Kong did not expect that not only himself but all of Art faculty students also were invited to attend the art exhibition event, so all his worries and suspicions were reduced slightly, but he was still curious about something.
Kong was present with his friends, he also invited Arthit, because the man insist on wanting to join. Arthit disguised himself in a hoodie jacket and glasses to avoid public attention.
The exhibition was held in 1st floor and basement of the building.
Kong and his friends split into two group, Kong, Toey, Aya and Arthit down to basement, while the rest going around in the 1st floor.
Suddenly Kong stopped in front of a room and walked inside, when he saw a painting that caught his attention.
Painting of Arthit wearing an ancient costume told by Toey that been seen in his uncle's study room.
Aya pay focus to see the painting for minutes and feel the face quite familiar, then after a while she widened her eyes in surprised as realized the painting looks like someone.
However, before she has a chance to shout out, Kong quickly cover her mouth and asked her to be quiet.
"Is that really you?" she asked Arthit. "Gorgeous!!! Who's the artist?"
Kong point his finger to the Chinese Character at lower right corner. "Liu....." he trailed off for second. "What is the second character?"
"Liu Yi..." answer Toey.
Kong shortly lose interest to the name, his eyes caught something more important under it, the same number as been carved on the ring. '427817'
Kong widened his eyes in surprised as well as Toey, they exchange the glances for seconds, but didn't comment or discuss about it.
Meanwhile, Arthit was stunned and didn't move his eyes even for second from his self-painting, he then slowly close his eyes as his memory fly back to the past.
"Aw, have you ever been a model painting in China before? I thought you didn't like it when your self-paintings were displayed..." Aya said sarcastically repeating Kong's words in the past.
"She said your painting is very beautiful, the artist must be famous." Toey helps translate it for Arthit by changing its content.
"I can still smell the brush, paint and that expressions who is seriously painting, I even try to hold my breath from moving ..." said Arthit as he slowly opened his eyes and smiled.
Toey, Kong, and Aya look at him suspiciously.
"You know the person who painted of you?" asked Kong.
Arthit return Kong's gaze and replied. "I don't know who he is, but..." Arthit trailed off for seconds before continue.
"He?" exclaimed Kong.
"He must be dead by now..."
"Oh, sorry to hear that." Comment Aya.
While Toey and Kong rolled their eyes together and sighed at Arthit's response.
"Okay..." Kong response it brief, he lazy to continue then took out his phone to check the item price for Arthit painting, and was shocked by it nominal which reach 9 digits.
Even so, he immediately bought it without thinking.
"Er, guys...excuse me..." Aya looks nervous. "I'll be back, toilet awaits..." she shortly left the group.
After Aya left, Toey goes to look other painting, while Arthit still stood in front of his own painting and look at it closely, and Kong throw himself on the seat nearby.
Few minutes later, suddenly they hear the fire alarm warning sound are ringing. All gallery's visitor became panic and running around to look for exit.
As well as, Kong and the other also been startled and quickly ran out to look for each other in panic.
Toey told Kong to split up, he goes to toilet looking for Aya, while Kong and Arthit look for another group members in the 1st floor. Situation inside the building very chaos, as people running around and screaming, plus the noisy alarm sound, though nothing seemed had happened.
When arrive at the last stairs at 1st floor, suddenly Arthit noticed something suspicious movement from behind them.
He saw someone aim the gun at Kong, so he swiftly grab Kong's shoulder, turned his body around and embrace him, then rolled down the staircase to dodge the gun shot, what was fired for three times in row at them, but fortunately all missed.
As soon as the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the room, all the visitors screamed in shocked and were silent at once. Everyone reflexively lies down on the floor to protect themselves by putting their hands on their heads.
Kong and Arthit arrived at ground safely, but Kong body feels hurt like hell from falling one floor from above, though he doesn't get any serious injured, thanks to Arthit, but he still had to do checkup in the hospital, to avoid problems later on.
The bad guy about to shoot again from the guardrail, looking at that, Arthit quickly pick up Kong's phone that dropped on the floor and throw it at him.
Arthit shortly took the opportunity after the bad guy dropped the gun, he swiftly climbed the stairs to chase after him.
"Arthit, don't!" Kong shout but the guy ignored him.
Kong wanted to chase Arthit but he had difficulty to get up. Toey and Aya found him shortly thereafter, and helped him to stand up. Kong told Toey that Arthit was chasing a stranger who had a gun and he had to save him.
After few minutes, the other members also joined with them. Toey told his friends to leave first while he and Kong will go to look for Arthit.
Of course his friend won't let them go, since it sound so dangerous.
"I can't leave without Arthit!" Kong insist.
"We better left this place first and wait for the cop's help to look for Arthit!" suggested Aya, everyone agree and help him Kong to walk up the stairs.
However, once arrived at first floor, Kong shortly free himself and ran away, goes to look for Arthit by himself.
"Kong, come back!!!" his friends shout, they about to chase after him but suddenly some security arrived and stop them for going further. All of them being dragged to leave the gallery though main entrance, while Toey managed to sneak and leave the group.
"Please, save our friend! He went that way!" cried Aya and another while being drag out. "You guys got to save him, there is a crazy guy with a gun!!!"
After all his friend left, Toey sneaking to follow Kong direction.
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Meanwhile Arthit....
He lost the target in the end of hallway toward the parking lot, then opened the door and get out, next he continue to search the location.
After a while, suddenly he noticed a movement from behind him.
"Don't move!" the bad guy gave command in Chinese while pulling the trigger before Arthit have chance to turn around.
He then throw the rope and cloth to Arthit. "Cover your eyes and tied your hand to back!" he command.
At first, Arthit doesn't listen and was thinking of plans to make a move, but suddenly he heard a gunshot right next to his ear, as if he could see a bullet darting across the corner of his eye to the windshield just a few meters ahead, in less than one seconds.
The windshield was cracked and there was a hole in the middle, Arthit widened his eyes in shocked.
"Do it or I'll break your legs!" he threatened.
Arthit froze and thought for second, he had no choice but to do as he was told, he saw the rope and cloth on the floor in front of him for a moment and slowly took it and tied himself up.
"If you don't want to get hurt, then be smart and be cooperate!"
"You're from the cave, why did you want to kill Kong?" Arthit asked all of sudden.
The bad guy looked surprised and didn't expect Arthit to recognize him.
"Your memory quite good, I'm very surprised..."
"Answer my question!"
"I don't have to!" he grinned then walk closer to Arthit limply.
However, at the last step he suddenly heard someone's footsteps approaching from behind, so he quickly pointed the tip of the gun to Arthit's head.
"I will blow his head if you come one more step!" he threatened. The person behind him stopped immediately, while also directing a gun at him.
"Then I'll blow yours after that." He replied.
The bad guy widened his eyes in shocked, but he doesn't turned around or response.
The atmosphere around them turned silence for moments. Arthit shortly recognized the third person voice.
"Uncle Liu, you're here?"
"Arthit, don't worry! I'm gonna save you!"
Arthit nodded his head, uncle Liu then returned to the bad guy.
"Unexpectedly you're still alive, or I should say you just came back from hell to finish your crazy plan?" he paused. "Natawat Pitrachat!"
The bad guy immediately froze in place as soon as his identity was revealed, after few moments of silence, suddenly he burst out laughing.
"Are you not happy to know that I'm still alive?" He asked and suddenly grabbed Arthit's neck and twisted his body so that their position exchanged. He stood behind Arthit while pointing the gun at his head making him hostage.
Next he took out a syringe and inject it on Arthit upper arm without warning. Less than one minutes, Arthit began to feel his body slowly became numbed.
"What did you do to him? What's that?!" asked uncle Liu worriedly. "You do not think about killing him, do you?"
"I will if I must!"
"After came this far, I believe you won't waste the only key left..." Uncle Liu stop immediately as realized that he slipped.
"Aw, so you also think him that way? Hahaha..." he laughed. "The only key to the ultimate dream of mankind..."
Arthit doesn't comment or talking, the only thing he does is focus his hearing trying to understand what they are talking about in Thai, but he seemed to begin to lose consciousness little by little.
"To achieve dreams, sometime you will need all the sacrifice..."
"You will not achieve anything by sacrificing!" Uncle Liu trying to persuade him. "Since you were given a second chance, why didn't you just give up pursuing that irrational dream, and live a good life?"
Natawat was laughing out loud at uncle Liu words.
"Exactly because I was given the second chance, I should be appreciate it, shouldn't I?" he grinned. "Since I trusted Suthiluck, I had risked everything... however, the pain and suffering I got from betrayal taught me all about patience, so I be patient, waiting for the chance to win my money back from losing bets!"
He then took off his mask and show his face that full of stitching and claw wound's scars, his left eyes is missing, plus his left leg also is limping.
"Wutthicai deserves what was got to him, but that's not enough! He need to pay more for my lost!"
"By kill his sons too?! Are you not too greedy?!"
"What happened to Pang is an accident, and for Kong....I had my own reason..."
"Reason?" uncle Liu laughed. "As I know, your reason is only one, is to take over everything that belong to Suthiluck, am I wrong?"
"My mother was daughter of Monkut Suthiluck, so I also have rights to the heir, then how about you?!"
"Me?!" Uncle Liu furrowed his eyebrow in confused and grinned, but then returned the question to Natawat. "So you admit that your purposed of wanting to kill Kong is for his family legacy?"
"I'm not going to deny it...so yes..." answer Natawat. "Not his family legacy, but my ancestor legacy!" he corrected it.
"I won't let your dreams come true! I will protect Kong with my life!"
"Of course, you do! Hope he will still be lucky next time!" he laughed. "Enough talking, let's get into the discussion!"
Uncle Liu doesn't response, he waits for Natawat to speak.
"I know you had found Pang who is currently sleeping in eternity..." Natawat grinned. "Don't you want to find a way to wake him up like our mummy here?" he glanced at Arthit.
Arthit fell leaning on his shoulder unconscious.
"Oh, do you actually hope that the first young master won't be wake up forever, so his little brother will take the charge for everything?" add Natawat again.
"I'll do anything to save and protect both Pang and Kong!" cut uncle Liu.
"Really?!" he grinned. "Then, prove it to me! Bring me the journal and the original serum sample for exchange with the live mummy here!"
"You won't take him away!" uncle Liu threatened.
"Relax, I just borrow it to get some information! Like you say, he is the magical research of science or whatever is that, the proof that elixir of immortality did exist!"
"Once my research is success, I'll let my nephews try it for free as an experiment!" he laughed. "If the serum is works, then we will be able to live for thousands of years to witness the world change, isn't that awesome?"
Suddenly they heard the police car sirens approaching from a distance, making them pause.
"I'll contact and give you the detail address later, try to think of betraying me as Suttiluck did, I'll make you regret for life!"
After saying that, he immediately dragged Arthit to a nearby car and pushed him in and into the passenger seat behind, then left the place.
At the same time, Kong and Toey just arrived from another direction and saw Arthit being dragged into the car and left the place.
Uncle Liu was shocked when turned his head and saw Kong.
Kong was trying to chase after the car that took Arthit away, while Toey stop immediately when seeing Uncle Liu there.
However, Kong lost to the speed and stamina and also the factor of injured, he fell on the way and stop.
"Arthiittt!!!!" Kong shouted hysterically and can't do anything.
Looking of that, uncle Liu and Toey quickly run after him in worry.
Kong turned his head and sharply glared at uncle Liu, suddenly he move forward and gripped the old guy's collar strong.
"Why did you let him took Arthit away?! Why didn't you stop him?! Who the hell who kidnapped Arthit?! You know him, aren't you? Where did they go? Tell me!!!" Kong shout out a question after a question emotionally.
Uncle Liu was surprised, he looked straight into Kong's fiery eyes for a moment with a look of guilt before turning to look at Toey with a sad and silent expression.
However, instead of answer Kong's question, uncle Liu take a deep breath and say, "I swear, I'll save Arthit and bring him home safely!" he tried to convince Kong.
to be continue....