«I knew that already, but the mole I am aware of is under control» Old Ling stated while scratching his chin. He had his own strategy of dealing with spies. He would use them until they had any value, and he would get rid of them as soon as they were problematic or worthless.

«I'll find a way to surprise you before I die,» Xu Mei said, a bit disappointed. That man's sources of information were so reliable that there was nothing he couldn't uncover if he wanted to. A spy was not a big deal for the head of the Insurgents.

«You already did, from my point of view,» Old Ling stated with a complicated expression. He often had that look, like he wanted to say something but couldn't dare to.

«It's a pity I wasn't paying attention at that time.»

Old Ling chuckled, amused. That little brat was his first asset and one of the first people to join the Insurgents. If there was someone he would bet all his stakes on, it was her.

«What should I do from now on?» Xu Mei asked.

«It may come in handy to know someone from the Senate.»

«You're just like my grandfather» she observed crossing her arms. Despite her words, though, her face wasn't showing any distress.

«You won't take part in our actions anymore.»

«Why?» she complained loudly.

«It's an order.»

«So it's okay for me to climb into beds but not to fight?»

«You don't have to climb into beds.»

«You said the opposite a few minutes ago.»

«I didn't talk about beds. Just do what you feel right» the man uttered looking at her mockingly. «I already know how this is going to end, by the way.»

«Of course you do!»

«Just be happy.» Old Ling's eyes were full of sadness. The pen was laying on the table, and he was playing with a little black box. Xu Mei had seen that device many times, and it has always been turned off. The girl didn't know what its purpose was, nor if it even worked anymore. Maybe, it was an old phone Old Ling was keeping because of nostalgia.

«Old regrets?»

«Not my regrets. I'm still too young for regrets.»

Once again, she didn't fully understand whether he was joking or was serious. She didn't even know if asking further would cause him pain. Maybe he was waiting for someone that would ask him.

However, she decided to keep her questions for herself. If Old Ling wanted to tell her about her past, he would have already done it.

«If you say so, Old Ling.»

«Let's go see the others. Mu Jian must be drunk and poor by now,» Old Ling changed the topic and got up. Then, he remembered something and turned back. «Hold onto that Lin Longwei. He's your lucky charm.»

He opened the door and walked out of the room without further words. Xu Mei stayed still, with her mouth open because of the shock. She didn't expect the head of the Insurgent to give her advice about relationships.

In the main hall, the atmosphere was as lively as usual. Mu Jian was focused on his cards and didn't notice Xu Mei sitting next to him and peaking at his cards.

«I would give up if I were you,» she mocked him.

«Xu Mei! Don't give them information!» he complained but immediately returned calm and raised the stake, his yellow eyes still angry.

«I want to go home, haven't you lost enough?»

«Today, I'm lucky.»

«Do you even know the rules?»

The people around Xu Mei and Mu Jian laughed, and some of the players raised the stakes as well. They observed the exchange the two brats had, and they realised that the courage Mu Jian was showing should have been just an enormous bluff.

The Insurgents wagered even more than they planned, foreseeing their immense profits and the things they would buy with their wins. And then they lost.

Xu Mei and Mu Jian beat high five, cheering over their triumph.

«You finished your talk?» Mu Jian asked while collecting his gains.

«Yes.»

«Do we have orders, Old Ling?»

«No. You have exams soon, don't you? Use your time to study. I don't want to see you here for a while. I'll call if I need you,» Old Ling explained and went out again.

Xu Mei and Mu Jian left the base and headed back to the dormitory.

The Insurgents that remained in the hall continued to drink and play while chatting. They were emptying the bottles rather fastly, and they waited for Mu Jian and Xu Mei to be out of reach, before changing the topic of the conversation.

«Old Ling is especially considerate with those two brats,» one of them marked. The man ordered his cards and showed a displeased grimace. His hand was weak, for that round. He gave up immediately to avoid higher losses.

«Don't be jealous, they are useful in other ways. I suppose.»

«Old Lin has always been protective of the Xu girl. And they look alike if you observe them one next to the other. Maybe they are family.»

«Who knows?» a younger boy uttered. He wasn't so interested in that matter. He just wanted to play. «Did the boss ever made a mistake? I'm sure he has a bigger plan. For little flies like us, trying to understand him is just a waste of time.»