Pedestrians hurried by on the streets as Xia Lei stood by the road like a statue. Women’s faces appeared in his mind - Annina, Liang Si-Yao, Shentu Tian-Yin, Jiang Ru-Yi and Long Bing. They formed a secret garden but he was not a happy gardener; he was an unfortunate soul with hay fever. 

A black Buick van stopped by the side of the road and the car window rolled down, revealing Long Bing’s face. “Get in.” 

Xia Lei opened the car door and got in. 

Long Bing moved forward, but slowly. “You said that German machinist came chasing after you. How is this possible?”

Xia Lei smiled wryly, “I thought it was impossible too but she’s here.” 

“We killed you off in front of her and your body’s missing. The evidence we left behind all pointed to the local gang. She has no way of knowing that you’re alive. Even if she knew you were alive, the world is a big place. How did she find you here?” Long Bing’s voice was full of surprise and puzzlement. 

That’s right, the Earth was so big - why did she have to come here of all places? 

Xia Lei smiled wryly and shook his head. “She came with a...