A taxi slowly drove into the wind power community.
Jiaozi, pulling Su Tang's hand, walked quickly inside.
"We agreed, I'm just here to observe. Don't get your hopes up, not everything can be investigated to the end!" Su Tang said to Jiaozi with some concern.
"Alright, alright, just consider it a visit to my house! I'm the only one at home, my parents live at the company!" Jiaozi said with a smile, pulling Su Tang into the elevator of Unit 3, Building B.
Although her own home was considered villa-level, entering Jiaozi's house made Su Tang realize what true luxury was.
As the elevator door opened, the first thing that met their eyes was a dazzling golden corridor. Several Western paintings hung on the walls, and in the corner were some potted plants of unknown names. Walking through the corridor, Jiaozi opened the door with her fingerprint. As soon as they stepped into the house, the air conditioning and television automatically turned on, and the curtains were drawn just halfway according to the sunlight. After changing into cotton slippers, Su Tang was treated as a guest and seated on the giant sectional sofa in the living room.
"Juice?" Jiaozi offered solicitously.
"Jiaozi?" Just then, the door opened, and a middle-aged couple carrying fruits and vegetables walked in.
"Dad, Mom?" Jiaozi placed a glass of juice on the coffee table in front of Su Tang and hurried to the middle-aged couple.
"Weren't you not coming back?" Jiaozi affectionately hugged her father's neck.
"We were worried you'd be bored at home alone!" The middle-aged man saw Su Tang sitting in the living room and said with a chuckle, "Oh, we have a guest?"
"Yes, yes, this is my classmate, Su Tang!" Jiaozi introduced. "Su Tang, these are my parents!"
"Hello, Uncle and Aunt!" Su Tang stood up and greeted them.
"Hello, hello, sit down and talk! Jiaozi rarely brings classmates home!" Jiaozi's mother greeted them warmly.
Su Tang recognized the couple before her. Jiaozi's father, Yang Jie, was the chief engineer in charge of project development at the wind power company, a leading figure in national wind power research and development, and a professor-level senior talent. Jiaozi's mother, Liao Yuan, was the deputy general manager of sales channels for the wind power company. It was reportedly under her influence that Yang Jie gave up his research institute job to come here.
With two deputy general manager positions in the family, their influence in the wind power company was considerable, Su Tang mused.
"Stay for dinner tonight, it's rare to have the summer vacation, you young ladies have fun!" Liao Yuan put on her apron and said with a smile.
"What's this classmate's name?" Yang Jie changed into home clothes and sat on the sofa, chatting with Su Tang.
"My name is Su Tang!" Su Tang replied politely.
"Su Tang, the one who got first place in the class on the final exam this time?" Yang Jie had clearly heard Su Tang's name.
"By chance, by chance." Su Tang, who was not good at socializing, was unaccustomed to being praised by strangers.
"I heard about you from your homeroom teacher, a very capable student. Jiaozi, you should learn more from classmate Su. You are welcome to visit our home often!" Yang Jie said. "Jiaozi's mother and I are usually too busy to take care of Jiaozi, let alone help with her studies! By the way, classmate Su, what do your parents do?"
"Dad, why are you asking so many questions?" Jiaozi, knowing Su Tang's family situation, quickly tried to stop her father.
"My father was a police officer, and my mother is unemployed," Su Tang answered frankly.
"Oh! Which department?" Yang Jie seemed to not notice his daughter's interruption and continued to ask.
"My father died in the line of duty, and my mother has also passed away," Su Tang replied.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry! I'm not very good with words!" Yang Jie finally understood his daughter's meaning and said somewhat embarrassed.
"It's okay, Uncle," Su Tang said.
"You shouldn't ask so many questions, you're making the child uncomfortable!" Liao Yuan came over and sat opposite Su Tang, saying, "Your uncle is a bookworm, ignore him!"
"No, it doesn't matter!" Su Tang said, suppressing her discomfort.
"From now on, you should spend more time with Jiaozi and tutor her. This child is not as sensible as you are," Liao Yuan said, glaring at her daughter. "Look at her, she got into Grade 4 based on her own abilities, while you have to spend a lot of money every year!"
"Mom!" Jiaozi felt her mother was becoming increasingly outrageous.
"Little Su, how are you living alone? Do you have any difficulties? Tell Auntie if you need anything!" Liao Yuan said sincerely.
"Auntie, I'm fine, I don't need anything!" Su Tang replied, suppressing her feelings.
"Oh, wait a moment!" Liao Yuan seemed to remember something, took her handbag, and took out a well-packaged wristwatch from it.
"Here, it's a gift for our first meeting, please accept it. This is a custom gift from our company, specifically for clients, costing over a thousand yuan!" Liao Yuan said casually.
"This..." Looking at the wristwatch, Su Tang felt a mix of emotions.
"Haven't seen one before? It's okay, Auntie will teach you how to use it! Connect it to your phone via Bluetooth, it's convenient for listening to music and making calls!" Liao Yuan casually opened the watch box and demonstrated for Su Tang.
"No need, Auntie, I have one. Thank you!" Su Tang politely refused.
"Oh, you have one? What brand is it? This one is custom-made by a brand company!" Liao Yuan said with some disappointment.
"Mom! Su Tang has one, it's a more expensive one, around 3000 yuan. Don't bother!" Jiaozi, unable to watch any longer, interrupted her mother.
"Oh!" Hearing her daughter say this, Liao Yuan began to carefully examine the young girl before her.
Admittedly, Su Tang's attire was simple, but it was all high-end. The watch on her wrist was indeed the most fashionable and expensive one. Glancing at Su Tang's backpack, it was even French. Most peculiar was the expensive purple diamond bracelet on Su Tang's right hand, which Liao Yuan, a jewelry enthusiast, recalled as a rare piece from a certain Italian brand's jewelry launch last year.
"Is Little Su living in the dormitory now, or...?" Looking at Su Tang adorned with jewelry, Liao Yuan couldn't believe that this young girl was an orphan. She hadn't heard of any wealthy children recently joining Grade 4!
"I live with my aunt," Su Tang replied vaguely.
"Heh, your aunt?" Liao Yuan pressed on, staring intently.
"Su Tang, come, let's go to my bedroom to play!" Her mother's probing was unbearable, and Jiaozi, unable to stand it any longer, pulled Su Tang upstairs.
"Hey, who exactly is that girl from?" Liao Yuan asked as Su Tang went upstairs.
"Could someone that Jiaozi fancies be ordinary?" Yang Jie said. "Last year, a deputy director from the district bureau died in the line of duty. I heard his surname was Su. Later, his daughter became a disciple of the eldest son of An's Investment's chairman. The legal heir of An's Investment, the chairman's daughter, became that girl's legal guardian, and they refer to each other as aunt and niece."
"Ah! So, we are seeking investment from An's now, and the God of Wealth has automatically come to our doorstep?" With no outsiders present, Liao Yuan finally revealed her true materialistic nature. "I was thinking, half a year ago, a friend of a relative from my hometown asked me to help them buy a house. At the time, I heard that my relative's friend's younger cousin had a close relationship with An's eldest son, Ping An, so I helped them out. I was even thinking of asking for an introduction. Now, if we can work on our daughter's classmate, wouldn't we be able to establish a connection?"
"Look at your opportunistic behavior just now, even giving a wristwatch. Didn't you see the emerald necklace she's wearing? You wouldn't be able to afford it even if you worked for a year!" Yang Jie gave his wife a glare.
"Isn't she lucky!" Liao Yuan sighed. "By the way, what is that girl learning under Ping An?"
"I don't know, it wouldn't be cooking, would it!" Yang Jie guessed casually.
On the second floor, in Jiaozi's room.
"It's true, I became a disciple of my master precisely to learn cooking from him!" Su Tang said firmly and earnestly.
"Oh! How magical!" Jiaozi, the loyal listener, exclaimed softly.
She thought she had temporarily escaped Jiaozi's materialistic mother, but unexpectedly, upon arriving at Jiaozi's house, Su Tang was "hit by a stray bullet" by a single, confessional sentence from Jiaozi.
"Su Tang, to be honest, I noticed you the very first day you joined our class. Although you wore ordinary clothes, the pearl hairpin in your hair was a Cartier, which I've seen. It cost over ten thousand pounds, which I couldn't afford, but you wore it. Do you know, I decided then and there that we would definitely become best friends!" Jiaozi said enthusiastically.
To be able to describe materialism so eloquently and refined was also a skill.
Su Tang thought helplessly.
Despite falling into the clutches of a materialistic family, Su Tang had not forgotten her real purpose. While Jiaozi was engrossed in admiring her backpack, Su Tang had already carefully observed the entire second floor.
The space on the second floor was slightly smaller than the first, with only two bedrooms and a walk-in closet. After observing, Su Tang found that the entire second floor seemed to be for Jiaozi's use – a large bedroom, adjacent to a thirty-square-meter terrace, and only a glass door connecting the bedroom and the terrace. The other small bedroom looked like Jiaozi's toy room, filled with dolls. The walk-in closet was, of course, messy, piled high with clothes.
"Jiaozi, can your little dog open the glass door?" Su Tang asked.
"The glass door is automatic, with a heat sensor. As long as it's not locked, the dog will automatically open it when it passes," Jiaozi replied without looking up.
"On the night the dog had its accident, do you remember if the dog went onto the terrace? Or, after you woke up, did you find the terrace door open?" Jiaozi asked.
"I actually slept very restlessly that night, I kept hearing mosquitoes buzzing in the middle of the night. When I got up, oh, I didn't pay attention!" Jiaozi said absentmindedly.
Feeling that she couldn't get anything useful from that demanding girl, Su Tang walked onto the terrace.
There was a simple swing on the terrace and a large inflatable swimming pool that hadn't been put away yet. Facing Jiaozi's bedroom was a tall, windowless wall, which was the west wall of the second floor of the top floor of the adjacent unit. The wall was covered with messy graffiti, and there was a mark that looked like it had been made by a knife or axe. To the north and south of the terrace, there was only a two-meter-high steel wire guardrail, which seemed to be a safety measure to prevent residents from falling.
"Jiaozi, how often do you clean your terrace?" Su Tang asked.
"Every afternoon, the cleaning service comes to clean it!" Jiaozi replied slowly.
"If the glass door is closed, this is a sealed space. Damn it, if it weren't a dog that had an accident, but a person, I might be a little more interested..." Su Tang paced back and forth on the terrace with her hands behind her back, her eyes scanning everywhere, murmuring to herself.
Just then, she suddenly noticed a small red dot on the graffiti-covered wall. She instinctively walked over and reached out to touch it, only to find that the red dot had disappeared again.
"Infrared telescope?" Su Tang instantly understood the origin of the red dot and hurried to the steel mesh on the south side of the terrace, standing on tiptoe to look down.
In her field of vision, the entire Building C, from east to west, was fully visible. Among the dense windows, she couldn't see who was using the telescope. A few seconds later, she ran to the steel mesh on the north side of the terrace and found that, like the opposite side, the entire Building A, from east to west, was also fully visible. However, the effect was the same as the opposite side, with dense windows that were headache-inducing.
"Accidental?" Su Tang muttered after observing for a while.
Returning to the wall again, Su Tang casually picked up a colored spray can from the ground and marked the spot where she had found the red dot.
"According to the horizontal angle, it must be a resident from Building A or the eastern three units of Building C to shoot infrared light to this position. According to the vertical angle, it can't be shot to this position?" Su Tang calculated simply, estimating the trajectory of the red dot.
"Su Tang, dinner is ready!" Jiaozi's voice came from inside.
"Okay!" Su Tang took another look around the terrace and left.
The dinner at the Yangs' was rich and luxurious, but Su Tang clearly didn't enjoy it.
The dog, inexplicably moved from a high floor to downstairs and had its fur shaved; the marks on the terrace wall; and the infrared dot...
Were these related? Was it accidental, or...?
Su Tang carefully fiddled with a scallop, her mind racing.
If the infrared light shot at different positions, it could be located using triangulation. But what was the point? For a damn dog?
Su Tang thought somewhat dejectedly.
"Little Su, is the food not to your liking?" Liao Yuan said with a smile.
"Ah! Oh, no, it's delicious, thank you, Auntie!" Su Tang replied politely.
"Oh! Then eat more!" Yang Jie also said with a smile.
"Right! What time is it now?" Just then, Su Tang suddenly thought of something terrible.
"It's 6:30 PM! What's wrong?" Jiaozi said.
"Oh no! If my master finds out I didn't go to cram school, he'll skin me alive!" Su Tang finally remembered that she had the important responsibility of tutoring and needed to get home before her master.
"Jiaozi, Uncle, Aunt, I'm sorry, I have an urgent matter, I have to leave now!" Su Tang was about to leave in a hurry.
"Oh, is it that urgent? How about I give you a ride back!" Yang Jie also stood up.
"No, no!" Su Tang symbolically hugged Jiaozi and said, "I promised what you asked me to do, I'll come find you tomorrow!"
"Really?" Jiaozi said happily.
"I'm not lying to you, you little dog!" Su Tang pushed open the door and hurried away.
In Gao Xiaofei's new house, after being lectured by Ping An, the two finally shamelessly admitted that they were willing to be each other's other half. Seeing that his two most cherished friends had finally found their happy ending, Ping An felt a surge of accomplishment! The three of them discussed it and decided to go out for a good meal, then happily walked out and bumped into Su Tang, who was just getting out of the elevator in the hallway.
"Master, if I told you I'm investigating a case for a dog, would you believe me?" Su Tang said with a dejected face, wronged.
"Liar! Why learn to lie! Go back and write 'Serve the country with utmost loyalty' five hundred times!" Ping An said angrily.
"Oh my! You're arguing with a child, why bother?" Fei Keqing put her arm around Su Tang's shoulders and kept speaking kindly.
"Alright, alright! Su Tang, tell your godfather what you want to eat?" Gao Xiaofei said with a smile.
Oh, speaking of himself as godfather in front of his godmother? And the godmother was so indifferent and tacitly approved? Could it be that something was up?
Su Tang, with her child's cunning, immediately thought of many things.
"Godfather, I've already eaten at my classmate's house, I'm not hungry!" Su Tang said obediently.
"Classmate? Who is it, and are they male or female?" Ping An snatched Su Tang from Fei Keqing's arms.
"Female, female, it's my deskmate!" Su Tang quickly explained.
"Oh, named Yang Jiao? Does she live here?" Ping An asked.
"Yes, she lives in the duplex on the top floor!" Su Tang nodded.
"How about this, there aren't many good restaurants outside this community. Why don't I buy some ingredients, and we'll cook at my place tonight? This new house hasn't had its first meal cooked yet!" Gao Xiaofei rubbed his hands together.
"Forget it, this new house of yours has been renovated for less than a month, are you planning to move in already!" Ping An frowned. "Besides, do you dare to show off your cooking skills? If Fei Keqing cooked, I might consider giving it a face!"
"You go buy the ingredients, I'll cook!" Fei Keqing said without hesitation, handing the key to Gao Xiaofei and pulling Su Tang towards the elevator.
"Oh, now you're acting like a devoted couple!" Ping An made a funny face at Gao Xiaofei.
"Stop talking, Xiaofei is so poor these days he doesn't even have a hundred yuan in his pocket!" Fei Keqing said grumpily to Ping An as she watched Gao Xiaofei leave, shaking his head. "He's a civil servant, with no side income, he forced himself to buy a house and even decorated it. What's the use? This place is more than 10 kilometers away from where he and I work, and there are no schools nearby. It's really less convenient than living at my place!"
"You tell him, you've already promised him, so talk about it in advance. If it doesn't work, let him sell this house, and even investing in a storefront would bring in a substantial fixed income every month," Ping An said, holding back some words. Right now, Fei Keqing's monthly income was equivalent to Gao Xiaofei's three months' salary. However, if she got married, she would inevitably have children, and then she would have to step back to a regular salary at the newspaper. At that time, the entire burden would fall on Gao Xiaofei alone.
"I only found out last night. I was so touched, right!" Fei Keqing glared at Ping An.
"I can't tell, you're also worried about your livelihood?" Ping An said with a smile.
"Ping An, although I know many people, they are all unreliable connections in the workplace. Do you have any suitable projects at hand? I still have some money I can invest," Fei Keqing said.
"Then go ask my mom, she doesn't know anything in her life except managing finances!" Ping An teased.
"What is my little bit of money? Don't make Auntie embarrassed!" Fei Keqing said. "You also tell Xiaofei to be careful and not be so extravagant. I'm about to marry him, and you've become a creditor. We're already in debt to you for 300,000 yuan!"
"You're getting ahead of yourself. Do you think I'm someone who cares about money? To be honest, I consider it a great gift for you two! I'm not planning to ask for it back!" Ping An said magnanimously.
Su Tang, standing nearby, listened to the conversation between the two adults with great interest.
My goodness, both of them have jobs and no mortgage or burdens, and Godmother is crying poverty? If they were to experience her previous life...
Su Tang suddenly raised her head and looked at her master.
This master is unreliable, giving away 300,000 yuan without batting an eye. What a prodigal!
Having lived at Ping An's place for more than half a year, Su Tang had gradually become accustomed to a wealthy lifestyle. Although her master always complained about being poor, following her aunt around, she was actually not poor at all – rent, manuscript fees, stocks, company dividends, consulting fees, all sorts of things added up to at least a million yuan in income per year. No wonder Godmother needed to seek advice from her master. When it came to making money, her master had never backed down.
When she gets married in the future, she must marry someone like this, who makes money while playing games! Su Tang thought with a smile, looking at Ping An.
In the new house filled with the smell of paint, Fei Keqing, wearing an apron, was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Su Tang, with the intention of causing mischief, accompanied her, helping out. In the living room, Ping An was telling Gao Xiaofei about the peeping incident in the community.
"I've heard neighbors talk about it in the elevator too. I didn't take it seriously at first," Gao Xiaofei said after listening to Ping An's account. "What I suspect now is my neighbor next door. Do you also suspect that weird alarm call?"
"Yes, if possible, I'd like to hear the recording. I have a feeling there's something wrong with your neighbor across the hall," Ping An said. "Have you seen the female owner of the apartment opposite you?"
"I saw her once. She's quite tall. She came down to throw out the trash wearing slippers, and I spoke to her a few words," Gao Xiaofei thought for a moment. "This woman speaks very politely, with a slight southern accent."
"A southern accent? I didn't hear it? Is she very tall? I think she's just average, only up to my neck!" Ping An stood up and gestured with his hand.
"No way, I'm as tall as you. When I stood in the elevator, that woman was almost up to my eyebrows. You're too different!" Gao Xiaofei waved his hand.
"That's why it's strange!" Ping An stroked his chin. "Were you here on the night of June 28th?"
"Don't even mention it. I've been staying here every night for the past month, opening the windows to let the house air out, and worrying about rain at night," Gao Xiaofei said. "I know what you want to ask. I didn't notice anything that night."
As they talked, Fei Keqing's gourmet dishes were already on the table.
Yan Cai, Carp baked with noodles, and fried pork belly – these three main dishes were naturally Fei Keqing's specialty from her hometown in Henan. Pickled cabbage and tofu, and ginger juice beef ribs – these two dishes were naturally Gao Xiaofei's favorites! A simplified version of Mao Xue Wang was a standard for Su Tang, the dutiful daughter who, despite having eaten, still wanted to taste her godmother's cooking. As for Ping An, looking at the bowl of white rice before him, he deeply missed Lin Dang's braised pork.
"No time, and we're short on ingredients. I used dried noodles for the carp baked with noodles. Please try it!" Fei Keqing said happily.
"Godmother, you truly are capable in the living room and the kitchen. You are my role model! In the future, I want to become an elegant and life-loving woman like you!" Su Tang, completely ignoring the fact that she had already eaten dinner, had her mouth smeared with oil but still managed to find time to flatter.
Ping An picked up a piece of "scallion" no thicker than his finger with his chopsticks and looked at the table full of dishes doubtfully.
As for Gao Xiaofei – looking at the virtuous Fei Keqing, he had already swallowed a bowl of rice dry.
"Come, to a beautiful life! Cheers!" Fei Keqing, excited, raised a can of beer and toasted loudly!
"Cheers!" The beer of the three adults clinked together.
"It's over, I'm afraid I can't go back tonight!" Seeing the adults getting more and more excited, Su Tang had a faint bad feeling. She ignored the three adults who had started telling dirty jokes and took a glass of juice to get some air in the living room.
Before her, the entire Building C was lit up, a scene of human habitation, beautiful beyond words.
However, how did a small red dot float onto her arm?
Su Tang's eyes widened sharply as she looked at the opposite building.
In Building C, the lights in one of the apartments suddenly went out.
"First floor, second floor, third floor, fourth floor..." Su Tang, standing on the balcony and gazing, stared intently at the apartment whose lights had gone out and began to silently count the floors.