When Nikolai wakes up from the anesthesia he winces from the pain in his arm. He tries to sit and his vision is blurry while he studies his surroundings. Dimitri frantically exclaims, “Boss..You are awake!” as he carefully fluffs Nikolai’s pillows behind him. The doctor is half asleep slumped down on a wooden chair not far away from the bed. Blasted out of his relaxed state he immediately stands up when he hears Dimitri, “Mr. Naralov, don’t move around please. Let me check your vitals and your injury.”  

   The doctor takes his temperature and checks his heart. He lifts Nikolai’s sleeve to check the bandage. “Everything looks good. But I think you should stay overnight. This is the last thing I want to say but should he leave and something happens there is no guaranteeing my safety.

  Nikolai still groggy responds, “Go out.”

   The doctor quickly leaves the room bumping into Anton guarding the door. Anton stops him, “Where the fuck do you think you are going?”

   “He..he ..Mr.Naralov is awake and told me to leave the room.”

    Anton pushes past him almost knocking him down hurrying into the room with a look of relief on his face, “Boss.. Boss!” He wipes his eyes with his sleeve when he sees Nikolai is sitting up on the bed.

    Nikolai’s jaw hurts and there is a throbbing pain radiating down his arm, “Shut up.” The last thing I remember is fighting with Ivan on the ground. “What time is it?”

   Dimitri looks at his watch, “Five o’clock.”

  “Goddammit!” He leans back on his pillow closing his eyes. “That  leaves only seven hours before the auction. I only need an hour at the reception” He tries to lift his arm then puts it back down. Fuck! I don’t want to take pain pills that will slow my reflexes down.

  “Boss are you still going to..” He looks at Nikolai’s condition, the Boss looks bad… pale and weak.

  “Of course. I need to get my revenge.” He looks around the room for LiMei; he needs her for his plan. He has a terrifying expression as his black eyes narrow, “What  happened to the little woman? Did she escape?” Ungrateful woman I wouldn’t have been caught without bullets if I hadn’t killed everyone in the office. That wasn’t my original plan but when they were lustfully staring at the Little Assassin and Barish grabbed her onto his lap I had to kill them all.

   “No..no Boss actually she saved you. Then used your phone to call me”

   Nikolai has a surprised expression, the Little Assassin didn’t take the opportunity to run away? “Explain.” 

   “Well, look at the surveillance video.” 

   Nikolai holds Dimitri’s phone in his left hand and watches the video. His eyes dim and the atmosphere around him becomes frigid when he sees the part where Ivan touches his face, “Kill everyone in Ivan Markovic’s family.” He continues watching and his cold eyes become unusually  warm when he sees LiMei barefoot moving across the floor towards the gun, the Little Assassin is braver than I thought. When Ivan grabs her slender bare leg with his rough dirty hand Nikolai’s veins bulge in his neck as he curses under his breath while watching. When LiMei shoots Ivan between the eyes he exclaims, “Fucking Shit!” and starts laughing.  Dimitri and Anton both stare at Nikolai as though they don’t recognize the man in front of them.

    After she rolls out from under the huge man she drags Nikolai across the floor. Nikolai can see her chest moving up and down as she struggles to take him to a safe place. His heart skips a beat and he has a strange feeling watching the barefoot little girl dragging him using all her strength. Why didn’t she leave when Ivan and I were fighting. Does she like me? He has a satisfied smile on his handsome face until he witnrsses LiMei throwing the trash on his body and taking off his shoe. His whole face turns black watching the scene, I don’t think that was necessary! I am under the fucking stairwell who could see me! And you broke the light!

    He tosses the phone on the bed recovering his cold and demonic demeanor, “Where is she now?”

   “The girl is in a room down the hall, you needed blood and she was the only compatible donor. I checked on her about a half hour ago and she is sleeping.”

   Nikolai’s cold eyes widen in disbelief while staring at Dimitri, “She donated her blood?” The Little Assassin really likes me. He has a mesmerizing smile on his handsome face thinking about LiMei. She saved me not once… but twice? Nikolai has a serious expression thinking about Diego Bellini’s fetish for innocent looking girls and his plan to use LiMei.  We are connected now I have the Little Assassin’s blood running through my veins. How I can’t let her die tonight? He lifts his swordlike eyebrows trying to think of a new plan, “Hmmm..” this might make it more difficult but..

  “I’m going to her room.”

  “Boss you should rest!” Anton has a worried expression as he sees Nikolai grimacing getting out of the bed. Damn that little demoness what is her plan? I don’t think she saved the Boss out of the kindness of her heart. The little bitch! She is scheming something.

  Nikolai glares at Anton, “Why were you late?”

  Anton stoically answers, “I will take the punishment.”

 “Go back to the villa and wait for me. oh.. kill the python and slice it up.” Nikolai then slowly walks to the door with a faint smile on his face. I will let the little girl make me snake soup later to replenish our blood and qi.

 “…”  Anton is reluctant to leave Nikolai while he is injured; he wants to stay by his side.

    Nikolai slowly walks to the door as Dimitri motions to Anton behind Nikolai’s back quietly saying, “I will make sure he gets back safe..go.. and the python is in the garage, be careful the snake is very hungry.”

“…” Anton reluctantly leaves swearing he will find out LiMei’s motive for saving Nikolai.

      When Nikolai opens the door to LiMei’s room his lips curl up in an amused expression affectionately gazing at her lying on the bed. LiMei is sprawled on top of the covers sound asleep. The pink nurse’s uniform is two sizes too big and hanging off of her thin white shoulders. Her lips are glistening from eating the oily chicken and her slender fingers are clutching the half eaten chicken leg.  Nikolai bursts out laughing at LiMei’s messy appearance. He tells Dimitri to leave, “I am going to rest for a while, we will go back to the villa in an hour. I don’t want to be disturbed.”

   “Yes Boss.’

   After Dimitri leaves Nikolai walks over to the bed then pries the chicken leg out of LiMei’s grip. He tosses it into the trash then goes to the bathroom and wets a cloth to wipe off her mouth and hands. He sits on the edge of the bed and tenderly cleans her face, you are such a little pig. He sits in the chair next to the bed watching her sleep with a complicated expression on his handsome face. Whispering in a pampering tone, “Why didn’t you run away Little Assassin?” He brushes the loose strands of hair off her face with his fingers then tucks it behind her small ear. Staring at her delicate face he tenderly caresses her pale cheek he is momentarily overcome with an indescribable feeling.

   Meanwhile across the city–

    Consumed by heartache and rage after reading the results of his investigation of the ‘package’ Kuang Fu was expecting Kuang Bo spiraled out of control and drove like a madman over to vent his anger on his brother Fu. When he heard the plane exploded killing everyone onboard he went berserk knowing Qin Daiyu was killed as she was being transported to Kuang Fu for punishment. When he arrived at the luxury hotel  Kuang Bo knocked out two men guarding the door then rushed into his brother’s suite.

Furious when he sees Kuang Fu lounging on the couch, he immediately grabs him by his pulling him to stand up. Three muscular bodyguards try to pull him off of their boss but Kuang Bo kicks them away while still holding his brother by the neck as he chokes him. “You fucking bastard! Daiyu is dead because of you! I am going to fucking kill you!” He tightens his grip on Kuang Fu’s neck as several men come over to subdue him. Kuang Fu can’t speak but tries to pull Kuang Bo’s iron grip from his neck unsuccessfully. His face turning purple and his eyes bulging in their sockets, he wishes he hadn’t attempted to bring Qin Daiyu back for punishment. He has created more problems for himself.

   Once the men dressed in black pull him off of Kuang Fu they wait for his instructions while holding onto Kuang Bo tightly between the three of them. Kuang Fu rubs his neck wanting to give the order to kill Kuang Bo on the spot but can’t because he needs him. He sputters and coughs, his voice hoarse, he tells one of the men to bring him water. When the man does he takes a few sips then spits in Kuang Bo’s face, “You attack your own brother because of that little piece of ass? I thought I taught you better than that Little Brother!”

He kicks him in the chest and Kuang Bo. spits out some blood while glaring at him with a murderous look. “Bastard! She was a little girl! She didn’t deserve to die for escaping the dirty life in Black Sky! You should kill me now, I won’t let her death go. I will destroy you…” His voice has a sarcastic tone as he slowly says, “Elder Brother.”

   Kuang Fu starts laughing as he walks over to his desk and takes out a cigar. “That is the first time you called me Elder Brother since we were children but I don’t feel you were being respectful.” He lights the cigar as he approaches Kuang Bo leaning down,“Remember how I used to punish you Little Brother?” He puts the glowing tip on the cigar on Kuang Bo’s exposed arm and pushes down hard onto his wheat colored skin, the smell of burnt hair and flesh rises into the air. Kuang Bo grits his teeth as he feels the stinging pain.

   “No reaction? You used to cry like a little baby when I did this to you.”

   “I was fucking ten years old, asshole.”

   Kuang Fu starts laughing demonically as he pulls a knife out of his pocket. Twirling the knife in front of Kuang Bo’s face he has a sinister smile, “Do you know how much I hate that pretty face of yours Little Bo. How many times I thought about running my knife down it wiping that arrogant look off your face.”

  Kuang Bo looks up as he is forced to kneel at Kuang Fu’s feet, “Yeah, it is a real shame you took after that ugly piece of shit father of ours. Your mother didn’t have a lot to contribute in the good genes department either.”

   Kuang Fu pulls Bo’s head up by his hair, the knife grazing his cheek, “You have balls I have to admit. Not many men would insult me when I have their life in my hands.” Kuanf Fu touches his face, “It is true I don’t have your peerless good looks but I’m not too far behind. I make up for the other three points with my huge d**k.”

   Kuang Bo looks at the knife knowing his brother likes to torture people before he kills them so they pray for death, he thinks this will give him time to escape from the men holding him. “That isn’t what Elena told me.”

   Kuang Fu’s lips turn up in a sinister smile as he kicks him in the chest, “Elena? Guess who told me where to find the little bitch..”

    Kuang Bo’s eyes narrow, that fucking c**t told Kuang Fu about Daiyu being in Pushong City using the name of Feng LiMei? I need to survive this just to make the vain bitch suffer ten thousand cuts on that body of hers she loves so much. His handsome face loses color when he suddenly realizes he is the one who brought Elena to the party. I am responsible for Daiyu’s death. That is where she must have seen Daiyu. 

  “No witty comeback? Elena happily sold the little bitch out for the reward money.”

  Kuang Bo’s heart tightens thinking he inadvertently helped Kuang Fu find Qin Daiyu. I will get revenge for you little thing I promise. He suddenly kicks his leg out hitting one of the men holding him down then he grabs the hand of the bodyguard who is putting pressure on his shoulder. When the other man lunges forward Kuang Bo uses one of his secret techniques to  disarm Kuang Fu then puts the knife to Kuang Fu’s neck. He growls in his ear, “I’m glad you decided to play with me, I got some useful information.”

   Kuang Fu can sense the killing intent coming from Kuang Bo he replies, “Kill me Little Brother and you won’t know where the traitorous bitch is”

   Kuang Bo sneers, “I know where she is you fucking bastard she is in the wreckage of a Wang Corporation plane in Bergamo.”

  “Wrong. Not dead.”

   “Tell your men to wait outside. Not to return until I call them in or you are dead.”

   Kuang Fu  motions for his men to leave.”You heard my brother, do as he says.” Kuang Fu knows if his brother Bo really does decide to kill him he doesn’t have much chance of survival. But he is confident since Qin Daiyu is alive he won’t act so rashly.

   Once they leave, Kuang Bo removes the knife from Kuang Fu’s neck. “Speak. If you are lying don’t blame me for being impolite.” Although he hates his brother he doesn’t want to kill him if Daiyu is still alive, he has plans for the Black Sky and Kuang Fu will be useful.

  “It is true the plane she was on landed in Bergamo then exploded but she wasn’t on the plane.”

     “Explain.”

   “ She was rescued before the plane exploded.”

   “You have five seconds to tell me by whom.”

   “Nikolai Naralov.”

   “Why would that Russian pr**k rescue Qin Daiyu?”

  “How the hell should I know what goes on in that crazy motherf****r’s brain.” He wants me not to kill Viktor but if I tell you  that it will complicate my plans.

  “Call him. Ask him what he wants for Daiyu.”

  Kuang Fu hesitates as Kuang Bo hands him the phone. “Brother, is the little slut worth dealing with Nikolai Naralov?”

   “I think you know the answer to that question. Call.”