55 RIPPLES OF EMOTIONS (2/2)

Unfortunately, before the man could answer, the phone call was disconnected.

Hu Lei did not panic or try to call back. After all, there was no number to dial. She understood that most places that her father travelled to did not have the best telecommunications infrastructure. In addition, panicking would not help her in any way.

She walked to the closet and took out a pair of old ordinary jeans that she had not donned since she had come back. She wore the form-fitting pants and a simple long-sleeved top. She also found her old leather jacket and a pair of black boots that she had hidden in her closet as a memento of her old life. She put these on to complete her outfit.

With the change in clothes, her personality also seemed to become different. There was no lingering smile or facial softness indicating that she had ever laughed or frowned. Her face had become like a block of ice. Her eyes no longer held ripples of emotions. It was almost as if she no longer had the presence of a human.

She opened an innocuous drawer in her closet and revealed a spacious safe. She keyed in series of numbers and it opened, revealing a collection of strange items. There were a number of passports in a range of colours along with several stacks of notes in different currencies. The most surprising items were the butterfly daggers, darts and caltrops among other small weapons.

Deep within, Hu Lei felt bitterness as she looked at the items though her emotionless face did not change. She had only kept these items because she had been thinking of defending herself or escaping if her dark past did come knocking. With the way she handled things, she had felt that the likelihood of this happening was low. These items were insurance. Who knew that she would be forced to dig these out before half a year was over?

Without hesitation, she placed the collection in the hidden compartments of a simple backpack. She would have preferred to leave some of these things in the safe, but she would not take such a risk. Burning or dumping these valuable resources would be better than leaving evidence if anything happened. In the main opening of the bag, she threw in clothes.

She slung her bag over her shoulder casually once she was satisfied that anything suspicious was properly concealed. Next, she checked the room with sharp eyes and ensured that everything was normal. If she did not come back in the expected time, it would not do if she was reported missing.

In truth, she expected to be back within the week. However, there was nothing certain. If there was an accident, she did not want undue attention. Always be prepared for the worst. This was a lesson which had been deeply ingrained in her. Ideally, people should assume that she just left the country naturally once again.

Finally she faced the item that she had been avoiding: her phone. Discarding it meant that she would have no contact with Zhong Feng. This person had become an indelible part of her life. She wondered if she should send him a short message before destroying the phone.

Her eyes which had begun to show ripples became calm again. If the worst happened, where would that leave him? Even if she did not know his complete thoughts of her, she felt that there was a connection. When she came back, she would explain everything. There was no need to alarm him.

Without further ado, she dismantled her phone as she walked to the kitchen. She destroyed the card and dropped the rest in water before placing it in an old ramen packet. She would find a public dumpster dispose of it on the road. These actions were not really necessary, but she had her reasons.

Finally, she locked the house and placed the keys in a flowerpot outside the door.

With measured steps, she went to the shed at the back of the house. With smooth movements, she revealed a powerful motorcycle which she had covered in a protective sheet since acquisition. It was a beautiful machine, but it was not very useful in Supreme because she liked her beautiful dresses. Now, she did not have time to think about fashion.

The undeniable power in her compact little body was displayed as she manually pushed it from the shed to the road without a sign of strain. This was also part of avoiding unnecessary attention. Once she was far enough, she put on her helmet and rode off into the night.