You Mingxu stared fixedly at him: "Only one drink."
Yin Feng immediately adopted a little-bunny expression completely at odds with his handsome appearance, clutching his glass with both hands, full of regret: "Oh."
Fan Jia: "Tsk tsk, the domineering CEO's delicate wife."
Xu Mengshan: "The man behind the female boss."
You Mingxu couldn't be bothered with these two fair-weather friends who bickered openly but were thick as thieves behind the scenes, and asked Yin Feng instead: "What do you think? Should we let Fan Jia go tomorrow?"
Yin Feng replied: "If it were me, I'd go. Previously, Chen Zhaoci insisted on the nude loan video, showing every sign of cutting ties afterward. That would align with the company's interests and usual practices. Now he suddenly changes his mind, asks Fan Jia to come to the company, and says there's room for negotiation. Something must have happened in between. And I believe the change didn't come from Chen Zhaoci himself, but from his superiors changing their minds. The fox might be about to show its tail—of course we should grab it."
The other three fell silent.
You Mingxu downed her drink in one gulp and said to Fan Jia: "Go. But absolutely no reckless moves. At any sign of danger, withdraw immediately. We'll be watching closely from the outside to protect you."
——
The time Chen Zhaoci arranged with Fan Jia was the following evening.
This low-profile company, which might have connections with thousands of university students in the city, was located near Huaicheng University, in a corner of the old town.
Dusk enveloped the narrow street. The area was filled with warehouses and storefronts, remote enough to be deserted at night, with hardly a soul in sight.
Fan Jia followed Chen Zhaoci out of the car and looked at the unremarkable three-story gray building before her. "The company is here?" she asked.
Chen Zhaoci said: "What were you thinking? The headquarters are in Shenzhen, taking up three floors of a skyscraper in the city center. This is the Huaicheng office—we have over 100 branches nationwide. The boss checked out office buildings in Huaicheng and found them particularly unsatisfactory, so he rented this place instead. It's spacious, quiet, and close to the university. It's not cheaper than the city center either."
Fan Jia thought to herself, I'd be an idiot to believe you. On her face, she showed an expression of understanding.
Entering the first floor, there was actually a reception desk. It was after hours, so no one was there. Chen Zhaoci led Fan Jia inside. She glanced around—seven or eight desks, all empty, with nothing out of the ordinary to see.
On the second floor, a few offices had lights on. Chen Zhaoci greeted several people. They acted as if they didn't see Fan Jia, hurrying past. Chen Zhaoci explained: "To be honest, everyone's seen plenty of university students like you." Fan Jia: "Oh, then what am I mainly here for today?"
Twilight filled the corridor, where the lights were off, illuminated only by the glow from adjacent rooms. Chen Zhaoci turned to look at her, smiling. "Don't worry, it's a good thing. You don't need to say much later, just listen to them."
"Them?"
Chen Zhaoci nodded. "The company boss and a few senior executives. They care deeply about idealistic and upright students like you. They're aware of your difficulties too. Whether you can seize this opportunity is up to you."
Fan Jia nodded, feigning naivete.
After a moment, she asked: "Your company has such big operations and so many clients... how do they... know about me?" Her tone carried a hint of delight and shyness.Chen Zhaoci looked ahead and smiled, saying, "Of course I mentioned it to them. Weren't you at the end of your rope? And last time when you came to my office to confront me, the boss happened to be driving by and saw you."
Fan Jia: "Oh... Then I'm really lucky."
They arrived at another office door. Chen Zhaoci knocked, and a young girl came out. He said, "Take her in for a security check."
The girl nodded. Fan Jia grabbed Chen Zhaoci's sleeve, her face showing confusion: "Why..."
Chen Zhaoci smiled faintly and explained in a low voice: "Company policy. Everyone who comes in needs to be checked. We're worried about reporters—some specifically want to write sensational stories, twist the facts, and then come back to extort us. It's just a simple check, nothing to worry about. Also, you need to turn off your phone and leave it here. We'll return it to you when you're done."
Fan Jia had no choice but to follow the girl into the office. The girl first patted her down thoroughly, seemingly checking if she was hiding anything. Then, in front of her, she emptied the contents of her handbag onto the table and immediately took the phone.
Fan Jia lowered her gaze, watching the girl's hands intently. She then glanced down at the shadow outside the closed door—it hadn't moved. Chen Zhaoci was waiting right outside.
From the moment Fan Jia got into Chen Zhaoci's car, You Mingxu and the others had heard every word of their conversation clearly.
They were staying in a warehouse across from the Gold Splitting Treasure Company, with the curtains drawn and only a small gap to watch the main entrance. So far, they knew this building had only one entrance and exit.
Fan Jia's bag didn't contain a camera, precisely to avoid such situations. However, it did have a listening device and a tracker.
You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan stared at the display screen in front of them, which showed a map of the area. The blinking dot representing Fan Jia remained inside the building across the street.
Yin Feng sat behind them.
From the listening device came rustling sounds and the clatter of items being dumped out. You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan held their breath.
"What's this?"
A strange girl's voice suddenly came through, clear and loud.
——
Fan Jia watched as the various small items from her bag scattered across the table. She saw the girl pick up the fountain pen, while an eyebrow pencil rolled off the table and landed near the girl's feet.
Fan Jia looked innocent: "It's a fountain pen."
The girl appeared a few years older than college student Fan Lingling but lacked any of her naivety. She glanced at Fan Jia, expressionlessly unscrewed the pen cap and ink cartridge, and examined them carefully. Finding nothing unusual, she put the pen down.
She then meticulously checked the powder compact, wallet, lipstick, and power bank that Fan Jia had brought. Finally, she helped pack everything back into the bag and said, "Alright, you can go."
Fan Jia picked up her bag and left without giving another glance to the eyebrow pencil on the floor. At the door, Chen Zhaoci and the girl exchanged looks. He gave Fan Jia a gentle smile and said, "Before meeting the leader, there's someone who wants to see you first."
——
You Mingxu and the others listened as the sounds from the listening device faded away, followed by the sound of a door closing, and then silence.
Xu Mengshan said, "That silly girl probably lost the listening device. What do we do, Sis You?"
You Mingxu stared at the screen; the dot was still moving slowly. She said, "Fan Jia knows her limits. She has another emergency tracker on her, and it's still moving, so it probably hasn't been discovered. If she's in danger, she'll call for us. Let's wait and see."
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