Zhang Qi's sharp eyes quickly spotted the hidden camera, which he had overlooked earlier. "Can you pinpoint its location?" Ye Feng asked, his eyes flashing with anger at this invasion of privacy.
"No problem, boss," Zhang Qi replied confidently. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he hacked into the surveillance system, tracing it back to its source. "Location confirmed," he announced, pointing to a flashing red dot on the screen.
"Boss, watch me smoke this rat out," Wang Shi said with a cold snort before leaving the room.
Ten minutes later, Wang Shi returned, dragging in an ordinary-looking man with visible red marks on his face. "I'm just doing a job for money. I don't know who hired me," the man pleaded, his face contorted with fear.
Ye Feng interrogated him coldly, "You really don't know?"
The man stuck to his story, even producing a crumpled 100-yuan bill as evidence. "I really don't know. I was just paid to watch and given 100 yuan."
Ye Feng turned to Wang Shi, "Did you search him?"
Wang Shi nodded, "His phone's clean. It seems he's telling the truth. Whoever's behind this is being very cautious."
"Let him go," Ye Feng said, rubbing his temples. "We can't stay here. Let's go to a friend's place where Yaoyao will be safe."
As they left, Ou Letian, the private detective, watched through night-vision goggles, chuckling to himself. "For the right price, you can't escape."
Li Lanyin, Chu Ge's secretary, immediately reported to her boss. Chu Ge, unsurprised, instructed, "Keep tracking them. Stick to the plan."
At Liu Yanru's villa, Chu Ge helped her serve a freshly cooked pig's feet soup. "Boss, be careful!" he exclaimed, taking the hot pot from her hands.
"Ouch!" Liu Yanru blew on her fingers, looking adorably flustered.
Chu Ge frowned, taking her hand to inspect it. "You're not burned, are you?"
Liu Yanru pulled her hand away with a smile, "Stop fussing, you little flirt. Help me with this apron and let's eat."
As Chu Ge removed her apron, he quipped, "Boss, you're so domestic. Some lucky man will snatch you up one day."
"Oh? Am I not marriageable anymore?" Liu Yanru teased, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Of course you are," Chu Ge replied smoothly.
As they sat down to eat, Liu Yanru asked casually, "By the way, who called earlier? A girlfriend perhaps?"
"Just the secretary I hired recently. She's helping with some work," Chu Ge explained honestly.
"A secretary? My bodyguard has big ambitions. Planning to start a company?" Liu Yanru asked, intrigued.
"Once your situation is settled, I'll decide on the type of company. I need to consider the talents available," Chu Ge replied thoughtfully.
Liu Yanru nodded approvingly, "I'm glad you're not just acting on impulse. I like a man with plans."
Later that night, as Chu Ge and Liu Yanru slept, Zhao Lingyun's evening was just beginning. At a bar, he dismissed his usual companions, bored with their company. "Aren't there any new women? I'm tired of the same old faces," he complained, pushing away a woman clinging to him.
A bartender named Li Fei approached Zhao Lingyun, whispering something that piqued his interest. Zhao Lingyun's mood visibly improved, and he left with his entourage.
Li Fei watched them go, recalling his earlier encounter with a mysterious woman. "You just need to say a few words at the right moment. Complete this, and 20,000 yuan is yours," she had said. Suspecting foul play but eager for the money, Li Fei had agreed without hesitation.
Outside the bar, Li Lanyin sat in a taxi, monitoring the situation. Upon receiving a text message and seeing Zhao Lingyun leave, she transferred 20,000 yuan to her contact and instructed the driver, "Follow them."