Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1252: One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Five: Past the Expiration Date

Chapter 1252: Chapter One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Five: Past the Expiration Date

Justin did call, but Gao Yang could have simply stepped aside and answered the call alone. Why did he have Eileen stop? Entirely because Albert had been beaten up too badly.

After stopping Eileen’s one-sided torment of Albert, Gao Yang answered the call and said in a low voice, “Buddy, give me some good news.”

Justin replied in a frustrated tone, “I’ve got good news for you, but it’s past its expiration date.”

Gao Yang was slightly stunned and asked, “Expired? What do you mean?”

“The informant requested strict anonymity, so I can’t tell you who found the clues. But what I can tell you is that Krulney is in Europe, and his location changes frequently.”

Gao Yang glanced around and said in a low voice, “Hold on a second. This isn’t a convenient place for me to talk. I’ll call you back in a bit.”

“Alright.”

Gao Yang hung up the phone, gestured to the group around him, and said, “We’ve got some news. Let’s head back.”

The group quickly returned to the hotel. Gao Yang snapped his fingers and said in a deep voice, “Big Bird, ready your computer. Tyrannosaurus, prepare to take notes. Also, get me a map of Europe. The rest of you, standby. I’ll call on you if I need you.”

The others left, leaving just three people in Gao Yang’s room. Once Jansen’s computer was booted up, Gao Yang immediately called Justin back.

Justin quickly picked up this time. Without any unnecessary words, he immediately said in a serious tone, “Krulney returned to New York on August 30th last year, but he quickly left New York for Dubai. Four days after you took out Tomler, Krulney returned to New York again before leaving with his family. Since then, he’s disappeared.”

“And then?”

“Then, on October 14th last year, Krulney used his credit card in Atlanta to buy a plane ticket to London, UK. By the way, a satellite town west of Atlanta named Douglasville happens to be Krulney’s hometown.”

Gao Yang whispered, “Hold on, I need to note this down.”

Covering the phone, Gao Yang said in a low voice, “Atlanta, Douglasville.”

Once Eileen and Jansen started marking it on the map, Gao Yang continued speaking into the phone, “Krulney was in London?”

“Let me finish. After landing in London, Krulney didn’t use his credit card again for several days. However, four days later, the same credit card was used at a Michelin three-starred restaurant in Paris for a meal.”

Gao Yang quickly asked, “Which restaurant?”

“Not worth mentioning. Because after spending two weeks in Paris, Krulney headed to Germany. He used the same credit card at a Michelin three-star restaurant in Hamburg as many as sixteen times. After staying in Hamburg for around twenty days, Krulney went to Italy.”

Gao Yang sighed and chuckled, “He went to Italy again? I bet his credit card usage is still tied to Michelin-starred restaurants, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. Rome, Naples, and finally Milan—Krulney’s credit card records appeared in all of these places, all at Michelin-starred restaurants. Krulney spent around three weeks in Italy, and his credit card showed daily activity at Michelin-starred restaurants. One particular one-star restaurant in Milan was his most frequented spot.”

Gao Yang exhaled and said, “Got it. Our Mr. Krulney is quite the gourmet.”

“Right, and then, Krulney booked a flight from Milan to Riyadh.”

Gao Yang’s heart tightened. “Riyadh?”

“Yes, Riyadh. After arriving in Riyadh, he only stayed for a little over half a day before buying a ticket with the same credit card to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. After arriving in Amsterdam, he didn’t leave again according to his credit card records, but the most recent transaction was from nine days ago.”

It took Gao Yang a moment to register that Justin was referring to Amsterdam in Holland.

“Amsterdam? Hasn’t he left this time?”

“That’s what I meant by expired. Krulney’s last use of his credit card was nine days ago. He stayed in Amsterdam for quite some time, and his daily routine involved two specific activities: dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, at least once a day, and visiting window girls.”

Gao Yang said in a mix of frustration and amusement, “Is this guy’s life just food and women?”

“Pretty much. Krulney has a very consistent lifestyle in Amsterdam. Lunch was always at Michelin-starred restaurants. In the afternoon, he might visit a window girl. If not, he’d opt for dinner at another Michelin-starred restaurant. Then, at night, he’d visit another window girl. Krulney has one notable habit: he spends exorbitantly on fine dining, but he’s stingy when it comes to women.”

The Red Light District in Holland is famous. The window girls are well-known, but frankly, they’re low-tier services. Considering Krulney’s wealth and status, he should’ve been hiring high-end escorts instead. But that wasn’t the case. Clearly, Krulney is a pure foodie.

Gao Yang let out a breath and said, “Alright. Do we know which hotel Krulney stayed at in Amsterdam?”

“No. But judging by the restaurant he frequents most, Krulney is likely staying somewhere nearby. The restaurant is Bord’eau, right next to Amsterdam’s Dam Square. You can start searching hotels in the vicinity.”

Feeling a headache coming, Gao Yang said, “Buddy, this intel is useful, but can it really help us find Krulney? What I need is precise intelligence, and I even specified that in the reward offer. Now, the informant can’t even provide the name of the hotel. Should I even pay for this?”

Justin chuckled, “Like I said, it’s past its expiration date and not precise enough. The informant is only hoping to receive a partial reward. If this intel really leads you to Krulney, then you’ll pay the full one million US dollars. If you don’t find him, you pay nothing. By the way, there’s another key detail in this intel.”

“Go on.”

“Krulney has a habit of repeatedly visiting the same window girl and staying for quite a long time. Calculating based on the rate of forty Euros for twenty minutes, Krulney often spends five hundred Euros—a charge for several hours, or possibly taking the window girl out with him. Although he doesn’t do this often, it’s rare given his usual habits. So, you might want to look for that window girl.”

(To be continued. If you enjoyed this story, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com for reading.)