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Volume 1 [023] Zhao Qiang, how dare you lie to me?
Luo Xiaowei slammed her textbook on the table, cursing inwardly. What was the school doing? The exam discipline was so strict that half of the students would probably fail some subjects. This was an unprecedented operation at Donghai University!
She opened her laptop and went online. Someone left a message for Luo Xiaowei: "How's the investigation going?"
Luo Xiaowei replied angrily: "I haven't taken any action since the last failure, and I just finished the exams. Let's talk about it again after I go back to school for the holidays."
The other party was online but was just invisible. Upon receiving the message, they immediately replied: "Xiaowei, were you deceived by that Zhao Qiang? I've heard some information about Zhang Chunjiang from other sources. He's usually quite flamboyant. If he posted that picture, he wouldn't hide it. So, based on the surveillance footage, the only one worth suspecting is Zhao Qiang. As for Ma Xiaohua, we can completely rule him out."
Luo Xiaowei replied, "But I observed him carefully. When he heard the names 'black' website and 'Dark Night Legend,' he looked completely bewildered, and his eyes showed no signs of anything amiss. So I'm certain he's not the person you're looking for."
"Hehe, the more suspicious a person is, the more suspicious they should be. Xiao Wei, you're inexperienced. People with real talent like to hide themselves. I think you haven't shown your true charm yet, otherwise he would have confessed long ago."
Luo Xiaowei slammed her fingers on the keyboard twice: "Hey cousin, what do you mean? You're not telling me to use my beauty to seduce him, are you? That's outrageous! If you want to seduce him, go ahead and do it yourself. Anyway, you have a better figure than me, so you'll definitely be more effective than me."
"Isn't this too far for me to go? Can you help me one more time? Consider it two favors I owe you. I really need someone like him. You know my website is called 'Black,' but we don't have a single real hacker expert. So we have to dig out 'Dark Night Legend' no matter what!"
Luo Xiaowei said casually, "I'll give it a try. We agreed that I'd only do my best, and whether it works or not, you'll owe me two favors."
"Okay, okay, I'm in debt anyway, a few times won't matter."
Closing her notebook, Luo Xiaowei began to carefully recall every detail of her interactions with Zhao Qiang. It could be said that Zhao Qiang's behavior surprised Luo Xiaowei. Unlike other boys who fawned over her, he didn't even want to spend too much time with her. This was very abnormal. If there were any boys at Donghai University who weren't interested in her, Zhao Qiang was probably the only one.
Anything out of the ordinary is suspicious. Luo Xiaowei smiled slightly. This guy wanted to stay far away from her. What did that mean? It meant he had something to hide and was afraid she would see through his disguise! Hehe, I, Luo Xiaowei, have never been ignored by a man like this before. Zhao Qiang, you'd better keep hiding, or you'll be in trouble once your identity is revealed.
A cell phone rang, and Luo Xiaowei stopped her fantasies about beating Zhao Qiang. "Hey, cousin, I have time now. What are we doing? Celebrating a victory? What victory? Explain yourself clearly. Stop making excuses to drink and introducing random guys to me. If you keep doing this, I will definitely tell your sister Hu Qian."
Hu Qian, Hu Xiaojiang's older sister and Luo Xiaowei's cousin, is the person who begged Luo Xiaowei to help find 'Dark Night Legend'. She is the owner of the 'black' website and is currently in Beijing, the capital of China.
“Cousin, this is definitely not an excuse to introduce you to guys. My Flying Bird Studio has completed its biggest order yet. The client praised the special effects animation we completed and clearly stated that they want to continue to work with us in the future. Don’t you think this is something to celebrate? You know, I made nearly 100,000 yuan from this order.”
Luo Xiaowei chuckled and said, "Such a good thing? Then we really should celebrate. Okay, you name the place, and I promise I'll be there."
In the luxurious hall of Jiahe Restaurant, Hu Xiaojiang was all smiles. His colleagues, Tong Xiaogang, Zhang Zhiyang, Shan Xiangfei, and Gong Dongyang, were all present. More than half of the dishes had been served when the door creaked open. Luo Xiaowei, wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt and a floral skirt, appeared in the doorway. Gong Dongyang, who was facing the door, saw Luo Xiaowei immediately. His eyes widened. Although it wasn't the first time he had seen Hu Xiaojiang's cousin, the visual shock was still unavoidable.
Hu Xiaojiang coughed, and the four male colleagues finally came to their senses. Luo Xiaowei had met them before, and she was already familiar with their expressions, so she ignored them and simply sat down. Then she said to Hu Xiaojiang, "Xiaojiang, I'm very happy that you've achieved such results, so this meal is on me."
Hu Xiaojiang chuckled: "Cousin, normally I would be overjoyed, but this time your cousin has plenty of money! You know, the order we got from the creative studio was worth 100,000, but we only spent 10,000 to buy the finished product from someone else. And the quality of this finished product is so high that even the animation experts at the creative studio are impressed!"
Luo Xiaowei was taken aback. "What? If this isn't an achievement you made yourself, what kind of celebration is this?"
Hu Xiaojiang said, "Cousin, as long as we get the money, we've succeeded. Why do you care what method I use? Teams are allowed to hire foreign players, but can't our studio? Besides, the five of us aren't without ability; we just need further experience. But time and opportunity wait for no one, so I think my decision this time is absolutely brilliant!" Tong Xiaogang and the others naturally echoed his sentiments.
Luo Xiaowei sighed: "Xiao Jiang, your sister has entrusted you to me. Whether you ask for outside help or inside help, the premise is that you abide by the law and don't cause any trouble, otherwise I won't be able to explain to your sister and your parents."
Hu Xiaojiang looked displeased. "Cousin Xiaowei, what are you saying? Let me tell you, the help I hired is from your school, a college student working part-time. What trouble could he possibly cause? Besides, we're doing legitimate business. Don't always think the worst of me."
Luo Xiaowei was somewhat surprised: "A part-time student at our school? Who is that?"
Hu Xiaojiang lowered his voice and whispered in Luo Xiaowei's ear, "I promised to keep it a secret, so don't talk nonsense."
Luo Xiaowei nodded: "Don't worry, I'm not a gossip."
Hu Xiaojiang said, "It's Zhao Qiang from the Department of Geology and Mineral Resources. But even if I told you, you probably wouldn't know him. But if I said he knows you, that's for sure. Cousin, you're the real campus belle of Donghai University."
Luo Xiaowei didn't care about Hu Xiaojiang's flattery at all. She rubbed her ears vigorously and asked, "Who are you talking about?"
Hu Xiaojiang said, "Zhao Qiang! Zhao as in Zhao Zilong, and Qiang as in the indestructible cockroach. He's a senior majoring in engineering surveying technology."
Luo Xiaowei's expression changed drastically: "It was him?"
Hu Xiaojiang asked curiously, "What? Cousin, you know him?"
Luo Xiaowei came to her senses and said, "We can't really call ourselves acquaintances, Xiao Jiang. Tell me everything between you two, without missing a single detail."
Hu Xiaojiang didn't understand what was going on, and pointed to the table full of dishes, saying, "Shall we eat first and then talk?"
Luo Xiaowei was no longer in the mood to eat or drink, but Hu Xiaojiang and the other four couldn't wait any longer. So she picked up her chopsticks and haphazardly ate a few bites of food before urging Hu Xiaojiang to hurry up and tell her about Zhao Qiang. Hu Xiaojiang then recounted the whole story of how Zhao Qiang came to fix his computer and then they made a deal, adding at the end, "Cousin, Zhao Qiang and I are good friends now, and we're also business partners. Don't interfere with our business."
Luo Xiaowei ignored Hu Xiaojiang's words and asked, "You said he only spent an afternoon creating the animation you mentioned?"
Hu Xiaojiang picked up a large shrimp and ate it while saying, "Yeah, he told me that a team helped him complete it, and he was just their spokesperson. He also told me to keep this a secret. Cousin, you have to keep your mouth shut, or he'll definitely blame me."
Luo Xiaowei smirked coldly. Zhao Qiang, how dare you lie to me? However, fearing something might go wrong, Luo Xiaowei asked Hu Xiaojiang, "Where is that video you mentioned? I need to see it right away."
Hu Xiaojiang said to Tong Xiaogang, "Didn't you bring your notebook? Take it out and let my cousin see it, so she can feel the impact."
Luo Xiaowei was truly shocked. This special effects video wouldn't be anything special abroad, but in China, it was extraordinary to produce such a sophisticated animation. Even if it was the work of some mysterious team, it was still related to Zhao Qiang. While Luo Xiaowei was amazed, she was also furious because Zhao Qiang had lied to her. He knew such a powerful team that patching the system would be a piece of cake for him, yet he actually said that the ID 'Dark Night Legend' had nothing to do with him!
"I'm not eating anymore. I have to go back first." Luo Xiaowei stood up, and after thinking for a moment, she still told Hu Xiaojiang, "Focus on developing your company and don't go down the wrong path."
Hu Xiaojiang said impatiently, "Cousin, you're just like my sister. I'm focused on building a real business now, how could I possibly take shortcuts? On the contrary, I think my sister is the one taking shortcuts!"
Luo Xiaowei returned to Donghai University and went straight to the dormitory of the Department of Geology and Mineral Resources. The door to room 404 was open. Luo Xiaowei knocked on the door frame, and Liu Dazhuang, who was busy packing his things inside, turned around and looked at her. "Luo, Luo Xiaowei? What are you doing here?"
Unexpectedly, Liu Dazhuang was shirtless, revealing his nipples, which was quite inappropriate. Fortunately, Wang Xiaonian was properly dressed, and he quickly stepped forward to deal with the situation, saying, "Beautiful Luo, are you here to see Zhao Qiang from our dormitory again?"
Luo Xiaowei nodded: "Is he here?"
Wang Xiaonian said, "I'm sorry, he went back to his hometown and left as soon as he finished the exam. You can come back after he returns to school."
Luo Xiaowei frowned, feeling extremely anxious and eager to figure things out. The post-exam holiday, which included the National Day holiday, would last at least a week. Luo Xiaowei decided not to wait any longer and asked Wang Xiaonian, "Classmate, do you have his hometown address?"
Wang Xiaonian was taken aback: "What? You don't mean you're thinking of chasing after them too?"
Luo Xiaowei was also taken aback: "'Also'? Who went after Zhao Qiang?"
Wang Xiaonian said, "Our class monitor, Xu Xiaoya, is said to have been furious because Zhao Qiang got 100 points in all subjects. She insisted that Zhao Qiang cheated and went to confront him at his door."
"100 points in all subjects?" Luo Xiaowei was stunned again. She considered herself a diligent and inquisitive student, but achieving perfect scores in all subjects was simply impossible! Could this Zhao Qiang really be special? Then she should definitely go find him!
Volume 1 [024] Coming from Afar
"Come home often, come home often, even if it's just to help Mom wash the chopsticks and dishes. The elderly don't expect their children to make great contributions to the family. They've had a hard life, all they want is for their families to be together..." Zhao Qiang hummed a song as he carried a large bag into the village. Shantou Village is the closest to the Zaolin Town government, and the road conditions are quite good. Zhao Qiang got off the bus at the west end of the village. Judging from the time, it was almost lunchtime, and his parents must be home by now.
Shantou Village has more than 200 households. Zhao Qiang's house is in the south of the village. It is the one with the shortest gate and the oldest house. Most of the villagers around have renovated their houses in recent years, but Zhao Qiang's family has to support college students and doesn't have the spare money to renovate.
Zhao Qiang squeezed the nine thousand yuan in his pocket, thinking that even if it wasn't enough to renovate the house, it would be enough to put his parents at ease for a while. With his home in sight, Zhao Qiang's heart tightened. He felt apprehensive about returning home, especially since he hadn't been back for more than half a year.
Hey, there are two cars parked in front of my house, and they're both black sedans, the kind that rural people love. Whose guests are here? Why are they parking in front of their own house? Even though they're not blocking the way, it's not good if people mistake them for their own guests.
"Xiaoqiang, school's out for the holidays." Wang Erkui's wife went out to get firewood for cooking and happened to see Zhao Qiang looking at the two black cars from afar.
Zhao Qiang nodded: "Aunt Er Kui, are you getting ready to cook? It's the National Day holiday, so I'm coming back to visit my parents."
Er Kui's wife smiled mysteriously: "Xiao Qiang, you have guests at your house, two pretty girls, driving such nice cars. When did you get such relatives?"
Zhao Qiang was surprised: "We have guests at my house? How is that possible? None of my parents' relatives have a car."
Aunt Erkui said with certainty, "Yes, they are definitely your guests. By the way, they even asked me for directions. The two of them, one in front of the other, both asked me where Zhao Qiang's family lived. Uh? Xiao Qiang, could it be that your girlfriends came knocking on your door? You've become quite the charmer lately, haven't you? You actually managed to trick two beautiful women out of the big city?..."
Zhao Qiang was sweating profusely: "Sister-in-law Er Kui, you can't talk nonsense like that. Let's not even talk about whether I have the ability or not, I wouldn't dare to use the method of 'deception', right? Never mind, I'm going home to see what's going on."
Er Kui's wife said, "Alright, go home and see what's going on. After lunch, I'll take everyone to your house to see your wife. Don't keep it from us, those two girls are really pretty..."
The villagers love to join in the fun. If a new bride comes to visit someone's house, a whole roomful of people will gather around to watch. But Zhao Qiang is confused right now. Even if he wasn't confused, he would know that it could never be his wife. But he can't bring himself to refuse Er Kui's wife. To put it bluntly, his parents have also gone to watch other people's brides before. If he can't explain to the owners of the two cars, he can't stop everyone from watching.
Before entering the courtyard, Zhao Qiang carefully examined the two black sedans. One was a Passat, which, although not considered a luxury car now, was at least a high-end car back then. The other was a Changan Ford Focus. Looking through the windshield, the interiors of both cars were rather fancy, and they really didn't seem like cars driven by men.
"Mom, Mom, I'm back!" Zhao Qiang shouted as he entered the courtyard.
"Xiaoqiang, it really is Xiaoqiang back!" Zhao's mother, Liu Huilan, ran out of the front door, followed by Zhao's father, Zhao Weidong. The two elders were only in their early forties, but they looked as old as fifty. Years of hard work had made them look much older. When Zhao Qiang saw his parents' bodies, which were even more tired than during the Spring Festival, his eyes couldn't help but redden. He thought to himself that he had some ability now, and he was determined to make his parents happy in the future!
Zhao Weiguo took his son's backpack, and Liu Huilan held her son's hand, "Xiaoqiang, you haven't been home for more than half a year, have you? Your classmate said you were coming home, but we didn't believe it. We didn't expect to see you so soon."
Zhao Qiang rubbed his red eyes and asked, "Mom, what's going on with the car outside? And my classmate is here too?"
Liu Huilan said, "Yes, they were the ones driving the car."
Zhao Qiang looked up and saw two girls standing on either side of the main entrance. The one on the left was elegant and serene, that was Luo Xiaowei, and the one on the right was radiant and cheerful, that was Xu Xiaoya. The two girls were looking at Zhao Qiang with unfriendly eyes, or rather, they were staring at him fiercely. Zhao Qiang couldn't help but shiver. Why were they the two of them?!
Zhao Qiang quickly took two steps forward to greet her, "Squad leader, welcome, welcome! Junior Sister Luo, welcome, welcome! A warm welcome!"
Xu Xiaoya spoke crisply and directly, saying, "Zhao Qiang, stop joking around. Come in, we have something to ask you."
Liu Huilan and Zhao Weidong looked at their son with suspicion. He had just entered the house and was already being interrogated. The two girls had kept their mouths shut, and the two elders hadn't been able to get any information out of him. They had only vaguely heard that something had happened at school, and it seemed to be related to their son, Zhao Qiang. But what wrong could such an honest and upright person like their son have made? The two elders looked worried and anxious.
Zhao Qiang turned to his parents and said, "Dad, Mom, these two are my college classmates. They probably have something urgent to discuss with me at school. Don't worry, I bought you the best food in the city, as well as clothes for you and Dad. Go to the side room and see if they fit."
Liu Huilan pulled Zhao Weiguo to the side room, saying, "Xiaoqiang, let's hurry up and cook. Come out and eat when you're done chatting."
Zhao Qiang was furious. He had thought that the arrival of two beautiful women was a great honor for him, but their sudden arrival must have worried his parents! This was an unforgivable sin.
Zhao Qiang snorted and stepped into the house, ignoring the two women standing at the door. Xu Xiaoya glanced at Luo Xiaowei, whose face was also flushed. When had she ever been treated so coldly?
There was nothing they could do; the two women needed his help. They exchanged a glance, signaling to stay calm, and then followed Zhao Qiang into the house without making a sound. The low ceiling made the interior dark, and the damp, ordinary red brick floor made the environment unbearable for both girls.
Upon entering, there is a simple living room, with Zhao Qiang's bedroom and his parents' bedroom on the left and right respectively. There is also a main room connected to a side room, which serves as both a kitchen and a storage room. This style was the same as when Zhao Qiang was in elementary school, when his family was decorated according to the most popular style in the village.
There was a set of cloth sofas in the living room, worn out in many places. Because Zhao's parents did a lot of work, they didn't have time to sit on them or clean them, so they looked old and dirty. Zhao Qiang, however, didn't care and plopped down on one of them. Then he pointed to two spotless stools in front of him and said, "You two are guests who have come from afar. Please sit down, please sit down."
The two women sat down silently. On the table in front of them were two large bowls filled with boiled water that Zhao's parents had poured for them.
Zhao Qiang said, "I, Zhao Qiang, am not a celebrity, yet you two have come together. You really are giving me face."
Luo Xiaowei hurriedly explained, "No, you misunderstood. Your class monitor and I were seated one after the other; we didn't make any agreement."
Zhao Qiang recalled that Er Kui's wife had also said "one in front and one behind," so he believed Luo Xiaowei. However, this still did not appease him, because these two women made his parents very anxious. He had no grudges against them, so why were they causing trouble for his family?
Zhao Qiang said coldly, "If you have something to say, say it quickly. If not, I think you should set off as soon as possible, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to get back to Donghai City tonight."
Xu Xiaoya was furious: "You!...Is this how you treat a guest?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Squad leader, it's not that I don't want to treat you as guests, but if you're going to come as a guest, you should at least give me a heads-up. Now you're putting me in a very passive position and making my parents very anxious. I'm already very unfilial, and now you're putting even more pressure on me!"
Volume 1 [025] Another Test
Xu Xiaoya trailed off. She knew a little about Zhao Qiang's family situation; otherwise, she wouldn't have let him skip school to work. The two girls had just witnessed the anxious and respectful way Zhao's parents treated them. To be honest, it was indeed inappropriate to rush to their home like this. However, thinking about her mission, Xu Xiaoya's guilt vanished, and her tone became firm.
"Zhao Qiang! Don't change the subject and accuse us. Tell us how you cheated!"
Zhao Qiang was taken aback. He suddenly remembered the bet he had with Xu Xiaoya. Zhao Qiang had absolute faith in Xiao Wei's calculation abilities, and he was confident in his own test scores. Excluding the possibility of typos, he should have gotten full marks in every subject. If Xu Xiaoya hadn't gotten full marks in every subject, then she should be calling him "brother"! Could it be that this was why she was so eager to chase him back to his hometown and frame him?
"Cheating? Which eye of yours saw me cheat? Class monitor, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."