Chapter 40
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As evening approached, the sky suddenly changed color.
Before the downpour, a continuous mass of dark clouds hung low, as if they might crash down on the earth at any moment, causing passersby on the street to hurry along.
Cheng Sangluo rode her electric scooter, glanced at the strange weather, and quickly pulled her baseball cap down to cover most of her face.
She followed the white BMW, but not too closely.
Firstly, to avoid arousing suspicion, and secondly, because the investigation materials provided by Wei Yun contained very detailed information about Xu Songheng, including his home address, which she knew by heart.
Xu Songheng's villa is located in a large garden villa complex. Security checkpoints are relatively lax, but it's impossible to drive straight in on an electric scooter.
As Cheng Sangluo watched the BMW drive into the gate, she immediately took the reins and turned into the side road next to it.
She chose the side gate with lax security and easily slipped into the community by following the residents coming and going.
The villas, separated into distinct sections, are situated beside a scenic artificial lake, requiring visitors to traverse an entire lush, green garden to reach them.
Cheng Sangluo wasn't in a hurry to find Xu Songheng's house immediately. She needed to quickly familiarize herself with the layout of the building so she could plan the best escape route.
To avoid being captured by cameras along the way, she traveled with extreme caution.
As she approached the three-story villa, she looked around to make sure no one else was nearby.
Fortunately, in this secluded villa area, residents are always picked up and dropped off by car, so there is hardly anyone to be seen on the wide, tree-lined avenues.
Presumably to leave the door open for the woman he was meeting in secret, Xu Songheng's garden gate was left wide open.
Cheng Sangluo didn't linger for long. She turned her back to the wall, avoided the security camera at the door, and hurriedly slipped inside.
Once she reached the back of the villa, she leaned against the wall and secretly made some plans in her mind.
It's impossible to openly use the main entrance right now. There are only two feasible options: either climb up the outer wall to the second-floor terrace, or find a way to jump down to the lakeside garden below.
Cheng Sangluo looked up at the sky. It was about to rain, but it wasn't completely dark yet. Climbing the wall at this time would be too conspicuous, so she had no choice but to jump downstairs.
Before taking action, she silenced her phone and made sure no one was downstairs before nimbly climbing over the marble railing.
In the blink of an eye, this well-trained veteran easily sneaked into the basement of the villa.
Unfamiliar with the terrain, Cheng Sangluo could only grope her way into a luxuriously decorated corridor.
The villa was much larger than she had imagined. At the end of the long corridor was a square koi pond, facing a circular courtyard.
This design, with its round heaven and square earth, is very particular about feng shui; it seems that the despicable fellow believed in metaphysics.
Cheng Sangluo glanced at the pond full of plump koi and couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Hmph, they really know how to enjoy themselves."
As she was looking for the stairs to go upstairs, she could clearly hear conversations coming from the open and not soundproof space.
Cheng Sangluo was quick-witted and immediately hid in a room next to the carp pond.
"Don't worry, everything is proceeding smoothly. As soon as the old man reports that he is critically ill, I will act immediately and make sure that Lin Jin misses seeing the old man one last time. After that, what the will is about will be, won't it be up to you?"
Hsu Chung-heng was probably talking to Lin Sheng on the phone; his tone was full of confidence, yet also had a hint of sycophancy.
He walked to the koi pond, picked up some fish food, and fed the fish. He seemed very concerned about his magnificent pond, so he bent over and stroked the fish vying for food in the pond.
In the pitch-black room, Cheng Sangluo pressed her ear against the door, trying to hear the conversation more clearly.
When I heard Lin Jin's name, I felt a sudden, inexplicable panic; it was a sign of danger.
She pondered the information-filled conversation, thinking to herself that she had unwittingly overheard such highly confidential information.
Xu Songheng and Lin Sheng didn't talk much. After a short while, he hung up the phone and turned to look at the room next door, intending to go in and get something.
As Cheng Sangluo leaned against the door, she heard the approaching footsteps and had no choice but to hold her breath and think about how to deal with the situation.
She lowered her eyes and stared intently at the doorknob in the darkness, wondering whether to lock it from the inside, but quickly dismissed the idea.
It's too late. If we lock the door at this critical moment, any noise we make will arouse suspicion from those outside.
With a 'click', the doorknob was turned open.
Cheng Sangluo quickly shifted to a position close to the wall, clenching her fists and breaking out in a thin layer of cold sweat.
Fortunately, having carried out various arduous tasks in those years, his composure under pressure was strong enough that he devised a feasible solution in an instant.
She had to seize the opportunity to knock him unconscious the moment Xu Songheng turned on the light. This was her only chance to avoid being seen clearly, so there was no room for error.
With a creak, the door was gently pushed open.
The room was pitch black, and the outside light cast Xu Songheng's shadow on the ground, its subtle swaying clearly visible.
Cheng Sangluo hid behind the door, holding her breath and staring at the shadow gradually enlarging in her field of vision, estimating how long it would be before the light was turned on.
Just as I was feeling a cat scratching at my heart.
'Ding-ding—ding-ding—'
The sudden ringing of the cell phone interrupted Xu Songheng's fumbling for the switch.
He answered the phone quickly; it seemed that enjoying the women was more appealing than going inside right now.
"We're here? Go wait for me in the bedroom upstairs... Have you been a good girl...? You're not wearing anything underneath..."
You don't even need to see Xu Songheng's filthy face; just hearing his voice is enough to make you nauseous.
As the disgusting conversation faded into the distance, Cheng Sangluo finally relaxed her tense nerves and let out a deep breath.
At this moment, she was somewhat restless, because her mind was filled with thoughts of Lin Jin.
The thought that the crazy woman might encounter danger at some point in the future made my heart, which had just calmed down, jump again, causing a strange sense of unease.
But her soft heart only lasted three seconds. Cheng Sangluo shook her head and muttered under her breath, "What's there to worry about?"
She rested her chin on her hand, pondering whether there was a high chance of gaining an advantage if Lin Jin and Lin Sheng were to actually fight for power. If the two fought to the point of mutual destruction, she could seemingly become the one lurking in the shadows.
In this light, Lin Sheng and Xu Songheng's affair doesn't seem like such a terrible thing.
Cheng Sang stayed in the room for a while, thinking that Xu Songheng should be in the bedroom at the moment, so she set off to continue her investigation to see if she could get any unexpected gains.
Her goal was clear: the study should be the most worthwhile place to go, besides the bedroom.
That place isn't hard to find; it must be near the bedroom.
Cheng Sangluo walked with light steps, like a cat that walks without making a sound.
When they reached the corner on the second floor, they heard the sounds of a man and woman laughing happily coming from one of the rooms.
Cheng Sangluo gritted her teeth, suppressing her nausea. If it weren't for the need to keep her actions secret, she would have rushed into the bedroom right now and stabbed that hateful and despicable person to death.
She suppressed her anger and searched frantically.
The infiltration of the study went relatively smoothly.
The house was decorated in an extremely extravagant manner, with priceless antiques placed everywhere, showcasing Xu Songheng's nouveau riche and crude taste.
Cheng Sangluo wandered over to the decorative bookshelf, but after examining it without finding anything, she turned her attention to the mahogany desk.
She tried to open each drawer, only to find them locked, so she didn't dwell on it for too long, and ended up with a good result.
There was a hidden compartment under the table. She accidentally pressed the switch, and a small object fell out.
Cheng Sangluo picked up the item in the dark and examined it carefully. It was an old-fashioned round-handled key, commonly used on small black iron padlocks.
These old items are now very rare; even rental apartments don't use this type of key for door locks.
The presence of such an incongruous object in such a large villa, hidden in a secret compartment, suggests that Xu Songheng is hiding some unspeakable secret.
As for where the secret lies, it seems we won't find it anytime soon.
Cheng Sangluo put the key back into the hidden compartment, got up and flipped through the documents on the table, but didn't find anything useful, so she simply put them all back where they belonged.
She leaned against the table and looked around the study in the darkness.
Today's actions were rushed, and I didn't bring any tools with me. There's no need to stay any longer, so I plan to leave.
However, the trip was worthwhile; I didn't miss anything I shouldn't have heard or seen, so I gained a lot.
"Next time I visit, I'll know the way easily, no rush." A cryptic smile appeared in Cheng Sangluo's eyes as she turned and left the study.
......
Cheng Sang returned to the old town without stopping, and it was already past dinner time.
She walked casually down the street with her hands in her pockets, and because she was in a good mood, she decided to have dinner out.
Cheng Sangluo found a bustling fried rice stall and ordered the cheapest egg fried rice.
The owner asked if she wanted to add ham sausage, and after hesitating for a moment, she shook her head.
This man had very little money left, and he didn't know where his next meal would come from. Eating something at a roadside stall was considered a treat, and adding an extra sausage felt like a luxury.
After ordering, she couldn't find an empty table, so she had to ask the owner to change it to takeout.
When Cheng Sangluo heard the packaged fried rice, she sniffed the fragrant aroma and hurried back to her rented room, thinking that the fried rice wouldn't taste good if it got cold.
As she walked down the street, she took out her phone to check the time and discovered that she had received a missed call from the same unknown number more than ten times.
As she hesitated whether to call back, the number started flashing on the screen again.
Cheng Sangluo answered the phone suspiciously: "Hello?"
"Hello, are you Ms. Cheng Sangluo?"
A young woman's voice came through the receiver. Cheng Sangluo was afraid it was a scam call, so she answered somewhat awkwardly: "Yes, this is you. Who is this?"
"Hello Ms. Cheng, have you found a job yet? I'm the owner of Jiayi Convenience Store. Our new store on Jinrong East Road is currently hiring cashiers. I was wondering if you'd be interested in applying?"
"Convenience store cashier?" Cheng Sangluo became even more suspicious after hearing the other party's explanation. "I didn't submit my resume online. Are you making a scam call?"
"It's good that you're aware of fraud prevention. Bai Mu gave me your phone number. I'm quite close to her. A while ago, we were talking about hiring at the new store at a dinner party, and she said that a friend of hers was looking for a job and introduced you to me."
"Oh, so it was Bai Mu who introduced you. That's fine then." Cheng Sangluo lowered her guard when she remembered that Shu Wan had mentioned Bai Mu getting her jobs yesterday.
"I trust Bai Mu. If you're willing, report to the new store on Jinrong East Road at 8 a.m. tomorrow. The store manager will show you how to work as a cashier. The working hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a monthly salary of 3,500 yuan, four days off per month, and five social insurances included."
Cheng Sangluo pondered the other party's words briefly. Although the conditions weren't the best, they were still the best news at the moment.
She answered quickly, "I can, absolutely no problem!"
"Okay, don't be late tomorrow."
After the other party hung up the phone, Cheng Sangluo arched her back and jumped up and down as if ready to leap, cheering, "There's always a way out!"
"What's wrong? You're so happy!"
A soft, gentle laugh came from behind, soothingly rubbing against Cheng Sangluo's ear.
Cheng Sangluo quickly regained her composure and turned to look at the figure approaching gracefully.
Shu Wan wore a fitted long dress, the hem of which swayed in the evening breeze, exuding a gentle and graceful beauty.
She crossed her arms over her chest, the small handbag dangling casually from her fingertips.
She tilted her head slightly and smiled at Cheng Sangluo: "Good news should be shared, so that happiness will be doubled."
"Miss Shu?" Cheng Sangluo asked in surprise, puzzled, "What are you doing here?"
"To be honest, I waited for you around here on purpose," Shu Wan answered honestly, then explained, "I know you won't call me, but I really wanted to know if you'd had any good luck and if you'd found a job you liked."
"Just now," Cheng Sangluo held up her phone and waved it at Shu Wan, "I've had some good luck."
Shu Wan quickened her pace, walked to her side, and asked, "What kind of good job?"
"It's not the kind of lucrative job you're thinking of, earning over 10,000 yuan a month. It's a convenience store cashier, but it's stable and doesn't involve being exposed to the elements, so it's pretty good for me," Cheng Sangluo answered honestly, her tone full of approval for her new job.
"Cashier?" Shu Wan clicked her tongue, her tone somewhat dissatisfied.
She pondered for a moment before explaining her purpose: "I was thinking that if you haven't found a satisfactory job today, I'm planning to introduce you to a position that would be more suitable."
Upon hearing Shu Wan's offer, Cheng Sangluo paused for a moment, then immediately put on a bright smile: "Miss Shu, I don't mind working two jobs a day. I need money, I really, really, really need it."
Seeing her eagerness for money, Shu Wan's expression became somewhat unbearable, probably a feeling of heartache.
She smiled and asked in return, "Aren't you going to ask me what kind of job I have?"
[Author's Note]
1. Don't worry, once the pre-order novel reaches 800 favorites, there will be a 10,000-word chapter soon.
2. My upcoming novel, "The Sinful Lover," is available for pre-order. Please add it to your favorites.
3. Since I stopped updating and started revising, I feel the readership has dropped significantly. Sigh, did I mess up the content?
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