Chapter 4
After leaving the factory area, Xu Tiannan recounted the information provided by Gu Xiaobai. Upon hearing that her younger sister had been taken away by a rich second-generation named Chen Jialuo, Li Xianglan immediately sensed something was wrong and anxiously said, “If that’s the case, what should we do now? Let’s call the police right away! Have the police arrest Chen Jialuo!”
Xu Tiannan shook his head and said, “Sister Xianglan, the police have to strictly follow procedures when handling cases. Since you can’t provide concrete evidence of your sister’s disappearance, and Gu Xiaobai is unwilling to cooperate with us at the Police Station to clarify the situation, it’s already very difficult just to get the case filed. Even if Gu Xiaobai were willing to cooperate and we managed to file the case, Chen Jialuo still couldn’t be listed as the primary suspect. Besides, I just tried calling him, but his phone is unreachable. So the police could only issue a verbal summons, and if they can’t reach him by phone, they’d have to go to the household registry to get his home address and visit in person. Just explaining this process took me 32 seconds-how long do you think it would actually take to carry out?”
After speaking, Xu Tiannan added, “Oh, I forgot to mention-there’s a high chance you’ll receive another text message from your sister’s phone around 7 o’clock tonight.”
Recalling her previous failed attempt to report the case, Li Xianglan squatted down in despair, clutching her hair tightly, her voice hoarse: “Then… what should I… what should I do now? I…”
Murong Shui glanced helplessly at Xu Tiannan and whispered, “Boss, do you know what ‘being tactful’ means? Can people really handle hearing it so bluntly?”
After speaking, Murong Shui also squatted down and softly comforted, “Don’t worry, Sister Xianglan. Since we’ve chosen to help you, we’ll definitely find a way. Besides, Tiannan and I have a friend at the Public Security Bureau-he’s in the Criminal Investigation Division. We’re on good terms with him, and I’m sure if he knew about your situation, he’d definitely help.”
These words were like a lifeline to Li Xianglan, instantly stopping her tears. She asked, “Really? You really have a friend at the Public Security Bureau? Then let’s go find him right away!”
“Ow!” Murong Shui suddenly felt a sharp pain as someone flicked her forehead and shouted at Xu Tiannan, “Hey! Why did you flick me? Wasn’t what I said right?”
Xu Tiannan replied, “Don’t think I don’t know who that friend at the Public Security Bureau is. But do you really think he’d help?”
Murong Shui said, “Wouldn’t he?”
Xu Tiannan said, “No, he’s the most by-the-book person I’ve ever met. For a case that’s not officially filed, asking him to use public resources to investigate is less realistic than asking him to streak down the street.”
Perhaps recalling past events, Murong Shui sighed, “I just thought… even if he could help in a personal capacity, that would be fine!”
Xu Tiannan shook his head, “Don’t contact him yet. When we really need his help, I’ll let you know.”
After speaking, Xu Tiannan helped Li Xianglan up and said, “Sister Xianglan, since things have come to this, please trust me. Let’s go gather evidence related to your sister’s disappearance so we can get the case filed. When the time comes, I’ll ask our friend at the Public Security Bureau to help us search.”
After Xu Tiannan finished, he turned to Murong Shui and said, “The most important thing now is to find this Chen Jialuo. Since we can’t reach him by phone, we’ll go directly to his house.”
Murong Shui asked, “Do you know where he lives?”
Xu Tiannan shook his head, “Not yet, but we’ll know soon.”
Murong Shui was puzzled, “That kind of information is usually private. How do you plan to find out?”
Xu Tiannan said, “It’s probably impossible to get Chen Jialuo’s address from anyone in the factory, but I know there’s one place where it’s definitely registered.”
“Where?”
Xu Tiannan replied, “At the Subdistrict Office Director’s place. There have been several nationwide censuses in recent years, and when it comes to resident information, the Subdistrict Office has a tight grip on it.”
“No way,” Murong Shui hesitated, “We’re not relatives or anything-why would the Subdistrict Office Director tell you Chen Jialuo’s address?”
Xu Tiannan suddenly said in a low voice, “That’s why we need to use your… real skills!”
Murong Shui’s heart skipped a beat. She made a throat-slitting gesture and replied in a similarly low voice, “Understood! Are you planning to use… underworld methods on the Subdistrict Office Director?”
Xu Tiannan thought for a moment, “Sort of, but not entirely. Basically, you need to use a little trick to establish a connection between us and Chen Jialuo. In simple terms, we need to make the Director believe we’re Chen Jialuo’s relatives. Got it?”
Murong Shui shook her head, indicating she didn’t understand, but Xu Tiannan didn’t explain further. He simply dragged her to a middle-aged women’s clothing store outside the factory area.
Through the store’s glass window, Murong Shui shivered at the sight of the bright red and purple middle-aged women’s clothes. When she caught the subtle smile at the corner of Xu Tiannan’s mouth, she suddenly realized something and said sharply, “Wait a minute! Why do I feel like you’re up to no good?”
“How could that be? Don’t worry!” Xu Tiannan comforted Murong Shui as he half-pushed, half-shoved her into the women’s clothing store.
This was a budget shop specializing in clothing for middle-aged women, the entire store filled with garish reds, greens, and blues. Xu Tiannan called over a shop assistant, pointed at Murong Shui, and said, “Please bring her the outfit from the plastic mannequin at the entrance to try on.”
A moment later, Murong Shui stepped out of the fitting room and stood before the mirror. Her eyes went wide as she stared at her outlandish outfit, a khaki matron-style tracksuit. A chill ran through her as she gritted her teeth and said, “Boss, you can’t be serious! If you want me to go out wearing something like this, I’d rather die!”
Xu Tiannan squinted, looking her up and down, and laughed. “What are you talking about? This outfit fits well and looks presentable. Isn’t it nice? Remember, from now on, you’re Chen Jialuo’s aunt.”
“You, you, you…” Murong Shui felt her hair stand on end and protested loudly, “Don’t do this! I’m still in the prime of my youth-there’s no way I could be Chen Jialuo’s aunt from any angle! Do you really think the Subdistrict Office Director is an idiot?”
Xu Tiannan just smiled and didn’t answer. He picked up a plugged-in curling iron outside the fitting room and styled Murong Shui’s hair. Her long hair instantly turned into big, exaggerated waves, making her look noticeably more mature at a glance.
When Murong Shui looked at herself in the mirror again, she felt as if she had suddenly aged at least ten years. She was about to refuse, but accidentally bumped into two young female shop assistants.
The two girls quickly bowed and apologized in unison, “Sorry, Auntie, sorry…”
“Who are you calling Auntie?!”
The word “Auntie” nearly made Murong Shui lose it. She was about to give the girls a piece of her mind, but turned and saw Xu Tiannan already at the cashier, waving the shopping receipt at her with a grin. “Let’s go, we’re short on time.”
…
Subdistrict Office on Industrial North Road in Mobei City.
It was already afternoon working hours. Xu Tiannan had Li Xianglan wait outside the office building, then took Murong Shui inside. The two of them found the director responsible for the factory area on the duty board in the lobby-a middle-aged woman named Wang, whose office was at the end of the corridor. Even from the photo, she looked like a serious person.
As they walked, Murong Shui muttered, “Boss, I think your plan is terrible! How could a scion of a wealthy family like Chen Jialuo possibly have an aunt like me, still in the prime of my youth? Have you thought about it? Huh? I’m talking to you!”
Xu Tiannan replied, “Relax. As long as you don’t open your mouth, you do look a bit older.”
Murong Shui grumbled, “If I don’t have to talk, why not let Sister Xianglan pretend instead? She’s more suitable by age.”
Xu Tiannan studied Murong Shui’s face for a moment and explained, “You have to understand, Chen Jialuo is a scion of a wealthy family, so his aunt would also be a wealthy woman. In terms of looks, you’re the most suitable choice. Your appearance gives off a sense of sophistication.”
Murong Shui blinked and asked, “What do you mean by sophistication?”
“It means you have a face that looks wealthy and puts people at ease. Get it?”
Murong Shui pondered this, not sure if he was complimenting her or not, but as they spoke, they reached the office door. Xu Tiannan said, “Don’t speak. I’ll try to choose topics that might interest a middle-aged woman and gradually build rapport. The plan is, once she completely lets down her guard, she’ll naturally tell me the information I want.”
As Xu Tiannan finished and was about to knock, voices drifted from the neighboring office.
-“Director Wang, I still want to talk to you about the Chen Family Factory. There have been several recent labor disputes caused by wage arrears. If word gets out, what will happen to the reputation of our Subdistrict Office? And if more workers are sent for poverty alleviation, the Civil Affairs leaders will never assign them to us again!”
A moment later, a middle-aged woman inside replied, “I understand the situation, but there’s something you don’t know. The owner of the Chen Family Factory has been busy developing a resort in the north of the city, so his son Chen Jialuo has been handling things at the factory. It’s probably his first time taking on so much responsibility, so it’s only natural that some things slipped through the cracks. How about this: I’ll talk to him properly later and get these wage arrears resolved first. As for whether we keep sending poverty-alleviation workers to their factory, we can discuss that again later. What do you think?”
After a brief silence, the person who brought up the issue sighed quietly. “Then I’ll leave it to you, Director Wang. Actually, we all know about Chen Jialuo’s family situation, but whatever we do, we can’t be too high-profile, right?”
Xu Tiannan knocked on the door, and the conversation inside abruptly stopped. A plainly dressed middle-aged woman came out of the neighboring office and looked at them. “Who are you looking for?”
Xu Tiannan immediately responded with a smile, “Hello, Director Wang. I’m Chen Jialuo’s uncle, and this is his aunt. We’ve just returned from abroad.”
Xu Tiannan gestured towards Murong Shui as he spoke, and she managed to squeeze out a stiff smile, nodding at the other party.
“Oh? Relatives of Chen Jialuo?” Director Wang sized up the group, but suddenly noticed the brand-new handbag Murong Shui was carrying. Her expression immediately darkened, and her eyes unconsciously glanced up at the surveillance camera overhead. She then opened the office door and said, “If you have something to discuss, come inside.”
The group entered the office. Xu Tiannan, acting very familiar, began chatting, “Here’s the thing, we’ve come today to ask you for a small favor.”
Director Wang asked, “What do you need me to do?”
Xu Tiannan thought for a moment. “We just went to Chen Jialuo’s factory, but heard he didn’t come to work today, so we were hoping you could help us check his home address.”
Upon hearing this, Director Wang’s expression became somewhat guarded. After all, as the Subdistrict Office Director, she couldn’t casually disclose personal information of residents in her jurisdiction. So she replied, “I can’t just provide that kind of information. Since you’re his relatives, you should just call him directly.”
Xu Tiannan put on a troubled look. “Well… that’s a bit inconvenient.”
Director Wang looked at Xu Tiannan curiously and asked, “If you came all the way back to the country to find him, why is it inconvenient to call?”
Xu Tiannan sighed, playing his part, “To be honest, Chen Jialuo has always been close to his aunt, but since we went to the UK ten years ago, we haven’t seen him since. We came back this time to surprise him, so we didn’t want him to know in advance.”
Director Wang glanced at Murong Shui, puzzled, “Are you really Chen Jialuo’s relatives? I’ve never heard him mention you.”
Xu Tiannan immediately replied, “Of course we are. Even if you haven’t heard of us, Chen Jialuo has mentioned you plenty of times to his aunt. He said the factory has benefited from your care over the years, and also said Director Wang is a kind person who keeps two dogs at home. He even told us your spouse is into photography, and that you once had a little argument at home over that hobby, right?”
Director Wang was visibly surprised, “How would Chen Jialuo know… about things in our home?”
Xu Tiannan smiled mysteriously, “Ah! Don’t take it to heart. Chen Jialuo overheard it last time he visited your home, just outside the door. But he hasn’t told anyone else except us.”
Hearing this, Director Wang’s expression changed immediately, because Chen Jialuo had indeed visited her home more than once, always bringing expensive gifts. The position of Subdistrict Office Director wasn’t particularly high, but it did carry some real authority, so she had always been cautious about accepting gifts, trying her best to keep it discreet.
Seeing that Director Wang was now following his conversational lead, Xu Tiannan quickly added, “But please rest assured, Director Wang, we’ve always considered you one of our own. We know very well what should and shouldn’t be said.”
After speaking, Xu Tiannan turned and took the handbag from Murong Shui. The bag looked brand new, but inside were the old clothes they’d just changed out of. He smiled, “We didn’t have much time after returning to the country, so we couldn’t bring anything fancy. We just bought you a few pieces of clothing, as a token of Chen Jialuo’s gratitude.”
Murong Shui’s heart sank. If Director Wang opened the bag in front of them, their cover would be blown. She was about to intervene, but Xu Tiannan stopped her with a glance, signaling her to stay quiet.
Director Wang saw the women’s clothing gift bag and immediately shook her head, refusing, “No, no, you should take this back. I really can’t accept it.”
Xu Tiannan seemed to have anticipated the refusal. He suddenly opened the handbag, and Murong Shui’s heart leapt into her throat. But when the bag was opened, there was another sealed handbag inside-it turned out Xu Tiannan had taken two identical bags from the clothing store and nested them together.
Xu Tiannan smiled again, “Rest assured, Director Wang, we’re all on the same side. I know there are surveillance cameras in places like this, but I understand the rules.”
After speaking, Xu Tiannan quickly resealed the empty handbag. From the outside, it looked exactly the same as when they’d entered. He swung it in his hand and smiled, “See? In a moment, I’ll leave with this bag. Even if the cameras catch me, I’ll be carrying the bag out just as it was. No one will see anything suspicious.”
Director Wang was stunned for a few seconds, then smiled for the first time, whispering, “You’re quite something.”
At this point, Director Wang was completely convinced of their identity. Thinking it over, providing a home address wasn’t such a big deal, so she opened her computer, printed out Chen Jialuo’s home address from the resident registry, and handed it to them.