Tawan Night Market.

At the dining area table, Jiang Man was enjoying a feast of snacks in front of her, and couldn't help but exclaim, "When you're hungry, you still have to come to places like night markets. The lively atmosphere here is something that those so-called Michelin-starred restaurants can never match."

I sat across from Jiang Man, sipping my Tibetan milk tea: "You came to Shenyang not just to help me solve my problems, right? Tell me, what clues have you got, what do you need me to do, and what will I get in return?"

Jiang Man ate stinky tofu and pouted, "You're such a boring person. Your first girlfriend treated you so badly, but I've never seen you treat her so coldly."

Although I have already severed ties with Duan Jinyan, Jiang Man's continued visits to me despite knowing my identity inevitably made me extremely wary: "Gao Ya came to me for nothing more than money, but you are different. What you covet from me is far more threatening than what she has."

"Perhaps you are right to think that way, but our cooperation is inherently risky, especially when dealing with a dangerous individual like Duan Jinyan."

Jiang Man put down the bamboo skewer in her hand and wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue: "Then I'll be frank with you. I've been searching for Duan Jinyan for a long time now. The tomb of the Prince of Ze in the Far East was the closest I ever got to him. I made so many preparations to catch him, but unfortunately, I still failed in the end. I believe we are the same in this respect."

I remained noncommittal: "Can I know your true purpose? What exactly is your purpose in going to such lengths to find Duan Jinyan?"

"I'm just following orders. I don't have any interest in Duan Jinyan. It's just that after the incident at the Ze Wang Tomb, it's almost impossible for me to get close to anyone close to Duan Jinyan. So I'm looking for a breakthrough through you."

Jiang Man's words were quite frank: "Although Duan Jinyan is ruthless, you are still his biological son, and you share the same knowledge of feng shui. Even if you don't know him personally, you should at least know some of his methods."

“You overestimate me. In the investigation of Duan Jinyan, I faced the same dilemma as you, and I even knew less about him than you did.”

I sighed and lit a cigarette: "Actually, I investigated for a long time before I got the clue that Duan Jinyan was going to the Zewang Tomb, but the person who gave me the clue has betrayed me, so I'm completely clueless now. If you want to find a breakthrough by talking to me, you're probably wasting your time."

"That's not entirely true. Since I've come to find you, I naturally have my reasons."

Jiang Man looked at me with a smile: "As far as I know, you have a jade seal that was brought out from the tomb of the Prince of Ze. This has already spread in the antique circles of the capital. You wouldn't deny it, would you?"

“The item is indeed in my possession, and the reason I went to the Ze King’s Tomb was because Duan Jinyan wanted it.”

Seeing that Jiang Man had already made her point so bluntly, I knew that she had come to me for something, so I didn't pretend to be stupid: "I spread this news so that it would reach Duan Jinyan's ears, hoping to force him to show his face."

Jiang Man curled her lip and said, "The idea is good, but the approach is wrong! Although Duan Jinyan is also in the antique circle, he is not an antique dealer who connects with collectors. Don't you think it's too fake for you to spread the news that you have the Jade Seal of the Prince of Ze?"

I remained noncommittal: "This is the only solution I can think of, after all, I have no connection with Duan Jinyan."

"That's why I came to find you. Hand over the imperial seal to me, and perhaps I can find a way to lure it out."

Jiang Man stated bluntly, "But we have an agreement beforehand: once we find Duan Jinyan, I must take him away. That's my bottom line."

"Your bottom line?"

I smiled at Jiang Man: "So, you're saying I won't get any real reward for doing all this, right?"

Jiang Man thought for a moment: "You saved my life, so I don't want to lie to you. If you also want to control him, I'm afraid it's impossible. But as long as you agree to let Duan Jinyan come with me in the end, I can agree to anything you want before that."

I neither agreed to Jiang Man's conditions nor refused her: "I need to think about this."

"Of course, I have only put forward the conditions for cooperation. As for whether to cooperate, the choice is yours."

Jiang Man didn't press the issue. Instead, she let out a satisfied burp and said, "I'm done eating. It's still early. Are there any places in Shenyang suitable for an after-dinner stroll? Can you take me for a walk?"

"There's not much to do around here. Let's take a taxi and go for a walk along the Hun River."

I stood up from my chair: "You told me before that you had other information about Duan Jinyan. Could you tell me about it?"

Jiang Man smiled playfully: "I finally have a chance to relax and unwind without having to work. Can we talk about something else today? Let's not keep bringing up Duan Jinyan."

Seeing that Jiang Man didn't want to talk, I hailed a taxi and took her to Deep Water Bay Park, where we strolled along the river.

In early May, the willows along the river had already sprouted buds, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers.

I walked beside Jiang Man in silence the whole time, because I was thinking about something else.

Since the incident at the tomb of the Prince of Ze, I have lost all illusions about Duan Jinyan. My only thought now is to make him pay the price.

I want to ruin his reputation and make him experience the same pain as me.

After losing Song Laosan, I no longer had anyone to help me find Duan Jinyan.

Although I sought help from Mr. Leng and Su Jialiang, the results were minimal, and we still have no leads.

So Jiang Man became the only person I could count on.

If I lose her connection, the chances of finding Duan Jinyan again using my own connections are extremely slim.

At this thought, the idea of ​​cooperating with Jiang Man had already taken root in my mind. Regardless of whether our ultimate goals were the same, this would at least allow me to reconnect with clues related to Duan Jinyan.

Jiang Man seemed equally interested in the jade seal in my hand. Seeing that I didn't speak, she took the initiative to ask, "I heard that the Wei family, one of the four major families in Fengtian, is also looking for Duan Jinyan. According to my investigation, the Wei family not only has a strong influence in the industry, but also runs a large business with operations all over the country. It must be very difficult for you to compete with such a big family all by yourself."

"Now is not the time to talk about this; we've been followed."

I walked beside Jiang Man, turned on my phone camera, and subtly pointed it at the two people in the screen behind me, gesturing with my chin: "Are they your bodyguards?"

“No!” Jiang Man’s expression also turned serious: “I came to see you alone today.”