Chapter 125: A Thief Breaks In, A Night Raid

Song Kai waited outside the dean's office. Before long, Xu Ling emerged.

"How did it go?" Song Kai asked.

Xu Ling blinked her eyes. "All set. We pick up the graduation and degree certificates tomorrow, and we’ve booked a flight to leave tomorrow night."

Song Kai looked at her face; she was almost too beautiful when she smiled.

"I think I’ve been electrocuted by you," Song Kai said. "Ouch, my head is spinning... a little dizzy." As he spoke, he leaned toward Xu Ling’s shoulder.

"Stay ten centimeters away, or you’ll be sorry!" Xu Ling placed her hand on Song Kai’s waist, offering a warning.

Song Kai chuckled and took her hand. "Come on, Pipi Xia, let’s go find a girlfriend, have steak and beer, and hold hands..."

"You’re asking for it," Xu Ling said, kicking him and pulling her hand away.

The two walked out of the school. Instead of returning to Professor Winton’s house, they took a taxi straight to the city center of Cambridge to explore. By the time they returned with a large bag of items, it was already dark.

"Xu Ling," Song Kai muttered, "is this really considered a third-tier city? It feels even worse than Tengyun City—the architecture is poor, the population is sparse, the roads are bad; aside from the high cost of living, it’s just a third-tier city."

Xu Ling replied speechlessly, "You think the US is some high-end place? Aside from having the most advanced weaponry, their infrastructure is indeed far behind ours."

Song Kai nodded. It was night by the time they reached Professor Winton’s house. The professor’s wife was preparing a feast, so Xu Ling and Song Kai headed to their bedroom first. Upon entering, Xu Ling suddenly gasped.

"What’s wrong?" Song Kai asked.

Xu Ling frowned. "It seems... someone has been in here." She looked at the bed, then at the window, and added firmly, "Someone was here. Our bed and the luggage have been disturbed."

"Really? Nothing looks moved to me," Song Kai said, wondering how she could tell.

Xu Ling shook her head. "I am certain. The quilt was moved and then deliberately rearranged to look like we had just gotten up. The same goes for the window and the suitcases. Damn it, we’ve been robbed. Go see if you’re missing anything."

Song Kai checked his belongings and shook his head. "Nothing. But why would a thief break in during the day?"

Xu Ling quickly checked her own suitcase; her money and passport were still there. She looked at the window and said, "It’s strange. What could the thief be looking for if they didn't even steal the cash in my bag?"

"Maybe they didn't think it was worth it, haha," Song Kai laughed, though he felt a surge of vigilance. He had witnessed Xu Ling’s keen perception before. When Gu Ying of the Vulture Mercenary Group had disguised herself, Xu Ling had seen through it instantly. This time, Song Kai trusted her judgment completely.

"Dinner is ready!" Professor Winton called from outside.

"Xu Ling, you go ahead," Song Kai said immediately. "I need to use the restroom."

"Alright."

After she left, Song Kai’s expression turned solemn. He hadn’t wanted to worry her, so he had acted relaxed, but he knew the situation was far from easy. A thief had broken in, likely during the day, yet stolen nothing. They had rummaged through everything only to restore it perfectly before leaving. If not for Xu Ling’s natural intuition, he would never have noticed a thing.

Standing by the table, Song Kai pondered before pulling the large key from his pocket. Could they have been looking for this? How had it ended up on him? He quickly recalled the incident with Liao Jie, who had been shot and chased by three men. He had thought it was a gang dispute or a robbery and stepped in to help. Liao Jie had patted his leg in gratitude, but the gesture had been so subtle that Song Kai hadn't realized Liao Jie had slipped the key into his pocket. Was he using him to get the key out?

Liao Jie’s sleight of hand was so professional that he must have been an expert thief. Furthermore, someone had tracked them to their hotel, and he had spotted that same person at the university. Their pursuers had significant resources and had now tracked down their address.

Song Kai took a deep breath. He couldn't afford to be careless. In a place where almost everyone carried a gun, being with Xu Ling put him in a dangerous, passive position. He tucked his passport away and slipped the remaining steel skewers into his pockets. With no guns available, these would have to do.

He walked out of the bedroom. "Song Kai! Why are you so slow? Come look, Mrs. Winton made us so many delicious things," Xu Ling beckoned.

Song Kai looked at the table—steak, roast chicken, bread, potato salad, and red wine. It was a decent meal, though not as lavish as a banquet in a Chinese village. Still, the hospitality was genuine. As he ate, the old woman asked, "Song Kai, my knees always ache. Do you have any way to help?"

Song Kai smiled; so that was why she had prepared such a feast. Professor Winton nudged his wife, muttering, "Don't trouble them, dear. Your knees have arthritis; it can only be managed with medication, as the doctors say. Why are you seeking random remedies?"

"Actually, Mrs. Winton," Song Kai said, "I might be able to treat your knees. To get to the root of it, however, I’d need traditional Chinese medicine or herbal patches. How about this: leave me your address when I leave, and I’ll mail you some patches. Use them for half a month, and you should be fine."

"Really?" The old woman grabbed his hand. "I knew you’d have a way! Did you hear that, old man? Stop blindly trusting those doctors; they think that if they can't cure it, no one can!"

Song Kai laughed. "If your knees hurt now, I can treat you right away. Acupuncture can alleviate the pain for now, but it will still ache when it rains. Only the medicine can cure the root cause."

"Oh, thank you so much! Honestly, it hurts even when I'm cooking." She brought over a few sewing pins, sterilized them, and rolled up her pants.

Winton set down his glass, still skeptical. He could understand the acupuncture for yesterday's allergy as a way to stimulate nerves to stop a cough, but arthritis was a chronic condition. How could needles treat that?

Song Kai straightened the pins and, after disinfecting them, inserted them into the acupoints around her knees. He pushed them quite deep. When Winton saw the five-centimeter pins fully inserted, he shuddered and stood up. "Dear, if you're in pain, just say so... Song Kai, don't be so rough!" he said, clearly worried.

The old woman pushed him back. "Don't interfere with the treatment. The moment the needle went in, it felt so comfortable—like a ball of fire burning in my knee. It’s wonderful."

Winton was speechless. "It doesn't hurt?"

"Not at all, it feels great," she smiled.

Winton was completely stunned. He suddenly felt that he should go to China; staying here made him feel like a frog in a well. After ten minutes, Song Kai removed the needles. "All done. Just try not to touch cold water for a while."

"Thank you, thank you! It feels so much better, oh my goodness!" She stood up and paced back and forth.

Song Kai chuckled and went back to his meal. At that very moment, the front door was kicked open with a bang, and several sturdy men with guns stormed in. Without a second of hesitation, Song Kai flipped the dining table toward the door. Simultaneously, he threw three steel skewers from his hand. Before the men could react, he grabbed Xu Ling and bolted toward the back door.