Chapter 52: Chapter 25: The Hidden Moth’s Counterattack
He Kao learned about the incident at Apartment Building No. 3 that morning; he saw the news in a chat group since many colleagues lived there, but had only heard that there was an explosion.
Then He Kao asked Huang Xiaopang, who had a bewildered look on his face and said he knew nothing.
After work that day, when He Kao returned to the apartment, he wanted to go to the 19th floor to take a look. Upon exiting the elevator, he was stopped by security personnel in the hallway. Tenants who didn’t live on the 19th floor were not allowed to enter, as the police’s on-site evidence collection and investigation were not yet finished.
It took another day for He Kao to roughly figure out what had happened.
On Tuesday, after work, when passing by the sales office, he noticed the lights inside were still on and deliberately went in to take a look. Xiaohu was there, working overtime with two others.
Today’s Xiaohu was no longer the Xiaohu of two days ago; he had become Manager Hu. It was said that the former Manager Yang had already resigned. Puzzled, He Kao asked, "Why did Manager Yang suddenly quit?"
Lowering his voice, Manager Hu said, "Hey, don’t even mention it! He claimed it was a voluntary resignation, saying it was because the feng shui here was bad and full of strange occurrences; he didn’t want to stay anymore... In reality, he was scolded away by the boss.
That day, the boss wanted him to visit you and reassure you, but he messed things up on his own initiative, which made the boss very angry. Then, another major incident occurred yesterday, one that couldn’t be covered up, and with nowhere to vent his anger, the boss scolded him harshly."
Manager Yang had gone around to He Kao’s place and stirred up the matter of Tengxin wanting to sign a cooperation agreement with Sesame Apartment and collectively switch the rental contracts for their employees.
Originally, Tengxin’s employees were renting comfortably. Why did they suddenly think of switching? Although Sesame Apartments were always in high demand, they worried about these tenants actually leaving!
Just a day later, another major incident happened at Sesame Apartment, driving the boss crazy, and the unlucky Manager Yang was scolded away, leaving Hu as the new manager both happy and worried.
Xiaohu was happy to have finally been promoted to leadership, but worried about whether Manager Yang’s words were true, fearing the feng shui problems in Sesame Apartment!
When the police were on-site yesterday, Xiaohu was actually there too and later helped the security department guard the elevator entrance on the 19th floor, so he knew something about the situation, which he casually shared with He Kao.
When people feel uncertain inside, their desire to confide often becomes strong. Meeting a considerate listener like He Kao, if not for unfinished work, Manager Hu would have loved to drag him out for a small barbecue.
Manager Hu also privately asked He Kao for a favor—to inquire about any news from the business department, whether the cooperation agreement was truly going to be signed, and when and how it would be signed?
He Kao readily agreed.
After listening to Manager Hu’s account, He Kao had already solved the case in his mind; this was clearly done by Huang Xiaopang, using his personally made Bamboo Thunder.
As for why the people in the room were missing, they were transferred just like those fireworks. As a member of Hidden Moth, Xiaopang should have such means. That missing Liang Kai probably was the one who broke into his room with a gun that night.
A muffled sound from a bed in Sesame Apartment stunned many people. Based on the circumstances at the scene, this must be the work of Hidden Moth, all the features were unmistakably clear!
Qian Guran was also stunned; he quickly found out the exact time of the explosion, 8:17 AM. Qian Guran remembered clearly that at this time on Monday morning, He Kao was having breakfast in the company’s cafeteria, sitting right opposite him.
This means, if the explosion was Hidden Moth’s doing, then He Kao could not possibly be Hidden Moth!
He Kao now was certainly not Hidden Moth, because the Hidden Moth object was lost, but it was stolen by Qian Guran.
Old Qian did not become Hidden Moth, yet the real Hidden Moth emerged, which could only prove one thing—he stole the wrong item; that pendant was not a Hidden Moth object!
Old Qian was left dumbfounded: Who am I, where am I, what have I done?
Not only Qian Guran, but everyone who had swapped pendants realized this too.
Liang Kai’s background soon came out; he was a disciple of the Alchemy Sect, with cultivation at possibly Tier Two "Mountain Guest" or Tier Three "Yin Yang School".
Many people usually are not willing to expose their Sorcerer identity, and are more sensitive to privacy protection than ordinary people. To avoid misunderstanding, Magic Gate even has its own set of Jianghu jargon, similar to spy codenames.
The explosion at Sesame Apartment was so sensational, at least in this circle, that many were inquiring about who the real victim was, and Liang Kai’s identity spread as a result.
Someone felt a chill, realizing it was a reprisal by Hidden Moth.
Though He Kao was clearly not Hidden Moth, why would Hidden Moth retaliate? The reason was simple—everyone took He Kao for Hidden Moth. When they dealt with He Kao, it was as if they were dealing with Hidden Moth!
These people came to Qi Yuan, locking their suspicions on He Kao. How could the real Hidden Moth not catch the wind of this? While they secretly watched He Kao, Hidden Moth was also watching them.
Why did Hidden Moth choose to target Liang Kai? Because Liang Kai broke into He Kao’s apartment with a gun, posing a direct threat to his life.
By now, everyone had guessed that the armed figure He Kao reported seeing was probably Liang Kai.
Originally, many had only heard the legend of Hidden Moth. Upon getting clues and coming to Qi Yuan, their target was the Hidden Moth object, assuming the other side was just a regular person who got hold of a magical artifact, and it should be easy to handle with technique.
They had never dealt with Hidden Moth and didn’t know who Hidden Moth really was. At least He Kao appeared harmless, but the real Hidden Moth turned out to be so ruthless!
Getting tangled with such a mysterious and cruel adversary would make anyone’s heart race with fear. Some people even secretly felt relieved, thanking their luck that they acted "politely" enough not to offend He Kao, unlike Liang Kai who crossed the line.
The name Liang Kai was not well known, but his master was quite famous in the sorcerer community. His master was called Wan Zhongle, known in Jianghu circles as Mr. Le, a steward of the Alchemy Sect. It’s said his skill in the Alchemy Cauldron has reached Tier Five, and he might even become Magic Gate Elders in the future.
Tier One of Alchemy Cauldron Skill is nicknamed Collector.
Tier Two of Alchemy Cauldron Skill is commonly referred to as Mountain Guest.
Tier Three of Alchemy Cauldron Skill self-titled Yin Yang School.
Tier Four of Alchemy Cauldron Skill jokingly called Gardener.
Tier Five of Alchemy Cauldron Skill known as Taster.
Tier Six of Alchemy Cauldron Skill with honorable title Pharmacist.
In Wan Zhongle’s name, the "Le" is read as the musical "le," but his nickname Mr. Le is read as the joyful "le."
This Mr. Le has some indirect connections to Wu Yanjun. Back when the Alchemy Sect approached Zhang Yanfei with a batch of precious materials, requesting replication of a founding master’s relic, yet eventually took the original away.
From start to finish, this was all managed by Wan Zhongle. Through Wu Yanjun, He Kao learned about the identity of the disappearance in the nineteenth floor explosion case and about Wan Zhongle.
Xiaowu was quite loyal, genuinely considering He Kao a friend. Even while being abroad, he cared about the situation here. Although his understanding of the Magic Sect was limited, he inquired information related to his master Zhang Yanfei.
Liang Kai was someone Wu Yanjun had never heard of before, but he certainly didn’t have a good impression of his master Wan Zhongle. He called He Kao simply to clarify what happened and remind him to be careful.
Once some boundaries are crossed, they are hard to retract. Since Xiaowu already informed He Kao much about the Magic Sect, without hitting any taboo, he might as well introduce more details.
After hearing the news, Ye Yuxuan was quite scared too, grateful she hadn’t behaved too outrageously, and later Wu Yanjun worked to smooth over the incident... not expecting Hidden Moth’s reaction to be so fierce.
Even Ye Hui specifically called Ye Yuxuan over, using this incident as a caution and also praised Wu Yanjun for his tactfulness. This made Xiaowu quite pleased.
On the phone, Wu Yanjun tried to coax information from He Kao, asking if he knew who Hidden Moth was, or had any suspects? He Kao’s response was watertight, simply saying no one other than Xiaowu had ever talked to him about Hidden Moth.
Not only Ye Yuxuan was startled, but also Qian Guran.
After confirming He Kao was not Hidden Moth, Qian Guran finally retrieved the Beast Claw Pendant from abroad. No wonder it had taken so long to research it, as it was never Hidden Moth Object.
Old Qian suddenly became quite clear, realizing this object is indeed a passive magical artifact with dual uses of "Calm the Spirit" and "Malicious Detection."
Of course, it’s quite valuable, and if sold in the Magic Sect circles for one or two million, there’s definitely interest. Yet for a Tier Three Sorcerer like Qian Guran, it wasn’t much use.
This item suits gifting to younger ones, especially children, for it’s not wrong to say it wards off evil. Any other human impacts, unless worn long-term... realizing at this point, Qian Guran sees He Kao is extraordinary!
If the item is worn for just a day or two, or a month or two, it has only a passive effect. But if worn for a year or two or even longer, the true value emerges.
Specifically, it stabilizes the divine soul, sharpens intuition, thus making one calmer, clearer, and more thoughtful than the average person, also affecting physical condition like more coordinated movements and quicker reactions.
Talking about "side effects," it might lead to a more sensitive and suspicious personality, but it’s not absolute.
He Kao has been wearing it close to himself for over twenty years, starting from the crucial childhood growth period!
Such a person, as long as they aren’t flawed inherently, is quite suitable for cultivating techniques. Sadly, he is almost twenty-six and hasn’t been tapped or nurtured. Many good prospects in the world are just overlooked this way.
With mixed feelings, Qian Guran ponders, unsure of how to handle this magical artifact.
Old Qian reflects on every move interacting with He Kao, thinking he reacted the quickest, acted the earliest, and was also most cautious. He should not have been discovered. Returning it might very well be noticed, equating to self-exposure.
Forget it, hold onto it for now, handle it based on future circumstances, at least considering it a favor owed to He Kao.
Amid contemplation, Qian Guran received notification of the weekend’s departmental activities, secretly complaining about another team building, but upon counting, realized the last such activity was nearly two months ago.
The Cloud Living project group’s mass recruitment has slowed down, but two new employees joined last month, bringing the department’s headcount from nineteen at the start of the year to thirty-seven now.
According to President E’s rule of having a gathering every time there’s a newcomer, averaging at least one monthly departmental activity, the time seems about right.
Heard that last team building at Bada Club, President E almost choked and was scared while swimming, hence never wants to go there again. This time it’s changed to a whole roast lamb meal at Qiyun Mountain.
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