Chapter 123: They Look Like a Couple

“I can’t believe you actually had money to spare!” Qiu Fengyu glanced at the cash Tim handed him, took it without hesitation, and placed it in the storage compartment beneath the car’s armrest.

Davis’s eyes involuntarily flicked toward it, and he cried out, “Oh, damn it! Why is there money in there too? Is it yours?”

“Of course. If someone puts money in my armrest compartment, does that mean he’s crazy, or that I am?” Qiu Fengyu laughed. “I was originally planning to give them ten thousand dollars myself. I didn’t expect you to be so generous—now I can save my share.” Chuckling, he closed the compartment again.

“Oh, boss, you can’t do this. You can’t keep me in the dark about everything. It’s not fair.”

“I did tell you.” Qiu Fengyu looked at him solemnly. “Now you know. Do you want to change your mind? Of course… you can. Then all I can say is, ‘Hey, Alyssa, Davis originally wanted to give you ten thousand dollars, but he regretted it on the way and decided it wasn’t worth it…’”

“No, no! When did I ever say it wasn’t worth it?” Davis hurriedly protested.

“So you’re saying this is worth it?” Qiu Fengyu swung the steering wheel and took a bend.

“Of course. There’s no question about it.” Davis looked at him earnestly.

“All right. Then these twenty thousand dollars can stay here, and everything will have been worth it.” Qiu Fengyu glanced at him. “Remember, this is as far as we can help them.”

Davis raised both hands and waved them at Qiu Fengyu. “All right, boss. You’re in charge. Besides… I’m giving this twenty thousand dollars willingly, so it’s no big deal. I have money anyway. Do you know how long I spent counting it… Damn, I don’t even know. All I know is that I’m rich now.”

“Then keep a close eye on it, and don’t spend it too quickly.” Qiu Fengyu gave him a look. “Something like this happening once in a lifetime means God is already showing us favor. If it happens a second time, even God will be jealous of us. Understand?”

Davis chuckled. Then he asked, “I want to know something. If even God becomes jealous of us, what will happen? Does that mean we’ll be really powerful?”

“No, pal. That’s when our bad luck begins.” Qiu Fengyu snorted.

Qiu Fengyu drove while Davis, exhausted from all the excitement, fell asleep on the way.

The car stopped at a gas station. Qiu Fengyu got out to refuel, then ate something at the fast-food restaurant beside it. He also packed another meal to take with them. While there, he happened to see the previous day’s news playing on the restaurant television.

It was a rebroadcast, including the report about Agent B’s destruction of the Russian mob in Los Angeles. The report also showed several vaults where the gangsters had hidden their money.

Apart from footage of Agent B and the police, the broadcast showed piles of banknotes stacked like small mountains—an astonishing sight. But it said nothing about the other details, including the gunfight.

After they got back on the road, Davis woke up. Qiu Fengyu pointed to the fast food he had bought for him. Davis took it and said, “Thanks. How long was I asleep?”

“Long enough that I’m only an hour away from our destination.”

“That was a long time.” Davis ate as he spoke. “Uh, when we see them later, what should we say? ‘Hey, Alyssa. Because of us, the Russian mob targeted you and used you as bait to lure us out. So, as compensation, I’m giving each of you ten thousand dollars’?”

“If you insist on putting it that way, I won’t stop you. But I’ll be sure to tell Alyssa seriously that it was all because this idiot deceived her, and that not a single word he says can be trusted—just like everything that comes out of the mouth of the president of the United States is a lie.” Qiu Fengyu laughed.

“The president of the United States lies through his teeth?” Davis laughed. “He’d definitely argue with you if he heard that.”

“Can you make the president hear me complaining about him?” Qiu Fengyu laughed. “He wouldn’t care about complaints he couldn’t hear. So what we need to do now is make sure the people who can hear us don’t complain about us.”

“You mean Alyssa?” Davis looked at him. “You’re saying we shouldn’t tell them the truth? That… isn’t fair to them.”

“Keeping them in the dark is what’s fair. The matter has been settled, pal. If they learn the truth, they’ll only live in fear and lose their trust in us. Do you really want that?”

Davis thought for a moment. “Of course not. All right, you’re right. I think keeping it from them is much better than telling them outright. Since everything is over, let them believe it’s all over. Their lives can return to normal.”

As they talked, the car followed Davis’s directions toward the outskirts of Los Angeles. In a small town sixty miles from the city, Davis pointed to a house.

Qiu Fengyu drove over.

Davis made a phone call. A moment later, two young women emerged from the house. When they saw Qiu Fengyu’s car, he drove across and parked on the lawn outside.

“Qiu! Oh my God, it’s so good to see you!” Alyssa opened her arms and embraced Qiu Fengyu as he approached.

Davis shook hands with the plump Lola. Then Lola hugged Qiu Fengyu, while Alyssa shook Davis’s hand.

“I finally understand how little luck I have with women,” Davis complained. “Qiu gets a warm embrace, while all I get is a handshake.”

“All right. Would you like one?” Alyssa opened her arms toward him.

“My heart has already been shattered.” Davis shook his head jokingly. “Let’s go inside and talk.”

Qiu Fengyu returned to the car, put the banknotes into a paper bag, and followed them into the house.

The place was fairly tidy. Alyssa invited Qiu Fengyu and Davis to sit on the sofa, while she and Lola sat opposite them.

“Tea or coffee?” Lola asked Qiu Fengyu.

“Tea. I’ll have tea.” He nodded at her. “Thank you.”

“Coffee. I want coffee. I’ve been half-dead with sleepiness the whole way here,” Davis said quickly.

Lola went to prepare the tea and coffee. Alyssa looked at Qiu Fengyu and smiled.

“All right… how have things turned out? Do we need to keep running for our lives, or can we stay here?”

“No, no. You can go back to Los Angeles.” Before Qiu Fengyu could answer, Davis hurriedly cut in, eager to show off in front of Alyssa.

“What? Go back to Los Angeles?” Alyssa stared at Qiu Fengyu in surprise.

Qiu Fengyu shrugged. “Yes. Davis has already stolen what I was about to say. That’s exactly what I meant. Don’t you watch television?”

“Television? We’ve been watching it the whole time. We’ve seen the news.” Alyssa looked confused.

“The reports about the Russian mob. Their vaults were raided, and there’s plenty of evidence showing that they had connections with some important figures in Los Angeles.”

“What does that have to do with us?”

Davis cut in again. “It means the Russian mob is finished. For all we know, they’re already behind bars. So… you’re safe now.”

“Wow…” Alyssa froze, then exclaimed twice. “Wow… So if we go strolling down the streets of Los Angeles now, no one’s going to shoot at us?”

“Yes. You should be safe,” Davis said with a nod.

“All right, we’re safe now. But… damn it, we’ve lost our jobs.” Alyssa cursed under her breath, looking frustrated. “Sorry. I shouldn’t swear, but finding work is really hard…”

“I agree.” Lola came out carrying the coffee and tea. She handed them to Qiu Fengyu and Davis, then sat down beside Alyssa. “Thank you for saving us.”

Qiu Fengyu nodded and looked at Alyssa. “Well, I know making a life in Los Angeles may be difficult. This is from Davis and me.” He took out the paper bag and placed it on the coffee table. “Twenty thousand dollars for each of you.”

“What?” Lola stared at him in shock. Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

Alyssa quietly looked at Qiu Fengyu, then picked up the paper bag and glanced inside. A smile touched the corners of her mouth.

“All right, Qiu. I’ll accept this money, but… I’ll pay you back. I promise!”

The American girl was not the sort to put on airs. She genuinely needed the money, and Qiu Fengyu was willing and able to provide it, so why not use it? Her thoughts were simple.

Qiu Fengyu was stunned by how readily she accepted. He had imagined that she would regard it as an insult, curse him, and throw the money in his face. Or perhaps, after a long and difficult refusal, she would reluctantly agree to take it.

Well, this was certainly different from what he had expected. He couldn’t view American girls through the lens of his own country’s way of thinking. Every culture had its own peculiarities. Qiu Fengyu couldn’t help grumbling inwardly.

“We have money!” Lola was the first to shriek with delight. The money was clearly enormously important to them, so she threw up both hands and screamed before tackling Alyssa onto the sofa. The two women rolled around in a tangled heap.

“Wow—what a beautiful sight.” Davis whistled and chuckled.

After completing the mission, Qiu Fengyu had planned to leave. But Alyssa stopped him.

“We already missed dinner. Are we really going to miss bedtime too?” Alyssa pointed outside. It had indeed grown late.

So they stayed. Alyssa personally went into the kitchen to prepare the meal, although she clearly was not gifted at cooking. Qiu Fengyu went in to help, and before long he was doing most of the cooking while Alyssa carried the dishes to the table.

Meanwhile, Lola and Davis sat on the sofa chatting, their conversation repeatedly breaking into bursts of laughter.

“They look like a couple,” Alyssa said with a smile, poking her head out to glance at the two people in the living room.