Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 17 The lingering ghost
Gina gestured to the two who were clearly hyped up: "Open the door, I'm here to see someone."

The burly man on the right was slightly more sober than his companion. He tapped the armrest and lazily raised his eyes: "Closed for business. Come back at eight o'clock tonight."

“I’m here to find someone,” Gina said succinctly. “Kenichi Kawada.”

"He didn't mention that anyone was coming today."

The burly man slowly straightened up, his gaze inadvertently falling on the blood-soaked strip of cloth on Zhou Yi's arm, pausing for two seconds:

"What are you doing here??"

"He's my friend, and he's injured."

Upon hearing this, the burly man was about to say something else, but suddenly felt the effects of the drug kicking in.

After trying for a long time without figuring it out, he finally gave up, bent down and pulled the roller shutter door open halfway: "You can go in yourselves."

The store was unusually dark, with heavy curtains completely blocking out the outside light.

The air was filled with the mixed smell of cigarettes and cheap perfume.

The neon lights overhead were not turned on; only a few low-hanging chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, casting blurry halos of light.

Several abstract paintings hung on the wall.

The naked women, with their bold lines and vibrant colors, presented a blatant provocation without any attempt at concealment.

There was a dark wooden counter in the reception area, and a young woman was eating her takeout.

She was wearing a large T-shirt and her hair was hastily tied into a ponytail; she had no idea that anyone would come in.

Sensing footsteps, the woman instinctively looked up.

"Are you Gina?"

She looked at the disheveled figure before her, her voice tinged with hesitation: "How did you get into this state?"

Just then, Zhou Yi stepped out from behind Gina.

The woman was startled by the bloodstains all over her body, and the chopsticks in her hand fell to the table with a clatter.

"Damn, what's going on?"

She jerked back and reached into the drawer to pull out a gun.

"Relax, Valentina, he's my friend."

Gina quickly reassured the woman, "Let's go find Kenichi to treat the wound."

Upon hearing this, Valentina stopped what she was doing and sighed, "Unfortunately, he went on a business trip yesterday, saying he had some family matters to take care of."

"When can I come back?"

Gina frowned.

Valentina scratched her chin: "Probably tonight?"

“We can’t wait that long, could you try?” Gina’s voice trailed off.

“I can try, if you're willing to trust me—”

"To what extent can you handle this?" Zhou Yi suddenly interrupted Valentina.

Sensing the distrust in his tone, Valentina shrugged: "Kenichi's medicine is all here, enough for injections, hemostasis, and stitches, to keep you alive."

Zhou Yi's gaze lingered on the woman's face for a moment, the dizziness in his head urging him to make a decision quickly.

With both hands braced against the counter, Zhou Yi finally nodded and gritted his teeth, instructing, "Hurry up and get started."

Valentina smiled, stood up, and led the two into a private room.

The room was well-lit, and a velvet sofa was placed in the middle.

"Sit there." Valentina said, pulling open the drawer next to her and starting to check the tools. "Do you need anesthetic?"

Zhou Yi shook his head: "I need to stay sober."

Valentina raised an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't try to dissuade her: "I'll begin once I'm ready."

Zhou Yi pulled out the last Marlboro from the cigarette pack, put it in his mouth, and then took out a lighter to light it: "Let's begin."

Valentina, who was already wearing gloves, immediately used scissors to cut the fabric that was stuck together with blood after hearing the signal.

Then, she picked up a saline solution and thoroughly rinsed the wound. A clear liquid mixed with blood dripped down and onto the carpet under the sofa.

Zhou Yi took a deep drag of his cigarette without making a sound.

"He's a tough guy, too." Valentia's eyes gleamed with interest.

Without stopping, she quickly treated the torn skin and flesh around the wound with tweezers and hemostats.

Zhou Yi broke out in a cold sweat instantly, and his face twitched involuntarily.

Gina, who was standing next to her, could no longer bear to watch the bloody scene unfold before her. She turned around and closed her eyes.

Valentina remained focused, and after cleaning the wound, she picked up the needle and began stitching.

"Can you still bear it?" She gently pressed the muscles near the wound with her left hand. "Do you need me to help you relax them later?"

Zhou Yi ignored her flirting, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his voice hoarse: "Continue."

Valentina smiled, unperturbed by his coldness. After finishing the last stitch, she cut the thread, covered the wound with gauze, and then bandaged it.

Then, she took out a syringe and slowly pushed the medicine into Zhou Yi's left arm.

"It's all done. Try not to move around too much for a while to avoid the stitches coming undone."

Looking down at his bandaged wound, Zhou Yi was about to thank him when a loud shout came from afar:
"What the hell are you trying to do?!"

The next second, gunfire rang out.

"Damn it, it's like a ghost that won't go away."

Muttering a curse under his breath, Zhou Yi jumped up from the sofa: "Do you have any weapons here?"

"A Glock, under the sofa cushion." Valentina's face turned pale. "Damn it, what happened?!"

Zhou Yi pulled out the pistol hidden under the cushion, wedged the sole of his shoe onto the slide of the gun, and with a strong shove, loaded the bullet: "The killer who's been chasing us."

The sounds of impact outside were getting closer.

The enemy is kicking down doors one by one, searching, and will reach this place soon.

"Find a place to hide later, and wait for us to lure the assassin away, understand?"

Valentina took several deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down: "I understand."

Fortunately, their private room was located at the end of the corridor, less than five meters from the emergency exit.

Zhou Yi pressed his ear close to the door panel, carefully discerning the direction of the footsteps.

The noise in the corridor subsided, and the enemies poured into the room.

It's now.

Zhou Yi opened the door, pressed his left shoulder against the door frame, and quickly raised his gun to scan the corridor.

After confirming that no one was around, he quickly moved to the exit.

Pushing open the iron gate, a short man stood outside.

With an assault rifle slung across his chest, he was adjusting his headphones with his back to the three men.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Yi took a step forward, twisted his waist, and rushed forward, grabbing the other person's chin and the back of the neck while simultaneously thrusting his knee into the back of their thigh.

The man's center of gravity was instantly disrupted, his legs went weak, and his body leaned backward.

Before he could utter a sound, Zhou Yi's forearm was already gripping his throat, and he twisted it forcefully.

With a crisp "crack," the throat bone broke.

Blood seeped from his left arm again, staining the bandage red.

Without pausing, Zhou Yi reached out and pulled the rifle off the corpse.

However, the slight noise was picked up by the walkie-talkie hanging on the shoulder strap, alerting the enemy searching inside.

Gunshots rang out suddenly, bullets pierced the iron gate, and sparks flew everywhere.

Valentina lowered her head and screamed, but Gina grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a trash can to hide.

(End of this chapter)