You Mingxu stared at him steadily: “Only one drink allowed.”

Yin Feng immediately displayed a rabbit-like innocence completely at odds with his alluring appearance, clasping his beer glass with both hands, full of regret: “Oh.”

Fan Jia: “Tsk tsk, such a domineering CEO and his delicate wife.”

Xu Mengshan: “The man behind the female boss.”

You Mingxu ignored these fox-and-dog friends who fought openly but conspired in secret, and asked Yin Feng again: “What do you think? Should we let Fan Jia go tomorrow?”

Yin Feng answered: “If it were me, I’d go. Previously, Chen Zhaoci insisted on the nude loan video, showing every sign of cutting ties afterward. That would have aligned with company interests and usual procedures. Now he suddenly changes course, inviting Fan Jia to the company, saying there’s room for discussion. Something must have changed. And I believe the change isn’t from Chen Zhaoci himself, but rather his superiors changing their minds. The fox might be about to show its tail, so we should grab it.”

The other three fell silent.

You Mingxu downed her drink in one go and said to Fan Jia: “Go ahead. But absolutely no rash moves. At any sign of danger, withdraw immediately. We’ll be watching closely from the perimeter to protect you.”

—

Chen Zhaoci arranged to meet Fan Jia the following evening.

This low-profile company, which perhaps had countless connections with thousands of university students in the city, was located near Huaicheng University, in a corner of the old district.

Twilight shrouded the narrow streets, surrounded by warehouses and storefronts. Being in such a remote location, it became desolate at night, with barely any pedestrians in sight.

Fan Jia followed Chen Zhaoci out of the car, looking at the unremarkable three-story gray building before them. “The company is here?”

Chen Zhaoci said: “What were you expecting? The company headquarters is in Shenzhen, occupying three floors of a downtown skyscraper. This is just Huaicheng’s branch office – we have over 100 branches nationwide. The building owner in downtown Huaicheng checked it out but didn’t like it much, so we simply rented it here. It’s spacious, quiet, and close to the university. It’s not even cheaper than downtown.”

Fan Jia thought to herself, I’d be a fool to believe that. But her face showed an expression of understanding.

Surprisingly, there was a reception desk on the first floor, though unmanned after hours. Chen Zhaoci led Fan Jia inside. She surveyed her surroundings – seven or eight empty desks, revealing nothing suspicious.

On the second floor, several offices still had their lights on. Chen Zhaoci greeted a few people who hurried past as if Fan Jia were invisible. He explained: “To be honest, everyone’s seen plenty of university students like you.” Fan Jia: “Oh, so what am I mainly here for today?”

Twilight permeated the hallway, which remained dark except for light spilling from adjacent rooms. Chen Zhaoci turned to look at her, smiling: “Don’t worry, it’s something good. You don’t need to say much, just listen to what they have to say.”

“They?”

Chen Zhaoci nodded slightly: “The company owner and several executives. They care deeply about idealistic and upright university students like you. They’ve learned about your difficulties. Whether you can seize this opportunity depends on you.”

Fan Jia nodded, appearing somewhat confused.

After a while, she asked: “Your company has such extensive operations and so many clients, how did they… know about me?” Her voice carried hints of joy and shyness.

Chen Zhaoci looked ahead, smiling: “Of course, I mentioned you to them – weren’t you at your wit’s end? Besides, when you came to confront me at my office that time, the boss happened to drive by and saw you.”

Fan Jia: “Oh… then I’m really lucky.”

Outside another office, Chen Zhaoci knocked, and a young woman emerged. He said: “Take her in for security screening.”

The woman nodded. Fan Jia grabbed Chen Zhaoci’s sleeve, looking confused: “Why…”

Chen Zhaoci smiled slightly, explaining softly: “Company policy – everyone gets checked. We’re wary of journalists who want to write sensational stories, distort facts, then try to blackmail us. It’s just a simple check, nothing to worry about. Also, your phone needs to be turned off and left here. You’ll get it back afterward.”

Fan Jia had no choice but to follow the young woman into the office. The woman professionally patted her down, finding nothing concealed, then emptied Fan Jia’s handbag in front of her, taking the phone first.

Fan Jia lowered her gaze, watching the woman’s hands intently. She glanced down – outside the partially closed door, that shadow remained still. Chen Zhaoci was waiting outside.

From the moment Fan Jia got into Chen Zhaoci’s car, You Mingxu and the others had heard every word of their conversation crystal clear.

They were stationed in a warehouse opposite the Fenjin Bao company, curtains drawn with just a gap to watch the entrance. As far as they knew, the building had only this one entry point.

Fan Jia’s bag had no camera, anticipating this kind of search. But it did contain listening devices and trackers.

You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan stared at the display screen before them, showing a local map where a dot representing Fan Jia blinked steadily inside the opposite building.

Yin Feng sat behind them.

They heard rustling sounds through the listening device, along with things being dumped out. You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan held their breath.

“What’s this?”

A strange young woman’s voice suddenly came through with startling clarity and volume.

—

Fan Jia watched as various small items from her bag rolled across the table, then saw the woman pick up the pen while an eyebrow pencil rolled under the table, stopping near the woman’s foot.

Fan Jia looked innocent: “A fountain pen.”

The woman, who appeared a few years older than university student Fan Lin Lin but showed none of her naivety, glanced at her, expressionlessly unscrewed the cap and ink cartridge, examined it carefully, and finding nothing unusual, put it down.

She then thoroughly inspected Fan Jia’s powder compact, wallet, lipstick, and power bank, finally helping her pack everything back, saying: “Alright, you can go.”

Fan Jia picked up her bag and left without another glance at the eyebrow pencil on the floor. At the door, Chen Zhaoci exchanged a look with the woman, then gave Fan Jia a gentle smile, saying: “Before meeting the executives, someone wants to see you first.”

—

You Mingxu’s team listened as the sounds through the monitoring device grew distant, followed by a closing door, then silence.

Xu Mengshan said: “That silly girl probably lost the listening device. Sister Yu, what now?”

You Mingxu stared at the screen, where the dot continued moving slowly, and said: “Fan Jia is a sensible person. She still has another alarm tracker on her, and it’s still moving, so it probably hasn’t been discovered. If she encounters danger, she’ll call us. Let’s keep watching.”