Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Let’s pretend to kiss! …
When we arrived at Lijing Nightclub, it was already dark. Clouds piled up overhead and the neon lights turned into hazy balls of light in the humid air. It seemed that a cool autumn rain was about to fall again.
Ji Yinhe sat in the fried noodle shop opposite, thinking about what to do next.
Yu Yexiang had already seen her during the day. If she pretended to be a customer or a dancer applying for a job, she would most likely be recognized.
How to sneak into a nightclub...
Comrade Xiao Ji took a bite of the spicy and numb beef, his eyes fixed on the door of the nightclub where people were coming and going.
The female diner at the table next to her wiped her mouth, stood up and said to the boss at the pot: "Let's go, remember to pay the bill!"
"Alright!" The boss came running over, rag in hand, and asked with concern, "Are you still cleaning Lijing tonight? There was a murder this morning!"
"...Of course I can't not go. Business is so good. Trucks have been dropping off sacks every night lately. There must be a lot of garbage!" The female cleaner walked to the door and looked up at the weather. "It's pitch black here. It might rain. Boss, could you lend me your raincoat for a night? I'll return it tomorrow."
"Take whatever you want!"
The female cleaner was about to pick up the plastic raincoat hanging on the wall when a tall and dazzling figure dropped the dishes and ran over quickly.
"Sister!" Ji Yinhe said sweetly with a tearful expression, "Can I ask you for a favor?"
The female cleaner stopped and looked at the girl opposite her blankly.
"It's like this, sister. My boyfriend, whom I've been dating for eight years and are about to get married to, was taken to the Lijing Nightclub across the street by some of his friends." Ji Yinhe blinked, trying to squeeze out a few panicked tears. "I'm not afraid of anything else. As a man, it's okay for a pretty girl to like singing and dancing... I'm just worried that he won't learn his lesson. What if he gets addicted and comes back with a lot of diseases? How will he live the rest of his life?"
"Oh my! Sister, you are so beautiful, how come you find a partner like this..."
"I want to sneak in and see what he has done. If he really... I can explain it to my parents and his parents. I won't get married!"
The cleaning lady showed a sympathetic look. "This Lijing Nightclub is full of all kinds of people. It's not a good place! How do you want me to help you?"
Seeing the cleaner clearly moved, Xiao Ji quickly seized the opportunity and said, "Sister, can I cover for you? I'm wearing a raincoat, so he won't recognize me! ... I'll do all the work I need to do. If you're worried, I'll give you fifty yuan right now!"
After saying that, he pretended to take out money.
"What's there to worry about?" The woman patted the girl's arm loyally and pushed back the few banknotes in her hand.
"I don't want any money, I'll definitely do you a favor! Girls are most afraid of meeting the wrong man, especially someone like you who is so decent and well-behaved. If your boyfriend is not good enough, I will end it right then and there!"
Ji Yinhe nodded heavily, "Okay! Thank you, sister!"
*
Ten minutes later, Policeman Xiao Ji, hiding under a raincoat, successfully sneaked into Lijing Nightclub through the back door.
The night here was a stark contrast to the day. Crystal curtains hung everywhere, creating a scene beneath the dim glass chandeliers, resembling a silken cave. The air was thick with the sweet aroma of mold, perfume, and the lingering scent of alcohol and tobacco. Air conditioners hummed, and groups of Northeastern tourists wearing gold chains and Hong Kong businessmen in Pierre Cardin slacks passed through the corridors. Every private room was closed, and the faint sounds of Teresa Teng or Wu Bai drifted into the air.
"call--"
Ji Yinhe took a deep breath and pretended to sweep the garbage while slowly moving towards the central dance floor.
She had just turned a corner when the door of a box in front of her was suddenly pushed open.
The waiter ran out in small steps, leaving the door half open. Looking in from the outside, one could just see five or six foreigners sitting on the sofa with confused faces, and a Chinese man standing next to them, translating with spit flying and gesticulating.
Ji Yinhe narrowed his pupils.
...foreigner?
Wait! Ms. Lian seemed to have mentioned that Jiangtan has recently seen a lot of new foreign adoptions!
Before she could think about it, the muffled sound of high heels clacking on the floor suddenly rang out from behind her, and Yu Yexiang's anxious and sharp voice came over -
"Let them drink whatever they want. It's just fruit and vegetable juice. If you go to the market now and buy some wilted cucumbers and tomatoes..."
Ji Yinhe quickly lowered his head and took a few quick steps outside.
But the sharp-eyed Yu Yexiang had already seen her, "Hey cleaner, why are you cleaning the corridor in a raincoat? You've even soaked my fine carpet!"
Ji Yinhe lowered his head even lower, "Okay! I'll just wait--"
Yu Yexiang, however, refused to give in and kept pressing forward, "What are you waiting for? Take off your raincoat now, or I'll have someone throw you out!"
Ji Yinhe's expression changed slightly.
Bad news! She didn't want Yu Yexiang to find out that she was the police officer who came this morning.
It's no big deal to get a few words of criticism after being forcibly sent back to the Municipal Bureau. But if the criminal is alerted and runs away with the clues, it will be more than worth it!
Just as she was racking her brains for a solution, there was a loud "bang" and a commotion suddenly came from the direction of the kitchen!
Then, another waiter came running over in a panic, "Manager Yu! Manager Yu!"
Yu Yexiang had indeed shifted her focus, turned around and yelled, "What are you yelling for? We have a distinguished guest today! Can't you just talk it out nicely?"
The waiter whispered, "Those bottles of XO that were delivered yesterday... were smashed by someone!"
Yu Yexiang's eyes widened like bells. "Ten thousand dollars worth of stuff just shattered like that? Who did that?"
"I don't know! Everyone is very busy tonight, no one noticed..."
Yu Yexiang stopped talking and strode towards the kitchen with a fierce look on her face.
Ji Yinhe leaned against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief.
The next second, a clear and lazy voice sounded in her ears——
"That's a nice poncho... where did you get it?"
Ji Yinhe was shocked and looked in surprise at the man who had walked up to her at some point.
"Teacher Lu! Great! Did Captain Tang get my signal? Is everyone here?"
Lu Zheng was wearing a baseball cap and his eyes could not be seen clearly in the shadows.
He chuckled and tilted his head, "Yeah, they're all here."
"Where is it? Where is it!?" Ji Yinhe looked around.
"In your heart."
Comrade Ji Yinhe reacted: "..."
A few more guests passed by, and Lu Zheng moved his finger, signaling her to follow him.
Ji Yinhe followed closely and asked in a low voice, "Teacher Lu, didn't you go with everyone to capture Chen Honglang? Where is he? Why didn't Captain Tang answer the phone? Why did you come here alone?"
"..." Lu Zheng said slowly, "The person ran away. Captain Tang was driving the whole time and didn't have time to look for the phone. Director Rao asked me to come back first, and I saw the note you left in the office."
Ji Yinhe reacted in two seconds, "So you came here to help because you were worried about me, and the noise in the kitchen was also yours—"
"Um."
"Then you are quite a nice person."
Lu Zheng glanced at her and gave her a polite smile, "I think so too."
“…”
They walked into the storage room where linens and sundries were piled up. The space was squeezed very narrow by the shelves. Ji Yinhe leaned his waist against a wooden box to create some space between himself and the beautiful teacher Lu.
"Take it off." Lu Zheng said casually, leaving a small gap in the door for easy observation.
"...Ah?" Ji Yinhe lowered his head and glanced at the pager in the light from outside.
As expected, Tang Ci hadn't replied to her message yet.
"Raincoat." Lu Zheng looked at her for a long time without moving, then turned around and asked, "Aren't you stuffy wearing it?"
In the dim vision, Ji Yinhe's face was half turned to the side with his eyes drooping. The neon light shone in from the ventilation window, forming a smooth band of light from his forehead to his jaw.
"It's boring, but what if Yu Yexiang finds out?"
Lu Zheng fumbled around on the shelf for a while, took out a gauze mask and handed it behind him.
"Just say you have pneumonia. If you cough a couple more times, no one will check whether you are really sick or just faking it."
Ji Yinhe felt that what he said made sense, so he quickly took off his raincoat, rolled it up and stuffed it into his bag, then put on a mask.
"Phew—so cool!"
A cool breeze blew across her hair and forehead, and a subtle fragrance between sweetness and sourness drifted into Lu Zheng's nostrils.
His mind was slightly moved and he frowned slightly.
In the corridor, the translator walked past the foreigners and introduced in broken English, "Ladies and gentlemen, our performance is about to begin!"
"It's time to go."
Lu Zheng forced himself to regain his composure and pushed open the door of the storage room after a few seconds.
The lights outside were changing like a dyeing workshop. The two pretended to be drinkers and followed the lively crowd towards the dance floor.
It was a particularly spacious hall with speakers and a bar in the corner. Waiters carrying trays were walking around in the deafening music. In the middle was a T-shaped stage with dozens of sofas and chairs placed around it. There were also several small doors on the walls on both sides, but no one knew where they led to.
The light is dim now, and apart from the dancers posing on the stage, it is almost impossible to see the faces of the people in the audience.
Fortunately, the foreigner's blond hair stood out among the other heads.
Ji Yinhe pulled Lu Zheng and sat down in a secluded corner.
In order not to arouse suspicion, they also ordered two cups of Hong Kong-style lemon tea worth ten yuan.
It’s a pity that the taste is even lighter than the soup used to wash pots in the cafeteria.
Ji Yinhe put down the cup in disappointment. The first song on the stage had already ended.
"This song, 'I'm the One Who Cares About You,' is for everyone. I hope you like it!" The dancer in a tight red skirt flirted with the foreigners and bowed gracefully. "Can I have a flower?"
Ji Yinhe couldn't help but frown, "Chinese songs, can foreigners understand them?"
Lu Zheng didn't say anything and motioned for her to continue watching.
The translator mumbled for a while and even made a number with his fingers. A middle-aged foreign man quickly nodded, picked up the roses on the table, and motioned for the translator to help pass them over.
"Congratulations, Miss Wenwen—!"
All the waiters present congratulated the dancer in unison, and the confused guests also applauded.
Amidst the commotion, someone walked up to the foreigner who was sending flowers and made a "please" gesture to him.
Following the translator's instructions, the foreigner left his seat and entered a small door on the wall.
"Please welcome Ms. Mengru to perform the next dance song 'Leaving All My Love for You'!"
The dancer in a suit walked onto the stage, the lights flashed, and the energetic drum beats filled the dance floor again.
Everyone's attention was attracted by the performance, and no one paid attention. The foreign man never came back.
Ji Yinhe lowered his head and fumbled to press the record button on the five-fold phone, then leaned close to Lu Zheng's ear and asked, "Should we go and take a look?"
Lu Zheng hid quietly and was about to tell her to stay where she was when a passing waiter stopped and widened his eyes.
"Um, you guys aren't the police officers who came this morning?"
Ji Yinhe quickly pulled Lu Zheng to hide behind another customer, but her finger on the five-fold touch screen slid open a video in the folder with a violent movement.
A suggestive groan immediately emanated from the small space around them:
“Ah! Uh-huh~!”
"baby……"
The waiter was stunned for a moment. From his perspective, it looked like a customer was passionately kissing his tall and handsome lover!
And they look like two men!
He immediately apologized, "Sorry, sorry!" and ran away with his face flushed.
Only after Ji Yinhe and the others had walked away did he let go of Lu Zheng's collar and breathe a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, fortunately, I dodged it..." She stroked her pretty short hair with one hand, and reached into her bag with the other hand, quietly turning off the indescribable video on the five-fold folding screen.
Lu Zheng fell back onto the sofa: "..."
After a long while, he controlled his pounding heart and asked, "What was that just now?"
"You're talking about what happened just now!" Ji Yinhe was still very confident, "Just pretend that the two of you were kissing!"
"...Don't play dumb. What device did that voice come from?"
"Oh, it's called a five-fold, and it can be folded like a memorial. It's an old item my mother gave me. Everyone in the team knows it. It might have been made in the Soviet Union..." Comrade Xiao Ji was vague, "Business is more important, Teacher Lu!"
Lu Zheng glanced at her, held his forehead expressionlessly, stood up and walked in the direction where the foreigner disappeared.
However, all the doors were tightly closed and locked from the inside, and there was no sign of anything.
"Let's retreat first." Lu Zheng said.
He and Ji Yinhe stayed here for too long, which was very likely to arouse suspicion from others.
As a result, the two of them just walked out of the hall where the dance floor was, they heard a shout in the corridor -
"The boss is coming back! The boss is coming back! The bodyguards will clear the way, so everyone please get out of the way!"
Ji Yinhe and Lu Zheng looked at each other, and the same thought came to their minds:
——They must not be discovered by the boss and bodyguards!
“This way!”
Ji Yinhe pulled Lu Zheng's sleeve and whispered, "Follow me, I came in from the back door of the nightclub!"
A few minutes later, two figures emerged from a hidden corner of the building.
Outside, dark clouds were rolling, the wind was howling, and the rain was falling heavily, like black lines.
This place was right in front of the place where Bai Mei fell from the building that morning. Lu Zheng found a large car to use as a cover, and Ji Yinhe followed him, crouching down, and did not forget to take out a raincoat from his bag and hold it above his head.
Fortunately, they acted in time. Just as they hid, a bright white light pierced the rainy night. A black car followed by a van drove up from the main road and stopped in front of the Lijing marquee sign.
The car door opened and a young woman in a leather jacket got out of the back seat. The man in the front seat stepped forward in time and held up a large black umbrella.
Several strong men in black clothes got out of the van, and a group of seven or eight people walked directly into the nightclub in a swaggering manner.
Ji Yinhe took off his mask and asked in a low voice: "Is this the boss?"
Lu Zheng lowered his eyes and nodded, and the misty rain brought her moist breath to his nose.
Just when his mind was wavering, Ji Yinhe stood up suddenly, raised his head and wiped the rain off his face.
"I'm going to get her back now!"
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