Chapter 119: The Scent of "Spring"

The crisp voice and that beautiful, exquisite face made Zhang Qinglin’s eyes light up. He had a very deep impression of this young and beautiful woman standing before him; she was the very person who had saved his life at the mining site a few months ago.

Zhang Qinglin kept his gaze fixed on her face, feeling a bit bewildered. She was supposed to be at the mining site, so how did she end up here?

His persistent staring began to make the beautiful woman feel somewhat self-conscious. She lowered her head slightly and raised her hand to tuck a lock of long hair behind her ear.

With a blush spreading across her cheeks, she said, "Why do you keep staring at me? Don't tell me you’ve already forgotten who I am!"

Hearing this, Zhang Qinglin awkwardly shifted his gaze elsewhere and offered a polite smile. "Not at all, it's just that I didn't know your name yet."

The woman began walking away from the pond, and Zhang Qinglin followed, leaving behind the middle-aged man who was stooping down to gather his tools.

Back in the prefabricated cabin, Zhang Qinglin sat back down on the simple cot, while the woman walked over to a wooden table and introduced herself.

Her name was Bai Weiwei, a native of Beijing. Her family primarily dealt in trade, though they held interests in other industries as well, such as mining and fisheries, and she was typically the one out in the field managing these operations.

Zhang Qinglin asked urgently, "Miss Bai, you were the one who saved me, right? Where is this place? And where are my friends? *Cough, cough...*"

Bai Weiwei poured a glass of water and handed it to him. "Don't get worked up. Drink some water, and I’ll tell you everything slowly."

Taking the glass from her, Zhang Qinglin watched her closely as she leaned back against the wooden table. "I did save you. I was on my way back at five o'clock yesterday morning when I pulled you out from the banks of the Wei River. You were all alone; there was no one else there. But what I find most strange is that you were covered in blood, yet it wasn't yours—you didn't have a single wound on you. Did you kill someone?"

Bai Weiwei’s expression shifted to one of fear; her eyes widened, and her mouth formed a small, questioning "O" shape.

"What?! I didn't kill anyone."

Bai Weiwei let out a giggle. "Relax, I’m not going to turn you in to the police. Besides, you don't look like the type who could kill anyone. Tell me, how did you end up in the river?"

Zhang Qinglin lowered his hand and stared at her. Seeing the calm in her eyes, he realized he had been toyed with. However, he didn't answer her question directly. "You still haven't told me where this is."

Bai Weiwei stepped away from the table and turned to face him sideways. "This is the Xikou Forest Farm."

"Xikou Forest Farm!" Zhang Qinglin was dumbfounded. He never imagined that this was the very location mentioned in the anonymous letter regarding the whereabouts of Wu Ming-shi.

He looked at Bai Weiwei again. How could it be such a coincidence?

Could she be the one who sent the anonymous letter? Did she know where Wu Ming-shi was? Recalling their meeting at the mining site, he sensed that she was far from an ordinary person, so she must know something.

"You have a strange look on your face. You weren't actually scared by my little joke, were you? Or perhaps you’re thinking about what happened at the mine? I don't want to explain too much about that, but after you left, the site was sealed off for a time. I truly didn't know about the fatalities. Now, the mine has strictly followed all government project procedures and approvals; it’s a completely legal and compliant operation."

"Miss Bai, you don't need to tell me these things. I’ve long since forgotten about the mining site. There are just two things I’d like to ask for your help with," Zhang Qinglin said, sitting upright.

Bai Weiwei pouted, her eyes flickering. After a moment of thought, she said, "Why should I help you? I’ve saved you twice now. How are you going to repay me?"

"I’ll repay you however you wish," Zhang Qinglin replied without hesitation. Right now, all he wanted to know was where Cheng Che and the others were. After falling into the water the day before yesterday, he hadn't seen Cheng Che or Chi Tan, and in the end, even Wan Qing had been swept away by the current.

"You’ll agree to any request?" Bai Weiwei confirmed.

Zhang Qinglin looked at her and nodded vigorously, then added immediately, "I’ll do whatever you ask, as long as it’s nothing illegal or against the rules."

"Illegal or against the rules? Haha, alright. Tell me, what do you want me to help you with?" Bai Weiwei asked, the corners of her mouth curling upward.

"The first thing is to ask you to help me find news of my friends. We were driving across the Wei River Bridge the night before last when the car suddenly broke down, lost control, and plunged into the river. There were four of us in total, including me. Among my three friends, one is a woman and two are men. I’m very worried about them." As he spoke, Zhang Qinglin gripped the jade tiger in his hand tightly.

"I didn't realize you cared so much about your friends. But how did you know I could help you find this information?" Bai Weiwei nodded, her eyes fixed keenly on him.

"With your family having such large industries here in Xi'an, you must come into contact with many people. Plus, you mentioned your family’s trade business in Beijing; you must know many people in government departments. It shouldn't be difficult to inquire about a few things."

Bai Weiwei crossed her arms over her chest and studied him, then gave a nod of approval. "You are becoming more and more interesting. What is the second thing?"