Chapter 292: Zhang Sheng
Old Master Lu was getting on in years, and as he aged, he became increasingly sentimental.
Xu Youyou and Lu Jingyao watched him with some concern, afraid that his emotions might affect his health.
After a bout of sadness, Old Master Lu tightly grasped Lu Jingyao’s hand and said, “The Chen family has been close to ours for so many years. Now that something has happened to them, we must help.”
Lu Jingyao immediately nodded. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll arrange for people to help with the search and notify Grandpa Chen as soon as there’s any news.”
Xu Youyou chimed in from the side, “Miss Chen is blessed. She will definitely be found. Please don’t worry, Grandpa.”
Old Master Lu nodded, then looked at the two and said, “You two must also be extra careful. Just like now, you must always go out with a group of bodyguards—that’s how it should be… Unlike that Chen girl, who studied abroad too much and doesn’t like bodyguards following her around, always complaining about losing her freedom… You must not learn from her.”
Listening to Old Master Lu’s rambling, the two kept nodding. After a long while coaxing him, Old Master Lu finally agreed to go to sleep.
Once there were only the two of them left in the study, Xu Youyou whispered, “Jingyao, do you think Miss Chen…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence, but Lu Jingyao understood what she meant and said:
“She disappeared in Hong Kong City without a trace. Given the Chen family’s abilities and the fact that they couldn’t find even a clue, she’s probably already gone.”
Xu Youyou sighed, becoming even more determined to always have a bunch of bodyguards protecting her.
The next morning, the two bodyguards who had been keeping watch reported back: the house had seen no activity day or night.
Xu Youyou found it odd. Even if the house had supplies, surely they’d need fresh vegetables. Could someone hiding inside really go without replenishing vitamins?
The private detective Xu Fang hired also sent back information about the house.
“Boss, according to the investigation, the original owner of the house was a man in his sixties. He reportedly rented it to a young man, but none of the neighbors have seen what the young man looks like. Every time he appeared, he wore a mask and a baseball cap.”
Hearing this, Xu Youyou couldn’t help frowning. Covering his face with a mask and hat? He sounded like some antisocial type.
“When was the last time he appeared in front of the neighbors?” Xu Youyou asked.
Xu Fang replied, “Apparently last Friday, so it’s been five days now.”
“He hasn’t gone out in five days?” Xu Youyou frowned deeper.
She couldn’t tell whether the tenant wasn’t there at all or was just playing an extreme introvert.
“What about the house owner? Can we contact him?” Xu Youyou asked.
Xu Fang shook her head. “Apparently, the old man doesn’t live in Hong Kong City anymore. He lives on an outer island and doesn’t like coming to the city. He doesn’t enjoy contacting people either. A few years ago, he got into a fight with the telecom company and even pulled out his landline, so he’s even harder to reach.”
Xu Youyou found the situation even stranger. She asked, “Do we have the landlord’s exact address on the island?”
Xu Fang nodded. “He lives on Lamma Island, and we have the specific address.”
Xu Youyou immediately sent two quick-witted bodyguards to Lamma Island. “When you get there, you must meet the landlord. Tell him I want to buy his unit in the Mirador Mansion at a high price. Come back within twelve days at the latest.”
The bodyguards understood how important this was to her. They quickly packed and set off.
Meanwhile, the people Lu Jingyao had arranged to investigate also came back with results. It was rare that he could actually help Xu Youyou with something. He had just heard the update from Xu Fang’s side and instructed his people to dig a little deeper, which yielded some new information.
“The owner of the house is part of Hong Kong’s old generation of landlords. He bought properties everywhere back in the day. In the Mirador Mansion alone, he owns five apartments, and he has eight more properties elsewhere in Hong Kong. He originally had two children: a son who moved to the UK and never came back, and a daughter who committed suicide over love. In recent years, he’s been living in retirement on Lamma Island. Because of his bad temper, most of his relatives don’t talk to him anymore—only a nephew stays in touch.”
Xu Youyou asked, “Is the nephew also on Lamma Island?”
Lu Jingyao shook his head. “No, the nephew’s registered residence is in Sai Kung, but he usually stays in Hong Kong City. Apparently, he was given an apartment to stay in, which is in Taikoo Shing.”
Without hesitation, Xu Youyou immediately asked the driver to prepare the car, and they hurried off to Taikoo Shing.
Taikoo Shing is considered one of Hong Kong’s older neighborhoods. The facilities were somewhat outdated. After some effort, Xu Youyou and her group finally arrived outside the landlord’s unit.
A layer of dust had gathered on the door, and the doormat was filthy, as if it hadn’t been cleaned in a long time.
Xu Youyou had the bodyguards knock on the door.
Again, no one answered. A bodyguard listened at the door for a long while and finally turned back helplessly. “It sounds like no one’s inside.”
At that moment, a neighbor’s door opened, and a woman in her forties came out.
Seeing their large group, the woman immediately looked wary. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
The woman spoke in Cantonese, which sounded like gibberish to Xu Youyou. Luckily, Lu Jingyao had spent many summers and winters in Hong Kong with his grandparents and could easily chat with her.
“Sis, we’re here to find Zhang Sheng. We mean no harm.”
Hearing this, the woman said, “Zhang Sheng is a good young man. Even though he hasn’t been around lately, he’s helped us a lot before. You better not cause him trouble.”
Listening to her, Xu Youyou and Lu Jingyao couldn’t help but picture a kind, helpful young man.
“We really don’t mean any harm. We just want to contact his uncle. We’re interested in buying his uncle’s unit in Mirador Mansion,” Lu Jingyao said.
The woman’s guarded look finally eased. “Zhang Sheng hasn’t been here for a while. You won’t find him here.”
Lu Jingyao quickly asked, “Sis, then where can we find him? We’re in a hurry to buy the place.”
The woman waved her hand. “I don’t have his phone number, and I don’t know how to reach him either. If you’re in a rush, just go to Lamma Island and find his uncle. Zhang Sheng only comes here about once a month.”
“Once a month? When was the last time he came?” Lu Jingyao pressed.
The woman tilted her head and thought for a moment. “The last time he came was the day my daughter came home… it’s been over three weeks now… exactly how many days…”
She suddenly lit up and looked at the staircase. “Zhang Sheng, you’re back!”
