Zongla, the deputy foreman of the seafarers, did not arrive as scheduled.
He should have arrived at the downstairs of the safe house at seven in the evening, and brought Zhang Jue and Chen Boqiao to the port to board the ship.
Seven o'clock came and went, Zhang never wanted to read seconds and wait, and carefully checked the surveillance near the safe house, and found no trace of the vehicle that came to pick them up, and confirmed that there was no traffic jam on the route from the port to the safe house. Afterwards, he called Zongla using the communicator.
When I called for the first time, no one answered, and I called after a while, and the prompt sound was that the phone was turned off. The freighter was scheduled to depart at 9:30, and the time was tight.
Zhang Jue pondered for a moment, stood up with the car key, and said to Chen Boqiao, "I'll go to the port to see."
"Let's go together," Chen Boqiao said calmly, pointing to his face again, "No one can recognize me anyway."
Zhang Jueben was not worried that Chen Boqiao was left alone in the safe house, so he agreed, went downstairs with Chen Boqiao, got into the car, and drove to Bangkok Port.
On the way to the port, Chen Boqiao pulled out the sunglasses he had slipped from the previous car like a conjuration, put them on his nose, and asked Zhang Jue, "Is it more like a fugitive."
His eyes looked at Zhang Jue through the dark brown lenses, neither like a question nor a joke. He was very close to Zhang Jue. The thin knitted sweater that Zhang Jue bought in the second-hand market, when he put it on him, was suddenly as soft as cashmere, and it also showed some precious appearance.
After dinner, Zhang Jue spent an hour and a half to help Chen Boqiao change his outfit according to the method he had rehearsed in advance. First, I modified Chen Boqiao's eye shape with invisible tape, then put bionic leather on Chen Boqiao to raise his cheekbones, and carefully glued on a curly mustache, covering most of Chen Boqiao's face, and finally wearing it for Chen Boqiao. Putting on the wig made Chen Boqiao look like Shen Yuhua's passport photo.
Chen Boqiao sat on the sofa and let Zhang Jue finish painting, went to the bathroom to look in the mirror, and walked back to the living room to praise Zhang Jue. Perhaps the praise is not too serious, but Zhang is by no means controllable and fluttering, as if the previous night when a person learned to apply bionic leather to the plaster statues of the whole house, all can be omitted.
It takes only ten minutes to drive from the safe house to the port.
Zhang Jue's off-road vehicle had a port pass. They entered the port iron gate, passed through containers one by one according to the traffic line, and approached the freighter they originally intended to board.
Zhang Jue stopped where he could see the freighter. They got out of the car and watched the situation of the freighter at the port with a distance of more than 100 meters.
The freighter was still loading the last batch of goods, and the afterglow of the sunset slanted ashore, letting the shadow of the container cover Zhang Jue and Chen Bo Bridge.
"Are you still on board?" Chen Boqiao asked Zhang Jue.
The passage between the containers was so windy that Zhang Jue's hair was messed up. Zhang Jue stared at the freighter, raised his hand and put a few strands of hair on his cheeks, then said, "It is logical that Zong La and his crew took us up."
Although ocean-going freighters also carry passengers, they are all regular customers. If Zong La didn't take him, Zhang Jue was afraid that even if they did, they would attract too much attention. Zhang Jue took out the communicator and called Zong La for the last time, but the other party was still turned off.
The crew is loading the last cargo onto the ship, and the racks are about to be put away.
Zhang never wanted to take Chen Boqiao on an adventure, and had a complete and reliable backup plan, so he put down the communicator and made a decision: "I won't be on board tonight."
Chen Boqiao did not object, he asked Zhang Jue, "Then let's go back now?"
Zhang Jue nodded and shook his head again: "If we don't go back to the original safe house, let's go get the key first and live in another house."
Zhang Jue has three safe houses in Bangkok, each for different situations. The keys to the safe house in the second backup plan were stored in advance in a safe at a private bank in the city.
He drove Chen Boqiao to the bank and told Chen Boqiao: "I'll go get the key, you wait for me in the car."
"Zhang Jue," Chen Boqiao stopped Zhang Jue and said, "I want to contact Pei Shu, I have something to discuss with him."
Chen Boqiao was very frank, although he didn't say anything, it was difficult for Zhang Jue to refuse. Zhang Jue looked down at his communicator and said hesitantly, "My communicator is not convenient for you." Chen Boqiao smiled and pointed to a grocery store on the corner, Zhang Jue followed Chen Bo Looking at the direction of the bridge, he found that there was a simple counter selling mobile phones in front of the store.
"Okay," Zhang Jue confirmed that Chen Boqiao's makeup did not come off, then gave Chen Boqiao his wallet and car keys, and said, "Then go buy it yourself, don't go far."
After saying that, I got out of the car and walked towards the bank across the road.
Zhang Jue showed the manager the documents he had prepared a long time ago, went downstairs to the safe to get the keys, and went back to the car to find that Chen Boqiao had not come back.
It was completely dark, the shop signs and small lanterns on the street were lit up, the night wind was blowing slowly, and there was some aroma of food in the air.
Zhang Jue stood there for a few seconds, walked slowly to the grocery store, stepped up the steps and looked into the store, and sure enough, he saw Chen Boqiao inside.
Chen Boqiao sat on a chair against the wall in the small shop, chatting leisurely with a clean-looking Omega employee in the shop, looking at the TV screen hanging on the wall of the grocery store.
Seeing Zhang Jue walking in, Chen Boqiao unsurprisingly held the phone in his hand and waved at Zhang Jue, "Here you come?"
Seeing Zhang Jue, the Omega employee also smiled at him.
Zhang Jue ignored the discomfort in his heart and asked Chen Boqiao, "Have you finished contacting?"
Chen Boqiao shook his head slightly and pointed to the TV screen on the opposite wall with his chin.
Zhang Jue looked at Chen Boqiao's meaning, and saw that the international channel on the screen was broadcasting a breaking news. A cargo ship in Bangkok Port was detained by the police on suspicion of drug possession and was dragged to the depths of the port's wharf. The cargo ship was put on hold for a week-long inspection.
The picture cuts to the side of the ship, which is the one they are going to board. Then, the camera turns to shoot the crew members squatting in a row. One of the crew members has a large tattoo of thorns on his arm. Zhang Jue recognizes this tattoo. It's Zonra.
But he didn't say much. He only asked Chen Boqiao after the news broadcast, "Can we go?"
Chen Boqiao stood up and nodded to him.
The Omega employee said goodbye to Chen Boqiao in poor English and asked him to come back when he was free.
In the car, Chen Boqiao did not contact Pei Shu, nor did Zhang Jue ask.
Zhang Jue was thinking about whether the cargo ship was found to be hiding drugs, whether it was related to Chen Boqiao's boarding.
He needs sources.
"Tomorrow I have to find someone," Zhang Jue told Chen Boqiao, "he can help us connect with another ship, we will be able to set off this week, no need to worry."
Zhang Jue's need not to worry seems to be talking to Chen Boqiao, but in fact he really comforts himself.
His plans were disrupted, there was no medicine left, and a series of accidents made him anxious.
"Well," Chen Boqiao patted his shoulder and said, "I'm not in a hurry."
It was ten o'clock when we got to the place to sleep at night. The room in the new safe house was smaller than Zhang Jue had seen from the drawings, with only one bedroom and a small living room.
Zhang Jue planned to give the bedroom to Chen Boqiao and sleep on the sofa by himself, but Chen Boqiao pulled him and said, "Let's sleep together, the sofa is so narrow, how can you sleep."
Chen Boqiao was very determined, Zhang Jue could only find another quilt and put it beside the bed.
After washing up first, Zhang Jue lay down on the bed, feeling very nervous. He occupied a very small piece of the bed, and his hands and feet were cold under the quilt.
Not long after, Chen Boqiao also came out of the shower. Zhang Jue closed his eyes and pretended to have fallen asleep. He felt that the other side of the mattress was sinking. Chen Boqiao seemed to be lying on the bed, and he changed the bedside lamp to a darker one.
Zhang Jue's black hair was spread on the pillow, and his face was pressed against a few clumps. It was actually uncomfortable, but he and Chen Boqiao were lying together, and he didn't dare to move too much. He just wanted to find a time to get a haircut .
Suddenly, Zhang Jue felt that his hair was moved by someone. The slight touch appeared for a few seconds and then disappeared quickly. When Zhang Jue wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, someone suddenly touched his head and followed Hair stroked down.
"The hair is so soft." Chen Boqiao said in a low voice.
Zhang Jue froze immediately, his hands folded on his abdomen, afraid that Chen Boqiao would find out that he was not asleep, so he kept breathing as naturally as possible.
"Softer than a cat." Chen Boqiao said again. He took his hand away and stopped touching Zhang Jue, but Zhang Jue's heartbeat was like a drum, and it almost jumped out of his throat.
Zhang Jue sometimes hates that he is so stupid. If he is a smart person, he should pretend to have just woken up and say something sentimental to Chen Boqiao without revealing a trace.
After a few seconds, Chen Boqiao said, "I'm teasing you."
Zhang Jue's face became hot. Before Zhang Jue could explain, Chen Boqiao said again, "I know you're awake." Zhang Jue opened his eyes and saw Chen Boqiao sitting neatly on the bed, looking down at himself.
Chen Boqiao asked Zhang Jue: "I just said your hair is soft, what are you happy about."
Chen Boqiao's expression is as tolerant as usual, his eyes are gentle and considerate. Zhang Jue had many dreams about Chen Boqiao before, and every time he woke up, he would become happy and sit for a long time recalling the dream.
But at this moment, Zhang Jue found that his imagination in his dreams seemed to be as lacking as in reality, and he couldn't dream half as well as the real Chen Boqiao.
Although no matter how good it is, it will never be Zhang Jue's. Near and far, tolerance and toughness have nothing to do with Zhang Jue, but Zhang Jue doesn't need more, just read it.