Seeing tears welling up in Su Tang's eyes, Jiang Tingting, who was always sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, felt she had said the wrong thing. Yet, she didn't know how to take it back.
“I have something important to discuss with you today. I don’t care about your words for now, but I will seek revenge sooner or later,” Su Tang said, pulling out a wad of cash from her pocket. She took out a hundred-yuan bill and placed it on the table. To the bewildered Jiang Tingting, she added, “You don’t want to eat the good wine, so you’ll drink the penalty wine, right? Don’t force me to act. Get out of here, quickly!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Tang held up a disposable chopstick and thrust it forcefully onto the table. The chopstick actually pierced the thick wooden board. This move, trained during her days practicing with a slingshot in the Ping'an sect, was a deceptive display of skill. But from Jiang Tingting’s fearful eyes, Su Tang knew she had succeeded.
Jiang Tingting obediently followed Su Tang out of the snack shop. The two walked one after another into a small alley opposite the school (remember the friends who were extorted? Does anyone miss it?).
“Su Tang, if you have something to say, say it. Don’t show off that you’ve been training…” Once in the small alley, Jiang Tingting casually leaned against the wall and, gathering her courage, warned Su Tang.
“After you hit Yang Jiao in the restroom last time, didn't some punks come looking for you?” Su Tang bypassed their banter and got straight to the point.
“You didn’t know? It wasn’t your and Yang Jiao’s doing?” Jiang Tingting’s question left Su Tang stunned.
“Which eye of yours saw me finding people to deal with you? You need evidence when you speak!” Su Tang became anxious, thinking it was unfair to be blamed like this.
“But, but…” Jiang Tingting was also confused.
Seeing Jiang Tingting’s demeanor, Su Tang sighed, patted her shoulder, and told her to speak slowly, starting from the beginning.
It turned out that a week after the restroom incident, Jiang Tingting was walking home alone after evening self-study. As she passed through an underpass, she was suddenly blocked by four punks from both sides. Then, she was dragged and pulled into an underground public parking garage next to the underpass.
Initially, Jiang Tingting thought they wanted money. She searched herself and handed over all the cash she had. However, the punks, after taking the money, didn't leave. They insisted on taking "artistic photos."
As they were hassling her, Yang Jiao suddenly got out of a car, not forgetting to speak to someone inside the car as she alighted.
Seeing Yang Jiao, Jiang Tingting finally realized that the other party had come for revenge.
Enemies meeting, their eyes burned with hatred. Jiang Tingting knew she couldn’t fight them. With a stubborn streak, she snatched a knife from a punk and held it to her own throat, threatening to die.
But Yang Jiao didn’t seem to care about life or death. She even egged them on from the side, saying she wanted to smell the scent of blood…
With no way out, Jiang Tingting closed her eyes and prepared to slash herself. But just then, a voice spoke from inside the car where no one had emerged. The words were, “Forget it. Didn’t Su Tang make her fall? Give me some face and let her go!”
In this way, Jiang Tingting escaped death and preserved her purity.
That night, Jiang Tingting’s parents noticed something was wrong with their daughter. After repeated questioning, they learned about what had happened. In fact, after the shock, Jiang Tingting had softened. Subconsciously, she didn't dare to mention Yang Jiao or the people in the car. Under her parents’ persistent questioning, she only revealed that the four punks had bullied her.
Later, it was heard that the punks were arrested by the police. Because they only stole sixteen yuan and caused no substantial harm, they were only detained for one night before being released. From then on, Jiang Tingting no longer dared to provoke Yang Jiao. And because the person in the car had mentioned Su Tang's name, she subconsciously felt that Su Tang was also involved in this matter…
“Are you an idiot! Why didn’t you ask me for clarification!” After hearing all this, Su Tang’s head spun. She couldn’t understand how Yang Jiao, this seemingly well-behaved girl she saw at school every day, could be such a person. She also never imagined that she had inadvertently played a role in this trick of bullying.
“This matter is already in the past, and it’s better to let it go. I’m unhappy, but I’m not stupid,” Jiang Tingting said.
“No, no, what you’re saying is hard for me to digest!” Su Tang said after taking a few deep breaths. “Tell me again, what kind of person is Jiaozi? How could she be like that?”
It was no wonder Su Tang didn’t believe it. The Jiaozi she knew was just a bit spoiled and looked down on her classmates, but she was generous. At most, she was like a child who needed to be indulged, not someone who would get involved with thugs.
“Jiaozi and I were in the same class in primary school. To be honest with you, she’s always been more cunning than us. She’s very well-behaved in front of teachers, but very bossy among classmates!” Jiang Tingting said. “Compared to us, she doesn’t seem like she’s the same age. She plays and hangs out with older students, almost never with classmates her own age.”
“But why is she different towards me?” Su Tang asked, confused.
“How should I know? I thought she fancied your good martial arts skills and that you are indeed pretty,” Jiang Tingting said, saying something Su Tang liked to hear for once.
“Words are not proof, how can you prove what you’re saying is true?” Su Tang was anxious and immediately asked for proof.
“When I went to the restroom during evening self-study, I overheard some students from the senior high section who usually hang out with Jiaozi chatting. They said Jiaozi was either going abroad or was in a bad mood, and that she was going to a party tonight on Flower Street, the street full of nightclubs. Do you dare to go with me to see?” Jiang Tingting was also determined to prove it to Su Tang tonight.
“Let’s go! Lead the way!” Su Tang thought, “This old lady is negotiating a deal with the boss of that street this afternoon. What’s there to be afraid of?”
Thus, at ten o'clock at night, two teenage girls who should have been home early got into a taxi and nervously headed to Flower Street.
“Don’t stay too long. Just take a look at the excitement and hurry back,” the taxi driver, a kind man, advised them when he saw two schoolgirls going to such a place.
Flower Street at past ten o'clock was just opening for business. Dozens of nightclubs lit up the street. All sorts of luxury cars were parked along the street. Groups of young men with expressions that seemed to say, "Don't mess with me," walked arm in arm, squatting by the roadside, chatting and laughing.
The appearance of two sweet-looking young girls on Flower Street was like two lambs entering a wolf's den. After getting out of the taxi, they hadn't walked a few steps before several punks whistled at them.
In front of a nightclub called "Badao," Jiang Tingting pointed to the entrance and said, “I heard Jiaozi is having a party here.”
Upon hearing this, Su Tang didn't hesitate and headed for the entrance. Seeing that she couldn't see her nemesis, Jiang Tingting followed and entered the establishment.
Compared to "Bubai," which they had visited this afternoon, "Badao" was just a small establishment. Although the storefront was small, there were many people on the dance floor. A female DJ on the second floor, scantily clad, was pounding away at the keyboard while writhing wildly.
Su Tang and Jiang Tingting found a secluded corner and sat on a sofa, carefully observing the people on the dance floor.
“Look, there, there, at that bar table—” Jiang Tingting, with sharp eyes, quickly spotted Jiaozi.
At this moment, Jiaozi was far from the well-behaved girl Su Tang usually saw. She was wearing a semi-transparent black sheer dress and heavy makeup, leaning into the embrace of a dashing young man, looking incredibly seductive.
“Let’s go find her!” Seeing Jiaozi, Su Tang’s hatred burned from her heart to her teeth.
Pulling Jiang Tingting along, Su Tang walked up to Jiaozi.
“Oh, you two are together, how interesting!” Although she had maintained a semblance of their initial closeness when they met in the morning, seeing her again at night revealed a drastic change. Upon seeing Su Tang, Jiaozi seemed unsurprised.
“Yang Jiao, come out for a moment, I have something to ask you,” Su Tang said coldly.
“What’s there to ask? Want to have fun? My treat. I’ll find you a handsome guy later, hahahaha.” Jiaozi swayed her hips and spoke to a pimple-faced person beside her, “This is my sister. You’re lucky tonight, treat her well. Oh, and she’s still a virgin, so don’t you dare take any medicine!”
A lewd laugh echoed from all directions. Su Tang felt sick to her stomach, almost vomiting.
“Jiaozi, did you lie to me? I ask you, were the punks who came to your house your arrangement? What are you plotting?” Su Tang couldn't hold back and finally blurted out the question.
Jiaozi glanced at Jiang Tingting, seemingly understanding something.
“Since it’s come to this, you’re useless anyway. Yes, I played you. Yes, I lied to you. What can you do to me?” Jiaozi finally dropped her pretense and revealed her true colors.
“What exactly do you want?” Su Tang suddenly grabbed Jiaozi’s hand and asked fiercely.
“None of your business!” Jiaozi threw off Su Tang’s hand and shrieked, “You and your master are not good people. It’s already me being considerate by not dealing with you. You still want to uncover my secrets? Then don’t blame me for being rude.”
As Jiaozi finished speaking, three or four burly men appeared from somewhere, looking as if they were about to surround Su Tang and Jiang Tingting.
“Su Tang, don’t blame me. You know too much. I can’t let you ruin my plans. Don’t worry, they won’t take your life. They just want to play around. At most, they’ll take some videos. You still have a lifetime to live, don’t throw away your reputation prematurely,” Jiaozi waved at Su Tang, saying indifferently, “Just keep her for three or four days, until my brothers get tired of her, then let her go.”
“Alright, brother hasn’t found a woman all day, hahaha.” The burly men, without further ado, moved to grab Su Tang.
Fortunately, Su Tang reacted quickly. Seeing the danger, she pulled Jiang Tingting and ran. They barely managed to escape the nightclub. On their way out, they were blocked by another group of punks.
“Little sister, don’t worry, brothers are experienced. We’ll definitely satisfy you,” the leading punk said with a sinister grin as he approached.
Just then, the burly men from behind also caught up.
What to do now? Caught between a wolf and a tiger, Su Tang remained calm, but at this moment, she was out of ideas.
“Snap!”
“Snap, snap!”
Just as Su Tang and Jiang Tingting were at their wits' end, the sound of slaps echoed from behind the punks.
Su Tang, with quick eyes, recognized the person hitting them – it was Da Shu, who had driven her home that afternoon.
“My dear lady, if you want to have some fun, why not go to our place? It’s more upscale and all familiar faces. Such a trashy place would tarnish your eyes,” Da Shu whispered after knocking down a few punks, afraid of scaring Su Tang.
“Brother Shu!” Strangely, although Da Shu was formidable, he was just one person. Yet, both the men he hit and the burly men who rushed out of the nightclub became subdued upon seeing him.
“Foreign brats trying to make a living here. If you don’t pay your respects, you dare to bully our esteemed lady!” Da Shu’s voice was not loud, but its impact was immense.
“Brother Shu, it was all a misunderstanding. A sugar daddy paid us to scare her a bit. Oh, esteemed lady, we won’t do anything rash,” the leading burly man said, bowing his head to Da Shu.
Da Shu, hearing this, knew the other party had surrendered and didn’t press the issue further. He then walked up to Su Tang and expressed his desire to resolve the matter peacefully.
“Da Shu, I don’t care about them. I just need to find someone,” Su Tang said.
“You, come here, tell the esteemed lady, where is the person she's looking for?” Da Shu beckoned to the leader of the burly men.
“Call Jiaozi out for me, I have something to ask her.” Su Tang didn’t hold grudges and asked for Jiaozi to be brought to her.
“She has already left. She went out the back door right after you left,” the burly man said politely.
“Does she come here often?” Su Tang continued to ask.
“Yes, she’s a major patron of ours. We brothers need to make a living. We offended you today,” the burly man said, then suddenly knelt down.
“Alas, get up. I asked you, do you know where she went? Are there four people surnamed Gao with her?” Su Tang asked.
“She probably went home. Four surnamed Gao? Oh, yes, they are said to be that patron’s bodyguards, but we haven’t seen them for several days,” the burly man replied.
Having visited two nightclubs in one day, Su Tang figured she’d have a difficult month if her aunt found out.
Jiang Tingting had truly witnessed a grand spectacle today. It turned out Su Tang had such powerful connections on Flower Street. Could it be that she was the real, hidden boss?
Leaving the nightclub, Su Tang and Jiang Tingting got into Da Shu's car.
“Uncle, I’ve troubled you twice today, I’m really sorry,” Su Tang thanked him as soon as she got in the car.
“It’s a small matter,” Da Shu thought to himself, of course. “I’ll be following you around from now on.”
“You… you saw me just now?” Su Tang was surprised. Da Shu's appearance had been incredibly timely.
“I came looking for you,” Da Shu started the car and lit a cigarette. After taking a puff, he suddenly remembered the two young girls in the back and discreetly threw the cigarette out the window.
“Could it be… the matter I entrusted to you this afternoon?” Su Tang was overjoyed.
“It would have been better if you had waited at home. Why come out to inquire yourself? If anything had happened, your master could have turned this whole street upside down,” Da Shu said, not answering directly, but using this opportunity to lecture his "esteemed lady." After all, he would be following her in the future. If this person was a troublemaker, he wouldn't have enough lives to compensate.
“Heh heh, I’m actually solving a case. I’m a detective,” Su Tang said proudly.
“Rich people have quite a few hobbies. The third generation of the An family, instead of pursuing elegance, comes out to be a detective,” Da Shu said with a chuckle. “I ask you, are you an adult detective yet?”
“Not yet,” Su Tang replied frankly.
“Then why are you running around recklessly? What if something happens?” Da Shu shook his head helplessly.
“But, but isn’t that what a detective does?” Su Tang felt he was looking down on her a bit. She puffed out her chest and, imitating her master’s tone, said word for word, “To expose evil and bring clarity to the world is the supreme dream I pursue.”
“So, we have clues about those four punks, but I don’t really want to tell you,” Da Shu changed the subject. “I discussed it with Monk. If we tell you, we’re afraid you’ll get into trouble. So you’d better go home and study obediently. I’ll report the information to Ping’an reporter.”
“Why? This is my case, and these are my clues. You can’t tell my master!” Su Tang’s anger flared. She had even paid for the investigation herself.
“How about we make a deal? You hire me as your bodyguard, and I’ll follow you. At least you’ll be safe,” Da Shu finally revealed the purpose of their meeting tonight.
“Hey, hey, I’m just a student. I really don’t have much money. My family is rich, but my pocket money is very little,” Su Tang said, shaking her head like a rattle drum when she heard about spending money.
“I know, I know. I don’t need you to pay,” Da Shu suddenly stopped the car, looking a bit embarrassed. “I have a son who is 17 years younger than me—don’t be surprised, he’s my biological son—who took over my transport company last year—but business hasn’t been good. I heard that the An family plans to invest heavily in real estate projects in the next few years. If I can get work for construction sites, I can work for you for free…”
After going around in circles, it turned out it was about business.
Su Tang gave Da Shu a disdainful look. After thinking for a moment, she decisively took out her phone…
Unconsciously, it was already ten o’clock at night. Su Tang, who had sworn to go home to get something and return by eleven, had finally sorted things out with Fei Keqing. Jiang Tingting was clearly someone her parents couldn’t control. After leaving Flower Street, she had been urged to leave three times but refused. No one from her home called to rush her, and she watched Su Tang with infatuation, almost wanting to become sworn sisters.
Da Shu had gotten the An family’s transport business as he wished. His confidence soared, and he generously declared that respectable people should have a couple of drinks when discussing important matters. So, he took Su Tang and the others to a lamb soup stall opposite the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
“Big three, double meat, baijiu, a pair of grilled lamb kidneys!”
Before they had even sat down, Da Shu was already ordering.
It was a good choice to warm their stomachs with lamb soup after a night of activity.
“Boss Su, oh, please don’t be offended. I can only call you boss. Anything else is inappropriate,” Da Shu said, taking a sip of baijiu and smacking his lips with satisfaction. His dark, plump face instantly turned crimson. As his lips moved, the scar on his face gleamed, looking terrifying.
“Call me whatever you like. Let’s talk business, tell me what I want to know.” It was late at night, and the weather was cold. Su Tang shivered slightly and held the lamb soup to warm herself.
“The Yang Jiao you mentioned is the eldest daughter of the Wind Power Company. She’s been coming to Flower Street to have fun in recent years. She looks young but is quite cunning. She uses money to win over a group of people and has quite a presence,” Da Shu said. “Before, she was a regular at our Bubai nightclub. The owner, Monk, disliked her behavior and found an excuse to ban her. But she had money, and she had several brothers who followed her. Monk didn’t say anything.”
What was an apparently underage girl doing in a place like Flower Street? If it was for excitement, playing around was one thing, but she also liked to form factions, creating a “Princess Club” and recruiting many people.
Later, Da Shu heard that this young girl was not only cunning but also ruthless. She often ordered her underlings to bully classmates from her school. She even offered a substantial reward for someone brave enough to kill to help her resolve some troublesome matters at critical moments.
Although they were all involved in societal matters, Da Shu and the others were not unaware of the family entanglements of the Wind Power Company. Especially after the murder case in the Wind Power residential area, many suspected that Yang Jiao had secretly directed people to commit the crime.
Among Yang Jiao’s subordinates, the four boys surnamed Gao were the most loyal.
“Last time, when you offended you in the Wind Power residential area, your master dealt with people on Flower Street quite severely. We understand. It was just collateral damage, and you had to let him vent his anger,” Da Shu said, taking another gulp of baijiu.
“After those four boys were released from the police station, Monk imposed a punishment and chopped off the little finger of the eldest Gao family brother. Upon careful questioning, they found out it was Yang Jiao’s doing,” Da Shu said. “Afterwards, our people quickly informed your master of this situation. Your master said nothing upon hearing it, only stating that the matter was over and instructing us not to investigate further.”
At the time, Monk wanted to use this "intelligence" to gain Ping’an's forgiveness and find a way for him to introduce An family business. But Ping’an remained unmoved upon hearing this, his eyes burning with fire. Even though Monk was experienced, he didn't dare to say more and had to give up. Afterwards, they stopped investigating the four punks.
“Boss, don’t be angry. After you appeared, you not only looked for people but also introduced business. Monk was overjoyed—with Master Liu gone, it’s hard for him to manage things here. Don’t argue with him,” Da Shu said. “You asked us to find those four people. Monk mobilized all his connections and found out from a long-haul brother that they were seen at a highway service area in Bangzhou around 4 PM this afternoon. They seemed to be heading towards Chuan Shu!”
Chuan Shu? Qianshan City? Su Tang suddenly remembered that Fei Keqing had mentioned this morning that her master and Qiao Yiyan were going to Chuan Shu.
“Does Master have any conflict with Jiaozi?” Su Tang closed her eyes and thought for a long time. She suddenly remembered the heir named “Tong Hua” that Jiaozi had mentioned to her this morning. And that “Tong Hua” seemed to have been found by her master, and Jiaozi…
“Oh no, Yang Jiao is going to make a move on my master!” Su Tang finally understood.
“Uncle Da Shu, can you accompany me to Chuan Shu?” After calling Ping’an, Su Tang found his phone was turned off. She anxiously said to Da Shu.
“Not tonight, I’ve been drinking. I can reluctantly drive you back, but if we go on the highway, we’ll be stopped by the traffic police.” While saying this, Da Shu thought to himself that if it weren’t for the fact that the person named Ping’an couldn't be reached, and there was no other way, why would he be telling this to this young girl.
“Boss, I suggest you go to the police. Now, only the police can help. They can find Ping’an, or at least control those four punks,” Da Shu cautiously advised.
“No, if the police know, the whole world will know!” In Su Tang’s mind, the face of Qiao Yiyan suddenly flashed, and then the back of her sister faintly appeared. In the last case, her master had suffered greatly from corrupt police. Now, with the situation urgent, caution was necessary.
“Da Shu, I’m definitely going. I guess my master has probably figured it all out. Although he will be prepared, he actually has two people by his side who are probably secretly following him. But I’m still worried, so whether you accompany me or not, I have to go,” Su Tang said resolutely. “That’s my master, I can’t just ignore it.”
Seeing Su Tang’s determined gaze, Da Shu felt a rare surge of excitement.
“Give me three hours. I need to prepare and bring two people,” Da Shu said. “Girl, I feel a connection with you. I’ll follow you.”
“I’m going too, I’m going too!” Jiang Tingting, who had been watching the excitement, also chimed in.
“Get lost. We’re going on business, we’re not taking kids,” Su Tang naturally wouldn’t take her and pulled her, asking Da Shu to send them home.
“Su Tang, I really misjudged you. But I still can’t understand, how did you know Yang Jiao was problematic?” Jiang Tingting asked on the way home.
“When those four punks bullied me, they took Yang Jiao’s necklace. But when I went to see her this morning, I saw it on her bed…” Su Tang said slowly.
“So, you started suspecting her from a necklace?” Jiang Tingting was convinced. Su Tang was indeed a detective.
“Thinking about it now, Master always told me to stay away from Yang Jiao, but I still went forward,” Su Tang slowly figured everything out—didn’t Master take over the case precisely because of her encounter with Yang Jiao?
“Yang Jiao, what exactly do you want to do?” Su Tang looked at the night sky outside the car. A meteor happened to streak across, heading southwest.