Wang Jianguo pinched the business card between his fingers, unconsciously rubbing its edges with his thumb.
With the limited information he had, he pieced together a logic he could understand—when a major organization hired someone, especially for work involving confidentiality, it was nothing unusual to investigate three generations of their family.
That kid from the He family had been smart since childhood. It was no surprise he could get into a major organization. For the sake of his old friendship with Old He, it was only right to put in a few good words for him, Wang Jianguo weighed silently.
After thinking it over for a long time, he finally pulled the iron gate fully open, its hinges letting out an even louder creak.
"Come in and talk," Wang Jianguo said, stepping aside. His tone was much gentler than before, though the scrutiny in his eyes had not completely faded. "The place is a mess. Don't mind it."
Raymond gave a slight nod and stepped into the room, which was filled with traces of daily life. The living room was small, and the furniture was kept fairly neat, though the corners and crevices inevitably carried the oily smell of auto repair tools and parts.
Wang Jianguo invited him to sit on the simple fabric sofa, then turned to pour him a cup of strong tea from a thermos. The tea leaves bobbed heavily in the glass.
"Do you smoke?" Raymond took out an unopened pack of Chunghwa cigarettes from the inner pocket of his suit and offered it to him.
Wang Jianguo waved his hand, a trace of simple sincerity appearing on his face. "No, no. Smoking is bad for your health. It's not a good habit. You should smoke less too."
He sat down across from Raymond, neither too