In a hotel near the Chinese embassy in Khartoum...
Joja had been staying there for a week, waiting for the embassy staff to respond to the information he brought back from South Sudan, including the video of Irene. He wasn't familiar with the composition of the embassy personnel, but he naturally trusted those in uniform.
He packed everything into a manila envelope and had Carman spend a few bucks to find a local kid passing through Khartoum to deliver it to the Chinese guard at the embassy. Joja knew his method was hasty, but he didn't have many options. The espionage tactics seen in movies or TV series didn't apply here because there were too few Chinese people. If he showed up or acted suspiciously, it could backfire.
Joja stayed at the hotel mainly to observe the situation, wanting to know if the information he sent to the embassy was taken seriously. Luckily, on the third day, he received a text message from the embassy on his personal phone, containing several tips for Chinese nationals in Sudan. Although the message was vague, Joja knew that the information had been taken seriously. The embassy needed time to verify the information before making specific arrangements. You can't just evacuate the north because of an issue in the south. Every day those construction sites are shut down costs money, and even the biggest companies can't afford that.
Joja stayed four more days, but as a novice, he had no other intelligence channels. He could only stay there and observe, hoping to catch sight of any special personnel entering or exiting, allowing him to mentally prepare for any possible investigation.
On the seventh day, the embassy was still operating as usual, though the ambassador's outings had increased. Local news suddenly started reporting various meetings and banquets. Joja had never paid attention to the news before, but now, knowing the secret, he could pick up on the nuances in the reports.
Strengthening trade cooperation, security project cooperation, investment project security, military construction, and ties with friendly nations—these reports made the Sudanese government seem particularly enthusiastic.
Joja also noticed that the hotel staff's attitude towards him had improved over the past few days. But after seven days, he couldn't stay any longer. He was tired of staring at the embassy's gates, and the hotel's food didn't suit his taste. He decided it was time to check out, pack up at the villa, and head back to Madingin for a few days of comfort.
It was amusing that Joja's first trip to the savannah primarily involved killing. Now, he was thinking of taking some time to actually see the savannah, check out the lions and elephants, take some photos to show off to his brother Qiao Liang, and tell him seriously that his brother wasn't just a laborer, but a legitimate entrepreneur, and a pretty well-off one at that. He wanted to tell Qiao Liang not to be stingy with the living expenses he sent.
At 8 PM, around dinner time, Joja came out of his room with a travel bag and pressed the elevator button to go downstairs. As he entered the elevator, he saw a fair-skinned, mixed-race female service attendant wearing a headscarf, pushing a small cart toward the elevator. Joja held the elevator door open for her.
The service attendant's expression was somewhat indifferent, but she politely thanked him and pressed the button for the second floor, standing quietly against the elevator wall with a formal smile, without saying another word.
When the elevator stopped on the second floor, the service attendant smiled and said goodbye, pushing the cart out. However, there was a small bump between the elevator and the second floor, and as she pushed the cart, some soaps, shampoos, and tea bags spilled onto the floor.
A supervisor in a black suit, who hadn't noticed Joja due to the angle, came rushing over, shouting angrily. He roughly shoved the service attendant's shoulder and was about to say something even harsher when he saw Joja crouching down to help pick up the scattered items.
The black-suited supervisor hesitated, his expression turning awkward as he apologized to Joja, repeatedly emphasizing that he would punish the service attendant.
Joja didn't understand the logic behind punishing her. Having climbed up from the bottom himself, he naturally sided with the service attendant. Seeing her emotionlessly continue her work with a numb expression, Joja hesitated but chose not to confront the situation directly. Instead, he stood up and said, "I accidentally bumped into her; I should be the one apologizing. If any compensation is needed, I'll settle it when I check out."
The black-suited supervisor quickly waved his hands, saying, "No, no, you are a valued guest of our hotel. We will handle these matters ourselves."
Joja glanced at the service attendant, still busy picking up the scattered items. He hesitated but finally just nodded, saying, "Alright, then. But your service attendant was very polite and made a good impression on me. It was more the elevator's fault just now, so there's no need to punish a good employee."
"Understood, understood. We apologize for any inconvenience caused!"
The black-suited supervisor hurriedly pulled the cart and the service attendant out of the elevator, smiling at Joja until the elevator doors closed.
Joja didn't dwell on the incident; workers getting bullied was all too common. Anyone who has climbed up without family or friends to help will have had their share of bitter tears, especially women in Sudan, a country under Islamic rule.
After leaving the elevator, Joja checked out at the front desk. As he was waiting at the entrance for Carman to pick him up, a yellow-green bus suddenly stopped at the hotel's entrance, completely blocking the exit.
Joja stepped aside, intending to wait a few minutes, when a few hotel security guards approached to signal the bus to move. But then, something unbelievable happened...
"Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat!"
A few black men in dirty, unrecognizable desert camouflage uniforms jumped off the bus, firing AK-47s at the hotel security guards.
Joja wasn't afraid of guns, but this was the first time he had encountered such a situation in the heart of a nation's capital.
He froze for about a second, and as the people in the hotel lobby screamed and dropped to the floor, he sprinted along the wall towards the elevators, where there was a corridor that led to the hotel's back door.
Joja had no idea what was going on, but if he got trapped in the hotel, things would get ugly.