We couldn't contact Brother Bao, so we decided to wait until we were absolutely safe.
Da Kui told us to wait for him there while he went to the manor entrance to see if he could run into Brother Qing or Brother Bao.
That was all we could do. Brother Qing and Brother Bao would definitely come to save us, but we didn't know if they could find this place.
I figured since Bo Gang had set up an ambush, he would definitely reveal the location to Brother Qing.
The two of us found a flat spot to sit down. Myanmar had a lot of rain, but thankfully it was a clear day. Although it was a bit hot, it was better than being caught in the rain.
Lan Ya leaned against me. We had both been incredibly tense earlier, and now that we were relaxed, we were exhausted.
Relaxed or not, we both kept our guns in hand. Although we had temporarily escaped the enemies in the manor, we didn't know if there were any more ambushes by Bo Gang around. It wouldn't be fun to go from one encirclement into another.
After what felt like a long time, gunshots suddenly erupted from the direction of the manor. We both stood up and saw fire blazing from the manor entrance. It seemed Brother Qing had deployed his forces.
Actually, Brother Qing also had backing from the government army. However, Myanmar was rife with factions, and the government army itself had countless sub-factions. This was definitely Bo Gang taking personal revenge and creating trouble under a false pretense.
We didn't dare to rush out and could only wait for Da Kui to return.
The gunfire continued. I felt that this wasn't just Brother Qing; perhaps the government army had also been mobilized. I just couldn't imagine what it would be like for one government force to fight another.
Da Kui ran back, panting. He said that Brother Bao and the others knew we were out and were only feigning an attack at the intersection, not entering their encirclement.
He said the car was just outside the jungle, and they hadn't found any ambushes inside the jungle.
We quickly followed him out.
It took about two to three hundred meters to get out of the jungle. Da Kui must have been panting because he had run in to find us.
Brother Qing's van picked us up. Brother Bao was in the car. When he saw us, he said, "You've been through a lot. Brother Qing has booked a restaurant in Yangon to help you recover from the shock."
The car drove along the riverside. As we passed the manor entrance, we saw many government troops gathered there. They had likely withdrawn, and the manor was engulfed in smoke, certainly having taken a pounding from artillery.
Bo Gang probably hadn't expected Brother Qing to bring the government army to fight him. His plan was to lure Brother Qing into a trap, so the manor didn't have many soldiers. He couldn't have imagined that Brother Qing would mobilize a large force with heavy weapons, intending to flatten his manor.
We didn't see Brother Qing at the entrance; he had likely already left.
None of us spoke during the drive. Our hearts were heavy. Not having taken Bo Gang out and killed him meant he remained a hidden threat. He was operating in the shadows, and if we came to Myanmar again, he could still cause trouble for us, significantly reducing our safety.
When the car reached the restaurant, two of Brother Qing's men were waiting for us at the entrance. They hurried down the steps to greet us.
These two handed us over to the restaurant greeters and then stood guard at the entrance themselves.
Brother Qing and Ah Xiang were both there. Just like the first day, Brother Qing sat in the main seat, with Sister Xiang to his left.
Brother Bao went to sit to Brother Qing's right. Lan Ya sat next to Ah Xiang, and I sat next to Lan Ya. Da Kui sat below Brother Bao.
Ah Xiang looked at me with fiery eyes, startling me into quickly averting my gaze and looking down at the dishes on the table.
Brother Qing said, "Everyone was frightened today. Because of my personal grudges, you were implicated. Brother Qing apologizes to you all!"
Brother Bao quickly said, "Big Brother, speaking like that makes us strangers. We are family and should speak plainly. Besides, it was I who brought people to fight him last time, so this was mostly directed at me. It's not a big deal for the brothers to suffer a bit. Fortunately, Brother Qing has great influence, able to mobilize government army special forces. Bo Gang, a mere individual, can't stir up much trouble."
Brother Qing said, "I won't say any more pleasantries. Let's all have a drink to calm our nerves."
Everyone raised their glasses and took a sip of the wine.
Ah Xiang wasn't wearing Burmese attire today. She wore a low-cut dress, enough to make anyone's nose bleed.
I didn't know how Brother Qing could let her appear in front of everyone dressed like that. She was well-endowed, but the revealing nature of the dress was excessive.
I forced myself not to look at her. Lan Ya probably sensed my discomfort and nudged me with her leg under the table. I responded, and our legs pressed together.
In contrast, the youthful and beautiful Lan Ya was dressed plainly, with dignified and graceful demeanor, showing no hint of suggestive thoughts.
The meal didn't last long. Brother Bao said everyone was tired today and should rest early, as they needed to return to Ruili the next morning, abruptly ending the banquet.
Back at the hotel, Brother Bao reminded us again to be careful before we each went to our rooms.
Lan Ya and I went into my room.
She held me tightly. I could feel that in this moment, she had reverted to being a small woman. She had been tense all day and had now completely relaxed.
It was natural to be afraid, but in that situation, there was no time to be scared. Now, recalling it, I realized how terrifying it was.
Lan Ya said, "My brother, when I saw the pained expression on your face while you were sitting on the tiger bench, my heart bled. I swore to kill Bo Gang. It's my fault for being useless and letting him escape right under my nose. I swear, if he appears before me again, I guarantee you will only see his corpse!"
I said, "The suffering I endured is nothing. Thankfully, we could all escape today, which is the biggest gain. It's just that Bo Gang's life was spared. We all need to be careful from now on. I heard Brother Qing say earlier that his reach is long, and he has influence even in the mainland. We still need to be cautious of him."
Lan Ya nodded and whispered, "I don't want to sleep alone. You take a shower and get in bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."
I said, "If anyone is sleeping on the sofa, it should be me. You sleep in the bed."
Lan Ya didn't argue and went to her room to get her clothes.
I took a shower, put on a pair of shorts, and lay down on the sofa with my towel. The events of the day replayed in my mind like a movie.
I drifted off to sleep. After an unknown amount of time, I felt someone beside me. She nestled close to me. I was too tired to move. I shifted closer, and she hugged me. I could feel her rapid breathing on my ear. Instinctively, I held her tighter, but I didn't dare to make any further moves.
I remained curled on my side and slept the entire night without daring to move.
Lan Ya slept soundly. Listening to her steady breathing, I understood why she insisted on sleeping with me. She was a woman, after all, and though she appeared strong, she still had a soft spot in her heart, just too well-guarded for others to see.
Deep down, she was just a young girl who needed care.