Steal the enemy's base at the start and build a technological empire.

Chapter 135 Escape to Hong Kong

Zhao Hu stood up and walked to the window.

The street downstairs was normal, but there were two black Toyotas parked opposite the hotel's main entrance.

"Let's go right away," Zhao Hu said. "We can't take a plane; they've definitely been monitoring the airport."

"How do I get there?"

"Drive to Laem Chabang Port, take a cargo ship to Cambodia, and then transfer to another flight."

"Is it too late?"

"Let's go now."

Lingyun quickly packed up, leaving behind her laptop, passport, wallet, and a spare mobile phone, while keeping all other luggage.

Zhao Hu took out two ordinary T-shirts and jeans from the closet.

"Change to this one."

After the two changed their clothes, Zhao Hu opened the door, peeked into the hallway, and said, "Let's take the stairs."

They went down the fire escape to the second floor, and Zhao Hu pushed open a door marked "Staff Passage" and entered the hotel's back-of-house area. The kitchen was preparing dinner, and the smell of cooking oil was strong.

A chef saw them and paused for a moment.

Zhao Hu said in Thai, "Repair the circuit."

The chef nodded and continued working.

Go through the kitchen and out the back door. It's a narrow alleyway lined with garbage cans.

Zhao Hu flagged down a passing motorcycle, quickly said a few words in Thai, and handed over several thousand baht bills.

The two motorcycles split up and went their separate ways.

The bike Ling Yun was riding was driven by a young man, and he was going very fast. Zhao Hu was on another bike behind him, keeping a distance of ten meters.

Bangkok's evening rush hour is congested with traffic. Motorcycles weave through the gaps.

Half an hour later, they arrived at a small parking lot on the outskirts of the city. Zhao Hu paid the rider and let him leave.

He pulled out an old pickup truck from the corner, its body covered in mud.

"It's rented, with fake ID," Zhao Hu said. "Get in the car."

The pickup truck drove onto the highway and headed southeast.

Ling Yun sat in the passenger seat, looking at the rearview mirror.

"Is anyone following?"

"Not yet," Zhao Hu said. "But we don't have much time. The hotel staff should realize he's missing soon."

"Your phone is in the room. My phone," Zhao Hu took out his phone, rolled down the car window, and threw it out. "It's gone now."

At 8:30 p.m., the pickup truck drove onto the highway leading to Laem Chabang.

Zhao Hu was driving very fast, but not exceeding the speed limit.

"Are there any ships at the port?" Lingyun asked.

"I contacted a smuggler who said there's a cargo ship carrying timber going to Sihanoukville, Cambodia at 9:30 tonight, and it can take people."

Is it reliable?

"As long as the money is reliable, that's fine."

At 9:10, we arrived at Laem Chabang Port, an industrial port filled with containers and cranes.

Zhao Hu drove to an abandoned warehouse area, where a dark-skinned middle-aged man was waiting.

"Money." The man reached out his hand.

Zhao Hu handed over an envelope containing $20,000 in cash.

The man counted them and nodded.

"Come with me."

They walked through the yard to a berth where a dilapidated cargo ship was loading timber.

"Get on the ship, don't make a sound. We'll arrive in Sihanoukville tomorrow morning," the man said. "Someone will pick you up when you disembark and take you to the airport."

Thanks.

Climbing the gangway, a crew member led them into a small cabin. It was less than four square meters, with two narrow beds and a musty smell.

The cargo ship set sail at 9:40.

Ling Yun lay on the bed, able to feel the vibrations of the engine.

"How did you know you were being watched by the National Security Bureau at the hotel?"

"Intuition," Zhao Hu said, sitting on another bed. "The Toyota driver's posture was too standard; ordinary drivers wouldn't drive like that. It's a crucial point where we just received so much money, so being cautious is the right thing to do. The account freeze itself is a warning sign."

"Couldn't they be police officers?"

"The police wouldn't be so discreet," Zhao Hu said. "Only the National Security Bureau would act that way, not wanting to alert the enemy."

The cargo ship sailed out of the port, and the waves got bigger.

Lingyun closed his eyes; today was too exciting.

At the same time, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok.

Cha Li, the head of the special operations team of the National Security Bureau, rushed into Ling Yun's room.

The room was empty.

"Where is he?!" Chali roared.

One of his men reported, "We checked the security footage. At 7:10 p.m., they went down the fire escape to the second floor, went through the kitchen, and left through the back door, then disappeared into the alley."

"What about phone location tracking?"

"Ling Yun's phone was found in the room. Zhao Hu's phone signal was last seen on Rama Fourth Road, and then disappeared."

Cha Li's face turned ashen.

"What about the airport?"

"We checked all the flights, but there were no records of them purchasing tickets, and our staff at the airport didn't find them either."

"Where's the car?"

"Lingyun's car is still parked in the hotel parking lot. But we tracked down a car heading towards the airport, and the license plate number is..."

"explain!"

"It's a National Security Bureau car," the subordinate said in a lower voice, "but it's our own car."

Chali was stunned.

"What?!"

"The car was abandoned after being driven to the airport. Ling Yun's fingerprints were found inside the car, but he was not there."

"A smokescreen." Chali gritted his teeth. "They never went to the airport at all."

"What do we do now?"

"Search the entire city! The port, the train station, the bus station! They must still be in Thailand!"

But it was too late.

The cargo ship sailed at sea overnight.

We arrived at Sihanoukville, Cambodia at 5 a.m.

When we disembarked, it was just getting light. A young Cambodian man was there to meet us in a beat-up Toyota.

"It's a three-hour drive to Phnom Penh Airport."

The road was very bumpy; the road conditions in Cambodia are very poor.

Zhao Hu kept looking in the rearview mirror.

"Is anyone following?" Ling Yun asked.

"No. But we still need to hurry."

We arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport at 9:00 AM.

Zhao Hu used his spare passport to buy a ticket for the next available flight to Hong Kong. Cambodia Airlines, departing at 11:00 AM.

While waiting for her flight, Lingyun bought a newspaper.

Thai newspapers' front-page headlines: "Foreign-invested digital city project under investigation; investors have not yet responded."

The accompanying photo shows the exterior of the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok.

The article states that Thailand's National Security Agency is investigating whether a Chinese investor is involved in illicit capital flight, but the individual's whereabouts are currently unknown.

"You're quick." Ling Yun put down the newspaper.

"Are we safe?" Zhao Hu asked.

"You're only safe once you're on the plane."

At 11:00, the flight took off on time.

At 2 p.m., we landed at Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport.

As soon as I stepped out of the airport, Li Ziyu's car was already waiting.

"Lingyun!" Li Ziyu stepped forward. "The news has spread all over Bangkok that you took the money and ran away."

"Let's talk on the bus."

Inside the car, Ling Yun briefly recounted what had happened.

Li Ziyu was stunned.

"The National Security Bureau has been mobilized? So now you're... a fugitive?"

"No," Ling Yun said. "They have no evidence and haven't caught anyone. As long as I don't go back to Thailand, there's nothing they can do."

"But the Digital City project..."

"Pause," Ling Yun said. "Have Sun Peng withdraw the construction team. We can't go to Thailand anytime soon."

"What a pity, so many pre-order items..."

"The money is in," Lingyun said. "That's the key."

The car arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong.

A day and a night, from Bangkok to Cambodia to Hong Kong.

It was a mess, but we're safe now.

Zhao Hu knocked on the door and came in.

"Mr. Ling, here's the latest news from Thailand."

"explain."

"The National Security Bureau held a press conference this afternoon, saying that the Digital City project involves illegal capital outflows and is under investigation. But they did not mention your name, only saying 'a certain Chinese investor'."

"They're trying to save face," Ling Yun said. "If they can't catch them, that's all they can say."

"Will we have any more trouble?"

"Not in the short term." Ling Yun turned around, "But we can't enter the Thai market for the time being."

"pity."

"It's not a pity," Ling Yun said. "Our target market was never the Thai market."

"Go and rest," Ling Yun said. "You've worked hard today."

"Mr. Ling too."

After Zhao Hu left, Ling Yun called An Shiyu.

"I'm back in Hong Kong."

"Why did you suddenly come back? Weren't you going to stay in Thailand for a while?"

"Something came up, so I came back early."

"Did it go smoothly?"

"It went smoothly." Ling Yun paused, "I just missed you."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"I miss you as well."

After hanging up the phone, Lingyun lay down on the bed.

My body is tired, but my mind is clear.

Although his escape was humiliating, it also made him see some things clearly.

No matter how much money you have, it's not safe on someone else's turf.

It must have its own foundation, and it must be strong enough.

So powerful that no one dares to mess with you easily.