Chapter 24: My Thoughts on Sister Yan Are the Same as Yours

We did not head to the hospital, however, because we received a call from Sister Yan halfway there: Brother Hei and Little Monkey were back!

The car pulled up outside our shop again. Chen Yinan and I got out, staring at the four people huddled by the entrance. All four of them were covering their mouths and noses with one hand, staring intently at a bag in front of them.

Chen Yinan walked over, craned his neck, and asked, "What kind of treasure is this that has you all so mesmerized?"

He reached out to pick it up, but the moment he got close, the stench forced him to recoil. Covering his nose, he asked, "What on earth is that?"

I looked at Brother Hei and Little Monkey, who were also squatting on the ground, and asked, "Why are you two back?"

Little Monkey stood up, his face full of disbelief. "Brother Hei and I were just about to take a cab to the hospital when we ran into someone outside the recycling plant who handed us this bag!"

He pointed to the foul-smelling black bag. I leaned in for a closer look and nearly gagged. What was this? Shredded vegetables, rice, bits of mushrooms, and a dark, greasy broth—it was clearly a bag of kitchen slop!

I snapped at them angrily, "Have you two lost your minds? You just take whatever anyone hands you, and you insisted on bringing it back here? Isn't this just a bag of trash?"

Little Monkey shook his head, his expression earnest. "It’s not just a simple bag of trash!"

I let out a dry laugh. "Oh? How is it not simple? Is there a gold bar hidden inside? Should we dump it out and see?"

Sister Yan looked up and said, "This is the food waste from the recycling plant over the last two days."

"What?" I paused, but quickly grasped what she meant. My disgust faded, and I looked at Little Monkey. "Who gave it to you?"

"I don't know!" Little Monkey said, looking puzzled. "But the way he walked was very peculiar. Like this!"

He stood up and paced a few steps in front of me. With every step, his right shoulder would dip noticeably.

The gait was familiar. I knew immediately who it resembled: Old Man Limp! Was the person who gave them this bag of slop one of Old Man Limp's men? But why give this to Brother Hei and Little Monkey? Where was Old Man Limp? Why wouldn't he show his face?

I looked at the group and asked, "Does anyone know someone at the Haizhou Food Inspection Bureau?"

Everyone looked at each other in silence until Youyou raised her hand. She said softly, "I... I have a... a contact."

Before she could finish, I pointed at the bag and said, "Good. Youyou, this is in your hands. Please go get it tested! Name your price for the expenses."

"Okay!" Youyou replied promptly.

***

The renovation workers had finished for the day, and the main hall looked brand new. Beside every computer desk was a semi-open cubicle—these were our individual workstations. Except for Sister Yan’s private office and Youyou’s finance room, the rest of us had the same setup: a cubicle, a desk and chair, a computer, and a telephone. The printer was kept at the front desk for shared use. That was our standard configuration.

There was more renovation to follow, but that would be upstairs: Brother Liang’s appraisal room, Old Chen’s photography studio, Little Monkey’s tool shed, and Brother Hei’s gym. Sister Yan had already mapped it all out; the next step was to refine it gradually.

Chen Yinan walked around the hall with his hands behind his back, looking like a leader on an inspection tour. He nodded in satisfaction and said, "It finally feels like a place of business!"

Sister Yan smiled at him. "Tomorrow we’ll start on your photography studio so you can begin teaching soon. Otherwise, if we take people's tuition money and don't hold classes, wouldn't we be scammers?"

Chen Yinan snapped his fingers. "Our boss is as kind as she is beautiful! As the saying goes, once you find a wise leader, you should serve with total devotion, and—"

I smacked him on the head. "Enough with the nonsense. Let’s get to work! Come to the meeting room; I have something to ask you."

Sitting on the sofa in the meeting room, I looked at the photo on my phone and asked, "Do you recognize this Xiangxiang? I want to know a bit about her."

To investigate this case, I had to understand the circles the target moved in. Honestly, it would have been faster and easier to have Little Monkey look into it, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of his master, and I didn't want to burden him further.

Chen Yinan chuckled, leaned back on the sofa, and nodded approvingly. "Second-in-command, you’ve come to the right person. I know not just Xiangxiang, but the guy in the photo, too."

"Xiangxiang is a PR manager at SK and the best friend of the owner, Xiaona. The kid in the photo is named Lin Zixuan, a waiter at SK. Xiangxiang and Lin Zixuan are a couple; they’re always together. That kid has her completely wrapped around his finger—she spends all the money she earns on him. But from what I can see, he’s a total scumbag. His heart isn't solely on her!"

I curled my lip and glanced at Chen Yinan, thinking, *You have the nerve to call someone else a scumbag? Who could be worse than you?*

Seeing my expression, Chen Yinan said indignantly, "Second-in-command, you know me—others might not, but you should!"

"As the saying goes," he continued, "I pass through a thousand flowers but never let a single petal stick to me. I’m a pure, untainted man; I’ve just been misunderstood all this time!"

I spat at him, "I really want to spit a mouthful of phlegm onto that face of yours! You have the nerve to call yourself pure? You flirt and run, with no responsibility and no closure. You’re worse than a two-timer—at least those guys bother to humor women, even if it’s fake! Don’t think your smooth talk is harmless. For a woman, emotional trauma is the hardest thing to bear."

Chen Yinan had started out laughing, taking it as a lesson, but as I went on, his expression turned strange. When I finished, he lowered his voice and asked, "Second-in-command, were you dumped in the past?"

"Get lost!" I snapped. "I’ve never even been in a relationship, so how could I be dumped? I just can't stand seeing women suffer for a lifetime because they met a scumbag. Chen Yinan, a leopard can't change its spots, I know it's useless to tell you. But remember this: flirt with whoever you want, but don't you dare touch my sister, or we’re through as brothers."

Seeing my seriousness, Chen Yinan dropped his usual joking demeanor. "Fine, I promise you. I won’t mess with Sister Yan. Honestly, my feelings for her are probably like yours—she’s more like a benevolent mother figure than a romantic partner."

I didn't care what he felt for her, as long as he stayed away.

Because Brother Liang hadn't returned yet, the group wasn't complete, so we didn't make a big deal out of the evening. Sister Yan bought some prepared dishes and stir-fried a few vegetables, and we all sat down together for a lively meal.

Youyou was laughing more freely now. Sensing that we weren't mocking her, she had finally opened up. It turned out she had failed yet another job interview that day and had been berated by her family. To make matters worse, her boyfriend, who had stayed on campus, had broken up with her. The poor girl couldn't handle the pressure and had gone to jump off the bridge.

Chen Yinan leaned in and whispered to me, "Remember, if you ever run into a situation like that, never say things like 'think about your family.' In most of these cases, it’s the conflict with their families that drives them to the edge in the first place! I’ve seen people who were almost talked out of suicide jump off a thirty-second-story building just because a well-meaning bystander said, 'Do you think your parents deserve this?'"