During the meal, Li Cu kept listening to Liang Wan and Wang Meng chatting. Wang Meng was very patient and didn’t ask Li Cu any questions, just casually conversing with Liang Wan. As he listened to their conversation, Li Cu grew increasingly puzzled.

At first, Li Cu suspected that Wang Meng might be a staff member of a mental hospital; otherwise, how could he have such a bizarre colleague? Alternatively, he could be someone from the underworld, perhaps trying to silence Li Cu for some undisclosed reason.

However, as he listened more closely, Li Cu began to notice that Wang Meng’s fragmented words increasingly suggested that he was involved in small-scale business dealings. Throughout Wang Meng’s dialogue, he frequently mentioned goods, shops, and bosses—trivial terms that painted a picture of commerce.

Li Cu believed he was good at reading people. Even though Wang Meng was engaged in small business, it was clear that his dealings were not like those of others. Li Cu could sense that Wang Meng’s aura was completely different from that of ordinary people. There was a sense of distance that made it feel as though everything he said was trivial and that the real secrets were deeply buried in his heart, secrets he would never reveal.

Who did this feeling remind Li Cu of? He thought of a friend, someone he might be the only friend to. However, the feeling he had about this friend was still quite different from that of Wang Meng.

From their conversation, Li Cu could also glean that Wang Meng’s boss was a formidable figure. “He has changed a lot compared to a year ago,” Wang Meng often used this phrase to describe his boss, but beyond that, he was unwilling to disclose more.

Liang Wan seemed very interested in Wang Meng’s boss, often inadvertently steering the conversation in that direction, but Wang Meng always managed to brush it off lightly. Indeed, Liang Wan was quite the infatuated girl, completely oblivious to the fact that this man was merely humoring her.

Of course, years later, when Li Cu reflected on this scene, he realized that it wasn’t Liang Wan being infatuated, but rather that his own ability to read people was still lacking.

After finishing their meal, they headed to the hotel across the street. This combination was indeed strange: a man and a woman accompanied by a high school student, who was still wearing a hospital gown. Fortunately, in this society, having money helps avoid many problems, so their odd combination didn’t encounter any trouble.

Wang Meng had booked a luxury suite, and when Li Cu entered, it felt like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden. He was so astonished to see the large sofa in the living room that he couldn’t find his voice.

Meanwhile, Liang Wan pulled out the envelope she had shown Li Cu earlier from her bag and tossed it onto the sofa, saying to Wang Meng, “Hurry up, you guys.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Meng had already pulled out something that looked like a razor from his pocket and jabbed it into Liang Wan’s back, producing a series of electric shock sounds. Liang Wan screamed and collapsed onto the sofa.

“Electric shock gun,” Wang Meng explained to Li Cu as he squatted down to feel Liang Wan’s neck, who was still trembling. He then walked over to Li Cu and said, “Don’t be afraid. My colleague left something on your back, and I need to retrieve it. This money is yours, and I don’t want this woman to know too much.”

Li Cu stared in shock, and when he touched his back, he felt that all the scars had been stitched up. How could there be anything there? He thought to himself, “Damn it, you really are here to carry out your colleague’s unfinished twisted business.” Indeed, when this guy talked about a “shop,” could it all be code? Is he part of the mafia?

However, in this situation, making more guesses was meaningless, so Li Cu immediately stepped back.

“Don’t be afraid,” Wang Meng continued, slowly approaching him with a stun gun in hand. Li Cu knew he was in trouble; he had seen the power of that thing online. Just one jolt could probably make someone lose control of their bladder. However, years of experience being chased by his father in their home had left him surprisingly calm. His eyes instinctively scanned the surroundings, looking for an escape route.