Chapter 152: April's Home

"I need a car. Have someone drive one right next to the main entrance of the 'Teuscher' chocolate shop in Beverly Hills, leave it there, and have the driver walk away immediately. We will be there shortly." Qiu Yufei dialed Ruth's number. "I don't have time to explain why right now, but April's condition is not good."

"Okay, I'll send someone right over. I know that place... No, I'll come myself!" Ruth sounded rather anxious. She had just returned home from the press conference, and today had been utterly terrible. At the press conference, the company, the film crew, and she as the lead actress had all issued statements expressing their condolences to those injured in the stampede, and they had also allocated funds to compensate the victims.

"You're coming over?" Qiu Yufei chuckled. "Don't be foolish. You're the focus of all the news media today, so you shouldn't come, and don't drive your car either. We'll go straight to April's house. Stay home, don't go anywhere, and wait for my call."

Ruth thought about it and realized he was right. She was already the center of attention for the media. If she went out and was seen, especially if she was photographed with Qiu Yufei, there was no telling what kind of reports would surface. So she called her manager and had her drive out instead.

In fact, what she did was correct. As she was making the call, she vaguely saw figures moving around the front gate of her villa. Clearly, the paparazzi wanted to dig up some news at the very first opportunity. They didn't care whether the story was good or bad, as long as it was eye-catching.

Ruth's manager, Natalie Sawyer, was a woman in her thirties of Russian descent. With chestnut hair and a tall, slender figure, she was said to have been a professional model before changing careers. But as she grew older, she had to consider a career change, so she obtained her manager's license and joined Los Angeles's most prestigious talent agency, specializing in representing stars. She happened to be one of the more outstanding ones.

She had become Ruth's manager partly because she treated Ruth with genuine sincerity, allowing the two of them to get along exceptionally well. And this time, she had executed Ruth's request without a moment's hesitation.

She drove a station wagon and parked it just a short distance away from the "Teuscher" chocolate specialty store. Soon, a young man walked over, looked at Sawyer in the driver's seat, and asked, "Ruth's manager?"

"Yes, that's me. Are you the person Ruth mentioned? You don't quite look like it!" Natalie looked at the young man and frowned. "You don't have a Chinese face. Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's me. I'm the person you're waiting for!" Qiu Yufei stepped around from the other side of the car. "Your vigilance is not bad. This is Ruth's passcode—only her friends know this, right?" Qiu Yufei recited Ruth's private number to Natasha.

"Yes, Chinese? Get in the car." Natasha was now completely convinced. He was Chinese and could recite Ruth's number, so she believed him and nodded. "The car is yours now. Do you know where Ms. April Savannah lives? If not, I can lead the way."

Just then, Ryoko Yonekura and Davis helped April out from the roadside flowerbeds. Qiu Yufei looked at April, who was still dazed and confused, shrugged, and said, "I thought I knew. But now it seems... you'll have to lead us. She probably... doesn't even remember where she lives right now."

"Oh my god, what... what happened?" Natasha couldn't help exclaiming. "How did it end up like this? What did she go through? How could this happen?" She looked somewhat flustered.

"Can you let us get in the car first before we talk?" Qiu Yufei looked around; people were already starting to glance in their direction.

"Of course, get in quickly!" Natasha unlocked the car doors. Qiu Yufei got in first, then took April from the other two, lifted her into the car, and placed her on the seat. April let out a painful groan.

Ryoko Yonekura, Davis, and Tim quickly climbed into the car and closed the doors. Qiu Yufei patted Natasha on the driver's seat and said, "Let's go. We can't linger on the street for too long. We need to treat her wounds as soon as possible."

Natasha didn't say anything more. Her professional composure allowed her to calm down quickly. She started the car, glanced back over her shoulder, and asked, "Don't we need to go to the hospital? She looks badly hurt."

"No need, they're all superficial wounds. If she has a standard first-aid kit at home, that should be fine. I'm quite skilled at handling this," Qiu Yufei said as the car began to move. "Besides... can she go to the hospital in her current state? She's Ruth's good friend. Do you think her going to the hospital would attract media attention?"

"Alright, you're right." Natasha thought about it and decided Qiu Yufei made sense. Under the current circumstances, it was best if nothing happened to Ruth; otherwise, bad reports would inevitably hound her. That would deal a significant blow to her reputation and, in turn, affect the box office earnings of her new film.

Natasha skillfully drove through the streets; it was evident she was quite familiar with April as well. In just half an hour, they arrived at April's home—a quiet villa near the outskirts of Los Angeles. The villa wasn't very large, but the surroundings were exceptionally pleasant, located in a quiet residential area.

The distance between the villas was generous, with roads winding in front and behind, sheltered by groves of trees. The lawns surrounding the villa were spacious, enclosed by white fences. There was a large tree on the front lawn of April's villa, and three more in the backyard, complete with fixed marble tables and stone benches beneath them.

It was a very comfortable environment. The car pulled directly into the garage attached to the villa. The doors opened, and Qiu Yufei carried April out while Natasha walked over to the porch, reaching beneath a large potted bonsai tree to retrieve a key. It seemed Natasha and April had a very good relationship.

Unlocking the front door, they were greeted by a spacious living room. Qiu Yufei didn't waste time looking around or admiring anything; he strode over and placed April gently on the living room sofa. Tim, Davis, and Ryoko Yonekura hurried inside behind them. Tim was carrying a briefcase containing Ryoko Yonekura's SVD sniper rifle.

"Bring me a basin of water and a towel!" Qiu Yufei said to Natasha. "Also some alcohol and disinfectant cotton, and ideally some anti-inflammatory powder. If you don't have that, aspirin will do."

"Okay, I'll get right on it..." Natasha said hurriedly.

Meanwhile, Tim turned on the large-screen LCD TV in the living room and tuned into the news channel. Many television stations and reporters had already surrounded the grand theater. A police spokesperson appeared on the screen—a capable-looking, sharp Black woman in her forties who served as the director of the public relations office.

"...We have subdued the criminals without causing any casualties. As for which terrorist organization is responsible behind the scenes, there is no news yet. We will immediately interrogate the perpetrators of the explosion, and as soon as there are new developments, we will provide further press updates. Right now, what we need to do is stabilize social order and calm the public. Everything will return to normal, so please travel with peace of mind—there is no need to change your plans because of this... Alright, today's press conference concludes here."

Naturally, the media was not satisfied with such official rhetoric. As soon as the press conference ended, numerous microphones and camera lenses were thrust forward, and reporters began firing rapid questions at her. The broadcast switched back to the news anchor desk, where the host and three experts were chatting animatedly.

"We have reason to doubt what the spokesperson said. This is classic official speak. Middle Eastern terrorists are now capable of carrying out suicide bombings right here on American soil. Although it failed, we now have reason to suspect... that the current US President bears unshirkable responsibility. He has continuously slashed anti-terrorism funding while persistently increasing budgets for patrols and confrontations in the South China Sea..."

"Actually, there's no need for us to provoke China, because it doesn't do us any good either. Both sides will suffer losses. After all, they are also a nuclear-armed power and won't easily compromise with anyone, especially given their immense economic strength... Wasting the budget on things that aren't cost-effective while cutting anti-terrorism funds for the greatest threat America currently faces—I think... in the next election, I certainly won't be voting for him..."

"I like this guy!" Tim watched the television, turned his head, and smiled at Qiu Yufei.

"Experts just talk nonsense. I never believe a word they say. Kid, you're too young!" Davis said with a trace of disdain toward Tim.

"Shut up, stop talking about useless things. What do we do now?" Ryoko Yonekura said to Qiu Yufei, who was busy cleaning April's wounds and applying anti-inflammatory powder. "Stay here and wait for this chick to wake up?"

"If you're in a hurry, you can leave first," Qiu Yufei replied without raising his head.

Ryoko Yonekura didn't dare say another word. She was somewhat intimidated by Qiu Yufei's icy attitude. Davis chuckled as he looked at her; seeing Ryoko Yonekura get rebuffed in front of Qiu Yufei made him quite happy, especially since his leverage had been seized by her—he had never liked this woman much anyway.

"Come over and help!" Qiu Yufei said to Ryoko Yonekura. "Help me lift her head so I can bandage her wounds."

"Uh... alright, coming right now!" Though Qiu Yufei's voice was a bit cold, Ryoko Yonekura let out an unexpected sigh of relief and hurried over to assist him.