Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Cheng knew Pi Ruan was wealthy, but he hadn't realized just how wealthy.
This meal alone was conservatively estimated to cost over ten thousand yuan, and that was even with Jiang Cheng refusing to drink alcohol.
After the meal, Jiang Cheng, Lin Wan'er, and the other two went to the hotel suite Pi Ruan had arranged. It was clear Pi Ruan wanted to join them, but Jiang Cheng blocked him at the door.
Reluctantly, Pi Ruan had to settle for slinging an arm around his secretary's waist and retreating to the adjacent room.
Watching this scene, Huai Yi stared at the door, swallowing hard as he asked, "Miss Lin, do you think she'll be in any danger?"
"Not if you stay away," Jiang Cheng replied after closing the door.
Having made a fool of himself, Huai Yi wisely opened his backpack and began adjusting his equipment, with Fatty assisting him.
Jiang Cheng and Lin Wan'er walked to a window seat, where the floor-to-ceiling glass offered a panoramic view of the city below.
"I went to Nan Huaili's house yesterday," Lin Wan'er said suddenly. "The Nan Family is in dire straits. Some people who were kept in check while Nan Huaili was alive are now eyeing the family's assets."
"There's nothing we can do about it," Jiang Cheng said calmly, picking up his water glass and taking a sip. "It's the law of the jungle—that's just how the world works. Was Nan Huaili's fortune built on clean hands? It was pieced together bit by bit, snatched from others through various means."
Lin Wan'er feigned surprise. "I thought you'd ask me to help them."
"Why?" Jiang Cheng turned to Lin Wan'er, a woman he'd studied for years without ever truly understanding.
"Nan Jin," Lin Wan'er arched an eyebrow, a hint of playfulness in her eyes, as if hinting at something.
Jiang Cheng frowned. "What does she have to do with this?"
Resting her cheek on her hand, Lin Wan'er gazed out the window. The sun was setting, another day rushing past, painting the distant clouds in hues of orange and red.
"The Nan Family is on the brink of collapse. Nan Huaili's wife is a proud woman; she won't let their fortune crumble under her watch," Lin Wan'er said, her voice clear and calm, as if recounting someone else's story. "I've heard she's already sought refuge with another family."
"A cliché, a marriage alliance," Lin Wan'er said, tracing a finger slowly across the glass window. "But clichés are often effective, aren't they? After the alliance, the Nan Family will have a new patron, and the established families can gain access to and integrate the Nan Family's resources—a win-win."
Jiang Cheng stroked his chin. "Sounds good."
"That Nan Jin girl is quite nice. It's clear she likes you," Lin Wan'er said, turning to look at Jiang Cheng's profile. "You should have your own life. I think she's perfect for you."
"For years, you've said you're haunted by a strange dream and a hazy memory."
"I've taken you to many places, to famous doctors, neurologists, and psychologists. They all said it was illusory, a figment of your subconscious—something your mind conjured."
"But what's in front of you now is real."
"You've trapped yourself in your own city," Lin Wan'er sighed softly. "It's time to break free."
"If you want, I can lend the Nan Family a hand anytime. Those so-called established families—you know, in my eyes, they're just dogs wagging their tails, begging for scraps."
"I can toss them a few bones, or I can slap them across the face—whatever you want. Not only will Nan Jin be yours, but the Nan Family will treat you as their most honored guest," Lin Wan'er said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You'll be the Nan Family's savior."
"Even if you want to continue your current lifestyle, they wouldn't dare interfere."
"No interest," Jiang Cheng replied. "Savior, Nan Jin—none of it interests me. Plenty of women like me; I don't have time to reciprocate each of their affections."
"I invest my time and energy, they provide the funds. It's a business transaction. In business, we leave emotions at the door. After everyone has their fun and the alcohol wears off, we leave everything behind in the bar," Jiang Cheng said. "Why bring it out?"
"Besides, they're just my patients. I treat their illnesses, and everything that happens during the process is merely their own fantasy," Jiang Cheng said, turning toward Huai Yi. "Alright, that's settled. Time to get back to business."
Huai Yi had already finished adjusting the equipment, and Fatty had moved the sofa closer. They had one final supernatural event to discuss.
After their discussion, they would choose one of the three supernatural events to investigate.
Huai Yi cleared his throat, his expression becoming serious. "Codename: The May Platform Incident at Grey Stone Town."
"Supernatural Incident Level: C-Class."
"Threat Level: ★★"
As Fatty stared at the incident report projected on the wall, he couldn't help but hold his breath—it was a purely instinctive reaction.
Huai Yi pressed the remote, and the image on the wall changed. A barren mountain, almost devoid of vegetation, appeared before them.
Judging by the background, there were more mountains in the distance, forming a hazy, continuous range.
"Grey Stone Mountain is part of the Taihang Mountains' foothills, near a town called Grey Stone Town," Huai Yi explained. "There used to be a gold mine in the mountain, but the yield was low. After the gold vein dried up, most of the town's residents left. Now, it's mostly just elderly people who can't move."
"Of course, there are still some stubborn young and middle-aged men who haven't given up hope."
Huai Yi adjusted the remote, and the image on the wall shifted to a pitch-black cave entrance. A railway track ran in front of the entrance, disappearing into the darkness within.
"This is one of the mines left behind after the gold vein dried up. The mine owner abandoned it, but before leaving, he used explosives to collapse the entrance."
"But the people of Grey Stone Town secretly reopened the mine entrance and used a specially prepared washing solution to process the ore, extracting gold from the wash water."
Jiang Cheng vaguely remembered seeing a news report about this—illegal ore washing, with several people dying of poisoning in the mine.
"It was those miners who snuck in who met with disaster." This was the obvious conclusion.
"Exactly," Huai Yi confirmed. "A group of seven miners went missing. There was one other person who didn't go down because of a family emergency. He watched the mine cart carrying the seven miners enter the mine entrance and then left alone."
Huai Yi showed them a photo of the so-called mine cart—a small, flat cart that ran on rails, powered by human labor. It looked very old.
"After the incident, people organized a search party to find the missing miners. They searched for a long time but found nothing. Even more strangely, the mine cart the seven miners had been riding also disappeared."
"Due to the structural integrity of the mine, there are almost no branch lines."
Here are the first two chapters. I'll post two more later. There's a violent storm outside, and the power keeps going out.
(End of the Chapter)
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