Trouble Coming

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   Li Tian is on his company’s plane with Tang Qiang and another bodyguard who met them at the airport. He anxiously looks at his watch, Dammit! Another half hour before we can take off.  “Qiang, where the hell are the photos of Long An in bed with you?”

  Unable to avoid the subject when Li Tian pressures him, Tang Qiang unwillingly recounts what happened in the Presidential Suite.  “Well Boss.. I tried to tell you, Miss Long saw me standing by the bed with my shirt off and started screaming obscenities at me. I had fixed her dress before I got out of bed so she wouldn’t suspect anything but when she saw me half naked..” His face turns bright red when recalling her insults. “ She began cursing and ran at me. I let her slap me to vent her anger but she was still very agitated. When she picked up a full glass of wine then threw it at me I dodged to the side. Unfortunately, my phone on the table behind where I was standing got soaked with the wine as the glass hit the lamp. Sun Peizhi came back not long after she stormed out so I asked him to try and save the pictures. He said he should be able to retrieve them but it will take some time.”

  Li Tian’s back stiffens and he bangs his hand on the arm of the couch, “Goddammit! Now I need to wait to deal with the situation.  Knowing that childish woman in the meantime she will run to my grandfather with her list of grievances.”

  Tang Qiang scratches his head deciding not to continue describing the chaotic scene with Long An.  As she was pacing around the room the crazy bitch did say she would make you regret embarrassing her at the reception, among other things I won’t mention. I don’t want to be punished for failing to get the photos when we get back to Catang. He grimaces remembering the last time Li Tian ordered him to be punished it took a solid two weeks to fully recover.

   While opening a pack of cigarettes Li Tian’s eyes have a mischievous gleam, so what if I don’t actually have the pictures, An woke up in my room with only my half naked bodyguard there. I can assume from her reaction when she saw him she thinks Tang Qiang took advantage of her in bed while she was drunk. Thinking about Long An facing Tang Qiang he starts laughing, serves her right for being a thorn in my side. Tang Qiang gives him a strange look, the Boss thinks the situation is amusing?

   Picking up his phone Li Tian dials Long An’s number, when she sees who is calling she has a smug expression on her pretty face. Tian’s grandfather must have called him to make things right with me. She just got out of the shower and sits on the bed wrapped in a towel. After letting her phone ring a few times she answers, “Tian.” I can’t wait to hear him beg me to forgive him.

  “ LONG AN! YOU DARE SLEEP WITH MY BODYGUARD!”

  Shocked by his accusation Long An starts to cough and she clutches the towel around her, she never thought the bodyguard would tell Li Tian. She quickly composes herself, there is no way he could know for sure and it is my word against that big meathead, “ I have no idea what you are talking about. Don’t try to cause a problem for me. It is you who is having an affair with that slutty secretary of your’s Song Sara. I told Grandfather Li too, so you better dump the little whore immediately or you will have severe consequences!”

  Li Tian narrows his dark eyes, I never thought Long An would be bold enough to name Song Sara when complaining to Grandfather. Does she want to die !  He raises his voice threatening her,  “An you crossed my bottom line! You better tell grandfather that you made up that story and break the engagement between us or don’t blame me for being impolite!

   She feels confident having his grandfather and her mother backing. “Pfft! I am not breaking off the engagement! As a matter of fact you should get a call very soon from Grandfather Li pushing the date of the wedding up. He also said if you don’t bring me back with you not to come back!”

   “That is not happening. I am going to Paris for the International Jewelry Design Competition. You will be returning to Catang City on your own and breaking off the engagement. Otherwise, I will send the photos my bodyguard took of the two of you in bed to both my grandfather and your mother. See how you can talk your way out when they see proof of your promiscuous behavior.”

   Long An’s long manicured nails dig into her palm,“BASTARD! You set me up!” She checked when she got home there were no signs on her body she was intimate with the stupid man in the Li Tian’s suite.

  “What if I did. You can’t prove it, I want out of this marriage contract. If you want to save face for you and your family you will gracefully..” The pilot walks back to Li Tian and interrupts, “Sorry CEO Li, but there is a mechanical problem with the plane’s left wing, apparently it was damaged when you flew into Milan during the storm. The mechanics informed me that it will be repaired within the hour.” 

  Li Tian furrows his eyebrows, fucking shit! He gets back to his phone call, continuing to intimidate her he growls, “Long An, you better do as I say or neither you or your family will have a good outcome. Go back to Catang and I will get in touch with you when I return. Don’t cause any more trouble!”

  After he hangs up Long An stares at the phone then angrily throws it down on the bed. NO! I WILL MARRY YOU! I need to stall him if he has incriminating photos of me and destroy them. Then I need to get pictures of him and that whore Song Sara. You are going to Paris? Then so am I! I won’t let you play me like this! I will get that idiot bodyguard of yours to admit we didn’t do anything in bed you set me up!  Long An hurriedly  stands up from the bed looking in the closet for a dress. How am I going to get rid of those two bodyguards Tian assigned to me?

  On the plane Li Tian takes several long strides up to the cockpit, “What the hell is going on! We have been in Milan for a few days, why wasn’t this problem taken care of by now.”

  “ Sorry CEO Li, we were waiting for a part which only arrived last night and you weren’t scheduled to depart until Wednesday. They are working on the wing now.”

  Li Tian reprimands the pilot “I should have been notified of this problem.” He doesn’t wait for a reply and walks back into the cabin, at least security at the Paris Airport will hold Song Sara and Navarre until I arrive.

 “…” The pilot nervously watches him leave the cockpit. You didn’t give any notice you wanted to depart suddenly! How you got clearance to take off I don’t even know! This is the heaviest traffic period at this airport.

  Suddenly met by Tang Qiang as he opens the cockpit door he frowns, “What?”

“Boss, there is a disturbance outside the plane. I am going to check on the situation.”

“Go but hurry. I don’t want any more problems. If it isn’t related to me don’t interfere unnecessarily and waste more time.”

“Got it.”

  Li Tianrubs his throbbing temples as he leans back on the couch. Closing his eyes he thinks about holding Sara in his arms then waking up in an empty bed. Song Sara why didn’t you just stay at the Inn with me?

  Outside of the plane Tang Qiang spots Noah and François with another muscular man he doesn’t recognize. He stares at the two men’s burnt and ragged clothes. “What the hell happened to you two?”

  Noah’s face is red and swollen, he can barely see out of his one eye, “Where is that asshole boss of yours, fucking Li Tian?”

  “Why do you need the Boss?”

  “I said tell him to get out here!”

  Tang Qiang calls Li Tian, “Noah and François are out here and want to talk to…” Noah grabs the phone, “Why didn’t you answer my call earlier!”

  Li Tian glances out the window and he can’t resist laughing at their pitiful appearance. What the hell? “I was busy and assumed our business was concluded.”

Noah grits his teeth, “Get out here.”

 “No time. I need to get to Paris. I can’t have you delay me.”

 “Then I am coming on board. We can talk on the way to Paris.”

  ‘…” Li Tian motions out the window for Tang Qiang to let them come onto the plane. Noah tosses back Tang Qiang’s phone then slowly walks up the stairs followed by François and Adrien.

   Noah has a raspy cough and his throat hurts from inhaling smoke, “I need a bottle of water.”

   Li Tian points towards the back,“In the refrigerator between the cabins,you need to get yourself.”

  “ Adrien get me a bottle of water.” He glances around looking for Sara.”Where is your pretty little assistant?”

  “Not here. What is so important you rushed here instead of going to a hospital. Speaking of which what the fuck happened to you?”

  Noah gulps down the cold water as the pilot comes out of the cockpit. The pilot has a look of surprise when he notices the three extra men and their condition, “CEO Li we are cleared for takeoff.”

  “En.”

  “Are your guests leaving or can we pull the stairs up?”

  Noah doesm’t wait for Li Tian to respond, he answers, “Staying.”

  Li Tian crosses his long legs, “After we take off you can take a shower and change. I have extra clothes.” His lips curl up, “Then I am curious to hear how you ended up like this.” Besides the occasional conflict of interest he and Noah have a decent relationship. He had to retaliate for the Berlin interest or he would weaken his position as the most feared of the arms dealers. Also, he has a Ukranian arms deal coming up where he could use Noah to transport the goods to Kazakhstan. He will be busy with Li Group business and breaking ground for his Waterfront Development in Catang City.

  “It is your fault.”

  Li Tian smirks, “How is it my fault?”

  “I had to blow up Marisa’s villa, Francois and I barely made it out alive.”

  “You blew up Marisa’s villa?” Li Tian can’t help but laugh at Noah’s swollen face and his blackened clothes, even his blonde hair is singed and he is missing an eyebrow. Noah prides himself on his elegant appearance he must be devastated at the sorry shape he is in right now. François doesn’t look much better. “Haha..while you were in it? Are you insane?” Once they are in the air Li Tian turns to Tang Qiang. “Get Noah an ice pack for his eye.”

   Noah takes the ice pack from Tang Qiang and places it onto his half closed bloodshot eye. “Oww!” The pain is excruciating but he didn’t want to go to a hospital afraid Gunnar Hedwig would find him. “Goddammit! I had no fucking choice, it was either take a chance the explosion diverted their attention and escape or wait to die. He was definitely going to have me killed even after he received the arms shipment.”

  “So is the buyer dead?”

  “The bastard left before I detonated the explosives… with Marisa, leaving me and François for his men to dispose of us.”

  “He kidnapped Marisa?”

  Noah purses his thin lips and has a self deprecating tone when he admits, “Marisa left willingly.”

  “So that is why you want revenge?”

  “You must be joking, he can have the conniving bitch. I came to you because once the crazy bastard finds out I am alive I won’t be for long.” He continues, “I miscalculated the placement of the explosives. If Adrien hadn’t returned when he did and pulled us out the fiery debris we would be among the dead. The mansion burnt to the ground.”

  Interested in finding out more Li Tian calls Tang Qiang over, “Qiang, get me a glass of the red wine and bring one for Noah and François.” Turning his attention back to Noah he wonders how Noah found him, “How did you know I was at the airport and why should I help you? What is in it for me?”

   “To answer your question because you are next, since you caused the weapon delivery to be delayed. He got a phone call right before the shit hit at his chemical plant in Africa where the weapons were to be delivered. He had to suck it up and ask for a government official he detests to intervene and send government forces to protect his facility. That was his only option to avert a catastrophe when the chemical plant was overtaken by the insurgents before the shipment arrived. He was really pissed off when he was put in that position.”

  “Unless you told him my men hijacked your shipment, how would your client know my identity?”

Noah takes the glass of wine from Tang Qiang, after he gulps it down he responds, “Who do you think? Amir covered his own ass and put the blame squarely on me and you. The buyer was aware of the entire situation before he arrived at Marisa’s villa.”

  Irritated that he got drawn into Noah’s problem Li Tian raises his swordlike eyebrows, Noah appears unusually frightened so the man must be formidable. He lights a cigarette and blows a smoke ring, “Who is the client?”

  Noah’s swollen face loses color and his forehead has a layer of sweat, he was hoping in the beginning he wouldn’t need to reveal the man’s identity to Li Tian.“Uhh..Gunnar Hedwig.”

    Realizing this situation won’t be easily reconciled Li Tian has a complicated expression. Fucking Gunnar Hedwig! If it had been a normal buyer I could easily subdue him but that maniac!  Li Tian stands up and grabs Noah by the collar yanking him out of his seat. Angered by this disturbing information his eyes have a murderous glint and his aura blackens, “You stupid motherf****r…you fucked over the head of the Chronus Consortium then brought me trouble! Did I not warn you before the Berlin incident about partnering with that greedy weasel Malouf ? I should throw you off this plane for your unbelievable stupidity!”