33: Chapter 33 The Phone Call

April 18, 2025, Friday, Cloudy turning clear, 16 ~ 24°C.

Nine-thirty in the morning, Creative Park Property Management Office.

Lao Si stood at the door of the monitoring room, holding a black bag. The door was open, and inside sat a Master Craftsman in his fifties, holding a thermos cup and looking at his phone.

"Master, excuse me for interrupting." Lao Si knocked on the doorframe, a smile on his face.

The Master Craftsman looked up and sized him up: "What is it?"

Lao Si walked in with a smile, placing the black bag on the table against the wall: "Master, sorry to bother you. My boss's daughter had a little trouble in the park on Wednesday afternoon, and luckily a kind young man passing by helped her out.

Lao Si took out a cigarette and offered one, continuing: "The boss wants to find this kind person to thank him in person. Would it be convenient for you to let us check the surveillance footage from Wednesday afternoon in Area C, especially near the Red Brick Building? We just want to see the person, purely for thanks, and absolutely won't cause you any trouble."

The Master Craftsman accepted the cigarette, and Lao Si deftly lit it for him.

The Master Craftsman took a puff, glanced at the black bag on the table, and then looked at Lao Si.

"Just looking for someone?" he asked.

"Just looking for someone." Lao Si nodded, "Once we find him, we'll treat him to a simple meal; mainly, the boss needs to get this off his chest."

The Master Craftsman was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Alright then, you guys are thoughtful." He stood up, "Wednesday afternoon, right? What time?"

"Around two to three in the afternoon."

The Master Craftsman sat down in front of the main monitoring host and skillfully retrieved the archives. The screen split into sixteen small grids, and the footage began to fast-forward.

Lao Si stood behind him, his gaze focused on a few cameras covering the main road of Area C and the area near the Red Brick Building.

Fast-forwarding to around two in the afternoon, the footage showed the young man in the dark suit walking alone into the Red Brick Building.

About a few minutes later, a slightly plump middle-aged man (Li Zhou) also entered the same building.

"Stop here for a moment," Lao Si said.

The Master Craftsman pressed pause.

"Can you zoom in?"

The screen zoomed in. The young man's profile was clearly visible—it was Qiao Yichen. The other person was the landlord, Li Zhou, who was showing him the property.

"Continue," Lao Si said.

The surveillance continued to play.

Over the next hour, the footage intermittently captured the two entering and exiting the Red Brick Building, then walking toward the adjacent building. They were clearly looking at properties.

The surveillance showed that exactly at three in the afternoon, the two reappeared in front of the Red Brick Building. After a brief exchange of words, Qiao Yichen nodded, Li Zhou patted his shoulder, and then the two parted ways. Qiao Yichen walked toward the direction of the studio.

"That's him," Lao Si pointed at Qiao Yichen on the screen, then took out his phone and quickly took several clear photos of the monitoring screen, focusing on Qiao Yichen's front face, profile, and the shot of the two together.

The Master Craftsman glanced at him without speaking.

"Thanks, Master." Lao Si put away his phone and pushed the black bag containing cigarettes and wine forward on the table, "A small token of appreciation."

After leaving the property office, Lao Si got into the car and looked at the photos on his phone.

He didn't rush off. Instead, he took out his phone, found the phone number on the rental notice posted on the red brick wall, and dialed it.

"Hello, Brother Li? Where are you now? I need to find you for something."

"Okay, okay, then I'll wait for you here at noon."

... By noon, the landlord Li Zhou slowly arrived, riding a small electric scooter.

When Lao Si saw Li Zhou, he immediately stepped forward and handed him a business card: "Hello, Brother Li. My surname is Zhou. I'm from Guodong Decoration. Our Mr. President Wu Guodong asked me to come over to inquire about something."

Li Zhou took the card and looked at it: "Guodong Decoration? What's the matter?"

"It's like this," Lao Si said sincerely, "On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Wu's daughter ran into a bit of trouble in the park, and fortunately, a young man passing by lent a hand. Mr. Wu feels very bad about it and insists on finding the person to thank him personally. We inquired and heard that the young man came to view a property here on Wednesday afternoon, so we took the liberty of asking if you have his contact information?"

Li Zhou listened, nodded: "Wednesday afternoon... yes, there was a young man looking at a property. Now that you mention it, I recall. His surname is Qiao, Qiao Yichen. I have his number here."

He flipped through his notebook and recited the phone number to Lao Si.

Lao Si noted it down: "Thank you so much, Brother Li. Now I can finally report back to Mr. Wu."

Lao Si returned to the car and sent the name 'Qiao Yichen' and the phone number to President Wu Guodong.

"Brother Guodong, I found the person. Qiao Yichen, phone number 138xxxxxxx. The landlord confirmed he was viewing property in Creative Park on Wednesday afternoon."

"Got it." President Wu Guodong replied quickly.

... In President Wu Guodong's office.

President Wu Guodong put down his phone. The screen still displayed the message Lao Si had just sent: "Qiao Yichen, phone 138xxxxxxx".

He didn't act immediately. Instead, he first brewed a pot of tea and slowly drank two cups. Only when he was alone in the office at two in the afternoon did he pick up the desk phone and make a few calls.

The first call was to a friend who had connections at the Social Security Center.

"Old Chen, help me look up a person, his name is Qiao Yichen... Yes, just check which unit his social security is registered under; nothing else is needed. Thanks for your trouble."

Twenty minutes later, the friend called back: "I checked. His social security is with 'Company Name Limited Company,' paying normally, nothing else."

The second call was to someone who provided corporate information services.

"Xiao Li, what's the general situation with the company 'Company Name'?... Hmm, as long as operations are normal, that's fine. Also, help me keep an eye out for any shareholder or executive information for someone named Qiao Yichen... Okay, let me know if you hear anything."

About an hour later, feedback from several sources began to come in.

President Wu Guodong picked up a pen and quickly jotted down notes on a memo pad:

"Qiao Yichen, Male."

"Social Security: Company Name."

"No company, no abnormalities."

"Background: No special records, ordinary office worker."

He glanced at the wall clock. It was four or five in the afternoon; time to arrange the evening's matters.

... In the afternoon, on the other side, in the Planning Department of Company Name.

The sunlight outside slanted westward, dyeing the office a warm orange.

Qiao Yichen finished handling several emails on hand, and it was already three in the afternoon. He clicked on the page for the creative cuisine restaurant named 'Cloud Realm' in his bookmarks, reconfirming the menu and ambiance, and then booked a table for two online for seven in the evening.

The booking confirmation popped up. He took a screenshot and opened Liu Yanran's WeChat chat window.

Qiao Yichen sent the screenshot across, adding a note:

"Booked. Cloud Realm, seven in the evening. Their Black Truffle Baked Chicken is said to be superb."

A few seconds later, Liu Yanran replied:

"Mhm."

After a while, she added another message:

"Don't order too much, we won't finish it."

Qiao Yichen looked at the screen, the corner of his mouth curving up slightly.

"Don't worry," he replied.

The other party sent a simple emoji, and the conversation stopped.

Putting down his phone, Qiao Yichen returned to his work. He created an outline list of the training materials for new recruits that needed follow-up next week, and then roughly categorized the materials for several preparatory projects about to launch. Time flowed smoothly amidst the light tapping of the keyboard.

Colleagues in the office gradually began packing up their things, preparing for the weekend. Some discussed where to go for dinner that night, while others quietly complained about the report due on Monday.

Qiao Yichen saved the last file, leaned back in his chair, and let out a soft breath.

The weekend arrangements became clear in his mind: tomorrow he would visit the Auction House, and tonight... he glanced at the quiet chat window on WeChat, a slight anticipation stirring in his heart.

At five-fifteen, his phone rang.