It was clear that the key was hidden on the cliff face. To find its hiding place, Hu and Lu searched every inch of the four sheer cliff walls.
Of course, they weren't foolish enough to climb more than ten meters up each wall. Finally, in a small crevice, they discovered a pear wood box.
"After searching for so long, we finally found it," not only Hu Jia was excited, but Lü Qingqing's eyes also shone with anticipation.
It was a bronze key, looking utterly unremarkable. At least, that's how Hu Jia and Lü Qingqing felt at first glance.
They had always wondered why Sixth Master was searching for this key. It must be because the key was unique, perhaps something custom-made.
After all, if it were just an ordinary key, it would imply the lock was also ordinary. If the lock was ordinary, why not just smash it open? Why insist on finding the key.
But now, with the key before them, they couldn't discern anything special about it. Judging by its shape alone, it looked like the kind of key used for a common padlock found on any street.
"Did we make a mistake, or did Sixth Master?" Lü Qingqing was starting to lose confidence.
Hu Jia didn't know the answer either. He carefully tucked the key into an inner pocket, close to his body.
Even though he didn't know its purpose yet, given how highly Sixth Master valued it, it must be something extraordinary.
Afterward, Hu Jia meticulously examined the pear wood box, and upon confirming there was nothing else inside, he and Lü Qingqing left the secret garden.
Meanwhile, Yu Yue and the others remained confined in the car, their eyes fixed on the restaurant.
The hooligans had been inside for a long time and still hadn't emerged. Could they have left through another exit?
Luo Wenwu, being slightly more impatient, couldn't wait any longer and suggested they go inside to investigate further.
Yu Yue had already intended to do so. Without waiting for Ouyang Wen's consent, she pushed open the car door.
It was well past lunchtime, and the restaurant was almost deserted. Such an environment was hardly ideal for an undercover investigation.
But Yu Yue was experienced. She stormed into the restaurant, hands on her hips, and began to yell at the only two or three people present. "You bastard surnamed Li, get your ass out here!"
The restaurant owner quickly stepped forward to inquire.
Yu Yue shoved him aside. "Li, don't think you can hide in your restaurant and escape me. How dare you bring that little fox in here to eat! I'll change my surname if I don't scratch her face today."
The owner's face darkened. "Madam, my humble establishment does not have the person you are looking for. Although business is slow, we do have a few customers."
Yu Yue glared at him fiercely. "Tell me, did a man with a vixen come in to eat just now? The man looked quite decent, but the woman was rather unpleasant."
The restaurant owner inwardly lamented, what kind of description is that? How am I supposed to answer? It's normal for a man and a woman to dine at a restaurant.
Seeing the owner's predicament, Yu Yue let out a heavy snort. "I knew they were still hiding inside. Just you wait, I'll break his legs today."
Without giving the owner a chance to explain, Yu Yue rushed directly towards the private rooms, flinging open doors one by one, scanning each space at a glance.
Indeed, no one was there.
Yu Yue's eyes darted around. "Good, hiding in the outhouse, aren't you? Don't you find it stinks?"
Yu Yue then ran wildly throughout the restaurant, opening every door and lifting every curtain.
The restaurant owner followed her, a pained expression on his face. Several times he tried to stop her, but Yu Yue would begin to wail theatmerely. "How dare you touch me! You dare to touch my body? If you do, I'll make sure you can't escape!"
While Yu Yue appeared frantic and aimless in her search, she was actually observing all the hidden areas, including the kitchen.
She knew that the assailants should have already departed, but she had to find their escape route.
"Madam, you cannot enter here." Finally, after searching every corner, including the storeroom, Yu Yue was blocked. Whenever the owner tried to stop her, she would cry out about being bullied.
In the end, the restaurant owner, helpless, let her have her way.
However, at the entrance to the accounting office, Yu Yue was stopped. This time, no matter how much she fussed or cried, the restaurant owner refused to budge.
Yu Yue had found a direction. It seemed this was the place.
But how could she confirm it further? The owner was blocking the entrance, and she couldn't force her way through.
So, she resorted to a dramatic outburst.
Finally, the person inside the accounting office couldn't stand it any longer. A woman opened the door and glared at her fiercely. "Get out."
Yu Yue trembled, though part of it was an act, it genuinely made her heart pound.
She saw a hint of ruthlessness in the woman's eyes. Yu Yue seized the opportunity to glance inside the room. It was a small space, immediately discernible, and surprisingly, no one was there.
Yu Yue left, grumbling.
As soon as she returned to the car, she summarized the situation. Not only was there no one in the restaurant, but there was also no back door.
Just as everyone was wondering where the assailants had gone, they suddenly reappeared.
They walked out of the restaurant as if nothing had happened, completely unguarded.
"Where did they pop out from?" Yu Yue exclaimed in shock.
"It seems this restaurant has secrets," Ouyang Wen asked Yu Yue to sketch the approximate location of the accounting office.
Based on the current situation, the secret must be within the accounting office.
If there was a hidden door in the accounting office, it would undoubtedly connect to another space. Then, by finding the connected space, they could pinpoint the hideout of the assailants' organization.
With this understanding, Luo Wenwu volunteered to scout. He eventually returned with a piece of information.
Behind the restaurant, directly opposite, was a bookstore. And based on the location of the secret door, it likely shared a wall with the bookstore.
This meant that the assailants might be passing through the restaurant and then to the bookstore.
This way, the core organization and the dispersed foot soldiers would not be seen entering and exiting together.
"Investigate, find out who is behind that bookstore," Ouyang Wen issued the order.
...
This was the first day of the new year.
While everyone was enjoying the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year, Hu Jia and the others received the best New Year's gift of the year.
Not only had they found the key, but they also had the exact location of the assailants.
They believed that by monitoring that bookstore, they would be able to locate the core management of the assailants' organization.
In the evening, the group finally had a chance to relax and enjoy a good drink. "Kuaishu Pavilion."
Now that the key had been found, Hu Jia rescheduled the family memorial ceremony that had been canceled.
After a few rounds of drinks, Hu Jia heard a knock at the door. Upon opening it, he found Qiao Huali standing there.
"Heh heh, you all seem to be having a grand time," Qiao Huali was surprised to see others in the room.
As a senior executive, he rarely interacted with subordinates, especially Hu Jia's team members, whom he had met only a couple of times.
"Uncle Qiao, what brings you here?" Ouyang Wen quickly stood up to welcome him, and everyone else followed suit to greet him.
"You two scamps, every New Year's Day in the past, you would come to see this old man and share a few drinks with me. Since you didn't come to my door this year, I had to come myself."
These words made Ouyang Wen and Hu Jia feel quite embarrassed. They had intended to visit Uncle Qiao after returning home for the memorial ceremony, but the search for the key had delayed them.
However, explaining that the memorial ceremony had caused them to miss visiting Uncle Qiao now sounded like a lie, as they hadn't returned home at all.
"We're sorry, we're truly sorry. We'll drink three penalty cups," Hu Jia quickly apologized.
"A simple 'sorry' is not enough. If you don't explain the reason to me clearly, see if I let you off the hook," Qiao Huali deliberately put on a stern face, fully displaying his elder's authority.
Uh...
Can't afford to offend him!