11. It Seems to Have Gotten Smarter

In truth, the original owner had been backstabbed yet again, becoming notorious throughout the upper-crust circles of Haicheng as a well-known ingrate.

It was Qu Ying who had tearfully complained to the original owner, lamenting that despite being married into the Yun family for so many years, she remained an outsider. She claimed that while the younger generation already held shares, she, as Mrs. Yun, possessed no real voice or authority within the group, existing in name only.

The original owner, feeling that her own mother had been wronged, had attempted to secure some benefits for her, only to be misunderstood as greedy and covetous of the Yun family’s shares, resulting in a stinging public humiliation.

Following the ruin of the coming-of-age celebration for the Yun sisters, the accumulation of old grievances and new resentments led to the incident where Yun Wan had set a trap for the original owner during their return trip to Qingshui Town for the ancestral rites. In reality, one could argue that Yun Wan was merely an unfortunate bystander caught in the crossfire.

At this moment, observing Yun Wan’s guarded expression, Yun Ran felt no annoyance. She had no intention of digging her own grave for Qu Ying’s sake. Ignoring Yun Wan’s gaze, Yun Ran spoke indifferently: "It’s just that, now that I’ve started high school, I worry that if I remain antisocial, everyone will think I’m a weirdo. I’ve come to realize that my mother was right before—my perspective was too narrow, which is why I was so petty. I was young and prone to getting stuck in dead ends. I should get out more and interact with people so that I don't always fixate on such a small, trivial world."

Once Yun Ran finished speaking, she noticed everyone at the dining table looking at her with bizarre expressions, as if she had just declared that the sun had always risen from the west.

"Who knows what kind of scheme you’re cooking up this time!"

Yun Ran paid no mind to the Yun family’s distrust. She sat down directly and said to the servant nearby, "Bring me two servings of breakfast!"

Yun Jingyang, who usually cared little for the squabbles between his younger siblings, cast an intrigued glance toward Yun Ran, clearly sensing that she seemed to have grown sharper.

Did no one in the Yun family see through Qu Ying’s tactics? Of course they did. They simply viewed it as a game between a fool and a hypocritical woman, with the Yun family as the ultimate beneficiary. Having a virtuous lady of the house and a muddle-headed stepdaughter provided them with a respectable public image, allowed them to appear as objects of public sympathy, and shielded them from accusations of mistreating a stepdaughter. Why would the Yuns expose such a beneficial arrangement? They weren't running a charity.

Yun Shaotang took a long look at Yun Ran before saying, "Tell Secretary Zhang where you want to go for your study tour, and he will arrange it."

"Thank you, Father."

Yun Ran flashed a harmless smile. Her stepfather had always been a smart man who only did what was advantageous to himself. To get away as quickly as possible, she didn't care where she went and immediately chose a study tour delegation departing the very next day. Had Secretary Zhang not possessed a bit of influence, she would never have made it in time.

"Third Miss, actually, I think the global study tour next week would be better for broadening your horizons..."

"I don't need you to tell me what I think!"

Meanwhile, Xie Xuzhi sat on the top floor of a members-only bar in Haicheng, swirling a glass of wine. His eyes, which always seemed affectionate even when looking at a stray dog, held a distinct, cold detachment.

A flashy man dressed as a bartender entered, holding a tray in one hand. "You’re the first person I’ve seen drinking at the crack of dawn. Can your body handle that?"

Xie Xuzhi shot him a cold look and hurled the glass at him. The man, who had been grinning, scrambled to dodge it. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a flicker of fear. He had forgotten that this young master of the Xie family was a ruthless man; he really shouldn't have opened his big mouth.

"Boss, I was wrong. Spare my miserable life!"

"Get to the point!"

Gu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly reported, "Song Ye has been recalled. Furthermore, Hua Zhao has been sent back to Kyoto as a key witness, under the personal surveillance of the Special Management Bureau..."

After finishing the business, he looked at Xie Xuzhi’s expressionless face and continued, "There are no issues with the identity of that young girl. She is the stepdaughter of the Yun family; other than being a bit competitive, there is nothing unusual about her. As for her current reputation, one can only say she is a poor child unloved by her parents. The only suspicious point is her biological father, Shen Jun, who suddenly disappeared when she was five. According to past records, her father was a glib, penniless gigolo, but coincidentally, the time and location of his disappearance match the 822 Major Human Trafficking Case. I checked the files specifically; the undercover agents involved in that case suffered five deaths and two disappearances."

Xie Xuzhi remembered that case. He was fifteen at the time, and due to his health, his grandfather had sent him to the Special Management Bureau. He had been able to read case files that were inaccessible to outsiders. Back then, young and hot-blooded, he had been so enraged upon reading the file that he had smashed a set of antique tea sets. The official public version was a truth the masses could accept, but in reality, the casualties among those who rescued the victims were far higher than reported. The affair had caused a massive stir back then, characterized by its long timeframe, the vast number of people involved, and its devastating impact.

"Are you saying it’s highly probable her father was one of the missing undercover agents?"

Gu Yuan shrugged, "I didn't say that. I’m just pointing out the suspicious details, not drawing conclusions. When it comes to someone you want to investigate, you can't afford to miss any clues."

"I see. You can get out now!"

Gu Yuan was already accustomed to being kicked aside after being used. Even if he grumbled inwardly for half the day, he dared not voice it.

Xie Xuzhi touched the bead hanging around his neck, his eyes narrowing. Lately, he had been able to feel warmth in his body without relying on special medicinal spirits. Such a method was certainly not something an unknown person could perform. He had expected to find something through Gu Yuan, but he hadn't expected this result. Either there was truly no issue, or this young girl named Yun Ran was hiding very, very deep.

It seemed he would have to use the power of the Xie family’s shadow division to get to the bottom of this.

Xie Xuzhi pulled out his phone, dialed a special number, and issued an order for a thorough investigation to the shadow division. In the eyes of many in Kyoto, he, the young master of the Xie family, lived up to nothing, and even the other three major families assumed he was a discarded pawn. Only a few within the Xie family knew that even when his life was deemed to be hanging by a thread, the family had never considered choosing another heir—which spoke volumes about his importance to them.

The timing of Yun Ran’s appearance was far too coincidental. He remained suspicious that news had leaked and that Yun Ran had been deliberately sent to him by someone with ulterior motives.