Zhen left around half past twelve.
She chatted with Luo Ziling in the private room for about an hour.
After Zhen left, Luo Ziling didn’t immediately leave, but continued to sit there drinking tea.
Wuyue came in shortly after.
When she came in, she retrieved the listening device from under the table.
While standing next to Luo Ziling earlier, she discreetly used Luo Ziling as cover to place a listening device under the table near him. With this, she was able to hear all of the conversation between Luo Ziling and Zhen.
Having Wuyue plant the listening device was, of course, Luo Ziling’s idea.
He was afraid he wouldn’t remember everything Zhen said, or remember completely, so he asked Wuyue to set up the listening device to record everything the other party said.
Zhen didn’t notice at all. Although she is skilled in this area, she couldn’t compare to Wuyue and her team’s expertise in performing such subtle actions.
"What do you think about this?" Luo Ziling asked Wuyue, knowing she had listened to their entire conversation.
"It’s unlikely to be a trap," Wuyue shared her assessment. "I think she’s simply a whistleblower for us. Her exact purpose for warning us will become clearer after a few more encounters. I believe she sought you out today not because she’s truly in danger, but to prepare in advance. Since she dared to do this, she’s surely considered the possibility of exposure and has countermeasures ready, though having multiple backup plans is always better. She came to you probably with the intention of asking us for help. Whether she seeks status or wealth, she hasn’t revealed yet, but I think she’s aiming for status. She knows that currently, the Chen Family is likely being attacked by several other families, and under such circumstances, opportunities are everywhere."
"Your analysis makes sense, but I believe she also sees us as a refuge to rely on, hoping we’ll be her safe haven at critical moments. This reason can certainly be linked to your idea of wanting to leverage our power for a higher position." After sharing his analysis, Luo Ziling instructed Wuyue to first conduct a thorough investigation into Zhen’s situation.
Even though they seem to trust her considerably, they still need to verify her identity and the truth behind her statements today, just to be certain. Knowing oneself and the enemy is the key to staying undefeated.
Without needing Luo Ziling’s instructions, Wuyue had already started arranging an investigation.
After Zhen left, Wuyue also organized surveillance.
Zhen still had strong anti-surveillance abilities.
She didn’t drive, but called a taxi after leaving.
Moreover, the taxi frequently changed lanes for no apparent reason or suddenly altered its course at intersections.
Though Wuyue dispatched highly skilled trackers, to avoid exposure and suspicion from Zhen, they didn’t follow too closely and ultimately lost her.
When Luo Ziling and Wuyue were discussing the matter, they received a report from their team about the failure to maintain the tail.
But neither Wuyue nor Luo Ziling felt regret; they both believed Zhen would certainly contact them again on her initiative.
Having had a successful first meeting, there would definitely be a next encounter.
"Should we inform Miss Ling?" Wuyue asked Luo Ziling.
"I’ll talk to my mom about it tomorrow. She should be informed!"
Wuyue nodded and didn’t ask Luo Ziling anything further.
Luo Ziling asked Wuyue to investigate thoroughly these matters and require substantial manpower and resources for the investigation.
Understanding the severity of the situation, Wuyue readily agreed.
When Luo Ziling got home, it was already midnight.
He had been busy in recent days, and with many concerns on his mind, he felt a bit tired.
After a brief wash-up, he quickly fell asleep.
After a good night’s sleep, Luo Ziling’s spirits were restored.
Early the next morning, he got up promptly.
After a bit of morning exercise, Ling Ruonan arose.
Seeing Ling Ruonan getting up to make breakfast, Luo Ziling finished his exercise and went in to discuss the matter with her.
When Luo Ziling spoke of Wu Dongfang’s subordinate proactively contacting him, Ling Ruonan was greatly surprised.
"Did they really proactively come to us?" Ling Ruonan was preparing breakfast, and in her surprise, she forgot to crack the eggs into a bowl, letting the egg whites ooze onto the cutting board.
Luo Ziling quickly took the cracked egg from Ling Ruonan, poured the remaining egg white and yolk into a bowl, and scooped the egg whites off the cutting board back into the bowl. While doing this, he detailed last night’s events to Ling Ruonan.
After listening to him, Ling Ruonan quietly asked, "What is your assessment? Did that woman named Zhen truly feel threatened and reach out to you for our protection?"
"This isn’t entirely certain, but I think she deliberately caused some concern to alert us, and that’s likely genuine. Her actions might relate to factional struggles within her organization, or she may have perceived us as having more momentum, so she wants to place her bets on us. There’s also the possibility that she finds me handsome and is lovesick." At this point, Luo Ziling chuckled.
Ling Ruonan stared speechlessly at Luo Ziling’s joke even amid such matters, unsure of how to respond to him.
Luo Ziling stopped joking and continued, "Mom, I actually think her willingness to meet us indicates a desire for further collaboration. Her disguise, while able to fool some people, will be exposed if we spend a bit of time and effort investigating her identity. She’s aware of this, I’m sure. I believe if she’s willing to meet us again, she’ll show her true self."
Ling Ruonan nodded gently, then instructed Luo Ziling, "If she arranges another meeting with you, I’ll meet her. I’ll discuss certain things with her—I believe she’d prefer to discuss them with me."
"Okay!" Luo Ziling agreed with a nod.
After breakfast, Ling Ruonan went to work, and Luo Ziling went to school for classes.
Despite many matters and staying busy these days, he still squeezed in time to attend or audit classes at school.
At school, while talking with Dong Xiaowan and Wang Feiyang, he spotted Ishihara Naka peeking in from outside.
Luo Ziling knew Ishihara Naka wanted to speak with him, so after speaking with Dong Xiaowan and Wang Feiyang, he went to find Ishihara Naka.
"Mr. Luo, my grandfather has reached out to me. He said he has intervened in this matter and will soon have results. Once he does, he’ll personally come to Yanjing to address this issue." Ishihara Naka seemed a bit nervous, and while standing before Luo Ziling, he appeared somewhat subdued. "My grandfather said if this incident indeed involves my father, he’ll bring my father to Huaxia to apologize to you. If it’s unrelated to my father, he’ll try his best to prevent Japan’s intelligence agency from doing similar things again."
"Then let’s discuss this when he comes to Huaxia; I hope he comes with sincerity."
When Luo Ziling spoke, his demeanor caused Ishihara Naka to shiver.