"Boss, everything's taken care of."
As Jiang Hai stepped out of the police station, Moses Adams was the first to greet him with a smile. Jiang Hai smiled back, but when he saw his battered car—his personal war shield—he couldn't help but give a bitter laugh. The car had done its job, twice now.
Not just with the deer incident—this time, too, it had shielded him in the nick of time. Without it, he might not have made it out alive.
So, even though the vehicle was now in a miserable state, Jiang Hai was sincerely grateful.
"This car will have to be left in Boston for now. After the authorities finish collecting evidence, get it repaired for me," Jiang Hai said helplessly, glancing at Moses.
"Of course. No problem," Moses replied with a grin. Of course, the repair bill would end up with Jiang Hai. This wasn't a cheap car, and repairs weren't cheap either...
"Phew... I didn't sleep a wink last night. All I want now is to go home and crash," Jiang Hai said, stretching with a weary sigh.
It had been a chaotic day. After the battle the previous night, the police arrived and split into two teams—one to pursue the suspects. But Jiang Hai had no hope for that. The Appalachian Mountains were vast. With those mercenaries diving into the wilderness, the odds of finding them were slim.
The other team had flown Jiang Hai and his wrecked vehicle back to Boston via helicopter. Some members of the tribe came along as witnesses to give their statements. The footage on Jiang Hai's phone was also copied—key evidence for identifying the attackers.
The investigation would rely heavily on that footage and the two recovered bodies.
Once they learned who Jiang Hai was, the police treated him with more respect. His handcuffs were removed immediately, and he was provided food and drink during the trip back to Boston. Jiang Hai didn't hold a grudge—even though he'd been pinned to the ground earlier. That kind of rough treatment was a standard "greeting" from American police. Sure, he could sue them, but this was his home turf, and there was no need to escalate the situation.
So Jiang Hai chose to forgive them, which the officers deeply appreciated.
In their eyes, a rich man who didn't sue them was practically a saint. They were more than willing to eat a little humble pie in return. The precinct was busy through the night, and by morning, Moses Adams had finally wrapped up the paperwork and picked him up.
Just as Jiang Hai was chatting with Moses, a Tesla SUV pulled up. The window rolled down to reveal Azalina's beautiful face. Seeing her, Jiang Hai smiled, waved at Moses to handle the rest, and quickly got into the front seat. Once he settled in, Azalina started the engine and drove off.
"That was dangerous," Azalina said coldly as the car pulled onto the road.
Jiang Hai could hear the resentment in her voice. Understandable—after all, she and her sisters were his bodyguards. This sort of thing happening without them being present was a serious dereliction of duty, and it clearly weighed on her.
"Oh, it's fine... It was a fluke. I really couldn't bring you along this time," Jiang Hai replied apologetically.
Azalina rolled her eyes. "When we're not around, don't cause trouble. Your safety is our priority."
Her words made Jiang Hai smile wryly. Was this even his fault? Wasn't he just dragged into this by coincidence?
"By the way, do you know who those attackers were? I asked the police, but they just smiled and stayed quiet. What's going on?" Jiang Hai asked, puzzled.
"Of course they didn't tell you. Those people aren't ordinary. They're keeping it under wraps to protect you. But with us here, it's not really necessary. Judging by the video you took and the photos of the bodies, I'd say the mercs were from Sparks."
Before his phone was confiscated, Jiang Hai had made sure to send Azalina a copy of the video and photos. That decision had paid off—she knew how to read signs. After years in the field, she had a good eye.
"Sparks? Never heard of them. What, are they related to Spartacus?" Jiang Hai chuckled.
Spartacus—now that was an American show. Let's just say it only aired after midnight, and kids were strictly forbidden from watching. The storyline was, well... colorful. A heavy blend of red and yellow. It had been one of Jiang Hai's favorite series for a while—though definitely not something you'd watch while eating.
"It has nothing to do with your shows." Azalina shook her head. "Sparks is a mercenary group founded during World War II by Polish soldiers whose forces weren't recognized after their defeat. They set up shop in North America. After the war, they worked with the U.S. military in various covert operations. But the U.S. imposed strict limits on them—no heavy weapons. Still, their individual combat skills are top-tier. Their total strength? About a thousand."
Jiang Hai's eyebrows rose. A thousand? He'd only faced maybe a hundred—barely made it out alive—and now there were ten times that?
"If they came for my estate with their full force, that would be the end of it..." he muttered.
"Relax," Azalina said, sensing his worry. "They wouldn't dare operate on a large scale inside the U.S. This group was small. They're not street thugs—they're already on the U.S. radar. And since they attacked a Native tribe, they're as good as banned now."
Jiang Hai exhaled. "Okay... that's better. A thousand's still a scary number, though."
"Don't forget," Azalina said with a smirk, "you didn't buy us sisters just for decoration. We'll protect you."
"Alright... What about that white guy? You know him?" Jiang Hai asked.
Knowing your enemy was half the battle. He had a sense of the mercs, but what about that white man?
"If I'm right, that was Lynch Water," Azalina said with a disdainful look. "British. Calls himself an explorer, but he's really just a tomb raider."
She explained that Lynch Water had once been a respected historian—a Cambridge PhD. He had deep knowledge of world history. At thirty-one, he led his first expedition and uncovered the tomb of a European noble. Though criticized, he profited massively from the artifacts—some surrendered, most sold.
The money and fame hooked him.
He began traveling the world, posing as a legitimate explorer but digging up historical sites for profit. Publicly, he kept a low profile. But among the wealthy and in the underworld, he was infamous. Wealthy backers gave him funding and cover, in exchange for a share of the treasure—and protection.
Azalina estimated that Sparks charged $3 million to deploy a squad, with $200,000 paid per dead operative. Jiang Hai had killed over twenty. That meant someone had just burned through tens of millions.
To a European or American adventurer, ten million was not small change.
But Jiang Hai didn't care. He wasn't after their money.
"There are tomb raiders abroad too, huh?" Jiang Hai mused.
In China, tomb-raiding was almost a literary genre on its own. Novels, movies, even video games revolved around it.
"Of course. You've seen the movies, right? National Treasure, Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones, The Mummy... They're all about tomb robbing," Azalina said with a shrug.
Jiang Hai thought for a moment. Yeah, that checked out.
"Still... what's in that tribe that's worth all this?" Jiang Hai asked, waving his hand. The target still baffled him.
"Forget about that. Just be a good rich guy, will you? Honestly, I need to get things done with you soon. With how reckless you are, I wouldn't even have a body to bury if something happened," Azalina grumbled.
Jiang Hai laughed. Though he and Azalina were already involved, they hadn't really... sealed the deal. Maybe it was time to change that.
The car cruised along until they reached Jiang Hai's estate in Winthrop.
As soon as he stepped out, Qi Jie, Qi Ya, Feng Yunchen, Ai Xiaoxi, and the others rushed up to him. Word had already spread that he'd gotten into trouble—again. Most of the women checked him over for injuries, while a few scolded him. After all, he was a married man. How could he be so reckless?
Their concern warmed Jiang Hai's heart. It meant they truly cared.
That night was filled with teasing, laughter, and warmth. Though he hadn't slept the night before, his enhanced body didn't show any fatigue. And after almost twenty days away, Feng Yunchen, Ai Xiaoxi, Qi Jie, and Qi Ya were feeling his absence—eager to make up for lost time.
That night, Jiang Hai's bedroom was full of passion and energy.
By the time they fell asleep, it was already deep into the night.
The next morning, Jiang Hai woke up to find Qi Ya had already made breakfast. After a hearty meal, he began his usual rounds around the estate.
He had been gone for nearly a month. It was time to see what had changed—and discuss the estate's future with Dulles Gerard, Robbins Garcia, and Edward Anderson.
(To be continued.)