Chapter 521: Sleep Lost and Secrets Unveiled

Why is it that in the same pair of siblings, the brother loses his sleep but the sister does not?

Under Lu Xin’s curious gaze, Han Bing gently woke the sister and softly questioned her.

“My name is Ye Xue, and my brother is Ye Xiaoyu.”

The girl, roused from her sleep, appeared nervous, her face betraying hints of guilt and fear.

The nightmare she had experienced downstairs not long ago was too terrifying, filling her with caution and a determination to protect her brother; yet after eating, she was so exhausted that she actually dozed off on the bed.

“Little sister, at your age you should be in school. Why are you out singing with your brother?”

Noticing her nervousness, Han Bing transformed into a caring, knowledgeable young lady, asking with a warm smile.

“I… I am attending school…”

It was clear that Ye Xue hadn’t been treated with such kindness in a long time.

As she answered, tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes: “But my parents are gone…”

After a thorough inquiry, Lu Xin and Han Bing learned the full story.

The siblings, Ye Xue and Ye Xiaoyu, live in Satellite City Three of Heichao City.

Their father works in auditing at the Administration Hall, and their mother is a music teacher at a middle school.

Ye Xue was in the second year of junior high, while Ye Xiaoyu had just started first grade in elementary school.

On the surface, their family seemed blissfully happy, but just half a month ago one evening, their father came home very late, and an anxious mother sent them to wait at home while she hurried off to search.

However, after leaving, she never returned, leaving only the two of them.

Unaware of what had happened, Ye Xue and Ye Xiaoyu reported the incident to the police, yet no news followed.

Left to fend for themselves at home, the elder sister had to care for her brother; but the sudden disappearance of their parents left them with no money and little food, and after a few days, they ran out of provisions.

Too young to know who to turn to and desperate with hunger, they had no choice but to earn money by singing on the streets.

At first, people kindly gave them a few coins because of their age.

But recently, she felt that the drunken, rough adults were becoming increasingly volatile.

Yet she couldn’t stop going out, or hunger would catch up with them.

Tonight was the most dangerous encounter she’d ever faced, leaving her nearly speechless with fear.

……

After Han Bing’s questioning, Lu Xin also listened to the entire account.

Clearly, these pitiful siblings only deepened their own confusion.

According to Ye Xue’s recounting, after their parents vanished, she and her brother had been inseparable.

Because her little brother was too young to be alone at home, she always took him along when she went out singing.

They ate the same meals and even slept together.

So how could such identical lives lead to one being affected while the other remained normal?

Han Bing carefully recorded her account, though it was evident she herself was at a loss.

“Don’t worry; for now, you two can stay here.”

Finally, seeing Ye Xue so exhausted, Han Bing patted her little head and said, “I’ve already paid for the room. We have plenty of food, so don’t worry about going hungry. You can go back home when your parents return.”

Ye Xue rubbed her eyes with her small hands, still looking worried: “Sister, why are you helping us so much?”

Han Bing laughed and, gesturing toward Lu Xin standing at the doorway with a cigarette, said, “Because our big boss loves hearing you sing.”

Lu Xin promptly stubbed out his cigarette and offered them a friendly smile.

The little girl, feeling scared, quietly lowered her head.

“There must be some factor we’re overlooking—or perhaps she hasn’t remembered it yet.”

After letting the siblings sleep and watch TV, and advising the brother not to turn the volume up too high, Han Bing gently closed the door and stepped into the corridor. Turning to Lu Xin, she said, “That factor might be the key to unlocking the Pollution Logic Chain of Heichao City. But since they’re so young and the little girl is utterly exhausted, let them rest. I’ll come back and ask her later.”

“Also, I left a camera in the room to monitor their sleep.”

“All of this data might prove very useful.”

……

Lu Xin nodded and smiled, “I trust you completely when it comes to this.”

Han Bing glanced at him and laughed, “Mr. Lone Soldier, that’s one of the highest compliments for me.”

Just then, the elevator doors at the end of the corridor opened.

A motley group of thugs—dressed in bright, mismatched colors, with equally vibrant hair—poured in, carrying various sticks, knives, and even guns, while a clamor arose from others who came up through the fire exit.

In an instant, the corridor filled with an eerie, intimidating aura that sent shivers down the spine.

Lu Xin frowned slightly and instinctively stepped in front of Han Bing when he heard Gecko’s laughter coming from behind the group.

“Hey, hey, hey, fellas, keep it down; don’t disturb the other guests…”

One thug retorted, “Other guests?”

“Kick them out…”

“Our Group Leader said that the young lady is staying in this hotel. No matter how long, the Group Leader will cover it.”

As he spoke, a small subordinate commanded, “And you—you, stay here in the corridor…”

“Go hang up that talisman. The young lady mentioned there might be ghosts around; we’ve got to keep a close watch…”

……

Only then did Lu Xin and Han Bing understand, staring dumbfounded as a group of thugs secured the hotel with impeccable thoroughness.

At first glance, their security was even stricter than that of the Qinggang Cleanup Department.

“Dad, please come this way…”

Within the crowd, Gecko attentively supported the Group Leader’s arm, his face oozing obsequious smiles, “You’d never believe it until you see it—the scale of your business is huge. Hey, I run a small venture too; interested in investing?”

The Group Leader, limping and supported by his daughter and son-in-law, was so excited he almost dropped his cane.

His face radiated happiness as he said, “As long as you treat my daughter well, a little money means nothing.”

“Don’t worry—even when I’m gone, I’ll ensure a big part of my estate goes to you.”

……

Lu Xin’s eyes widened slightly.

Watching this happy family scene felt strangely off!

……

……

After the thugs cleared out the entire floor and secured the elevator and corridor, Lu Xin and the others entered his relatively spacious room, deciding to use it as a temporary office. Amid concerned gazes from everyone, the Group Leader pulled out a black leather bag, unzipped it to reveal two plain black notebooks.

“Ah Hong, you say I don’t care for you enough? Look at this, see?”

The Group Leader patted one of the notebooks and said to Red Serpent with affectionate eyes, “This is my treasure. With this ledger, I can control at least half of the officials at the Administration Hall regarding the Black Grass business…”

Lu Xin and Han Bing exchanged glances, both silently moved.

This heavy paternal gesture was truly touching…

When the Group Leader opened the notebook and displayed its contents, everyone realized just how right Han Bing’s decision had been.

The ledger detailed records of Black Grass and other unsavory trades, along with bribes to key figures at the Administration Hall. The records were meticulously coded—a task only the Group Leader could decipher without enormous effort.

“So, Uncle, please help us investigate this thoroughly?”

Han Bing sat down beside him, even taking out pen and paper, ready to take notes.

“Um…”

Seeing Han Bing so serious, the Group Leader couldn’t help but feel a surge of worry.

This was his most critical secret—not only was his life and fortune at stake, but now outsiders could see and even record it…

“Dad~~”

Red Serpent cooed, swinging on the Group Leader’s arm.

The Group Leader immediately relented, repeatedly saying, “Alright, alright, it’s my fault; I shouldn’t have doubted your friends…”

……

……

A big-shot managing his own accounts—his efficiency was truly exceptional.

Despite Heichao City’s seedy underbelly and its labyrinth of illicit trades, the ledgers were crystal clear. Moreover, the highly profitable Black Grass business had long been monopolized by the powerful figures of Heichao City, with precise and equitable distributions.

As a result, regular transactions followed fixed channels, making it extremely simple to identify the abnormal consumption of Black Grass over the past month just by comparing ledger records.

A careful record comparison made everything clear on paper.

South City.

The Tianhe Community area…

In under half an hour, Han Bing circled a key area on the map, tapped twice, and looked up at Lu Xin.

From the Black Grass transaction records, it was evident that the area around the Tianhe Community in South City—normally a low-traffic zone—had suddenly seen an influx of buyers working for the Group Leader over the past few weeks.

Not only that, but demand was steadily rising.

However, since demand had been increasing in various parts of Satellite City recently, the change wasn’t glaring.

It was only by comparing earlier data that one could tell this area was the first to show an abrupt surge in Black Grass demand.

“If it’s here, that’s really odd…”

Not only did Lu Xin and Han Bing confirm that something was amiss here, but even the Group Leader frowned slightly.