Chapter 63: Lu Ye, the Master of Disguise
Smack!
Lu Ye staggered a few steps as he landed, plunging headlong into a warm, soft embrace.
Looking up, he realized he had been caught in the arms of the older woman!
Su Qianqian, startled, exclaimed, “How much did you drink? And what were you doing playing thief?”
Wasn’t he just acting like a thief? Unable to find the computer, he’d simply stolen the entire safe! Thankfully, Xiao Li’s office and Lu Ye’s room were on the same floor, so he’d pushed the safe back little by little through the ventilation ducts.
Knock, knock, knock.
A few raps sounded at the door!
Su Qianqian panicked. Lu Ye struggled out of her arms, whispering, “Quick, hide the safe under the bed. I’ll handle whoever’s at the door.”
Su Qianqian hurriedly pushed and shoved the safe, inching it beneath the bed.
As Lu Ye scratched at his throat, he made his way to the door.
“Sir, we’re security from Riley Hotel. We’re pursuing a thief—please allow us to search your room.”
Lu Ye’s whole body convulsed in a wave from feet to head.
With a stench of alcohol and something sour, a great mass of vomit burst from his mouth, splattering the Hongying Society underboss standing before him from head to toe!
“Ugh, disgusting, damn it all—” The man’s face was smeared with sticky, foul-smelling slime; he couldn’t even open his eyes, his expression twisted as if he might die on the spot.
Stifling a laugh, Lu Ye apologized, “Sorry, I had a bit too much tonight.”
“Oh, what did you say? You want to search my room? By all means, come in!”
The underboss thought, you’re drunk out of your mind—how could you possibly be the thief?
With a wail of despair, he shouted, “Forget it!” and fled to the bathroom to clean up.
Once they’d sent the man away, Lu Ye dragged the safe back out from under the bed.
On closer inspection, it was a high-end fingerprint-locked model.
Su Qianqian asked, intrigued, “Can you crack this kind too?”
Lu Ye nodded. “Of course, safecracking is a required skill for agents!”
For once, Su Qianqian looked at him with a trace of admiration, imagining he’d unlock it with the elegance and finesse of a super-spy from an espionage film…
But once again, Lu Ye let her down.
He—unbelievably—pulled a hammer out of his suitcase!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Blow after blow, the hammer pounded rhythmically on the fingerprint lock.
With each strike, Lu Ye shouted, “Eighty! Eighty! Eighty…”
Click!
With brute force, he’d broken the door latch inside the safe.
When the door really swung open, Su Qianqian was utterly dumbfounded!
You little bastard!
“I thought you were 007, turns out you’re just a country bumpkin agent!”
But Lu Ye shot her a scornful glare. “You just don’t get it, do you?”
“This isn’t just any hammer—it’s the newest electromagnetic hammer developed by S.H.I.E.L.D.!”
“Every time I swing it down, it releases a powerful electromagnetic pulse, disrupting the electronics in the fingerprint lock!”
Su Qianqian was even more dumbfounded. “Then why make it look like a hammer? Wouldn’t an electromagnetic cannon be better?”
Lu Ye scoffed, “Carry an electromagnetic cannon into enemy territory and you want everyone to know you’re a secret agent?”
Enlightened, Su Qianqian exclaimed, “Oh, I see! So your gadgets are all disguised!”
Then, grinning with curiosity, she asked, “You must have more weird and wonderful things, right?”
Lu Ye laughed. “Of course!”
He took off his AJs and handed one to Su Qianqian.
Su Qianqian pinched the shoelace between thumb and forefinger, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “And this is…?”
“This is impressive. You think it’s a shoe, but it’s actually a razor!”
As he spoke, Lu Ye flipped a switch on the other shoe, and a whirring motor sounded from the heel.
He promptly shaved the stubble from his face, leaving it clean and smooth.
Su Qianqian’s mouth twitched. “Were all these gadgets invented by Vinci?”
Lu Ye paused. “Eh? How’d you know?”
“But he prefers people use his full name—Da Vinci!”
“He’s the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s equipment R&D. I heard he was even invited to cameo in the movie From Beijing With Love…”
While making small talk, Lu Ye found Xiao Li’s laptop inside the safe.
Now, though, escaping Riley International was another problem!
With his skills, he could easily slip past the Hongying Society’s blockade without a trace, but there was still the older woman—he couldn’t just run off and leave his wife behind in the den of thieves, could he?
Su Qianqian studied his delicate, fair-skinned face, then suddenly smiled. “I have an idea!”
“Hm?”
“I’ll dress you up as a girl, and we’ll pretend to be besties. That way, walking out together won’t arouse suspicion, right?”
Lu Ye shook his head furiously. “No way, you want me to cross-dress? Absolutely not!”
“Don’t forget you’re on a mission! You have to think of the bigger picture!” Su Qianqian’s excuse sounded noble, but in truth, she was mostly curious—just what would this little punk look like in women’s clothes?
Lu Ye hesitated, then, as if facing a firing squad, nodded. “Fine, just don’t make me look too seductive!”
Su Qianqian stifled her laughter and nodded.
Ten minutes later…
Staring at the charming, lively “girl” before her, Su Qianqian was completely unhinged!
Good heavens!
Why did this little punk look so beautiful in women’s clothes?
His skin was already fairer and more flawless than most girls’, and his slender frame made the dress and black stockings instantly conceal any trace of masculinity.
With a Vidal Sassoon wig, smoky eyes, and deep red lipstick, he bore a striking resemblance to Avril Lavigne!
Su Qianqian beamed. “Looks like the title of Most Beautiful Woman in Pearl City should go to you.”
Lu Ye glanced at his reflection and, for once, blushed. “Tch.”
Walking out like this was just too embarrassing!
“For the mission, for the mission!” Lu Ye buried his head like an ostrich and took Su Qianqian’s hand as they left the elevator together.
The lobby of Riley Hotel was already filled with men in black, eyeing every guest with predatory vigilance.
The instant Lu Ye and Su Qianqian appeared, all eyes were drawn to them.
Not because anyone suspected them of being involved in the theft—these two delicate beauties looked so pampered that people instinctively wanted to protect them. How could they possibly be the thieves who broke into the boss’s office?
It was mere appreciation: seeing Lu Ye and Su Qianqian, everyone relaxed, the two exuding an effortless air of aristocratic grace, eliminating all suspicion.
“Let them through!”
“Goodbye, ladies! Please visit us again!”
At the entrance, Lu Ye suddenly stopped, puzzling Su Qianqian.
He turned, smiled over his shoulder, winked, and blew a kiss toward the lobby…
A collective gasp swept through the men in black, who clutched their hearts, faces enraptured!
“So this is what it feels like to fall in love!”
“Mom, I’m in love!”
Su Qianqian couldn’t bear to look, dragging Lu Ye all the way to the parking lot, stuffing him into the car, then flooring the Koenigsegg and speeding away from Riley International.
In the passenger seat, Lu Ye gazed at his reflection in the window, striking poses and muttering, “Who knew I could be this beautiful?”
Suddenly, he felt the same secret delight as Su Qianqian—the thrill of being adored by men and envied by women!
Bah.
Just a moment ago he’d sworn never to cross-dress, but now he was loving it!
Su Qianqian’s head was nearly buried in exasperation. “You’re such a flirt.”
Meanwhile, over at Luo Ying’s side, her pursuers had only found the Rolls-Royce Phantom by the docks—the passengers had vanished without a trace.
At that moment, the Pilgrim was cruising along the shoreline, slipping into a small harbor—more a cove than an actual dock. The Hongying Society’s attention was fixed on the official piers, so no one noticed this place.
Hearing the Koenigsegg’s roar, Chen Xi signaled Beauty Meng to lower the stern ramp, ready for pickup; Su Qianqian drove straight into the yacht’s rear garage.
In the main cabin.
Xiao Li was tied up in a computer chair, still dead drunk and fast asleep.
Everyone else sat together on the sofa, listening as Luo Ying recounted her twelve years as an undercover agent.
Lu Ye greeted her warmly. “Sister Ying, welcome back to the team!”
But everyone was staring at him in shock!
“Qianqian, who is this girl?”
“And where’s your husband?”