The night in Mogadishu was one of unrest and turmoil. Yet, none of this was known to Su Can and his companions. At that moment, they were enjoying a pleasant evening on the beach in Sagana, sipping red wine, savoring succulent lobster, and basking in the sea breeze.
Huang Guoxing had shared Su Can's words with Old Li, who was now brimming with excitement. "I can hardly believe it! We've barely arrived, and already there's a tentative interest in our business. This is fantastic news! When can I return to China?"
Seeing Old Li's enthusiastic face, Huang Guoxing smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, Troll will visit us tomorrow to discuss the details. Once we've ironed out the specifics, you can begin making plans to head back."
Old Li nodded eagerly. "That works for me!"
Huang Guoxing then approached Liu, the interpreter, saying, "I appreciate your help these past few days. You'll be free to leave tomorrow, and I'll make sure your full pay is settled. Since Sally speaks Chinese, we won't need you any further. I hope you understand."
Liu shrugged. "Getting paid for just two days of work? That's a great deal. Besides, I need to visit my child studying in the UK."
Raising his glass, Huang Guoxing toasted him. "Then I wish you safe travels."
Liu clinked his glass in return. "And I wish you success in your negotiations."
At this point, Su Can joined them, turning to Liu with a serious expression. "When you leave Somalia, which route will you take?"
Liu looked puzzled. "Of course, I'll drive to Mogadishu and take a commercial flight. That's the easiest way. Why? Is there a problem?"
Su Can thought for a moment before replying, "If it's not too much trouble, I suggest you go by sea from Sagana to South Africa, and from there fly to the UK."
Liu frowned in confusion. "Why? That seems overly complicated."
Su Can exchanged a glance with Huang Guoxing, who took the cue and explained further. "It's a bit inconvenient, I agree. But it's for your safety. I can't go into too much detail, but just know that it could save your life."
Liu's face paled. "What have you gotten yourselves into?"
Huang Guoxing placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's better not to ask too many questions. Just trust me. If you leave from Sagana tomorrow, take the ship to South Africa, and then fly to the UK. It might delay your trip by three or four days, but you'll be safe. If you head to Mogadishu... well, I can't guarantee your safety there."
Liu, sensing the gravity in Huang Guoxing's voice, nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I'll follow your advice. I'll take the ship to South Africa and fly from there."
Internally, Huang Guoxing thought, "If it weren't for the fact that we're fellow countrymen, we wouldn't have bothered warning you."
The group spent a little more time relaxing before eventually heading back to their bungalows for the night.
Su Can, accompanied by A Bao and Li Suyan, returned to his room. "This is giving me a headache—why is there only one bed?"
As soon as they entered, Li Suyan, without a second thought, stripped off her swimsuit and darted into the bathroom, humming a carefree tune as she showered.
"Aren't you going to wash up too?" A Bao asked Su Can. "You were in the sea, after all. You can't sleep like that."
"You two go ahead first. I'll shower after."
A Bao, not one for modesty, undressed as easily as Li Suyan and joined her in the bathroom.
Su Can gathered their discarded clothes from the floor and placed them neatly on a chair, sighing, "Looks like I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. I can't share the bed with two young girls, after all."
Sitting on the couch, he flipped on the television, absentmindedly watching late-night programming while his mind wandered.
Before long, the girls had finished showering. "Hurry up and wash, sir. We're done, and we'd like you to smell nice and clean so we can sleep!" Li Suyan, now out of the bathroom, called out as she flopped onto the bed.
"Put some clothes on, will you?" Su Can remarked, catching fleeting glimpses of her as she rolled around on the bed.
"It's hot! I'll put something on later after I cool off a bit."
"Alright, alright. Do as you please. I'll shower now. You two go ahead and sleep; I'll take the couch tonight."
As Su Can stepped into the bathroom, he overheard Li Suyan mumbling, "He's so weird, choosing to sleep on the couch when the bed's so comfortable."
A Bao, drying her hair, mused, "Maybe he's shy. He always seems awkward when he has to sleep next to girls. Back when we lived in the basement, he didn't have much choice—there wasn't enough room. Even after we moved, I noticed he's always tense when we share a bed."
"Fine, let him sleep on the couch if he wants to," Li Suyan replied, getting up to change into her pajamas. A Bao followed suit, and the two settled into bed, back-to-back.
When Su Can emerged from his shower, he found the two girls already asleep. Smiling to himself, he turned off the TV and adjusted the air conditioning to a comfortable temperature before lying down on the couch.
Within moments, he too had fallen into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Su Can was jolted awake by A Bao and Li Suyan shaking him. "Sir, wake up! We're starving!"
Still groggy, Su Can rubbed his eyes. "What time is it? You're up earlier than I am."
"We're up because we're hungry," A Bao replied, pouting.
"Yeah," Li Suyan chimed in. "We barely ate anything yesterday. We had a little lobster at night, but that's not enough!"
Su Can chuckled at their complaints. Seeing the girls looking pale from hunger, he sat up, resigned. "Alright, alright. I'll go talk to the guards and see if we can get some breakfast."
As Su Can dressed and prepared to step outside, he noticed Huang Guoxing jogging along the beach, while Xiao Wen and the Red Queen sat by their hut. There was no sign of Old Li, who was likely still fast asleep.
"Su Can, you're up!" Xiao Wen waved at him from a distance.
"Yeah, the girls woke me up. They're starving, so I'm off to get some food."
"Same here. Red Queen woke me up early, saying she was hungry too. Looks like we're all in the same boat," Xiao Wen laughed.
"Has Liu already left?" Su Can asked.
"Yes, he left early this morning. Why? Did you need him for something?"
Su Can sighed. "I made a mistake letting him go today. Now, none of us can communicate with the guards for breakfast. None of us speak the language."
Xiao Wen smiled. "Don't worry. Sally came by earlier. She guessed that we'd all be starving, so she told me she'd bring food over soon and join us for breakfast."
Relieved, Su Can nodded. "Thank goodness for Sally. Being a fellow ability user, she probably has a healthy appetite too. It saves us the trouble of figuring out how to ask the guards for food."
With breakfast arrangements taken care of, Su Can relaxed, ready to face another day.