Nachtgespräche in seltsamen Geschichten

Kapitel 20

Yuan Peilin turned to gaze at Gu Xiangning, but didn't ask any questions. Although he hadn't known her for long, Yuan Peilin was quite confident in his judgment. There was absolutely nothing about this girl that would make anyone dislike her, and it was hard to imagine that she wouldn't have friends. But... thinking about it, it made sense; after all, she was an idol.

“Although there are always many people around me, their eyes always look at me from a very distant place…” Gu Xiangning’s voice sounded unusually sad in the cold wind, “I feel that I am lonely and pitiful.”

"Don't worry." Yuan Peilin looked at Gu Xiangning with affection. "Don't you already have a boyfriend now?"

"Why?"

Am I not considered your friend?

Gu Xiangning smiled, like a blooming lily: "Yes, I finally have friends."

Yuan Peilin responded with a sigh of relief, then looked up at the gray sky, and Qing Lin Anxue's beautiful figure began to flash before her eyes again. So, were they really friends?

"By the way, can I ask you to keep Lin company from now on?"

"Of course."

"Then it's a deal. I might bother you often in the future."

"I'm fine with it, but aren't idols very busy?"

"Hehe, it's not like I'm doing it full-time, after all, I'm still a student."

...

Time flowed further and further away, like the river beneath the bridge. The air was cold, but it could no longer penetrate their hearts. They seemed to be enjoying their conversation, with Yuan Peilin speaking more than usual. Suddenly, a black luxury sedan pulled up, interrupting their exchange…

“I’m leaving…” Gu Xiangning turned to look at the car that was slowly coming to a stop, her voice tinged with reluctance, “That car is here to pick me up.”

"Well, goodbye then." The girl who had accompanied Lin Chao smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Cheer up!"

"Okay, I will try my best."

Just then, the car door opened gently, and a man stepped out. He was tall, with long, slightly wavy hair and deep, penetrating eyes. More importantly, he exuded an eerie aura. Yuan Peilin's pupils contracted sharply, while the man smiled nonchalantly at the boy's stare.

"Xiao Ning, it's time to go back."

"Yes, I'm so sorry, Mr. Ke'an," Gu Xiangning said apologetically, "I made you look for me everywhere."

"It's alright, it's not hard to find. Is this the person you want to see?" The man called Ke'an asked Yuan Peilin with a half-smile.

“Yes, he is Yuan Peilin, my friend.” Gu Xiang looked at the boy beside her. “This is Mr. Ke’an, my new manager. He is a very nice person.”

Yuan Peilin nodded, but his expression stiffened, and he said in a cold tone, "What is your purpose here?"

Ke An smiled calmly: "Of course it's work. What other purpose could there be?"

Caught in the middle, Gu Xiangning also sensed the strange atmosphere and asked curiously, "What's wrong? What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing, Xiao Ning, we should go." Ke An opened the car door, let Gu Xiang Ning in, and then turned to Yuan Pei Lin and said, "Don't worry, what you're worried about won't happen."

"I see..." Yuan Peilin's expression softened a bit. "Then I'll leave everything to you."

Ke'an didn't answer, but simply waved to the boy and got into the car. The luxury sedan kicked up a cloud of dust and drove away, and one could still vaguely see Gu Xiangning's eyes looking back at him. Yuan Peilin stood thoughtfully for a while before moving and walking off the iron bridge.

---janeadam

Reply [47]: The car, which was already driving in the distance, was filled with melodious music. Ke An was driving with one hand and tapping a strange rhythm on his leg with the other. Gu Xiangning was staring blankly out the window.

"Xiao Ning..."

"Hmm?" Gu Xiangning responded reflexively when she heard her agent call her name.

"You've found a really good friend."

The teenage idol's smile had never been so radiant: "Th...thank you."

The music in the car sounded even more melodious.

...

"Li Feng, where are we going?"

"Of course, we're going to look for clues."

This is arguably the most bustling area in the city, and even in winter, it still feels warm and vibrant. People move swiftly and rapidly among the dense commercial buildings, and the various noises blend seamlessly with the surrounding environment.

Among the crowd, three people stood out. The handsome young man walking leisurely at the front with his hands in his pockets was none other than Lu Fengjian, while the two foreign men following behind him with uneasy expressions were the twin Kahneman brothers.

"You're not trying to find that woman in this crowd, are you?" Of course, Brother Kahneman was not satisfied with this explanation, because that would be more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Lu Fengjian rolled his eyes first, then confidently explained, "Even in a city this big, finding someone isn't that difficult, as long as you find the right connections."

"A way." After thinking for a moment, Kaneman looked enlightened. "You want to ask the police for help?"

"...On the contrary."

After passing through the bustling streets, they arrived at a slightly quieter alley. Lv Fengjian led the two foreigners to a stop in front of an inconspicuous shop. The old-looking wooden sign read "Green Field Bar."

"Hey, is it really possible to find someone here who can help?"

"You'll understand once you go in," the handsome young man said before pushing open the creaking door and walking inside.

"What an annoying personality." The Kahneman brothers exchanged a helpless glance, then followed him inside in perfect unison.

The bar was dimly lit, and a dozen or so people sat sparsely in the not-so-small space. They were all staring at the three people who had suddenly walked in, their eyes flashing with hostile coldness.

Ignoring the dangerous stares, Lu Fengjian found a few seats and invited the other two to sit down. Soon after, a somewhat presentable waiter approached.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, this bar is only open after 9 p.m.." The waiter bowed and smiled obsequiously. "Gentlemen, please leave now and come back later tonight."

Kaneman pointed to the dozen or so people looking in their direction: "Aren't they guests?"

"They...they are just insiders."

"Hmph! I bet they're an underground gang," Brother Kaneman said with a sneer.

"Sir..." The waiter's previously amiable expression stiffened, gradually revealing a fierce glint. "Speaking like that will come at a price." As he spoke, the other people sitting in the bar slowly gathered around...

At that moment, the handsome young man tapped on the table in front of him, slightly reducing the pervasive smell of burning incense.

"Tell your boss that I, Lu Fengjian, am here to see him."

These words worked. The waiter hesitated for a moment, then gave a wink to the person next to him, who immediately left and entered one of the inner doors of the bar.

Soon, the man hurried back and whispered something in the waiter's ear. The waiter immediately put on a professional smile and said, "Please follow me, gentlemen."

...

Entering through the inner door, passing through a not-so-short corridor, and then stepping over a threshold, the three found themselves in a room completely different from the bar they had just been in.

This room resembles a large company's conference room—bright, clean, and fully equipped. Dozens of high-class chairs are neatly arranged around a rectangular conference table, while at the top of the table, symbolizing the highest level of management, sits a middle-aged man with a nonchalant air.

The middle-aged man's appearance was not outstanding, but his slightly narrowed eyes shone with a sharp gaze. A scar running from his left cheek to behind his ear was clearly visible, adding to his menacing appearance.

"Oh, it's Brother Jian. I'm so sorry I didn't come out to greet you." Although he said this, the middle-aged man's tone did not show any apology. Instead, he lit a cigar and took a small puff.

“Dalima, your taste is still so bad…” Lu Fengjian didn’t mind at all. He casually found a seat and sat down with the Kahneman brothers. He said with a half-smile, “What era are we living in? Boss smoking cigars is so outdated.”

“Hehehe, what can I do? I just love cigars. Maybe I really am getting old…” Dali Ma suddenly stared at Lu Fengjian, “But you didn’t come here today to tell me this, did you?”

“…You guessed right.” The handsome young man casually tossed a photograph out of nowhere, which landed perfectly on the table in front of Dalima. “I would like to ask you to help me find this woman.”

The woman in red, Yan Ye, who attacked Qing Lin Anxue last night, was clearly in the photo.

Dalima didn't look at the photos. He simply leaned back comfortably in his executive chair, his slightly overweight body slumped, and slowly said, "You should know our custom here: we won't do anything without payment..."

"I'm sorry, but this time you might have to break this habit," the handsome young man said in a slow tone no less deliberate than that of Delilah. "If the police have concrete evidence of your drug trafficking and human trafficking, it might give you a real headache..."

A fierce glint flashed in Dalima's eyes, but she maintained her posture: "You think you can bring me down like this?"

“Hehe, of course I’m not that naive. Everyone knows that the power and foundation of Lima are already unbreakable. However, you should understand that the fewer troubles the better… Finding someone here would be a piece of cake for you, and besides…” After a mysterious smile, Li Fengjian continued, “How much do you really know about me personally…?”

The room fell completely silent; neither of them uttered a sound. One awaited a response, while the other engaged in intense mental activity. After a long while, Lima finally spoke…

"...You win!"

The matter was resolved in just half an hour, so Li Fengjian was in a pleasant mood. He was now humming a tune as he walked side by side with the Kahneman brothers, who looked like his two henchmen, down a bustling street.

"Li Feng, where did you get that photo?" One of the brothers couldn't help but ask.

The handsome young man temporarily stopped his "music" and replied smugly, "Besides fighting, I'm not completely useless. Have you forgotten my second specialty?"

The Kahneman brothers finally realized that Lu Fengjian was a student photographer with some fame, and that he might have been covered in miniature cameras.

"So, do you really have evidence of that gang's crimes?"

"...It's just a bluff."

"..."

I wonder if this can be considered another of Lv Fengjian's special skills.

---janeadam

Reply [48]: Episode 4 is stuck

The man's name was Blacktail, one of the organization's best trackers. He had almost never made a mistake in the many tailing missions he had carried out, a skill he was very proud of and had a great reputation among his comrades.

Kuroo always enjoyed the thrill and excitement of tracking, but this time his target made him too afraid to even breathe, even though it was just a woman.

Kuro was certain he hadn't chosen the wrong target, because the woman's features matched perfectly in the color photocopy sent from above a few days ago. He had been following her for nearly two hours, proceeding with increasing caution from the bustling city center to this remote suburb. Even so, he still couldn't be sure he hadn't been noticed…

That woman clearly had a penchant for red; not only was her sexy, low-cut dress fiery red, but her handbag and high heels were also the same color. More importantly, based on his keen intuition as a skilled stalker, Kuroki judged that she was definitely a highly dangerous individual, exuding a strange and sinister aura.

This was already on the very edge of the city, and fewer and fewer pedestrians could be seen. And when the fiery red-clad woman suddenly stopped, turned her head, and revealed a sinister smile, Black Tail finally understood…

I might not see the sun rise tomorrow.

...

If nothing unexpected happened, Yuan Peilin absolutely didn't have the habit of waking up early, so this weekend he routinely slept until late morning before getting dressed and washing up. Of course, the pure white pigeon hadn't opened its eyes yet. In fact, it hadn't been very active lately at all.

To make matters worse, Yuan Peilin didn't have the habit of studying on weekends, so when he turned on the TV in his room, randomly picked a few channels, and saw either uncreative commercials or soap operas that were so overused they were practically obsolete, he decided to put on his coat and go for a walk outside.

The air in the suburbs was fresh, and you could faintly smell the scent of grass. Yuan Peilin strolled around aimlessly; this kind of aimless wandering was probably one of his ways of enjoying life.

What Yuan Peilin was constantly worried about was the current manager of the popular idol Gu Xiangning, a long-haired man named Ke An. When she saw him yesterday, she sensed a strange aura emanating from him, resembling demonic energy but more subtle than ordinary demonic energy. Moreover, there seemed to be some unstable elements, though she couldn't quite grasp the specifics.

It doesn't matter what Ke'an's identity is, as long as he doesn't approach that lovely idol with malicious intent.

"Don't worry, what you're worried about won't happen."