They all then sat back down. It wasn't long before someone approached them. He was carrying a large bag.
"I'm sorry for making you have to wait so long here." That person's voice was similar to that of their old landlord. "My name is Borbae Reniau. I have something to give you, gentlemen." The man opened his bag right away. He took out two much smaller bags. He opened one of the small bags and showed its contents to Iren and his friends.
<
"This is a new telephone. We want you to replace your telephone with this one."
"Will our phone lines be secure after that?" Iren asked.
"Not necessarily, Sir. If the wiretapping took place in another place, such as a telephone pole or other places, your conversation will still not be safe."
Shannchyuan nodded.
"Does the telephone at your house use a splitter?" asked Borbae Reniau.
"We only have one phone, so there's no splitter," replied Shannchyuan. Except, of course, tools like the splitter that the police sent us yesterday."
"The device is already anti-tapping, but it would be even better if you added a splitter before connecting the telephone cable to the device," said Borbae Reniau.
"So you suggest we install a phone splitter?" Iren asked.
"That's better, Sir," said Borbae Reniau. He took a phone splitter out of his pocket and quickly put it in the small bag he had just opened.
"What if it turns out that the bugs are in other parts of our house? Not the telephones?" asked Chioujen.
"Good question," said Borbae Reniau. He then took out another small bag from the big bag beside him. He opened the small bag and took out its contents. They saw an instrument they had never seen before.
"What is that, Sir?" Iren asked.
"I think it's a tool to detect if there are bugs in the spot that we're going to check." Jenqyih preceded Borbae Reniau in answering Iren's question.
"You're right! How to use it has been explained in full in the manual that we have also provided."
"What if it turns out later that there is indeed a bug in our house?" asked Shannchyuan.
"Actually, we are not sure that a sound-tapping device is installed in your house. But to be sure, we provide this tool. So, if later it turns out that you really did find a wiretapping device, we have prepared other things."
"What other things?" asked Shannchyuan.
"You should report it."
"How to report it?"
"By saying a secret code as certain words when the police contact you later."
"What kind of secret code?" asked Shannchyuan.
"You just say that your family is sick. So, for example, you can say that you have to call your family because you got the news that a relative of yours is sick. Of course, it doesn't have to be like that. That's just the outline."
Shannchyuan nodded. "Thank you, Sir! We'll do that as soon as we get home."
Borbae Reniau bowed respectfully. "I hope all this trouble passes soon, Sir."
"We all hope so, too," said Iren.
"Sorry, Sir! I have to go. I still have to meet someone here." Borbae Reniau bowed his head respectfully.
"Please, Sir," said Jenqyih
Borbae Reniau then hurried away from them.
"Who is he supposed to meet here, anyway?" Jenqyih looked at Shannchyuan.
"I don't know. Maybe someone important is here."
"Important people?"
"I think he has to meet the police chief in this place," guessed Iren.
"What police chief?" Jenqyih smirked. "This isn't a real police station."
"I mean the police with the highest position and rank here," said Iren. "The one who is in charge here."
"I think so." Shannchyuan looked at his friends. "Whoever he's going to meet doesn't really matter to us. Our business is done here."
"So, shall we go back home now?" said Tsaehorng.
Shannchyuan and the company nodded.
They returned to the garage. The driver was ready to take them back to the mall. On the way to the mall, no one spoke. Each one was busy with his own thoughts. They didn't realize they had arrived at the underground parking lot of the mall near Jongharng Station. The car stopped right beside Tsaehorng's car.
They all got out of the van right away. After dropping them off, the van didn't leave. It turned out that the police had assigned the driver to be on standby at the mall parking lot.
"Where are we going now?" Jenqyih asked.
Shannchyuan looked at his watch. "I think we still have a little time before the kidnappers call again."
"Are Dahge worried Shyongge hasn't cooked lunch yet?" Iren smiled.
"That's right! I think the ingredients in the fridge have run out. And right now, he can't go out to buy groceries at all," Shannchyuan replied. "There's definitely no way Yihshyong would have gone out of the house and left Juger and Jinqkang."
"So, now we stop by the food shop to buy lunch? Said Iren.
Shannchyuan nodded.
"Is there still time? Chioujen looked doubtful.
"We only boy food. After that, we go straight home," said Shannchyuan. "Later, we'll have lunch together at home."
"If that's the case, it's better if we just buy a little more. So, we don't have to buy any more food for dinner," said Jenqyih. "We'll just have to heat it up later."
"I agree, Uncle," said Tsaehorng. "But we'd better put these things in my car first." He pointed to Songfei's bag and the two small bags the police gave them.
Shannchyuan nodded. They then put the items in the car's trunk. After that, they left the car park and entered the mall.
As usual, the atmosphere was very crowded in the mall. There did not appear to be any concern that the 'explosion of light' that occurred a few days ago would be repeated. The faces of the mall visitors were so cheerful.
"Did you two talk to our landlord earlier?" Iren asked.
"Earlier, when you were giving a statement to the police, we did speak to him," said Jenqyih.
"What did he say?" Iren asked.
"As we expected. The police asked him to let us stay at his property until the case is over," said Jenqyih.
"Then?"
"I don't think he has any other choice. He's allowed us to stay there for free." Jenqyih smiled. His expression was exactly like a child who had just got the new toy he wanted so badly.
"Is he aware that this matter might drag on?" Iren asked.
"I think he's aware of that, too. But he has a lot of property. One unproductive property won't have much effect on him," said Shannchyuan.
"So we're not moving house anytime soon." Jenqyih nodded with satisfaction.
"Isn't that great?" Shannchyuan said.
"In a way, it's good." Jenqyih took a breath. "But on the other hand, we don't have a chance to try living in Tsaehorng's apartment."
Tsaehorng laughed at those words. "That's not true, Uncle."
"So we can still stay at your apartment from time to time?" Iren looked at Tsaehorng.
Tsaehorng nodded. "Of course, Uncle! Don't worry. The door to my apartment is always open to you, Uncles."
"Thank you." Iren cupped his hands about ten centimeters in front of his chest.
"You're welcome, Uncle. But Miss Liuchiou will still be there, right?" Tsaehorng asked.
"That's for sure." Shannchyuan's voice was steady. "It's for her safety. I hope you don't mind."
"I see, Uncle!" Tsaehorng smiled.
By now, they had left the parking lot and entered the mall. Tsaehorng, who was walking in the front, looked back. "Uncles, what would you like to order?"
"Eh! You don't have to spend money. This time, we buy lunch with our own money." Jenqyih seemed to feel bad that Tsaehorng had helped them so much.
"It's okay, Uncle. While I'm still in this city, then I can treat you guys. After the exhibition is over, I will most likely return to the city where I've been living all this time," said Tsaehorng.
"Ah! Why don't you just stay here? I don't think that gang of delinquents will dare to bother you anymore," said Jenqyih.
That's not the case, Uncle. There, I also have a few activities that I need to pay attention to as well. Even now, every day, I have to call there at least twice a day to monitor the activities of my business unit there. Maybe later, when I can delegate everything permanently, I will move here again. But I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon because I haven't started a business there for a long time."
"What an extraordinary young man like you. Very young, but very active," said Shannchyuan.
"Ah, it's not much, Uncle. I just started it."
No more debate. Shannchyuan didn't seem to mind letting Tsaehorng spoil them one more time. They followed Tsaehorng into a diner. The restaurant was quite big. It even had its own restroom. So, restaurant visitors did not need to leave the restaurant if they wanted to go to the restroom.
"Uncles, what would you like to order?" Tsaehorng looked at them with a bright face.
"That's up to you," said Shannchyuan. "We'll just go along with it. We'll agree to whatever you order."
Tsaehorng looked like he was about to say something. But the young man did not open his mouth.
<
Tsaehorng called the waiter. He ordered takeout. Carefully, the waiter took notes. There were lots of drinks in the house. So, Tsaehorng only ordered food.
They then sat around chatting while waiting for the food. While they were talking, Shannchyuan suddenly stood up. He looked out of the restaurant. Even though they were sitting inside the restaurant, they could still see outside because only a glass wall separated the front part of the restaurant from the corridor in its front. They followed in the direction where Shannchyuan looked. Outside the diner, a girl was standing. She stopped while opening what appeared to be a notebook. After looking at the note, she put the notebook into his bag. Soon after that, she walked away.
Shannchyuan stepped out of the diner. At first, he just walked fast, but then he ran. In an instant, he had disappeared after the girl. Tsaehorng turned to Iren and the others with a questioning look.
"We also don't know who she is," Jenqyih said.
Chioujen tried to remember. But in the end, he just shook his head.
Iren took a deep breath. After all his friends looked at him, Iren let out a word for word at a slow tempo. "That's the woman I saw Dahge talking to on the side of the road."
"Isn't that the same woman that Dahge chased into this mall a few days ago?" Jenqyih said.
Iren nodded. "But I don't know more than that."
Everyone looked at Iren. An enormous question mark crossed Chioujen and Tsaehorng's faces. Three seconds later, they showed sad faces as if begging Iren to tell them more.