Chapter 16: Supporting a Useless Brother? Not Happening!
Lin Zhifeng had thoroughly arranged Xie Yaozu’s impending misfortune and was humming a cheerful tune as she strolled toward the entrance of the village.
She didn’t want the “immortal” to go see Mother Yang right away—she wanted the situation to continue brewing.
Mother Yang, Brother Qiang, and Xie Yaozu—those three had already set their sights on selling off Xie Zhaodi. Using a Bewilderment Talisman on Mother Yang now would be bad timing.
The Bewilderment Talisman can only hypnotize, not fully alter someone’s memory, and its effects aren’t long-lasting—it wears off in about half a month.
If she used it now, Mother Yang would regain her senses by the end of the month, and the transaction might still go through.
But the end of the month also happens to be when Gold-Chain Brother comes around to collect his debts. If he doesn’t see 30,000 yuan, he definitely won’t let it slide.
If Mother Yang cancels the deal at that point and becomes convinced Xie Yaozu was trying to scam her and harm her son, she’ll rally her sisters from her mother’s side and go to war.
“Two forces combined, total power play! And then there’s Brother Qiang, the middleman. If the deal falls through, he doesn’t get his commission. No way he’d let Xie Yaozu walk away—he’ll make him cough up everything he’s eaten and drunk.”
Xie Yaozu and Li Amei were only fierce when b*llying their own—there’s no way they could withstand that kind of pressure.
When Lin Zhifeng reached the village entrance, she spotted Yang Xiaofang there as well. The two waved to each other from afar and sat together, whispering quietly.
“Zhaodi, when I went home yesterday afternoon, I saw a luxury car leaving your grandpa’s place. There was a pretty lady in the back seat—maybe because she’s so rich, I couldn’t even tell her age. She looked really angry though. Do you know who that was?”
“That’s weird… I don’t know either.” Lin Zhifeng shook her head. A glamorous woman in a luxury car wasn’t in the novel plot so far. Still, she could guess—if she went to the Wang family’s place, it must have something to do with the adopted Wang Tingmei.
“Can I ask you something? Don’t get mad. Was your mom the one Grandpa Wang picked up off the street?”
“Yeah, she was.”
Yang Xiaofang’s eyes lit up. She clapped her small hands softly and whispered in a tone of pleasant surprise, “That makes sense! That pretty lady must be a relative of your mom’s. I heard your mom was really beautiful when she was young.”
“Family, huh…” Lin Zhifeng couldn’t be sure. Wang Tingmei probably didn’t come from a straightforward wealthy background—otherwise, she wouldn’t have been abandoned.
“Xiaofang, do you remember the car’s license plate?”
“Of course! It was super easy to remember—Guo A88888.”
Guo prefix—capital city license plate. Five eights, not a simple identity. Lin Zhifeng decided to ask around when she got back. With such a flashy plate, whether the owner stays or leaves, it won’t go unnoticed.
“The bus is here, let’s go.” Seeing the rickety bus pull up, Lin Zhifeng didn’t continue the conversation. The two of them naturally shifted to talking about school, chatting in hushed voices all the way back.
By the time they returned to the county town, it was already dusk. Lin Zhifeng took a motorized tricycle straight to the most luxurious hotel in the area—Red Maple Hotel. She wandered outside the parking lot for a bit before spotting the eye-catching plate: Guo A88888.
“Showing up directly won’t work. Security here is tight—even if I manage to sneak in, I’ll be kicked out in no time. And someone of that status wouldn’t waste words on a girl who barges in uninvited.”
Lin Zhifeng decided to first inquire at the front desk about how long the woman would be staying. But at a place like this, the staff were tight-lipped—she had no choice but to summon the system again.
“Give me a Truth-Spilling Talisman.”
The system had already gone numb from her antics. It tossed out a one-yuan bill and instantly took it back. Numb or not, the routine had to be followed.
Ding—
“Detected continued honesty in returning lost money. Reward: One Truth-Spilling Talisman. Please accept.”
Straightening her posture and putting on a composed expression, Lin Zhifeng stepped into the hotel lobby. Her loose white dress and flowing black hair trailed behind her. With facial features so delicately beautiful—and so similar to Wang Tingmei’s—the security guard at the door hesitated, unsure of her identity.
Ordinarily, idle people weren’t allowed to wander around here freely—it could disturb the high-profile guests and cheapen the hotel’s image. But Lin Zhifeng’s stride was bold and confident, not the least bit flustered. She walked straight up to the front desk and tossed out the truth-spilling talisman without anyone stopping her.
“How long is the female guest with the Guo-A-88888 license plate staying?”
“One month.”
The pretty receptionist stood stiffly, eyes dull and expression blank, as if she were under some kind of spell. Her answers were mechanical and precise, holding nothing back.
“What’s her room number?”
“Room 2088, deluxe suite.”
“Is she staying alone or with others?”
“She’s alone. She has one driver and four bodyguards staying on the 19th floor.”
Four bodyguards in a small county town? Was she planning to challenge Brother Qiang and the guy with the gold chain for territory?
Lin Zhifeng found it suspicious. None of the local real estate tycoons—male or female—had personal bodyguards. Why would this woman bring such a large entourage?
“Does she go out every day? Is there any pattern to her movements?”
“Yes. No pattern.”
“Has anyone come to see her?”
“General Manager Zhao.”
That didn’t surprise Lin Zhifeng. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a security guard who seemed to have snapped out of it and was approaching, so she quickly lowered her voice and asked, “What was Zhao Xiao’s mood like when he left?”
“He kept a cold face the whole time—couldn’t tell if there was any change.” The receptionist’s awareness was gradually returning. Her eyes regained some clarity, and she looked at Lin Zhifeng with growing suspicion.
“Who are you here to see?” A middle-aged security guard stepped up, giving her a serious once-over. He finally concluded that this ethereal-looking dress she wore wasn’t some luxury brand—it was probably the kind of thing sold at night market stalls. His wife had worn something similar when she was pregnant.
“I’m just here to ask if you’re still hiring.” Lin Zhifeng replied calmly, lying with such upright conviction that her face didn’t even twitch.
The security guard’s expression eased slightly, but he still waved her off, saying, “We’re not hiring. We only recruit internally. Come on, follow me out the back. If the manager sees you, we’ll all get our pay docked.”
“Sorry, I’ll leave right away!” Lin Zhifeng followed him around to the back exit. Once she was outside the hotel grounds, she hailed a motor-tricycle and headed home.
“Could she be the evil stepmother type? Abandoned Wang Tingmei, the daughter from the first wife, and then kicked Zhao Xiao, the original son, out of the family? No, no, that can’t be right. With Zhao Xiao’s capabilities, there’s no way he couldn’t handle a stepmother.”
Lin Zhifeng hadn’t originally planned to meddle in these side characters’ affairs, but Wang Tingmei was a fool. If she ever tried to use her connection with Zhao Xiao, she might end up dragging Xie Zhaodi and Xie Laidi down with her.
So unless she got to the bottom of this, the sisters would never be safe.
“I’ll ask him when we meet on the 28th. I don’t believe there’s any truth I can’t dig out.”
…
Back at the Xie household, Lin Zhifeng had just stepped through the door when she heard Xie Guibao’s excited voice, more irritating than a whole chorus of frogs in the village.
“Mom! Mom! Give me your ID so I can register for the game!”
“Guibao, don’t play so much. You’ll ruin your eyes.”
Wang Tingmei’s weak voice was completely ignored by Xie Guibao, who was still screeching away, caught up in some new game.
Lin Zhifeng glanced over and saw that he was hugging a brand-new top-of-the-line tablet. On the sofa was an unopened box of the latest model smartphone.
This whole set must’ve cost at least ten thousand yuan. Lin Zhifeng’s eyes narrowed—was Wang Tingmei about to reveal her hidden identity as a wealthy heiress?
