Chapter 24: Born Criminal

“Di di~”

The horn of the little electric scooter kept blaring. Wearing a helmet, Qiao Yunxue was furious: “Can’t you watch where you’re going, old man? You’re nearly at the end of your life, what are you still running around the street for?”

“And you, little brat—just because you’re chasing your ball, does that mean you can run onto the road? Don’t your parents discipline you at all?”

“Auntie, if you’re carrying a kid, maybe don’t answer the phone while riding your bike, okay?”

It seemed Qiao Yunxue definitely had road rage.

She rode her little scooter, weaving through the streets of Yaoguang City, and every so often, she would hurl abuse at passersby.

Shen Yao really admired her spirit—she could point and scold strangers without any qualms at all.

At the same time, though, he felt a bit embarrassed.

As a man from a traditional family, sitting on the back of a girl’s electric scooter always felt a bit awkward.

“Seriously… what a backwater city. Every kind of oddball and weirdo shows up on the road!”

Qiao Yunxue’s cursing wore her out, so she glanced back at Shen Yao: “Hey, sidekick, can’t you help me curse a few times? What use are you?”

Shen Yao squinted. “I’m thin-skinned. You can handle this sort of thing just fine.”

“Hmph, useless. Aren’t you close with that childhood friend of yours? I think she’s got a sharp tongue—why don’t you bring her into the team…”

Shen Yao interrupted, “Stop.”

“Boring,” Qiao Yunxue muttered under her breath.

“Where’s that Hongse Motuoche of yours?”

“Took it in for repairs.”

“And your family’s Maybach?”

“I don’t want the driver reporting to my dad, so I didn’t tell him.”

“I feel like riding this little scooter makes us look so low-class. What do you think, Miss Qiao?”

Qiao Yunxue was even more annoyed, but couldn’t blow up at Shen Yao. He wasn’t wrong, after all.

As the legitimate Miss Qiao, the only legal heir of the Campbell Family’s fortune, she’d actually been reduced to fighting her way through the city on a tiny scooter, squabbling with all kinds of reckless drivers and pedestrians.

It was an utter humiliation.

Suddenly, Shen Yao said, “Ah, that’s one of our classmates up ahead…”

As soon as she heard that, Qiao Yunxue twisted the throttle and zoomed off.

*

The two of them made their way to a certain apartment complex—this was the address of Zhong Wen that Qiao Yunxue had found.

How did she get it?

Actually, it was simple. Qiao Yunxue had called the radio station using Mr. Qiao’s name, claiming she wanted to invest in a long-term program.

The station manager immediately gave her Zhong Wen’s address and phone number without the slightest suspicion.

This made Shen Yao seriously wonder what Qiao Yunxue’s father really did for a living—was he actually a mob boss or something?

They rang the doorbell at the apartment. Before long, a tall, handsome man opened the door.

When he saw Qiao Yunxue and Shen Yao, he froze for a moment, seemingly surprised that his visitors were so young. “You two are…?”

“I’m Qiao Yunxue. Qiao Enshi is my father. This is my assistant,” Qiao Yunxue introduced calmly.

A smile appeared on Zhong Wen’s face. “So you’re Mr. Qiao’s daughter! Please, come in, come in.”

With that, he welcomed them inside, then went over to the counter to brew tea.

“I just got a call from the Boss, saying Mr. Qiao is interested in investing in a show. I didn’t expect he’d let Miss Qiao handle the inspection personally.”

Zhong Wen’s villa was decorated in typical Biejing style— clean colors and sharp lines.

Qiao Yunxue sat on the sofa. “Actually, I want to run a show myself. Of course, I should check it out personally.”

Zhong Wen made a sound of understanding, then walked to the table and poured each of them a cup of black tea.

“Have some tea first. There are snacks on the table, help yourself. If you’re not in a hurry, we can chat slowly.”

Qiao Yunxue picked up her teacup and was about to drink when she saw Shen Yao give a slight shake of his head.

She understood immediately and set her cup down. “I have other appointments later, so let’s get straight to the point.”

Zhong Wen sipped his tea without replying.

Qiao Yunxue got right to business: “One million two hundred thousand, three months for the program. You should know my father, Qiao Enshi, and you should know me as well.”

Zhong Wen nodded with a smile. “Of course. The biggest news in Yaoguang City lately is Miss Qiao’s return. Although you have sincerity, this is something that requires careful discussion. Why not wait for your father to arrive and we can talk it over then—how about that?”

He’d taken the bait. Qiao Yunxue and Shen Yao exchanged a quick look.

Qiao Yunxue cleared her throat, and Shen Yao the “assistant” placed the suitcase on the table.

Zhong Wen opened it, discovering a box full of cash, three contracts, and a box of red ink paste for seals.

His eyes gleamed, and his voice grew a bit more eager. “Miss Qiao, this is…?”

“No need to wait for my father. I have more savings in my Fachi Account than he does. The Heir of the Campbell Family is me, not him.”

Shen Yao spoke at the right moment: “Here’s a twenty thousand deposit. This is for you, Mr. Zhong.”

Zhong Wen closed the suitcase and nodded heavily. “Then… may I ask what kind of show Miss Qiao wants to produce?”

“Shen Yao.” Qiao Yunxue seemed to be fully in character now, using just a casual word to order Shen Yao.

Shen Yao said to Zhong Wen, “Miss Qiao wants to do a suspense crime interview show.”

“Suspense crime?” Zhong Wen was startled. He looked at Qiao Yunxue with surprise. “But all my radio shows before have been emotional counseling… This…”

Shen Yao spoke up, “We already looked into it before coming. Mr. Zhong, you’re the most suitable host for this show.”

“Me?”

“Yes.” Shen Yao slightly lowered his gaze, not letting Zhong Wen see his real thoughts in his eyes.

“The first episode of this radio show will be about the Yaoguang City Female Student Disappearance Case…”

With a clang, Zhong Wen’s hand slipped, and the teacup crashed onto the glass table, spilling tea everywhere.

He quickly grabbed a rag. “Sorry, my hands have been a bit shaky lately.”

Shen Yao waited silently for him to finish cleaning up.

Once Zhong Wen had composed himself, Shen Yao continued, “Both Miss Qiao and I think there’s no one more suitable for this show than you, Mr. Zhong. Only you can bring out the most genuine sense of immersion.”

Zhong Wen forced a smile. “Miss Qiao gives me too much credit. I’m just a little radio host with a nice voice—how could I handle a crime show?”

Shen Yao replied, “Mr. Zhong, there’s no one else here, and we’re not speaking in riddles. Miss Qiao doesn’t mean to make things hard for you—she just thinks your ability and experience make you the right fit. Since you know Mr. Qiao, you should understand there’s a reason we came to you.”

This was pure bait—using the Qiao Family’s influence as a bluff.

Shen Yao wasn’t sure this trick would work. After all, it was the first time he’d ever tried to deceive a stranger.

Zhong Wen finally gave the young “assistant” a closer look. He poured himself another cup of tea, drinking one sip after another, his palms slick with sweat.

To fish properly, you needed to know when to tighten and when to loosen the line.

Zhong Wen’s reaction proved he was definitely tangled up in Xu Jia’s disappearance. In that case…

Shen Yao shot Qiao Yunxue a look. Qiao Yunxue understood.

“I have things to do this afternoon, so we won’t stay long. Please accept this deposit, Mr. Zhong, and give it some thought. Here’s my number. I hope you’ll give me your answer before tomorrow afternoon.”

With that, she left with Shen Yao.

Zhong Wen didn’t try to stop them, still sitting on the sofa, drinking tea one cup after another.

*

After leaving the apartment, Qiao Yunxue marveled, “You always look so honest, but you’re so good at lying? I don’t think you should bother going to college—just sell health supplements and you’d get rich.”

Her compliments were as sharp as her insults… Shen Yao thought.

“Zhong Wen’s reaction was even stronger than I expected,” Shen Yao said.

“How do you know it’s Zhong Wen?”

“He just happens to be the prime suspect,” Shen Yao pointed at a parked car in the distance. “And we’re not the only ones watching him. That car over there is full of Police.”

“So what do we do next?”

“Wait.”

“Wait?”

“The essence of startling the snake is that, in its panic, it will crawl straight back to its nest.”

Qiao Yunxue’s eyes sparkled as she murmured, “I’m starting to believe people are born criminals.”

Shen Yao looked puzzled. “You mean Zhong Wen?”

“I mean you.”