Even if he was not considering joining the organization right now, a successful collaboration was the foundation of trust. So when Zhang Anxia told He Ao to name his price, He Ao could not possibly ask for an outrageous sum.
"I've always charged fairly," He Ao reassured Zhang Anxia. The organization Zhang Anxia belonged to did not seem particularly wealthy either. After thinking for a moment, he added, "I need to contact Lao Liu and have him pull the surveillance footage and set up checkpoints on some roads."
Liu Nan was slung over the Youth's shoulder as he moved through the gloomy, dark alleys. Her Physical Fitness had not been enhanced like He Ao's and Zhang Anxia's, and on the pitch-black streets without streetlights, she could barely see anything.
Most of the surrounding homes had already turned off their lights. Everything was so dark, with only the Youth carrying her forward in silence.
"Hello,"
Liu Nan patted the Youth's back, trying to speak to him. She had been carried directly over his shoulder, her legs pinned against his chest by his arm, her waist pressed against his shoulder, and her upper body dangling downward. She could only knock on his back.
"What do you want? I can give it to you directly. How much money do you need? Life isn't easy for anyone—I understand. Let me go, and I'll transfer the money to you. I won't call the police..."
The Youth did not respond, still huffing along the road.
"Really... I'm not lying to you..." Liu Nan pinched her sleeve, feeling the hard object inside. "You know my father is the chairman of Wanhe Enterprise. We can afford to pay. He taught me from childhood that honesty matters. If I say I won't call the police, then I really won't call the police."
The Youth did not respond. He simply tightened his grip around Liu Nan's leg, and the intense pain made her cry out.
"Speak again and I'll kill you."
The Youth's tone was icy as he continued onward.
Liu Nan glanced at the pitch-black surroundings and quietly fell silent through the pain.
These strange people did not seem to be after money alone.
"Watch the stall for me." He Ao hung a sign reading [Closed Today Due to Personal Matters] on the stall, locked his small cabinet, and had Yuan Nan Nan sit in his seat. "I've already contacted the police. Someone will come to protect you soon. Don't worry. There are cameras here, so it's safe."
In truth, Yuan Nan Nan had always been safe. If they had really wanted to take her, they would have grabbed her along with Liu Nan instead of letting her run back to find He Ao.
When He Ao mentioned the cameras, the short-haired girl in the distant corner who had been eating cold noodles normally suddenly paused, then slowly continued eating.
There were not many people eating at He Ao's stall by then, only a scattered few sitting far away. Basically, none of them could hear what He Ao was saying.
After reassuring Yuan Nan Nan, He Ao turned to glance at the short-haired girl without saying anything and slowly walked deeper into the street.
Watching He Ao disappear into the night step by step, the short-haired girl let out a long breath. Then she looked around and spotted a surveillance camera at the far end of the street aimed directly at this spot.
She quickly shoveled down the rest of her noodles, grabbed her suitcase, and headed in the opposite direction from He Ao.
After walking for a while and making sure no one was following her, she began to jog. She ran for quite some time before finally stopping once there was no one around, gasping for breath.
"What are you hiding from?"
A soft question suddenly sounded beside her ear.
"Ah!!!"
The girl was startled by the sudden "greeting." Her ankle twisted, and she fell toward the ground.
Seeing her fall, He Ao swiftly reached out.
And grabbed the suitcase.
Bang--
The girl landed hard on her backside.
She looked up blankly at He Ao, then rubbed her butt and stood up. "Don't you have any gentlemanly manners? You didn't even think to give me a hand."
"May I see what's in your suitcase?"
He Ao looked at her calmly.
"Go... go ahead..."
Looking into his cold eyes, the girl felt that if she refused, this man would kill her in the next second.
She had even imagined herself being dumped in the wilderness.
"I asked for your consent, so checking your belongings does not violate your privacy."
He Ao looked at the suitcase. It had a combination lock, but the girl had not locked it. He pressed the latch, and with a click, the suitcase opened.
A folded, multilayered inner compartment was revealed, filled with various bottles and jars.
Still, He Ao recognized some of the items, such as foundation, eyeliner, and lipstick.
He had expected it might contain jewelry, contraband, or weapons. He had not expected these things.
"What are these?"
He looked at the girl in confusion.
"Cos... cosmetics..." the girl stammered. He Ao's presence was far too chilling, completely different from the warmhearted boss who had just been selling cold noodles. It was a little frightening. "I'm a makeup artist."
"A makeup artist?"
Although He Ao had never heard of that profession, it sounded like a perfectly reasonable job. He slowly closed the suitcase, carefully zipped it back up, and returned it to its original position.
"It means someone who professionally helps people put on makeup," the girl explained.
She felt that there was something off about what He Ao had done, but he had asked for her permission and had not touched anything. It somehow seemed perfectly reasonable.
"There shouldn't be anyone around here who needs your help with makeup, right?"
He Ao handed the suitcase back to her.
He had noticed that there was something unusual about the girl long ago, but he had not paid much attention at first.
That was until he realized that she seemed to have been eavesdropping on his conversation with Yuan Nan Nan, and was clearly dragging out her meal by eating her noodles one strand at a time.
If she had merely been an ordinary customer with some unusual trait, He Ao would not have bothered with her.
But the girl had been acting far too sneakily, so he had cast out some bait to see what she was really after.
"I-I-I... I have a client nearby..."
The girl did not know why she was answering He Ao's question, but she did not dare refuse.
Clearly, she was lying. And she was not someone accustomed to lying. She did not even know that speaking firmly and looking the other person in the eye would make her seem more convincing.
But He Ao no longer had time to argue with her about that.
He took out his phone, checked the time, and looked at the girl. "When I mentioned cameras and the police, you paused. Then, as soon as I left, you immediately ran away. Are you afraid of the police?"
"Huh?"
The girl was stunned for a moment. Then a bad feeling surged up in her heart.
He Ao's gaze shifted behind her.
Before you continue