Bill saw Echo smiling and shook his head with a laugh. “Alright, you’re the lucky charm for the Boss and us. Alright, I’ll have someone take you downstairs to rest.”
Echo knew that if it weren’t for Ryan’s orders, Bill and the others wouldn’t have dared make that call. Feeling quite pleased, she said, “I haven’t eaten yet-no breakfast, no lunch, and no dinner.”
Bill rolled his eyes. “So, are you saying Mr. Adolph didn’t feed you?” When he saw her grinning, he waved to someone and said, “We had food ready for you. You only care about food! I don’t know how the Boss thinks you’re special.”
Echo glanced at Ryan, who was still frowning in the hall. She decided to let today’s events go; it was her own mistake. Ryan and Bill were right: being cautious was key. Good luck might run out someday, but real skills and being careful were her biggest assets.
After a satisfying meal, Echo felt all her fatigue vanish. She was wide awake, watching from the window as people moved silently outside.
Cars drove without their headlights on, going back and forth in an orderly fashion, and she could faintly hear the sound of helicopter blades overhead as two choppers descended.
After seeing Adolph’s military plane, nothing surprised her anymore.
Two helicopters? Rich people could buy those easily. Considering Ryan and Adolph’s wealth, they were just toys to them.
Noticing a line of police cars in the distance, Echo shook her head slightly.
Given her own questionable business, she didn’t have much respect for the police, who usually operated with such rigor.
Seeing the police cars driving away reassured her that nothing had been discovered. If Ryan couldn’t handle that kind of situation, he wouldn’t have held the position of a crime boss for so long.
Just as she was about to look away, she spotted two figures rushing out of the helicopters.
Though they were a bit far away, the lights made it clear.
From her high vantage point on the golf course, she could see everything.
One person was in awkward civilian clothes, while the other wore military attire.
Watching Hawk lead the two toward the lounge, Echo’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Without a second thought, she dashed toward the lounge where Ryan and Adolph were.
“Mr. Ryan, Adolph, what’s going on?”
Echo rushed over, and just as she found a spot to hide by the door, she heard an angry voice call out.
“Get out here.” Before she could hear Ryan or Adolph respond, Ryan’s cold voice cut through the air, directly contradicting the newcomer’s question.
Hiding outside, Echo rubbed her nose and then looked up, only to find Cobra standing right in front of her. She raised an eyebrow. Everyone on their side knew it was her outside eavesdropping, so why did he want her to go in?
Cobra, recognizing Echo, shot her a glare and then tilted his head to signal her to go inside. He walked in first, leading the way.
Echo shrugged. She usually wasn’t this curious, but something had piqued her interest this time, and she decided to eavesdrop for once. And just like that, she got caught. It seemed she was a master thief, but sneaky little things like this weren’t her style. She straightened her clothes and followed Cobra inside.
Ryan glanced at Echo as she entered, shooting her a fierce look. She’d embarrassed him by eavesdropping like that.
Echo saw the dangerous glint in his eyes, but he didn’t seem genuinely angry, so she just gave him a little smile and obediently stood behind him. She then curiously raised an eyebrow at the two men who seemed quite interested in her.
Sitting diagonally across from Ryan and Adolph were two men who didn’t look too young, but not too old either-probably between forty and fifty. They both had a commanding presence.
The one in military uniform, now that she saw him up close under the lights, made Echo raise an eyebrow again. He was a general. This guy had to be important.
The man sitting next to him wore civilian clothes, but the visible edges of his undershirt were clearly military too. Echo couldn’t tell his rank, but seeing him sit on equal footing with the general meant he had to be pretty high up as well.
With just a quick glance, Echo realized why her curiosity had been piqued. Two high-ranking officials from another country flying in on military helicopters in the middle of the night-it would be impossible not to be curious.
Ryan and Adolph’s influence was probably way bigger than she’d ever imagined.
“She’s with me.” Ryan’s calm words served as an explanation to the two men across from him.
Hearing Ryan’s flat response, Echo saw the previously hostile expressions on the men’s faces soften instantly.
She understood what Ryan was doing. He was introducing her to them, signaling that she was part of his circle.
These two were clearly high-ranking officials, and it seemed like their backgrounds were no joke.
This was Ryan’s way of making sure they knew who she was. Echo raised her eyebrow again at the thought. Getting out of Ryan’s grasp was going to get harder and harder.
If the whole world knew she was his, there wouldn’t be much point in trying to escape.
The general glanced at Echo and, after hearing Ryan’s words, didn’t bother hiding his reaction. Looking at Ryan with a mixture of shock and anger, he said, “Mr. Ryan, what’s going on today? Two military helicopters parked here-what exactly are you up to?”
Ryan looked at him calmly and replied, “I’m just in a hurry. No other reason.”
The guy in civilian clothes seemed to relax at Ryan’s response. He looked at Ryan and Adolph and said, “I thought something serious was going down. You had me flying straight in from abroad.”
The officer in uniform nodded and said, “As long as there’s nothing else going on, that’s good. With such a blatant international trip, the reports I’ve been getting have been hard to handle. You two, in the future, let us know ahead of time when you’re coming. This sudden visit really threw my team for a loop; they thought we were being attacked by a foreign country. The whole National Security Bureau is going crazy, and everyone’s on high alert.”
Adolph chuckled and replied, “What can we say? You guys are all busy. It takes a lot of effort to get in touch, and using your military flight routes is the quickest and most direct way to notify you.”
The officer in military uniform and the one in plain clothes both relaxed, leaning back on the sofa with looks of complete ease.
Echo couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. They had come in on a military flight, which meant they hadn’t faced any interruptions along the way. It was only when they got here that the police caught up. Clearly, they hadn’t used a normal flight path; the connections involved seemed complex.
“By the way, Chief, your people aren’t slacking off. They’ve chased us twice now and are still entangled with us,” Hawk said calmly from behind Ryan, looking at the military officer.
The chief waved his hand dismissively. “I got it; I’ll handle this. You don’t have to worry.”
Hawk smiled slightly. “We’re not worried. With you two around, there’s nothing we can’t manage.”
The officer in plain clothes laughed heartily and said, “Hawk’s right. This is just a small matter; there’s really nothing to stress over. But, you know, it’s a sign of skill if our people can move quickly. Don’t be too hard on them, Bosses.”
Hawk chuckled. “If we wanted to make it hard for them, they’d be dead by now. We’d never let them go home alive. Whether they’re quick or not isn’t our concern. Letting them leave safely is just a courtesy to you two. But, Chief, you’d better keep them in check. We’ve got some things to take care of here, and we don’t want them causing trouble or accidentally hurting anyone innocent.”
The safety chief seemed to appreciate Hawk’s words and chuckled. “Sure, no problem. I’ve already given them a stern talking-to. They’re just a bunch of kids trying to show off. I won’t let them come over again. If they dare to act on their own without listening to me, feel free to handle them however you want.”
Hawk nodded. “That’s all we need to hear from you, Chief.”
The officer in plain clothes, who had jumped in earlier, cleared his throat after Hawk spoke and turned to Ryan and Adolph. “So, what brings you two here on such a tight schedule? Is there anything we can help with? After all, this is our territory.”
Adolph nodded at the officer. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
The officer replied, “As long as we have the capability, just let us know.”
The safety chief also nodded in agreement.
Ryan glanced coldly at the two men across from him, his fingers tapping lightly on his crossed legs as he said in a low voice, “I want to know if you’ve purchased any arms recently.”
The safety chief shot up from his seat and looked at Ryan. “Our country has always bought arms from you two. What do you mean by that, Mr. Ryan?”
Ryan waved his hand slightly. “I don’t mean anything else. I just had a batch of arms swapped out, and the delivery location is in Australia.”