Cui Fang was with the police, so I couldn't talk to her for the time being. I took a taxi to the five-star hotel where Wu Sheng was staying. Upon entering, I found Kate slumped in a chair in the living room, Wu Sheng comfortably sipping tea on the sofa, and Lao Tie, looking tired, lying on the bedroom bed.
Seeing me, Wu Sheng grinned and walked over, "President Tang, thank you for your hospitality. I've never stayed anywhere so nice in my life. But I'm used to hard beds. This soft one makes me feel like I'm falling. How about this, President Tang, you find me a dingy motel and give me the cash difference for this hotel?"
I wasn't in the mood to negotiate over a thousand yuan with Wu Sheng. I walked past him towards Kate. My aggressive approach startled Kate, who stood up, accompanying it with a fawning smile, "Brother!"
Looking at this little man's face, I grew even angrier and punched him hard in the jaw. I had trained for seven or eight years, and now I was far more capable than before. The punch sent Kate flying backward. He lay on the ground groaning, and still not satisfied, I rushed forward and kicked him repeatedly.
"Boss Tie, should I stop Boss Tang?"
Lao Tie shot Wu Sheng an displeased look. "Are you here to work as a bodyguard?"
"No, I'm The Schemer." Wu Sheng replied in surprise.
"Then stop acting like a bodyguard and pull him off!"
Wu Sheng chuckled and pulled me away. I could feel an irresistible brute force in his rough hands, forcing me to stop beating Kate.
"What's going on, Old Tang!"
Lao Tie asked me. I sighed and said, "This bastard's character was completely figured out and exploited by someone. Cui Fang's daughter is dead..."
"What, dead!"
Kate, who had just managed to stand up, looked utterly shocked and then sat back down on the ground, his face a picture of despair.
With Kate's looks and a silver tongue that could charm a three-year-old, seducing Cui Fang's daughter was easy. Moreover, Kate was greedy for money, and Cui Fang knew he wouldn't truly love her stepdaughter but would use the relationship to extort money. When Kate started demanding large sums of money from Cui Fang, it was when Cui Fang's daughter had suffered another heartbreak.
The last time, Cui Fang's daughter had been in a relationship with a good boy from a wealthy family, but her own family fell on hard times. The boy callously dumped her, leading to depression. After recovering with Cui Fang's help, she was deceived by Kate again. This sealed her fate for another failed romance, causing her condition to relapse, and she jumped to her death.
...
Discussion Group 563743675
After hearing my story, Lao Tie silently picked up an ashtray and walked towards the dejected Kate. Kate looked up, tears streaming down his face, "Brother, it wasn't me! I discussed it with the girl, she wouldn't die."
Lao Tie ignored him and raised the ashtray to strike, but Wu Sheng's vice-like grip caught his hand. "Boss Tie, why don't we hear him out?"
"Hear him out? What could this scumbag have to say? Forcing someone to jump to their death! Fine, I'll beat him senseless today and push him off this high floor myself."
Perhaps the mention of suicide had struck a nerve with Lao Tie, and he was thoroughly enraged. However, Wu Sheng had no intention of letting go. His strength was formidable; even Lao Tie, broad and stout, couldn't break free.
"President Tang, we are The Schemer, let's not get involved in killing people."
Wu Sheng reminded me. Just as I was about to persuade Lao Tie, the alarm blared – a fire alarm.
...
Why the fire alarm? Regardless, we had to leave immediately. We were on the teens floor. If there was a real fire, we would suffocate from the smoke if we didn't evacuate.
Furthermore, Lao Tie's leg wasn't good. We not only had to leave, but we had to leave faster than everyone else.
"Let's go, Old Tie."
Password 563743675
Lao Tie sighed, glanced at the dejected Kate, and said loudly, "I'll deal with you later."
I helped Lao Tie and quickened our pace. Wu Sheng also pulled Kate up from the floor, and we headed out. As we approached the elevator, Wu Sheng reminded me, "President Tang, I've seen a lot of hotel commercials lately. They say you shouldn't use the elevator during a fire."
"That's right!"
I helped Lao Tie and turned towards the safety stairs. Just then, Kate suddenly bolted.
"Damn it!"
Lao Tie cursed angrily and moved to chase, but I quickly restrained him and said to Wu Sheng, "Teacher Wu Sheng, I'll leave it to you."
"Don't worry, he won't get away. You two hurry downstairs and be safe. I'll handle the rest."
With that, Wu Sheng's big feet pounded the ground as he gave chase. His speed was much faster than Kate's desperate sprint, which put my mind at ease. The alarm grew louder, and I quickly led Lao Tie, who had difficulty walking, away.
...
We went downstairs to wait, looking up at the hotel. Indeed, there was thick smoke; it wasn't a false alarm. Just then, a golf cart drove up from a distance. Seeing the car, my brow furrowed. I needed to be more careful in the future and not call Yu Xiao Luo impulsively as I used to. I felt Yu Xiao Luo had changed, but some things were deeply ingrained and hard to alter.
Password 563743675
"What's going on?" Yu Xiao Luo asked as she got out of the car.
"The hotel's on fire. Sister, why are you here?"
"Director Wang is in a meeting. I was afraid something might go wrong if it took too long. And speak of the devil! Where's the prisoner?"
"Someone's watching him, we'll bring him down soon."
We waited for a while, and Wu Sheng came out from inside. He had a wet towel covering his mouth with one hand and his head, which was bloody, with the other.
"I'm sorry, President Tang. I caught that Kate, but someone snatched him away."
"Don't you know martial arts?" Lao Tie grumbled, still upset by Cui Fang's daughter's death.
"Who was it?" I asked impatiently.
"Zhang Ying Ai. I didn't take that girl seriously. She's strong and fast. She took me down in a few moves. I... I really didn't mean to, I didn't even fight back!"
Wu Sheng replied sheepishly and awkwardly. His strength was undeniable; we had all experienced it. But with Zhang Ying Ai's appearance, brute force was no longer an advantage. Someone who learned on their own would never be able to defeat a SWAT officer in a direct confrontation.
First published by: Ta^du Novels, download Ta^du novels for free online.
"Look, look, she's there."
Zhang Ying Ai was helping Kate out of another door and directly into a car. Yu Xiao Luo tensed, ready to pursue, but I held her back firmly.
"Sister, Sister, calm down. You have a baby in there."
Yu Xiao Luo shook off my hand and was about to get into the car again. I pulled her back again. She glared at me, "Are you done yet? Letting the bad guys get away like this. If it continues like this, when will you get justice?"
"Your health is more important."
I yelled at her. She angrily threw my hand off, and I quickly grabbed her again. I forced a smile, "Sister, let her go. Don't ruin my plan. Next time, I promise I'll capture the criminal and the 'Qing Yin Jian Gu Tu' for you."
Yu Xiao Luo glared at me. I quickly apologized and smiled. She shook my hand off. Just as I was about to grab her again, I saw the coldness in her eyes and my hand awkwardly gestured in the air.
"It's good you're not chasing. It's good."
"I'm warning you, don't let me find out you were holding back. If your name is on the arrest warrant next time, I won't be polite. I'm leaving, I still have a prenatal check-up."
"Sister, shall I give you a ride?"
"No need!"
I was about to say more when Lao Tie grabbed me. Lao Tie shook his head at me. I understood Lao Tie's intentions and said with a smile, "Don't worry, you're not involved in the case and haven't done anything wrong, she won't arrest you."
"Still, be careful."
I didn't know why Lao Tie was so wary of Yu Xiao Luo, but I didn't have time to ponder it now. Cui Fang was at the police station, and Kate, who was responsible for the theft, was taken by Zhang Ying Ai. This meant the case of the stolen national treasure had to start all over again.
"Why would Zhang Ying Ai arrest Kate?"
Once things quieted down, I realized the question. Lao Tie looked at me, equally puzzled. "Kate is just a nobody, just a petty thief employed by Cui Fang."
"What if Kate stole the painting and didn't give it to Cui Fang?"
At this point, we both recalled a detail: when I first met Kate, I asked him about the painting, and he ran away.
Lao Tie sighed. "We were all deceived by that greedy little man. He was just pretending to be a coward all along!"
We couldn't speculate wildly on this matter. I told Lao Tie to go back and rest, and I took Wu Sheng to the hospital. Around dinnertime, I went to Cui Fang's house again.
Station: Ta^du Novel, welcome to download -^ Novel - Online Free Reading~>
I knocked on the door. A normal female voice came from inside, "Come in, the door isn't locked."
Upon entering, I saw a woman in a suit sitting with her legs crossed on the sofa, swirling a glass of red wine. She wasn't a beauty; her figure was sturdy and well-built. She was in her forties with short hair.
She looked at me and chuckled, "You must be the famous Tang Nan."
At our first meeting, where did this "famous" reputation come from?
Cui Fang stood up, took a large glass of red wine from the wine cabinet, poured a small amount of red wine, and then handed it to me.