Chapter Fifteen Crisis

  Xu Mo's face changed color. Liu Qian glanced at Ma Wu with a hint of disdain and said, "Of course we were in the dormitory, but you, for two days, there have been three or four hours when you weren't in the dormitory, where did you go?"

  Ma Wu said in a low and menacing tone, "You've been following me, don't think I'm unaware. Hand over the thing, and we'll consider this matter settled. Otherwise... you know the consequences yourselves."

  Xu Mo didn't say a word, and instead looked at Liu Qian. Liu Qian was more experienced in this regard, so he took over the response. He spread his hands out and smiled blandly: "Hand over the goods? I don't understand what you're talking about."

  Ma Wu gave the two a cold glance, his fierce intention flashing across his face for an instant. "Good, very good..." Then he fell silent.

  Xiao Chen cleared his throat and said, "Not long ago, something went missing from the inn. The owner saw the thief's face and suspects it was one of you who did it. However, I believe this has nothing to do with any of you, so please cooperate and let the owner take a look at each of your faces."

  There was a commotion in the crowd, and someone immediately raised an objection. "We are just part-time workers, something is missing, why should we be suspected? Why do you want to identify us among ourselves?"

  Xiao Chen smiled and said: "If you're not guilty, what's wrong with letting people take a closer look?"

  "Conscience! Would I be conscience-stricken? What would you do if it wasn't me who did it?" The man was a bit too serious, the type that wouldn't let go once he got started.

  Xiao Chen also noticed and turned away, no longer responding.

  Another person said angrily: "Can't we identify people when it's daylight? Why do you have to call people in the middle of the night, what's the meaning of this? I've never had a part-time job like this before, not treating people as humans. As soon as it gets light, I'm quitting, humph! What's so serious about it?"

  Xiao Chen added a sentence, "Tomorrow is another day, and this part-time job will be over." The unspoken implication was: even if you want to do it, there's nothing left to do.

  What he said was just hot air, but after hearing this, his face suddenly showed an unmistakable look of disappointment. After all, it's not easy to find a part-time job that's so relaxed.

  The crowd surged forward again.

  At this time, Shen Bancheng's daughter walked into the yard with a few people from the entrance. The crowd suddenly fell silent, and all eyes were fixed on her. After a moment, there was a burst of low "wow" sounds, which should be in admiration of her beauty.

  She had changed her clothes and was wearing a black windbreaker. The people around her were all robust, presumably her bodyguards, but the man in the black suit who went up the mountain with her during the day was not among them.

  Xiao Chen hastily stepped forward and respectfully called out: "Miss Shen."

  "Has everyone arrived?" Miss Shen asked casually.

  "Alright."

  Miss Shen's expression didn't change, she walked up and stood close to the part-time worker's face, looking at each one of them. When she saw Liu Qian, Liu Qian couldn't help but smile and greet her: "Miss Shen."

  Miss Shen's gaze lingered on him for a moment before she nodded slightly at him, and Liu Qian's face showed joy.

  "I know who stole the thing." Ma Wu suddenly shouted loudly, pointing at Xu Mo and Liu Qian, "It's them, earlier they were not in the room, they must have gone to steal things."

  Miss Shen turned her head and looked at Ma Wu. She had only intended to recognize him, but it was just an excuse that something unexpected happened.

  Xu Mo couldn't help but feel a shock in his heart, "Ma Wu shouted it out like that, could it be that even he himself no longer wants those few things?"

  Xiao Chen gave Ma Wu a warning look, but Ma Wu pretended not to see it and loudly said: "Whether or not they stole something, searching their bodies will make it clear." As he spoke, he walked forward, stretched out his hand, and was about to grab Xu Mo's clothes.

  Miss Shen gazed at the three of them, saying nothing.

  "Get out!"

  Xu Mo let out a low cry, slightly dodged to the side, and avoided Ma Wu's hand. Seeing that Miss Shen was staring at him, it was clear that she had already become suspicious, and his heart skipped another beat.

  The things had long been buried, he was not afraid, took off his jacket, held it with both hands, turned it upside down and shook it downwards, the things in the pockets fell to the ground with a rustling sound. He looked at Ma Wu, sneered and said: "Which one of these things is stolen?"

  Ma Wu glanced down at the ground and then pointed at Liu Qian, "And him."

  Liu Qian burst out laughing and, imitating Xu Mo's actions, took off his jacket, turned it upside down and shook it vigorously, causing the contents to fall to the ground and mix with Xu Mo's. He then asked in response, "We've all had our things checked, aren't you going to prove your own innocence?"

  Ma Wu didn't say a word, lowered his head to check the belongings of the two men, then let out a "hmm" and took off his clothes, shaking them down to show he was clean.

  Miss Shen glanced at the three of them a few times, suddenly swung her hand back, and those bodyguards walked forward. She pointed to Xu Mo and the others with her hand and whispered: "Search their bodies."

  One of them who seemed to be the leader of the guards responded with a grunt, waved his hand and two men stepped forward to search Xǔ Mò and the others.

  Xu Mo was calm in his heart, stretched out his hands and let them search. Liu Gan and Ma Wu were the same.

  Two bodyguards searched the three people, but didn't find anything suspicious. Miss Shen didn't say a word and left the yard before the two bodyguards finished searching. The rest of the bodyguards followed her out.

  Xiao Chen and the others dispersed, waving his hand, "dismissed." The part-time workers then returned to their rooms to sleep.

  Xu Mo, Liu Qian and Ma Wu were the last three to leave. Xu Mo bent down to pick up his belongings, which were mixed with those of Liu Qian and Ma Wu, making it difficult to distinguish them at first.

  Ma Wu let out a grunt and suddenly pushed Xu Mo, who stumbled backward. Liu Gan flew up with one foot and kicked Ma Wu in the chest. Ma Wu took a step back, clenched his fists, and was about to rush forward to fight.

  "Halt!" Little Chen shouted, stopping them. He walked forward, pressed his hand on Liu Qian's shoulder, stared into his eyes and said coldly: "I don't care where you hid the things, now hand them over and I'll spare your lives."

  Driver Lao Li stood aside, his face cold and stern, his eyes constantly scanning Liu Qian and Xu Mo, the atmosphere suddenly becoming tense.

  Liu Qian glared back at him, calmly saying: "I don't know what you're talking about."

  Xiao Chen seemed furious, his face darkened to the extreme, and he coldly laughed once, but didn't say anything more. He instructed Ma Wu with one sentence: "You keep an eye on them."

  Ma Wu's eyes swept back and forth between Xu Mo and Liu Qian, his teeth clenched in anger as he growled: "Don't worry, not a single one of them will escape." Each word seemed to be forced out from between gritted teeth.

  Xiao Chen nodded, but then glared at him, this glare was for his earlier arbitrary behavior, speaking those words in front of Miss Shen and arousing her suspicion.

  Ma Wu said with a smile: "I know they won't carry things on them, just trying it out."

  Xiao Chen stopped talking and turned to leave with the off-road driver, Old Li. He didn't even glance at Mo Xu and Liu Qian again, in his heart, he had already treated them as dead men.

  The three of them each took their belongings and returned to the house, without any further conflict. Ma Wu didn't sleep either, sitting on his bed staring at Xu Mo and Liu Qian, who both got up once to use the bathroom, with him following closely behind, making Xu Mo secretly worried.

  By the second day, he didn't go to work either. He followed Xu Mo and Liu Qian from a distance. Wherever they went, he would follow them there. When the two of them separated several times, he ignored Liu Qian and only stared at Xu Mo, apparently thinking that Xu Mo was easier to deal with.

  Xu Mo and Liu Qian also stopped working, wandering around on the mountain, looking for a way to escape, but couldn't find an opportunity.

  Xiao Chen made over a dozen phone calls in a row, gathering people to intercept on the way back after finishing his part-time job.

  The two of them grew even more worried, and Liu Gan sighed: "It's all over now. If we're blocked by them, we'll definitely die."

  Xu Mo recalled the ferocity of Zhao and Qian from last night, and didn't doubt their determination to kill for a moment. He pondered for a while, then asked: "Is there really no other way?"

  Liu Qian helplessly said, "Unless Shen Bancheng's people are willing to help us, these three men are spies, we know it, but Shen Bancheng's people don't. Even if we speak out, they have to be willing to believe us. However, at a time like this, how can these three men easily reveal their true nature?"

  Xu Mo said reluctantly: "Anyway, we have to try, Shen Bancheng's daughter might recognize you, go and talk to her, let's see what happens."

  "If she asks, how will we answer her about how we knew?" Liu Qian hesitated.

  Xu Mo fell silent for a long time before saying, "If there's no other way, then we'll just have to be straightforward. Those things weren't stolen by us anyway, so the worst that can happen is that we return them."

  Liu Qian shook his head repeatedly, "Shen Bancheng's business has always been a big secret. Feng Lao Da and He Lao Da tried every means to find out, but couldn't. If Shen Bancheng's people find out that we know this secret, they will silence us for sure."

  Xu Mo listened to him and also felt that it was not feasible, so he continued to ask: "You have more experience in this regard, what do you think should be done?"

  "This point must be flexible, no matter what, fabricate a lie, conceal it and pass it off, the things that Ma Wu stole can never be returned, nor can they ever be mentioned." Liu Qian continued.

  This was exactly what Xu Mo was good at, and he quickly came up with an idea: He would say that he had overheard Xiao Chen's phone call, the content of which was suspicious. The two were too far apart, so he could only vaguely hear a few key words like "wife", "zombie", "black eagle" and "handgun". Liu Qian used to work under Shen Bancheng in front of Hu San, so he had a soft spot for his former boss and came to report the news. The story was vague, but after what Miss Shen had been through, she couldn't help but believe it.

  "Alright, let's get our stories straight." Liu Qian continued.

  After a brief discussion, they finalized the details and headed towards the villa on the hillside.

  Ma Wu pursued closely and relentlessly.