Just as Yu Yi was about to reach out to open the window, Meng Qing stopped her: “Don’t open the window.” Yu Yi immediately understood that opening the window would increase the chance of being discovered. Since they were attacked where Jin Chengzhou had hidden the documents, Jin Chengzhou’s defection had likely been exposed.
Shen Yinghui hadn’t thought that far, and she continued to complain about the car’s smell. Jin Chengzhou suddenly growled: “Shut up! It’s not like you’re the only one with a nose.”
Shen Yinghui pouted and retorted: “You’re the one who wanted to take risks and implicated us. What’s wrong with me complaining a bit? You all have bulletproof vests, but I don’t. I’m already injured, and you’re still yelling at me…”
Jin Chengzhou frowned, tolerating her for a while, then suddenly shouted: “If you don’t want to go, get out of the car right now! Mr. Carl, stop the car.”
Meng Qing said in a low voice: “Everyone, calm down.”
Jin Chengzhou and Shen Yinghui both fell silent.
Meng Qing drove the car to the second location and turned back to Yu Yi: “Tina, help them change clothes. Miss Shen needs her wound disguised. I’ll go find another car.”
“Okay.” Yu Yi asked Li Suyin to sit in the front and pretended to search under the back seat, using her body to block the view of Jin Chengzhou and the others. She sent a message to the boss, requesting an immediate additional bulletproof system. It seemed the local government had discovered Jin Chengzhou’s defection, and Shen Yinghui might be in danger without a bulletproof system.
The boss replied in her mind: “Request approved.”
At the same time, Yu Yi used her personal terminal to buy clothes and makeup tools for changing. She retrieved these items from under the seat, and Jin Chengzhou and the others assumed the car and clothes were prepared in advance by Meng Qing and her.
Yu Yi first applied a skin-tone matching adhesive bandage to Shen Yinghui’s wound, then covered it with a special foundation matching her skin tone. She treated her facial wounds the same way.
After everyone changed clothes, Yu Yi modified their hairstyles and facial features. She removed Jin Chengzhou’s gold-rimmed half-frame glasses, partially shaved his thick eyebrows, combed his front hair forward, and applied a light foundation on his nose bridge.
After more than ten minutes, Jin Chengzhou’s appearance had subtly changed. Li Suyin and Shen Yinghui were similarly transformed.
Meng Qing took photos of the three, recreated their passports, hacked into the identity system to modify data, ensuring their passports wouldn’t be exposed, and rebooked their flight tickets online.
At 7:35, they had changed their appearance and were sitting in a dark blue business car, heading to the airport.
When checking in, they pretended not to know each other. Following their pre-arranged order, Li Suyin went first to exchange her boarding pass. After handing over her fake passport and ticket, she was nervously apprehensive, but the check-in staff only glanced at her briefly and confirmed: “You’re changing to C274 flight?” Li Suyin nodded, and the staff issued her a new boarding pass.
A few people later, Jin Chengzhou went to exchange his boarding pass. The staff looked at him a bit longer but still processed his check-in.
A few more people later, Yu Yi and Shen Yinghui, posing as traveling companions, approached together, followed by Meng Qing.
At 7:55, at the security checkpoint, Jin Chengzhou and Li Suyin passed smoothly. Shen Yinghui, however, froze in place, drawing a strange look from the security officer. Yu Yi gently pushed her from behind, and Shen Yinghui quickly lowered her head and walked through. After passing security, Shen Yinghui finally relaxed.
She looked up and saw Jin Chengzhou sitting far from the security checkpoint and wanted to walk in that direction, but Yu Yi hooked her arm and pulled her in another direction to wait for boarding.
At 8:03, the boarding announcement sounded, and passengers began to board. Jin Chengzhou was still the first, with two people in front of him and several passengers behind, in order: Li Suyin, Shen Yinghui, Yu Yi, and Meng Qing.
Yu Yi noticed several security-looking personnel walking towards them. She didn’t tell Shen Yinghui, but Shen Yinghui saw them herself and nervously gripped Yu Yi’s arm: “They’re coming.”
Yu Yi whispered: “Relax, they might not be looking for us.”
By now, Jin Chengzhou had passed the boarding gate, and Li Suyin was handing her boarding pass to the staff. Shen Yinghui anxiously looked at the security personnel and then at the boarding gate. Yu Yi was worried that her nervous demeanor might raise suspicion, and indeed, one security officer was already staring at Shen Yinghui.
Meng Qing, standing between them and the security, stepped forward and asked Shen Yinghui: “Excuse me, do you have a pen?”
Shen Yinghui turned her gaze to Meng Qing, momentarily stunned before responding: “No.”
Meng Qing smiled and thanked her, wrote a few characters on his palm, and returned the pen to her.
As soon as the conversation was interrupted, several security personnel had already walked over. Shen Yinghui looked back at them, and the boarding gate staff urged, “Miss, your boarding pass.”
Shen Yinghui hurriedly handed over her boarding pass, and in her panic, she accidentally hit the staff’s hand, causing the pass to fall to the ground. Yu Yi picked it up and handed it to the service staff.
They finally boarded the plane. Li Suyeon glanced at Jin Chenzhou sitting two rows away. Seeing him quickly avert his gaze, she sat down and relaxed.
Passengers continued to board. At 9:00, the scheduled departure time arrived, but the plane did not take off.
At 9:15, the plane still had not departed. Four men in black suits entered the cabin, starting from the front row and asking passengers for their names, ages, and requiring them to open their luggage for inspection.
Meng Qing sat in the row behind Shen Yinghui. Yu Yi turned her head and made eye contact with Meng Qing. These secret police had likely learned about Jin Chenzhou’s defection but were unsure which plane he was on, or even if he was at the airport. If Jin Chenzhou and Li Suyeon could remain calm, they might get through this checkpoint.
Yu Yi looked back at Shen Yinghui, who had begun to tremble, her eyes fixed on the secret police walking down their row. Yu Yi held her hand, feeling the sweat in her palm, and squeezed it, whispering, “It’s okay. Don’t stare at them.”
Shen Yinghui lowered her eyes but continued to shake uncontrollably.
Chapter 79: Top-Secret Escort (4)
Jin Chenzhou was seated a few rows ahead of Yu Yi and the others. When the secret police asked for his name and age, he calmly responded according to the information on his fake passport. The secret police compared his current look with the old, stiff, bespectacled archive photo and felt that this “Choi Junze” did not resemble Jin Chenzhou. With over a hundred passengers to screen, he turned to the passenger next to Jin Chenzhou, requesting their personal information.
Shen Yinghui listened to Jin Chenzhou’s conversation with the secret police under the alias Choi Junze, and only after he passed the screening did her trembling gradually subside.
Li Suyeon was also questioned about her name and age. Unlike Jin Chenzhou, she was dressed to appear much older and more serious, wearing black-framed reading glasses and with a few strands of white hair at her temples. The secret police asked her to open her personal bag and briefcase, which she did.
When the briefcase was opened, the secret police noticed the documents and asked seriously, “What are these documents?”
Li Suyeon calmly replied, “Company contracts.”
