Chapter 27 'The Innocent'
Chu Xuange's eyes darkened, and he returned the kiss, saying, "Alright, let's go take a look."
The two avoided the patrolling security guards and went to the vicinity of the open space that had been specially left out on the construction drawings.
The tall, dark gray building had only a large iron gate and a row of small ventilation openings on the high wall; it didn't even have a single window.
Pei Hening tugged at his sleeve: "This should be the place, but why does it look like a prison?"
"There's a problem inside. Wait a moment, I'll go take a look."
After Chu Xuange finished speaking, he disappeared in a flash.
Three minutes later, Chu Xuange returned with a solemn expression.
"Leave first, then I'll tell you what's going on inside."
After leaving the factory, the two hid in a small alley.
After Chu Xuange saw that she had recovered, he told her what he had seen in that dark gray building.
"The factory is illegally employing workers, including children, disabled people, waiters who were abused by the young master, and what appears to be servants from the mayor's household."
Pei Hening never expected that the 'rats' in the factory would be these people.
"'Innocent'?"
"Um."
Pei Hening gave half of the employee files he had taken from the factory to Chu Xuange.
"Let's check the information of those thirteen employees first."
Pei Hening opened an employee file and wrote down the name, photo, and home address.
Half an hour later, Pei Hening, munching on the croissant Chu Xuange had given her, went with him to check the area near the homes of the thirteen employees.
"Gardner and Winnie investigated some unsettling events at night and were warned by the townspeople that they had offended 'him.' What do you think about that?"
Chu Xuange took her hand and said calmly, "We'll find out when we go and see."
They crossed a street and arrived near the home of one of their employees, Dell.
Chu Xuange pulled Pei Hening into a supermarket, where they bought a box of chocolates and coffee beans.
After leaving the supermarket, Pei Hening asked, "Where did you get the money?"
Chu Xuange gave her half, saying calmly, "I picked it up at the bar."
He put his arm around Pei Hening's waist, and the two walked towards the direction of Dale's house: "Let's go, let's find out some information."
He led the group to a woman pushing a stroller: "Miss, do you know where Dale's house is? We are his friends, passing through town, and are planning to visit him."
The woman took the baby out of the crib and looked at them warily.
Only after noticing the gifts they were carrying did he lower his voice and say, "Don't bother visiting anymore. Go back to where you came from. Dale is dead."
Chu Xuange exclaimed in surprise, "How could that be? I was talking to him on the phone just last month."
The woman frowned, as if disgusted by the bad luck, and said, "They said he offended 'him' and that's why he was taken away."
Pei Hening, holding Chu Xuange's arm, pursed her lips and asked cautiously, "Can you tell us when he passed away?"
The woman's face paled as she recalled Dale's death: "He was strangled two weeks ago, his neck was mangled. Don't ask any more questions, lest you offend 'his' spirit."
After she finished speaking, she carried the child and pulled the stroller away, looking as if a ghost was chasing her.
After visiting the homes of all thirteen employees, it was already 8 p.m. when they returned to the mayor's house.
——
Kofi and Raman sat in the living room, each busy with their own things.
"Click".
Hearing the door open, the two breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Chu Xuange and Pei Hening enter.
Coffey pushed up his glasses and said in a gentle tone, "I thought something had happened to you."
Chu Xuange raised an eyebrow and asked coldly, "Disappointed?"
Coffey was surprised by his response and gave a gentle smile: "No."
Pei Hening looked around but still couldn't see Butler Carter, and asked curiously, "Did you see Butler Carter today?"
Raman shook his head: "I didn't see it, but dinner is ready. Let's eat first."
Four dinners were already set on the table.
Just as Pei Hening picked up the red wine, Chu Xuange gently patted her leg.
She put down the red wine and simply ate a bowl of pasta and a small bowl of mushroom soup.
Pei Hening wanted to exchange the clues they had discovered, hoping to see if there was any information they had missed.
Unfortunately, after finishing their meal, the two of them went upstairs without any intention of exchanging information.
Pei Hening frowned: "I was also wondering if they had gotten any new clues, why are they running so fast?"
——
Inside the room.
After the two took a shower, Pei Hening leaned against the bed, her fair and slender legs draped over Chu Xuange's legs.
He offered to massage her legs, saying, "You've worked hard today."
Pei Hening pulled her legs back, sat in his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned close to him to ask, "Do you think 'he' will come today?"
Chu Xuange put his arm around her waist and lifted her up a bit to make her more comfortable: "Yes."
At 11:30, Pei Hening changed into the clothes she had worn during the day and picked up the dagger the system had given her.
After putting on his hat, Chu Xuange took the dagger from her hand and handed her the gun.
"You gave it to me?"
"Yes, guns are very lethal."
Pei Hening smiled and pressed the muzzle of the gun against his chest: "Aren't you afraid I'll miss?"
Chu Xuange pinched the flesh on her face and said, "I taught you your marksmanship myself, I know it."
When he was sixteen, his grandfather passed away from a heart attack, leaving him as the sole heir to the main branch of the Chu family.
The people from the collateral branches who used to greet him with smiles and respect were now like hungry wolves that had smelled blood. They plotted against him every three days and attempted to assassinate him every five days, trying to eliminate his inheritance of the Chu family's money and power.
Unfortunately, he was not a pushover to be easily manipulated. He was the head of the Chu family, personally trained by Old Master Chu, young but by no means weak.
With his instigation, the Chu family was embroiled in a fierce internal power struggle during that period.
When those idiots realized they couldn't kill him, they turned their attention to Pei Hening.
For her safety, he stayed by her side, personally teaching her how to use a gun so she could protect herself.
At twelve o'clock, footsteps were heard outside the door.
The footsteps stopped outside their door.
Pei Hening heard a sharp, high-frequency, penetrating roar—it was the sound of a chainsaw!
She glanced worriedly at Chu Xuange, who was standing opposite her.
Chu Xuange gave her a reassuring look.
"boom--"
The door was broken open, and a man dressed in black carrying a chainsaw strode in with heavy steps.
Chu Xuange kicked the man hard in the knee; the man hadn't expected to be attacked from the side.
Chu Xuange's explosive power was so great that Pei Hening could even hear the sound of the man's bones cracking.
He knelt down with a thud, grabbed the chainsaw, and swung it at Chu Xuange.
Chu Xuange took a half step back, dodging the chainsaw attack, grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it tightly, pinning him to the ground, and quickly pressed his knee against the man's lumbar spine.
Seeing that the situation was turning against him, the man immediately released the chainsaw, preparing to smash the glass bottle he was holding.