Redeeming The Golden Ticket To Life

**** 

Next Day-

I walk up to the barista in the coffee shop and get my coffee fix. Then as I come out of the shop I see my target get into a BMW. 

I wave my hand to flag down a taxi.

A white Chevrolet finally stopped. The driver lowered the windshield and asked, "Where to, young man?"

I quickly open the door and sit on the passenger seat by the driver.

"Start driving, I am a federal agent following a crime suspect, please drive fast," I said as I flashed my military badge.

"Okay, you give directions, I follow," the driver reluctantly complied.

We followed the said BMW at a safe pace. The car was moving more towards the outskirts of the city, in another five minutes it would hit the highways.

"Hey Officer, I do not have a permit to travel to another city or province," he voiced his concern.

"Just drive on, today I am your permit, make sure to not to lose them."

While we were driving and dogging the target, I jacked myself to satellite images and remote control of the server around me through my palmtop.

[Buzz Buzzzz Buzz Buzzzz]

My phone buzzed at this moment.

"Hello"

There was no caller ID again.

"Did you verify what you wanted?" A heavy voice asked.

"Yes Sir"

"Your conclusion?"

"Currently accessing the threat level," I replied.

"How long will it take?"

"A week"

"Why?" the heavy voice asked impatiently.

"I am in pursuit of the target as of the moment, before the verdict as I want to extract as much information as I can," I replied.

"Get it done fast or get ready to die too," and he hung up the call.

I stared hard at that BMW we have been following for the last two hours.

"Officer, we have to refill in the next gas stop," he trembled slightly as he spoke.

"Hmm, pull over your car as close as possible to that BMW.

The driver did as was told, he drove close to the target.

"Maintain five meters distance from that car," I directed.

The driver followed the instructions to the last detail.

The roads were not too crowded so the prolonged same pace may give away the whole game. 

As we closed on the BMW, I shot a GPS device on the inside of the car's tire. 

"Now move ahead of the car and find a gas station to fill it up," I directed.

The driver did the same, while I checked the GPS device I just attached. It is the latest military model accessories made for field agents to track their target within a range of at least one mile in fine details and overall a range of three miles.

We got our cab's gas-filled. While I followed the GPS tracker on my palmtop.

We then drove ahead of the target vehicle. After another hour it stopped outside a countryside resort.

My target walked out and went inside.

"Stay here. Give me your phone number, I will be back," I hurriedly added the driver's contact to my phone contact and stepped outside the cab.

I walked inside the resort and grabbed a seat in the restaurant. Then hack into the system and get me access to surveillance cameras within the resort.

Next, I look for my target.

I look through the various frames.

'Where are you?"

"Where are you my prey?" I think aloud as I search my target from frame to frame.

'There you are, huh'

A tall stoic built man, with tanned skin. Wearing Hawaiian Shirt and big sunglasses with a tack cap hiding him from most of the surveillance cameras. 

I follow him through the cameras.

"Sir Would you like to order something?" a waiter asked.

"Get me freshly squeezed lime juice, that will do for now," I ordered.

"Yes Sir"

The waiter left. I changed it to the surveillance tab.

'So where are you going and whom are you meeting?'

The target walked into a room. 

"Sir your juice," the waiter placed a glass of lime juice.

"Hmm, I have a meeting in room 204 can you tell me when I can move there?" I asked.

"Sir, I have to ask at the reception." 

"Please do and let me know as soon as possible," I curtly replied.

While I waited, I sipped on the lime juice.

After some time the waiter returned.

"Sir, the room is currently occupied by another customer."

"When will it be free and open?" I enquired with a slight edge in my voice.

"S-Sir, it is booked for all day, may I arrange for another room for you?" he replied timidly.

"Who booked it for the whole day? I will pay you to double the amount, do whatever you can, get me that room in another half an hour"

"S-Sir," the waiter grimaced.

"Who is there inside? Let me talk to the customer myself," I offered.

"Sir, it is not that we don't want to do business with you but we really can't disturb the visitor in that room," he replied.

I took his hand and slid a roll of red notes, "Tell me who is the person inside, I won't tell anyone. Instead keep this as my gift for saving me from potential blunder". 

"Sir.." the waiter looked uncomfortable as he looked around him.

He bent down a little as he picked up my now empty glass of juice. Then he quietly whispered, "the person inside is Congressman and party leader, Mr Gu".

I raised an eyebrow as he named the man. "Thank you for saving my career, angering a party person is the sure-shot route to demotion, Thank You." I waved away the waiter. 

Then I continued to observe the surveillance. 

**********

[POV Hu Qiang]

Inside Hu Qiang's Office-

As I moved out of the house, that day I realised how deeply I hurt her.

She didn't call me neither she left any messages for me. While Xiao Wei gets to stay with her. Even he is not talking to me. Both of them have completely gone radio silent on me.

I tapped my fingers against the table for a long time and then decided to call my parents.

I dialled their number as the phone kept on ringing.

[Tring Tring…]

"Hello, you reached Hu Residency-"

"Dad, it me Qiang"

"Oh, say what do you want?"

"I wanted your advice on asking forgiveness from Bai Chang," I straight away dived to the main point.

There was silence on the other side of the phone.

"Why?" he asked.

"What do you mean why? I have to apologise for my extreme behaviour regarding her health check-up and all."

On the other side of the phone, my dad sighed heavily, "Qiang, you are in much deeper sh*t than you are aware," he said.

"Why do you say so?" 

"We had a talk with Zhang Wei before we left."

"So, what with it?"

"Did you have a talk with Zhang Wei recently?" he asked instead.

"Yes we did had a talk-"

"What did he say to you?" my father interrupted me and asked instead.

"That I should take better care of Bai Chang," I replied.

"Is that all?"

Something feels odd, "Dad, what is the matter?"

He sighed again, this is so unlike my dad.

"What the matter, dad?"

"Qiang, you should brace yourself for hardship, it seems Zhang Wei still holds a grudge against the Hu daily for our past negligence."

"Dad, what do you mean?" my heart constricted.

"I mean exactly what I said. You have made a big mess, but the past has come to haunt us. Be careful every step of the way in how you treat Bai Chang!"

"I do take everything into consideration when I am with her dad."

"It's clearly not enough, I suggest son, you come clean about your relationship status with Bai Chang in the past. If you don't you have more to lose than anyone involved in this whole emotional turmoil."

I keep my silence this time and think more.

"I understand, dad. Thanks, I will talk to you later," I said and finally ended the call.

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Author's Disclaimer, I have my exams going on. So most of the last week chapters were from my stockpile. I will try to keep up a steady update. 

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I am really thankful to divya_12 and Yajaira_Ramirez_4324; till now the highest contributor to the story for the past two weeks. 

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