Redeeming The Golden Ticket To Life

[POV Li Jie]

'It has been months now since I have stayed away from the young lady. I have travelled across the globe in search of answers. Answers to the Shui family mystery.'

I still remember vividly my last meeting with the Young lady.

We were sitting in her study room. The jammers were in full function, then she said, "Brother Li Jie, I am in immediate need of your help".

"Please say, what do you need?"

"Brother, I suspect there is a vast network responsible for the death of my parents. What we are aware of is just the tip of the iceberg."

"Young Lady, you mean to say…"

"Yes, more people are working behind the scenes to make our life difficult and are targeting me, and they will not stop until they get what they want!"

"What do you propose then?"

"This time we are in the dark, we just have to drag them to light. This will help us know who our opponent is?"

"Brother, I only trust you with this. I suspect a few groups of people, could you take a look into them all, very discreetly?"

"Rest assured, I will get it done."

It has been five months since then.

As I was about to leave, Bai Chang gave me a few survival kits as well as a discreet surveillance kit.

I have been travelling incognito since then.

First I went to country A. There is city C, they have the world's largest Silicon Valley. A hub for various think tanks and tech companies. 

According to the young lady's list of suspected people and proposed action plan, I had to apply for a job here in a think tank called 'Future Space-Time'. They are not so well known or public but they all knew the right people at the right places, which helped them to establish their company and also get lucrative jobs.

I interviewed for a position there and surprisingly I got hired. I worked as an office manager and accountant as well as a member of the think tank Research and Development. The resume that Bai Chang fixed for me for this job, seems to have worked its charm.

Mostly the first few weeks I would do the office work and manage their books. Later after a month, I got the opportunity to flex my other skills. They were stuck at a major design stage for a particle cannon. I gave them a few pointers and these helped them to finish the design and win a major contract.

All went downhill from then. As I was appointed to a very confidential project called 'Project 33'.

This project is spread all over the world, with various branches responsible for a specific part of the project assigned to them.

I was asked to move to the capitol city of country A, where once I landed I realised I am constantly under someone's watch. When I indirectly addressed the issue with the firm I worked with, I realised that I am not the only one. 

While I was working I got access to various files and information. The more I got to know the more I realised the mess we are in. I wondered how much did Bai Chang know about all this?

From all her meticulous plans and foolproof execution till that time I realised she is aware of more stuff than anyone else.

I worked there for two months and then I was asked to move to a secure location after evaluating my work's worth. I immediately knew that I have to get out of there because if I step inside the doors of the secure location I am never going to see the dawn of the next day.

I started to keep my eye out for an opportunity. And the opportunity came soon after. On my way to the secure location, I faked my death and left the country to travel to my second location.

I travelled through the waterways and smuggled myself as a stowaway. After reaching country E across the small pond, I used a second identity and its respective disguise to apply for a job of butler in a private aristocrat family.

I have no idea from where Bai Chang acquired her information but till now they have been spot on. When I was about to leave, Bai Chang left instructions and respective paperwork at certain places.

Initially, I was shaken but later as days passed by I got used to it. Even when she is halfway across the globe. I still feel a sense of security like I am never alone. It makes me sometimes wonder, how did the young lady become like this? 

Most of our contact has been one way, where she sends me the right thing at the right moment. Due to security concerns, I never contact her directly.

It had been two months since I started as a butler to this family. They are a rich old line of an aristocratic family who could trace their roots to the lineage of King Louis the third, the king of West Francia from 879 until he died in 882. The eldest son of King Louis II and his first wife Ansgarde of Burgundy, he succeeded his father and ruled jointly with his younger brother Carloman II, who became sole ruler after Louis's death. He was mostly known for his successful military exploits.

Currently, the family grows under the title of House of Orléans. Surprisingly, the members of this house are involved in all types of charity work or social services.

At first, I was not aware why I have to come here and what I will achieve from staying here. Not until last week. 

Last week after staying as a helping butler on the Estate grounds, I came across a shocking moment. While I was delivering some snacks for the guests in the study room, I overheard a person speaking,

"You know how those tech think tanks work like, we had some good progress for the last few months but alas! The person responsible died in a cross-firing while they were taking him to a secure location."

My heart almost jumped out of my mouth. 'What kind of web is all this?' I thought to myself.

To get a clear picture of what they are up to, I placed one of those secure and portable surveillance tools that I acquired from Bai Chang to use.

I placed a microphone near the table crooks and also placed some biodegradable microscopic trackers in the drinks. While I was walking out of the study, I placed a micro-dot camera inside the doorknob and left the place before they grew suspicious of me.

I rushed to a corner and started to listen to the audio device while I went about my daily routine.

At first, there were some indistinct noises.

[zii zii tuuu tuu, zii zii]

Then there was the sound of chairs scraping against the floor and then some indistinct noises.

I try to fine-tune the audio waves received, after a couple of tweaks and turns-

"You think it was planned, and the other side is hiding information from us?"

"Possible" a heavy voice replied.

"Then what do you suggest, our next step should be?"

"We have to confirm our suspicion."

"How? We can't become the sitting ducks here all of a sudden otherwise 'Project 33' will slip through our fingers."

"Hmm"

"How about we activate our underground forces?"

"Idea is not bad, but we run the risk of exposing our tails. Someone can grab hold of it and reach to our heads too if we are not careful."

"Then?"

"Let's hire external forces to take care of our dirty work."

"Where do we start?"

"Start from that missing researcher from the silicon valley, check if the asset is truly dead or someone is benefitting from it in secret. If that is the case then according to the situation, we either eliminate it or get him to join us. After all, whoever makes major progress now will later become the un-named ruler of the future world."

While listening to a plan against me in person, made me feel queer. 

(I just listened to a plan that aims to kill me and wipe me from the face of the earth. It would be a lie if I say that I am not mad. The thing is, I am super mad and want to screw them over royally.)

"Hey James, What are you daydreaming about? get back to work!" someone shouted at me from behind.

"Hey, what is wrong with you?" the head butler asked me in a slightly annoyed voice.

"Head butler, I think I am coming down with fever or flu, I don't feel well," I lied, my face is already flushed from anger so it was not much of a lie.

"What? Did you have to get sick now? Fine, go to your quarters, for now, I will arrange something for you after some time."

"Yes head butler," I politely bowed my head in greetings and left the premise.

(Now it is my turn to cause some mayhem here.)