No Ghosting Allowed

He had expressed himself so clearly that Pei You couldn’t pretend not to understand.

” the pretty Secretary” clearly found the job dull and boring, so he was trying to find a way out indirectly.

Pei You shook his head, finding him quite amusing. He couldn’t help but rub his forehead and reached out to retrieve the notebook computer he had pushed away.

“You want to slack off?” Pei You asked.

“What do you mean slack off?” Zhou Qingbo immediately felt displeased and tried to argue, “My expertise lies elsewhere, not here – like intelligence work, for example.”

“Intelligence work?” Pei You looked puzzled and asked, “What kind of intelligence work?”

Zhou Qingbo’s eyes flickered as he scooted his chair closer to Pei You, asking mysteriously, “Hey, what do you think is the probability of this room being bugged?”

Pei You: “…”

The chances should be low, Pei You thought, unless Liu Xin has some psychic abilities and anticipated that he would come here to conduct a surprise audit today.

“It’s probably unlikely,” Pei You said, “Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing,” Zhou Qingbo lay on the table, resting his head on his arm. His voice sounded a bit muffled, “I just stumbled upon some gossip about Liu Xin.”

Pei You was taken aback, realizing that Zhou Qingbo had mentioned earlier that he was going to Liu Xin’s mother’s house to look for clues.

But Zhou Qingbo never brought it up again after he returned, and Pei You thought he had failed in his mission.

“Is there really some information?” Pei You became curious and couldn’t help asking, “What is it?”

Zhou Qingbo buried half of his face in his arm and squinted his eyes. With a smile, he said playfully, “I won’t tell you.”

Pei You: “…”

Pei You was finally frustrated with him and couldn’t help but complain, “Are you teasing me?”

Zhou Qingbo got scolded but seemed even happier. His eyes curved into a beautiful arc as he pursed his lips and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Pei You was usually very aloof, not caring too much about many things, and was always at ease with his work, so most of the time, his face wore the same expression.

Zhou Qingbo didn’t know where his mischievousness came from, but it seemed like he was constantly teasing Pei You. He couldn’t help but test his limits, play with his nerves, and explore everything unseen about him.

He enjoyed seeing a different side of Pei You and seemed to subconsciously relish in witnessing the changes in him that belonged solely to him.

So, with a blink of his eyes, Zhou Qingbo smiled and said, “Then you have to praise me before I tell you.”

Pei You’s breath stalled for a moment. On his face was the expression that Zhou Qingbo was very familiar with – an expression that seemed to say, “Helpless but not clueless.”

Clearly, that was an impromptu addition to the game, and Pei You didn’t know what to say to satisfy “teacher Zhou.” However, he had grown used to Zhou Qingbo’s sudden attacks and had somewhat figured out how to respond.

After all, Zhou Qingbo never really put him in a difficult position; he just wanted a subtle and special hint.

“How do you want me to praise you?” Pei You asked.

“Surprise me,” Zhou Qingbo hinted, “But at least it should be something like ‘amazing’ or ‘excellent.'”

“Alright,” Pei You smiled helplessly and said, “you’re amazing and excellent and it shows that you have a talent for intelligence work.”

Zhou Qingbo received the praise he wanted and felt delighted. He raised his head slightly, straightened his back with a serious expression, and nodded, saying, “That’s more like it.”

“Next time though don’t be stingy with your praise,” Zhou Qingbo said, shaking his head, “more emotions is also a driving force.”

“Okay,” Pei You sighed, realizing he had no patience left for him, and asked, “So what did you find out?”

“Oh… right,” Zhou Qingbo remembered the main task. To get the information he needed he had to act like he was on a stakeout, wandering around the neighborhood for two laps, eating two popsicles, and finally, using a balloon as a bargaining chip, successfully met a child named Wang in the neighborhood.

That neighborhood was filled with old people who knew everything about each other. After playing with several children for about ten minutes, Zhou Qingbo managed to get acquainted with the grandparents who liked to take walks and play Mahjong in the neighborhood.

“It’s quite a coincidence that those Aunties who play poker, whom I mentioned earlier, happen to be quite familiar with Liu Xin’s mother.” Zhou Qingbo said, “So, I spent two hours playing poker with them, and in the process, I managed to gather quite a bit of information.”

Zhou Qingbo lied that he was a journalism student doing fieldwork and quickly became familiar with the Aunties. Liu Xin had become more successful after joining Qing Shan so he became somewhat of a celebrity in the local area. Zhou Qingbo only needed to provide a starting point, and he naturally received plenty of gossip and news.

“The Aunties said he has been doing well in recent years,” Zhou Qingbo stroked his chin thoughtfully, “Three years ago, he had an affair and was caught by his ex-wife. When they divorced, he left with nothing, giving the car and house to her. But in the past three years, he suddenly managed to buy a car, then a house. Not only did he purchase properties in Weinan, but I heard he also bought a villa in Xi’an, and he paid in full.”

“People can know about this in the neighborhood?” Pei You asked.

“Yes,” Zhou Qingbo smiled.

Pei You pondered and nodded, signaling Zhou Qingbo to continue.

“Dongjiang was wholly acquired, and logically Liu Xin no longer holds any shares,” Zhou Qingbo lowered his voice and said, “I don’t know how my brother negotiated the profit-sharing with Liu Xin, but from their financial reports, it’s impossible for Liu Xin to afford a fully paid villa worth fifteen million.”

Dongjiang’s annual report handed to Qing Shan would have started with a million, and the total profit accumulated in three years would not have reached fifteen million. Pei You was more sensitive to financial data than Zhou Qingbo, and he furrowed his brow, looking somewhat displeased.

“Moreover,” Zhou Qingbo paused, the smile on his face fading, and he looked a bit solemn, “I heard those Aunties whispering behind Liu Xin’s back, saying his family must have done something extraordinary to make a fortune from that project alone and live a lifetime on it.”