Plunder-Chapter 138 I’m Here to See You

The next day, after work hours, Qiao En received a call from Detective Wu.

"I’m back, let’s meet at the usual place."

After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone and sent the address and meeting time to Qiao En’s WeChat.

Qiao En changed her clothes and left the Nanchen Group building, not getting far before she ran into He Peng.

He stopped his car, rolled down the window, and waved at Qiao En, "Little Xu, come here for a second."

Qiao En hesitated for a moment but still went over.

"President He."

"Get in the car. I’ve found you an apartment, and you’ll move in right now."

Qiao En glanced at her phone, realizing that she had only one hour left until her scheduled meeting with Detective Wu.

"Okay."

She opened the car door and sat inside.

Qiao En hadn’t expected that the apartment He Peng found for her was actually in Chengnan Apartment.

"Why here?"

She couldn’t help but voice her suspicion involuntarily.

"It’s close; it only takes twenty minutes to walk to work, and there’s a subway entrance right outside, just two stops away from the company. Stay here for now; I’ve paid the rent for a year."

He Peng said indifferently.

"Okay."

Qiao En replied once more.

The small apartment that He Peng rented for her was located directly opposite Qiao En’s old apartment and was also a one-bedroom.

Although the decoration was simple, the place was very clean.

"President He, thank you."

Qiao En thanked He Peng.

"I have other things to attend to. I’m leaving now. If it’s inconvenient for you to move your stuff from the hotel, I’ll help you after work tomorrow."

He Peng added.

"No need, President He, I can move it myself."

He Peng nodded, then left swiftly.

As soon as he left, Qiao En hurriedly went out the door as well.

This time, she wore a duckbill hat and a mask.

She hailed a taxi at the entrance of the complex and headed straight for the bus station.

On the way, Detective Wu messaged, "Where are you?"

"Arriving in half an hour."

Qiao En replied to his message.

During the rush hour, when she finally arrived at the bus station, it was already 7:30 PM.

Qiao En got to the meeting place, but Detective Wu was nowhere to be seen.

She sent him a message, but he didn’t reply. Qiao En then called several times before Detective Wu finally answered.

"Secretary Qiao, do you know how much I detest people who are late?"

Detecive Wu was furious on the other end of the line.

As he vented his anger, Qiao En remained silent until he had finished.

"I’m sorry."

The other end fell silent.

"I’d like to take you out for dinner, you can order whatever you want. Consider it a welcoming treat, how about that?"

Qiao En’s voice softened a bit.

"I’m too angry to eat."

Detecive Wu retorted petulantly.

"Since you’ve decided to join me on this crazy venture, I now feel like eating barbecue, are you coming? If you’re really not coming, then I’ll just go by myself."

Qiao En said, pretending to hang up the phone, when Detective Wu finally spoke up.

"Go to the place I specify."

He didn’t say where, creating a secretive atmosphere.

After hanging up, he sent a location to Qiao En.

The barbecue restaurant wasn’t far from the bus station. Qiao En took a taxi there.

Tucked away in the depths of an alley, the barbecue restaurant would have been impossible for Qiao En to imagine there if not for the greasy sign at the entrance.

The restaurant had only three tables set far apart from each other, each sparsely populated with a few diners.

Qiao En stood at the entrance looking around and didn’t see Detective Wu.

"Over here."

Suddenly, his voice came from behind her.

Following the sound, Qiao En saw him at a table set up on the opposite side of the road from the barbecue restaurant.

Even late at night, Detective Wu was still wearing sunglasses.

He was dressed very inconspicuously today, in a monk’s robe, striped shorts, and plastic slippers, looking very much like a local elder.

Qiao En took a seat opposite him, and he pointed at the paper menu, "I’ve ordered, now you order."

Qiao En glanced at it and added a few dishes.

While they were waiting for the barbecue to arrive, Qiao En spoke up.

"Now, there’s something I need your help with."

"Speak."

Qiao En hesitated for a moment, then said, "I want to go see him."

She wanted to visit Zhou Jin’an and see what his condition was now.

"No problem."

Detective Wu agreed without a second thought.

The ward where Zhou Jin’an was staying was guarded, and Qiao En couldn’t get in, but she knew Detective Wu must have a way.

"When can you get it done?"

Qiao En asked again.

The barbecue arrived, and Detective Wu signaled the waiter to find some takeout boxes.

"I’ll let you know when it’s done."

He packed the barbecue on the table into a takeout box, stood up, and was ready to leave.

"Aren’t you going to eat?"

Qiao En was a bit surprised.

Behind his sunglasses, Detective Wu rolled his eyes, "Better safe than sorry."

He was very cautious, but he was indeed reliable in getting things done.

Two nights later, he suddenly called Qiao En.

"Come to the hospital."

He was brief and to the point, then hung up.

Luckily, Qiao En understood what he meant, and she immediately got dressed and took a cab straight to Central Hospital.

Detective Wu was wearing a patient’s uniform, his hair dyed white, and he had put on makeup to look old, with wrinkles and liver spots on his face that would not be noticeable unless one looked closely.

"Follow me."

Seeing Qiao En, he turned and headed toward the side door of the inpatient building.

"Once we’re upstairs, I’ll draw them away, and you’ll have to find a way to get in. Do it quickly; don’t dawdle in the ward."

Detective Wu instructed.

Qiao En acknowledged.

When the elevator reached the Fifteenth floor, Detective Wu hunched over in a second. He didn’t look back at Qiao En and shakily walked out.

In the moment the elevator doors closed, Qiao En heard Cheng Lu’s voice.

"Visitors are not allowed here, please leave immediately."

"I live here, why should I leave?"

Using a regional accent that Cheng Lu couldn’t understand, Detective Wu was quite the actor, pretending to be confused. Cheng Lu wouldn’t let him move forward, but he insisted on doing so shakily.

One tried to stop him, while the other insisted on breaking through.

Detective Wu simply sat down on the ground and started making a scene, mumbling and cursing. Cheng Lu’s frustration was palpable.

This was a hospital, after all; one could expect any kind of patient.

Having no other choice, he contacted the nurses to take Detective Wu back to the ward.

But he refused to get up, causing a commotion.

Qiao En hid in the doorway of the fire escape, peeking through the crack in the door at the scene.

A little while later, everyone tried to persuade Detective Wu to go toward the elevator. Still, he grabbed Cheng Lu’s hand and refused to let go.

Qiao En didn’t know what Detective Wu actually said, but in the end, Cheng Lu was dragged into the elevator with him.

That night, aside from Cheng Lu, there was no one else outside Zhou Jin’an’s ward.

As soon as they were gone, Qiao En quickly turned into Zhou Jin’an’s ward.

The smell of disinfectant was strong and familiar as she entered.

A series of machines lined up at the head of the bed, beeping incessantly.

On the bed, Zhou Jin’an lay quietly, as if he were asleep.

His head had been seriously injured, and he had undergone surgery, with white bandages wrapped around his head.

His eyes were closed, and his pale, cool lips were tightly pressed together.

Qiao En walked over and stood by the bed.

Having not seen him for more than half a year, he had lost weight, grown darker, and looked haggard.

She calmly took his hand; his hand was still as thick and warm as she remembered.

A tear rolled down Qiao En’s nose, and hot tears splashed onto the back of his hand.

"Mr. Zhou, I’m back," she said softly.

Suddenly, the hand she was holding trembled slightly.