"Is that necessary?" Eve says after watching Shen pull out a gun and hide it behind him as Mason knocks on the door.

"Yes," Shen says.

The door opens. A thin man with long shabby hair, wearing white cotton vest and pajama stands at the entrance. "Shenme?" He says in Chinese.

"Ni Shi Liu?" Shen says.

"Shi de. Ni?" Yichen says.

"Ni dong yingyu ma?" Shen says.

Yichen looks at the others and nods. "Yes. I can speak English. Who are you?"

"We need your help," Mason says, "My uncle is Nathan Gold. He's missing. You know anything about it?"

Yichen goes wide eyed. "Dr. Gold," he says, "is missing?"

"Yes," Mason says, "Your name was written in one of his notes. How do you know him?"

Yichen ushers everyone in. "Qing jinlai. Jinlai."

"Yes, I know your uncle," Yichen says after everyone sits down. "We met at a Global Warming conference in Geneva three years ago. We became good acquaintances."

"We believe his disappearance has something to do with a secret project he was trying to find out about. You know anything about it?"

"No. I didn't hear Dr. Gold mention of any secret project. He was just excited about the whales. That's all he talked about when we last met."

"What whales?"

"The ones in Hokkaido," Yichen says.

"In Rausu, Hokkaido? Did he mention Kenzo Takahashi?" Mason says.

Yichen nods. "That's right. I heard he's a cetacean researcher, specializes in whales. Dr. Gold mentioned how Takahashi's research was going well. They went diving together, with the whales. That's all I heard from your uncle."

"You know Kenzo?" Ashton asks Mason.

"Yeah, I've met him when I traveled to Japan with uncle. They seemed to be good friends." 

Mason asks Yichen, "Was my uncle not interested in any of your work?" 

Yichen looks dejected and waves his hand at the others. "No work. It's too much. I'm a farmer now. Your uncle was supportive. He wished me luck unlike everyone else who thinks I'm good for nothing. It's true I gambled. But it's from the stress of that whole job, locked in those labs all day long. Finally, I'm free now."  

Everyone leaves Yichen's home after thanking him for his help, and take the cars back to the camp site where the choppers are ready to take them back to Shanghai.

On their way back Mason and Shen discuss the arrangements for the five to travel to Japan.

After they land, and reach their respective rooms, Eve gets a call from her grandmother who has gotten well enough to return to their house.

"But you could've stayed at the hospital longer," Eve says.

"I couldn't. I was going to lose my mind," Eve's grandmother says.

Eve chuckles. She can imagine how difficult it must've been for her busybody grandmother to stay bedridden all these months.

"Alright. But be careful," Eve says.

"How is the internship going?"

Eve sits down sighing. "It's busy. But so far I got to learn a lot."

"When are you coming back?"

Eve's forehead crinkles at the thought. Suddenly it feels like she has been away from home for a very long time. "Not before summer vacation ends, I think."

"Are you eating well?"

"I am gramma. Don't worry."

After their talk, Eve leaves for Mason's room and knocks on the door.

Mason open the room, shirtless and rubbing the towel on his shoulder into his hair.

"I—I can come back later," Eve says.

"No. Come in. I'm done showering."

This is the second time Eve has seen him shirtless, but it still makes her face feel warm.

"I was thinking," Eve says, "since you are already familiar with Mr. Takahashi and have been to Hokkaido before, maybe I could return home now and come back to you when you need me at another location."

Mason stops drying his hair. "You want to go back home?"

Eve takes a deep breath before admitting, "I miss home. I want to see my gramma. She's home after the recovery."

Mason puts down his hand and thinks about it.

Eve watches water drip down his hair and onto his skin.

"Then let's all go back for a few days," Mason says.

"What?"

"We all could use a little rest. I'm sure the boys are getting tired as well."

"You sure?" Eve says.

"Yeah. We are of no use exhausted. I'll talk to Shen and have him arrange us a flight back to Washington tomorrow."

Eve smiles. "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you. You've traveled a long way with me."

"I told you it's been fun," Eve says. 

"What's been fun? Traveling? Or traveling with me?"

Eve blushes. "Both," she says, and turns around and quickly leaves.

Grinning Mason resumes drying his hair. 

End of chapter