"Checking on his son?"
"Yes."
Gao Baisong's face darkened, and he let out a cold snort. "A few of my brothers and I investigated these past few days. His second son's matter is quite peculiar, and there's likely a hidden truth behind it. However, we don't know many people, so we can't confirm many things."
Gao Baisong turned to Li Chonglou and said, "Don't you know those rich second-generation heirs? With money, you should be able to buy some connections. I want you to help me investigate the situation with the second son. We can't even see him right now."
So that's how it was. Li Chonglou suddenly understood why they were looking for him; they wanted to use money to buy connections to find out.
But for him, this kind of matter didn't require spending money at all. It was even simpler than investigating the old woman's son's information. Therefore, Li Chonglou agreed to Gao Baisong's request without any hesitation.
"However, I have other matters to attend to first..."
"It's fine! As long as you agree, that's all that matters!"
Gao Baisong revealed a gratified smile.
Actually, Li Chonglou didn't know that the reason Gao Baisong used this request as a condition was because he knew about the second son driving for him.
Even such a serious traffic violation could be easily erased as if it never happened. The man's connections and background were even more obvious! Gao Baisong realized this and believed that as long as Li Chonglou was willing to help, he could definitely find out about the second son's situation.
So, all he wanted was a promise. As for the urgency, since other brothers were accompanying the second son, Gao Baisong wasn't in a hurry.
They didn't talk much on the rest of the way. Gao Baisong was focused on driving, while Li Chonglou was thinking about how to resolve the old woman's son's issue.
According to the information investigated by Li Meixia, the man named Fu Shang hadn't studied much and always hung out with thugs, being idle all day. People like him were most easily tempted by money or women.
However, the old woman said she was afraid of affecting his future, which conflicted with Li Chonglou's understanding.
"Could he be lying to his old mother?"
It wasn't strange for a thirty-year-old man who spent his days idling with thugs to do such a thing. But even so, the old woman and the relatives who were previously arrested all helped him without hesitation, and it wasn't for any benefit. This was worth pondering.
However, it was also possible that the relatives, and even the old woman, were all lying. If they were to analyze purely based on the current clues, it was highly likely that the man named Fu Shang wasn't moved by profit but was directly threatened!
"I hope it's just the latter," Li Chonglou muttered, his gaze falling outside the car window. The scenery around them had begun to become slightly secluded, with tall buildings disappearing at the edge of his vision.
However, the car was still traveling on the national highway, and vehicles could still be seen from time to time. It wasn't until another half-hour passed, when Gao Baisong turned onto a country road, that the surrounding environment not only became secluded but also all vehicles disappeared.
"Mr. Li, why are you coming here? This is the poorest and most remote area of Shangjing."
Gao Baisong, a driver for decades, immediately recognized the area and looked at Li Chonglou with some confusion. In his impression, Li Chonglou was associated with those wealthy second-generation heirs and even big bosses, so he couldn't understand why they would come to such a place.
"I'm looking for someone. You might have to wait for me here for a while. Do you have anything else to do?"
"No, anyway, because of the second son's situation, all of us brothers have lost the mood to do business. Today, it was only because an old client called me that I came out, otherwise, I would probably be with the second son right now," Gao Baisong said, shaking his head.
"That's good."
Li Chonglou didn't explain his purpose for coming here, and Gao Baisong, being tactful, didn't inquire further. Li Chonglou got out of the car when they neared the destination.
"Mr. Li, I'll wait for you here then?"
Li Chonglou thought for a moment and, before leaving, cautioned, "Don't get out of the car. Lock the doors and windows. If you notice anything unusual, leave first."
Gao Baisong's expression changed slightly. Although there was no explanation, he had a general idea of what was happening. He gritted his teeth and nodded heavily.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful!"
Li Chonglou looked at him with satisfaction. Dealing with intelligent people saved a lot of trouble; they understood many things without you having to explain them one by one.
Then, Li Chonglou walked towards the specific location provided by Li Meixia.
Erxian Bridge, Xiajing Village, Fengtou Village, the fifth red house in the first row after entering the village.
This was the information returned by Li Meixia. Although brief, any adult could find the place without navigation. In fact, as soon as Li Chonglou got out of the car, he saw the red house.
Although it was called a village, it wasn't much different from a small town. Apart from being remote, it was filled with buildings as far as the eye could see. Perhaps the biggest difference was that it was mostly residential buildings, unlike a typical small town with complete commercial shops.
If viewed from above, Fengtou Village looked like a pineapple. The cement road Li Chonglou was currently on was the center of the pineapple, running from head to tail, with residential buildings distributed on both sides along the road.
The red house Li Chonglou was looking for was by the roadside, a three-and-a-half-story residential building. The style was ordinary rural, but the exterior bricks were chosen to be reddish ceramic tiles, which still distinguished it from other residential buildings.
Grand.
Yes, even though the building shapes were similar, the style displayed by the red house made it stand out like a crane among chickens, appearing somewhat out of place compared to the ordinary residential buildings around it.
However, when Li Chonglou arrived in front of the house, he found the main door tightly shut.
He went directly to knock.
Knock, knock, knock. He only knocked, not shouted. After a moment, a cautious voice came from inside.
"Who is it!"
"It's me, open the door."
Li Chonglou shouted loudly. He had some experience dealing with people like this. Since they were hiding here, if he directly revealed his identity, they might not only refuse to open the door but might even run away!
So, he had to bluff.
People like this were unlike the common populace. When interacting with them, there was often no need for pleasantries, and no "you respect me, I respect you." Words weren't that important.