Chapter 106
Nangong Iren
Someone was coming closer.
"Red Goat! It really is you!" Iren took one step forward.
"Do you want to sit here or there?" The person who approached Iren pointed at the chairs on the terrace and the chairs in the garden full of neatly arranged trees.
"Here, please." Iren pointed at a chair that was nearby.
"Okay, we sit here."
"Where's the Blue Sheep?"
"She's in the shower upstairs."
Iren laughed.
"How can you recognize us? We've changed our faces!" The person narrowed his eyes while looking at Iren.
"You can change your face and appearance. But your posture and body language are really hard to forget!" Iren laughed again after saying those words.
"Really? Then, after this, we have to change our habits completely."
"You'd better do that. If I can identify you guys, then someone else can, too."
"I was worried that you would recognize us. It turns out that my guess was right."
"You saw me earlier?"
"Of course I saw you. You were talking to your friend. I think you sent him away so you could come in here."
"That's right. He's buying food."
"There aren't any food vendors close enough from here."
"I know. So we can talk a little longer."
The person, whom Iren called "Red Goat," laughed. "Now you live in this city?"
"I've been here about a year. How about you?"
"We've only been here three months. The town is so big. So many people. So there are lots of places to hide. We'll probably be here for a year or two."
"Whose house is this?"
"Are you seriously asking this?"
"So what if I'm serious?"
"You know I can't answer questions like that, right?"
Iren chuckled and shook his head. "Fine! I'll just ask something else."
"Go ahead and say the things you want to say."
"Take it easy. You guys aren't in a rush."
"It's not us who are in a hurry, it's you who must hurry back." The man laughed. "Although the place that sells food is a bit far from here, there's no way your friend would spend more than an hour going back and forth to buy food."
"Yes, you're right!" Iren laughed again.
"This is definitely not an ordinary social visit."
"So what if this isn't a normal social visit?"
"That means it's not wrong for me to be vigilant right now."
"You've always been paranoid."
"Paranoid is not an illegal activity."
"If you don't break the law, why do you have to hide and change your identity? And you guys even went so far as to change faces and appearances."
"Consider it some kind of misunderstanding."
Iren laughed. "I just happened to be here." Immediately, he changed the subject.
I can't mince words for too long. Get straight to the point!
"There seems to be some serious business."
"That's right. Very serious business."
"And you shouldn't tell details about it to unauthorized people?" That person narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to guess what was in Iren's mind."
"I'll tell you later... in the memoir I'm about to write."
"The memoir that you may never finish writing!"
Iren and that person burst out laughing.
"This time I'm serious! I will definitely finish the memoir."
The person nodded. "So... what do you want me to do?"
"You're assuming that I'm here to ask for your help?"
"Was my assumption wrong?"
"Not completely wrong. But not entirely right either."
"Don't go in circles. Just tell me what I can do."
"I do need your help. But I don't know if this is the right time."
"How about you think about it for thirty seconds? After that, you decide whether or not to say it."
"Thirty seconds? Ha...ha...ha..."
Silence for a few moments.
"Thirty seconds have passed."
"All right. I'll tell you."
That person, whom Iren called the Red Goat, got up from his chair. He opened the door that Iren had passed earlier. After peeking inside, he walked back towards the garden in the backyard.
"We'll just sit here," he shouted. "More trees. So definitely cooler."
Ah! He doesn't trust the housekeeper!
Iren got up from his seat. He walked into the garden and sat down in the chair opposite the other man's chair. Iren took out a wallet from the back pocket of his trousers. He opened the wallet and took out a photo from inside the wallet.
"Oh! A friend of yours disappeared?"
"His name is Gongyang Songfei." Iren held out the photo to the Red Goat.
The person snorted when he saw the photo. "Ah! This is a man who loves detective stories and mysteries."
"You know him?" Iren leaned forward.
Had Songfei also invited him to partake in the games he devised?
"Of course not. But he's been on television a few times."
Eh? When? Is he serious?
"On television? I knew nothing about it. He never told me. What show?"
"Of course the program related to the investigation games. Maybe you don't know. It was broadcast by a television station in another city. I don't know if it was also broadcast here."
In another city? Songfei also traveled to faraway places? It's amazing. There's so much I don't know about that young man.
"I didn't realize that he was actually quite famous."
"I don't think he's very famous. There are only a handful of people who actually watch that kind of stuff."
"But you also watched it."
"It wasn't on purpose. At the time, we were living with a man who loved detective stories and mysteries. So I had to watch the shows he liked."
"You must be really bored." Iren laughed again.
"Not too bored either. The fellow was excellent at cooking. So we didn't really mind the other stuff either."
"Fine. So, what do you think?"
"What's wrong with this Mr. Gongyang?"
"He disappeared."
"I know he's missing. That's obvious from your expression. What I mean is, he disappeared because he was hiding or he disappeared because someone else disappeared him?"
"At first it was because he was hiding. But then we thought that someone had kidnapped him."
"We?"
"Yes! Me and some of my friends."
"Including that person named Duanmuh?"
"Of course. So what?"
"Why don't you just ask him for help? His network is definitely stronger and wider than mine."
"What network? He's just like me or my other friends. We live alone in this city."
"You are aware that he is a Duanmuh, right?"
"Of course I'm aware of that. But he was raised as a commoner. Just like everyone else in our new world."
"I believe he thinks he is the same as us. But he is clearly different. Maybe until now he hasn't realized that he is different. Maybe one day he will realize that he has privileges that not many people have. "
"Let's just say you're right," said Iren. "But as long as he's not aware of that, then he can't access the network that he might actually have."
The Red Goat nodded. He seemed unsure of Iren's words.
Iren cupped his hands and put them in front of his mouth. "I think we've talked enough about him. Now let's continue talking about this Gongyang Songfei."
"Fine. I'll do my best. But like I said, my network in this city isn't very strong. So there's a chance I won't be able to give anything away."
"It's okay. I know this problem is complicated. I'm prepared with the various possibilities that will arise as the result."
"All right then. I'll tell you in twelve or eighteen hours."
"Do you know where I live?"
"I don't know. But I can find out."
"That's going to take a lot of time. Here, I'll give you my phone number and the address where I live."
The Red Goat received the paper that Iren gave. He studied the paper. "This is very close to the mall where the strange incident occurred." His brow furrowed.
"That's right! Even I was there."
"The first incident or the second."
"The second. But on the first occasion, I was also in the vicinity."
"That event was indeed strange. There are lots of strange theories going around trying to explain this incident."
"That's right. A lot of them are just ridiculous."
"We'll talk about this another time. I'm afraid your friend is back. If he sees you coming out of this house, then I'm afraid that we will have to move again."
"You really are so paranoid!"
"It's much better if I'm careful."
"Okay! I look forward to hearing from you."
"Do not worry!"
"I'm leaving now. Thank you very much."
"Please! Sorry, I can't walk you out."
"That's fine. I understand. Give my regards to the Blue Sheep."
The person nodded. "See you later."
Iren got up from his chair. He walked towards the terrace. When he got there, he turned to look again at the person he called the Red Goat. The man didn't even move from where he was sitting. It seemed that he still wants to spend more time in the garden, which was quite shady.
After that, without looking back, Iren stepped out of the backyard terrace. When he opened the door, the slightly curly haired woman was already standing behind the door. She escorted Iren to the gate. This time, after Iren was outside the fence, she immediately locked the gate. Iren could only laugh watching that.
Iren walked back to where Shiuander had parked his car. Yihshyong had yet to appear. His friend had been gone for a long time. Iren shook his head. He was worried that the food stall was very far from that place.
Ah! I have to wait how much longer?
After a few minutes of standing there, Iren smiled. From a distance, he saw someone approaching. The man seemed to try to quicken his pace. However, it seemed he was running out of steam.
"You took so long, Shyongge." Iren laughed when the person got in front of him.
"Sorry. The place is really far away. Apart from that, there are also many who buy it."
"Let's eat now."
"Where shall we eat?"
"I think it's okay here."
"Here?"
"Here, of course. We can use the hood of this car as a dining table. We can't possibly go in with all this food. I'm afraid we're trashing their sumptuous living room."
"But this is Mr. Shiuander's car!"
"He certainly won't mind. The important thing is we don't dirty the car."
"All right! We eat here."
Yihshyong put down the plastic bag containing the food and drink he had just bought. The two of them then enjoyed their dinner, which was served on the hood of Shiuander's car.
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