SYLM Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Heaven Leaves Tang Ying a Way Out.

Chapter 122 Heaven Leaves Tang Ying a Way Out.

Why Tang Ying made this call to Gu Wan Jun, the story begins from the moment she heard Chen Lu say that Fu Yi Wen was in America.

That day, as soon as the video call ended, Tang Ying decisively booked the earliest flight to America. Before leaving, she didn’t forget to inquire about Fu Yi Wen’s preferences from Jiang Zhen Zhen.

As expected, it was pretty much the same as what she had previously known.

Chen Lu’s simple sentence “Fu Yi Wen is in America” destined Tang Ying’s search would not be so smooth.

America is so big, who knows where Fu Yi Wen is.

Rely on luck?

Tang Ying rolled her eyes.

Her luck has never been good since she was a child.

Rely on fate?

Tang Ying couldn’t help but sneer.

If there really was fate, how could God have taken Fu Yi Wen away from her?

At that moment, the plane pierced through the clouds, and the originally dense white scattered, as if God was dissatisfied with this answer, trying to justify Himself.

The one who destroyed this fate is you.

It was you, Tang Ying, who failed to grasp it.

The scenery outside the porthole changed, Tang Ying frowned, a little annoyed by her sudden negative emotions.

Instead of having time for sentimentalism, she might as well rely on the only two things she could rely on: money and her brain.

Tang Ying went through Fu Yi Wen’s preferences in her mind, confirming Los Angeles as the first destination.

In a foreign country, she could not use Tang Lan’s power, but money makes the world go around is an eternal truth, applicable in any country.

As soon as the plane landed at Los Angeles Airport, even before the car reached the hotel, Tang Ying had already hired a private detective to find her.

Isn’t it like searching for a needle in a haystack?

Even if she had to drain the sea, she would fish her out.

Although Tang Ying had prepared herself mentally, heaven would not show mercy because of her late determination. The detectives hired with a lot of money were all sent out, but a whole week passed without any news.

Tang Ying hired some of the best-known detectives locally. A group of people searching for a living person, yet they couldn’t find any news after a week. It was not hard to imagine what was going on.

But, does Fu Yi Wen really have such powerful connections behind her?

Tang Ying has never been a fool who sits and waits for death. While she added money to let informants continue to investigate, she made a series of urgent calls back home.

After a thorough investigation, the result was the same as what she had found several years ago. Fu Yi Wen came from an ordinary family, and three generations up were all ordinary people doing small business. There was no connection to the so-called network that Tang Ying suspected.

Could this person really grow wings and fly away?

On a September night, downtown Los Angeles was filled with high-rise buildings, and the bizarre neon lights and traffic reflected on the glass curtain walls, looking somewhat distorted. The night breeze carried the salty smell of sea salt. Closing her eyes, she could even hear the distant sirens and the roar of engines.

After drinking the fourth bottle of wine dry on the hotel’s balcony, Tang Ying, whose mind was filled with Fu Yi Wen, narrowed her eyes. Stirred by the night breeze, she suddenly thought of something.

Fu Yi Wen doesn’t have connections, but that doesn’t mean the people around her don’t.

Another series of urgent calls, and Jiang Zhen Zhen and Chen Lu’s information were also obtained.

Tang Ying sat on the balcony with a laptop, watching carefully.

Jiang Zhen Zhen, her parents work in government agencies, similar to Tang Lan, the conditions don’t match. What’s more, Jiang Zhen Zhen doesn’t even know that Fu Yi Wen is missing.

Pass one.

Then there’s only the other one left.

The mouse hovered over the document labeled [Chen Lu], Tang Ying rolled her eyes, she took a big gulp of wine, popped a cigarette from the cigarette case and put it in her mouth, cursing.

Damn it, this is really a headache, why can’t she get around this little brat surnamed Chen.

After smoking half the cigarette, Tang Ying reluctantly opened the document.

Unlike Jiang Zhen Zhen’s dense personal data, the text content in Chen Lu’s personal data document was pitifully small. The direct relatives column was completely blank, and the other relatives column only wrote one grandmother, and in parentheses it was noted that she was deceased.

The last half of the cigarette was almost smoked by the wind. Almost burning Tang Ying’s hand at the end, she put out the cigarette butt with a gloomy face, and a despair never seen before appeared in her eyes.

Could it be that the direction of her thinking was wrong?

Tang Ying grabbed her hair and threw the computer aside, inexplicably starting to complain about why Tang Lan wasn’t a governor of some American state, so it would be easy for her to find Fu Yi Wen, why would she have to be so—

Wait, Tang Lan…

A distant name suddenly flashed in Tang Ying’s mind. She picked up the computer that had just been thrown aside again. The screen was still on Chen Lu’s personal data page. The direct relatives column was still empty, just like she had just seen.

This information is incorrect.

Who said Chen Lu has no direct relatives.

Five years ago, when she was taking the college entrance examination, that person came to Gu Wan Jun, and she had met the other party once.

What was that person’s name?

Los Angeles time 12:45 AM, domestic Beijing time 3:45 PM.

Tang Ying came barefoot to the wool carpet in the living room, the cigarette between her fingers flickered in the darkness. She first sent a message to the hired informants, notifying them to change the investigation target, and then dialed Gu Wan Jun’s phone.

When the phone was connected, slightly noisy chatting sounds came from the receiver, presumably in the office.

Tang Ying ignored it and directly asked straight to the point:

“Gu Wan Jun, how much do you know about Chen Qing Yu?”

“……”

This question was obviously a bit sudden. Not knowing whether she was recalling the name Chen Qing Yu or thinking about the question itself, after the question was asked, the other end of the phone fell into a brief silence.

After five seconds, no, maybe not even three seconds, Tang Ying became a little impatient. She flicked the ash into the crystal ashtray on the table and was about to frown and urge her when there was an echo from the other end of the phone:

“Wait for me a moment.”

In the receiver, Gu Wan Jun’s voice was obviously lowered, and the background noise gradually faded away. She seemed to have left the teacher’s office and came to an empty classroom before tentatively speaking:

“Why are you suddenly asking about Chen Qing Yu? Is she related to Fu Yi Wen’s whereabouts?”

Tang Ying narrowed her eyes, watching the flickering lights outside the window, tapping the table board with her fingers without any rhythm:

“It’s just a guess for now, but I won’t let go of any possibility.”

The cigarette burned to the end again, and the heat stung her fingertips. Tang Ying extinguished the cigarette butt with a calm face and quickly lit another one. The bitterness of nicotine filled her mouth, but still couldn’t suppress the restlessness and anxiety in her heart.

“Tang Ying, I really want to help you, but…”

Gu Wan Jun paused, her voice with genuine difficulty:

“I don’t know Chen Qing Yu very well.”

“Chen Lu didn’t mention it to you?”

After saying that, as if thinking of something, Tang Ying exhaled a long puff of smoke:

“Never mind, I forgot, you haven’t made up yet, I guess she won’t mention these things to you.”

There was another silence on the other end of the phone. After a long while, Gu Wan Jun replied hesitantly:

“…Actually…we’ve already made up…”

Tang Ying was stunned, the fingers holding the cigarette froze in mid-air, and the ash rustled onto the wool carpet: “When?”

“The last time you made a video call…”

“So early?” Tang Ying suddenly stood up, the hem of her robe knocked over the ashtray on the table, and her tone was cold: “And you’re only telling me now?”

“……”

The crystal ashtray rolled on the carpet with a muffled sound. Gu Wan Jun on the other end of the phone seemed to be frightened by the movement, and her voice had a little more guilt:

“I was planning to tell you, but I’ve been busy meeting parents during this time, so—”

“Stop.” Tang Ying raised her hand to press her temple, sneering: “You two have even met the parents?”

“……”

Only the rustling of the current remained in the receiver.

Gu Wan Jun didn’t dare to speak anymore.

How could every sentence be a landmine?

The cigarette burned quietly between her fingers, the ashtray was overturned on the carpet, and the scattered ashes were like Tang Ying’s fragmented mood at this moment.

Humans are such complex animals, Tang Ying prided herself on not being someone who couldn’t stand seeing others happy. Hearing the news that Gu Wan Jun and Chen Lu had reconciled, she was clearly happy for her friend finally finding happiness, but perhaps it was because she was alone in a foreign country, or perhaps it was always easy to lose control of her emotions in the middle of the night, the surge of bitterness in her chest almost drowned her, and she felt for the first time that her life was both sad and ridiculous.

A large puff of smoke was inhaled into her lungs, and the spicy and dry taste choked her, causing her to bend over and cough violently. Tears welled up uncontrollably. On the other end of the phone, Gu Wan Jun, who heard the movement, said anxiously:

“Tang Ying? Are you still listening? What’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Tang Ying wiped away the moisture from the corner of her eyes with an indifferent expression, and cleared her throat: “I smoked too hard and choked my throat.”

Gu Wan Jun’s tone was concerned, mixed with a little helplessness: “Smoke less, it’s not good for your health.”

Tang Ying stared at the scattered ashes on the carpet, using her best sarcasm to cover up the sadness at this moment: “Do you live by the sea?”

Gu Wan Jun sighed, and after a long while, she asked back: “Didn’t you say before that Fu Yi Wen has rhinitis and can’t stand the smell of smoke?”

“……”

Hearing a certain name, the corner of Tang Ying’s eye couldn’t help but twitch, and the unfinished cigarette immediately became dull, and was silently extinguished in the ashtray.

In the second half of the call, even though Gu Wan Jun really wanted to help Tang Ying, she really didn’t know the situation of Chen Qing Yu.

Of course, Tang Ying didn’t gain nothing.

Gu Wan Jun tried hard to recall the conversation she had with Chen Qing Yu five years ago, and finally summarized a rough idea—

Chen Qing Yu, calculating her age, should be 46 years old this year, looks nine points like Chen Lu, has a very nice voice, and from her demeanor, she is a gentle person, but in reality, she is good at understanding people’s hearts, good at negotiation, and not a simple character.

It’s just that the relationship between the mother and daughter has not been eased all along. Regarding Fu Yi Wen’s problem, Chen Lu probably wouldn’t ask Chen Qing Yu for help.

The problem seems to have become a bit tricky here, but in reality, heaven leaves Tang Ying a way out.

The day after the investigation target changed from Fu Yi Wen to Chen Qing Yu, the situation took a turn for the better.

According to the employer’s requirements, the informants integrated Chen Qing Yu’s information. After getting the information, Tang Ying focused her attention on Chen Qing Yu’s local industries. If she didn’t look, it wouldn’t matter, but once she looked, there were really a lot.

Bars, hotels, wineries, restaurants, cinemas… Almost all fields have Chen Qing Yu’s assets.

This is very consistent with the characteristics of the network that Tang Ying thought of.

Before being sure of Chen Qing Yu’s attitude towards herself and Fu Yi Wen’s affairs, Tang Ying didn’t want to startle the snake. Now that she had a handle, she simply asked the informants to stake out at the major public places under Chen Qing Yu’s name to see if they could find Fu Yi Wen’s whereabouts.

Whether it was because the money wasn’t in place or something else, most of the detective informants ended this employment after hearing that they were going to stake out. When Tang Ying asked the reason, they only said that they didn’t want to get involved in trouble.

Get involved in trouble.

It seems that this Chen Qing Yu is not a small figure.

She really can’t get around this group surnamed Chen.

Although most informants were unwilling to get involved in trouble, it was not difficult to find some people who were willing to seek wealth and danger when Tang Ying increased the money five times.

Heaven never disappoints those who have a heart. On the third night of arranging the stakeout, Tang Ying received a call from the informant, saying that they suspected that they had found the investigation target in a bar. The other person looked very similar to the Chinese girl in the photos Tang Ying gave them, but they couldn’t fully confirm it and were waiting for Tang Ying’s next instructions.

Instructions, what instructions could there be?

Before the phone was hung up, Tang Ying got into the car to the target bar.

Neon lights meandered and flickered in the night, and the bizarre lights flickered on the customers entering and leaving the bar. The surveillance cameras under the eaves of the bar slowly rotated. A few burly men in studded leather jackets leaned against the cast iron railings at the entrance of the bar, seemingly doormen responsible for checking each customer’s ID. The uniform snake-shaped tattoos on their necks appeared particularly strange as they chewed gum.

This is one of the bars under Chen Qing Yu’s name.

After arriving and meeting the informant, Tang Ying asked the other party with a cold face why they didn’t follow in. The informant had a heavy accent and didn’t sound like a native. He used broken English to tell Tang Ying that they couldn’t confirm that the person was the one Tang Ying was looking for. Second, they were stopped by the doorman when they wanted to go in. Tonight, the bar seemed to only be open to invited internal personnel.

Internal personnel.

Tang Ying had a feeling that Fu Yi Wen was very likely inside.

Without considering startling the snake, Tang Ying sent the informant away and went straight to the bar entrance. As expected, she was also stopped by the burly doormen. Before the other party could speak, Tang Ying raised her eyebrows and said directly that she wanted to see their boss.

Pushing open the heavy soundproof door, a deafening wave of sound mixed with sweet heat rushed towards her. The bartender behind the bar was skillful and fancy in his movements. The sound of hard shaking was drowned in the fast-paced bass cannon that shook the whole venue. The LED light strips on the ceiling flashed dazzling light, making everyone on the dance floor seem to be one color, making people dizzy.

When passing through the seating area, a few Asian youths dressed as band members were smoking and spitting smoke. Tang Ying, who was following behind the doorman, never relaxed her brows from being choked.

The last time she came to this kind of bar was more than ten years ago when she came to study abroad.

Would Fu Yi Wen really like to come to this kind of place?

After being led around by the doorman to a corner of the seating area, Tang Ying saw a woman, not the expected Chen Qing Yu, but also of Asian appearance.

The doorman briefly communicated with the woman, with a very respectful attitude. After a while, Tang Ying met the meaningful gaze that the woman swept over.

What kind of woman was that? The makeup was heavy, with single eyelids and phoenix eyes, the corners of her eyes raised almost sharply, and the dark red lip color was like dried blood. A black dress wrapped her curvy figure, and a silver snake-shaped brooch spitting out its tongue was pinned to the neckline. The opening faintly revealed a snake-shaped tattoo wrapped around her thigh, and the scales glowed with a frightening cold light under the bar’s changing neon lights.

The woman had a slender cigarette between her fingers, not lit. Half a rose was tattooed on the tiger’s mouth, and on the inside of the upper forearm was a tattoo of an old-fashioned revolver, with the muzzle pointing directly at the wrist bone, as if it would go off at any time and take people’s lives.

After looking at each other for several seconds, Tang Ying couldn’t even tell the other party’s age.

Would a person with so many tattoos be a good person?

Even though Tang Ying was a player, she couldn’t help but be preemptive when facing such a woman, and the alarm bells rang loudly.

After all, those narrow eyes looked too dangerous.