Chapter Fifteen: The Three Reunite

At the same time, Liang Bing and Grandma Liu met up once more.

Mario’s Tavern had been open for over thirty years, bearing witness to the history of Manhattan. For the children who grew up in the surrounding neighborhoods, it was more than just a bar—it was a symbol of the childhood dreams they longed for. Business had always been good; every night, the place rang with music, laughter, and dance.

The tavern had its own professional bartenders and mixologists to serve the guests; in truth, there was no need for someone as elderly as Grandma Liu to be there. Her daily presence was purely a matter of habit and nostalgia. That was why the small bar counter, custom-built for her, was usually occupied by a handful of elderly regulars. They drank little, perhaps nursing a single aperitif all evening while chatting away the night.

Lately, however, these old friends had been surprised to discover a youthful, beautiful new face at the small counter—a woman in her thirties. Curiosity abounded, but Grandma Liu shooed them all away, forbidding them even to come near, insisting she needed to speak to the young lady in private. After a bout of curiosity, the old patrons lost interest, leaving Grandma Liu and Liang Bing free to discuss personal matters.

Liang Bing glanced at the square-shaped glass in front of her, watching the spherical ice cube bob up and down in the liquor, clinking softly against the glass.

“Switched to vodka?” she asked.

Grandma Liu beamed. “This is the good stuff—you must have heard of it: American Gold Malt. It’s the main ingredient in the cocktail bomb ‘Screaming Purple Jesus.’ The alcohol content is a stunning ninety-six percent, pure and explosive in flavor. You have to drink it with ice, or you’ll be out cold in no time!”

Liang Bing was a bit speechless. “You seem to be enjoying the surplus of memories in your mind. Doesn’t it bother you? All that chaos in your head?”

“Really? I find it quite interesting! You know, I’ve already placed orders for more than forty rare liquors from my memories, all over the world. They’ll be arriving soon. We’ll taste them together—a rare treat to enjoy while we’re stuck in this mission world!” Grandma Liu’s eyes narrowed with satisfaction.

Liang Bing shook her head and let the topic drop. She reached out a fair finger, pushing the square glass aside—she had no intention of touching that pure alcohol bomb.

“Did you find anything from the phone we found last time?”

“Nothing suspicious!” Grandma Liu picked up a shaker, tossing in a medley of ingredients before shaking it evenly. “A white guy robbed four kids of their phones and cash, then dropped it by accident while drunk and causing a scene.

The other phone from the call was found too, lying on the lawn. So there’s nothing to worry about.”

Liang Bing nodded. “Glad it’s nothing. The police called me in at noon to identify the body. It went smoothly. They seem convinced it was a car theft and collision, and said they’d close the case in a day or two. How about your side?”

“I found an insurance broker willing to pay out up to ninety percent of the policy value. The moment we sign, the money will be wired into our account.”

“That’s enough! One point eight million dollars is plenty to get our plan underway.”

Liang Bing nodded. “I’ve already pinpointed the final showdown location from the plot—the villain Banning’s estate. As soon as the money arrives tomorrow, I’ll hire a corporate spy and a few private investigators to thoroughly search beneath the swimming pool.”

Grandma Liu nodded. “This is critical. Watch out for the corporate spy turning traitor!”

“I know, I’ve prepared for that.” Liang Bing took a CIA badge from her handbag, flashed it, and put it back.

Grandma Liu paused, then laughed. “Well done—a legitimate cover, combined with profit motive and a fabricated criminal warning. I won’t say it’s foolproof, but our odds of success have improved.”

“We’ll need a handgun and a few small explosives as well.”

“I’ve got detonators! I’ll hand them over once I finish rigging a remote trigger in a couple of days.”

“All right.” Liang Bing nodded calmly.

Grandma Liu paused her work, unscrewed the shaker, and poured the cocktail into a tall glass. After a simple garnish, she placed it before Liang Bing.

“Try this—Instant Death! I just learned it yesterday!”

Her eyes shone with anticipation as she looked at Liang Bing.

Liang Bing was silent for a moment, then pushed the glass aside.

“I may not be a barfly, but don’t think I know nothing! Instant Death is made with ninety-five percent Gold Malt as the main ingredient. I don’t want to drink it and lose consciousness!”

Grandma Liu pouted. “Tch, caught me!”

Liang Bing couldn’t help but laugh despite herself.

Just then, the bar door swung open and Gao Ning, dressed in full police uniform, strolled in.

He was hard to miss—his entrance immediately caught the attention of half the patrons. In several inconspicuous corners, people began fidgeting and making subtle moves. But the bar was an open marketplace for all, and it was nothing unusual for a cop to drop by for a drink. Most people only glanced at him, and seeing that he wasn’t flashing his badge or shouting for an inspection, they soon lost interest.

Gao Ning made his way straight to the bar and rapped the counter to get the bartender’s attention.

“Where’s your boss?”

The bartender pointed to the back, and Gao Ning nodded his thanks. Pushing through the crowd, he spotted Grandma Liu at once.

Grandma Liu was surprised.

“Xiao Bing, Officer Gao is here.”

Liang Bing turned to see Gao Ning in uniform, a flicker of something crossing her eyes before she nodded calmly, saying nothing.

Gao Ning plopped down beside her, tossed his cap carelessly on the bar, and said, “You two are hard to find!”

Grandma Liu smiled, pushing the square glass toward him.

“How did you track us down? Sharp lad! Try this drink—I just poured it, Xiao Bing hasn’t touched it yet.”

Gao Ning shook his head. “I’m in no mood for a drink. I’ve been run off my feet lately, my head’s about to burst!”

“Having trouble adjusting to your new identity? Don’t worry, a drink will fix that!” Grandma Liu coaxed.

Knowing what she was capable of, Gao Ning dared not touch anything she offered. He said directly, “Funny thing, I’ve been racking my brains the last couple days, trying to figure out how to find you, but had zero leads.

This morning while on patrol, I handled a cement truck accident. While writing the report, I found the truck was registered to Grandma Liu’s company. And the deceased…”

He looked at Liang Bing. “Turned out to be the husband of your current identity. Now isn’t that interesting?”

“So that’s how it is!” Grandma Liu exclaimed in surprise. “What a coincidence!”

Liang Bing said expressionlessly, “We arranged that accident. This is New York—money can solve a lot of problems.

Given our current abilities, we can’t take on the CIA head-on, nor can we confront the villain directly. We need money to hire help.”

Grandma Liu sighed. “Child, you shouldn’t say such things…”

“We’re on the same team. That makes us teammates. This mission may seem safe on the surface, but it’s far from simple. One more ally means a better chance at success,” Liang Bing said coolly.