The person who had been squinting suddenly opened their eyes, a sharp clarity in their gaze. The person on their back continued to massage gently and carefully, completely unaware of the change.
"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Dalia continued in her usual lazy tone.
"Just a bit curious," Graham replied, forcing patience, though inwardly he was rolling his eyes.
Such a hassle. Just say it already!
Dalia gave a soft "oh," and after that, she fell silent.
Graham couldn't hold back any longer and asked again, "What exactly is the reason? Tell me and satisfy my curiosity."
"You little rascal, normally you're not this curious."
"I am too," Graham lied smoothly.
Dalia sneered, "It's nothing really, just someone messing up the DNA results, causing a big mix-up."
"Oh, oh, oh," Graham replied quickly, no longer probing further.
He had thought she would keep asking questions, but she didn't press on. That caught her by surprise. She knew exactly how sharp this guy was.
If he didn't take the money today, it must be because the person behind him offered plenty.
Dalia closed her eyes and continued to enjoy herself.
The next day, Graham walked out of the Haifei Hotel, his back sore and his waist aching. After parting ways with Dalia, he immediately dialed Zuri's number.
"Zuri, I've got the information you wanted. When are you going to transfer the money?" Graham asked eagerly.
"I'll transfer it right now."
"Great! Since you're so straightforward, I'll tell you directly. The reason they got it wrong initially was because they accidentally mixed up the DNA samples."
"Idiot!" Zuri's voice was icy.
"Why are you cursing at me?" Graham's good mood vanished completely. "You better not be planning to stiff me. If you don't pay up, I won't let you off."
"Now I finally understand why Dalia keeps you around. With your level of intelligence, she doesn't even need to use her brain to trick you."
Seeing that she was going too far, Graham got angry, "You're asking for it!"
"Fool! If it were that simple, do you think it would be worth half a million? Do you think I'd even bother with you?" Dealing with such a brainless person, one had to be blunt.
Hearing this, Graham finally sensed something was off. After a moment, he cursed angrily, "Damn it! That woman played me. Don't worry, I'll continue to pry tomorrow. I'll get her drunk and then get her to talk. People can't lie when they're drunk, right?"
Zuri squeezed her phone tightly, the sound of her knuckles cracking. "People don't always tell the truth when drunk. Don't let yourself be fooled. You don't need to ask anymore, you've already alerted her."
"What about the half-million?"
"Gone."
Seeing the half-million slipping away, Graham panicked and quickly said, "Wait, don't hang up. I've still got some dirt on her."
"What?"
"The half-million..."
"If what you've got is valuable, I can still pay you."
"Do you know she has an older third brother? About a month ago, she bribed his driver, got him to pretend he was drunk, and deliberately caused a car crash that killed him."
"I knew about that already."
"How could you possibly know?" Graham was skeptical.
"Do you think I'm as dumb as you?"
Graham was speechless.
"Anything else? If not, I'm hanging up."
"There is. She's been asking me to find a wooden box in her third brother's house. I've snuck in several times but couldn't find it. Is this information useful?" Graham asked nervously.
He was beginning to regret not uncovering more of her secrets earlier; who knows how much more money he could have made.
"A wooden box?" Zuri murmured.
"Yes, yes, yes, she mentioned a wooden box, but I've never seen it myself," Graham explained eagerly, hoping to impress her.
"Alright, I'll give you two hundred thousand. If you have any other useful information in the future, notify me immediately. I'll pay you according to the value of the information."
Graham was overjoyed, "Sure, sure, no problem at all."
"Remember, don't be too stupid when asking questions, and don't let yourself be misled. When someone is sad or upset, be a quiet listener, and wait until they let their guard down before you pry."
Zuri, clearly not trusting this idiot, patiently imparted her advice and techniques.
Graham didn't mind at all, since this was a way to make money, and the person on the other end was the one with the cash. He wouldn't dare not listen.
"Got it, got it, I'll remember."
Zuri wasn't sure if he really remembered or was just pretending.
Graham was a pawn, better than nothing.
Who knows, maybe he'd come through with an unexpected surprise.
After hanging up, Zuri muttered to herself, "A wooden box… what's inside it?"
Since she was so fixated on getting it, there must be a reason.
It seemed she would have to visit Jonah's house.
What reason could she use to go there?!
She needed to think carefully.
The old, run-down neighborhood was peaceful and quiet, with elderly men and women playing chess under the shade of the trees, or chatting in small groups.
Zuri carried a basket of fruit as she entered the neighborhood. Following the door number, she went upstairs and knocked on one of the doors.
When the door opened and the woman inside saw who was standing outside, she snapped, "What are you doing here? Haven't you caused enough misery for my family?"
As she spoke, the woman picked up a broom by the door and swung it at Zuri, but before it could land, Zuri calmly caught it in her hand.
"Don't you want to know how your husband really died?"
"What do you mean?" The middle-aged woman paused, her hand holding the broom still.
Zuri glanced around, "Are you going to let me tell you here?"
The middle-aged woman hesitated slightly before lowering the broom and stepping aside.
Entering the apartment, Zuri was greeted by a small, cluttered room filled with all sorts of junk and a stench of rot. Despite the squalor, Zuri remained unfazed.
The middle-aged woman, on the other hand, looked utterly exhausted. She casually pointed to the sofa, "Sit wherever you like."
The woman dragged a chair over and sat down, her gloomy eyes fixed on Zuri, "What did you mean by what you said earlier?"
"Do you know where Jonah was going the day of the accident?" Zuri asked.
The woman frowned, "I know a little. He said he was going to meet someone. He told me that after meeting that person, our son would be released."
Jonah hadn't told her the details, fearing she might let something slip.
Zuri understood. Jonah hadn't shared much with her.
If she knew about Dalia's involvement, she probably wouldn't be here unharmed.
"Why are you asking about this?"
"Let me play you something."
Zuri took out her phone and played a recording.
The voice on the recording was unmistakably Graham's, and he was revealing that Jonah had been killed by a truck driver Dalia had bribed to fake being drunk and cause the accident.