“Hmm... that’s not difficult.” He paused.
“Judging by your tone, you want to see the bank's internal files yourself? I have channels to provide ‘eyes.’ I charge by the hour, and I guarantee they’ll vanish without a trace once the job is done.”
Su Wan knew that “eyes” referred to hiring hackers.
These were exactly what Su Wan needed.
She didn't plan to rely entirely on the Liu family or Zhou Shikun’s connections to make direct contact; that would be too conspicuous. She intended to use grey-market methods to investigate first and obtain the contact information of key individuals before deciding on the best way to intervene. This approach was much safer.
“First, check the property rights and the manager's phone number. If I need ‘eyes,’ I’ll contact you.” Su Wan paid the information fee and a deposit.
Old Ghost was extremely efficient.
In less than twenty minutes, a slip of paper with the bank's name, branch address, and internal phone numbers was pushed in front of Su Wan.
On the back of the paper were the detailed details of Manager Wang, who was in charge of this business, including his name, hobbies, home address, family situation, and private phone number.
He also provided an extra piece of information for free.
“This bank has recently been bundling a batch of non-performing assets for disposal. ‘Jinxiu Garden’ is on that list, but it hasn't received much attention.”
“This Manager Wang is one of the people directly handling it. He has enough authority.”
“Thanks.” Su Wan tucked away the note and left Old Ghost’s dim shop.
Shortly after Su Wan’s departure, inside Old Ghost’s shop.
He slowly picked up an old mobile phone and dialed a number.
The phone rang a few times before being picked up. A deep, magnetic male voice came from the other end. “Hello?”
“Young Master Gu,” Old Ghost’s voice remained hoarse and flat, as if he were discussing something trivial. “Miss Su Wan, whom you were asking about earlier, just sold some gold here for cash.”
“In addition, she paid for some information regarding the property rights of that haunted building in Jinxiu Garden in the western suburbs. She also took the phone number of a business manager at XX Bank.”
On the other end of the line, Gu Huaiyu fell silent for a moment, his voice betraying no emotion.
“I see. The money will be transferred to your account as usual.”
“Thank you for your patronage, Young Master Gu.” Old Ghost gave a dry word of thanks, hung up, and went back to rolling his walnuts. It was as if he had just completed a perfectly ordinary two-way information trade.
To him, Su Wan and Gu Huaiyu were both customers. Whoever paid would receive the corresponding service or information.
Su Wan bought a way to investigate the bank, while Gu Huaiyu bought information on Su Wan’s movements. Each got what they needed, and the transaction was settled. It had nothing to do with grudges; it was just business.
After receiving the news, Gu Huaiyu put down his phone and stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, his gaze deep.
Where did Su Wan get the gold?
Furthermore, why was she investigating the property rights of that unfinished building?
He pressed the intercom and spoke concisely. “Look into Jinxiu Garden in the western suburbs. Find out the current situation and what its connection is to Su Wan.”
With Gu Huaiyu’s influence in Jiangcheng, this was easy to investigate.
Before long, his assistant sent back definite information. “President Gu, Miss Su Wan is currently living in Room 102 of the unfinished building in Jinxiu Garden.”
He also attached a blurry photo of the grey, unfinished building taken from a distance.
Gu Huaiyu was stunned upon seeing the news.
Su Wan... was living in Jinxiu Garden?
That unfinished building where supernatural events were rumored to have occurred?
Could anyone even live in such a place?
As a girl living there all alone, wasn't she afraid?
How exactly was she living there?
As Gu Huaiyu’s gaze fell upon the building in the photo, which looked even more dilapidated and desolate in the setting sun, his heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, suddenly contracting!
This was the same eldest daughter of the Su family who used to wear the latest haute couture, who was chauffeured everywhere she went, and whose bright smile could light up an entire ballroom.
The girl who once saw him as her entire world and gave him everything without reservation...
Now, she was actually taking shelter in an abandoned building famous for being “haunted”?
The massive contrast was like ice water mixed with glass shards, pouring into Gu Huaiyu’s chest without warning.
The hollow windows of the unfinished building and the overgrown weeds in the photo were all sharp reminders of a single fact—
Su Wan’s current situation was far more miserable than he had ever imagined.
And he, Gu Huaiyu, was one of the primary executioners who had pushed her from the clouds into the mire.
He was the one who had meticulously planned the commercial siege against the Su family. He was the one who had coldly broken the engagement. He was the one who had allowed, and even encouraged, Bai Ruochu’s relentless pressure...
At the time, his goals had been clear, and his heart as hard as iron. He had viewed Su Wan and the Su family as obstacles to be cleared and prey to be exploited for profit.
But now that the consequences of his actions were presented so vividly before his eyes...
It wasn't just a numerical loss on a financial report or her disappearance from social circles. It was the reality of her living in a building that was little more than a ruin...
Something Gu Huaiyu had been deliberately suppressing and ignoring suddenly burst forth.
He remembered the sparkle in Su Wan’s eyes when she had run across half the city to find a limited-edition record for him just because he had said he “liked” it.
He remembered how she would clumsily cook late-night snacks for him while he worked overtime, only for them to burn, and how she would shyly stick out her tongue afterward.
He remembered the faint glow of total trust and happiness on her face as she held his arm at their engagement banquet...
These memories of her “goodness,” which he had used and then deliberately erased, now acted like a boomerang blade, cutting through the cold, hard defenses he thought were indestructible.
A strange, sharp heartache, mixed with heavy guilt, struck him out of nowhere.
How... how did things fall to this state?
He had originally thought that even if he brought down the Su family, Su Wan’s life wouldn't change too drastically.
After all, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse; even if a wealthy family fell, their living conditions would still far exceed those of ordinary people.
But he hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
Seeing the depths to which Su Wan had fallen with his own eyes, he felt a suffocating tightness in his chest.
Almost subconsciously, he grabbed his car keys and got up to leave his office.
He needed to see it for himself, to confirm it.
The black luxury sedan sped away from the bustling city center, passing through increasingly cluttered neighborhoods before finally stopping at the edge of the desolate area of Jinxiu Garden in the western suburbs.
Gu Huaiyu didn't get out of the car. He simply rolled down the window and stared at the dusty twelve-story building from a distance.
The evening breeze blew in, carrying the distinct scent of dust from the ruins.
The setting sun cast a dark golden glow over the unfinished building, only serving to highlight its dilapidation and loneliness.
Room 102...
He identified the location, imagining how Su Wan lived inside.
Was it cold at night living here? How did she manage water and electricity? How was her safety guaranteed?
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