302 Whats Blackmail Between Friends? (1/2)
There was rarely any information that could escape Anthony's detection. The more interconnected people were, the faster technological progress became, and the greater the involvement of machines. For example, the cloud saves, account usage records, plane ticket purchase record…
Cedrick was as cunning as they said, and he had a habit of covering all of his movement records. Not only were there smokescreen, even certain keywords were trapped. Once someone tried to hack and investigate Cedrick's information, the man would be alerted to escape or retaliate…
Thankfully, Ol' K knew where his limit was and surrendered from the beginning, requesting Anthony's aid. Whether Ol' K was lucky or cautious aside, the result was positive. Anthony looked around and instantly discovered the trap and the smokescreen.
He looked through the many clues and went for a deeper search. In the end, he confirmed the news that Cedrick was currently in Paris. Thus far, that information was not worth much; at most, they had only confirmed the authenticity of Edward's tip.
Then, Anthony looked for the actual timing of the flights on that day and pulled out the surveillance at the airport for cranial comparison. Then it was the public transportation information that travelled through the airport… After jumping through multiple hoops, he finally came up with an image of Cedrick checking into a hotel. By then, Ye Shuang had already fallen a sleep, refreshed herself, and finished her breakfast.
Anthony blinked at her with his pair of large blue eyes that had no sign of black circles. He puffed up his cheeks in the computer screen and pleaded pitifully, ”Honey, I haven't even had my breakfast yet… Oh, now it should be lunch time already.”
”Help us find Cedrick soon, and after Xiao Su takes her revenge, we can return to San Lin City. Then, I'll treat you.” Ye Shuang held the cup of coffee while she comforted Anthony.
”That cunning gentleman.” Anthony sent over Cedrick's address huffily. He looked very unwilling. ”It's just a thief. Why is Xiao Su so insistent on finding him?”
”Apparently, it's some kind of expert's honor…” Ye Shuang was actually quite speechless. ”Personally, I think a little prank would have sufficed, like getting Ol' K to create some trouble for him online by leaking certain information… It'd be much better. It's safer, and we wouldn't even need to be there in person, so our flight time wouldn't be affected… But Xiao Su appears like she needs to regain her honor in terms of her thieving skill. There's no choice; I have to respect her decision.”
”The superior's order is absolute!” Anthony said officiously with that cute baby face. ”Xiao Shuang, you should be more adamant and stop yielding to those little girls!”
”Sister Shuang, I brought some milk for you… Huh? Who are these little girls Ace is talking about?” Su Zheng, who happened to walk in at that moment, asked out of curiosity.
”It's nothing.” Ye Shuang calmly accepted the glass and cut off Anthony, who was still trying to speak. To prevent the professional from doing bad things, she went as far as pulling the plug out… Ever since she got to know Anthony, Ye Shuang had even stuck cardboard over the camera on her laptop… From this, it was clear how ubiquitous Anthony could get if he tried.
After clearing away the possibility of Anthony suddenly popping up on the screen, Ye Shuang took a sip of the warm milk and asked, ”Just now, Anthony gave me Cedrick's hotel address. Do you plan to go now, or do you need time to make some preparations? Do you need my help?”
Once Su Zheng heard that, she was instantly instilled with enthusiasm, switching from casual style to passionate, gladiator style. ”You've found him? Good, there's no need for preparation, let's go now! A real expert doesn't need to rely on tools. This time, I'll let the foreigner witness our incredible and long culture and history!”
”…I'll say it again.” Ye Shuang had dark lines on her face. ”This kind of culture honestly is not something to be proud of…”
…
Leaving the home was not that simple. First, they had to inform Karen since they might not be back for dinner. Even though they were all adults and there was no need for a guardian, as guests, respecting the host's emotions and dinner plan was basic courtesy.
After that, they needed to inform Qiu Yu and Rong Su. They were all in a different country, and they were friends who had stayed together for so many days already. A sudden disappearance might cause them to worry.
After informing everyone who needed to inform, basically no one other than these people knew that Ye Shuang and Su Zheng were leaving that day. The two walked to Karen's garage to grab a car. Before the engine started, Edward's call to ask to tag along came.
”I know you guys are going to go find Cedrick,” Edward said confidently, using the certainty that felt like 'there can only be one truth'. ”Other than him, what else in France could be worth your attention? Based on your employee's personality, she must be feeling dissatisfied, and I believe an interesting contest of skill is in order.”