“It’s just a custom. Many shops worship the Martial God of Wealth. He has a pendant around his neck, which is a statue of Guanyin. That alone wouldn’t be enough, but there’s a Lucky Cat on the office wall, symbolizing bringing in wealth and treasure. The God of Wealth symbolizes guarding wealth, and the Guanyin pendant represents peace and prosperity. The whole setup is incredibly professional; it’s more than just a common custom.”
Gu Chen thought back and felt a bit hesitant.
‘Isn’t this a bit too hasty? Judging someone as superstitious based only on that is…’
Tang Ziya explained the suspicious points she had observed one by one.
Her reasoning was well-founded and convincing.
“Holy crap, how do you know all this?”
Gu Chen marveled at her abilities once again.
As expected of a UPer who could write such thrilling suspense scripts, her observational skills were truly impressive.
If it were her, she definitely wouldn’t have noticed so many details.
“How can I write scripts without some knowledge reserves?”
Seeing Gu Chen’s reaction, a hint of pride appeared at the corner of Tang Ziya’s mouth.
She then explained, “I just gave him some psychological suggestions. If he’s a superstitious person, he definitely believes in ghosts and gods. He’ll likely grow more and more afraid as time goes on, and then we’ll probably be able to redeem the Peace Jade. Do you understand?”
“Wow, Class Monitor, you’re amazing.”
After hearing the analysis, Wang Yin’s eyes were practically sparkling.
The word “admiration” was practically written all over her face.
“I see. Well, let’s see how it works out,” Gu Chen said as the realization dawned on her.
She then remembered that Tang Ziya had been binge-watching Detective Conan and the Detective Chinatown series lately.
Could she actually pull off a perfect crime?
This time, no flaws could be found at all.
Thinking of this, Gu Chen felt her scalp tingle.
‘Maybe I should beg for mercy now? Otherwise, I won’t even know how I offended her before I end up dead without anyone knowing!’
“Alright, there’s no point in staying here. Let’s go back to school. Wang Yin, let’s go.”
“Yeah, all we can do is try.”
Tang Ziya could only do her best.
She grabbed Wang Yin and prepared to walk toward the road ahead.
“Aren’t we taking Gu Chen’s ride?”
“No way! I’m afraid that by the time we get back, we’ll look like we were just dug out of a coal mine.”
Remembering how she had been smoked by dust several times earlier, she still felt a lingering fear.
She would rather take a taxi back to school than ride that Electric Bike again.
Without another word, she pulled Wang Yin forward, giving Gu Chen a warning look.
“Tch, it’s easier to ride alone anyway,” Gu Chen muttered to herself.
She turned toward the factory entrance, where her bike was still parked.
Just as she was about to start it, a car drove up and stopped next to her.
As the door opened, a familiar face appeared.
“Wang Jun?”
Wasn’t this Wang Yin’s useless brother?
Why was he here? Was he also here to redeem the Peace Jade?
“Gu Chen? What are you doing here?”
Wang Jun looked over, his face filled with surprise and confusion.
Gu Chen walked over and said irritably, “What, are you planning to come here and be an Exhibitionist Pervert too?”
“Keep it down!”
Wang Jun quickly looked around and said with a miserable face, “Brother Gu Chen, don’t talk about that out here! What if someone hears you?”
“So you do know how to feel ashamed? What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to find Boss Hu. I want to ask him not to sell our family’s Peace Jade yet. I’ve been scraping money together these past few days to give to him as soon as possible,” Wang Jun answered honestly.
“You’re here to redeem the jade too?”
Gu Chen was a bit surprised.
She had thought this guy was just a heartless rich kid, but she didn’t expect him to care about this.
“Yeah, exactly. That thing is very important to our family. Even though I don’t have enough money, I should be able to get Boss Hu to hold off on selling it.”
Wang Jun nodded.
“It’s useless. He raised the price to 100,000. Unless you have 50,000 right now.”
Gu Chen told him what had happened earlier.
“That’s too much! We had an agreement! Where would I get 50,000? I have less than 10,000 here at most.”
Wang Jun was fuming.
“He has the item, what can you do?”
Gu Chen spread her hands.
Processing this, she asked, “Wait, where did you get the money? A part-time job?”
“I… I… I earned it from part-time work,” Wang Jun stammered.
Gu Chen gave him a suspicious look and stroked her chin.
‘What kind of work can a young master like you do? Wait, you didn’t go to work at a club, did you?’
After all, for someone who couldn’t lift anything or carry a load, his only merit was his delicate and handsome face.
‘Holy crap, this guy couldn’t have some special hobby, could he?’
If he dared to be an Exhibitionist Pervert, anything else was possible.
“Brother Gu Chen, what do we do now? If the item is sold, it’ll be even harder to get it back later.”
Wang Jun was so anxious he was practically jumping.
“How should I know?”
Gu Chen curled her lip.
However, Wang Jun’s appearance gave her a sudden flash of inspiration.
She sized him up again and said while stroking her chin, “There is a way, but it’ll require a bit of sacrifice on your part.”
“Huh!?”
Seeing Gu Chen’s “evil” expression, Wang Jun took two steps back in fright and quickly covered his backside.
He said with a tearful face, “No way, Brother Gu Chen, I… I don’t do that!”
“What the hell are you thinking!”
Gu Chen smacked him on the head.
“I already have a plan. But aren’t you best at being a sneaky little thief? If you cooperate, the success rate will definitely be higher.”
“Ow!”
“Then… what is it?”
Wang Jun remained wary.
Gu Chen quietly told him the plan she was brewing.
“Will that work?”
Wang Jun was still skeptical after hearing it.
“As long as you don’t get caught and beaten to death, it shouldn’t be a problem. Anyway, it’s your family’s Peace Jade, it has nothing to do with me. Whether you’re willing to do it is up to you.”
Wang Jun gritted his teeth and nodded heavily.
“Fine! I’ll do my best!”
After they finished discussing, she told him to go prepare.
Whether it succeeded or not would depend on fate.
***
‘It’s almost evening again.’
Gu Chen checked the time.
After everything that had happened since she left the hospital, her head hurt a little.
She rubbed her temples as her stomach growled.
She wasn’t in a hurry to leave; there was a row of restaurants ahead, so she would eat her fill before heading back.
After looking around, she chose a beef noodle shop that looked relatively cheap.
“Young man, what would you like?”
The boss asked from behind the counter.
“Our specialty Iron Cow Brand beef noodles taste great. Want to try some?”
“No thanks, I don’t eat beef.”
Looking at the price, 18 a bowl was too expensive.
So, she chose something cheaper, intending only to fill her stomach.
After waiting for a few minutes, someone brought the noodles from the kitchen.
“Enjoy your meal!”
The voice sounded familiar.
Gu Chen was looking down at her phone when a woman’s voice reached her ears.