Chapter Twenty-Nine: Terrifying

A flicker of delight flashed through Ouyang Zhuo’s heart—judging by the look of things, this girl seemed to have forgotten all about going out. That was perfect; it would buy them a little more time.

Vivian started up the next video, but the earlier excitement was gone. Her gaze drifted repeatedly toward the door. “Just one more,” she said, but it was a barely disguised excuse. No one had ever refused her before, let alone made her wait...

At last, ten minutes later, Vivian’s eyes lit up. She hurried to the door, pulled it open, then seemed to remember herself, sat back in the chair as if nothing had happened, turned off the video in a flash, and sat quietly, watching the entrance.

Before long, Shu Yiming appeared at the doorway, his face bruised and swollen, a tear in his shirt.

“Good grief, what happened to you? Who did this?” Ouyang Zhuo, still tied up, demanded furiously.

Shu Yiming’s face darkened when he saw him. He strode forward and untied Ouyang Zhuo’s ropes.

“There was a bit of trouble on the way. Sorry for the wait.” Shu Yiming managed a polite smile as he glanced at Vivian.

Vivian had been planning to make things difficult, but seeing the state he was in, she felt an unexpected pang. She rolled her eyes and said, “Sit down. No one’s ever made me wait this long.”

“I apologize. There was an accident today; being late was never my intention. I’ll offer you a proper apology another day,” Shu Yiming said, his tone courteous as he took a seat across from her.

His gentle voice brought a flush to Vivian’s cheeks.

“I heard you want me to amplify the public outcry? You really trust I can pull off something like that?” Her tone softened as she thought of his striking face.

“Miss, I don’t know your name or what you do, but I’m certain of this: humans are strange creatures. Once they’ve set their mind on something, they don’t change easily,” Shu Yiming replied with calm conviction, as if speaking of someone else’s affairs, yet his voice was so pleasant and earnest.

“Pfft! You can’t fool me. That almost sounded like a confession. Tell the truth, do you like me?” Vivian tilted her head, a mischievous grin curling her lips.

“Me?” Shu Yiming was caught off guard, lost for words.

But unexpectedly, the woman before him said nothing more. She simply leaned back on the sofa, giving him an appraising look.

Under her scrutiny, Shu Yiming grew awkward and instinctively turned to look at Ouyang Zhuo.

Suddenly Vivian gave a laugh. “All right, my mind’s made up. Very well, bring the information over. Oh, and add me on WeChat. If there’s anything else, we can talk there. I’m leaving—I’ve wasted enough time here. I don’t have the leisure you two enjoy!”

With that, Vivian rose, tossed over a business card, and left.

Shu Yiming hadn’t expected her to agree so readily. He was momentarily stunned, but since the host was leaving, there was no reason to stay. He helped Ouyang Zhuo up and followed her out.

Once in the car, Shu Yiming asked, “Do you think we can trust this girl? Should we take any further precautions?”

“I think so. This girl’s got real guts. Her spirit alone is enough to get things done.”

“Good. I trust your judgment. If you say it’ll work, it will. In that case, let’s head to the company. There’s something I need to take care of.” Shu Yiming narrowed his eyes and added, “By the way, on my way to find you, I rescued Sun Qianqian—and got some new information and evidence.”

“No wonder you were so late. But what exactly happened?” Ouyang Zhuo pressed.

After Shu Yiming explained, Ouyang Zhuo still had his doubts. “Sun Qianqian isn’t exactly trustworthy. Are you sure she’ll hand over the evidence?”

“I’m not sure, which is why we need to look for it ourselves. She said it’s at the company…”

Night had fallen, and the building was deserted, the corridors lit only by emergency exit signs.

Shu Yiming and Ouyang Zhuo searched the office thoroughly.

“Here!” Ouyang Zhuo suddenly pulled a black device from the leg of a desk. It was the same color as the wood, nearly invisible—a hidden camera.

“Check what’s on it. There should be some backup storage. See if anything’s usable.”

Shu Yiming booted up the computer and called up important files and contracts. The most critical was the contract with Tiancheng Group.

Soon, the two of them left the office and headed for the underground parking garage.

But just as they entered, they spotted someone sneaking around a corner…

The instant Ouyang Zhuo saw the figure, his instincts screamed something was wrong. He immediately pulled Shu Yiming along, shadowing the person stealthily.

They trailed the figure to the second floor and saw them enter a brightly lit office.

Reading the nameplate, Shu Yiming chuckled. “I never imagined Shu Ji would open a company right under my nose. A securities firm? I doubt he even knows the first thing about real securities.”

“Should we collect some evidence? No legitimate business runs this late. Who knows what sort of shady dealings might be going on in there?” Ouyang Zhuo said.

“Is there any way to sneak inside? There’s only the two of us—we should be careful,” Shu Yiming sighed.

“Not for now, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible later. Wait here—I’ll leave a marker.” Ouyang Zhuo produced a square sticker used by professional repairmen, tiptoed to the door, and pressed it into the seam with a quiet click.

“If they open the door, it’ll be obvious. When it’s shut, you won’t see it. No one usually thinks to remove these, especially in such an out-of-the-way spot.”

“In a few days, I’ll see if I can break their air conditioning. With the weather like this, they’ll be roasting without it—then maybe…”

“Impressive!” Shu Yiming gave him a thumbs-up, genuinely surprised by his resourcefulness. Then they left together, driving home without lingering.

When Shu Yiming arrived, all the living room lights were on. As soon as he walked through the door, he found Shu Miaoyan and Shu Jinghan sitting across from each other. Both rushed over the moment they saw him.

“Brother, what happened? Are you all right?”

“Let me check—did you get hurt anywhere?”

The two of them spoke in unison, hugging Shu Yiming with worried faces.

Ouyang Zhuo watched this, wishing he could pull Shu Jinghan into his own arms. With a sigh, he muttered, “He can’t hug both of you at once. Let me help share the load!”

“What’s with you two, why are you so worried about your brother?” Shu Yiming asked, holding Shu Miaoyan as he gently pushed Shu Jinghan away. Something seemed off about their expressions.

“We know the company’s in trouble. Why didn’t you tell us? And you almost got hurt today—you didn’t even say a word…”

Shu Jinghan’s nose wrinkled as she burst into tears, fat droplets falling like beans.

Shu Miaoyan, stunned for a moment, joined in, crying loudly.

Shu Yiming felt a headache coming on. He could only hug them both tightly and say, “All right, all right, see? I’m fine now.”

At these words, both Shu Jinghan and Shu Miaoyan finally managed a smile and got to their feet.

“By the way, how did you two find out?” Shu Yiming asked with a chuckle.