Chapter 316: Returning to Beijing

When they arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, it was 2 p.m.

“Bang!”

Getting out of the car, Scarlett slammed the door shut angrily and walked straight toward the terminal without even saying goodbye to Qin Yun.

Qin Yun didn’t care—fifty million U.S. dollars for a ride was worth more than a slammed door.

He got out and hugged Emily: “Safe travels, take care.”

Emily let out a bitter laugh; if she’d known it would be this awful, she never would’ve come to Kenya with Scarlett.

“Thank you, Qin. Scarlett’s still young—don’t take it personally.”

Qin Yun’s eyes flickered slightly as he smiled faintly: “Of course I don’t take it personally.”

Marcus and Kevin nodded to Qin Yun and immediately hurried after her.

Seeing this, Qin Yun said: “Go ahead. Goodbye.”

“Aren’t you leaving too?”

Qin Yun tapped the roof of the Corolla: “I still have to return the car.”

Emily hugged Qin Yun again and suddenly kissed his cheek without warning: “I’m off now—next time you come to America, find me. I’ll treat you right.”

When she said “treat,” Emily’s expression clearly changed.

Qin Yun couldn’t help but laugh: “Alright then, I’ll look forward to it.”

Once Emily had run off into the terminal, Qin Yun drove toward the embassy. Over half an hour later, his car pulled into the compound.

There, in the office, he met Guo Feiyan.

Guo Feiyan praised him at length and shared the police’s findings.

“That man named Oku only admitted to supplying weapons—he claimed ignorance about everything else. With the Mellon family’s influence, it’s just a matter of paying off. As for Ruto—he’s Kenya’s president—he wants to bury this whole thing. After all, neither the Rabbit nor the Eagle can be trifled with.”

Qin Yun wasn’t surprised by this outcome.

“As for Farah and the others, they’ll rot in prison—no chance of parole. All the ransom money paid for the hostages has been recovered. Besides the trauma, the Kenyan government has also granted each victim a five-ten-thousand-yuan psychological compensation.”

“This whole thing was thanks to you. Without you, we might never have resolved it—Kenyan police capabilities are just too unreliable.”

“We’re all compatriots—it’s what I should’ve done.” Then Qin Yun recounted what happened on the highway: “I squeezed fifty million U.S. dollars out of them—pretty good haul.”

Guo Feiyan laughed and shook her head: “Didn’t know you had such a mischievous streak.”

She shook her head, ignoring his gains, and asked: “When are you leaving? I’ll book your ticket.”

Qin Yun checked the time: “What time’s the next flight to Beijing?”

Guo Feiyan checked her phone: “There’s one at 3 p.m., but it stops over in Abu Dhabi—should land at Beijing Daxing around 11 a.m. tomorrow.”

“Then that one.”

“Alright, I’ll have someone book it.” Guo Feiyan said, then added mysteriously: “When you get back, there’s a surprise waiting for you—prepare yourself.”

“What surprise?”

Guo Feiyan shook her head: “Can’t tell you. You’ll find out tomorrow.”

Qin Yun was speechless—sister, if you won’t tell me, why even mention it?

After the ticket was booked, Guo Feiyan personally drove Qin Yun to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

…

August 26, 10:50 a.m.—a plane landed smoothly at Beijing Daxing International Airport.

Qin Yun, wearing a cap and sunglasses, walked with the crowd out of the terminal and immediately spotted a plain Hongqi sedan, beside which waited a reserved-looking young man.

“Hello, I’m Qin Yun.”

The man reached out and took Qin Yun’s luggage.

“Mr. Qin, hello, hello—I’ve heard so much about you. First time meeting—I’m Han Guodong, call me Xiao Han. I’m here to pick you up.”

Qin Yun nodded: “I was told. Thanks for waiting.”

They got in the car. As it started moving, Han Guodong began talking.

“Mr. Qin, your livestream from the Serengeti was incredible—especially those two fights with the hyenas. Made my blood boil.”

“Haha, aren’t you a government official? How’d you find time to watch?”

Han Guodong waved his hand: “Can’t watch all the time, but I caught both your hyena fights. Your skills—even in our unit—are top-tier.”

“Too kind,” Qin Yun demurred. “I’m just messing around—can’t compare to you guys.”

“I talked to them,” Han Guodong said. “They admit none of them could beat you one-on-one. That’s rare—they rarely admit defeat.”

Qin Yun smiled but said nothing. Further modesty would’ve felt fake.

The car soon entered the city, avoided traffic, and soon pulled into a courtyard hidden deep within the urban bustle, surrounded by tall trees and high walls.

As the car stopped, two men at the gate immediately approached.

They got out. Han Guodong gestured for Qin Yun to stay seated: “This place isn’t open to the public—it’s a special dining venue.”

After inspection, they were cleared. The car restarted and slowly drove inside.

The environment here was elegant and utterly silent—ancient trees towered over the courtyard, the ground spotless, not a whisper of outside noise.

“I’ve been in Beijing so long and never knew such a place existed,” Qin Yun marveled.

The car stopped. They got out. Qin Yun followed Han Guodong through the courtyard, past corridors, and soon entered a modest, tidy dining room.

The room was sparsely furnished: solid wood tables and chairs, clean walls, a single warm lamp casting soft light. On the table sat fruit and pastries.

“Mr. Qin, wait here a moment. Have some fruit and pastries to tide you over—people will be here soon.”

Qin Yun nodded slightly: “Understood.”

Han Guodong turned and left. Qin Yun was alone. He didn’t hesitate—grabbed the fruit and pastries and started eating. After twenty days abroad, finally eating home food—he’d missed it so much.

He ate without stopping until footsteps sounded outside.

The door opened. An elderly man walked in slowly.

Qin Yun quickly swallowed, wiped his mouth, and stood at attention.

“Comrade Li, hello!”

The old man smiled: “Hahaha, good, good. You’ve worked hard, Xiao Qin. You didn’t let me down.”

Qin Yun smiled too: “I did my best—though luck played a part.”

The old man patted Qin Yun’s shoulder: “But you’re just a civilian—this mission was beyond your scope. For the fifty million U.S. dollars you lost, we’ll compensate you.”

Qin Yun immediately refused: “Comrade Li, no need—I already got it from the Mellon family.”

He then recounted exactly how he’d extorted Scarlett.

The old man burst out laughing: “You, you—still, this isn’t the same. Compensation must be given. Take it.”

Qin Yun still refused: “If you insist on giving, donate it instead.”

Seeing Qin Yun’s sincerity, the old man didn’t press further.

“Fine. Someone will arrange it. Sit down. You haven’t eaten lunch yet—hungry?”

Soon after they sat, the food arrived.

The dishes were light, refined, homely, full of everyday warmth.

But the ingredients were clearly exceptional—the rice grains plump and tender, steaming gently, sweet and lingering on the tongue, rarely found outside this place. The stir-fried vegetables were crisp and fresh, perfectly cooked, preserving the ingredients’ natural freshness—Qin Yun himself could barely match it.

Qin Yun ate a lot—five bowls of rice. The leader ate little—just one bowl, then stopped.

Full and satisfied, Qin Yun felt content.

“Sorry for the display—I haven’t eaten rice in twenty days abroad.”

“Hahaha, no problem. Foreign food can’t compare to home.”

The old man didn’t bring up official matters—he simply chatted casually about Qin Yun’s livestreams, clearly aware of all the difficulties he’d faced.

When time was right, the old man stood: “Come, your reward is ready—I hope you’ll like it.”

Qin Yun knew: the surprise Guo Feiyan mentioned was coming.