QTIMP -Chapter 20 Character Persona – Greedy (Part 20)

“And so I used a few methods. She said she only knew about us because you’re her biological brother,” Xing Huai’en continued from where Wang Kai had left off.

Hearing this, Feng Fan cast a scrutinizing look at Feng Yu. As for the so-called “methods” they had used—in this environment, it was nothing more than a bit of intimidation.

“What are you doing here? And how did you know what we were looking for? I don’t recall ever mentioning a single word about this matter at home.”

Feng Fan’s cold questioning made Feng Yu tremble. What followed was a surge of intense resentment. Why was she here? Of course it was to earn merit—to get to know Xing Huai’en.

How did she know? In her previous life, this incident had caused an uproar. Both her eldest brother and Xing Huai’en had been injured, so she had learned some insignificant details afterward.

But she couldn’t use that as an explanation. Yet she couldn’t avoid explaining either—she knew she was already under suspicion.

Fortunately, she had prepared beforehand.

“I came to look for a classmate to hang out with. When the explosion happened, I hid. Then I saw an injured man sneaking into an alley. Soon after, Brother Xing came chasing after him with others, so I jumped out to provide a clue.”

“Did you see where he ran to?”

Of course she hadn’t. But she had memories from her previous life and roughly knew the location. “Two streets ahead, in the back alley. He went in through the back door of a house.”

As for the fact that the man had a gun and explosives on him, she didn’t mention it at all. In her previous life, although the two of them were injured, their lives hadn’t been in danger. She believed it would be the same this time. And if they really did get hurt, she could use the excuse of taking care of her brother to grow closer to him.

As for the woman and child who had died in the explosion—that was simply their fate.

“Do you know exactly which house?”

This—this she truly couldn’t remember. Seeing the blank look on her face, the others felt suspicious, but they were even more eager to track down the fugitives immediately.

At that moment, a voice came from nearby.

“I think I know which house.”

The clear voice rang out. Everyone turned to see a thin young man standing at the entrance of the alley, dressed in faded, patched clothes.

Because of his frail frame, the clothes hung loosely on him.

The young man raised both hands and slowly walked over. “I saw the people who entered that alley carrying guns. Not one person like she said—there were three.”

“You are?”

“My name is Qin Bei. I’m from Courtyard No. 7 on East Main Street. The reason I paid attention to those people is, first, their behavior was strange. Second, the woman being held hostage by two of them is a clerk from our East Main Street Neighborhood Committee.”

The moment he mentioned the East Main Street Neighborhood Committee, Feng Fan felt a bad premonition.

“What’s the name of the person being held hostage?”

“I believe it’s Si Qiu. She was being dragged by a man holding a gun. Another thin man was clutching his arm—he seemed injured.”

Meeting Xing Huai’en’s suspicious gaze, Qin Bei quickly explained, “I tutor a classmate here to earn money. After the explosion, I hurried into the alley and didn’t dare move. Not long after, I heard running footsteps…”

He described everything he had seen in detail. Yet even so, there were discrepancies between his account and Feng Yu’s—and it was clear that Qin Bei’s words were far more credible.

Xing Huai’en gave Wang Kai a meaningful look, signaling him to keep a close watch on Feng Yu. Wang Kai, his longtime partner, understood immediately and gave a slight nod.

The three men gathered to discuss their next steps. They sent people to scout the surroundings of the small courtyard and ultimately decided that, since they were locals, Feng Fan and Xing Huai’en would disguise themselves and go in to test the situation.

Si Qiu watched as the child finally broke into a sweat and his fever began to subside. Judging by the usual pattern, her elder brother should be arriving with his comrades any moment now.

Three minutes passed, yet no one showed up. Was the pattern unreliable this time—or were they simply not capable enough?

She wanted to step outside to check, but she didn’t feel at ease leaving the child alone. In the end, she picked him up and carried him out.

Outside was a somewhat cluttered little courtyard. The surrounding wall stood about two meters high, with shards of broken porcelain embedded along the top. The wooden gate was shut tight.

It took her quite some effort to get it open. The moment she did, a few people happened to walk over.

The house was separated from the alley entrance by just one other household. As she leaned out to look, she immediately spotted two people in disguise. With her sharp eyesight, she recognized them at once.

“Brother.”

She called out mainly because she wasn’t sure what else to say. After all, he was dressed in plain clothes. Calling his name might expose something.

The moment Feng Fan heard that call, his first instinct was to duck into the corner. Then he realized something and looked up—sure enough, it was his little sister.

His brows were tightly furrowed. At Xing Huai’en’s signal, the two of them moved closer to the gate.

Si Qiu grabbed Feng Fan’s wrist. “Brother, there are three bad guys inside. I’ve already knocked them out. I rescued this child, but he seems to have a fever. Hurry and take him to the hospital before it gets any worse.”

“How are the three inside?” Xing Huai’en asked steadily, cutting straight to the point.

At that, Si Qiu took a cloth bundle that had been resting against the child and tossed it into his arms.

“They’re all unconscious. They should wake up in about an hour. These are the weapons I found on them. I heard them say there might be a tunnel in the house, but I’m not sure exactly where. After all, they knocked me on the head. I’m still feeling dizzy.”

She had indeed been struck, and she truly wasn’t feeling well.

Seeing her swaying slightly, Feng Fan first took the child from her, then—following Xing Huai’en’s instructions—went to notify the others waiting behind.

Xing Huai’en entered the house to check on the three men, while Si Qiu ran to the corner and began dry heaving.

The rest of the team had been lying in ambush nearby. Once they received the signal, they rushed over immediately. After assessing the situation, two of them escorted Si Qiu and the child to the hospital.

The remaining matters were no longer something Si Qiu could be involved in, though they still questioned her in detail about what had happened.

“That’s all I know,” she finished.

“What kind of drug did you use on them?” Xing Huai’en asked again, frowning.

“I bought it on the black market. I originally went to buy some meat. Once, by accident, I overheard someone mention this kind of drug, so I bought a little for self-defense.”

She wasn’t lying. She had indeed purchased the knockout drug on the black market. Of course, she had also been the one supplying it there in the first place—buying it back was simply a way to give the medicine in her possession a legitimate cover.

“Anything else?”

“Yes. Just before I fully regained consciousness, I heard them say that the child I rescued was very important. They said if this operation failed, the child could serve as their explanation. They said his identity isn’t simple. Whether they raised him to become one of their own in the future, or used him to threaten his mother, either way he would be a very useful chess piece.”