Lin Leyan returned to her organization’s room. After entering, she saw Winston sitting on the sofa with a laptop in his hand.
Sensing someone coming in, Winston raised his head and looked at Lin Leyan. At that moment, the lights in the living room were not turned on and the only source of illumination was the laptop’s light, which shone on Winston’s face. There was a complicated look on his face.
Lin Leyan appeared somewhat embarrassed. She did not turn on the lights; instead, she walked over and glanced at Winston before turning her gaze away. “It’s already so late. Why haven’t you turned in?”
Winston shook his head and asked, “You went to look for him?”
Lin Leyan thought about it and nodded her head. “I just… went to stop him from doing something stupid.”
Winston sighed. This youngster from Australia closed the laptop and stood up before heading to his bedroom. He said softly, “Rest early.”
The living room was rather messy. Looking at the computer on the desk, Lin Leyan felt her heart in a state of chaos.
Their lodging was a large suite and its four bedrooms were filled with beds. In order to save money, several people needed to sleep in the same room. The two women who were to sleep together in the same room as Lin Leyan had already fallen asleep. Lin Leyan silently crept into the bedroom. Despite the disarray in her emotions, she covered herself and lay on the bed. However, her pair of eyes was staring at the ceiling in a dazed manner…
She recalled the events that happened yesterday evening when she had kissed Chen Xiaolian before the entrance of the hotel.
“All right then, it’s settled. I have no feelings for you.”
Back then, she had walked away casually while Chen Xiaolian’s face was filled with shock and awkwardness.
At that moment, the being that could kill others without blinking was simply so naïve that he appeared cute.
He truly was just a teenage boy.
Teenage boys could never understand women.
If a woman wanted to determine if they have any feelings for someone, would there be a need to kiss?
Only… only when faced with someone they have feelings for would they kiss…
…
Chen Xiaolian had a very good night’s sleep.
After escorting Lin Leyan out of his room, he used the guild channel to communicate with Roddy for a bit. After relaying his progress to Roddy, he went to sleep.
He slept until dawn arrived. Then, he woke up and washed up before heading out.
The moment he stepped into the lobby, he saw the restaurant’s manager standing there.
When the African manager saw Chen Xiaolian, an odd look overcame his face. It seemed to be a look of sympathy, yet there was also hints of delight at someone else’s misfortune.
Chen Xiaolian was quick to catch on… it would appear that after the Caucasian woman left, she must have spread the news about him being ‘caught red-handed by his wife’.
Not that he cared about such gossips. At any rate, the people here do not know him. Also, this would actually give him a reasonable excuse.
Otherwise, for a man to bring a woman into his room only to do nothing to her would inevitably arouse suspicions.
As for how he would complete his task, Chen Xiaolian had already made a plan.
To openly attack his way into Zayad’s presidential palace… toward this plan, Chen Xiaolian had smiled. Who the Hell would be so stupid?
How big was the presidential palace? It was likely not too small. To find Zayad alone within the presidential palace … that would not be an easy task. Even if he did kill his way in, what if Zayad escaped? Then, finding him once more would be very difficult.
Zayad do have a group of heavily armed guards after all.
Chen Xiaolian patiently waited inside the hotel for the whole day. He did not head out as well. After having his meal, he headed back into his room and rested himself.
In the evening, it came.
Chen Xiaolian who was inside the room received a phone call from the restaurant’s waiter.
The African minister had invited him to dinner together and had sent a car. It was waiting for him at the hotel entrance.
Chen Xiaolian readily agreed. He then dug out a suit from his Storage Watch and wore it. He added a bowtie to his apparel, giving himself a very serious atmosphere. Then, he opened the door and walked down the stairs.
When Chen Xiaolian reached the lobby, he saw the hotel manager standing beside the elevator. He obsequiously led Chen Xiaolian out of the hotel and through the courtyard to the gate.
There outside the gate was a white car. The car was not some high-brand car, it was Toyota.
Before coming to Africa, Chen Xiaolian had read up on some of the situation in Africa. He knew that the two best car brands in Africa were Volkswagen and Toyota.
This car did not appear too old and instead, seemed fairly new. It was also very clean. Chen Xiaolian walked to the side of the car and saw the window rolling down, revealing the African minister sitting in the back row. He waved his hand in a stylish manner and said, “Get on the car.”
Chen Xiaolian noted that this fellow… he was actually wearing a military uniform!
The military uniform of Kombia was very strange. It was not exactly yellow and not exactly black. The ribbons were made to be big, thick and fancy.
It looked like the military uniforms worn by brain dead military officers seen in movies and dramas.
Chen Xiaolian resisted the urge to pull a face and sat inside the car beside the African minister.
The driver was a gaunt African. He waited for Chen Xiaolian to be seated properly before starting up the car.
“You have quite the good luck, my friend.” The African minister turned his head and looked at Chen Xiaolian in a rather mysterious way before saying that.
…
The minister used the next few minutes to summarize what was happening and Chen Xiaolian quickly understood.
The US dollars he gave to this African minister had proven useful and he had worked hard at it.
Originally, he had planned to make a recommendation for a meeting with Zayad for Chen Xiaolian. This was something that required time and the proper opportunity… Zayad was the President of a country after all, not someone that could be met at any time.
However, something had happened today, leading to an unexpected opportunity.
Before this, the military actions taken against the rebel army had encountered some setbacks, causing Zayad to feel somewhat furious.
However, in order to stabilize the situation in Kabuka, this dictator had announced to everyone that his army had won a great victory – a glorious victory.
In order to celebrate this ‘victory’, Zayad had made a swift decision to hold a banquet in the presidential palace tonight. All the rich and influential people in Kabuka were invited.
In other places, could a country-level activity be organized so easily?
However, this was Kombia, a barren country. Although Kabuka was supposed to be a city, its scale was similar to a poor county in Western China. Yet, this was their best city.
Such a banquet would definitely not be a small one. However, it was not exactly grand either.
During the afternoon, the Minister of the Interior had led a team of soldiers from the defence forces to find all the rich and influential people in Kabuka city and handed them the invitation.
“Truth is, His Excellency, the President is fund-raising… going to war requires money.” The African minister snickered.
Chen Xiaolian nodded his head.
“You are in for an eye-opening experience tonight,” said the minister as he revealed a profound smile.
“What?”
“It’s very simple. This is Kombia, a place without banks. Things like cheques are of no use here. At present… what we use is cash, or hard currency like US dollars, gold… well anything.”
“… … …” Chen Xiaolian was stunned.
The car moved past the east side of the city and they soon arrived at the southeast side where the presidential palace was at.
When they arrived at the presidential palace, Chen Xiaolian who had yet to step out of the car looked out the window of the car at the main building of the presidential palace and was unable to stop himself from sighing.
This Zayad sure knew how to mess around.
What stood before him was…
The White House!
…
This dictator of a small African country had built everything in accordance with America’s White House!
The thing that had caused Chen Xiaolian the most shock was the thing opposite of the knock-off version of the White House. Zayad had built another ‘Lincoln Memorial Hall’!
Only, the one inside the memorial hall was not Lincoln’s statue.
It was… Zayad himself!
When he got off the car, Chen Xiaolian could see the memorial hall located opposite the street. Zayad’s statue was set in a grin facing the street…
If your face’s aesthetics is so low, don’t use it for the statue, man…
Chen Xiaolian muttered to himself.
This knock-off version of the White House was likely the cleanest place in all of Kabuka City.
The lawn outside the presidential palace was very wide and was very well kept. A row of spotlights shone out from beneath the pillars situated before the ‘White House’.
There was a prideful look on the African minister’s face who patted Chen Xiaolian’s shoulder and said, “How is it? This place is not bad, right? His Excellency, the President had spent a great deal of money to invite over an American architectural firm and had them build this to look completely like the White House. It’s not just the exterior that is the same, even the layout inside, the architecture, the rooms, corridors, stairs are all the same.”
Chen Xiaolian smiled.
This was not that hard to accomplish.
The White House in America was not exactly a tightly guarded place. Part of it would be open to visitors most of the time.
However, Zayad’s thoughts were quite amusing… for this little head of a small country to do something like this, it was clear that he was very envious of the President of the United States of America…
Unfortunately for him, although the both of them had the title of President, the difference was simply too…
The African minister was quite helpful, or rather, it would be more accurate to say that this was the help bought by the US dollars that Chen Xiaolian had given him.
The minister led Chen Xiaolian through the door of the presidential palace.
Chen Xiaolian noted that a checkpoint had been set up outside the presidential palace and heavily armed soldiers were posted there.
Cars arrived at the presidential palace in succession and they were all parked beside the lawn of the courtyard.
Chen Xiaolian followed the minister inside and saw that the hall had already been filled with various other Africans. Tall, short, fat, fit, men and women of all ages. Some wore suits and ties while some were dressed like tribal leaders.
Chen Xiaolian observed that most of them sported a grim expression. Although a military band was playing music in a corner, there was no smile on the faces of most of the guests there.
This was not that hard to understand – all of them had been forced to attend and donate money tonight. It was hard to imagine anyone being happy in face of such an event.
On the wall of the hall was a large oil painting of Zayad.
The minister proudly showed the painting to Chen Xiaolian and told him how this painting had cost an arm and a leg. An extremely famous artist in Europe had been invited to personally paint it.
The artist’s works had once been sold for millions of dollars in the auction house.
Well, Chen Xiaolian finally understood the reason why this country would be forced to such a situation.
After entering the hall, the African minister showed an arrogant look and had his head held high among the crowd. Chen Xiaolian who followed beside him felt like an attendant.
Still, Chen Xiaolian noticed that the incoming gazes by those around them were mostly frosty.
While it would appear that this African minister was favoured by Zayad, it also seemed as though these people were not too pleased with him.
To be more precise, it was likely an expression of how unpopular Zayad’s rule was.
The guests in the banquet were all very well-dressed.
Meanwhile, there were heavily armed guards outside.
This atmosphere gave Chen Xiaolian a strange feeling.
Everyone was chatting in hushed tones. Occasionally, waiters in suits would walk by, carrying red wine and champagne or some other refreshments on the trays they were carrying.
Chen Xiaolian casually picked up a cup of champagne and sipped it. Then, he was unable to stop himself from sighing.
Perrier-Jouet.
It was quite a good champagne.
However, to buy this thing in Kombia, the price would likely be absurdly high.
“The events for tonight would probably go like this,” said the African minister who led Chen Xiaolian into the front most corner of the hall. He looked Chen Xiaolian in the eye before continuing coolly, “It is now 7.15 pm. 15 minutes later, His Excellency, the President will arrive to give his speech. Then, he would give commendation to the one who had rendered the most meritorious service in the battle …”
Chen Xiaolian could not help but waggle his eyebrows when he heard that.
Commendation for meritorious service?
They lost the battle, dude.
“… after the commendation comes the fund-raising event. Don’t you want an opportunity to meet His Excellency, the President? This is your chance. Generally, after the fund-raising is over, His Excellency, the President would invite several of the individuals that donated the most to discuss matters with him in his office. So… if you want to personally meet His Excellency, the President, that would depend on your performance.”
Chen Xiaolian stared at the minister’s large nose and held back the desire to throw a punch forward to flatten this bastard’s nose.
This bastard!