Her tone softened slightly. "It's not that I don't want to give it to you. There are things I know, but I was merely a witness, without evidence."
"Nannan, even though I was disgraced when your father fired me, I haven't lost my humanity to the point of betraying him. I can guarantee you, I had no part in what happened to your parents."
*Or rather, no direct part.*
Tang Nannan's expression remained placid. "Could you please elaborate?"
"Let me put it this way. Because I knew your father for a long time and understood him well, someone did try to recruit me back then. Furthermore, I witnessed the scene where they divided their interests."
"To ensure an equitable distribution of profits and prevent anyone from reneging later, they signed an agreement. As for who exactly, you'll have to figure that out yourself. If you can get close to him and find that agreement, you'll know the whole truth."
"However, knowing the truth won't do any good. Like I said, you're just a tiny ant. They are a massive network of interests, and you alone can't possibly shake it. You might not even know how you died."
Tang Nannan didn't believe him when he claimed he wasn't involved in her parents' incident.
But she did believe his later statement.
It was a vast network of interests, and she couldn't possibly shake it easily.
Nevertheless, she was determined to try.
After leaving his house, Tang Nannan asked Hu Jiasheng for his opinion. Hu Jiasheng said,
"From his demeanor, we've squeezed all the information we can from him. Besides, we can't openly do anything illegal. His suggestion, however, might be worth considering."
"Infiltrate the enemy's inner circle to gather evidence? How can we easily infiltrate a family like theirs?"
Hu Jiasheng replied, "I can't. But you certainly can. Do you know where I met your ex-boyfriend yesterday?"
"In front of a commercial building. You can find out by asking around. They were taking their child to early education classes."
Tang Nannan didn't understand what he was getting at, so he explained.
"So, we can create an opportunity to 'accidentally' run into your ex. Trust me, when a man sees a beautiful ex, regardless of whether there's still lingering affection, he won't refuse your suggestion to catch up if you're proactive enough."
"As for me, I have other arrangements."
Hu Jiasheng had already inquired yesterday. The early education institution had three classes a week, every other day, each lasting an hour and a half.
As long as they appeared to be a loving couple, the chances of encountering them were quite high.
The next day, the two of them staked out the location. They discovered that the woman was dropped off by a driver, and Tang Nannan's ex-boyfriend did not appear.
They didn't reveal themselves. Towards the end, Hu Jiasheng suggested Tang Nannan go to a beauty salon for some pampering, followed by shopping for clothes. There was no rush; they would just linger for a couple of days.
The following day, they went again, and it was still the woman alone.
Tang Nannan grew a little anxious. "What are the odds? You ran into them once by chance, or perhaps he's on a business trip?"
Hu Jiasheng asked, "Don't you know his personality? Is he the type of person who is particularly attentive to his wife and child?"
Tang Nannan thought about it. It really wasn't certain.
He had been doted on as a young master since childhood. He was proud, arrogant, and considered himself a prodigy. He had caused Tang Nannan no end of trouble during their relationship, and their silent treatments grew longer and longer. He didn't seem like a devoted husband or a good father who would protect his wife and children.
"I understand. You stay here and keep watch. I'll go wait for him at his workplace."
Tang Nannan changed her strategy and waited at the entrance of his workplace.
She managed to catch him just after his work hours.
Tang Nannan let down her hair, put on a pair of black sunglasses, wore a simple, high-end black dress, applied exquisite makeup, and held an umbrella, gazing towards the entrance.
Her ex-boyfriend drove his car directly towards her, rolled down the window, and looked at her with surprise.
"Nannan, is that you? What are you doing here?"
The woman, along with her child and nanny, entered the elevator. Hu Jiasheng naturally followed them in.
As the doors closed, Hu Jiasheng, standing in front, pressed a floor one level higher than theirs and then turned back, asking gentlemanly,
"Where are you two headed? Do you need me to press the button for you?"
The woman nodded politely. "13A, thank you."
Hu Jiasheng glanced at her, then swept his gaze across the boy in the nanny's arms, and then pressed the floor button.
The elevator ascended steadily. He smiled faintly.
"Are you going to an early education class? How old is your child?"
By nature, women tend to develop a favorable impression of tall, handsome men, and this handsome gentleman had even noticed her child.
"He's one year and seven months old. Yes, we're going to an early education class."
Hu Jiasheng smiled gently. "A child of one year and seven months, just starting to babble. While certain activities are beneficial for intellectual development, I believe parental companionship is the most important. Isn't your husband with you?"
The woman managed a slightly stiff smile. "Dad has to work."
Hu Jiasheng looked apologetic. "This is the reality for most families in our country. Fathers are busy with work and can only entrust the child to the mother or grandmother. I apologize; I'm rambling."
"Our country?"
Hearing his words, it sounded like he had returned from abroad.
The woman sized him up. "Are you in the education industry? Which country have you returned from?"
"I'm actually not in the education industry. I'm an engineering graduate, just back from Northern Europe. It's just that at my age, I've become quite interested in children. Please don't mind if I'm being too intrusive."
The woman nodded. "What you said is true. Most of the education for children in our country is handled by mothers."
Hu Jiasheng spoke with subtle insinuation. "It also depends on the family. For example, I was accompanied by my father a lot when I was young and I value that aspect greatly. If I have children, especially sons, I will definitely try to spend as much time with them as possible."
"Foreign education experts say that a father's companionship is more beneficial than any extracurricular books or training classes. Do you agree with this view, madam?"
The woman nodded. "I do, otherwise I wouldn't have brought him."
"Your son is very cute. He looks a lot like you."
Hu Jiasheng offered another compliment. The elevator arrived.
As the doors opened, the woman nodded at him and held her son's hand, gesturing for him to say goodbye to Hu Jiasheng.
"Say goodbye to Uncle."
The little child certainly wouldn't say such a thing. He babbled at Hu Jiasheng, who looked as if he were overflowing with paternal affection.
"May I hold him? I don't mean anything else, it's just that I've recently returned from abroad and have a lot of free time."
The nanny handed the child to him.
Hu Jiasheng held him, looking him over, seemingly captivated. Suddenly, he said,
"I'm quite curious about how education is done in China now. Uh, if it's convenient, could I observe your early education class?"
"Are you thinking of switching careers to education?"
"Not really. I'm just purely curious, preparing myself for fatherhood in the future."
The woman was amused by his sincerity and nodded. The two of them, like a couple, went to the early education classroom holding the child.
In fact, there were regulations for early education classes, with some parts requiring the mother and others the father.