009. Tracking Sheng Teng

Zheng Yue took the silver bars, feeling a bit intrigued. Trusting Lin Shan’s credibility, he didn’t bother weighing them and accepted them directly. Then he said, “Benefactor, how do you plan to carry those tiger bones? Why not let me accompany you? With the chaos outside, it’s not safe for you to travel alone.”

In this era, many people’s lifetime travel rarely extended beyond the town. Journeying far was not a pleasant experience; on the contrary, it was quite dangerous.

Zheng Yue was a hunter, but even when he ventured out, he had to move in groups of three or five for courage.

From Zheng Yue’s account, Lin Shan learned that the Wu Kingdom was far from peaceful: the government was in disarray, uprisings were rampant among the people, and bandits and robbers were everywhere.

“No worries, Brother Zheng. Could you find me a wheelbarrow?” Lin Shan said.

The tiger bones were heavy, and carrying them alone would require multiple trips. So, Lin Shan planned to load them onto a wheelbarrow and push it out directly.

Zheng Yue promptly arranged this small matter for Lin Shan.

After settling the payment and goods, Lin Shan pushed the wheelbarrow to a secluded spot, placed the tiger bones into his inventory, then returned to the real world and called Zhang Zhi.

Zhang Zhi arrived quickly, astonished at the sight of the two sets of tiger bones.

“You really pulled it off, Ah Shan.”

Zhang Zhi fetched two large boxes, packed the tiger bones inside, and loaded them into his company van. Before getting in, he said, “Alright, I’ll help you find buyers now. Also, you have money now and no children to support, so take better care of yourself.”

He gestured at Lin Shan’s clothes.

Looking down, Lin Shan realized the cotton jacket he wore was bought three years ago during a mall sale; his pants were four years old, and his Adidas shoes were peeling apart.

Lin Shan chuckled, rubbing his head. “True, I’ll head to the mall later and buy some clothes for Mom Weiwei too.”

After bidding farewell to Zhang Zhi, Lin Shan drove to the nearby Wanda Plaza.

With the 1.3 million in his account, Lin Shan withdrew 300,000 into a hospital account for ongoing medical expenses. The remaining one million wasn’t enough to be considered wealthy, but more than enough to buy some clothes.

More importantly, Lin Shan’s mindset had changed. He knew earning money in the future would be much easier.

At Wanda Plaza, Lin Shan intended to buy a few garments for his mother and Lin Wei, so he entered a high-end women’s clothing store.

Business was brisk. The sales assistant glanced at Lin Shan’s worn attire and showed a trace of helplessness in her eyes but maintained professional courtesy with a smile. “Sir, are you shopping for your wife?”

Just as Lin Shan was about to reply, his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure.

It was Sheng Teng.

He was still decked out as before—suit, slicked hair, posing like a model.

He was arm-in-arm with a young woman in a red dress. Her long hair was smooth as silk; the slightly tight red dress accentuated her curvaceous figure, drawing the eyes of all the men in the store.

When Lin Shan saw her face clearly, he was taken aback.

He recognized her as Luo Bing, his junior from university.

Back then, she was quite a notable figure, being the daughter of a famous entrepreneur. She was gentle and kind and active in the student union.

Lin Shan was the vice president of the student union, so they had some interactions, but after graduation, they lost contact. Unexpectedly, this flower had ended up in Sheng Teng’s arms.

Lin Shan handed a black dress to the clerk. “Wrap this for me. Bring the payment code over—I’ll settle the bill. Also, get me a mask.”

The clerk had thought Lin Shan was just browsing; she didn’t expect him to buy without asking the price and hurriedly said, “Yes... please wait a moment.”

She quickly wrapped the dress and brought the payment code. Lin Shan paid two thousand yuan and put on a mask.

Sheng Teng and Luo Bing bought a large pile of clothes before leaving the store.

Lin Shan followed behind them, carrying his bag.

Among the bustling crowd, no one noticed him.

Lin Shan closed in enough to overhear their conversation.

Sheng Teng said, “Honey, I think we should hold the wedding at the Junmao International Center Hotel. I’ll have about thirty tables of guests; you should finalize your side’s count.”

Luo Bing held Sheng Teng’s arm. “Alright, I’ll tell my dad when we get back.”

Sheng Teng’s eyes darted, and he added, “By the way, honey, did your dad mention anything about that investment I talked about last time?”

Luo Bing shook her head. “He hasn’t said anything.”

Sheng Teng sounded disappointed. “Then when you get back, help me ask around. I’ve got a lot of projects lately and need cash urgently.”

Luo Bing obediently agreed.

Listening behind, Lin Shan realized that Zhang Wan was clearly a third party, and Luo Bing was evidently Sheng Teng’s fiancée.

This guy was mooching off Luo Bing; most of his company’s investments came from her connections.

“Baby, how about dinner at Maple Leaf Restaurant later? It just got a Michelin star; I hear it’s excellent. After dinner, we can go see the latest opera.”

Luo Bing looked tempted but suddenly recalled something, looking a bit downcast. “But Dad wants me home by nine.”

Sheng Teng’s expression faltered but forced a smile. “Then you should head home early.”

He was deeply frustrated. He had been with Luo Bing for two years, receiving much help from her father during that time, but strict family rules deprived him of chances to truly win her over.

His pent-up anger suddenly turned to thoughts of Zhang Wan. “That wild woman is something else. Fine, if you won’t be with me, someone else will.”

He said, “Honey, looks like there’s some company matter. I’ll take a call.”

Luo Bing nodded.

Sheng Teng headed to the restroom, with Lin Shan trailing behind. Before entering, Sheng Teng dialed Zhang Wan’s number.

“Zhang Wan, I’ll come to the Longyue Grand Hotel later. I’ll find you once I’m done here.”

Lin Shan overheard the words.

Longyue Grand Hotel was a high-end business hotel nearby. A sudden idea struck Lin Shan.

He watched coldly as Sheng Teng hung up and leisurely entered the restroom, then turned and left.

He headed to the underground parking lot and drove toward Longyue Grand Hotel.

Passing a digital store, Lin Shan stopped and spent a thousand yuan to buy a miniature camera.

At first, the owner insisted they didn’t have such a device, but Lin Shan kept raising the price until the owner relented.

Then Lin Shan arrived at Longyue Grand Hotel.

The front desk had three staff: two men and a woman. Lin Shan strolled up to the counter.

One of the men immediately asked, “Hello, do you need a room?”

Lin Shan glanced at the two colleagues nearby and lowered his voice. “Brother, I have something to discuss with you. Can you spare me a moment?”