113: Chapter 113 Cat and Mouse Game

"Is there a restaurant you'd like to eat at?"

Jiang Yu looked up and pointed across the road. "Then... shall we celebrate? That restaurant's lotus root soup is superb. If we go now, the broth will be just right."

Lin Ning looked into Jiang Yu's clear eyes, and the frustration that had been stifling his chest for days suddenly felt like it was pricked by a needle, leaking away completely with a "hiss."

A sincere, relaxed smile finally tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Let's go. I'm starving."

The restaurant wasn't large, tucked away in an old residential area, with tables and chairs polished until they shone.

The milky-white lotus root soup was served in a coarse earthenware pot, steam swirling above it. The ribs were tender and falling off the bone, and the starchy lotus root pulled into long, thin threads.

Jiang Yu skillfully ladled soup for both of them, talking about how she found this place and the bizarre HR she encountered while job hunting.

"The guy who went in before me came out saying they didn't want men. When I went in, they told me they didn't want women. I really wanted to ask her if they were looking for a Walmart plastic bag or an attack helicopter?!"

Lin Ning listened quietly, occasionally chipping in with a few words and a smile.

Hearing this, Lin Ning spoke up hesitantly, "You have a sharp tongue. Try not to use your full power in the future. If you end up making someone fly into a rage from your scolding... well, it's just not worth it."

Jiang Yu felt Lin Ning's concern. The light in her eyes was like a sparkling sprite, dancing happily. "I'm not stupid. I read the situation. Besides, you were there today, weren't you?"

Both of them simultaneously and unconsciously thought back to their first meeting; Jiang Yu's words were a bit of a stretch.

Jiang Yu cleared her throat, a bit embarrassed. "Of course, there are exceptions when I'm too angry to care..."

She quickly changed the subject and started talking about something else.

Lin Ning took a sip of the soup; its mellow sweetness warmed him from the tip of his tongue all the way down to his stomach.

Outside the window was the noisy marketplace; inside was the aroma of food and Jiang Yu's lighthearted tone.

...

It was just after 2 PM when they returned home.

Lin Ning packed his bag, intending to head to the Fighting Gym.

If danger was inevitable, then the only way was to make himself stronger. His motto: As long as it doesn't kill you, train like your life depends on it.

Before he could leave, his phone rang—it was Jin Er.

"Shitou said he saw you come back from upstairs. Get over here," Jin Er's voice sounded smug. "We've got a lead on those five bastards!"

"Alright, wait for me!"

Lin Ning dropped his things and headed straight for the three-bedroom apartment.

Inside, the three men were sprawled on the sofa, looking utterly exhausted.

Seeing this, Lin Ning said amusedly, "Old Yang BBQ tonight!"

"Hahaha... Lin Zi knows us best!"

The three of them laughed, jumped up, and high-fived each other.

After some fooling around, they gathered around the coffee table to talk business.

Jin Er blew aside the tea leaves, took a sip, and began to recount their findings at a leisurely pace.

"The breakthrough point we chose was Fatty Zhang. On the first day, we went around the addresses you gave us. Those three in management live in such nice complexes that it's hard to sneak in."

"And didn't you say he's obsessed with the bosses? He sucks up to them like a loyal dog."

"We heard around his neighborhood that he likes playing cards, drinking, and bragging."

"So we hung out at the card room he frequents for two days and got friendly with his gambling buddies."

Lin Ning's mouth twitched. No matter how many times it happened, he couldn't help but marvel that these three were pure social outlaws; there was no low-level social scene they couldn't infiltrate.

Jin Er continued, "We invited that gambling buddy out for late-night snacks and drinks, and as soon as Fatty Zhang heard, he tagged along to get a free meal."

Xu San gave a disdainful snort and interjected, "Lin Zi, you used to get bullied by a guy like this?"

Lin Ning rolled his eyes and endured it.

Jin Er and the others chuckled a few times before bringing the conversation back on track.

"Once he had some drinks, we just led him into bragging."

"He said he used the company's bidding reserve funds to play the stock market. After making money, he put it back. No one was the wiser. It was a classic 'white wolf with empty hands'—he made a killing."

Lin Ning narrowed his eyes. Fatty Zhang certainly had some nerve!

"Wait, listen to this!"

"We asked him if he wasn't afraid the boss would find out and sue him. He said..."

Jin Er paused, shaking his head smugly. "He said their boss, VP, and accountant are all cooking the books for tax evasion. It's a significant amount. Since he has leverage over them, he has nothing to fear."

A cold light flashed in Lin Ning's eyes.

"Did you record it?"

"Recorded everything. We've got video and audio. Heh, what a loose-lipped idiot!"

A while back, Lin Ning had equipped each of them with a Recorder and a Sound-capturing Wristband.

Jin Er clutched his head. "You know the Cloud Drive account info. Handle it yourself later. Ugh, these gadgets are great, but dealing with audio and video files gives me a headache."

Lin Ning smiled helplessly. "Alright, I'll do it myself. Is it from last night?"

"Yes!"

Zhang Shitou pulled the conversation back. "These past two days, I've mostly been following that guy, Liu Jian from bidding. It's pretty much like you said—extortion, but I don't think the amounts are very large."

Lin Ning: "Details."

Zhang Shitou's honest face took on a complicated expression.

"In his residential complex, he's like an invisible man. He lives in a shared apartment, stays quiet, and you can't find out anything. So I went to the CBD office building to watch him."

"I found that every hour or two, he always sneaks into the stairwell to make calls. Ugh, it was so cringy and submissive. He didn't act like a man at all, coddling someone like they were his ancestor. He was either getting scolded or transferring money and buying things to appease them. It's not even as good as a straightforward transaction. Why is he so pathetic?"

Lin Ning: "..."

In this day and age, someone who could date like you—sprouting wings and not spending a single cent—is the kind of person who'd get struck by lightning just for daydreaming about it.

"Yesterday morning, I was crouching in the stairwell above him. He came to make another call, keeping his voice low. I vaguely heard something about withdrawing a protest. I searched the audio on the Cloud Drive and listened; it's exactly as you speculated. He specifically targets projects his company didn't win, files complaints against the winners, and then waits for them to pay him off privately to avoid trouble so he'll withdraw the complaint. Isn't that extortion?"

"But from what I heard, it only seems to be a few thousand yuan. Is that amount not enough? Also, I didn't hear anything about him conspiring with Fatty Zhang."

Lin Ning sneered. "Fatty Zhang doesn't need to be involved in the conspiracy; Liu Jian's position alone isn't enough to pull this off. Besides, once the number of extortion instances reaches a certain point, regardless of the amount, it's a minimum of ten years."

He was familiar with the laws on extortion; he had just set someone up not long ago.

He rubbed his chin, his mind racing. With just what he had in hand, he could send them all away.

But why would he make it easy for them and give them a quick end?

Of course, he had to be like a cat catching a mouse—play with them first, then catch them!