After dinner, Mason and Eve go for a stroll in a park nearby the restaurant.

Mason takes off his jacket and drapes it over Eve's shoulders. "Thanks," Eve shyly says.

There's a cold, yet cozy, breeze that's wonderful to walk in, and the full moon above is mesmerizingly radiant.

Eve can't believe in just a few days her daily life has changed this drastically. And wonders if this is what every day is like for Mason and his friends.

"Just as with your uncle, you often travel with your friends, too?" Eve says.

"Yeah, mostly within US. We do hiking, surfing, skydiving, things like that," Mason says.

"How about just bottles of beers, a couch and a TV? You guys do that?" She says.

Mason laughs. "Of course, we do. But I thought you'd be more impressed by the rest."

"I've seen enough in the past few days to be impressed by you four. It's amazing your friends are doing this with you."

"Yeah, they are cool. They also know my uncle very well, and like him very much. Uncle is also very fond of them," Mason says. 

"Does Dr.Gold has a family of his own?" Eve says.

"No. He wasn't seeing anyone either. Although he manages to have some... let's say, casual relationships, wherever he travels to, I don't remember him ever having a steady partner. He prioritized his work and hardly thought about relationships."

"My dad's like that, too. After my mom passed away when I was young, dad never got into a relationship again. I believe he thinks dating is a lot of effort and just can't bother himself to try," Eve says, smiling.

"Isn't it though? A lot of effort," Mason says.

"I guess, and I suppose it shouldn't be. I don't know," Eve says.

"What about you? You're seeing anyone?" Mason says.

Eve shakes her head. "I won't date until I'm in college."

Mason chuckles. "Why? High school boys are not your type?" He says.

"It's not like that," Eve says, "The probability of two high school graduates from the same class ending up in the same college is not very high. I wouldn't want to separate from someone I end up falling for."

"I guess casual relationships aren't your thing then?" Mason says.

Eve laughs. "Me? You really thought that could be for me? If I start dating, one week into our relationship, I'm planning our wedding."

Mason bursts into laughter. "Yeah, that's more believable," he says. 

"What about you?" Eve says while thinking he looks even more handsome when he laughs, "You've someone special?"

Mason breathes out. "Well, I'm afraid I'm more like the men in my family. Relationships aren't my thing. However," he says and looks at Eve, "Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind when I get a chance with the right girl. What about you? If you meet the right guy, you'll change your policy of no dating in high school?"

Eve looks away from his gaze. "I don't know," she says.

The two of them walk for a while in silence pondering over each other's response.

Then Eve stops and looks up at Mason. She says, "About the Xinchi Lab, you sure we can manage to get in there? I don't think they'll allow five Americans to poke around that easily."

"I know a private security company that operates in mainland China. We'll use them to get around in the country. I've worked with them before. They are good at what they do. We won't have any problem," Mason says.

"Can they look into detainments in China?" Eve says.

"I'm sure they can. Why?"

"Usually if a country detains a foreigner, they'll have to intimate the embassy. But there are countries that might break that protocol if they want. North Korea, for instance. What if your uncle was detained by the Chinese military?"

Mason thinks about what Eve just said. So far he'd only assumed that if his uncle was indeed kidnapped then either a corporate or a radical group whose work his uncle's search might've hindered took him. But he didn't think it could also be a hostile government. "I'll ask the Chief of Security in my family's company to look into it," Mason says, "If it's a government, then he'll be able to find out since our businesses have ties with a lot of governments, big, small, even the ones that US doesn't get along with politically."

"Including China?" Eve says.

Mason nods and takes out his phone. "I'll make the call now," he says and walks over to the side with his phone on his ear. Eve sits down on the bench. If Mason's uncle, Eve thinks, was really caught by the Chinese government then it'll be a uphill battle to bring him home.

After the call is over, Mason and Eve return to the hotel, where Ashton had successfully located the lab.

Eve and the others look at the laptop screen showing the satellite footage of the building.

"It's in a remote location," Ashton says.

"I already talked to Shen from PRG Securities, and sent him what we found," Brad says to Mason, "He said they could be ready by day after tomorrow to visit the lab, and we could meet him in Beijing tomorrow."

Eve assumes PRG is the private security company Mason mentioned before. "What about Yichen? Anything on him?" Eve says.

"He's a researcher at the lab. That's all I could find on him, and his home address. He lives an hour from the facility," Ashton says.

"What's his field of research?" Eve says.

"Virology," Ashton says.

"Virology?" Eve says, eyes wide open.

Keith says, "I guess we went from human extinction, to dinosaurs', and now back to human. Maybe they are brewing there some deadly virus that could wipe us all out."

"But Mason's uncle was looking for a research to save us, especially from how the planet is rapidly changing at the moment. I don't think a deadly virus would be of any use," Eve says. 

"Didn't you see the Avengers movie?" Keith says, "Wipe out half the population; Less pollution, less consumption of resources, less deforestation. Planet is saved."

Eve smirks. Although morbid, theoretically that can work. But she's hopeful no one's trying to kill half of her species. However, whatever it is they are making in that lab might just be important enough to make Dr. Nathan Gold disappear. 

End of chapter