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墨書 Inktalez
Xiao Mei always felt that Song Bunan and Xin Yi would not last long together. A seemingly perpetually indifferent man paired with another who appeared open-minded yet was as cunning as a beehive, even pouring gasoline on them and lighting a match would not ignite any spark. He took advantage of the Jiang Family's resources to dig deep into Xin Yi's background, and the two thin pages of information barely exceeded the word count of a single semester report from Song Bunan's university days.
The resume was as simple as if the person were simple themselves, always wearing a stern expression, responding only when asked, with not a single extra note to be heard. Sitting next to him felt so stifling that it made Xiao Mei's back prickle, leaving him feeling itchy all over but unable to scratch.
Fortunately, he later observed that Song Bunan interacted well with his close friends, engaging in conversation and able to initiate topics to avoid awkward silences. Shui Su referred to this as compatibility; Xiao Mei thought it was merely good luck for Bunan to have someone with such matching appearance, physique, gender, and soul resonance. If it were him, he would surely find it unbearable.
However, this person was also unfortunate; after struggling for half his life, he found himself in a place built on lies, betrayed by those he once trusted in high places and teammates, ending up with nothing but an empty basket after all his efforts. Bunan often rambled in their chat group, summarizing his tumultuous life story.
Once upon a time, he too had mourned his status as an orphan, but the Jiang Family treated him so well that he felt their love surpassed anything he might find from biological parents. After learning about Xin Yi's background, he thought her attraction to someone like Song Bunan likely stemmed from her family situation.
Those who had never experienced the warmth of "home" were often unconsciously drawn to those from stable families, just as he had been when he found brilliant sunshine in Shui Su.
"Don't work too hard investigating lately; just spend some quality time with him at home," came a message in the group chat.
By the time he saw the message, it was already past midnight. The eastern sky was beginning to lighten, signaling another long night had passed. The morning air by the water was cold; the chill that had accumulated overnight seemed to shy away from the light, scattering before it could be illuminated and causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply—enough to make anyone shiver even while sitting in a car.
They had nearly fished all night in this pond. Onshore lay some fish he had casually caught through work connections, netted and ready to take home for grilling. Looking out of the car window, lights still glowed as his subordinates gathered in a small area, meticulously dredging and searching for what they needed.
Shui Su stood by the pond dressed in white, appearing cold and distant due to being covered in dew.
The Jiang Family was one of the least infiltrated by the laboratory, thanks to their management system. Although they followed the traditional path of having upper management dominate, their subordinates enjoyed more freedom. Aside from a few external branches like Qian Gu's family branch that had been suddenly dismantled—leaving no trace behind—most remained intact.
After analyzing the laboratory's objectives, the head of the family decisively conducted a thorough purge within their ranks, easily rooting out several ill-intentioned thieves and interrogating them with an unyielding demeanor until they revealed some valuable information.
For instance, there were numerous laboratory documents hidden in this small pond located at the junction of Mang Mountain and another mountain.
After returning from the hospital, Shui Su and Xiao Mei found themselves overwhelmed with work. They not only needed to document tasks related to New Life Hospital but also had to deal with various unexpected messes. A barbecue had been postponed repeatedly; Uncle Meng’s prepared ribeye was on the verge of spoiling before they could even enjoy it. Just when they finally found some time to rest, they were assigned the task of dredging the pond.
This task had been initiated early the previous morning. The pond wasn’t large—about the size of a football field—and after determining its depth at its center by boat, they devised a plan and divided areas for dredging. Since several thieves knew little about what lay beneath, they could only make educated guesses about where to search here without any detailed knowledge.
Before starting work, Shui Su wore a serious expression while directing everyone. He emphasized that dredging required meticulous attention; not even a suspicious stone should be overlooked. However, being thorough meant they couldn't work quickly. With more than ten people taking turns working together, they stirred up what had once been clear water into a murky mess; aside from nets flying above and below the surface, nothing else could be seen.
During the five hours of work, apart from the lively fish and some trash, nothing else could be found in the net. Xiao Mei stared at the clothes that had been soaked and turned to rags, feeling nauseous and beginning to suspect that this information might just be a prank by those little thieves.
"That’s not possible," Shui Su said, seeing through his thoughts and speaking in a voice only they could hear. "Those people claimed that the information they received cannot expose the locations of the pools around Mang Mountain. They are joining the Jiang Family to avoid drawing attention, making it easier for them to run into the mountains at any time."
He was puzzled, scratching his itchy head. If they had already joined the Jiang Family, how could they not attract attention when heading to the mountains? Shui Su smiled and explained that this was precisely their cleverness. After joining the Jiang Family, even the lowest-ranking subordinates would receive monthly payments. If they wanted to leave, they only needed to inform someone slightly higher up. It was perfectly acceptable to lie around at home when there was nothing to do. There was no better life elsewhere.
Xiao Mei had no retort to this and silently shook his head, thinking that the Jiang Family truly was a large and prosperous family, with its patriarch engaging in charity.
The process of salvage was tedious; the only joy came when pulling the net out of the water. However, Xiao Mei soon lost even that interest and sat in the car with his eyes closed, resting. He ended up sleeping soundly, and when he opened his eyes again, it was completely dark outside. Only the lights from passing boats illuminated the scene, making Shui Su appear like a statue standing by the water's edge.
With keen eyes, he was the first to notice several small sealed bags stacked at Shui Su's feet, glistening with droplets of water. Almost instinctively, he jumped out of the car, ignoring Shui Su's puzzled gaze as he crouched down beside him and began to open the bags. The people nearby did not stop him; instead, after he finished unsealing them, one handed him a handkerchief and suggested he put on his jacket in the car.
Autumn had reached its midpoint, and nighttime temperatures had dropped sharply; the perceived temperature by the water in the mountains was much lower than in the city. Excitedly, Xiao Mei agreed perfunctorily before eagerly continuing to open bags. Once he confirmed that the small Storage Devices inside were indeed laboratory products, he jumped around joyfully, waving his arms and shouting. As he passed by Shui Su, he playfully hugged him and wiped his wet hands on Shui Su's custom-made clothing.
"It's a Storage Device!" he exclaimed passionately by the water's edge, grabbing a spare net and calling for a boat to come pick him up so he could dive into the water himself. However, those operating the boat rejected his proposal, explaining that it would be safer for them to handle such tasks since they had spent an entire day fishing here; their experience and instincts were unmatched.
Feeling dejected after being turned down, Xiao Mei let his hands drop in disappointment, pouting as if he could hang a gourd from his lips. But there was no need for Shui Su to comfort him; after a brief moment of unhappiness, he quickly self-soothed and excitedly ran towards the pool with his net.
Not for fishing—just for fun! Xiao Mei shouted defiantly.
He began catching fish by the water's edge; since this wild pond had not been polluted with artificial feed, each fish was strong and robust from natural competition. The larger ones thrashed about in discontent within the net. He selectively discarded those that were too small and kept only those worth taking home.
From time to time, good news came from those on board; more bags were piling up onshore, and Shui Su's previously deep expression began to lighten.
When it was time to retreat after enough catches were made, Xiao Mei turned around to see Shui Su looking at him with eyes full of affection and warmth. The subordinates teased that they had heard Young Master was fond of people; now they finally saw it in action—it truly brought them joy.
Xiao Mei paid no attention to them as he proudly showcased his catch of fish, insisting that they must be grilled when they got home and served alongside meat.
As dawn broke bright and clear with another beautiful day ahead, those who had finished salvaging their last area were all smiles as they waved their nets from afar to show off their haul. The items inside rattled with movement, indicating they were all good finds.
Dozens of Storage Devices were taken out of the bag, still dry. They carefully arranged them according to the numbers marked on them and placed them in a protective box, signaling the end of their task.
Xiao Mei sat in the back seat of the car, hugging the box excitedly and twisting it around. Her mouth was busy listing various ways to cook fish, having already mentioned dozens of recipes for just a few fish, embodying the spirit of making one fish into eighteen dishes. Shui Su quietly sat beside her, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched his little partner go wild. If she hadn’t volunteered to carry the box, he would have worried that Xiao Mei might try to bring those fish along for the ride.
"Young Master, what do you think is inside those Storage Devices?" After Xiao Mei had tired herself out and fallen asleep with the box covering her and wrapped in Shui Su's coat, the driver cautiously asked Shui Su.
Through the rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of the person in the back. Their deep, emotionless eyes met his gaze, sending a strong sense of pressure that made him tense up, even hesitant to breathe deeply. The Young Master was someone who had always been different from others; he was more mature than many elders in his family. Even at three or five years old, he had an almost piercing gaze that seemed to see through everything, coldly observing all.
As he grew older, his intimidating presence only increased. When he looked at you with a blank expression, it could make you break out in a cold sweat even on a hot summer day. Fortunately, he was also easy to talk to; it was just that his demeanor could be quite intimidating at times.
"Judging by the quantity, it should be something related to experimental data. Choosing to discard them like this without taking them away means either there are backups or this is the backup," the man's voice was low and carried an undeniable weight that made one instinctively believe him.
The car fell silent as Shui Su took the box from Xiao Mei's arms—who had twisted herself into an awkward position while sleeping—and placed it by his feet. He wrapped his arms around her to ensure she slept comfortably.
After a long pause, a group message notification popped up. Realizing it only then, he clicked on it and saw several segments of writing from Song Bunan. He shook his head helplessly. When it came to Xin Yi, should he be happy for him or worried? Shui Su couldn't quite figure it out.
Looking back, those who knew Song Bunan in Ghost Messenger were quite reluctant about his relationship; some even came to complain about why they hadn’t stopped him earlier.
At this point, their Ba Zi should have been matched down below; why hadn’t he heard any news yet?
He felt a bit curious about what the outcome would be.
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