It was around midnight.
Several SUVs drove out of the city to the vicinity of University Town on the outskirts of the Capital. After following the navigation for a little longer, the convoy stopped outside a small, antique-style courtyard.
Inside the car, Yan Duoduo looked at Ren Ye and Tang Feng. "The person we're meeting is called Mr. Pig. I've never dealt with him before, either. Don't say too much when we get in. Just listen."
"Understood."
"All right."
Both men nodded and got out with Yan Duoduo, while all the other New Year's Watchers waited in the cars.
The three approached the entrance together, and Yan Duoduo rang the doorbell.
A short while later, a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in plain cloth, opened the courtyard gate from inside. "Are you Director Yan of the New Year's Watchers?"
"Yes." Yan Duoduo nodded.
"Please come in." Smiling broadly, the young man stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.
The three stepped over the high threshold and followed the young man's directions toward a building in the middle of the courtyard.
Ren Ye followed behind Yan Duoduo, his feet treading the blue stone slabs as he surveyed his surroundings with some curiosity.
He discovered that this was a courtyard residence with three successive sections, its architecture leaning toward the Huizhou style. However, every plant, tree, brick, and tile looked brand-new, as though the buildings had only recently been built, leaving them short on classical charm.
After walking for less than three minutes, they arrived in a brightly lit reception room. The young man, dressed in a long gown, saluted them in the manner of an ancient merchant. "Please wait here for a moment. Mr. Pig will invite you in once he's finished with the business at hand."