"No, but when I was eating, I saw a few foreigners. They even greeted you enthusiastically. Are they locals too?"
"Oh, you're talking about those guys? Well, they can't really be considered foreigners anymore; they've been here for many years now and have integrated into the life here."
"What do you mean, many years?"
"Anyway, they have been here since I came here, and they are said to be quite familiar with our restaurant owner. Generally, they come for a Western meal every two or three days because these habits seem to be hard to change."
"So, you mean they've been eating here for 5 years since you arrived?"
"Yes, they've been eating here for 5 years. Every time they come, I usually take care of them. About twice a week, sometimes less, maybe once a week, and even the most would not exceed half a month. They will definitely come."
"Oh, I see. So, do they live nearby, from what you're saying?"
"Right, they live in the neighborhood right next to this one, right over there."
While saying this, the waiter pointed in that direction, and Ye Chen looked back; basically, it wasn't too far from the boundary of the residential area they had pointed out.
"I'm quite surprised that these foreigners have integrated so much into the local life here, and their fluent Mandarin earlier almost shocked me; I almost thought I was the foreigner."
"Let me tell you, they've been here for many years, and the first time I met them, their Mandarin was very fluent, very standard. They never speak in their own languages; they always communicate in this language."
"Hey, do they work here, or do they just live here, or own a company?"
"All three of them have their own jobs. Two of them are foreign teachers, and one works in a company, some advertising design company, but I'm not very sure."
"Do these three live together?"
"Yes, they live together. They are said to be from the same family, so they have always lived together for many years. Wherever they go, they are always together. Sometimes, I often bump into them at the market."
"Three grown men living together, don't you find that strange? Haven't there been women around them?"
"Well, don't just say it; I've seen two women, blondes and strikingly beautiful, but they only came very few times. They were just passing through here; from the looks of it, I guess their relationship isn't simple."
"Are you saying there are two women?"
"Yes, there are two women."
"When was the last time you saw these two women?"
"The last time, let me think, oh, right, it was on the first day of last month. I remember it clearly, it was my birthday, and the boss even allowed me a half day off. Before I left, I even greeted them, and they wished me a happy birthday, so I remember it quite clearly."
"You mean, at that time, those three guys brought those two women to this restaurant to eat?"
"Yes, actually the number of times these two women came here to eat with him can be counted on one hand. Including this time, I estimate, in the last year or two, it's about twice, at most, no more than three times."
"What do these two women look like, do you have a rough impression?"
"Didn't I tell you? They are very, very beautiful. Anyway, they look like what foreign beauties are supposed to look like. Why are you inquiring about this?"
"Haha, nothing much, just feel it's quite strange since they are around this neighborhood. I've been living here for a few days, seeing everyone with black hair, occasionally seeing these foreigners made me curious."
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing much, I'm just strolling around this neighborhood. I was actually looking for a job here, and the rent is lower since it's a residential area, so I thought I'd see if there are any suitable houses to rent."
"Very few people rent houses here."
"So, they aren't renting here?"
"It's not really that, I asked them, and they said they bought this house, so they've been living here, pretty stable too."
"Well then, do those two women often visit their house?"
"You know, aren't you asking a bit too much? And I'm not their servant, I can't possibly know their private lives, so I don't really understand all of this."
"Okay, I see, thanks for your help, here is your compensation."
While saying this, Ye Chen handed the money he had prepared to the waiter.
"Why, asking just a few questions and giving me this much money? Is there anything else you want to say?"
"Not really, just making casual conversation. Oh, and remember to give me a discount when I come next time, you hear?"
"Alright, don't worry, as long as you come again, I'll surely take good care of you. I'll be off then."
"Go ahead, until we meet again."
With those words, he merely waved his hand and then turned away and left the scene.
Ye Chen felt that he really had a knack for this and his trip hadn't been in vain; at least he could figure out that apart from those three guys, there were likely two women involved.
He remembered Anying had mentioned earlier that two signals had been traced to different directions, but could it be related to the positions of those two women?
If that's the case, Ye Chen could deduce that these people must have been living here for probably more than 5 years.
It seemed that Anying's conjecture of more than three years was far from enough.
He even doubted that when Lin Yaru came here, he had already been here, so he must have lived here for probably about seven or eight years now.
"Did you get everything clear?"
Pulling open the car door, Ye Chen got into the car, then saw Anying sitting in the back, asking him.