Chapter 26
Two o'clock in the afternoon on a summer day is the hottest time of day.
The sun was working with great enthusiasm, and even the birds couldn't stand it, hiding in the shade of the trees.
Two strange people, one big and one small, emerged from the villa in the mountains, both wearing hats and masks and heavily armed.
"Mom, it's so hot!"
Jiang Chen had walked halfway when he couldn't help but say something.
Hu Zhenzhen was also hot, but even taking off her hat didn't relieve the heat under such intense sunlight.
She took off Jiang Chen's mask and comforted him, "Mom will turn on the air conditioning for you when we get to the car."
Liu An usually drives for Hu Zhenzhen, so it's obviously not appropriate to ask him to drive today.
The drivers were all brought by Chen Kai and Liu An, and this matter should be related to all of them. Hu Zhenzhen wanted to find out the truth, so she decided to drive herself.
Fortunately, she had a driver's license and also drew a motorhome from the system, which allowed her to perfectly avoid everyone and take Xiao Chen on a detective adventure.
Hu Zhenzhen stopped and wiped the sweat from her brow.
[But Xiao Jin, isn't this RV parked way too far away?]
Xiao Jin felt a little guilty. [I forgot to tell the host when the RV was delivered that the property management wouldn't let people in, so they could only park it outside. Keep going, host, it's just 800 meters from there!]
By the time Hu Zhenzhen and Jiang Chen got into the car, their clothes were almost completely soaked.
After drinking half a bottle of mineral water from the car refrigerator, Hu Zhenzhen felt like she had come back to life.
Looking at Jiang Chen again, he was still holding the water bottle and gulping it down.
Hu Zhenzhen thought to herself, "This time, we've truly integrated into the Beggars' Sect."
Xiao Jin, trying to ingratiate himself, opened the map for Hu Zhenzhen. "Host, you can go directly to Xijingmen Street. That's the stronghold of the City Beggars' Gang. You might find someone who can help you there!"
This is the purpose of Hu Zhenzhen's outing today.
She remembered that when the system introduced the City Beggars' Guild, it said that as long as she paid a small amount of money, the City Beggars' Guild would operate for her.
With so many people helping, surely we can find some clues.
Hu Zhenzhen remembered Chen Kai saying that he was born in Xihua District and also attended primary school there.
It just so happens that Xijingmen Street is also part of Xihua District, so maybe we can find some old acquaintances of Chen Kai there.
With this in mind, Hu Zhenzhen fastened Jiang Chen's seatbelt and set off with him.
This RV is called a charity RV, but it's painted a very bright pink and has a large green cross painted on the side.
At first glance, it looks very much like a bootleg version of the Red Cross – the Green Cross.
The moment Hu Zhenzhen saw the car, she even had the thought of turning back home. In the end, she looked at her son, who was so hot he was almost dehydrated, and then she suppressed the thought and got into the car.
Fortunately, the interior of the RV was aesthetically pleasing, even luxurious, which comforted Hu Zhenzhen a little.
Anyway, she can't see outside from inside the car, and the ugly car is an eyesore for other people.
With this in mind, the pink RV sped along the road, attracting many surprised and strange looks.
Xijingmen Street.
This place isn't exactly bustling, but it's definitely lively.
Zheng Xing has lived here for over twenty years and is already familiar with the feeling of moving around the city.
He pushed open the old wooden door, casually hung a lock on it, and shuffled out in his slippers.
"Aunt Zhang, a jianbing guozi with two eggs, please."
"Okay, why aren't you adding sausage today?"
"Don't mention it, Auntie. We're struggling to make ends meet, we have no money."
Zheng Xing didn't feel ashamed at all and immediately told everyone about his embarrassing situation.
Aunt Zhang was an old acquaintance of his, and hearing this, she still gave him an extra sausage. "Alright, Auntie will give you one today. Business at your detective agency hasn't been good lately, has it?"
Zheng Xing squatted on the side of the street, drinking soy milk through a straw.
People with this kind of appearance are everywhere on Xijingmen Street. Even if Zheng Xing is more slovenly, no one would give him a second glance.
"Hey, Aunt Zhang, that rich guy is a real scoundrel. I finished investigating the matter he entrusted to me, and not only did he not pay me, he also beat me up."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Xing angrily downed the rest of his soy milk in one gulp and muttered, "With such a stingy attitude, no wonder his backyard is in trouble."
"Here you go, your pancakes are ready!"
Aunt Zhang's stall was bustling with activity. After listening to Zheng Xing's complaints, she comforted him, saying, "Alright, all your bad luck is over. It's time for your luck to turn around."
Zheng Xing took a big bite of the pancake, waved at her, and walked away, saying, "I'm already lucky if I don't continue to have bad luck."
Things have turned around, and Zheng Xing can no longer count on it.
If he had the chance, he would rather put a sack over his employer's head and beat up that rich fat man to vent his anger; only then would he feel satisfied.
Unfortunately, I probably won't have that chance in this lifetime.
That fat man is the richest person on Xijingmen Street.
Zheng Xing finished the pancake in his hand in a few bites, clapped his hands as if he had washed them, and skillfully set up his stall on the side of the road.
His stall was very simple.
A table, paper and pen, and a banner.
[Top Detective, Guaranteed to Solve Cases]
These eight characters cost Zheng Xing 100 yuan. He used them for two years, and even though the edges were faded, he couldn't bear to replace them.
With sunglasses on and hands braced on the table, Zheng Xing was officially at work.
"Sigh, another day of giving up."
Just as he was about to lean on the table and take a nap, he caught a glimpse of that fat guy out of the corner of his eye.
Zheng Xing suddenly perked up and ground his back molars.
What's that fatso doing? Why is he standing so eagerly by the roadside, looking like he's waiting for someone?
Could it be that he cheated on his wife too? And found a new lover?
Zheng Xing stared at him with great interest, not wanting to miss a single second.
Zheng Xing had already adjusted the angle of his phone, ready to snap a few photos at any moment, but he wasn't sure if he could get money from the fat man's wife.
Even a couple who sleep in the same bed might know each other's secrets.
Zheng Xing waited quite a while before his target finally appeared.
It was a very flashy RV, painted in a garish Barbie pink with a large green cross painted on it, making one wonder if the owner was an unconventional person.
No one got off the bus; only the window was lowered slightly.
Zheng Xing craned his neck, but could only see a short figure.
Is it a child?
Could it be that he and his lover already have a child?
He excitedly pressed the shutter button and took more than a dozen photos.
The back door of the RV opened, and the fat man's smile widened even more... Zheng Xing couldn't find the right words to describe it, and raised his eyebrows in disgust.
It started licking even more intensely.
It took Zheng Xing a long time to connect the fat man with this word.
Rather than meeting his lover, he looked more like he was meeting a sugar daddy who could give him money.
Zheng Xing's idea made him laugh.
Just kidding, who would be so blind as to take a liking to this greasy middle-aged man?
Are there really any blind, rich women out there?
Zheng Xing rubbed his face.
Even if there are rich women out there, they should be interested in him, not Yang Lin.
Zheng Xing kept changing his posture, but his eyes never left the RV.
To his surprise, the fat man who refused to pay only stayed for about five minutes before getting off the bus. He bowed and scraped by the car, talking to the driver at length before leaving.
Okay, now the truth is out, he really wasn't a lover.
No mistress would be after just five minutes of his time.
Zheng Xingyang grinned mischievously and, after Yang Lin left, immediately approached the RV.
He wanted to see who owned such a flashy car, that even Yang Lin, the richest man on Xijingmen Street, would be so attentive to him.
Hu Zhenzhen frowned in the car, finally gaining a real understanding of the power of the City Beggars' Gang.
The person she just met was Yang Lin, the current head of the city's beggar gang and also the landlord who helped her collect cheap rent.
"Xihua District isn't big, so finding someone's information isn't difficult, Mr. Hu. I just don't know how much you can charge. I know a few detectives on Xijingmen Street, and they're all willing to serve you."
Yang Lin is a capable person, but his asking price was too high, making Hu Zhenzhen doubt whether she was really his boss.
After discussing it for a while, Hu Zhenzhen didn't immediately agree to his exorbitant asking price.
After all, with 50,000 yuan, she could hire a top-notch private investigator directly, so why bother going through Yang Lin as an intermediary?
As soon as Yang Lin got out of the car, Hu Zhenzhen couldn't wait to ask Xiao Jin.
What was that person's talent?
[Host, you're a thug manager!]
A thug manager? That sounds like a gang leader.
Hu Zhenzhen wore an expression that was hard to describe.
[Host!! Someone has been detected secretly filming you!]
Xiao Jin's notification popped up, and Hu Zhenzhen reacted quickly by looking outside, just in time to catch Zheng Xing's phone, which he hadn't put down yet.
She squinted and rolled down the car window.
"Hey, you, delete the photos you took without my permission."
Zheng Xing chuckled awkwardly, "I just thought your car was nice and interesting, so I took a couple of pictures."
Xiao Jin jumped in at the opportune moment, [Host, this person's talent has been detected: Super Gossip Detective!]
Hu Zhenzhen's eyelids twitched.
Why do all the people on Xijingmen Street have such strange names for their talents? They don't sound very proper.
But the detective—
Hu Zhenzhen pressed the car door switch, "Come on in first, I think we need to talk."
Zheng Xing, standing outside the car, paused for a moment, but his frivolous smile remained unchanged as he climbed into the car.
"Beautiful lady, it's not a good thing to let men get on your car so easily."
He spoke in a very flippant manner, as if he were a wicked person with malicious intentions.
But when Hu Zhenzhen looked back in the rearview mirror, the man was sitting obediently in the chair, not even touching the table.
Although his posture was not very elegant, it was clear that he had no intention of doing anything improper.
“Who said I let just anyone get on the bus?” Hu Zhenzhen denied. “I came here specifically to see you, detective.”
As soon as he said that, Zheng Xing's smile vanished.
Once he got in the car, he realized that the owner was definitely richer than he had imagined. Such an ugly exterior paired with a top-of-the-line interior—wasn't that a complete waste of money?
Zheng Xing was certain he had never seen her before, but the car owner's words immediately revealed his identity as a detective.
He was just an ordinary, poor person; how could he possibly catch other people's eye?
Zheng Xing's heart skipped a beat, and he felt somewhat uneasy.
"Miss, are you kidding me? These days, who does detective work? I'm just a construction worker."
Hu Zhenzhen didn't even turn her head; she just looked at him in the rearview mirror, her smile slowly widening.
The little boy in the passenger seat turned his head curiously and stared at Zheng Xing for a while.
"Mom, he's lying."
Zheng Xing awkwardly shook his leg.
Seriously? Is his acting really that bad? Even a child could tell.
"Xiao Chen is amazing! Our Xiao Chen has the talent to be a detective!"
A hand reached out from the driver's seat and patted the little boy's head.
The expressionless little boy instantly became happy and showed a small smile.
Zheng Xing's teeth ached from looking at it.
Fine, he got on the bus, so there's nothing I can do if I don't want to see the mother and son's tender moment.
Since there was no way to avoid the trouble anyway, Zheng Xing simply asked, "Alright, since you came here specifically to see me, please tell me, what is it?"
"What else could you possibly need a detective for?" Hu Zhenzhen asked him in return.
“Of course I want you to investigate,” she finally turned around, letting Zheng Xing see her face, and handed him a document. “I need to know what trouble this person has been in lately.”
Zheng Xing took the paper, but his eyes never left Hu Zhenzhen's face.
"Hey beautiful, can I ask you a question? How old are you? How come you look so young even though your child is so big?"
Hu Zhenzhen finally understood why Xiao Jin had added the words "super gossipy" to his detective talent.
This person is really too gossipy.
"I'm fifty this year, divorced, and have one child. Is that considered late marriage and late childbirth?"
Zheng Xing was being irresponsible, so Hu Zhenzhen simply gave him an irresponsible reply as well.
That sounds like a lie. Putting aside her skin condition, Zheng Xing could tell from her spirit that Hu Zhenzhen was not old.
He was rebuffed and obediently lowered his head to look at the documents.
"Chen Kai, that name sounds familiar."
Hu Zhenzhen immediately perked up, "You know him?"
"I don't know him, but I feel like I've heard of him. Your information is all from later. Since he's from Xihua District, you should have an address, right? Do you know it?"
I really don't know about this Hu Zhenzhen.
When Chen Kai was working, he lived on the first floor of the Woshan Villa, where he had a private room with a bathroom.
As for his past, Hu Zhenzhen only heard him mention that he had attended primary school in Xihua District.
"The primary schools in Xihua District..."
Zheng Xing pondered for a moment, "According to what you said, he shouldn't be able to afford a private primary school. There are only two public primary schools, so it's easy to check."
"How long will it take to get the results?"
Hu Zhenzhen was a little impatient, "Is it possible today?"
Zheng Xing rubbed his fingers together. "That depends on your attitude, boss."
Hu Zhenzhen understood immediately, "How much money do you want?"
Zheng Xing held up two fingers.
"Twenty thousand? Sure, if you can figure things out within three hours, I'll double it."
Zheng Xing's raised hand froze, and he forgot to put it down for a moment.
Twenty thousand!
He swallowed the two thousand yuan he had in his mouth in one gulp.
This is truly a case of meeting a big boss.
Upon hearing that the amount could be doubled if the matter was clarified within three hours, Zheng Xing sat up straight immediately.
He might not make a profit for three years, but once he does, he'll live off that profit for three years. Whether he can make a living this year depends entirely on this one opportunity!
"Don't worry, as long as the money is in place, I will definitely get things done for you!"
This is exactly the attitude Hu Zhenzhen wants.
She took out her phone. "Let's add each other as friends. I'll transfer 5,000 yuan to you first as a deposit. I'm in a hurry, so please investigate quickly."
I've already received five thousand before even getting anything done?
Zheng Xing was a little dizzy, and his hands were shaking when he scanned the code.
This boss is too generous. Isn't he afraid the guy will just run away?
"Don't worry, I'll let you know via WeChat as soon as I get any news!"
Zheng Xing made a verbal promise, but he couldn't wait to get off the bus immediately. After all, three hours was too short. He wanted to earn double the money, so he couldn't waste a single minute.
But before Zheng Xing got out of the car, there was another knock on the door.
Hu Zhenzhen tilted her head to look at who it was, then pressed the door open button.
Yang Lin climbed into the car, panting. "Boss, I've found all the information you needed. You can choose which detective you want to help you..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Zheng Xing in the car.
Zheng Xing also saw him and immediately grinned crookedly, "We don't need your information anymore, the boss has already chosen me."
Enemies meeting are bound to be filled with hatred.
Zheng Xingcai had just been beaten up. Although he wasn't seriously injured, he was still holding back his anger. He was very excited to be able to get the upper hand over Yang Lin at this moment.
Yang Lin was also unhappy. He sat down in the seat next to Zheng Xing and said to Hu Zhenzhen, "Boss, you should think carefully about this person."
He suppressed his anger, "Xijingmen Street is all yours. You can find any kind of detective you want. Why do you have to use this to fool people?"
Zheng Xing couldn't stand being belittled like that to his face.
"Who are you calling a liar? It's clearly you who have no sense of contractual obligation. You made me investigate but then refused to pay me."
Zheng Xing rolled up his arm, revealing bruises.
"Boss, look, not only did he not pay me, but he also beat me up."
Hu Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow. Well, it turns out that finding Yang Lin's talent was due to the management of hooligans.
She said, "That's where you're wrong, Lao Yang. If someone hires you to work, you always have to pay them."
Yang Lin smiled wryly, but because Hu Zhenzhen was his boss, he didn't refute her statement.
Zheng Xing was immediately smug.
In all these years, he had never seen Yang Lin so embarrassed.
Especially since he himself was the one who made Yang Lin suffer, Zheng Xing felt incredibly satisfied.
As expected of a big boss, he can get Yang Lin to—
Wait, what did Yang Lin just say? Who owns the entire Xijingmen Street?
Zheng Xing's expression was dazed, his eyes drifting incredulously towards Hu Zhenzhen.
It turns out this woman is not only rich, but also a super-rich woman who controls the entire Xijingmen Street!
"Wait a minute, does Xijingmen Street all belong to you?"
He carefully interrupted Hu Zhenzhen and looked at her.
“Well, you could say that,” Hu Zhenzhen replied lightly, continuing to lecture Yang Lin, “What era are we living in? Hitting people is wrong. You’re in charge here, so of course you have to set an example. You can’t just abuse your power.”
Yang Lin was also furious.
He lowered his head, held back for a while, but couldn't help it. "To be honest, I don't usually do things like this. It's just that Zheng Xing went too far, so I asked my two younger brothers to beat him up a few times to vent my anger."
"Anyway, I don't think I was wrong. If you want to scold me, then scold me."
Hu Zhenzhen became interested and glanced at Zheng Xing, who was still confused and didn't react to Yang Lin's words.
"What happened? Did Zheng Xing give you the wrong results from his investigation?"
Since Hu Zhenzhen had asked, Yang Lin didn't want to hide it anymore.
Anyway, he still wants to work under the boss in the future, so it doesn't matter if he tells her about this embarrassing thing.
“I asked him to investigate why my wife was always sneaking out on weekends this month. As a result, Zheng Xing told me that my wife was having an affair with a young man who was quite good-looking.”
Zheng Xing's original words were harsh, and that was after he embellished them.
Even so, when the matter was brought up again, Yang Lin still looked humiliated, saying, "My wife is the person who loves me the most in the world. Anyone can cheat on me, but she won't."
"When I said that, Zheng Xing disagreed with me, and in a fit of anger, I..."
Zheng Xing also came to his senses at this moment. Hearing Yang Lin's words, he touched his nose guiltily.
"Okay, I was wrong to say that back then. Even if you're a bit chubby, I shouldn't have called you a green pig."
He admitted his mistake readily.
However, Yang Lin was still very unhappy. "You're insulting my wife's reputation. She's not that kind of woman at all!"
Zheng Xing then understood why he had been beaten.
Who would have thought that Yang Lin, that miser, would have such a loving side towards his wife?
He whispered, "But I did photograph your wife on a date with another man in the park on Sunday. I'll accept it if you hit me, but at least pay the bill."
Yang Lin rolled his eyes at him, "The results you gave me are not the truth, so why should I give you money?"
Zheng Xing pursed his lips.
I thought Yang Lin would be easier to talk to in front of the boss, but it turns out he's still a penny-pincher.
Hu Zhenzhen never expected to find out so much gossip while just going out; her ears perked up with excitement.
Yang Lin didn't continue, but she pressed on with another question, "And then? Did you find out the truth?"
There was another little ear standing up next to her.
Jiang Chen whispered in Hu Zhenzhen's ear, "Mom, what is a green pig?"
It's really bad to talk to children about infidelity and love triangles.
Hu Zhenzhen's mind raced, and she managed to give Jiang Chen an absurd answer.
"You've played that bird-themed game, right, Xiao Chen? There's a green pig in it, isn't there? That's what Uncle swears at. Don't learn it from him, Xiao Chen."
Jiang Chen said "Oh," and assured Hu Zhenzhen, "Mom, don't worry, Xiao Chen won't swear."
With this interruption, Yang Lin lost the will to continue.
"Forget it, I don't want to investigate any further."
Judging from his appearance, he was clearly worried, afraid that something might actually be discovered.
However, for Yang Lin to trust her so much, his wife must be a person of good character. Hu Zhenzhen felt that things might not be as Zheng Xing said.
After all, a man and a woman went to a park, not some kind of ambiguous place.
Hu Zhenzhen looked at Yang Lin, "You really don't want to investigate anymore? Don't you want to clear your wife's name?"
Yang Lin looked up, his eyes filled with resentment, clearly indicating that he was also thinking about it.
Hu Zhenzhen understood immediately when she saw his expression.
She said to Zheng Xing, "Your chance to prove your strength has come. Want to make a bet?"
"What are we betting on?"
Zheng Xing's eyes lit up, but he couldn't find two hundred yuan on his person, and he really couldn't think of any bets he could make.
"I'll bet you can find out the truth."
Hu Zhenzhen smiled slightly, "If you can find out the truth about Chen Kai's matter before 10 pm tonight, and also find out the real reason why Lao Yang's wife met with the man."
She patted the sturdy back of the RV's seat and said, "This RV is yours now."
A motorhome.
Zheng Xing couldn't help but swallow hard. Judging from this configuration, it must cost at least 300,000 yuan.
His remaining rationality told him that things wouldn't come without a price: "What if I can't find out?"
Hu Zhenzhen's smile widened. "If you can't find the information, it means you're not a qualified detective. I'm going to revoke your qualification as a detective on Xijingmen Street."
If anyone else had said this, Zheng Xing would have scoffed at it.
What he wants to do is his business, and why should others interfere?
But these words were spoken by Hu Zhenzhen. Zheng Xing knew clearly which side Xijingmen Street belonged to, and she truly had the ability to do so.
He felt a chill run down his spine, and Zhang's words came to mind.
"When all the bad luck is over, good luck will come."
Zheng Xing recalled his decade of dissipation and didn't know where he got the courage to shout.
"Let's gamble!"
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