NOVEL WEB Chapter 373
Insert 16 Uninvited Guest
“Huff, it’s been several days since I last came back. Everything feels so unfamiliar.”
Yin Tianjie returned to the entrance of the neighborhood where she used to rent.
It was around seven-thirty in the evening. The winter sky finally began to show a faint light, but the cold wind did not cease and continued to blow against Yin Tianjie’s face.
“This damned weather, it’s freezing me to death.”
On her way back, she stopped by the bank to withdraw a few thousand yuan in cash. Considering the expenses during this period wouldn’t be small, carrying some money was necessary. Additionally, this confirmed that Director Ke had not lied to her.
Yes, there were indeed two hundred thousand yuan in that bank card. When counting the money at the ATM, she almost jumped for joy, but later thought it too childish and decided against it.
She must always remind herself that she was a man.
The neighborhood where Yin Tianjie rented was located on the west side of the Balance Commercial District and south of the canal, very close to Wu Qinglan’s estate, separated only by a dense forest.
However, across the river was a row of abandoned factories and docks, making the area quite remote. Therefore, the rent here was relatively cheap, and it wasn’t far from the commercial area. For the previous Yin Tianjie, this was a suitable place to live.
She had lived here for a year and had just paid three months’ rent before the incident occurred. Thus, the landlord wouldn’t check on her survival anytime soon. Even if they found out she had fled, it would be three months later.
“Wait! Little girl, which building are you from?”
Just as Yin Tianjie was about to enter the neighborhood, the security guard at the guard post stopped her.
“Building Seven, Room 403.”
The security guard squinted suspiciously and then stuffed some rice roll into his mouth.
He said, “Building Seven? I haven’t seen you before.”
“It’s my brother’s place. He asked me to come over and pick up some things. What’s going on? Do we really need to question someone just to enter a neighborhood?”
Yin Tianjie didn’t look like a thief, so the security guard leaned back in his chair and turned to stare at the surveillance camera.
He explained further, “Recently, there have been many theft cases in the neighborhood. They told us to keep an eye on people entering and leaving. Has anyone been staying at Building Seven, Room 403 recently?”
Yin Tianjie thought for a moment and made up a reasonable excuse, “Well, yes, my elderly family member isn’t feeling well, so my brother went back to take care of him a few days ago. He left some things at home, and I’m here to bring them back… Can I go in now?”
The security guard waved his chopsticks and gestured for her to enter.
“Oh! Thank you! I’ll be out soon!”
With a smile, the obedient girl entered the neighborhood, immediately putting on a disdainful expression.
She muttered, “Tsk, acting like a big shot with a feather duster! What’s a little security guard thinking he can do? With his salary, would he dare catch a thief if one appeared?”
Yin Tianjie was usually tactless, and this hadn’t changed after becoming female. However, she did remember those who treated her kindly, though few had ever truly done so.
“But with all these thefts, I wonder if anything was stolen from my house. Though there wasn’t much of value anyway.”
This residential building had only six floors, so there was no elevator. Yin Tianjie fumbled for her keys and entered the house, but the moment she opened the door, she smelled a strange odor, momentarily thinking she had entered the wrong apartment.
There were two pairs of shoes that weren’t hers, and the house was filled with items that shouldn’t be there. Combining this with the security guard’s mention of joint thefts, Yin Tianjie quickly pieced together the clues and realized what had happened.
Her house had been turned into a base for thieves.
She needed to find a way to get out and call the police. With her current situation, she couldn’t handle the thieves alone.
Yin Tianjie cautiously backed away, but behind her…
“Little girl, since you’re back, why don’t you stay for a bit?”
A man’s voice hit her before she could even turn around.
———————-
Useless Trivia Line:
Actually, striking the neck doesn’t easily cause unconsciousness and can lead to serious consequences.
———————-
Around eight o’clock, the Lǎijiā Politics high-altitude cleaning team arrived at the riverside road in a vehicle.
Seeing today’s work target, Xiao Binyi approached the boss with mixed feelings, “Boss, I heard we’re supposed to clean a medium-sized office building today, but it looks more like an abandoned factory.”
Lǎijiā Politics’ boss was a middle-aged man with a small beard. He also wore a work uniform and came to the scene, but he wouldn’t personally climb the walls.
“Hey! What abandoned factory? Look carefully. This has already been converted into an office building! In this day and age, being able to get any work is good enough. Xiao Xiao, you should be grateful. Those proper office buildings wouldn’t look at us anyway.”
High-altitude cleaning was a new business Lǎijiā Politics had expanded into, lacking in fame and thus unable to secure decent contracts.
Today’s task was to clean an abandoned factory that had been converted into an office building. Besides the original exterior of the factory, the owner had added a glass curtain wall, requiring both layers to be cleaned, making the job quite demanding.
Xiao Binyi looked at the lush weeds and cracked concrete roads, rubbing his temples.
“Are we supposed to deal with those wild weeds too?”
The boss shook his head and replied, “Of course not. We only need to clean the factory itself. We don’t have to worry about the surroundings… After all, they didn’t pay us enough.”
Not enough money was the reality.
The factory had been converted into an office building not long ago, and the construction team wouldn’t help with a thorough cleanup before leaving. This job fell to their home service company, but the factory owner wasn’t wealthy enough to hire a larger cleaning company, so Lǎijiā Politics took it on.
“Let’s start now. Xiao Binyi, your group hasn’t been fully staffed yet, so follow Master Ye for now.”
Master Ye was a veteran high-altitude cleaner hired by Lǎijiā Politics, also known as a spiderman. His job was to teach other employees the safety standards for high-altitude cleaning, a dangerous job that came with risks and required constant caution.
Xiao Binyi’s position as team leader was recommended by Master Ye because he learned quickly and was deemed capable of leading a team.
Although he had only helped Master Ye clean a few small villas and buildings up to seven stories, he had been looking forward to today’s work.
“Sigh, I thought I’d have a chance to work on a building with over ten floors today.”
Hearing the regret in Xiao Binyi’s voice, Master Ye patted him on the back and teased, “You enjoy climbing high places that much?”
“The thrill is great, the adrenaline rush is fantastic. At amusement parks, you have to pay to experience it.”
“I can’t understand young people’s thoughts.”
The boss chimed in, “At least I feel nervous standing on a plank, even with a safety rope. So, safety is paramount!”
“Master Ye has already warned us about this, Boss. Don’t worry.”
Caring for employees was essential.
After all, if something happened, the boss would have to pay a hefty sum.
To lower the cleaning equipment, Xiao Binyi and the others climbed onto the rooftop of the converted office building. It was only four stories tall, and each office had a terrace, perfect for securing the equipment.
“It’s quite spacious inside. Looks quite professional, but it’s in such a poor state outside. Will it even be rentable?”
Even with its impressive interior, the poor exterior might deter potential tenants. In Xiao Binyi’s opinion, if someone was willing to pay for cleaning the exterior, they should consider clearing the weeds first…
“Of course it will be rentable. And since someone has rented it, I’ve been hired to clean it. Moreover, they’ve rented the room right under your feet.”
Coming in to answer the question was a black-haired… maid.
“Uh, may I ask, Miss Maid, who are you?”
Xiao Binyi guessed her identity in his mind.
She replied, “Call me Fànnī. I’m one of the owners here. There’s no need to call me maid here.”
Wu Qinglan, as an investor, had sharp instincts and saw the commercial value behind the abandoned factory. Although she was somewhat famous, many people watched her moves. To avoid being taken advantage of, she gave the investment opportunity to her two maids.
Margaret, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, rarely ventured out. Wu Qinglan spent most of her time with Chang Wei, building rapport. Thus, from purchasing to renovating and renting out the factory, everything was managed by Fànnī.
Xiao Binyi didn’t know this. He thought Fànnī was a wealthy eccentric.
“Fànnī Miss, may I ask how much rent is for an office with a terrace like this?”
“You’re interested? Are you planning to start a business?”
“No, it’s not far from the Balance Commercial District. There are many office buildings and a subway station nearby. Renovating an office building here seems illogical to me… Of course, I mean no disrespect. I just want to understand your perspective.”
Xiao Binyi spoke sincerely, bowing slightly like a student seeking advice.
Fànnī didn’t dislike such people, so she showed him respect.
“What’s your name?”
Looking back at Master Ye and Ah He fixing the equipment, Xiao Binyi replied, “Xiāo Bìnyì, everyone calls me Xiao Yi.”
“Xiao Yi, before I answer your question, you need to understand some information. Come with me.”
Leading Xiao Binyi to the balcony on the other side, Fànnī pointed to the bustling commercial district across the river.
“Do you know why the Balance Commercial District hasn’t expanded southwest?”
Xiao Binyi pointed in the direction of the low-rent apartments.
“Yes, because the old street doesn’t want to relocate.”
“You knew that? Have you lived nearby?”
“Now I’ve moved to the west city, but I lived there for a while and have friends there too.”
Fànnī continued explaining, “That area will eventually give in. The resistance to the southward expansion of the Balance Commercial District will soon disappear. At that time, the abandoned factory across the river will also benefit from development… For example, building another bridge over the river?”
She extended her finger to indicate a bridge spanning the river.
“A convenient and well-located office building does increase in value, but only if the old street truly agrees to relocate… Could it be that Miss Fànnī has some insider information?”
“Of course not. If I could get such insider information, someone would have already bought this place. Only bold investments can yield the greatest returns.”
Fànnī was betting on the future value of this location.
But her confidence came from her mistress. She conducted an ecological survey among the residents of that area. Although they resented the Balance Commercial District for disrupting their livelihood, they felt powerless. Living in such a stagnant state for years, people had nearly lost their fighting spirit.表面上, they clung to their positions, but internally, factionalism prevented anyone from being the first to surrender.
From Wu Qinglan’s perspective, the aging embankment was just one breach away from collapsing.
Dingling—
A short phone ring interrupted the conversation.
Xiao Binyi pulled out his phone and checked a text message.
[Jīn Hénán Yuàn 7d403 SOS!]