I had always thought I was a good judge of character, but upon arriving in Guangbei, I realized I had been deceiving myself.
Take Yan Yuhe, for instance. I had always seen her as merely a delicate, pampered young lady. Little did I know, she could shoulder responsibilities when it mattered most.
The Yan family's current predicament, facing enemies on all sides, clearly indicated someone was deliberately targeting them.
The newspaper reports, with their fabricated stories, were not something just anyone could publish.
And then there was Yan Hongguang's car accident; I had a lingering feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Looking at Yan Yuhe before me, I took a deep breath and said, "So, you knew why I was looking for the White Dragon Jade Horse before?"
She nodded frankly, "After you finished talking with my father that day, he told me everything."
"Are you sure your father's notes contain what I'm looking for?" I asked.
She nodded, "I'm sure."
I pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag, "Alright, I can help you find the Water Moon Guanyin, but I can't guarantee I can get it back."
She grinned, "As long as you're willing to look, you'll definitely find it."
"What do you mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes and staring at her.
"The day the Water Moon Guanyin was stolen, you went to the backyard. Although there's no conclusive evidence to prove you took it, you were the prime suspect..."
Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat, but a smile spread across my face. "Miss Yan, are you suspecting me of stealing the Water Moon Guanyin?"
She said, "Before you came to Guangbei, you saved Lei Guan's daughter, didn't you?"
Upon hearing this, I immediately became unsettled, my mouth suddenly feeling dry.
I feigned composure, "Yes, that is true."
"Liao Qiang is no minor figure. To disable him... Mr. Xiang is indeed as my father said, a hero among the youth," Yan Yuhe said with a smile.
I hadn't expected them to have dug up my entire past, even finding out about Liao Qiang.
"Crimson Thunder Workshop is indeed renowned nationwide for its forgery. The Water Moon Guanyin he created is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing," Yan Yuhe said calmly, still sporting that innocent smile.
At that moment, I realized this woman was far from simple.
"I'll help your Yan family find the Water Moon Guanyin. What happens after that?" I asked, sidestepping the topic and getting straight to business.
She smiled slightly, "Mr. Xiang, we'll discuss what happens after later. For now, I'd appreciate it if you could keep a close eye on the White Dragon Jade Horse."
I slowly exhaled a plume of smoke, flicked the cigarette butt into the ashtray, and then lit another one. "Miss Yan is truly a remarkable woman. I misjudged you earlier."
She remained unfazed by my sarcastic compliment, offering a slight smile, "Mr. Xiang flatters me."
I pondered for a moment and asked, "You mentioned earlier that your father's car accident was to ransom your second brother? Was your second brother kidnapped?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes. "I won't hide anything from you, Mr. Xiang. My second brother..."
According to her, her second brother was addicted to gambling and frequented various gambling dens. He had gotten into trouble many times due to his gambling.
"So, your second brother lost a lot of money gambling, and that's why they held him?" I asked.
Yan Yuhe nodded, "Yes."
I stood up, "Alright, regarding the Water Moon Guanyin, you'll hear from me."
"Okay."
After leaving the cafe and getting into the car, Fatty saw my troubled expression and asked, "Master Xiang, what's wrong? Did that woman try a honey trap on you?"
I shot him a glare and sneered, "A honey trap? This was much more sinister than a honey trap."
Fatty was taken aback, "Then what was it?"
"A 'smile with a hidden knife' scheme."
...
I had initially thought I could remain uninvolved, but unexpectedly, my path took a sharp turn, and I was drawn into this quagmire in Guangbei.
Yan Hongguang was already a seasoned schemer, but I never expected Yan Yuhe, who appeared so harmless, to be equally formidable.
Yang Hanxue had previously told me that he would hand over the Water Moon Guanyin to me once Sister Ying, Zheng Shuxuan, left Guangbei.
Now, I couldn't reach them. The only thing I could do was wait.
However, the immediate priority was to figure out what Liu Zaixi was up to. Why did she tell Zhao Wei about the White Dragon Jade Horse, and why did Zhao Wei send people to seize it?
After getting a few hours of sleep, I woke up and called Liu Zaixi, but there was no answer.
After much thought, I called Zhao Wei.
The call was answered quickly, and Zhao Wei's voice came through, "Brother Xiang, you finally remembered me?"
"Brother Zhao, there's something I'd like to confirm with you," I said directly.
"What is it, speak," he replied.
"Did you send people to the pier last night?" I asked.
"Last night?"
Seeing his confusion, I decided to recount the events of last night, including the fact that the White Dragon Jade Horse was in my possession.
After listening, he paused for a moment and said, "I did send people to the pier last night, but..."
He trailed off, "If I had known you were there, brother, I wouldn't have sent anyone. I don't know which blind fool it was. I'll deal with him properly later."
Zhao Wei's vague response clearly indicated he was hiding something.
I couldn't be bothered to waste more words with him and directly asked, "Brother Zhao, is Liu Zaixi with you?"
"Liu Zaixi?" he hesitated.
I didn't give him a chance to speak and continued, "If she's with you, please tell her I'd like to have a good chat."
After hanging up, I sat on the sofa, trying to piece things together, only to find that most matters lacked any clear direction.
It was like a tangled ball of yarn, I didn't know where to start unraveling it.
I felt I simply didn't have enough information.
But in this place called Guangbei, being unfamiliar with the area, I couldn't possibly gather much useful information.
The problem still seemed to lie with Liu Zaixi. I had a nagging feeling that something was not quite right about this woman.
After dinner that evening, my phone remained silent all day. Zhao Wei hadn't called me, and neither had Liu Zaixi.
Fatty and Song Bing had gone to the pier warehouse. As I left my apartment, intending to meet them,
Before I could even flag down a taxi, a van pulled up in front of me.
Several unfamiliar burly men got out of the van and surrounded me without saying a word. It was clear they intended to take me somewhere.
Seeing this, I wisely got into the van. As soon as I sat down, a black hood was placed over my head, and my hands were bound with zip ties.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked.
"Just behave yourself, you'll know when we get there. Don't try anything clever," said one of the men next to me.