Chapter 140 The Second Day of the Barbecue Business
"Hello, boss, we want to buy this stall."
Su Yingxue was busy placing the newly skewered lamb onto the grill when oil splattered onto her sleeve, causing her to flinch slightly.
She looked up and saw a girl with short, neat hair standing in front of the stall. The girl looked to be in her early twenties, with a touch of youthful innocence on her face, but her eyes were unusually determined. She was wearing a brown windbreaker and black jeans, making her look capable yet energetic.
Su Yingxue blinked, thinking she had misheard. Her little barbecue stall had only been open for two days, located on a street in the old town of Hecheng that wasn't particularly bustling but also not deserted. Across the street stood a three-story old-style Western-style building, its red brick exterior covered in ivy, looking quite old.
There's not much business around here, so why the sudden acquisition offer?
"Uh... what did you say, customer?" Su Yingxue put down the tongs in her hand and wiped the oil stains off her hands.
The short-haired girl swiftly pulled a stack of identification documents from her small bag, her movements far more practiced than one expected of her age. She flashed the documents in front of Su Yingxue, then quickly put them away. She said firmly, "Hello, I'm Officer Lin Xiaoman. We received a tip that we need to acquire this stall."
Su Yingxue's eyes widened, and she instinctively took a half-step back. Police officers? Buying her stall? Are you kidding me?
"No way, I've only been open for two days." Su Yingxue shook her head repeatedly, already calculating in her mind whether today's income could cover the costs. She had just rented this stall yesterday and paid a month's rent, which, although not much, was money she had saved up by being frugal.
Lin Xiaoman's expression remained serious, even somewhat stiff. She glanced at the Western-style building across the street and lowered her voice, saying, "That building across the street is suspected of criminal activity. It's the location we suspect is a hideout for criminal suspects."
Su Yingxue followed her gaze. The Western-style building looked no different from the other buildings around it; yellow light shone from the windows, and the sound of a television could even be faintly heard. A crime den? In such an ordinary-looking place?
"Ahem," Su Yingxue cleared her throat, trying to calm herself down. "Um... officer, I'm just an ordinary street vendor, selling barbecue. Whether the place across the street is a criminal den or not is none of my business. But..." She hesitated for a moment, "I can't just move out like that. You see, I've only been open for two days, I've already paid the rent, and I haven't even broken even yet."
Lin Xiaoman frowned, clearly not expecting Su Yingxue to say that. She looked at her empty pockets, then touched her waist—the police badge was there, but her wallet was definitely not on her. She remembered that the expense reports she submitted last month were still lying on her desk, waiting to be approved. This month's salary... sigh, it won't be paid until the 10th of next month.
"Um..." Lin Xiaoman cleared her throat, then changed her approach, "Could you provide us with clues?"
Su Yingxue's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded, "Sure! Of course!" She thought to herself, since she couldn't refuse outright, cooperating with the police investigation would be fine, right? After all, she was just a barbecue vendor; what risks could there be?
Lin Xiaoman seemed relieved and sat down next to Su Yingxue's small stool. Su Yingxue noticed that the young police officer's movements were a little stiff when he sat down, obviously not used to resting in such a simple environment.
"You said the small house across the street is suspected of criminal activity? What kind of activity?" Su Yingxue asked as she continued to turn the meat skewers on the grill, the oil sizzling and the aroma filling the air.
Lin Xiaoman scratched her head, looking somewhat embarrassed: "I'm not entirely sure what it is. The captain sent me here yesterday, saying he spotted a familiar face, a seasoned veteran, always in and out of the police station. Plus, an informant tipped us off, saying something's not right in that building..."
As Su Yingxue listened, she picked up a skewer of grilled lamb, sprinkled it with cumin and chili powder, and placed it on a plate beside her. Then she continued, "So what are you planning to do? Just buy my stall?"
"I..." Lin Xiaoman stammered, clearly unsure how to answer. She straightened up, took a bottle of water from her bag, unscrewed it, and took a sip. "Our captain sent me here to infiltrate and monitor the leads on the other side."
"Infiltrate?" Su Yingxue almost dropped the clip in her hand.
"It's...it's just observation," Lin Xiaoman quickly explained. "Don't be nervous, we just feel there's something wrong with that building, but we don't have concrete evidence yet. We need someone to keep an eye on it for a long time."
Su Yingxue nodded thoughtfully. She glanced at the seemingly ordinary Western-style building across the street and suddenly felt as if someone was watching them from the windows... Maybe she was just imagining things?
"By the way," Lin Xiaoman suddenly turned to Su Yingxue, "I was checking residence permits at the police station. You just arrived in Hecheng, right? What brings you here selling barbecue so late at night?"
Su Yingxue froze, her heart skipping a beat. Could it be... the system's secret was about to be exposed? She quickly called out to the system in her mind, but there was no response. Oh well, things will work themselves out.
“It’s nice here, very lively.” Su Yingxue made up a reason on the spot, “And… my hometown is in the north, the barbecue here is different from the one back home, I want to try to see if I can make it taste like home.”
Lin Xiaoman nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly reached out and picked up the chives Su Yingxue had placed aside: "How about this, standing here is a bit conspicuous, let me wash the vegetables for you!"
Su Yingxue watched as Lin Xiaoman grabbed a handful of muddy chives, shoved the whole bunch into the basin of water, shook it a few times, and pulled it out, the roots still covered in dirt. Su Yingxue sighed helplessly, "You sit down first, I'll wash them."
"Oh, okay." Lin Xiaoman scratched her head a little embarrassedly and obediently sat back down on the small stool.
Su Yingxue picked up the chives again, carefully removing the yellow leaves one by one, then rinsed them thoroughly under the tap, scrubbing even the roots. She glanced up at Lin Xiaoman, who was secretly observing the Western-style building across the street, and suddenly an idea struck her.
"Um... Officer Lin," Su Yingxue asked while washing vegetables, "what kind of criminal activity do you suspect is taking place in that building?"
Lin Xiaoman turned her head and lowered her voice: "The specifics are still unclear. But according to our informant, he might be using drugs, or he might be involved in some illegal transactions." She paused, "Our captain said that 'Boss Wang,' who frequently crosses the border, has a criminal record and specializes in shady dealings."
Su Yingxue nodded, but in her heart she was thinking, if there really was criminal activity across the street, wouldn't her barbecue stall be a perfect observation point? After all, she spent every day there until late at night...
What's going on? Thinking about it, I feel a little excited and nervous. Su Yingxue looked up at the small Western-style building across the street as she pondered.
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