He didn’t finish his sentence, but Bai Chengye already understood.
That land, that project, and the mysterious power behind it were the true pillars of support for the Bai and Gu families. It was also the reason they had been willing to go to such lengths to eliminate the Su family.
If that power intervened in the investigation, perhaps the truth really could be uncovered.
“I understand, Father,” Bai Chengye nodded. “I’ll go and make the arrangements now.”
...
Su Wan had just returned to Blue Star when her phone began buzzing with a continuous stream of notifications.
When she checked it, the overwhelming wave of news alerts gave her a slight pause.
【Exclusive: Details of Bai Heiress’s Mental Breakdown Exposed; Suspected Trauma from Witnessing Murder Scene】
【Exposing Old K’s Background: Who Was He Really Working For? What Was His Connection to Bai Ruochu?】
【Serial Scandals: Is a Major Reshuffle Coming for Jiangcheng’s High Society Behind the Xu Tianlin and Bai Ruochu Cases?】
Su Wan scrolled through them one by one, a nearly imperceptible cold sneer curling at the corners of her lips.
Public opinion was fermenting faster than she had expected. The “in-depth analyses” added by various independent media outlets, filled with exaggeration and speculation, had whipped the high-society scandal into a frenzy.
Bai Ruochu was insane, Old K was dead, and Xu Tianlin was behind bars...
Every piece of evidence pointed toward “Bai Ruochu committing murder.” Meanwhile, Su Wan had long since vanished into the night that evening without leaving a single trace.
No one had traced it back to her.
At least, not yet.
But Su Wan knew the Bai family wouldn't let it go.
They would certainly use every resource at their disposal to hunt for the truth.
Su Wan took out another batch of gold she had brought back from the apocalypse—over two thousand grams. It was heavy, gleaming with an alluring luster under the sunlight.
Old Ghost’s shop was still deep within that inconspicuous lane, its storefront dilapidated and seemingly cut off from the rest of the world.
“Miss Su, back to grace my business again?” Old Ghost raised his murky eyes. When he saw the canvas bag in her hand, a sharp glint flickered in his gaze.
The transaction process remained silent and efficient.
Checking the fineness, weighing, quoting, and transferring.
Two kilograms of gold were exchanged for another seven-figure sum.
Su Wan put away her phone and confirmed the funds had arrived. She was just about to turn and leave.
However, the moment she stepped forward, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind—
In the future, she would inevitably have to visit Old Ghost frequently.
The gold acquisition mission in the apocalypse was already on the right track. To earn Star Coins and referral rewards, the tenants were frantically bringing back gold from all over the ruins.
Every time she traveled back, she would accumulate a large amount of gold that needed to be liquidated.
Old Ghost’s shop was the most reliable channel she could find at the moment.
But if she showed up here with large quantities of gold every other day...
Old Ghost operated in the grey market; he was well-informed and had complex connections.
All sorts of “information” were also his commodities.
As long as someone was willing to pay the price, he might sell the news of “Su Wan frequently offloading large amounts of gold” by tomorrow.
When that happened, her source of funds, her movements, and her transaction records with Old Ghost would all become blades in the hands of others, pointed directly at her.
Su Wan’s eyes suddenly grew sharp.
No.
She could not allow that to happen.
She had to sever this potential trail.
Su Wan’s figure paused at the doorway. Soon, she walked back to the counter and looked at Old Ghost, speaking calmly,
“Old Ghost, I want to talk to you about something.”
Old Ghost’s hands paused, and he looked up at her. “Please, speak your mind, Miss Su.”
“In the future, I’ll have more things like this to sell,” Su Wan said bluntly.
“But I don’t want the fact that I’ve been here or what I’ve sold to become information you sell to others.”
She paused and quoted a figure.
“This amount to buy out everything regarding my information.”
“From today onward, any transaction I make or any question I ask here does not exist. If anyone comes asking, you know what to say.”
A flash of surprise crossed Old Ghost’s murky eyes, followed by a smile. There was a hint of helplessness in that smile, but also a touch of admiration. “Miss Su truly is no longer an ordinary person.”
He didn't hesitate. In business, integrity was the foundation of one's standing.
As long as the money was right, everything was negotiable.
After all, he recognized money, not people. As long as the transaction was done here, the goods had to be genuine.
“Deal,” Old Ghost nodded. “Rest assured, Miss Su. From this moment on, everything about you has never happened as far as I’m concerned.”
Su Wan nodded and turned to leave.
Only after she had walked far away did Old Ghost slowly sit back in his old wooden chair. He picked up a walnut from the coffee table and shook his head with a helpless smile.
Originally, he had been thinking that he could sell the news of Su Wan offloading gold again to Gu Huaiyu’s side for another sum.
After all, Young Master Gu’s interest in Su Wan was worth quite a bit of money.
What a pity, what a pity...
He sighed, wiping that thought from his mind.
He knew the rules of business better than anyone.
Since he had accepted the hush money, everything about Su Wan should completely “cease to exist.”
After Su Wan left Old Ghost’s place, she found a secluded spot, took out her phone, and dialed Manager Wang’s number.
The phone rang twice before being picked up. Manager Wang’s voice carried a hint of enthusiasm:
“Miss Su, hello, hello...”
“Manager Wang,” Su Wan interrupted his pleasantries, her voice calm.
“I’ve made up my mind. I plan to purchase the asset bundle containing ‘Jinxiu Garden.’ When can we handle the paperwork at the bank?”
The other end of the line went silent for two seconds. Manager Wang’s tone became somewhat subtle, tinged with a bit of regret and difficulty:
“Oh... Miss Su, this... it’s really unfortunate. If you had made this call a bit earlier, this might have gone through. But...”
Su Wan’s heart sank, but she remained composed on the surface, her voice steady. “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
“It’s like this,” Manager Wang cleared his throat, seemingly weighing his words.
“The asset bundle you were interested in... well, another buyer has their eye on it now.”
“And the other party is moving very decisively. Their offer is a good deal higher than the psychological price point you mentioned before.”
Su Wan’s fingers tightened slightly, her grip on the phone increasing.
But she knew well that the more urgency she showed now, the more passive her position would become.
“Oh?” Her tone carried a perfectly measured touch of casualness, as if they were just making small talk.
“Who would be interested in a haunted building like that? I thought only small-time investors like me, looking to snag a deal, would consider it.”
Manager Wang gave a light chuckle, his tone carrying the shrewdness of a businessman:
“Miss Su, you shouldn't say that. No matter how bad an asset is, as long as the price is right, there will always be someone willing to take over. Besides...”
He paused, having no intention of hiding the truth.
After all, competition was a good thing for the seller.
“Miss Su, to be honest, compared to this buyer, you actually have no competitiveness at all.”
“Since you insist on knowing who it is, I can certainly tell you...”
“It’s the Gu Corporation. Young Master Gu, Gu Huaiyu.”
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