"Boss, don't worry too much, things will work out," Ning Beichen said, unscrewing a bottle of mineral water and handing it to Liu Yilin to comfort her.
Liu Yilin took it distractedly and said to Ning Beichen with a sigh, "What do you know? This chip is the culmination of my life's work and the very reason for Tianmei Technology Group's existence. It represents the pinnacle of high-tech chips worldwide. Do you know its value? Do you understand its significance?"
"Forget it, you're just a bodyguard, you wouldn't understand anything. You only know how to fight and do bad things. Why am I telling you this? It's fine, you don't need to worry about this. Just let me be quiet for a while." Liu Yilin vented her frustration at Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen was somewhat stunned and felt wrongly accused. He really wanted to argue that he could do many things besides fighting. However, seeing Liu Yilin in a temper, he couldn't be bothered to argue with her. Still, anyone would be in a bad mood at a time like this, so Ning Beichen didn't blame her. Instead, he left, letting her have some quiet time alone.
Ning Beichen walked to a secluded spot and took out his phone, about to make a call. Just then, his phone rang. There was no caller ID on the screen, only a string of what looked like garbled characters. It was a call from an encrypted channel.
Ning Beichen glanced around to ensure no one was watching before answering the call. "Sect Master, we've gathered some information," a voice said.
"Speak."
"The person who stole the data is the Thousand-Faced God of Thieves. In ten days, he will meet the seller in Las Vegas."
After hanging up, Ning Beichen's expression turned grim. He hadn't expected the culprit to be the Thousand-Faced God of Thieves. While others might not have had the opportunity to smuggle the data out of the country, it was no problem for him. From the information just received, Ning Beichen knew the Thousand-Faced God of Thieves had already successfully taken the data. In other words, further investigation here was meaningless.
This wasn't good news, and Ning Beichen hesitated, unsure whether to tell Liu Yilin. However, after a moment's thought, he decided he should, to prevent her from wasting time here, as this was no trivial matter. But he still wanted to let her calm down a bit longer. After all, things were as they were, and rushing wouldn't help.
About an hour later, Ning Beichen went back in and saw that Liu Yilin's mood had improved considerably.
"Boss, I've got some clues about the missing files. Do you want to know?" Ning Beichen walked over and whispered to her.
Liu Yilin, who had been looking dejected, suddenly's eyes lit up. She stared intently at Ning Beichen and excitedly grabbed his clothes. Ning Beichen quietly relayed the intelligence he had gathered.
"Ning Beichen, how did you find out?" Liu Yilin was so excited that her hands were trembling. This was the best news she had heard all day.
"I have my own sources. You don't need to doubt its authenticity. I can guarantee it's absolutely true," Ning Beichen told her.
"That's great! Let's go notify the police to arrest him right away!" Liu Yilin urged.
"It's no use. It's too late. The Thousand-Faced God of Thieves has already left with the data. He can change his appearance at will, and no one can find him," Ning Beichen told her.
"Then what do we do? Ning Beichen, aren't you a bodyguard? You must have a way, right?" Liu Yilin grabbed Ning Beichen's arm and cried out loudly.
"The only way now is to go to Las Vegas to find him. Searching for him here would be like finding a needle in a haystack," Ning Beichen said after thinking for a moment.
"Okay, then we'll go to Las Vegas," Liu Yilin immediately agreed.
"Us? Boss, you're coming too?" Ning Beichen asked in surprise.
"Of course. This document is too important to me. I must get it back," Liu Yilin said resolutely.
"Alright then, boss. You can come, but we need to set some ground rules," Ning Beichen said. After all, being outside was different from being here; he couldn't let her run wild.
"You say them."
"First, in Las Vegas, you must listen to me on everything."
"Agreed."
"Second, when we're out, you can't throw tantrums or give me the cold shoulder."
"No problem."
"Third... forget it. I'll think of the third one later. Anyway, when we're out, as long as you listen to me, you can't insist on going west when I tell you to go east." Ning Beichen thought about it and felt that such an agreement was meaningless, so he couldn't be bothered to emphasize it further.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Liu Yilin agreed readily this time, without any bargaining. Whatever Ning Beichen said, she agreed to.
"Alright then. In that case, I'll accompany you to Las Vegas," Ning Beichen nodded and said. However, the Thousand-Faced God of Thieves' transaction was ten days away, so they still had plenty of time. Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin stayed for two more days to let her handle some of the post-incident work. They increased security and let go of a large number of staff. Ning Beichen just watched without saying anything. In truth, no matter how strict the security was, it could only deter petty thieves. For a top-tier thief like the Thousand-Faced God of Thieves, such defenses were useless.
Two days later, Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin returned to Haizhou New City. After preparing some simple luggage, they took a flight to Las Vegas. A day later, they arrived at the largest hotel in Las Vegas. As soon as they entered the main entrance, they found the manager of this five-star hotel respectfully waiting to greet them. At first, Liu Yilin thought it was simply good service, with the manager coming out to welcome guests. Later, she realized that the manager's respect was only for Ning Beichen; no one else received such treatment.
"Mr. Ning, your dedicated suite has been arranged. It's in the usual location and has been kept reserved for you. No one else is qualified to stay there except you."
"Thank you, Mr. Grant." Ning Beichen said to him.
"It is my honor to serve Mr. Ning," the manager replied, looking overwhelmed.
Liu Yilin, trailing behind, was dumbfounded. Wasn't Ning Beichen just a bodyguard? Why was the manager of the largest five-star hotel in Las Vegas treating him like an employee addressing their boss? Furthermore, the general manager even helped them with their luggage, forgoing the need for dedicated bellhops and personally serving Ning Beichen and her. Liu Yilin felt she couldn't understand Ning Beichen at all.