Chapter 191 I can’t be used by them, and I don’t want to be…
When she returned home that night, Guan Xia washed herself thoroughly and then snuggled comfortably on the sofa. Before it was too late, she contacted Meng Lan.
Before making the call, Guan Xia specifically glanced at the time. It was not yet 10 o'clock in the evening, which was still early for Meng Lan. Most of the time, she would just get home after working overtime.
As expected, as soon as the call was connected, Guan Xia heard Meng Lan's tired yet somewhat excited voice, "Guan Xia? Are you done? Are you back in Yongquan City?"
Guan Xia hummed. "Just got back. I got off the plane at noon. How have you been lately? Is everything going well with your work and life?"
Because she already knew that Wu Yang was problematic and very likely the core leader of that criminal organization, Guan Xia spoke very carefully. She could only ensure that her own phone was safe. As for whether Meng Lan's phone would be monitored, she had no idea.
Meng Lan didn't hear a word of Guan Xia's worry and concern. She continued to smile happily and said, "I'm fine. I just work overtime every day. I have a nanny at home, a driver when I go out, and a secretary and assistant at the company. My only worry is those old employees in the company are always restless. They rely on their status as shareholders to always try to suppress and control me. Anyway, 80% of my time is now spent competing with them. But compared to the money in my bank account, these are all just hardships that must be endured."
Although Meng Lan's words were filled with resentment, her tone was relaxed and comfortable. She even laughed optimistically at the end and then asked Guan Xia, "How about you? How have you been recently? Is everything going well? You..."
Guan Xia was afraid that Meng Lan would go into too much detail. If someone really monitored her phone, it would only make the situation they were facing worse. She quickly interrupted in a natural but extremely fast tone, "Me? I'm fine. I have money and time now, and I'm so happy every day. I couldn't stay at home some time ago, so I went on a trip with Pang Le and the others. It was really exhausting, and I just came back today. But although I was tired, I gained a lot. How about it? We haven't seen each other for a long time. If you have time, come to Yongquan City and meet us. I also brought you a lot of local specialties. Before I came back, I went back to the orphanage and heard a lot about your sisters from Mother Chen."
Guan Xia's words were full of hidden meaning. Meng Lan was a little stunned and confused, but she still went along with it and said, "Meet? Sure, I've been working overtime for over a month straight. I'm fed up with facing those old faces all day long. I want to meet you for a meal and a chat. It's just the right time to relax. Otherwise, I'm afraid I can't hold on for a day like this. I really have so much to say to you."
Guan Xia didn't know whether she was overthinking or Meng Lan really did it on purpose. She always felt that she had something else to say.
However, their conversation went as she had planned. Guan Xia secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's settled then. I'll book you a ticket now. I checked before I called you, and the earliest flight tomorrow is at 6:50. I'll buy you a ticket on that one. Pang Le, Zhong Xiaoyu, and I will pick you up then."
Meng Lan was surprised again, "So early?"
Guan Xia imitated Pang Le's usual coquettish manner and said with a smile: "Yes, I haven't seen you for more than a month and I miss you, so I asked you to get up a little earlier and take the earliest flight to come here so that we can have lunch together."
After agreeing on a time with Meng Lan and buying the plane ticket very quickly, Guan Xia finally breathed a sigh of relief. He threw his phone away and lay on his back on the sofa as if exhausted.
When she called, Pang Le and Zhong Xiaoyu were sitting on her left and right. They spoke only after she finished her work. "Are you worried that Meng Lan's phone is being monitored, so you're talking in riddles?"
Guan Xia wasn't surprised they could guess it. She said, "I still can't figure out why that criminal organization is so concerned about Meng Lan, and I'm not sure to what extent they care about her. So, just in case, you should be careful with your words."
Pang Le nodded thoughtfully, "That makes sense. Then we have to be careful when we meet her tomorrow. At least we have to put our phones where they can't hear us even if they're monitored. Otherwise, it will be troublesome if anyone hears anything we say."
Guan Xia was about to agree when Zhong Xiaoyu said bluntly, "Since you're so worried, why don't you ask Xu Nian to help with the test? That way we'll have a better idea of what to do."
I have to say that Zhong Xiaoyu is worthy of being a former armed police officer. Her way of thinking is indeed a little different from theirs.
Guan Xia sat up straight as if she had been reminded, and immediately took out her cell phone to contact Xu Nian.
Xu Nian agreed readily. After asking about the time of their meeting tomorrow, he promised to apply to the branch office for a colleague from the technical team to do the test.
Everything went as planned, and Guan Xia finally had a good night's sleep.
The next day, they picked up Meng Lan from the airport and reunited with Xu Nian and the others. It was already 1 p.m. In order to save time, they had a quick meal to fill their stomachs and then went straight to Xu Nian's home.
After the door opened, Guan Xia immediately noticed a young man who had just stood up from the sofa with a somewhat restrained expression.
He was not tall and wore a pair of black-framed glasses. You could tell from his appearance that he was not good at speaking. Guan Xia looked familiar. She must have seen him several times in the Pingjiang District Police Station, but she could not recognize his name.
Sure enough, this young police officer from the technical team knew Guan Xia. He shyly called her "Expert Guan" and then pursed his lips and said nothing.
Guan Xia didn't bother to exchange pleasantries. She just smiled and said hello, then almost snatched Meng Lan's phone from her hand and handed it to her.
At this point, even if Meng Lan was slow-witted, she realized that something was wrong. She glanced at Guan Xia twice, obviously wanting to say something, but perhaps due to the occasion, she didn't say it in the end and just sat quietly aside.
Twenty or thirty minutes later, the technical team finally finished their work. After tightly closing the back cover of the disassembled phone, they whispered, "The phone's hardware is fine. There are no additional positioning or monitoring devices installed. However, there is a positioning program in the system that continuously sends the location information to another phone 24 hours a day as long as the phone is turned on."
Handing the phone to Guan Xia, the technical team officer thought for a moment and added, "It only has a positioning program, no monitoring program."
Unexpected yet expected, Guan Xia breathed a sigh of relief, took the phone and thanked him sincerely.
Meng Lan obviously didn't expect that her phone would be tampered with by someone. When she took the phone from Guan Xia, she was shocked and her eyes were wide open.
It wasn't until Xu Nian and Guan Xia politely escorted the technical team out that he came to his senses and said in surprise, "What? My phone has been installed with a tracking device, and it's sending the location to another phone 24 hours a day. How come I had no idea when it was installed? I remember I've never taken my phone off since I bought it."
Meng Lan recalled carefully, muttering words of disbelief.
Guan Xia didn't disturb her. After she calmed down, she said, "I just thought of it a few days ago. It was just a guess before. I didn't expect that your phone was really tampered with."
Although the two had been separated for only over a month, a lot had happened in that time, especially about Wu Yang and the criminal organization. Guan Xia couldn't wait to share some of the information she knew with Meng Lan.
But before she could continue, Meng Lan suddenly thought of something and anxiously made several silent gestures, "Shhhhh, wait a minute, wait a minute."
Meng Lan was talking as she paced around Xu Nian's living room anxiously, as if she was searching for something. Everyone was confused, but Guan Xia finally understood. She took the phone from her again, looked at Xu Nian, and asked, "Is your study room convenient for me to go in?"
Xu Nian also understood Guan Xia's actions at this time, nodded and said: "Of course, you can do whatever you want."
So Guan Xia walked into Xu Nian's study without any hesitation. It was Guan Xia's first time there, but because they lived on the same floor, the layout of the house was similar, and the area of the study was also the same size. Except for the different styles and colors of the bookshelves and desks, there was not much difference.
Guan Xia found a suitable drawer without much effort, opened it, put Meng Lan's cell phone in it, then carefully closed the drawer and even closed the study door when she left.
Guan Xia's series of actions gave Meng Lan enough sense of security. She finally calmed down and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with a sigh of relief.
"How terrifying," Meng Lan muttered. "I thought it was outrageous enough that someone had been secretly observing me, but I didn't expect them to tamper with my phone. Who could have done it? Was it that middle-aged woman I met once? To be honest, ever since I found out last time, whenever I see a middle-aged woman of similar build, my heart skips a beat. Although on the surface my life looks the same as before, in my heart it's different. I'm always worried that woman will suddenly jump out at any time and do or make me do something outrageous."
Meng Lan spoke so casually last night, but when they met today, Guan Xia realized that her life recently was not as normal as she said.
Meng Lan is a bit fatter than Guan Xia, but you can’t say she is fat, she just has a bigger frame and looks stronger. But after not seeing her for more than a month, she is obviously thinner. The dress she is wearing seems a bit empty, especially her wrists, where the bones are obviously protruding.
Guan Xia didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only pat her on the back gently as she did before.
Pang Le and Zhong Xiaoyu could understand Meng Lan's fear very well. They didn't say anything immediately, but stood aside and watched her quietly.
After an unknown amount of time, Meng Lan finally calmed down. She sat down on the sofa again, and looked at Guan Xia with all her energy. "I'm much better now. Guan Xia, tell me, what have you discovered recently? Why are you so anxious to get me to Yongquan City? Did you find any information about that middle-aged woman?"
Guan Xia subconsciously glanced at Xu Nian, and noticed that Xu Nian nodded slightly, then he took a deep breath and said everything he could say from the beginning.
Even though it was just some very minor news, it was extremely shocking to Meng Lan. As Guan Xia spoke, her expression became more and more terrified, and the hairs on her exposed arms stood up.
It was only early autumn and the weather was still quite hot, but Meng Lan broke out in a cold sweat after listening to it, and her expression became paler than when they first met.
After Guan Xia finished speaking, Meng Lan said with lifeless eyes, "Oh my God, am I dreaming? I always thought I was unfortunate, but not that unfortunate. At least I easily found clues to my biological parents when I was about to graduate from university. So, it turns out that someone is manipulating all this behind the scenes?"
Meng Lan shuddered as she spoke, her face paling even more. "When I was in college, it was six or seven years ago. Could it be that there have been eyes secretly watching me since then? That middle-aged woman wasn't a coincidence? Did she appear in front of me on purpose? Was those words she said and the note she gave her just to recruit me? To make me do bad things with them?"
Meng Lan was almost scared to tears by her own guess.
Guan Xia patted her back mechanically, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
In fact, Guan Xia has been thinking about whether to tell Meng Lan these past few days. After all, the clues they found might be very creepy. Even though Meng Lan has experienced some things, when analyzed carefully, she is still an ordinary person, just more persistent and desperate than ordinary people. Guan Xia believes that if Meng Lan is not desperate, if she does not hold on to a glimmer of hope, she will not make such a choice that is almost like dying together under normal circumstances.
Another thing that surprised Guan Xia was that when she was at the airport, in order to confirm, Guan Xia shared the system's vision as soon as she saw Meng Lan. She originally thought that even if she was forced to choose, Meng Lan would indirectly harm her biological parents and younger brother. As a result, in the system's vision, Meng Lan's soul was still pure, without a trace of blood.
Guan Xia was surprised and asked the system a question. The answer given on the system interface was: the natural gas for making soup was turned on by the housekeeper, and the alcohol that Meng Lan drank was forced by her parents. In the end, the fire was extinguished by the overflowing soup, causing a natural gas leak. The real main cause was also the couple who got Meng Lan drunk. Whether from the perspective of the plane rules or human laws, Meng Lan can only be regarded as a victim and cannot be defined as a murderer.
After reading the system's explanation, Guan Xia understood but couldn't help sighing that people were really complicated. The couple obviously didn't expect that their plan would fail and they would lose their lives. In the final analysis, they didn't treat Meng Lan, their biological daughter, as a human being, but as an object and tool to be manipulated at will. This is why they harmed themselves in their arrogance and impatience.
For a moment, Guan Xia really wanted to protect Meng Lan, but she thought about it carefully. In fact, Meng Lan had been forced to be involved a long time ago. Letting her know nothing would harm her instead. After all, she admired Wu Yang so much, and Wu Yang helped her a lot. Without telling her anything, Guan Xia could not convince Meng Lan to doubt or even stay away from Wu Yang.
What worries Guan Xia even more is that Meng Lan knows little about the criminal organization and will be completely unguarded. Even if she listens to Guan Xia and temporarily lives in Yongquan City, she may inadvertently do something that will harm herself and expose Guan Xia and the others if she is not vigilant.
So after much consideration, Guan Xia decided to tell Meng Lan part of it.
In fact, Guan Xia's decision was right. Meng Lan muttered to herself in fear for a long time. Before Guan Xia and the others could offer comfort and suggestions, Meng Lan suddenly made her own plan and said, "No, Guan Xia, no."
No one knew what Meng Lan was thinking about, but she suddenly stood up and paced around the living room anxiously. "I can't stay in Linshan City any longer. It's too dangerous. That group has been using me for a long time, which means there must be something they want from me. The reason they didn't take any action before might be because their goal hasn't been achieved yet. None of us knows what that goal is now. If it is achieved inadvertently, then I will be in danger. I don't want to die, nor do I want to help them do bad things. I just want to live a good and stable life. I want to be rich. I just don't want to suffer."
"I can't be used by them, and I don't want to be used by them," Meng Lan looked at Guan Xia as if she had made up her mind and said, "Guan Xia, how about I think of an excuse to stay in Yongquan City temporarily? After all, I went to college in Yongquan City, and you are here too. Even if it's just an excuse to revisit an old place, it sounds normal."
Meng Lan's idea coincided with Guan Xia's plan.
As soon as Meng Lan finished speaking, Guan Xia nodded and said, "Okay, don't worry about where to stay. I will do my best to find you a safe place. However, you need to take care of your sister and the company. Also, the positioning program cannot be canceled. At least at this stage, you need to appear normal on the surface. Otherwise, if you reveal your true intentions, I am afraid we will all be in danger."
Hearing the word "dangerous", Meng Lan's lips trembled uncontrollably, but she quickly calmed down, pursed her lips, nodded vigorously and said, "Don't worry, I can't help you with anything else, but I will do my best to cooperate with you on this matter. I haven't learned anything else in the past few years since we were apart, but I have learned how to disguise and act. I will definitely pretend that nothing has happened, just like before, and will definitely not let them notice anything unusual."
Guan Xia, who fully understood Meng Lan's previous experiences, naturally believed her. He patted her on the back soothingly before pulling her to sit down on the sofa again. He carefully asked her about her life from childhood to adulthood, other details that Guan Xia had no involvement in and was not aware of.
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