I dared not linger at her place for long. After discussing my plan with her, I prepared to leave.
She wanted to drive me, but I told her that Brother Hui would surely have informants in the city, and it would be best for us not to appear together publicly, as it might leave a trace. I would take a taxi myself.
Jing Lei did not insist. She walked me to the door, urging me to be careful. I gestured for her to close the door, and she waved goodbye before shutting it.
After going downstairs, I called Wen Siqiang and asked if anything was unusual. He said, "Thank goodness you didn't ask me to drive you. Not long after I went out, a car started following me. I had to shake them off for several blocks. If we had left together just now, you would definitely have been spotted."
I broke out in a cold sweat, surprised that my sudden change of plan had helped me avoid such a big problem.
If they found out that I had taken Nana home, the consequences would be endless.
I told him not to return to the inn. He should quickly find a hotel, park the car there, and get two rooms at the front desk to make them think we were staying there. The car should also be left there and not moved.
This would give them the illusion that we had moved our accommodations.
We couldn't let them know that Zhou Yingying was with us at this moment. Otherwise, not only would all our plans be ruined, but everyone would be in a very passive position.
I called my senior and asked him to alter Zhou Yingying's appearance, then prepare to leave the inn. I would notify them where to find me then.
I thought for a long time. We were in the open; it seemed unsafe to stay anywhere.
I suddenly thought of Nana's father's factory. It had been sealed by the court after the incident, and all the staff had been laid off. However, some of the executive residences had not been sealed. It was very close to the border, allowing for easy ingress and egress across the border.
Brother Hui's men would surely be wary of this place and wouldn't expect me to go there for refuge.
I hailed a taxi and told the driver to take me near the border crossing. I said I would find someone there.
I didn't say I was going to the factory. I gave him a location a bit further away, planning to find a way to get there later.
If Brother Hui's men managed to find the driver, even if they questioned him, they wouldn't get any useful information.
I needed to go there first to confirm its safety before letting them come.
There wasn't much traffic on the road. After about an hour, the car arrived at the place I had indicated. I took out money to pay the driver. He asked if I wanted him to wait for my return. I said I had someone to meet with for a discussion and didn't know when it would end, so he could wait for me.
Drivers on such long routes feared empty return trips. If they couldn't find a return customer, it would be quite unprofitable to drive back empty.
Watching the taxi drive away, I oriented myself. It was about two or three kilometers away, and I decided to walk. Changing vehicles again might leave a trace, but walking would allow me to observe my surroundings.
Apart from a few scattered factories along the roadside, most of the area was dense forest. There were very few people on the road, and even fewer cars.
I looked around in all directions, confirming that no one was paying attention to me, before heading deeper into the road.
It was likely that Xie Jiabao had also chosen this place because it was relatively secluded when he decided to build his factory here.
Firstly, their business was illicit, and secondly, it was only a few kilometers from the border, in a virgin forest. These advantageous geographical conditions allowed their sins to remain hidden.
I believed the saying, "Heaven's net is vast, but its mesh is wide; though they went unpunished for so many years, they eventually ended up serving the public."
A road branched off from the main road. This was the dedicated road leading to the craft factory.
I looked left and right again. Apart from the chirping of birds in the forest, there was nothing unusual.
I deliberately stayed there for a while, ensuring there were no problems, before walking in.
When had I become so cautious?
Was it because of all I had experienced, the need to care for loved ones, or perhaps the sudden arrival of a new life?
Indeed, I suddenly felt the heavy burden on my shoulders. I could not fall easily. I had to live well, not for myself.
I gave a bitter smile, realizing that I, barely an adult, had to bear such a heavy responsibility.
My parents, my relatives, and my close brothers were the greatest motivation for me to keep striving!
The company's executive dormitory was next to the craft factory, with its own independent gate. It was now deserted. Fallen leaves, shed by the wind and rain, littered the courtyard. The empty courtyard was devoid of any life, appearing desolate.
I went inside and found Xie Jiabao's apartment. Xie Nana and I had been here before. On that day, Xie Jiabao had personally cooked a sumptuous dinner for us.
Normally, when Xie Jiabao finished work, he did not go to the villa but stayed here.
The door was unlocked, and it opened as I pushed it.
The apartment was not large, with a living room, two bedrooms, and a study. Xie Nana had told me that her father had it built when he first established the factory, and she, her mother, and her two younger sisters had all lived here.
The furnishings in the room were all in place and unchanged, but there was a musty smell from lack of ventilation for a long time.
I opened all the windows, grabbed a rag, and wiped down the sofa. I sat down and called my senior.
I told him to bring the Taoist brothers and Zhou Yingying here.
Wen Siqiang and Qian Fugui were to stay put in the hotel, maintaining the illusion that we were still in the city for our opponents.
My senior acknowledged and hung up.
While waiting for them, I went to the adjacent apartments to find two better ones and opened the doors and windows to air them out.
We had found a place to stay. Now, we just had to wait for Brother Hui to reply to Zhou Yingying before planning our next move.
I found a mop and mopped every room. I cleaned up the master bedroom, designating it for my senior. I tidied up the smaller bedrooms that belonged to Xie Nana and her sisters, preparing to occupy one myself.
I suddenly thought of Zhou Yingying. I felt uneasy leaving her to sleep alone. I remembered there was another small study in the room and looked to see if there was a place to sleep there.
I pushed hard but couldn't open it. The room was locked.
I froze for a moment. Logically, this place should have been searched when the factory area was sealed. Why was it locked tight?
There were no signs that the lock had been tampered with. Could it be that this place had not been searched?
I found a card and tried to open it.
But no matter how I fiddled with it, the handle wouldn't budge. It seemed this door had another mechanism.
The door was made of solid wood. I knocked on it; it sounded muffled, very thick, unlike the doors in the other rooms.
I searched the living room, looking for a key.
After searching for a long time, I found nothing.
This was strange. Could there be something secret inside? Why was it different from the other rooms?
I walked to the door and found a small toolbox under the shoe cabinet. I looked for suitable tools, intending to force it open.
While rummaging through the tools, I suddenly thought, why not ask Xie Nana? Perhaps she could provide some information about this room. I took out my phone and called her.