The China Doll didn't look pleased with either option. He sat down again, his head still up as he then said,

"If I get you that close to the Teo Chiu, they'll kill me. But you will kill me anyway. And this way would be a lot more unpleasant then what the Teo Chiu would do to me."

"So what you're saying is...?"

"I'll..I can get you in close...but I can't bring you too close or the Teo Chiu will know it's me."

Jia nodded as he said,

"What's your name anyway. I can't keep calling you China Doll."

"Xiao Tien."

"Xiao?"

"Yeah Xiao...problem?"

"No, I just had a couple of clashes with one too many Xiao's before. No relation to Kenimin right?"

"Who?"

Jia shook his head, dismissing it as he said,

"Xiao Tien...okay. I'll do my best to remember that. Now I want you to do something right now."

"What?"

Jia went over, tucking his hair behind his ear as he picked up the phone from the table and set it beside Xiao Tien. He then said,

"Call the Teo Chiu and ask them if they have Toshimasa. If they do, ask if he's still alive."

"Who's Toshimasa?"

"Someone they took from the casino just ask that don't worry about who he is."

"They'll be suspicious."

"Just tell them you're coming back."

"Fine."

He picked up the phone as he looked at the numbers being dial and then began to speak. He spoke in the language only the Teo Chiu knew so it made it difficult for any one of us to understand. Jia didn't seem worried though and watched as Xiao Tien continued his conversation. Finally he hung up as he said,

"The Teo Chiu have Toshimasa and yes he's still alive."

"That's good for you China Doll."

"Why me?"

"Because, if he was dead I would have no use for you and your options would be null and void."

Toki smirked as Xiao Tien clutched his arms as he said,

"So now what?"

"Well now, we go to Bangkok in a few days. Now that I know that Toshimasa is alive, I can get in there easily and bring him out."

"Why is he so important to you?"

"That's none of your business China Doll."

Xiao Tien narrowed his eyes as he said,

"I thought you wanted to know my name so you could stop calling me that."

"I lied."

Toki laughed slightly as Jia then said,

"We're going to have our plans arranged and we'll come back for you soon."

Jia then left, Toki following, Mikkie and then myself. The lower head continued to stand guard as we left.

On our way back, Jia called Tai and let him know that Toshimasa was still alive and he was heading into Bangkok for him. Tai strongly urged him not to but Jia said he had to. They continued the conversation once Jia got back to his building. Tai continued to remind Jia that it was dangerous for him to go anywhere near Bangkok. Jia then stopped in tracks, looked up at Tai since he was taller then Jia and said,

"Tai, you wanna stop babying me for just one second while I explain something?"

Tai sighed and said,

"What Jia. Go ahead."

"You think I would willingly walk into Bangkok alone knowing how dangerous it is?"

"No Jia."

"Okay then cut me some credit Tai."

"You shouldn't go into Bangkok anyway Jia. Let me go."

"Tai, I can't have you running around in my place. This is my problem."

"Everything is your problem but I help you out anyway. Let me go in your place. You should stay here."

Jia sighed as he said,

"Tai, before you went in my place it cost you a lot and now you managed to regain some of that, you think I'd let you take my place in anything like that again?"

Tai sighed as he said,

"No."

"Okay then. I'll go. You let me handle this, you take care of shit here. Will someone please let another lower head take place in front of the China Doll's room, I suspect the one that's been standing there all night is tired. And someone get me some tea. Sometime today would be nice."

Jia said all this as he spoke and went to the elevator. Tai sighed and said,

"Jo will you go find Hisoka and tell him to take guard for the China Doll. Where's Toki?"

I shrugged as I looked around and saw him standing outside with Aoki having a cigarette, oogling anyone attractive as they walked by. I then said,

"Tai, Toki's out there."

"God, it figures."

He walked out there as he asked Toki to get Jia some tea as he went back inside. I called Hisoka to let him know he had to take over standing guard of Xiao Tien. Aoki then came back inside as he said,

"What's going on Tai?"

"Jia's making plans to head into Bangkok."

"Shit...the man's got balls I'll tell you that much." Said Aoki as he smoked his cigarette.

Tai sighed, not even wanting to think about that as he said,

"Yes but he's not being too smart right now. I still think I should go in his stead."

"Oh yeah, you'll blend in. Six feet and three tons of Tai blend in well with short, scrawny people."

Aoki smirked at his sarcasm as Tai looked at him with the "that's not funny" face as he then turned away. Aoki then continued smoking as he said,

"So what should the rest of us do for now?"

"I'm not sure. I'll call you if anything."

Aoki nodded as he then went to sit down. As for myself, I checked my watch before I started leaving. On my way out, I nearly ran right into Toki, who was holding a cup of tea. He lifted it up as he said.

"Fuck! Damn Jo watch what the fuck you're doing!"

"Gomen.."

He shook it off, sticking his tongue out slightly as he said,

"It's okay, I didn't drop anything."

He lowered his arm back down as he dusted off his shirt slightly and said,

"Take that to Li will you."

"I thought you were gonna go there now anyway."

"Yeah but I'm about to have a cigarette."

"Like you can't have one in his office."

"Damnit Jo, I'm talkin to Aoki okay. Just take that to him and tell him I'm still here."

I sighed and said,

"Okay fine."

I took the tea and went upstairs, taking the elevator up. I knocked on Jia's office door as he allowed me in. He rubbed his cigarette out in an ashtray as he spoke on the phone. He gestured me in as I whispered,

"Your tea."

Jia nodded as he then gave me a wave of his hand, dismissing me as I said,

"Jia..?"

He put his hand over the mouth piece as he said,

"Hai?"

"Toki said he's still downstairs."

"Oh okay. Thanks."

I then left and went on my way home.

Everything was calm for the time Jia arranged his travel plans. He spoke to the 24K to let them know he was coming in but he had a shield. The day before Jia left for Bangkok, Xiao Tien came in. He frowned as he looked at his hands and he wore some black seat pants and a regular white shirt. It was unlike the all black outfit he was wearing before full of grace and elegance, what I noticed too was that he wasn't wearing any shoes. He walked barefoot from the cab as Hisoka walked beside him and walked inside the building. Hisoka saw me as he said,

"Hey Jo. Jia said to bring him here."

"Yeah, I know. I'll take him up."

Hisoka nodded and was about to turn away before I grabbed Xiao Tien's shoulder to keep him in place as I said,

"Hisoka?"

"Hm?"

He stopped, turning slightly as his blonde hair covered his face.

"Why isn't he wearing any shoes?"

"I don't know. He didn't want to so I just brought him like that."

He then waved to me, going out as I took Xiao Tien to the elevator. I looked at him as his elegant eyes gazed over at me. He then held his hands behind his back as he said,

"You look too young for this kind of work."

"I know. I heard it a million times."

Xiao Tien reached up to his face, smoothing back his black soft looking hair as he said,

"I didn't wear shoes because I haven't had a change of clothes in a few days. I don't have any other shoes then my dress shoes and I wasn't about to wear those with this."

"Shoes are shoes. It shouldn't matter."

"I don't care."

Weirdo. Why would he come barefoot...no socks even. Anyway, I brought him to Jia's office as he turned in his chair and said,

"Hey China Doll."

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

"Blame him. He started calling you China Doll."

Xiao Tien looked at me angrily as I shrugged and then smirked slightly. He sat down in front of Jia's desk as he said,

"So what's the need of me being here?"

"I'm going to Bangkok tomorrow. I just need you to be prepared for it. And I need to know exactly what you do when you arrive."

"I just get there, get home and make a check in. But since I've been gone for a while, they'll probably want to see me."

"I thought so. Okay, we'll get you home, you get ready and then make your check in. When they say they want to see you, you go."

"What about you?"

"You just tell me where they are. That's about as far as I need you."

Xiao Tien nodded as he then looked at his hands and said,

"If the Teo Chiu found out I betrayed them...they'll kill me."

"Well, either way you would be dead so relax. Besides, this is why I don't want you taking me in any further then the Teo Chiu's headquarters. I don't want you getting killed."

Xiao Tien looked surprised as Jia said that. Jia then took out a cigarette as he pat his pockets and said,

"I never have a fucking lighter anymore. China Doll, you smoke?"

"No."

"Jo, light this for me."

I nodded, going over to the side of his desk as I lit Jia's cigarette for him. I then looked at Xiao Tien as Jia said,

"Okay so, I'm leaving tomorrow. What do you need to get ready?"

"Nothing. Just a change of clothes."

"Fine. One of the lower heads can take you to get something."

Xiao Tien nodded as I called Hisoka and began to walk the China Doll back downstairs.

The next day, Jia, Aoki, Toki and Mikkie got into the car I was driving as I then took them to the airport. At one of the gates, Hisoka stood with Xiao Tien, the China Doll back in his elegance, wearing black dress pants and matching shirt, his black hair framing his face softly as his radiant eyes glowed for a moment before he looked at Jia. Jia gave me some last minute instructions as he said,

"We'll be in Bangkok for...actually I'm not sure how long we'll be there for. But while I'm there, Tai takes over, that goes without saying. If anything happens, I'll be sure and let someone know. If anything the 24K will be in contact and if I'm not back by say...um..well this shouldn't take longer then two weeks. But if I'm not back within three weeks or so, then we're fucked and Tai will need to bring someone in."

I nodded as I said,

"Everything will go fine Jia."

"It should. I just need to get Toshimasa out."

I nodded as I heard the announcement of the plane boarding to Bangkok was now leaving. Jia then brushed my bangs slightly as he said,

"Cut your hair. You look like Aoki."

I sighed, rolling my eyes slightly as he then turned and along with everyone else, left. I then sighed and hoped everything would go well while they were in Bangkok.