After Jing Meng figured out the connection between these matters, she let out a cold smile. She installed a listening device in Jenny's phone and then departed.
Not long after Jing Meng left, Jenny woke up with a violent shiver. She massaged her aching neck, and as her thoughts gradually cleared, she hurriedly dialed a number, terrified that the scheme had been exposed.
Busy signals echoed repeatedly from the phone. Burning with anxiety, Jenny made four or five attempts before she finally heard Bai Xi's voice. Skipping any pleasantries, Jenny got straight to the point. "Jing Meng found my house today. To be safe, Jing Hong and his mother must be moved immediately."
After she spoke, silence fell on the other end of the line. Jenny had no idea what Bai Xi was planning, so she could only suppress her agitation and wait patiently for a response.
After about a minute or two, Bai Xi's cold voice finally came through. "I understand. They will be moved at once."
Both women were deep and calculating, but they knew that when facing a common enemy, they had to stand in the same camp. Only by doing so could they maximize their own interests during this brief cooperation.
Whether for personal reasons or for profit, only by keeping Jing Meng under their thumb could they truly come out on top.
Having identified the mastermind behind everything, Jing Meng's heart sank. She had truly underestimated a woman like Bai Xi. For now, however, she could only move in the shadows; otherwise, if she startled the snake by hitting the grass, the losses would outweigh the gains.
Since Bai Xi was far too cunning, Jing Meng knew she needed to find a helper.
"Is your business finished?" Pei Shiyi's voice suddenly rang in her ear.
Jing Meng's footsteps faltered. Wasn't the best possible helper standing right before her eyes?
"What's wrong?" Pei Shiyi rarely saw Jing Meng looking so solemn.
Jing Meng shook her head and started walking forward. "Let's talk as we go."
Pei Shiyi frowned, confused, but followed Jing Meng into the car.
As soon as they were inside and before Pei Shiyi could even ask, Jing Meng proactively stated her conditions. "I need to find Jing Hong and my mother. I have some leads now,
but I've run into a few difficulties. To deceive the other party, President Pei, I only need you to play along with me in a counterplot. Once the matter is settled, I will certainly give you a generous reward."
Pei Shiyi did not answer immediately. Instead, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and asked, "Who is this performance for?"
"Bai Xi," Jing Meng answered cleanly, hiding nothing. She was treating this impending partnership with total sincerity.
Hearing Bai Xi's name, Pei Shiyi's brow furrowed, his dark eyes filling with unconcealed disdain. "Fine. But while we're acting, I have the right to modify the script."
"Very well, but my perspective must still remain the priority." Jing Meng was not used to others controlling her rhythm; she disliked the feeling of being out of control.
"I look forward to our joint performance." Pei Shiyi's lips curled into an enigmatic smile.
Jing Meng returned the gesture with a faint smile of her own. "I won't let you down."
The two looked at each other and shared a knowing smile.
Just then, the phone in Jing Meng's pocket suddenly rang.
In order to find the exact location of Jing Hong and her mother, she had secretly hidden a small program in both Jenny and Bai Xi's phones. This way, whenever the other party received a call, her phone would allow her to eavesdrop on the conversation.
As she waited tensely for a call to arrive, the phone finally chimed. It was Jenny calling Bai Xi.
Bai Xi seemed very reluctant to take Jenny's call. It took three or four attempts before she finally answered sluggishly, her impatient voice coming through the speaker. "Just how many times are you going to call me in a single day?"
Jenny was unhappy about being shouted at and fired back without hesitation. "Do you think I want to contact you? If Jing Hong wasn't constantly calling to nag me, I would have blacklisted you long ago."
"Fine by me. I'd love nothing more than for you to delete my number permanently," Bai Xi replied with a tone of disgust. Jing Meng could easily imagine the look on her face right now.
"Bai Xi, I don't want to waste words with you. Jing Hong needs supplies over there. He's already called me three times to hurry up. Figure something out quickly." Jenny didn't bother beating around the bush and stated her purpose directly.
Bai Xi fell silent for a moment before letting out a cold laugh. "I understand."
When Jing Meng realized Bai Xi was going to see her mother, she instinctively looked at Pei Shiyi.
Pei Shiyi understood the look in her eyes and pulled the car to the side of the road.
"I know my mother's location now." Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Jing Meng sent the coordinates to Pei Shiyi.
Fifteen minutes later.
When the two arrived, they saw Bai Xi walking out of a store carrying a large bag of items. Jing Meng squinted, trying to discern Jing Hong and her mother's current situation from the daily necessities in her hands. The distance was a bit far, and she could only make out a few blurry words on the packaging.
She murmured under her breath, "Adult... diapers?"
Based on the previous conversation, Bai Xi was buying things Jing Hong had asked for, but why would there be those?
A terrible premonition suddenly gripped Jing Meng's heart.
"Don't scare yourself. We'll follow her first." Pei Shiyi's voice acted like a stabilizing pill, and Jing Meng's erratic heartbeat miraculously calmed down.
After a series of turns and stops, Bai Xi's car parked in front of a run-down, six-story residential building. Upon stepping out, she first looked at the surroundings with disdain before ducking into the stairwell with a furtive glance.
"Wait for me here. Bai Xi is a cunning woman. To avoid alerting her, we should split up." Pei Shiyi was about to get out of the car when Jing Meng pressed him back into his seat.
Pei Shiyi looked at her in silence for a long time before finally nodding.
"Be careful!"
Since the soundproofing in the old house wasn't very good, Jing Meng didn't dare follow immediately. She waited for a while before tip-toeing up the stairs.
Crouching as she moved, her sharp eyes scanned everything around her. When she saw Bai Xi looking around, she immediately curled into the smallest ball possible, terrified that even a corner of her clothes might be discovered.
When they reached the fourth floor, Bai Xi took out a key to open the door. She then carried the large bag of supplies inside and pulled the door shut behind her.
The sound of the door closing echoed through the hallway. Jing Meng was about to move closer when she sharply noticed someone watching the room from the other side of the staircase.
Realizing the situation, Jing Meng moved quietly back down the stairs.
"How is it?" Pei Shiyi asked as Jing Meng returned, the weight finally lifting from his chest.
"They are inside, but the place is guarded," Jing Meng replied. Now that she had finally found them, she didn't want to fail at the final hurdle.
"Guarded?" Pei Shiyi tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. Then, his lips curled into a slight smirk as he picked up his phone and dialed a number.
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