Chapter 99 - 92: Xia Yu’s Choice

Chapter 99: Chapter 92: Xia Yu’s Choice

"Little Tian, I have a piece of jade for you. Come and get it."

"What kind of jade?"

"I had a friend get a piece of jade for you from a Daoist temple. It’s supposed to bless you for a smooth college entrance exam. The head priest said it could help you score 20 points higher than your usual grades."

"Ugh. Sis, you bought this from a roadside fortune teller, didn’t you? You definitely got scammed! Why do you keep wasting money? It’s not easy for you to make a living, you..."

"No one’s come to the house, right?"

"No, why?"

"It’s nothing. Just bring me the suitcase from the corner of my room."

"A suitcase? You..."

BEEP BEEP BEEP~

The line went dead.

Xia Yu sent him the address, then found a place nearby to hide.

Xie Shaokun asked, confused, "Yu, do you suspect Xia Tian is being watched? Are you worried he’ll lead the authorities to us?"

Xia Yu nodded.

’With Zhao Guohui’s intelligence, he must have realized someone is behind Xie Shaokun. It’s impossible for him not to suspect me. If he acted fast enough, Little Tian is definitely under surveillance. Even if he isn’t being watched now, he could easily be tracked on his way over. Better safe than sorry.’

"Yu, wasn’t the arrest warrant already rescinded?"

Xie Shaokun asked, "So why are they acting like madmen, so desperate to catch me this time?"

Little Nannan chimed in, "What’s even stranger is that they searched for a bit and then suddenly withdrew. Could the orders from above have changed?"

If the hunt had been seen through to the end, they never would have escaped so easily.

"Mm."

Xia Yu nodded. ’It’s the only explanation.’

’It’s just... orders aren’t usually issued in the morning and rescinded by evening. Something must have gone wrong up top.’

"Yu, what’s the plan now?" Xie Shaokun asked.

"You two lay low for the next few days," Xia Yu instructed, "As for what comes next, wait for my signal."

Xie Shaokun and Little Nannan nodded and left.

「Over half an hour later.」

Xia Tian appeared.

After observing for a few minutes and seeing no suspicious individuals, Xia Yu revealed herself. She handed him the Soul Spirit Jade. "You must carry this on you at all times. Keep it against your skin."

Xia Tian was about to chide his sister for wasting money again when a cool sensation spread through his palm. The stabbing pain between his eyebrows, a constant torment, suddenly vanished!

’This...’

"This jade... it can ease my headaches?"

He understood.

’The jade never had anything to do with ’blessing the college entrance exam.’ It was meant to treat his condition! My sister said that on purpose so I wouldn’t feel burdened!’

"Sis."

A warmth spread through Xia Tian’s chest. He knew the best thing to do was play along. "I’ll do exactly as you say."

"That’s more like it."

Xia Yu didn’t ask Little Tian how he felt. She knew the Soul Spirit Jade would work, and from the change in his expression, she could tell the effect was significant. "You need to study hard now."

"Don’t get complacent just because it’s helping you score an extra 20 points. Aim for one of those two top universities."

Xia Tian nodded emphatically.

"Sis, what do you need the suitcase for?"

"A good friend is getting married. I’ll be away for a few days."

"Oh. Well, take care of yourself while you’re away. I saw the temperature is supposed to drop in a couple of days."

"And be safe. Protect yourself. I was just scrolling through the news and saw a story: some girl was being harassed by a few guys while she was eating, and she got beaten up for resisting."

"There was another one: a beautiful woman was being assaulted on the street at four in the morning. She screamed for help, but a passerby saw she was pretty and joined in on the assault."

"And another one..."

"I get it. Go back to your studies."

They parted ways.

Xia Yu finally had some peace and quiet.

「The next two days.」

No officials contacted Xia Yu or her family. Furthermore, there was no warrant out for Xie Shaokun and Little Nannan, not even a covert investigation.

’What does this mean?’

Xia Yu was deeply puzzled.

’Zhao Guohui has been through a Mist Event, so he must have awakened the superpower, Insight into the Heart. With his deductive skills, he would absolutely come to suspect me again. He would also certainly think of using his superpower to interrogate me. So why hasn’t he? I have to figure this out. It directly impacts my future plans. After all, in her past life, Xia Yu’s activities were mainly confined to this province and No. 9 Shelter. She didn’t know much about the Mist Events in the surrounding regions. If she went too far away, the advantage of her rebirth would be completely lost. But operating within the province meant she’d inevitably have to deal with the authorities, so... What should I do?’

...

...

"Zhao Group."

"Xie Shaokun and Little Nannan have been gone for two days, and we still have no news from the person behind them."

Chen Xiao couldn’t help but ask, "Are we just going to keep waiting?"

Qian Yihao, who was standing to the side, spoke up. "After what happened, they’ve definitely lost all trust in us. There’s no point in holding out hope."

The two of them looked at Zhao Guohui, their feelings complex. It was still strange.

They never imagined that after just a dozen or so days, they, who had previously been ordering Zhao Guohui around, would find the tables turned, becoming his subordinates instead.

"A lack of trust doesn’t mean we can’t cooperate."

Zhao Guohui paced back and forth in front of the window. Usually calm and composed, he now showed a rare hint of anxiety. "It just means we’re in a passive position."

Chen Xiao and Qian Yihao grew frustrated.

The events of the past few days had made them realize just how critical the information about the Mist Events provided by Xie Shaokun’s backer truly was.

Over a thousand people saved!

Over a thousand warriors with enhanced physical conditioning!

Countless valuable resources obtained!

Their entire mindset had shifted. They were now desperate to cooperate with the person behind Xie Shaokun.

"Sigh."

"If we could just continue to cooperate, it would be a massive benefit to both sides."

Chen Xiao sighed.

She felt a pang of regret. If she’d known it would turn out like this, she never would have reported it to her superiors.

"If we delay any longer, a new wave of Mist Events will erupt, and then... Hmph! It’s all Gao Zhengting’s fault. That guy is just..."

Qian Yihao was always blunt.

"Ahem."

Chen Xiao, beside him, yanked on his sleeve and shot him a warning look.

But Qian Yihao didn’t stop. "What’s there to be afraid of? He’s just like me now, a member of the Special Event Investigation Bureau’s Group Two, not a deputy leader anymore!"

Chen Xiao pressed, "The disciplinary decision is out?"

Zhao Guohui, also surprised by how well-informed Qian Yihao’s sources were, cautioned, "You can’t just spread rumors about that."

"Don’t worry," Qian Yihao said, "My sources are always reliable. Chen Xiao knows that."

"I also heard that if it weren’t for you pleading his case, Zhao Group, Gao Zhengting would’ve been kicked out of the Special Event Investigation Bureau for good."

Hearing this, Chen Xiao sighed wistfully.

They chatted for a little while longer.

The two of them left.

Zhao Guohui pinched the bridge of his nose, then stood up and headed to the breakfast shop downstairs.

On the way, a couple walked out of a nearby men’s clothing store, and he overheard their conversation. "That down jacket was a perfect fit, it was comfortable, and you liked the style. Why didn’t you buy it?"

"It’s too expensive. There’s an online seller on my phone who has the same jacket for half the price. I just came to try it on and see how it looks."

"You’re so cheap, you know that?"

"I’m saving the money to buy you lipstick."

So sweet.

Zhao Guohui’s gloomy mood lightened slightly.

He entered the breakfast shop.

He ordered a bowl of watery soy milk and two fried dough sticks, and began to eat by himself.

At the next table.

A family of three was getting ready to leave. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

"Mama, ’hone."

"What a smart baby, you know this is Mommy’s phone."

"’Nana, ’hone."

"You’re such a good baby, you even remembered Grandma’s phone."

The little boy, who was about a year and a half old, was adorable, reminding his mother and grandmother not to forget their phones on the table.

After being praised by his mother and grandmother, he clapped his chubby little hands and smiled sweetly. His cheeks were so round his dimples barely showed.

The scene drew the gazes of most of the people in the shop.

Including Zhao Guohui.

It struck a chord in his heart, reminding him of why he’d gotten into this line of work in the first place.

In that moment, his heart felt full.

In that moment, the weight of responsibility on his shoulders felt so much heavier.

In that moment...

He shot to his feet and strode out.

’What am I waiting for?’

’For Xia Yu to take the initiative?’

’Why can’t I be the one to take the initiative?’

Having come to this realization, his steps grew much lighter. He took out his phone and dialed a number.