"Could it be that he embezzled public funds?" Zhou Luming's eyes lit up as he guessed.
Xu Yan shook his head silently. "According to my investigation, he has always been conscientious in his work and has not misappropriated a single penny. He was once a model employee, and his superiors and colleagues highly recognized and trusted him."
"That's strange. How could such a kind-hearted person go to jail for extortion? Why did he extort Luke?" Zhou Luming became increasingly curious. Xu Yan did not answer her, but instead told Zhou Luming to look up the news herself, as usual.
Zhou Luming searched for news from that year and learned that Lu Gang had threatened Luke to insult his daughter Lu Qi and extorted five million yuan from Luke as hush money. In the end, Luke sued him and sent him to prison for three years.
"Could the Bitcoin private key that's been all over the internet be real? Did Lu Gang convert the five million he extorted into Bitcoin and hide it away?" Zhou Luming asked.
Xu Yan said, "The five million was embezzled money, which has already been returned to Luke."
"So Lu Gang still doesn't have any money, and the Bitcoin thing is just a rumor?" Zhou Luming was completely confused, but the string of garbled characters was definitely correct; it must be the private key for Bitcoin. Where did Lu Gang get the money from?
"Are you really interested in what's on the USB drive?" Xu Yan turned his head and stared at Zhou Luming.
"Of course there are. There are all sorts of things said online. One analogy is quite apt—opening blind boxes. It's possible to win ten million with just 40,000 yuan. Who wouldn't be tempted?"
"Gambler's mentality," Xu Yan scoffed.
Zhou Luming smiled and said, "Who doesn't want to get rich overnight? Don't you?" Her eyes sparkled, like bright stars in the night sky. Xu Yan knew that she was trying to seduce her again, attempting to lower her guard with her beauty. But Xu Yan had become immune to this trick after using it so many times. She could remain unmoved, treating it as a false daydream.
Xu Yan continued to ignore her.
Zhou Luming was not discouraged despite his setbacks. "But I saw another argument online."
"Hmm?" Xu Yan didn't know whether he was interested or not, but Zhou Luming continued to tell what he had seen, "Some people say that there is an evil secret hidden in the USB drive."
Xu Yan: ...
Zhou Luming continued, "But if it's just a secret, then it's not very interesting, because secrets are just gossip for most people, and they don't mean anything."
"If someone put your secret on a USB drive and listed it for 100,000 yuan, would you buy it?" Xu Yan asked calmly.
Zhou Luming's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she even suspected that Xu Yan knew her secret, but she was well-trained and controlled her expression and actions well. With a hint of curiosity, she asked, "What secret could I possibly have? You know my only secret—that I will become the youngest, most beautiful, and richest heiress in the future. I want to ask you the same question: if your secret were hidden in a USB drive and auctioned off, would you buy it?"
Xu Yan rolled her eyes at her, "I don't have secrets that valuable."
Zhou Luming's lips curled up slightly, and she leaned back in her chair, gazing at the scenery rushing past the window for a long time. Just when Xu Yan thought she had finally shut up and quieted down, she suddenly said, "I know you have it, and one day you will tell me."
Xu Yan's eyes flickered slightly.
After the auction was suspended, the authorities issued a warning: the auction was suspended due to prices that were significantly inconsistent with the auctioned items. The auction will resume at 10:00 AM tomorrow. However, any behavior that deliberately disrupts the auction order and causes the items to fail to sell will be subject to legal action and compensation for economic losses. Buyers are advised to be cautious when participating in the auction.
Xu Yan also saw the warning. She was certain that, based on the current rumors, netizens with a sense of curiosity would not easily let go of such an opportunity. They were enthusiastic about opening blind boxes and firmly believed that they would be the lucky one.
Zhou Luming believes that although netizens are crazy, they will remain rational. Once the price exceeds a certain limit, they will stop their impulsive behavior on their own, because they will be punished by law if they cannot afford the auction price.
Xu Yan asked her, "What is your price limit?"
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Luming replied, "100,000 yuan, that's the highest price I can offer."
Xu Yan's eyes changed, and then he said, "Then let's set it at 100,000 yuan."
Zhou Luming didn't understand what she meant by those words, but she was certain they weren't meant literally.
In the evening, Aunt Zhou came to cook again, and Zhou Luming was there to greet her. Xu Yan was holed up in the study, busy with something. While Aunt Zhou was busy in the kitchen, someone rang the doorbell again. Zhou Luming went to open the door and saw a thin, middle-aged man in a sharp suit. There was also an antique-looking Lincoln parked outside.
“Miss, I am the Zhou family’s butler. You can call me Uncle Zhou. I’ve come to take you back to the old house to recuperate.”
Zhou Luming then remembered that there was such a thing, but it was too late to pretend he wasn't home now, so he had no choice but to truthfully plead, "Uncle Zhou, hello, I can't go back with you yet—"
Uncle Zhou asked in confusion, "But Miss Xu said—"
Zhou Luming interrupted, "Xu Yan changed her mind. She said she wants me to stay. She needs my help with her current job. I'm very important!"
Uncle Zhou poked his head inside, expressing doubt about the content of the conversation, and asked, "Can I see Miss Xu?"
"She's busy, and I have to go too, so I won't keep you for dinner. Goodbye." Zhou Luming quickly closed the door, vowing never to open it for Uncle Zhou again.
She waited at the door for a while, observing Uncle Zhou's movements through the window. Uncle Zhou lingered at the door for a moment, made a phone call to someone, and after hanging up, he actually drove away.
Zhou Luming breathed a sigh of relief, having finally escaped a disaster.
Xu Yan's voice suddenly came from behind, "When did I say you were important?"
Zhou Luming shuddered, caught red-handed. His big eyes darted around cleverly, and he pointed to the scale on the ground with an air of self-righteousness, saying, "I just weighed myself, and I've gained weight! So I'm important!"
Xu Yan stared at her blankly for a while, then turned away without saying anything. But the moment he turned his back to her, he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Have you really gained weight?
Chapter 31
===================
Wang Anjing parked her car in front of Xu Yan's house, picked up her laptop, and calmly walked into Xu Yan's house. After changing into slippers, she saw Zhou Luming standing in front of her with a smile to greet her. For a moment, Wang Anjing thought that Zhou Luming was the mistress of Xu Yan's house.
“Sister Anjing, you’re here,” Zhou Luming said with a sweet smile. “Xu Yan is upstairs. I’ll take you to her.”
Wang Anjing smiled and nodded, following Zhou Luming upstairs. "I heard that the auction price of the USB drive at today's auction was unexpected, and it's causing a frenzy online, even trending on social media. Netizens are discussing what's hidden inside the USB drive. Some say it's a Bitcoin private key, some say it's a major secret that could change the world, and some even say it's a password that can launch a missile—"
Zhou Luming was always surfing the internet, keeping up with the latest developments. When he heard even more unusual remarks from Wang Anjing, he became even more interested.
"I never expected that a 4G USB flash drive could cause so much speculation. Online public opinion is truly terrifying."
Wang Anjing chimed in, "Yes, those people hiding behind keyboards play all sorts of roles, but nobody knows whether they're human or ghosts."
Zhou Luming thought of Q, the kind of person Wang Anjing described as someone who was neither human nor ghost. Her relationship with Q was one of employment; Q hired her to impersonate Zhou Luming, and the two conspired to swindle the Zhou family's inheritance. Q seemed to have extraordinary abilities, providing her with detailed background information on Zhou Luming, arranging paternity tests, and handling numerous miscellaneous tasks. Zhou Luming's repayment to Q was to quickly gain Xu Yan's trust, successfully inherit the Zhou family's billions, and then split the inheritance with Q.
Xu Yan was waiting for them in the spacious hall on the second floor. The curtains were still drawn and the lights were on.
Zhou Luming sat in a chair taking notes, while Xu Yan asked Wang Anjing, "Have you found any suspicious IP addresses?"
Wang Anjing confidently replied, "I'm afraid only I have the ability to help you filter out your target from among thousands of netizens." She turned on her computer and projected the IP address and information onto the screen. "As you expected, one of the IP addresses came from the Lu's Building. Although the other party disguised themselves, they couldn't escape my keen eyes."
Zhou Luming stopped writing, looked up at Xu Yan, and saw the Lu's Building. Wasn't that the place where Lu Gang jumped off the building?
She took the time to look up Lu Gang's case files from back then. Lu Gang had demanded hush money from Lu Ke because Lu Gang's daughter, Lu Qi, claimed that Lu Ke had sexually assaulted her. Lu Qi had reported the incident to the police, but the police dropped the case due to lack of evidence and did not continue the investigation. Subsequently, Lu Gang and Lu Qi reported the matter to the school and the local government, but were turned away by both, and no one took their case seriously.
Lu Qi angrily posted the incident online, causing a huge uproar and sparking heated debate. Several viewpoints emerged: one side tended to believe Lu Qi, thinking that Lu Ke, being wealthy and powerful, had received protection from higher-ups and should be punished. The other side held the opposite view, posting Lu Qi's outrageous clothing and suggestive photos with accompanying captions, arguing that Lu Qi was promiscuous and liked to seduce wealthy men, while Lu Ke was merely playing along…
At first, the two sides were evenly matched in their discussion of this matter, but as more and more of Lu Qi's inappropriate remarks were dug up, the direction of online public opinion gradually shifted to criticizing Lu Qi, verbally abusing her, and even starting to dox her private information, which caused great distress to Lu Qi, who was still a student at the time.
Lu Qi took a leave of absence from school and returned to China to live with her father. Since the internet knows no borders, the news quickly spread throughout China and to Lu Qi's neighborhood. When she went out, Lu Qi felt people pointing and whispering about her; even seeing two older women talking and glancing at her twice made her feel uneasy…
Lu Gang took Lu Qi to see a psychologist, who diagnosed her with severe depression.
Lu Gang used to be a model accountant who was never late or absent. After his daughter's accident, his colleagues noticed a change in him. Shifting his focus to caring for his seriously ill daughter, Lu Gang made repeated mistakes at work, and he also noticed that his colleagues started pointing fingers at him, some even showing him interview videos of Lu Ke, a young talent who had returned from overseas.
One day, when Lu Gang returned home from grocery shopping to cook dinner for his daughter, he discovered she wasn't in her room. He searched everywhere and even called the police, praying that nothing had happened to her. But a few days later, the police came to his door and told him they had found Lu Qi in a nearby reservoir…
Lu Gang was furious when he saw his daughter's body. After handling his daughter's funeral, he decided to sue the netizens who made unfounded accusations against his daughter and distorted the truth. However, he later discovered that those people had deleted their posts and canceled their accounts, and there was no trace of them left... They disappeared into the vast network and behind the cold electronic screen.
When Lu Gang saw Luke's interview video, looking at the self-satisfied young man dressed in expensive clothes, with his neatly combed hair, and looking all high and mighty, he decided to go find Luke.
He couldn't find Luke at the Luke Building openly, so he had to pretend to be a deliveryman to find him. After waiting for several days, he finally saw Luke, surrounded by bodyguards, flirting with his secretary as they went out to lunch. He angrily rushed forward and punched Luke to the ground...
Afterwards, Luke generously stated that he would not pursue Lu Gang's legal responsibility, and even arranged to meet with Lu Gang, offering to give him a sum of money as a gesture of sympathy and care for Lu Qi.
Lu Gang explicitly refused the money, but one day when the police came to his door, he discovered that the money had been inexplicably deposited into his account. The police detained him on charges of extortion and he was eventually sentenced to three years in prison.
Now, after Lu Gang was released from prison, he committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the Lu's Building. Among the assets he left behind, an inconspicuous USB drive has received a great deal of attention online, and even caught the attention of Luke.
After processing all of this in his mind, Zhou Luming stared at Xu Yan's face, narrowed his eyes dangerously, and asked suspiciously, "What kind of conspiracy are you plotting?"
What Bitcoin private key, what major secret? It's nothing more than stirring up an online storm, putting this matter on the internet in the spotlight, bringing out the guilty, and getting gossipy people involved...
The mastermind behind this storm was sitting right in front of him, discussing their next plan with another accomplice...
Xu Yan and Wang Anjing were plotting something.
Wang Anjing raised her chin and said to Xu Yan, "Ask her."
Xu Yan said casually, "We're fishing, a big fish."
First, they hold a high-profile auction, then stir up the hype online, making the auction a news story. The more sensational the better, the more people watching the better. Then they release information that the USB drive might contain a Bitcoin private key or some other secret, making those who are interested even more interested, and those who are guilty even more guilty.
If nothing unexpected happens, Luke will naturally be eager to know the secret inside the USB drive. He will spare no effort to bid for it, because it is something Lu Gang swallowed before he died, and it was also something he deliberately entrusted to Xu Yan, the estate administrator. If it were just an ordinary USB drive, it wouldn't be worth Xu Yan going to such lengths to auction it off; there must be a secret inside.
Zhou Luming understood immediately, "Aren't you afraid of getting nothing in return?"
Xu Yan said slowly, "At least we can make a sum of money, which will enrich the value of Lu Gang's estate. It's a sure thing."
"Even if you manage to lure Luke out, so what? So much time has passed, even if there was evidence, it's all gone. Lu Gang tried everything back then, but he couldn't do anything to Luke. Lu Qi committed suicide; it had no direct connection to Luke—"
“A generous reward will surely bring forth brave men. I want to find someone who knows the truth from back then. He might be hiding behind a screen right now, waiting for the reward of speaking out and providing evidence,” Xu Yan said methodically. “The reason for holding a high-profile auction and attracting attention from the entire internet is to take advantage of this momentum to make society pay attention, to let everyone know about this matter, and to make those who hid in the shadows and dared not speak out back then stand up for the sake of money and reveal the truth between Lu Qi and Luke back then.”
Xu Yan frowned as he looked at Lu Qi's face, frozen in the prime of her youth, on the big screen. He calmly and composedly said, "Let money reveal the truth that was covered up by money back then. That's called 'an eye for an eye.'"
"Sister Anjing, please post this message online. No matter how much is raised from the auction, it will go to anyone who can provide valid clues about Lu Qi's case."
Wang Anjing readily agreed, a slight smile playing on her lips, "You've been influenced by Xiaolu without even realizing it."
"Hmm?" Xu Yan asked, puzzled.
Wang Anjing smiled and said, "You can call me Sister Anjing like she does. Don't misunderstand, I think it's a very affectionate way to address you, and I like it very much. Please continue to call me that from now on."
Xu Yan: ...
Zhou Luming's mood improved, and he leaned closer to ask, "How can I help?"
Xu Yan said, "We helped drive up prices and create buzz in the news."
Zhou Luming held out his hand to Xu Yan, palm open, "Participating in the auction requires a deposit, can you give me some reserve funds?"
Xu Yan said, "You don't need to pay a deposit."
Zhou Luming asked in confusion, "Why?"
"That auction house is also owned by your Zhou family."
Zhou Luming was speechless. Standing in front of her, he said, "Xu Yan, are you abusing your power for personal gain again?"
Xu Yan asked calmly, "Do you want to marry Luke?"
"In no mood."
“If Luke is imprisoned, your marriage with him will naturally fall through,” Xu Yan said calmly. “Besides, your role is just to raise the price. Someone will naturally pay for it for you. You don’t actually have to pay for the USB drive. There is no loss for you, only benefit.”
"Okay, okay, I understand," Zhou Luming said with a smile as his mood improved. "Actually, you're also reluctant to let me marry him, right?"
"Cough—" Xu Yan almost choked on his own saliva.
Wang Anjing, who had been observing the two of them the whole time, lowered her face and hid behind the computer screen, secretly smiling. They were inexplicably a perfect match; they were like a pair of bickering lovers, their relationship only getting better the more they argued.