Chapter Twenty-Three: The Question Concerning XX

****Please add to favorites****

The task of extorting a million from Brother Zhenguo was handed to Long Kun, and there was absolutely no problem with that. Zhuo Nan himself was not in a convenient position to step forward. If our Brother Nan personally called Brother Zhenguo, wouldn’t that expose the target? With a super brain like his, how could Brother Nan do something so foolish…

Besides, such a small business deal of a mere million wasn’t even worth his attention. He had more important matters at hand.

He was going to meet Sun Yan, Du Fanhao’s girlfriend. He had promised to help Du Fanhao find evidence to prove his innocence. Since he’d given his word, he had to follow through. More importantly, Nan had his own little schemes. “Brother Ma, even if you wear sunglasses, chew on a toothpick, dress in a trench coat, and wield two guns this time, it won’t help you. As for QQ, I’m determined to get it.”

Back then, Brother Ma had made his fortune with wireless paging services. Although Du Fanhao didn’t know what QQ was, as long as Zhuo Nan explained the basic concept, someone as talented as Du Fanhao would surely recognize the business opportunity. So rescuing Du was a top priority!

He found a public phone booth and dialed Sun Yan’s number. They agreed on a meeting place, and Zhuo Nan set out.

In those days, cell phones were still a luxury. Only government officials or businessmen could afford them; ordinary office workers rarely had one. It wasn’t like 2010, when if you said you didn’t have a phone, people on the street would ask, “Hey man, are you from another time?”

Zhuo Nan thought, “Once I get that million from Brother Zhenguo, I’ll get myself a phone too—it’ll make things so much more convenient.”

They were to meet at the city square. Damn it, the city square was downtown, but Nan was out in the suburbs. Just taking a cab would cost twenty bucks. He turned all his pockets inside out and found only two yuan—just enough for a round trip by bus.

Taking the bus was the least of his worries; the real issue was that Zhuo Nan had never met Sun Yan. On the phone, she had said they should each carry a newspaper as a sign.

Zhuo Nan shuddered inwardly—it felt like some online blind date. Still, there was no better way; with so many people at the city square, how could they find each other without some kind of signal?

After a long journey—yes, a genuine ordeal—taking the bus from the suburbs during the evening rush hour, crammed in with people, the bus crawling like a snail, and worst of all, standing next to a woman in her forties who kept chatting with her companion. That wouldn’t have been a problem except for… the smell from her mouth. Good Lord, Zhuo Nan nearly passed out. He wondered if her companion had lost her sense of smell.

At the city square, Zhuo Nan needed a newspaper for their signal, but looking around, he saw none discarded. The square wasn’t spotless, but it was at least orderly—thanks to image-conscious city projects.

Damn… That left only two options: buy one or dig through the trash.

Feeling the last yuan in his pocket, Zhuo Nan made up his mind: he’d dig through the trash just this once in his life. Thankfully, Shi Yang was still with Long Kun—otherwise, this would have been too humiliating.

After glancing around furtively, Zhuo Nan hurried to a nearby trash can. Fortunately, he found a newspaper inside. Though it looked disgusting, he had no choice.

Waving the questionable newspaper as if nothing was amiss, he’d barely taken two steps when someone called from behind, “Brother Nan…”

He turned around to see a woman in her twenties holding a brand-new newspaper. Compared to his… well, there was nothing more to say. “Sun Yan?”

“Yes, that’s me.” Sun Yan, now sure of his identity, quickly walked over.

“I’m Zhuo Nan,” he said, still holding the newspaper, smiling as he introduced himself, thinking he looked quite suave.

Sun Yan stifled a laugh. “Just throw it out—I saw everything.”

Sweat beaded on Zhuo Nan’s forehead. He knew exactly what she’d seen and hurriedly tossed the newspaper back into the trash.

Sun Yan was surprised to see Brother Nan was actually a handsome young man. Judging by the backpack on his shoulders, he might still be a student. It was hard to connect this youth with the underworld boss Du Fanhao had described. Although Du had mentioned Brother Nan was young, this was a bit too young…

Moreover, his gaze lingered on her with a certain… intensity.

In truth, Zhuo Nan was equally astonished. How had the sleazy-looking Du Fanhao managed to find such a beautiful girlfriend? Could it be that he’d mastered some legendary art of seduction?

“Miss Sun, sorry to keep you waiting,” Zhuo Nan said, embarrassed.

“It’s fine, Brother Nan—I just arrived too,” Sun Yan replied with a smile.

After the pleasantries, the conversation stalled. Sun Yan hadn’t expected Zhuo Nan to be so young; Zhuo Nan hadn’t expected Sun Yan to be so pretty. In his imagination, Du Fanhao’s girlfriend would be far less attractive.

Finally, Sun Yan broke the silence. “Brother Nan, you haven’t eaten, have you? It’s getting late—let’s grab a bite.”

Zhuo Nan glanced at the darkening sky. His stomach was indeed empty, so he nodded. “Alright.”

“Let’s go, then,” Sun Yan said, leading the way.

There were plenty of restaurants near the city square. They soon found an elegant Western restaurant where the waiters wore matching white shirts, black trousers, and bow ties—a truly upscale place. Only after sitting down did Zhuo Nan remember he had no money. Glancing at the menu, he saw a steak for eighty-eight yuan. An auspicious number, perhaps, but he couldn’t pay for it. He couldn’t possibly let the lady pay, could he? What would people think of him… a gigolo?

As the saying goes, “A man may fall on hard times, but he must never lose face.” So, pretending to study the menu, he said to the waiter, “You can leave us for now—we’ll call you when we’re ready.”

The waiter hesitated, then smiled. “Of course, sir. Just let me know if you need anything.” With a polite smile, he turned and left.

Sun Yan was puzzled. There weren’t that many choices on this menu—what was there to consider?

She watched as Zhuo Nan hid his face behind the menu, leaned toward her, and whispered, “Miss Sun, I’m not hungry. Let’s talk business first.”

Now Sun Yan understood—Brother Nan was out of money. Even if he had some, he probably couldn’t afford this meal. She’d intended to treat him anyway, but now she felt like teasing this young “underworld boss” a bit. “Brother Nan, I’m really starving—let’s eat first and talk after.”

The lady had spoken; Zhuo Nan had no choice. He braced himself—tonight he’d just have to swallow his pride.

“Alright, you order for yourself. I’m not hungry…” In reality, his stomach was already growling, but he had no choice. At worst, after Sun Yan finished eating, he’d let her leave first and then call his father to pay the bill.

“Fine, I’ll order for myself. Waiter—over here,” Sun Yan called. After glancing at the menu, she said, “I’ll have the Deluxe Ocean Emperor Steak Set.”

Zhuo Nan’s heart bled. One hundred and fifty-eight! Did she really need that much food? Still, he kept smiling.

The waiter turned to him. “And for you, sir?”

Sun Yan spoke up, “Just bring him a glass of water.”

The waiter had seen this scenario before—not everyone who came here ordered a meal. “Very well. Please wait a moment; I’ll bring everything shortly.”

Sun Yan was already laughing inwardly at Zhuo Nan’s nonchalant demeanor.

Since he wasn’t getting a meal, Zhuo Nan decided to get down to business. “Miss Sun, I’ve spoken with Brother Du about his case, but could you explain in detail how the police have been handling things lately?”

At the mention of serious matters, Sun Yan dropped her playful tone, frowning. “All the evidence is against Fanhao, especially…”

She trailed off, too embarrassed to finish. Seeing her blushing, Zhuo Nan understood what she meant. “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Do you believe in his innocence?”

“Yes, I know his character—he isn’t that kind of person.” Seeing her firm expression, Zhuo Nan knew things would go smoothly.

“As long as you believe him. Now, I need you to do a few things: first, give me Zhang Xinhong’s address. Second, I want to visit the scene of the incident—I hope you’ll take me.”

“Brother Nan, why do you need that?” Sun Yan asked.

“Don’t call me Brother Nan—just Zhuo Nan is fine. I’m younger than you, after all.” Zhuo Nan shuddered. It felt odd to be called “brother” by an older woman.

“No way—Fanhao calls you Brother Nan, so I will too. But you haven’t said why you need that information…” Her voice grew quieter toward the end.

“If Brother Du didn’t rape that woman, then the whole matter of semen is ridiculous. But since it’s confirmed as semen, there are only two possibilities: one, the police fabricated it; two, someone obtained Brother Du’s semen beforehand… Now tell me, is the police report genuine?” Zhuo Nan repeated the word “semen” three times in a row. Even though Sun Yan had experience with men, her face turned crimson. Zhuo Nan, meanwhile, remained calm—a true shameless rogue.

Sun Yan didn’t think Zhuo Nan’s analysis was anything special; she just felt that even if he wasn’t an underworld boss, he’d grow up to be a notorious lecher…

If Zhuo Nan knew what she was thinking, he’d surely cry out his innocence—Heavens above, Earth below, I’m really pure and adorable…

****There will be another chapter at midnight tonight****