Chapter 101 The System's Three-Year Cycle...
Zhou Yue dragged his suitcase through the waiting hall. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, took out his phone, and called Xia Zhiyao.
The call connected quickly, and Xia Zhiyao could hear the sound of keyboards clicking on her end, indicating she was still busy: "Have you arrived at the airport?"
"We've arrived." Zhou Yue lowered his voice, trying to sound as relaxed as possible. "My flight is tonight, I'll be back tomorrow."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a smile appeared, and the voice sounded a little sleepy: "Be careful, I'll be back tomorrow."
"Hmm." He paused for a moment. "Go home and get some sleep tonight."
The breathing on the other end of the phone was quiet for a few seconds, as if there were many things to say but they were all swallowed back, leaving only a soft "okay".
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yue still held his phone. The rain outside was falling in a fine drizzle. He looked up at the window. The night was very wet, and the lights were blurred in the rain. His reflection overlapped with the rain outside, making him look a little lonely.
As soon as Zhou Yue got off the plane, he took a taxi directly to the hotel with his luggage. The night in Shenzhen was damp and stuffy, and it was drizzling. The neon lights outside the glass door cast long shadows in the rain.
Someone was already waiting for him in the lobby. It was his old classmate from the area, Li Xincheng, who is now the security director of a hotel group and has been a colleague of the security supervisor of this Shenzhen hotel for many years.
"Thank you for your hard work." Zhou Yue lowered his voice and patted his friend's shoulder.
"Don't mention it." Li Xincheng smiled and gestured to the front desk manager, "Could you open what I mentioned last time and take a look?"
The manager glanced at Li Xincheng, then at Zhou Yue. The paperwork was completed quickly, and the monitoring access was granted smoothly.
Deep in the corridor, a card reader door beeped and turned green. Li Xincheng pushed the door open and led Zhou Yue directly into the monitoring room. Inside, rows of screens flickered with blue light.
"Should we retrieve all the records?" Li Xincheng asked.
The staff member looked troubled, and Li Xincheng immediately knew something was wrong, so he asked, "What's wrong?"
"The system saves data in a three-year cycle, which is correct, but the period you requested... is not recorded." The staff member's voice lowered.
Li Xincheng frowned and turned to look at Zhou Yue: "This doesn't seem like a malfunction; it seems like someone tampered with it beforehand."
When Zhou Yue looked up, his expression had returned to that of a calm investor: "Thank you, you've worked hard."
After leaving the hotel, the rain gradually subsided. Li Xincheng closed his umbrella, shook off the water droplets, and gestured with his chin to Zhou Yue: "Let's go, get something to eat? You haven't eaten either, have you?"
Zhou Yue nodded, he was indeed a little hungry. The two of them went into a Cantonese restaurant by the street corner. The restaurant was warmly lit, which was completely different from the damp and cold night outside.
The waiter led them to their seats and handed them menus. Li Xincheng casually ordered a few dishes, while Zhou Yue, who also had little appetite, said he didn't care.
Li Xincheng first picked up a piece of pickled vegetables, chewed it, and looked at Zhou Yue: "This matter of the surveillance footage, it's not a big deal, but it's not insignificant either, after all, three years have passed. I just don't know what your thoughts are on this?"
Zhou Yue carefully took a sip of porridge and slowly said, "Actually, it's already quite clear by the time we found out. It's not too serious... it's just that my friend has been being watched for three years, which is indeed a rather frightening thing."
Li Xincheng put down his chopsticks, looked up at him, and frowned even more deeply: "Three years... this is no small matter." He paused, picked up a piece of chicken, and said, "Go back and tell your friend to be more careful."
Zhou Yue nodded, his expression seemingly calm, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "Yes, I'll go back tomorrow."
The neon lights outside the window became blurred in the rain, the red and green lights shattered into patches of light, reflecting off the two people's faces through the glass, one bright and one dark.
After finishing their meal, the two walked to the street corner together, their footsteps splashing in the puddles.
Li Xincheng hailed a taxi, opened the car door, and before getting in, he patted Zhou Yue's shoulder firmly to reassure him: "Call me if you need anything."
Zhou Yue stood alone at the entrance of the convenience store, where he saw his reflection in the glass window.
The deleted surveillance video kept replaying in his mind. It wasn't just cold data; it felt like an unseen hand was slowly reaching out from the darkness, tightening its grip, trying to strangle him.
Back at his hotel, Zhou Yue casually tossed off his coat and took off his slightly damp clothes, throwing them all on the carpet. He didn't bother with them, went to the bathroom to take a shower, and then sat heavily on the bed, remaining motionless.
He kept replaying the scene in his mind: the surveillance footage that had been copied separately and then precisely deleted.
This is by no means a coincidence, nor is it a spur-of-the-moment decision.
This was a long-planned game of chess, and Xia Zhiyao was the most important piece in the center of the board. The reason for their falling out was designed to be almost flawless: on one side was Zheng Xiaotian, her most trusted partner of many years, and on the other side was him, the one who had loved her passionately for so many years.
As long as a little "evidence" is created on this line, even if it is false, it is enough to throw her into disarray, and may even lead to her self-destruction. The person who understands her best is often the one who is most likely to hurt her. Everyone understands this principle.
Zhou Yue slowly raised his head. The light reflected off his eyes, making them somewhat dazzling. The anger that had been building up in his chest was churning, almost about to explode, but he suppressed it tightly.
He knew that this was exactly the moment the other party wanted—to make him lose patience, act impulsively, and expose his weaknesses, so that Xia Zhiyao would completely lose his footing in this turmoil.
Who is it? Who wants to sow discord among them? This question buzzed in his mind.
Zhang Luyuan, that name is the first one that pops up. That guy knows Xia Zhiyao best. He knows her past and how to plant the seeds of doubt in her heart. He has the motive, the means, and that morbid obsession.
But it could be someone else, someone who had a business grudge against Xia Zhiyao, or... Zhou Yue rubbed his temples; there were too many possibilities.
What do they want? To leave Xia Zhiyao isolated and helpless? Or do they simply want to watch them distrust each other and eventually fall apart?
The hotel was very soundproof, and the outside world seemed to be isolated in another dimension, leaving him alone with those malicious speculations in his mind.
My phone rang several times; it was a WeChat message from Xia Zhiyao: 【How's the matter going?】
【Have you got a meal yet? 】
I heard it's going to rain in Shenzhen tomorrow, so let's prepare in advance.
Zhou Yue was stunned for a moment, his gaze shifting back and forth over those few lines of text. There was no probing, no questioning, just the most ordinary concern. She was still her, still the Xia Zhiyao who would remember to remind him to eat and worry about him getting wet in the rain.
The tightness in his chest suddenly eased, and he slowly exhaled a long breath, his shoulders unconsciously relaxing. His thumb lightly swiped across the screen, as if confirming the authenticity of the message.
Who cares? This thought suddenly popped into his head, but it unexpectedly made him feel relaxed. Who cares if it's Zhang Luyuan or whoever it is, who cares what they want to do.
As long as Xia Zhiyao is still willing to send him such messages, as long as she still cares whether he has eaten or not, and as long as the trust between them remains, that's enough.
He leaned back against the headboard, his phone pressed against his chest. They wanted to sow discord? A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhou Yue's lips. Those people underestimated one thing: the tacit understanding between him and Xia Zhiyao couldn't be shattered by a few words of provocation.
Having gone through so much, if they couldn't even withstand this little bit of trouble, they wouldn't have made it this far.
He picked up his phone again and typed: "I just finished eating, you should get some rest too. The raincoat is in the car, don't worry."
Then he stood up, walked to the window, and with a whoosh, pulled back the curtains, revealing the night view of Shenzhen.
Across most of China, among those myriad lights, one was lit for him. Thinking this, all those conspiracies and schemes suddenly seemed ridiculous. As long as they could still think of each other like this, everything else was just fleeting smoke.
But Zhou Yue was indeed having doubts. For three whole years, someone had been following Xia Zhiyao like a shadow, recording her every move, and she had been completely unaware.
He closed his eyes, his temples throbbing. Should he tell her? No, he knew Xia Zhiyao too well. Once she knew the truth, she would definitely dig deep and might even try to lure the snake out of its hole—that would be too dangerous.
The cold light from the phone screen shone on his face, making the three characters "Xia Zhiyao" on WeChat particularly glaring. His thumb hovered over it for a full half minute before finally dialing Zheng Xiaotian's number.
As soon as the call connected, there was deafening electronic music and a cacophony of voices on the other end, clearly indicating a bar.
Zheng Xiaotian's voice, tinged with the smell of alcohol, was nonchalant: "Hey, who's this? Did our CEO Zhou remember there was someone like me? What, you're heartbroken and want to drink?"
"Stop being so glib." Zhou Yue rubbed his temples, his voice low. "Xiaotian, I really have something to do. Find a quiet place."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then the laughter stopped abruptly, accompanied by the creaking of the door being pushed open and the sound of footsteps, followed by the click of a lighter.
Zheng Xiaotian exhaled a puff of smoke: "Fine, go ahead. Your tone sounds off."
Zhou Yue recounted the entire story of the surveillance footage in detail, speaking at a moderate pace and explaining every single detail clearly.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a thunderous roar: "Damn it! Who the hell is so wicked?!"
Zheng Xiaotian cursed hoarsely: "He even sent you the photos? I'm telling you, please don't misunderstand, there's really nothing between us, let me explain..."
Zhou Yue didn't interrupt, letting him finish his rant before slowly saying, "It's okay, I know, you don't need to worry."
Zheng Xiaotian continued, "You didn't tell Xia Zhiyao about this, did you? She's busy with the new energy park right now."
Zhou Yue hummed in agreement and continued, "That's why I didn't dare tell her. You know her personality; once she finds out..."
"She'll definitely investigate herself, and she'll even use herself as bait." Zheng Xiaotian sneered, knowingly agreeing, "It's right to keep it from her for now. And do you have any leads on your end?"
Zhou Yue said, "I suspect it's Zhang Luyuan. I saw him in the parking lot when I went to pick up Zhiyao a few days ago, but it could also be one of her competitors. But whoever it is, this isn't just a business matter; someone wants to ruin her."
Zheng Xiaotian took a deep drag on his cigarette and said coldly, "Damn it, I just want to tear them apart just thinking about it."
“That’s why I need you.” Zhou Yue stood up, walked to the window, and raindrops splashed on the glass, leaving dense water streaks. “Keep an eye on her secretly, but don’t let her notice.”
"Don't worry," Zheng Xiaotian replied without hesitation, "I'll keep an eye on her."
Zhou Yue chuckled softly, but his voice was full of exhaustion: "Don't worry, I won't give them a chance."
“Wait,” Zhou Yue interrupted him, his voice as heavy as lead, “It might not just be Xia Zhiyao, it might be you too.”
"What?" Zheng Xiaotian's voice was hoarse.
“This photo will be sent to me only because of my relationship with Xia Zhiyao. As for you,” Zhou Yue paused, “there may be more things we don’t know.”
“You’re right.” Zheng Xiaotian chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Don’t I have even more dirt on me? My business, my private life, even going to a hotel might…”
“Very likely.” Zhou Yue closed his eyes. “Have you noticed anything amiss lately? In business, or anything else?”
Zheng Xiaotian remained silent for a long time, so long that Zhou Yue thought the call had been disconnected.
“…Damn,” Zheng Xiaotian muttered a curse under his breath, his voice low, “Don’t scare me. Something’s been off lately, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
He paused, as if recalling something, "For example, a few times when I was driving home late at night, as soon as my car left the underground parking lot, I felt like someone was following me. In my rearview mirror, there was always a small black SUV following me at a distance that wasn't too close or too far." "And another thing, a few days ago at the airport, I bumped into someone who was smiling in a really fake way, but he kept looking me up and down."
Zhou Yue frowned even more: "Are you sure you're not just overthinking things?"
"Don't even think about it." Zheng Xiaotian snorted, his voice carrying a familiar impatience. "I've been out in the world for so many years, I've seen it all, I can tell the difference between a normal look and a spy's look right away."
Zhou Yue thought for a moment and said, "It's been two or three years, and you're only just realizing it?"
Zheng Xiaotian clicked his tongue, a hint of anger in his voice: "At first I thought my dad had someone watching me, but then I realized something was wrong." He then asked, "Zhou Yue, this isn't business competition anymore, this is…"
“This is a net.” Zhou Yue stood up and walked to the window, where raindrops exploded on the glass. “A net woven over three years, and we are all prey in it.”
“Zhang Luyuan?” Zheng Xiaotian’s voice was low and hoarse.
“Uncertain. He might not be the only one.” Zhou Yue looked out at the hazy night sky. “To achieve this level of success, one either has abundant resources, or…”
“It’s either someone we know well,” Zheng Xiaotian said confidently.
The two fell silent at the same time. "Zhou Yue," Zheng Xiaotian finally spoke after a long while, "Are you sure you don't want to tell Zhiyao?"
"I can't tell her. You know her personality; she'll explode."
Zheng Xiaotian gave a wry smile, his voice muffled, "But if I keep it from her, what if she finds out?"
“That’s why I’m telling you this.” Zhou Yue rested his hand on the glass. “We need to protect her secretly, find out who it is, and,” he paused, “you need to be careful yourself.”
"Me?" Zheng Xiaotian leaned back in his chair and sneered, stubbing out his cigarette. "I'd like to see who the hell has the guts." But Zhou Yue could hear a hint of unease hidden beneath that arrogance.
“Xiaotian,” Zhou Yue said earnestly, “from now on, pretend you know nothing. But remember every detail, every suspicious person and thing.”
"Understood." Zheng Xiaotian took a deep breath, his tone carrying a hint of brotherly ruthlessness. "Zhou Yue, if we really find out who it is, should we call the police?"
"Let's hold off." Zhou Yue's lips curled into a cold smile. "I really want to know what they want."
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yue tossed his phone onto the sofa, braced his hands against the glass window, and pressed his forehead against the cold glass. Rainwater streamed down the window, leaving streaks of water.
Three years of surveillance, not only on Xia Zhiyao, but also on Zheng Xiaotian, and possibly many others. This is no longer a simple grudge; it is a meticulously planned conspiracy.
But just like the rain, everyone leaves a trace. Zhou Yue closed his eyes and drew a line in the mist with his finger. For now, he would identify the suspect.
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