Xu Yan thought Scarlett was very smart. She knew how to choose the right people to negotiate with, and she also knew what kind of conditions to negotiate. Compared to dealing with foolish people, Xu Yan preferred to do business with someone like Scarlett who knew when to advance and when to retreat.
Xu Yan pondered for a moment and said, "I won't buy out all your information at once. How about this, we'll negotiate the price for each transaction separately. You'll notify me when you get the information, and I'll provide you with the corresponding reward. If that's what you need, we can complete the deal, but you also have the right to refuse."
Scarlett released Xu Yan, extended her hand, smiled, and said, "Deal."
This time, Xu Yan didn't refuse. He shook her hand lightly and said, "I'll send you that recording right away. One more question: what are you planning to do with Lin Shuwan?"
Scarlett turned around, a hint of distress in her eyes. The threat posed by Lin Shuwan was negligible; she didn't care what trouble her background might cause her. Xu Lang wasn't some naive young man; he would definitely investigate her background thoroughly before proposing, so her origins couldn't be hidden from him.
She was torn because her former classmate was so naive and foolish. If it weren't for their youthful friendship, she might have ignored Lin Shuwan and left her to fend for herself.
Scarlett sighed softly, rubbing her forehead, and asked Xu Yan, "If you were me, what would you do?"
Xu Yan shook her head. "I am not you."
Scarlett forced a smile. "Alright, it seems I'll have to handle this myself. But if I deal with Lin Shuwan, Xu Yi might follow his father's wishes and pursue Zhou Luming after the breakup. Don't you mind?"
"I don't mind." Xu Yan hesitated for a moment, then frowned slightly.
Scarlett said meaningfully, "I just gave you a light hug. The lady hiding behind the glass door had 'angry' written all over her face. Our deal is done. I'll leave now to go back and take care of my old classmate. You're left to clean up this mess."
Xu Yan's gaze passed over her and landed on Zhou Luming behind the glass door. He tilted his head, trying to see "anger" on her face, but found nothing.
Before Scarlett left, Xu Yan asked her, "When you named yourself Scarlett, was it because you shared the same name as Black Widow, or because you shared the same name as the heroine of 'Gone with the Wind'?"
She wanted to know whether Lin Fang had grown up to become the ruthless and vicious Black Widow, or the innocent, selfish, impulsive but genuine beauty in troubled times.
"Xu Yan, your heart is far more delicate and kind than your appearance suggests." Scarlett left with this assessment, then turned and left the courtyard without looking back.
Zhou Luming followed Xu Yan in and asked, "What did you two talk about?" Why did they end up hugging each other? Zhou Luming was very unhappy, feeling a lump in his throat.
“I agreed to record her, and she agreed to be our undercover agent around Xu Lang. With her around, we are getting closer and closer to obtaining the key on Xu Lang.”
Zhou Luming looked down at Xu Yan's coat pocket and said, "I saw her put something in your pocket."
Xu Yan reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper with "Library X, Book of Gone with the Wind" written on it. She opened her phone, went to the library's website, and searched for the book registration information for "Gone with the Wind."
"Call number: I247.53/4232/2014." Zhou Luming leaned over and glanced at it. "This seems to be a website address."
"Let's go find the address of the S crack key." Xu Yan hurriedly rushed out of the backyard, not even having time to say goodbye to Xu Lang and the others, and walked straight towards the parking lot.
It turned out that Scarlett had already found a way to give him the key address that Xu Lang had. Her hug just now wasn't entirely without reason. She had put the information in her pocket and was waiting for him to find it.
What a clever woman! She cleverly used the library call number to secretly and quietly convey extremely important information to Xu Yan.
Zhou Luming followed Xu Yan to the parking lot and found his car, but S was not in the car, and the car was empty.
Xu Yan was stunned for a moment.
Zhou Luming wondered, "Did S go to the toilet?"
Xu Yan suddenly thought of something and called Wang Anjing, who had recommended S, again. The call was quickly answered, but Wang Anjing didn't speak; there was an eerie silence on the other end.
"I am Xu Yan, Sister Anjing, S is missing."
Zhou Luming and Xu Yan exchanged glances; she too sensed something was amiss. S had been following them, and they only allowed S to do so because they trusted Wang Anjing. But Wang Anjing hadn't shown herself the entire time, communicating only by phone and text message. In this age of advanced information technology, even video recordings can be faked, let alone a phone call or a text message.
There was finally a response on the phone, "Hi, Xu Yan, I didn't expect you guys to find out so quickly."
Xu Yan realized that she had just heard the voice; it was S.
S: "Don't miss me, because we'll see each other again soon."
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Author's Note:
The collection remains unmoved, as stable as Mount Tai.
Chapter 62
===================
Zhou Luming's expression changed. "S wasn't sent by Wang Anjing? Then who is she, and what is she doing here? I'll go check the car to see if anything is missing."
She unlocked the car, searched the area but found nothing, opened the glove compartment and casually rummaged through it. "It seems like only two packs of instant noodles are missing. Did S come for the instant noodles?" Zhou Luming found it very unbelievable, but thinking back to S's appearance and behavior, she really was such a childish kid.
Xu Yan stood beside the car and scanned the parking lot. Since the golf club was members-only, there weren't many people playing golf today, and only a handful of cars were parked outside. S had followed him to this remote golf club and then gotten out of the car. In such a suburban area, it was almost impossible to hail a ride-hailing car. So how did she get back? Did she have an accomplice?
Xu Yan carefully recalled the events that followed S's appearance today, closing her eyes and meticulously processing them in her mind. They were actually wary of S, which was why they hadn't left her alone at home, but instead brought her out to monitor and test her abilities. S shouldn't have had a chance to tamper with Xu Yan's house, nor a chance to get close to Xu Lang or approach Zhou Luming alone…
After Xu Yan and Zhou Luming entered the golf club, S stayed in the car.
etc--
She's been alone in the car the whole time?!
A thought flashed through Xu Yan's mind, and he shouted desperately at Zhou Luming inside the car, "There's something in the car, get out quickly!"
Zhou Luming had almost no time to think; instinctively, she chose to trust Xu Yan. At the same time, she saw a flashing red countdown timer in the glove compartment. Within seconds, she quickly opened the car door, jumped out, ran to Xu Yan, and pulled him towards the club's main entrance.
The countdown on a small box placed under the passenger seat quickly ticked to zero, followed by a loud explosion that shook the entire club floor. After shooting up a burst of flames and burning black smoke, the noise gradually subsided.
Xu Lang, Scarlett, and the others, who were still enjoying a lavish lunch at the club, were all shocked to see the thick smoke rising up. As if frozen in a film, everyone who heard the explosion fell silent for a moment before those who realized what had happened gathered towards the center of the explosion, eager to know what had happened.
About twenty or thirty meters away from the charred car frame, two people lay motionless, unconscious for a while. Lying on top was Zhou Luming, her curly hair half-blown by the fire, her face blackened as if smeared with mud. Beneath her was Xu Yan, his sleeves stained with blood, already unconscious and in poor condition. Yet, their hands were clasped tightly, unwilling to let go even in their unconsciousness.
The club's young security guard mustered his courage and came over tentatively, trying to wake the two of them. After he called a few times, Zhou Luming woke up first, still half asleep. She pressed her head and thought for a while before she remembered what had just happened.
Her ears were ringing, her head was buzzing, and the world was spinning before her eyes. Staggering to her feet, she took a deep breath, tilted her head to look at the unconscious Xu Yan, and Zhou Luming's face immediately turned cold. "Call 120 and 110. There's been an explosion here, and there are injured people who need to be treated."
The security guard was completely terrified, especially when he saw Zhou Luming, his face covered in blood, standing in front of him like a zombie. His mind went blank. He finally managed to pull out his phone and dial, but his trembling hands prevented him from unlocking it.
Zhou Luming impatiently snatched the man's phone, scanned his face to unlock it, quickly dialed 120 to give the caller his location, then hung up. He then dialed 110 to report the explosion, briefly describing the time and location. He left the rest to the police to investigate.
Both her own phone and Xu Yan's phone were destroyed. She may have suffered a concussion, and she had superficial injuries to her back and forehead, so they weren't serious. In an blast wave of this magnitude, internal organs are most vulnerable to damage, so she needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible for examination and treatment to prevent internal bleeding.
"Don't move her without permission. Wait for the ambulance to arrive," Zhou Luming instructed the security guard to prevent him from doing something wrong by moving Xu Yan.
The security guard nodded timidly, looking at the blood flowing down Zhou Luming's forehead, which was almost covering her face. He swallowed and asked, "Miss, are you alright? Your forehead is bleeding."
Zhou Luming touched his forehead. "This little bit of blood is nothing."
She had time to investigate the scene before the police and ambulance arrived.
The explosion was undoubtedly aimed at her. Zhou Luming knew she was in danger, but she didn't expect the attackers to launch such a massive attack. In a city with such strict regulations, how could such arrogant thugs exist? Compared to the escalator incident in the mall she had encountered before, it was nothing. Zhou Luming truly witnessed the terrifying nature of these people and felt a lingering fear for her previous carelessness.
No wonder the real Zhou Luming went into hiding to find a substitute to take her place. It turns out she was facing a life-threatening situation that could happen at any time. Is this the price of being a tycoon?
Although all the surrounding cars were affected, Zhou Luming still managed to find a clue from a hidden dashcam in a Mercedes-Benz.
Shortly after they entered the club, S got out of the car with her laptop. She was wearing a baseball cap that almost completely obscured her face. She glanced at the club's entrance, even giving a "V" sign, before opening the instant noodles she had brought in the car and eating them. A little while later, she was seen waving in one direction before disappearing from the frame.
Zhou Luming turned to the security guard and asked, "Where can I watch the CCTV footage at the club's main entrance?"
The security guard, still reeling from the shock, stammered, "You can see it from the security room."
"You stay here and watch over Xu Yan. Don't let anyone touch her. I'll be right back."
Zhou Luming entered the security room, pulled aside the clumsy, overweight security guard, and sat down in a chair, his fingers flying across the screen as he skillfully retrieved the surveillance footage.
S, still not showing his face, arrogantly ate instant noodles in front of the monitor until a motorcycle appeared at the top of the screen. The rider was wearing a helmet and was completely covered up. S was obviously happy to see him, quickly ran to the motorcycle, seemed to say something, then got on the motorcycle, hugged the rider's waist and drove away.
Zhou Luming's gaze was fixed on the motorcyclist; this was S's accomplice. She noted down the motorcycle's model and license plate. Although the license plate might be fake, the incident had only recently occurred, and there should still be clues from surveillance footage along the route. If they could trace their movements, they could follow the trail and catch S and the rider.
Zhou Luming looked out the window of the security room. More and more people had gathered in the club after hearing the news, but they all watched from a distance and no one approached Xu Yan.
Waiting for the police to investigate would take too long, and if that dragged on, S and the motorcyclist would disappear without a trace. Zhou Luming could find a car and quickly follow them, perhaps even finding some clues to their hideout, but she quickly dismissed that idea because she saw Xu Yan lying alone on the ground, unconscious.
The task of chasing the vicious criminals should be left to the police; her job is to take care of Xu Yan. She is no longer the impulsive, headstrong, and reckless Li Ruo of the past; she is now Zhou Luming, a person with friends, relatives, and a name.
Zhou Luming came out of the security room and saw Xu Yan into the ambulance. Seeing the severity of Xu Yan's injuries, the doctor called out to those at the scene who were Xu Yan's family members, as a family member needed to accompany him.
At this moment, Zhou Luming stepped forward and said he could take responsibility for Xu Yan. They went to the hospital in the ambulance. Zhou Luming quickly treated his own wounds and then ran to ask about Xu Yan's condition. An elderly doctor with white hair said they were still conducting detailed examinations, but it seemed he had suffered a head injury, which was why he was unconscious.
Doctor, "By the way, did you know that she had a spinal injury before? We found that she had surgery, using bone screws and some other techniques that we don't have in our country to help with recovery. But those bone screws should have been removed a long time ago, otherwise she would be in unbearable pain. She didn't tell you about this?"
Zhou Luming was stunned. Xu Yan had injured her spine? She remembered Xu Yan in the basement, sitting in a wheelchair, feeding her food and water. It felt like an old injury from that time. But it had been several years. Why hadn't she removed the steel pins?
She once said she had studied mattresses, and she only had one mattress in her bedroom...
Did she do this to relieve the pain?
"Doctor, can the steel nails be removed?" Zhou Luming asked.
The doctor shook his head. "Her surgery was performed abroad, and the serial numbers and instructions for the implanted devices are in English. We need to contact the doctor who performed the surgery to confirm her surgical plan and purpose, otherwise, things could easily go wrong."
Zhou Luming nodded. "Okay, doctor, thank you. Can I go see her now?"
The doctor said, "The tests are basically all done. I'll contact you again when the results are out. She's in ward XX; you can go see her now."
Zhou Luming turned and walked away, but the doctor called after her, "Hey, wait a minute, who bandaged your head? Did you get a CT scan? You could have a concussion!"
However, Zhou Luming completely ignored her and rushed into Xu Yan's ward.
"Xu Yan, I know you're awake. Get up, I have something to ask you." Zhou Luming walked over to Xu Yan on the hospital bed, stood at her bedside, and looked at her peaceful sleeping face. Her thick eyelashes, like raven feathers, gently covered her face, creating the image of a cool and beautiful sleeping woman.
Xu Yan was still lying there quietly.
Zhou Luming grabbed Xu Yan's hand and held her wrist. After feeling a clear and gradually accelerating pulse, Zhou Luming leaned down and whispered in Xu Yan's ear, "If you don't wake up, I'm going to kiss you."
--------------------
Author's Note:
It's a lovely rainy day.
Chapter 63
===================
Xu Yan's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly, an extremely subtle movement, but Zhou Luming, with his keen eye, always managed to catch it. Zhou Luming watched as her ears turned red, and a triumphant smile curled his lips.
No matter how intelligent Xu Yan is, she can't escape the most primal human reactions. The more educated a person is, the more they can control themselves and maintain good manners and demeanor, and Xu Yan is one of those people.
The two were in a single hospital room. Apart from the sophisticated medical equipment, there was nothing else making a sound. However, Zhou Luming, another living being, was intentionally or unintentionally harassing her, which made it impossible for Xu Yan to pretend to be a comatose patient any longer.
Opening his eyes to meet Zhou Luming's cunning gaze, Xu Yan said helplessly, "What do you want?" Because his voice was weak, if an outsider were to come in, they would definitely think that his tone was doting. Even Xu Yan himself felt that his voice was wrong just now after he said it.
It's foreseeable that many privacy and secrets will be exposed while I'm unconscious. For example, the old steel pins in my spine, or my blood type and other unknown physical characteristics…