Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1255: One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Eight: Invitation

Chapter 1255: Chapter One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Eight: Invitation

A young man came out beaming, pulling open the curtains that had already been drawn apart. Behind the display window stood a woman.

Gao Yang was surprised to find that the woman behind the window wasn’t particularly beautiful. Her figure was decent, but compared to the other display windows nearby, she was just average. On top of that, she wasn’t young anymore. While Gao Yang couldn’t pinpoint her exact age, she was far from youthful and stunning.

Should he let Eileen and Taylor go in? Gao Yang thought it was a valid question, but he didn’t need to ponder it for long. He believed Taylor and Eileen were well concealed. Even if this was a trap, going inside for a brief investigation wouldn’t be too big of a risk—unless Krulney planned to spring an ambush right here.

After a moment of consideration, Gao Yang said in a low voice, “Let them go in. You stay nearby to provide backup. Even if this is a trap, I don’t think the danger is here. If we manage to get any information, then the real danger lies in the details the intel reveals. Don’t you agree?”

Albert thought about it seriously and then nodded. “You’re right. If we find something critical here, it means this is a complete setup, and the danger stems from what we discover here. Alright, I’ll go tell them to head inside.”

Albert walked over to Taylor and Eileen, whispered a few words, and then Taylor, who was close to an adjacent display window, walked over and lightly knocked on the door.

The glass door opened. The display woman leaned out and exchanged a few words with Taylor, after which Taylor slipped inside the room.

About five minutes later, Taylor stepped out, looking dazed, and he immediately waved at Gao Yang.

Gao Yang quickly stood up and walked over. When he reached Taylor’s side, he asked in a low and urgent voice, “What happened?”

Eileen and Albert also hurried over as Taylor, visibly shocked, said, “It’s a trap. Or rather, the woman inside is intentionally placed here by Krulney to lead us to his trail.”

As expected, this didn’t come as a surprise, but Gao Yang wasn’t remotely pleased. He said anxiously, “What are you standing around for? Retreat!”

Taylor grabbed Gao Yang by the shoulder and said urgently, “Let me finish—things aren’t quite what we thought.”

“Speak, quickly.”

Taylor gulped, then said in a rushed tone, “I went in, took out one thousand euros directly, and told the woman, ‘This money is yours if you answer my question.’ Then she asked, ‘What do you want to know?’ I asked if she knew someone named Michael Shaw, and then…”

Taylor gulped again, his expression vacant, and continued, “And then she asked me directly, ‘Are you one of Satan’s people?'”

Still looking astonished, Taylor let out a breath and shrugged. “Her question left me speechless. Then she asked, ‘Are you called Ram?’ I said no. After that, she took my money and told me, ‘If you want to know where Michael Shaw is, let Ram come and find me.’ I thought about it a bit and then came out.”

The four of them exchanged looks, but soon, Gao Yang exhaled sharply and said grimly, “I’m going in! They’ve already set everything up; we’ve come this far. We can’t leave without getting answers.”

Eileen urgently said, “You can’t go in—no, I’ll go with you.”

Albert waved a hand dismissively. “It won’t be dangerous. If it were, they wouldn’t do it this way.”

Eileen glared angrily at Albert, but Gao Yang also spoke gravely, “The villain is right—danger wouldn’t come in this form. I’ll go in. You all wait outside.”

Eileen said resolutely, “I’ll go with you. It’s not negotiable.”

There was no need for ongoing debate. Gao Yang immediately said, “Alright, we’ll go in together.”

Gao Yang turned and walked to the door, knocking. The woman, dressed provocatively, opened it. Gao Yang said in a low voice, “Ms. Lucy, right? I’m Ram.”

Lucy glanced at Gao Yang and then at Eileen behind him. She waved her hand and said, “Come in.”

Gao Yang and Eileen entered Lucy’s small workspace. Lucy shut the door and drew the curtain closed.

The room was nothing like Gao Yang had imagined—it was especially small. A single bed, a chair, and a tiny bathroom that could barely fit a showerhead; this was Lucy’s entire space.

A peculiar, hard-to-describe smell lingered in the room. Lucy pointed to the bed and said, “I only have one chair, so you’ll have to sit on the bed. Please, have a seat.”

Gao Yang sat on the bed while Eileen positioned herself near the door. Gao Yang spread his hands and said to Lucy, “What do you have to tell me?”

Lucy gave Gao Yang a once-over before nodding. “That’s right, you’re East Asian. You must be Ram.”

Lucy then made a hand gesture indicating money and said to Gao Yang, “If you’re Ram, hand over the cash. Michael Shaw told me you’d pay me ten thousand euros.”

Gao Yang immediately said, “I don’t have that much cash. Can I pay by card?”

Lucy smiled and took out a card reader.

Gao Yang made a motion with his hand, and Eileen stepped over to swipe a card. Within a minute or two, Lucy had ten thousand euros in her account.

With the money in hand, Lucy grinned happily, sat down on the only chair, and smiled at Gao Yang. “Michael Shaw told me I could make a lot of money easily. I didn’t believe him at first, but now it seems he was right. Alright, I’ll tell you everything I know. So, are you looking for Michael Shaw? Since you’ve now paid, you can go directly to meet him.”

Gao Yang was instantly stunned, as he never expected things to turn out this way.

But before he could speak, Lucy waved her hand and smiled. “However, you may not be able to find him. It’s been quite a while since Michael said he might leave soon, and I haven’t seen him in a week.”

Gao Yang buried his face in his hands and shook his head firmly. He spoke in a low voice, “Wait a second. Are you saying Michael is nearby?”

Lucy nodded. “That’s right—nearby. If you want, I can give you the address.”

Unable to hold back, Gao Yang cursed, “F**k! What the hell is this? Did Michael Shaw tell you anything else?”

Lucy shrugged. “Yes. He said you might be concerned about safety. He told me to tell you he doesn’t intend to die. That’s it. Listen, I don’t know who you are, but let me warn you, this isn’t some lawless jungle. You might have some shady business with Michael, but I don’t care. I was paid a lot of money to relay a few messages, and now I’ve done so. You’ve paid me, and I’ve delivered. That’s all. Can you leave and get on with your business now?”

Gao Yang shook his head and said, “Not just yet. Tell me everything about how you met Michael Shaw—every detail, don’t leave anything out.”

Lucy shrugged. “Alright. About three weeks ago? I can’t remember exactly. One afternoon, Michael knocked on my door. Instead of asking about prices directly, he asked if I accepted cards. I said yes, and he came in, confirmed the price, paid by card, but didn’t do anything. He just sat on the bed like you and stayed for about an hour before leaving.”

After speaking, Lucy grabbed a hand-rolled cigarette from her bedside table and asked Gao Yang, “Mind if I smoke?”

Gao Yang shook his head and gestured for her to proceed. Lucy lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and smiled. “From then on, Michael came every day. A few times, he stayed for a long while. But each time, he did nothing. Until one day, about ten days ago, he suddenly said, ‘Lucy, do you want to make a lot of money?'”

Lucy exhaled smoke and smiled. “Of course, I said yes. Then he told me, ‘My name is Michael Shaw; remember it. Soon, I won’t be coming anymore. Memorize this address. After I leave, if someone comes looking for me, ask them if they’re one of Satan’s people. If they are, tell them to find someone called Ram. He’s an East Asian man. Once you meet Ram, give him my address and also tell him I don’t want to die. That’s all. I may leave soon or maybe not. If anyone does come to you, charge them ten thousand euros, just as I instructed. Ram will pay; he’s generous, and he will pay.'”

After speaking, Lucy spread her hands and smiled. “I didn’t actually think I’d make that money, but Michael was a good client. He gave me a lot of money and was such an odd character—obviously someone with a story. So, I remembered his words and just passed them on to you. That’s it.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all—just that.”

Gao Yang nodded and said, “Great. Thank you very much for cooperating. Now please give me the address.”

Lucy lifted her mattress and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it directly to Gao Yang. She smiled and said, “Here you go—his address. Now, can you two leave? To be honest, your presence here makes me a bit uneasy. But don’t worry, I’m not stupid. I’ll forget everything that happened today.”

Gao Yang looked at the paper, stood up, smiled faintly, and was about to leave. At this moment, Eileen turned to Lucy and said coldly, “You’re clever. Remember what you just said: don’t tell anyone about what happened today. Otherwise…”

Eileen made a throat-slitting gesture and gave a sinister smile before adding, “If you talk where you shouldn’t, the consequences won’t be pretty.”