Chapter 34
Zhuang Sheng and his girlfriend followed each other for a long time, from the airport to the restaurant, and from the restaurant to the dessert shop. Although Iris did not kick him out, compared to her enthusiasm for Su Wenqiang, Zhuang Zhuoyuan was indeed neglected.
"Yi Yi has to work overtime, so she probably can't come tonight." After reading the message, Iris didn't immediately put down her phone. Zhuang Zhuoyuan sat opposite her, and although he didn't know what she was pressing on it, he guessed that his girlfriend was determined to find someone to fill the four-person table tonight. Excluding Yi Mingxian, he realized that she had so many male friends, whether he knew them or not! After this incident, Zhuang Zhuoyuan realized that his girlfriend was actually quite popular outside.
"BB, why don't we ask my sister for help?" Basically, there was no need to think twice. Inspector Chong took the initiative. Asking for a woman was definitely better than asking for a man, and the best candidate was Madam Chong.
"Is my older sister free?" Iris had no objection to Zhuang Zhuoyuan's ulterior motives, but she also had to consider whether their awkwardness would affect Zhuang Zhuohua's work. She knew that the latter had recently returned to working overtime again due to several cases involving loan sharks, leaving early and returning late every day, which was very tiring. Iris didn't want her to worry about them anymore.
"You need to take a breather when you're doing anything," Zhuang Zhuoyuan quickly typed and sent the message. "My sister has been trying to find that moneylender Wang Gui lately. I'm thinking of finding a few people to help her."
Inspector Zhuang had many informants in the past; with patience, he could always find one or two reliable leads. He tapped his fingers through the list in his mind, and Iris, who had found a clue after his suggestion, immediately dialed a number. Although she had only been in Hong Kong for a short time, her connections were no less than Zhuang Zhuoyuan's. "Hey, Guan Guan, are you free? I'll treat you to dessert! Consider it apology for leaving the music festival at the last minute. OK, I'll send you the address, waiting for you."
Listening to his girlfriend's tone on the phone, Zhuang Zhuoyuan was really afraid that she would say "mua~" at the end. Even though she was probably just being cute and coquettish to make him jealous, Zhuang Zhuoyuan's heart was already churning with sour bubbles when he thought of her sexy outfit at the last music festival.
Sitting across from him, poking at his soup spoon, Su Wenqiang found Zhuang Zhuoyuan's dejected look amusing. She had seen their smug expressions while training new recruits many times, and it was rare to see Zhuang Sir get such a setback. She even considered taking a picture of it to share with her colleagues later.
Just as she was thinking this, she took out her phone and received a distress text from Zhuang Sir. Madam Su looked up at him first, saw his pleading expression, raised an eyebrow, and waited until Iris, who knew exactly what they were up to, looked up before turning her gaze away and opening the message.
"Oh! So you were asking me how to make it." Su Wenqiang nodded seriously, gave Zhuang Zhuoyuan a "figure it out yourself" look, then put down his phone and chatted with Iris about the desserts at this shop: "Your introduction is really good. This shop has delicious food, plenty of ingredients, and a wide variety of dishes. It seems I can bring my friends here often in the future."
Iris also ignored Zhuang Zhuoyuan, practically disregarding his presence: "This shop was brought to me by Mr. Yi. He's very knowledgeable in this area. I didn't have a chance this time, but I'll introduce you to him next time. The owner here is a shrewd businessman. If you come a few more times and become a regular customer, you'll never have to worry about not having good food to eat."
A buzzing sound came from her phone, followed by a reply from Zhuang Zhuohua. Zhuang Zhuoyuan had lured her with information about the suspect, and Madam Zhuang's success rate was a staggering 85%. Her affirmative reply finally gave Zhuang Sir another chance to speak: "BB, my sister said she'll be here soon. I sent her the address. By the way, when is your friend arriving? Who is he?"
Iris didn't jump into his circle, but instead asked, "What answers do you want to know?"
Now, speaking or remaining silent both meant certain death. Zhuang Zhuoyuan obediently fell silent, his resentful expression deepening, looking like a pitiful big dog. Yuanbao probably all wanted to acknowledge him as family.
Su Wenqiang was eager to know if Iris would soften her stance, but she seemed to deliberately avoid this potential trap, taking her bowl and sitting down at the next table. Zhuang Zhuoyuan, in a moment of anxiety, called out, "Wife!"
"Don't come any closer!" Iris snapped, and Zhuang Zhuoyuan obediently shrank back. Even Su Wenqiang felt a pang of sympathy. He'd always seen the two of them so sweet and affectionate, and seeing them arguing now, it wouldn't be right not to help. Women understand women better after all. Having made up her mind, Su Wenqiang didn't waste any more words and directly relayed the instructions to the person who caused the argument. She signaled to Zhuang Zhuoyuan to immediately start composing a text message. Whether Ding Huihui was there or not, to appease Iris, Zhuang Zhuoyuan first needed to make a firm and unwavering statement.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing the truth. They say those involved are often blinded by their own involvement, and now, after some guidance, he finally saw the situation clearly. He no longer cared about the issues he had previously considered, or what was more important. Even if people thought he was being presumptuous, he had to distance himself from Ding Huihui. If he had to choose between a friend and a girlfriend, he would definitely choose Iris.
Iris wasn't happy about his actions. She didn't really want to influence Zhuang Zhuoyuan's decisions in the first place. Now that the Kenny incident had just passed, she was having a conflict with him because of Ding Huihui, making it seem like she was forcibly interfering with her boyfriend's social circle. Just thinking about it made her feel uncomfortable.
“BB, I’ve made things clear with Huihui and rejected her, look!” It was probably the first time Zhuang Sheng had typed so fast. He darted over to Iris’s side, showed her his phone screen, and only sent the message after his girlfriend’s eyes were on him. “Sent. It’s all right.”
But he was the only one breathing heavily.
Iris's brows remained furrowed, her eyes filled with a sorrowful and melancholic expression, making her look like a wounded fawn. Zhuang Zhuoyuan's heart softened instantly, and even the last trace of hesitation vanished. Watching his girlfriend run out of the shop's side door with tears in her eyes, he quickly followed behind, forcefully embracing her to stop her.
"BB, sorry."
He was about to apologize when Iris spoke first. Her voice was muffled, and Zhuang Zhuoyuan tried his best to soothe her, finally getting her to stay obediently in his arms and stop struggling. But there was none of the tight embrace that usually followed after an argument. Zhuang Zhuoyuan couldn't help but worry about this. In the past, when Iris had gone to great lengths to make him jealous, Zhuang Zhuoyuan had thought about getting his revenge someday. But now, he just felt that he still preferred the way his girlfriend nestled softly and sweetly in his arms.
The kiss was avoided. Zhuang Zhuoyuan spent a long time preparing his words, just about to speak, when an untimely male voice interrupted. The newcomer was clearly "Guanguan," the one Iris had mentioned. Upon seeing him, he recognized Zhuang Zhuoyuan immediately: "Hello, Zhuang Sir, I've heard Shishi talk about you for a long time. It's great to finally meet you today. But your way of welcoming me is a bit too special, isn't it? Sister Iris, you don't have to give me such a huge dose of sweetness right away, do you? It's too sweet!"
Iris had already left Zhuang Zhuoyuan's shoulder. She silently composed herself and turned to joke with the newcomers. However, as if to avoid suspicion, she didn't formally introduce them to each other, only saying, "G-Force, I thought you would bring Jiajia. Now my demonstration is useless. If you think it's too sweet, then you've just missed your chance."
She approached step by step, not pulling Zhuang Zhuoyuan along behind her. Dai Huaguan raised an eyebrow, knowing from his demeanor that this dessert wouldn't be a free lunch. He shrugged and smiled, also turning his gaze away from Zhuang Zhuoyuan. Twirling his keys, he put his arm around Iris's shoulder and went into the shop: "I came to find you as soon as I finished work, and you still want to stab me? Sister Iris, that's not fair!"
Iris just smiled: "What if I order you a super deluxe dessert combo later so you can take it home to appease your girlfriend? What do you say then?"
"Of course!" Dai Huaguan glanced around the restaurant, then looked at the table next to his friend's seat with two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and at the woman staring at him and Iris with some surprise. He guessed that the woman was probably a police officer, so he wisely refrained from asking any questions. He picked up the menu and pointed at it, saying, "I'm going to rip you off today!"
Needing help, with the police present and the need to avoid suspicion, G-Force knew without much thought that this was a matter of "gangster business." He was grateful for Iris's thoughtfulness and chatted with her for a while before Zhuang Zhuohua arrived. Finally, G-Force understood Iris's true purpose for seeking him out that day.
"Debt collector Wang Gui?" He stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then relaxed his brow and laughed, "No wonder you asked, he's definitely the most talked-about person lately. He's notoriously ruthless and only cares about money, you can tell from those news reports. Shishi, if you're just curious, I can tell you more, but if you want to play around, I'll keep quiet and won't take you."
Iris took out a small notebook from her handbag, spread it out on the table, and gestured for me to leave: "Just think of me as doing some research."
“OK, fine.” As usual when handling materials, G-Force casually mentioned a few of Wang Gui’s characteristics to help Iris sketch the character. After the basic character image was established, he quietly moved closer to her side, covered the lower half of his face, and carefully revealed: “As far as I know, these guys have heavy firearms, and I’ve also heard that they’re going to do a big deal recently, but I don’t know who it is.”
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