Soon, Zhou Jinnbai brought Lin Xingwan to the top floor of the hospital.
A very imposing black and gold helicopter was already parked there, along with sixteen burly men, each at least 1.9 meters tall, dressed in professional bodyguard attire, each holding a handsome rifle.
In the night wind, they exuded an imposing and majestic aura.
"Why did you bring me here?" Lin Xingwan looked at the bodyguards before her. Their sheer presence made her feel breathless. Especially since she had never seen a gun in real life, and now there were sixteen rifles, each appearing to radiate a deterrent force.
Zhou Jinnbai explained, "Didn't you want to go to Anlong Village to find Ding Xinrong before? It was delayed because I was injured. Now that my injuries have almost healed, I'll take you to Anlong Village."
"Your injuries haven't healed at all. The doctor said it would take several months for you to fully recover." Lin Xingwan even felt that the wind on the top floor was too strong. If Zhou Jinnbai caught a cold, it would be very dangerous.
In Lin Xingwan's heart, Zhou Jinnbai was now like a male version of Lin Daiyu.
"So you plan to go to Anlong Village in a few months, hmm?" Zhou Jinnbai leaned slightly towards Lin Xingwan. He lowered his head, and she looked up, as if with just a slight tiptoe, their lips could touch.
"I plan to wait another half a month for you to recover, and then I'll go by myself." Lin Xingwan couldn't wait for several months. The conch pearl necklace hid too many secrets, and what Duan Muxing had said, the future that should have been becoming clearer, was becoming more and more confusing for Lin Xingwan.
A strong intuition told her that all the secrets her mother had hidden were on that necklace.
"Every time you go to Qingxi Town, something happens. I can't let you go alone anymore. Since we're taking a plane, let's go tonight, stay for one night, and look for Ding Xinrong tomorrow."
What Zhou Jinnbai said made a lot of sense, and Lin Xingwan didn't even know how to refute it.
Indeed, something always happened whenever she went to Qingxi Town.
Lin Xingwan eventually got into the helicopter with Zhou Jinnbai and flew to Anlong Village.
As the helicopter slowly disappeared, a woman in a black sports car parked below the hospital slowly rolled up her window.
"Miss, shall we send someone to follow them?"
The driver's posture was humble, and his tone was sincere and respectful. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Due to the dim light inside the car, the woman sitting in the back row was completely indistinguishable.
However, her legs, clad in black stockings, were straight and slender. Her hands, more beautiful than those of a hand model, rested on her knees. Her fingernails were painted bright red. Between the red and black, the woman's hands were eerily pale.
"No need." The woman's voice was low, and then the black sedan drove away.
More than forty minutes later.
Qingxi Town, Anlong Village.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Zhou Jinnbai specifically had the helicopter land at the entrance of Anlong Village.
The bodyguards did not travel in the same helicopter. They secretly infiltrated ten minutes later.
It was just past dinnertime, and smoke curled from the chimneys of the entire village. There were few people at the entrance.
A black sedan had been waiting for a long time. After Zhou Jinnbai and Lin Xingwan got off the helicopter, a middle-aged man who was smoking by the black car quickly threw his cigarette on the ground and extinguished it. His gaze fell on Lin Xingwan first.
She had fair skin, a slender and tall figure, and her soft long hair was slightly disheveled by the night wind, revealing her small, palm-sized face.
The man's heart fluttered instantly.
In his memory, only that foolish woman from years ago could compare to the stunner before him.
Thinking of this, Deng Qi felt a sense of unbearable longing.
Of course, he quickly withdrew his gaze and walked up to Zhou Jinnbai and the others with a fawning expression. "Mr. Zhou, my name is Deng Qi. My father, Deng San, is over eighty years old and is now seriously ill in bed. I hope Mr. Zhou will not blame my father for not coming to pick you up."
"It's alright." Zhou Jinnbai opened the car door for Lin Xingwan, and the two of them got in. They had not paid any attention to Deng Qi from beginning to end.
Soon, the driver drove Lin Xingwan and Zhou Jinnbai away. As for Deng Qi, he cast a meaningful gaze at the back of the black sedan until... the car disappeared from view.
"Damn, she's too beautiful." Deng Qi muttered to himself and immediately took out his phone to send messages to his friends.
As for Lin Xingwan, who was sitting in the car, she leaned her head on Zhou Jinnbai's shoulder and asked, "Do you know that person named Deng Qi?"
"No, but before we came, I had my subordinate contact the village chief of Anlong Village, Deng San. After all, when we come to Anlong Village for business, we often have to follow local customs. With the village chief's connection, it will be much easier for us to investigate some matters. Moreover, as the oldest person in Anlong Village, Deng San knows many things that others don't."
Lin Xingwan nodded. The car drove on the narrow dirt road. Even in the moonlight, Lin Xingwan could see the dilapidated small tile-roofed houses around, and the few Western-style houses that could be counted on one's fingers.
Although they were not as unique as villas in big cities, they were still very conspicuous among these small tile-roofed houses.
From this, it could be concluded that the wealth gap in Anlong Village was still very large.
After about ten minutes, the car stopped in front of a three-story Western-style house.
When Lin Xingwan and Zhou Jinnbai got out of the car, they saw an old man with white hair standing at the entrance of the Western-style house. Two women were supporting him on his left and right.
One was a middle-aged woman, and the other was a young girl who looked like she was still in junior high school.
"Mr. Zhou, Mrs. Zhou, my name is Deng San, and I am the village chief of Anlong Village. I am truly sorry, but I cannot personally welcome the two of you."
Even though Deng San was being supported, he still walked unsteadily.
Especially on his dark, wrinkled face, one could even see the obvious dark circles under his eyes.
He was so thin that a gust of wind could blow him over, his body reduced to skin and bones.
"It's windy outside, let's go inside and talk." Zhou Jinnbai glanced at Deng San and quickly walked into the Western-style house.
Lin Xingwan, holding his hand, followed closely behind. As for the sixteen bodyguards who arrived later, they also silently appeared at the entrance of the Western-style house, surrounding it separately.
As for Deng Qi, that man, he had not returned yet.
The interior of the Western-style house was also well-appointed, with a fountain, mosaic flooring, and European-style architecture, all of which were out of place in the impoverished Anlong Village.
Even the land occupied by the village chief's house could be equivalent to seven or eight houses of ordinary villagers.
"This village chief's house is too luxurious! Is the position of village chief very profitable, or do they have other businesses?" Lin Xingwan couldn't help but whisper to Zhou Jinnbai, asking. It wasn't that she was resentful of wealth, but the design and other aspects of this Western-style house were truly too advanced.
A villa like this, in a big city, could be considered a top-tier estate.
"I'll ask for you later." Zhou Jinnbai was clearly not interested in these matters, but since his wife was curious, he could satisfy her curiosity.
Soon, they walked into the living room.
Furniture made of ebony filled the air with a faint woody fragrance.
The entire living room was meticulously decorated, with Chinese furniture and European design perfectly integrated, giving a sense of grandeur combined with Chinese subtlety. Was this truly the aesthetic of a village chief in a poor mountain village?
Lin Xingwan was extremely confused.
"Two distinguished guests, please sit down quickly."
Deng San had an expression of fawning and obsequiousness on his face. Although he didn't know the true identities of the two people before him, three days ago, someone had found him and given him five million yuan to entertain these two distinguished guests well.
Therefore, even though Deng San was ill, he had to stir from his deathbed.
Zhou Jinnbai and Lin Xingwan sat down at the same time. Deng San then said, "This is my daughter-in-law, Huijuan, and this is my granddaughter, Cuicui. My daughter-in-law can make tea. There are no professional tea artists in the village, so I hope Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou will not mind."
Zhou Jinnbai nodded slightly, and an imperial aura emanated from him with every gesture. Lin Xingwan, sitting beside him, also possessed a nobility that made Huijuan and Cuicui feel inferior.
They had also watched many dramas starring beautiful actresses on television. To them, those actresses were already beautiful enough, but after seeing the woman before them, the mother and daughter unanimously agreed: those female stars were not as good-looking as the woman before them. She was as beautiful as a fairy from heaven, making people dare not look directly at her, only stealing glances.
Of course, Mr. Zhou was also very handsome, and those male stars were no match for him.
Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou were truly a match made in heaven.
While Huijuan was making tea, Zhou Jinnbai and Lin Xingwan remained silent.
Instead, Deng San nervously searched for a topic. Even though he had seen many storms, he still felt a sense of fear looking at the man decades younger than him.
It was a self-abasement and reverence emanating from the depths of his bones.
It wasn't until Zhou Jinnbai slowly picked up a cup of tea that Deng San could no longer hold back and said, "May I ask what brings Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou to Anlong Village? I, Deng San, will tell you everything I know."
Zhou Jinnbai took a small sip and then fixed his sharp gaze on Deng San, asking casually, "The tea from Anlong Village is indeed famous. Mr. Village Chief Deng must have made quite a lot of money selling tea over the years to be able to build such a house, right?"
Deng San didn't know Zhou Jinnbai's intention and honestly replied, "To be honest, building such a house has long exhausted our entire Deng family's savings. Although we made some money selling tea, it was the result of ten years of labor for our family of four. People in the countryside can lack anything, but they must have a place to live, otherwise, they will be laughed at."
"May I ask where you sell your tea?" Zhou Jinnbai asked again.
Deng San shook his head. "I used to carry tea to sell on market days, but later my son told me it would be easier to sell it on my phone, so I let him sell it on my phone. I don't know how he does it because I'm illiterate. In recent years, coupled with my poor health, my son has been managing these matters. If Mr. Zhou is curious, you can ask him when he returns."
"That's not necessary. We came tonight mainly to ask about some events that happened in Anlong Village more than twenty years ago." Zhou Jinnbai looked at Deng San's honest and simple appearance and then slowly said, "More than twenty years ago, was there a woman from outside living in the abandoned peach forest in Anlong Village?"
Deng San's honest and calm expression froze instantly at Zhou Jinnbai's words.
Then, fear appeared in his eyes, and even his voice changed. "Mr. Zhou... Mr. Zhou, why... why are you suddenly asking about this matter?"
"Because we are here to investigate this matter. Village Chief Deng has lived in Anlong Village for so many years and has seen a lot. I believe that nothing that happens in the village can escape your eyes, right?"
Zhou Jinnbai saw all of Deng San's changes in expression. This old man definitely knew something.
"More than twenty years ago... a woman from outside... let me think..." Deng San's restless eyes flickered between the teacup and the doorway, as if he were waiting for something.
After a few seconds, he scratched his silver-white hair with some embarrassment and said, "Many women have come to Anlong Village over the years, and many of them, not having a place to stay for a while, would live in the dilapidated tile-roofed houses in the peach forest. I am old now, and due to my chronic illness, many memories are confused. How about waiting for my son to return, and then Mr. Zhou can ask him properly?"
"That woman was very beautiful and was slept with by many men in the village, and they also took many of her jewelry. Such a woman must be quite unique, right? Does Village Chief Deng not want to tell, or have you truly forgotten?"
Zhou Jinnbai looked at Deng San with a half-smile. Although he used a questioning tone, his eyes were extremely sharp.
In an instant, Deng San felt as if he had been scanned from head to toe by an X-ray. The man before him was too terrifying, especially his eyes, which were too penetrating, making it agonizing for anyone who lied.
"Of course I... of course I forgot. Otherwise, how could I deceive Mr. Zhou?" Deng San quickly replied, but this time he even dared not meet Zhou Jinnbai's gaze.
He lowered his head humbly, like a child who had made a mistake.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Jinnbai said, "If that's the case, then there's nothing more to ask. We will stay here tonight. As for tomorrow morning, please ask Village Chief Deng to take us to find Ding Xinrong. He was one of the participants in the matter I mentioned back then, and he should know more."
After Zhou Jinnbai finished speaking, he got up from his chair, holding Lin Xingwan's hand.
As for Deng San, he felt as if his heart was being tightly pressed by a large stone.
He trembled and also stood up. "Good... good... I will take you to find Ding Xinrong tomorrow morning."
After speaking, he quickly said to his granddaughter, "Cuicui, quickly lead Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou to rest!"
Cuicui nodded vigorously and replied, "Mr. Zhou, Mrs. Zhou, please follow me."
Cuicui walked in front, Zhou Jinnbai and Lin Xingwan in the middle, and Huijuan supporting Deng San at the back.
Deng San's steps were even more unsteady than before, and his aged face was filled with anxiety.
His mind was filled with what had happened twenty-five years ago.
That bright and malicious face.
The woman's desperate plea for help.
The bloody drag marks.
And the money that fluttered down like snowflakes.
He had never seen so much money in his life.
But it was also in that year that the entire village seemed to be cursed.
It was a shame that Anlong Village could never tell outsiders, and it was Anlong Village's retribution.
In a few dozen seconds, Cuicui led Zhou Jinnbai and the others to a detached villa.
This small villa was located on one side of the Western-style house. Trees were planted around it to block the view. The villa had a luxurious room with a private bathroom, a hot spring, and many flowers planted around it.
For a moment, Lin Xingwan felt as if she were on vacation, not investigating her mother's affairs.
"This is where I usually entertain guests. Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou, please rest assured, everything inside is new and unused. There is also food in the refrigerator and a kitchen. If you have any other questions, you can call us."
Deng San bowed his head and spoke humbly. Zhou Jinnbai glanced around the place. "The environment is quiet and unique. It even looks like a resort here. Village Chief Deng is also a person who enjoys life. Plus, it's been cleaned so thoroughly. I'm afraid Village Chief Deng's house receives quite a few guests."
Every word Zhou Jinnbai spoke was like a knife stabbing into Deng San's heart. Deng San broke out in a cold sweat. If he hadn't been supported by his daughter-in-law, he might have already collapsed to the ground under the pressure from Zhou Jinnbai.
"My daughter-in-law is quite clean, so she cleans it thoroughly. Plus, knowing that Mr. Zhou was coming in advance, she cleaned it even more carefully. It's just a humble abode; I hope a distinguished person like Mr. Zhou will not dislike it."
Deng San's tone was humble, and his words were all meant to flatter Zhou Jinnbai.
Zhou Jinnbai put his arm around Lin Xingwan's waist and turned to walk into the house. "It's getting late. Village Chief Deng should also go back to his room to rest. After all, we are going to see Ding Xinrong tomorrow, so don't make any mistakes."
This sentence seemed to be a warning to Deng San, or perhaps a concern for him.
Only after Zhou Jinnbai and Lin Xingwan disappeared from sight did Deng San start breathing heavily.
"Dad, are you alright?" Huijuan asked, seeing Deng San's pale face.
"Something big has happened, something big has happened. Our Anlong Village is going to change. Hurry up and call Deng Qi back, or we're all finished."
As Huijuan helped Deng San turn around, she saw Deng Qi leaning against the doorframe with a lecherous expression, looking at the closed door in the distance with lingering interest.