My plan was this: I would expose my first love, Chen Ling, to create family conflict. As long as the "Southern Faction" felt Chen Ling had exploitable value, they would set a trap for me, allowing me to follow the clues and strike back.
As it turned out, this scheme was flawed from the start. I asked Lin Han to help me act out the family drama. Lin Han agreed, but didn't really put much effort into it, and her perfunctory acting had no effect on my family.
Da Huang and Fatty completely ignored our "family conflict." They started gossiping about Chang Dachun's girlfriend as soon as they entered. Lin Han seamlessly joined them, and the three of them chatted animatedly. It seemed Xiao Zi'an was a typical schemer, after Chang Dachun's fortune. In reality, Xiao Zi'an had merely changed her appearance; her goal was the son, not Chang Dachun's wealth.
But, but…
I couldn't reveal this secret and could only smile wryly as I watched them.
At this moment, Lin Han noticed my grim expression and asked seriously, "Husband, is my analysis incorrect?"
"No, it's very good. Think about the important matters…"
"What important matters? Oh, oh, we're arguing~" Lin Han winked at Da Huang and Fatty, "Come on, cooperate a little, try to mediate."
Da Huang looked disgusted, "Let's act later. There are no outsiders here. Shouldn't we at least wait for the waiter to come before we put on a show?"
"Second Brother is right!"
Fatty smoothly diffused the crisis and then asked, "You say this woman is elusive, and we can't find any information on her. Could she be a schemer?"
"There aren't that many schemers in this world. Do you think you can buy a schemer with money?" Da Huang immediately dismissed the idea.
"True…"
Seeing their reactions, I knew further discussion would be pointless. I excused myself to get some air and left the private room. Outside, I called Lao Tie. I had recently asked him to help me investigate Chen Ling.
"Chen Ling, after leaving school, she fell in with a bad crowd. Later, she was sentenced to two years in prison for robbing high school students. After her release, she left her hometown."
"Where did she go?"
"We don't know. No one has any information on her. She hasn't contacted any of our classmates."
Hearing Lao Tie's words, I sighed, "Why would a good person turn out like this?"
"Who knows? Destiny is unpredictable. Didn't you and I end up like this without expecting it?"
"True. When are you coming to Beijing?"
"In the next couple of days. Have you bought the tickets yet?"
"They're all bought. Opening ceremony, closing ceremony, and some important matches in between. It's rare for us to host an Olympics on our home turf, so we have to show our support."
Lao Tie chuckled happily on the phone. He didn't have much going on lately, and it would be nice to watch the Olympics with his wife and kids. After the Olympics, I would return to our hometown with Lao Tie. Also, Tang Yi's adoption procedures were complete. My mother called and asked us to send the child back, saying she would look after him. She also asked if there was something wrong with my body, since a healthy couple would choose to adopt rather than have a child themselves.
I couldn't be bothered to explain to my mother, but Lin Han was eloquent. She said the child was my savior and a lucky star. Moreover, with our good financial condition, raising a child would be a piece of cake.
Hearing Lin Han say this, my mother happily accepted.
…
As soon as I hung up, Yu Xiaoluo called me and asked, "Where are you? I need to see you about something. I'm coming to pick you up now."
"Sister, if you need anything, I'll buy it and bring it to you. If you have something to discuss, tell me over the phone, and I'll handle it right away. Spend more time with the baby at home."
"The baby is at her maternal grandmother's. I'll be back to work after the holiday. Where are you?"
I gave her the address, and Yu Xiaoluo drove over. I had already informed Lin Han and the others, so I was waiting outside when Yu Xiaoluo arrived. She wasn't wearing her police uniform, her clothes were thin, and her belly was loose. But her imposing gait was something she'd never change.
"Having a meal?"
"Yes, Sister. Have you eaten?"
"No!"
"Then let's eat together."
"Okay!"
When Yu Xiaoluo entered the room, the three of them immediately stopped gossiping. Da Huang and Fatty started fawning over her, and Lin Han also cheerfully served Yu Xiaoluo food, "Sister, eat more of this, it's nutritious. Don't eat this, it has chili, which is bad for the baby."
Da Huang and Fatty also laughed.
Yu Xiaoluo slapped the table and said to us, "We're almost done with the meal. Let's have a meeting."
We looked at each other. I whispered, "Sister, this is a family gathering, do we need a leader's speech!"
"I've been reassigned to a new job with a heavy workload and insufficient staff. I see you all are idle. The Olympics are coming soon, and we can't afford any trouble, so I'm temporarily conscripting you."
Lin Han looked at me, and I shook my head at her. But she smiled and said to Yu Xiaoluo, "Serving the people is glorious." Da Huang and Fatty also saluted in unison, saying, "Leader, you've worked hard."
"Sister, which department did you transfer to?"
"Special Crimes Division."
I wanted to speak but was stopped by Lin Han. Lin Han said to Yu Xiaoluo, "Sister, you just returned after giving birth, and your work has been transferred. Insufficient staff is understandable. Just tell us what you need us to do."
"Alright, Sister! Then I'll be direct. The three of you will act as underground informants for us, and the contracts will be processed later. I'll send the work orders shortly. Divide them equally and give me feedback as soon as possible."
"What about me?" I felt like I was being left out and quickly interjected, "And me?"
"Yes!"
"Okay, you're quite considerate. When I asked you to get the documents earlier, you should have taken a look. That's right, Lin Han is tracking Mr. Ke, and Da Huang and Fatty also need to investigate Mr. Ke."
"Are they cooperating?"
"What are they cooperating on? One person is following five or six people!"
"All Mr. Ke?"
"Yes, all of them!"
"Where did these people come from?"
"We don't know. We'll discuss the specifics at the department. The informant is Shi Ying."
I pondered, so many Mr. Ke's. Could it be Ke Yingying's psychological maze? Ke Yingying's psychological maze was designed to make participants make wrong choices, leading them to dead ends.
In a sense, Ke Yingying was quite a high-level player.
It's too easy to find them, using sheer numbers. This isn't Ke Yingying's style!