You two enjoy the competition. Don’t worry about my birthday.”
“Well, after I finish watching the competition, if I have some free time, Ziyu and I will come to find you.”
“Good!” Jiang Junlin pondered for a moment. “By the way, I heard you had a dispute with Pei Qiuying at the auction?”
Gu Ci raised an eyebrow. “How did that news reach your ears?”
“Pei Qiuying wields a lot of influence in Europe and America and has a passion for collecting art. She’s a regular at auctions. The fact that someone challenged her bidding for a whole night spread throughout the circle.”
“Did I cause trouble for you, Brother?” Gu Ci asked.
The Yakuza and Hualan Bank had cooperated, and Jiang Junlin and Pei Qiuying were old acquaintances.
“Not at all!” Jiang Junlin whispered, “If there’s something you want, go ahead and bid for it. Don’t be afraid of her. But…since you’re unfamiliar with her, don’t get into a rivalry with her on impulse. She’s a ruthless mafia heiress, looks friendly but can be cruel. Next time you want something, tell me, and I’ll bid for you.”
“Okay!”
Jiang Junlin spent some time with them, then left with his bodyguards. As soon as he got in the car, Zhang Qiang handed him a tablet. “Master, this is the surveillance footage from the attack scene. 1 think you should take a look.”
He took the tablet and calmly said, “Arrange a meeting with Pei Qiuying, at my place.”
“Understood!”
Jiang Junlin lowered his head and glanced at the tablet. His eyes narrowed suddenly, and he slowed down the playback speed. The camera was positioned just behind Gu Ci, capturing everything clearly. Gu Ci rolled to the side of the corpse, picked up a long gun, loaded it, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion. Her marksmanship was incredibly precise, especially during suppressive fire. She remained calm and steady.
“Is this the upgraded AK47 from this year?”
“Yes,” Zhang Qiang replied. “It’s the upgraded version for this year, not widely circulated yet. These attackers all had one. While the upgraded version improves accuracy, it hasn’t addressed its fatal flaw – it tends to drift during continuous fire. Miss Gu Ci handled it like she’s done it a thousand times, even though it doesn’t seem like she’s ever encountered one. Some of them made their way into the black market in August, and some individuals had channels to acquire them, but there’s absolutely no record of them being in the country, let alone being used. Miss Gu Ci…”
Zhang Qiang hesitated, and Jiang Junlin understood his meaning.
Gu Ci didn’t have access to the latest version of the AK47. Why did it look like she had practiced with it extensively? Jiang Junlin also thought about Gu Ci’s surgical skills.
“Is the surveillance footage taken care of?”
“It’s been taken care of,” Zhang Qiang said. “After the incident, 1 went to check the surveillance. This segment was quite peculiar, so I downloaded it. Shortly after 1 downloaded it, someone erased nearby surveillance footage.”
Jiang Junlin nodded and focused on the video. Gu Ci’s shooting habits were exceptionally standard. Jiang Junlin remained silent for a while. “Zhang Qiang, do you believe in…reincarnation?”
“Master, that’s not likely, is it?”
“Indeed,” Jiang Junlin chuckled, then deleted the video. “Quite interesting.”
Zhang Qiang’s phone rang, and he answered it. After a brief conversation, he hung up and said, “Master, Pei Qiuying has arrived.”
“Understood.”
In the hotel room, Gu Ziyu was in a video conference with Chen Liangdong and Chen Fei. After Chen Fei reported on today’s events, he logged off. Gu Ziyu discussed the mission with Chen Liangdong, and their progress was satisfactory.
Chen Liangdong was concerned and wanted him to return earlier, but Gu Ziyu wanted to watch the competition with Gu Ci and return after Christmas. Chen Liangdong had also taken leave, but after the terrorist attack, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“The situation overseas is turbulent, but from what I’ve seen on the racing league’s news, the track wasn’t damaged, and the race is still scheduled to go on. They probably won’t cancel it.”
In the context of the current situation, if it were in China, it would undoubtedly be canceled, with moments of silence and flags lowered to half-mast.
Gu Ziyu remarked, “There’s no official announcement yet. According to the racing league’s updates, the track hasn’t been damaged, and the race is still scheduled to take place. It’s unlikely to be canceled.”
“It’s so heartless!” On one side, there were casualties, and on the other, there was celebration.
Gu Ziyu refrained from commenting on the matter. He then mentioned another issue, “By the way, I’ve arranged some funds for us. We were short on equipment funds, right? Sister has given us five billion, so we can use it without having to rely on others.”
Chen Liangdong couldn’t help but sigh, “Having money is really nice.”
“Then it’s settled?”
“I disagree!”
“Why?”
Chen Liangdong spoke with great seriousness, “We need funding for equipment upgrades, and it must come from an official allocation. Even if they delay it, I’ll find a way to secure it. There’s no way we can accept personal donations. If Gu Ci donates this time, people will wonder if we’ve given her something in return. They’ll speculate if there’s some hidden transaction. Who would believe that someone would donate five billion for no apparent reason? If this matter is exposed by someone with ill intentions, any achievements Gu Ci makes in the future will be tainted. If she ever crosses a line, it will also invite criticism. Moreover, accepting a donation sets a precedent. In the future, if we need money for various purposes, people will say, ‘You have a benefactor who donated billions, why do you need more?’ Gu Ci can’t donate multiple times. Rumors and gossip can ruin a person..”