Chapter 1158
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Chapter 1158 Residence
Linjiang City.
A plane slowly descended.
Lin Qiye and the others had just walked out of the airport in casual clothes and were standing by the street preparing to get a taxi when Baili Pangpang picked up his phone:
“Hello? Secretary Sun? Yes, we’ve arrived, you can come over now.”
Baili Pangpang hung up the phone, and soon a stretched Lincoln pulled up to the curb. A middle-aged man with graying temples got out of the car and bowed slightly to Baili Pangpang:
“Sorry to keep you waiting, please get in.”
Lin Qiye asked in surprise: “You arranged a car again? How do you have cars wherever you go?”
“Not really, it just happens that Linjiang also has a branch of our Baili family company, so I borrowed the CEO’s car for use.” Baili Pangpang chuckled,
“It’s not that I’m too high and mighty to take a taxi, it’s mainly because I don’t carry cash, and it’s too much trouble to buy out taxi companies every time I need to pay.”
Lin Qiye: …
Lin Qiye and the others got into the car, gave an address, and the vehicle slowly started moving.
Baili Pangpang leaned back in his seat, turned his head to gaze at the gloomy sky outside, his brows slightly furrowed.
“Don’t you feel… something’s not quite right about this city?”
Baili Pangpang’s sudden question startled everyone in the car. An Qingyu looked around through the car window and asked in confusion:
“What’s not right?”
“It’s just… the yin energy seems a bit heavy?”
“Heavy yin energy?” Cao Yuan was stunned, carefully examined the roadside for a moment, then suddenly realized, “Indeed, Linjiang City has many beautiful women, and they’re dressed quite coolly.”
Baili Pangpang’s mouth twitched, “I’m not talking about that kind of yin energy, I mean in terms of feng shui!”
“Since when did you understand Taoist feng shui?” Cao Yuan asked suspiciously.
“…Just something I’ve been pondering about on my own.”
Baili Pangpang answered vaguely.
Lin Qiye closed his eyes, and a few seconds later slowly opened them, shaking his head:
“Within my spiritual perception range, there’s nothing unusual in the city… not a single ‘Mystery’ to be found. Could you be overthinking it?”
Baili Pangpang looked out the window, his brows furrowing even more, then withdrew his gaze and lowered his head in thought.
His cultivation and dao fruits had not yet returned… could he really have misjudged?
“The weather in Linjiang City has indeed been consistently poor lately,” Secretary Sun, sitting in the driver’s seat, promptly reminded them. “Umbrellas have been prepared for everyone, please remember to take them with you later.”
After driving on the elevated highway for about an hour, the vehicle stopped by a remote street.
Lin Qiye got out of the car with an umbrella. Before him was a cluster of low residential buildings. Judging from the geographical location, this area should belong to the suburbs of Linjiang City.
Baili Pangpang and the others followed behind Lin Qiye, their gazes sweeping the surroundings:
“Is this it? Why does it feel like these are all abandoned old houses…”
“One or two months ago, this area was designated as a demolition zone by the Li Group, and residents have gradually moved away. I’m not sure if the person you’re looking for is still here.” Secretary Sun explained in a timely manner.
“Demolition? Did we arrive too late?”
“Possibly… Seven, where is Brother Zhuai’s address?”
“It’s inside the alley,” Lin Qiye recalled the files he had seen. “83 East Altar Alley.”
“Everyone fix up your appearance. When we face Brother Zhuai’s relatives later, don’t slip up, understand?”
“Don’t worry, we’re comrades from the same camp as Brother Zhuai,” Baili Pangpang patted his chest. “We won’t give ourselves away. Let’s go.”
Lin Qiye and the others followed the worn-out door plates, making their way along the muddy path of the small alley, finally stopping in front of a rusty iron gate.
Their eyes swept over the erected signboard, and everyone froze in place.
“Seven, are you sure this is it? No mistake?” Baili Pangpang asked with wide eyes.
“…It shouldn’t be wrong.”
“Hanshan Orphanage?” Cao Yuan’s face was full of confusion. “How can it be an orphanage? Didn’t Brother Zhuai tell you… to visit his relatives for him?”
“Wait, let me make a call to confirm.”
Even Lin Qiye, who had always been confident in his memory, was uncertain now. He immediately walked aside, took out his phone, and contacted the personnel from the Night Watchmen’s archives department.
A few minutes later, Lin Qiye returned with a complicated expression.
“It’s correct, this is the place,” Lin Qiye said slowly. “Brother Zhuai’s Night Watchman file lists this as his address. According to the clerical staff who verified the files back then, he was indeed an orphan.
When Brother Zhuai asked me to visit his home for him, it was probably just an excuse to get us to leave Hell.”
Upon hearing these words, the small alley fell into dead silence.
After a long while, Cao Yuan finally asked: “So what… should we do now?”
Lin Qiye looked at the signboard at the entrance, which was so rusty that the name was barely visible, remained silent for a moment, then sighed deeply:
“Regardless, this is where Brother Zhuai grew up. Since we’re here, and there seem to be people inside, let’s go in and take a look.”
Seeing that no one objected, Lin Qiye reached out and shook the iron gate. The rust scraped, making a harsh creaking sound.
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know… I’ll go check!”
“It’s not those thugs again, is it?”
Several childish voices came from the courtyard inside. A girl wearing a red jacket with rosy cheeks cautiously peeked out from behind the door. Her eyes fell on Cao Yuan, and she immediately burst into tears:
“It’s gangsters! Those gangsters are back!! And they look even fiercer than before!”
Cao Yuan: ????
Soon, an old man in his sixties wearing reading glasses walked out of the old house with a hunched back. He was holding an iron rod in his hand, with a stern face, looking quite tough:
“Didn’t I tell you?! We’re not moving! Why are you still coming? Do you think this old man is easy to bully?!”
Before he finished speaking, he raised the iron rod and struck the gate fence hard.
With a dull thud, the old man’s hand holding the rod trembled, and his expression immediately stiffened. He silently put his hand behind his back.
“I’m warning you, I’m an old man. If you harm me, I can sue you to death!” he raised his head defiantly.
“…Sir, please don’t misunderstand, we’re not bad people.”
Lin Qiye pulled the disgruntled Cao Yuan behind him and asked as gently as possible: “Excuse me, do you know Shen Qingzhu?”
Upon hearing the name Shen Qingzhu, the old man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Who are you people?” he frowned, suspiciously examining the strange young people before him.
Seeing the old man’s reaction, Lin Qiye knew he had come to the right place and repeated the explanation he had prepared:
“We are Shen Qingzhu’s comrades from the same military camp. We’re on leave and came here on his behalf to pay our respects.”
“You’re the kid Shen’s comrades?”
The old man raised an eyebrow, his expression noticeably softening. After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and opened the iron gate:
“…Come in and we’ll talk.”
