CHAPTER 1503: CHAPTER 1484: IT’S GOOD THEY WERE SOLD

There is no reason for a thousand days of thievery without a thousand days of guarding against it. Although it’s inappropriate to be looking for a gun for Morgan at the critical moment of the showdown with Djo, Gao Yang couldn’t restrain himself anymore.

Still, it was just Yake and Number Thirteen following him. If the three of them ran into the team Djo specifically sent to trap him, they’d be doomed. But on the other hand, with Yake and Number Thirteen planning the route, disguising themselves when going out, and being as cautious as thieves, if they still got caught by Djo’s people, Gao Yang would just have to accept it.

Ukraine is Gao Yang’s main battlefield. At this time, in a place like Kiev, it’s not easy for Gao Yang to find Djo’s people, but if he couldn’t even find the address of a retired factory director, that would indeed be a problem.

From requesting files from Russia to learning the address of the Yakonov couple, something that used to take half a year was now all settled in just half a day.

Speaking of which, if Morgan’s gun could be found, thanks should be given to Djo. If it weren’t for the war between Djo and Grand Ivan, where by sheer chance Gao Yang acquired power from Grand Ivan, this wouldn’t have been so easy.

The three of them found the place according to the address. It was an old residential area with the Former Soviet Union style. It had quite a history, and the neighborhood’s condition wasn’t that great. But there were many places like this in Kiev, so a retired old factory director living here was quite normal.

Even Gao Yang felt a bit nervous. After parking the car downstairs, he took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Are we just going up like this? Shouldn’t we think about what to say when we get up there?"

Yake also whispered, "The gun is likely here, but the owner certainly won’t hand it over easily. I think, in the end, we might have to resort to force, so what you should consider is not what to say, but what to do."

Number Thirteen whispered, "Perhaps the owner would be willing to sell it."

Yake laughed, "From my experience, items like this generally won’t be for sale, so eventually we still have to take it."

Gao Yang waved his hand and said, "Never mind that, let’s go up and have a look first. If the owner is willing to sell, then everything is easy. If not, just throw money at them until they want to sell!"

Yake smiled and said, "Why are you considering buying instead of taking?"

Gao Yang shrugged and said, "I’m a mercenary, not a robber. Your question is ridiculous. Let’s go, we’re going up!"

Gao Yang was quite eager but also a bit apprehensive due to it. He walked in the lead and eventually stood at a door. After confirming the door number, he raised his hand and gently knocked.

Listening carefully to the sounds inside the house, Number Thirteen suddenly said, "Someone’s there, they’re coming to open the door."

Sure enough, after a moment, someone inside shouted in Ukrainian, "Who is it?"

The speaker seemed to be an old lady. Gao Yang cleared his throat and loudly said in Russian, "Hello, Lady Kaya, we are here to visit you."

Ilyushin’s wife’s name was Kaya, and because the information was needed urgently, Gao Yang hadn’t had time to check whether Kaya’s husband, Yakonov, was still alive before coming. Precisely because he wasn’t too clear on the specifics, he directly addressed Kaya by her name without using any titles related to Ilyushin.

The door opened, revealing an old lady with a head full of silver hair. She looked at the three of them with a puzzled expression, and said in Russian, full of doubt, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

The door opening made Gao Yang partially relieved. He smiled and said, "We, we are..."

Too caught up in his excitement, Gao Yang hadn’t thought about what to say or how to enter. His usual habit was to break in directly, but now he wasn’t good at subtly engaging with an old lady.

With urgency, Gao Yang couldn’t concoct a suitable lie. Instead, Yake smiled from behind him and said, "We came to handle some things related to Mr. Monosha. Oh, don’t worry, it’s good news."

The old lady was still full of doubt, but her expression turned more serious, and she frowned, "What matters?"

Yake coughed lightly and said, "Where is Mr. Monosha?"

Yake’s approach was risky, and sure enough, the old lady’s face tightened again as she said, "He passed away three years ago. Who exactly are you people? What do you want?"

Yake appeared shocked and saddened, exclaiming, "What! Mr. Monosha passed away."

Yake’s expression of grief was so genuine that the old lady’s demeanor softened immediately. She gently said, "Yes, three years ago, he died of a sudden heart attack. When he left us, he was very peaceful. You are?"

Yake’s face was full of sorrow, shaking his head slowly, he said: "I came too late, too late... Alas, I used to be a colleague of Mr. Monosha. Of course, I was still young at that time, and Mr. Monosha was my superior, but he treated me very well, extremely well, and at the critical moment, Mr. Monosha pointed out the right path in life for me. We’ve lost touch for many years, and over these years, I’ve always wanted to find Mr. Monosha, to see him one last time, to express my gratitude for his guidance. But, just when I found some clues, he..."

Kaya sighed, fully opened the door, and said to Yake: "Come in quickly, please come in, and we can talk inside."

The furnishings in Kaya’s home looked quite old, but the television was big and very new, which suggested her financial situation was probably not bad, otherwise she wouldn’t have had the mind to purchase a new television.

After sitting on the sofa, Kaya shakily tried to pour water for Yake, but Yake quickly stopped her action, and with a face full of emotion, he said: "Do you live here alone?"

Kaya nodded, smiled, and said: "Yes, the children have their own families and are very busy with work, but I’m in good health, so living alone is not a problem. My grandchildren often come to keep me company, so I don’t feel too lonely."

Yake nodded and started chatting trivial topics with Kaya, making the seventy-something old lady spin in circles with laughter.

They chatted away for nearly an hour, starting from the work in East Germany to how he couldn’t find Ilyushin over these years, making his experiences sound as if Yake had really worked under Ilyushin.

After gossiping about nearly everything and shedding a few tears with the old lady, Yake finally said with emotion: "I remember Mr. Monosha loved hunting very much. Although I never went hunting with him, I often heard him talking about it. He also had a friend, who was also our former colleague, named Peter Sergeyevich. I wonder if you’ve heard of him?"

Kaya laughed and said: "Of course I know him. Peter, I was the one who introduced him to his wife. He had a good relationship with Ilyushin and often came to our house."

Yake shrugged and said: "So that’s it, no wonder Mr. Monosha often mentioned Mr. Sergeyevich’s name. I also remember that Mr. Monosha not only loved hunting but also liked collecting antique hunting rifles."

Now comes the crux of the matter, Gao Yang, who had been sitting quietly all along, couldn’t help but perk up his ears.

Kaya let out a long sigh full of regret, causing Gao Yang’s heart to tremble. He couldn’t stand hearing that sigh, as such a regret-laden sigh definitely wasn’t followed by good news.

Sure enough, after a long sigh, Kaya said very regretfully: "Speaking of those guns, alas, it’s really the greatest regret of Ilyushin’s life."

Yake curiously asked: "Oh? Why?"

Kaya sighed again and said softly: "Alas, Ilyushin really liked guns. He loved collecting antique hunting rifles and had a pair of particularly cherished pistols, the very old kind. We usually kept them at home, but in the year the Soviet Union collapsed, they were stolen. Ilyushin wasn’t home at the time, and when I told him after he came back, he was almost driven mad with anger. I’ve always felt terrible about losing those guns, but they were stolen."

As Kaya spoke, tears began to flow. After wiping away her tears, she said sadly: "After Ilyushin came back, he couldn’t find his guns anywhere, and he was nearly driven mad with anger. Not long after that, the Soviet Union collapsed. He kept saying if the Soviet Union hadn’t collapsed, such a thing would never have happened, that people’s hearts had become bad. Until he died, he was still talking about this, saying they could have done something to stop the collapse of the Soviet Union, but they did nothing, and that’s what led to all this. He always regretted those things."

Seeing the old lady weep, Gao Yang felt an indescribable discomfort in his heart, and he couldn’t help but think of those two pistols hidden in his safe.

After finishing, Kaya shook her head, sighed, and said: "As for that Peter you mentioned, he drank every day, getting drunk all the time, and died shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, from drinking himself to death."

Gao Yang suddenly interjected: "Wasn’t Mr. Sergeyevich supposed to have died in 1990?"

After speaking, Gao Yang regretted it. What was he doing interrupting at this moment?

Kaya glanced at Gao Yang, then shook her head and said: "He died in ’92, I’m very clear about that, there’s no mistake."

Gao Yang quickly nodded and said nothing more, afraid that he might derail the topic Yake had painstakingly directed.

Fortunately, Kaya sighed and continued: "After losing the guns he cherished the most, Ilyushin was heartbroken. After the Soviet Union collapsed, he never had the chance to recover those guns, so he simply sold all the remaining ones, avoiding seeing them and feeling sad."

Gao Yang’s heart trembled again, but he managed to keep his mouth shut this time and didn’t dare say a word.

Yake said with a face full of regret: "Damn thief! Damn thief!"

Kaya sighed and said: "Who wouldn’t agree? I hate that thief, and there’s Peter. He once gave Ilyushin a gun. I still remember that gun. It was left to him by Peter’s father, and later Peter gave it to Ilyushin. When Ilyushin was selling the rest of the guns, he wanted to return Peter’s gun to him, but Peter said there was no point in keeping it, so he might as well sell it. His father’s country was gone, what was the use of keeping a gun? So Ilyushin sold Peter’s gun as well and gave the money from the sale to Peter. Initially, Peter didn’t want the money, but he later accepted it as he had no money for alcohol."

Kaya continued rambling, and the more she talked, the more anxious Gao Yang’s heart grew, but he managed to refrain from opening his mouth, while Yake said regretfully: "Did he sell them all? Well, selling them is for the best, selling them is for the best indeed." (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)