Chapter 124: The Dust Settles

I finally finished writing this chapter, but I have no time to check for typos. I am simply exhausted. My stomach started hurting last night, and it has only gotten worse today, so I’ve been writing this chapter in fits and starts since just after one o’clock this afternoon. My stomach still hurts quite a bit, and I don't know if it will be any better tomorrow. If it improves, I will update as usual. If there is no improvement, the update might be a little late, but I will try my best to post two chapters tomorrow. My apologies, brothers!

Regardless, Qiu Fengyu’s goal was achieved. Alyssa still wanted to stay in Los Angeles to develop her career; it was her life goal, and she wouldn’t change it easily. She accepted the twenty thousand dollars from Qiu Fengyu without even asking why he was so generous in funding her.

On the way home, Davis was surprisingly quiet. This struck Qiu Fengyu as strange. After driving for a while, he asked, "Why?"

"Why what?" Davis looked blankly at Qiu Fengyu, as if waking from a daydream.

Qiu Fengyu laughed. "Do you like Lola?"

"Ah—ha—" Davis let out an exaggerated laugh. "How could that be... me liking Lola? Don't be ridiculous, Boss, how is that possible... though, she is quite cute."

Qiu Fengyu didn't press him. The two drove on in silence, though Davis remained lost in thought. By the time the car stopped in front of the noodle shop, it was already late afternoon, and naturally, they couldn't open for business today.

Before getting out of the car, Davis suddenly looked at Qiu Fengyu, scratched the back of his head, and smiled. "Boss, do you have Lola’s phone number? I thought... sometimes, when I'm bored, I could give her a call."

Qiu Fengyu laughed. This guy had denied it so vehemently, yet in the end, he admitted he had a soft spot for her. He nodded and said, "You’ve spent so much time with her and you didn't get her number? That’s a real failure. Also... Davis, you’re a millionaire now. Are you really considering choosing a... chubby girl? I don't mean to be discriminatory, but surely you have better choices, don't you?"

"Maybe so, but tell me, okay?" Davis looked at Qiu Fengyu.

"I don't have their numbers. Alyssa changed her phone, so to get the latest one, I have to wait for her to call me."

"Fine. Remember to help me get Lola’s number," Davis said, sounding a bit dejected.

After seeing off the dejected Davis, Qiu Fengyu went to check the construction progress of his house. He spoke a few words with the manager. The house was basically nearing completion, but it would still take some time for the front and back yards and the swimming pool to be finished.

Returning to the attic above the noodle shop, just as Qiu Fengyu was about to take a nap, Anthony called. This call was bound to come sooner or later.

"Good news or bad news?" Qiu Fengyu answered the phone, skipping the pleasantries and asking directly.

"No bad news." Anthony sounded lighthearted, which meant everything had gone smoothly. "Do you know how much money those bastards in the Russian mob had hidden? Five hundred million dollars... five hundred million in cash. We only just finished counting it all today. Those sons of bitches."

"When did you become so cynical?" Qiu Fengyu mocked him. "What’s the good news?"

"The good news is that as far as this whole case is concerned, you don't exist, understand? You are to act as if this never happened. We have now arrested Kirill Badabov and his accountant, Vasily Antonov. They didn't have time to transfer many of their accounts. So... some big shots in Los Angeles are about to have a very bad time."

"And you’ll get a promotion, right?"

"Maybe. Who’s to say? But I have you to thank for that..."

"If you want to thank me, then cancel our previous terms. We’d be best off being square." Qiu Fengyu seized the opportunity and said with a smile, "I don’t want to be held hostage by you."

"It’s not holding you hostage; it’s a trade. I thank you, and you thank me. You got your share, and I got mine. But a deal is a deal, and it won’t be cancelled just because of this." Anthony was indeed not easily fooled.

Qiu Fengyu sighed helplessly and said, "Fine, you win. Tell me the mission."

"Haven't thought of one yet. Once there's a mission suitable for you, I’ll give you a call." Anthony’s triumphant laughter came from the other end. "Don't be dejected, buddy. I took a huge risk providing you with support and weapons, so... beep, beep, beep..." He had already hung up.

He was a man with character. Qiu Fengyu smiled. The so-called "mission" was merely a tie that kept him connected to Anthony, so he didn't care what the mission was, and Anthony didn't care either.

This matter was now completely resolved, and Qiu Fengyu could sleep soundly. As for the money, he hadn’t yet figured out how to use it. If he were to just stay in this small town, he wouldn't need that much money based on the business of his noodle shop.

He spent the whole afternoon thinking but couldn't come up with a plan for the money. So, he started making dinner. While he was cooking, Tim came over for dinner, having already arranged it with Elizabeth.

Soon after, Davis and Ryoko Yonekura arrived as well, as if by prior agreement. Qiu Fengyu had to add more dishes and spent over an hour working to get dinner ready.

The four of them ate together. It was a typical Chinese dinner, using serving chopsticks. Except for Qiu Fengyu, who ate relatively quickly, the other three were quite refined. Ryoko Yonekura, in particular, acted like a proper lady, picking at her food daintily as if she were a girl from a prominent Chinese family, though her face remained as cold as ever.

"I have some good news," Qiu Fengyu decided to break the silence at the table.

Sure enough, all eyes turned to him. Davis, in particular, looked a bit anxious; even though Qiu Fengyu had said he would handle everything, he was still uneasy until the dust settled, as the amount was simply too large. The four of them combined had ten million in cash.

It would be strange not to be worried. Even Qiu Fengyu had been waiting for Anthony’s call. He knew why these three had all decided to come to his place for dinner—the reason was simple: they wanted a definitive conclusion.

"Everything is settled. You can use the money with peace of mind," Qiu Fengyu looked at the three of them and announced solemnly. "As for how you spend it, there’s no need to report to me. Good luck!" Qiu Fengyu raised his glass. "To our first collaboration!"

"It’s not the first time, Boss, it’s the second!" Tim tried to correct him, but Qiu Fengyu tapped him on the head.

"To dollars..." Davis raised his glass with glee.

"To dollars—" The four clinked their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.

After the meal, Davis and Tim left. Qiu Fengyu called back Ryoko Yonekura, who was also about to leave. "Take your money. My place is a mess as it is; I can't hide anything here. Not until my house is finished."

"Fine!" Ryoko Yonekura shrugged indifferently and followed Qiu Fengyu upstairs. Qiu Fengyu took a large black bag out of the cabinet.

Ryoko Yonekura took it, tossed it onto the floor, and looked at Qiu Fengyu with a strange expression.

"Aren't you leaving?" Qiu Fengyu asked, looking at her.

Ryoko Yonekura hummed and said, "You called me here, wasn't it for that reason? I’m waiting." She began to undress as she spoke.

Qiu Fengyu was stunned for a moment, then pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her hungrily. To be honest, even though he was in America now, finding women wasn't as easy as it had been in Ukraine. After every mission there, he would pick up a woman at a bar for a one-night stand.

But in America, he found it wasn't nearly as convenient. Sometimes he had to just endure it, but now that this woman was making the first move, what was there to worry about?

Both of them had needs, so the activity was quite intense. Fortunately, they were the only two in the noodle shop at the time. After their tryst, Ryoko Yonekura got up as usual.

As she was getting dressed, Qiu Fengyu said to her, "Actually... you could sleep here until morning. There's no need to leave so early."

"Do you want to go for another round?" Ryoko Yonekura gave him a provocative look and then laughed. "Your principles, my principles—we must stick to them. We are just a man and a woman with needs, so... after it’s over, we certainly won't linger. Goodbye, Qiu!"

Ryoko Yonekura picked up the black bag from the floor, leaned over, kissed Qiu Fengyu’s cheek, and trotted downstairs. Qiu Fengyu got up, threw on a pair of shorts, and followed her out.

As Ryoko Yonekura left, she suddenly turned back to look at Qiu Fengyu, who was about to close the door. "Actually... you have a very nice body, which is why I sleep with you." With that, she giggled and turned to leave.

The Japanese girl left without a care, and Qiu Fengyu naturally felt no psychological burden. The relationship he had with her was a bit strange; on one hand, they were partners, and on the other, they were bedfellows. In his previous philosophy of life, he would never have allowed this.

"Don't eat the grass around your own nest," yet here he was, having eaten exactly that. That was why Qiu Fengyu felt it was all a bit strange.

He closed the door, went back to the attic, and sat there in a daze.

The next morning, while Qiu Fengyu was out for a run, he ran into Sheriff Coffin as usual. They nodded to each other in greeting. Strangely, after the greeting, neither of them spoke.

It wasn't until he had finished his run and was heading back that Sheriff Coffin suddenly said, "Ryoko Yonekura left your room last night, around one in the morning..."

Qiu Fengyu was stunned and wanted to ask something, but the Sheriff had already jogged away.

Well, women, they were all troublesome creatures. Qiu Fengyu tried his best not to think about them. He felt he shouldn't let these relationships become complicated.

Still, the days went on, calm and steady, and the house was being built day by day. The manager told Qiu Fengyu that in three more days, he could move in, and urged him to order his furniture soon.