C18 Someone Was Eavesdropping

"I'll take this one. Let's get the paperwork done quickly. I'm paying in full and driving it off right now."

Yu Haoran gently shook his head as the persistent follower caught up once more.

For Liu Tianyi, it felt incredibly satisfying, as if he had released a great deal of pent-up frustration.

"Mr. Yu, shall we check out the QQ second-hand shop?"

"I don't want to waste time. Do you have a penchant for getting hit?"

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Tianyi showed no sign of intimidation.

Did he really dare to resort to violence here?

"Smack!"

Disgusted with his continued disdainful demeanor, Yu Haoran delivered a swift slap, sending him reeling, and turned to the astonished service girl beside him.

He pulled a card from his jacket pocket.

"Come on, let's finish the paperwork. Surely there's someone else here who can help, aside from him."

"Well... yes, I can. I'll call the manager right away."

Before long, Yu Haoran left, accompanied by the service girl and manager's eager farewells.

"Liu Tianyi! Your salary for this month is cut in half as a consequence of how you treated a valued customer."

The manager, having assessed the situation, issued the decree without hesitation.

Yu Haoran was not in the mood to concern himself with Liu Tianyi, who was no more significant to him than an ant.

"Buzz, buzz..."

Seeing an unfamiliar number, he pressed the answer button.

"Hello, Yu Haoran speaking."

"Hey, Xiao Yu, it's Cheng Guo'an. Can you swing by my company? We've run into a bit of trouble."

"Sure, I'll be there in half an hour."

With that, he hung up and changed course.

Half an hour later, Yu Haoran was in Cheng Guo'an's office at the San Huai An Corporation.

"Lil' Yu, we've discovered a bug. Someone's been listening in. I need your advice on a discreet solution. You understand the delicacy of these matters."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Cheng Guo'an noticed Yu Haoran's demeanor remained unfazed.

Yu Haoran's lack of surprise or concern only deepened Cheng Guo'an's respect for his unflappable nature.

A sense of anticipation stirred within him.

He hadn't noticed that his name had subtly changed to "Little Yu."

The old fox was sly indeed; such proximity to power was not to be taken lightly.

Yu Haoran picked up a tiny listening device from the expansive desk and inspected it.

The device's limited range suggested the presence of additional ones in the room.

Activating his spiritual energy, Yu Haoran's eyes suddenly revealed every hidden nook of the room, even unveiling a secret chamber behind the wall.

Yet, he remained composed; Cheng Guo'an's secrets held no value to him.

A quick scan uncovered over ten similar surveillance devices.

To avoid causing a stir, Yu Haoran refrained from pointing out these devices immediately.

Cheng Guo'an watched in astonishment as Yu Haoran moved around the room, attending to various spots.

Before long, ten similar eavesdropping devices were casually laid out on the desk.

Cheng Guo'an furrowed his brow and murmured to himself,

"So many. Who could be spying on me…"

Asking Yu Haoran would be pointless; he had no idea who he had managed to upset.

"Remember what those two robbers said last time? Your medicine prices were too low, cutting into their profits. That might be a good place to start thinking," Yu Haoran suggested nonchalantly, then turned his attention to the office's air conditioner.

Under Cheng Guo'an's bewildered watch, Yu Haoran proceeded to dismantle the air conditioner with his bare hands.

Cheng Guo'an didn't understand the rationale, but deep down, he didn't believe this age-defying young man was capable of foolishness.

Indeed, Yu Haoran's true age was over three hundred years.

But foolish? Hardly.

Yu Haoran continued after dismantling the air conditioner, rummaging on the floor until he handed a black "screw" to Cheng Guo'an from the corner of a plastic panel.

He put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.

Cheng Guo'an caught on immediately, his lips curving into a knowing smile.

He opened a drawer, retrieved a sealed vacuum bottle, and carefully placed the tiny screw inside.

"These devices I've checked are all small listening devices with integrated storage cards. That means, aside from a mole, the one I just handed you is the key—it comes with wireless transmission capabilities."

Upon hearing Yu Haoran's words, Cheng Guo'an's face immediately contorted with rage. He shouted, his eyes bulging with anger.

"It has to be him. After all I've done for him and his family, he dares to betray me!"

"The very existence of this core equipment suggests that the so-called traitor is merely a smokescreen. They're using him, and he's probably oblivious to the core equipment's existence."

Cheng Guo'an nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on Yu Haoran with anticipation.

Yu Haoran did not disappoint him.

"You can trace the problem back to its source using this core equipment, and solve it once and for all. Whether you opt for legal action or another route is entirely up to you."

After speaking, Yu Haoran frowned, sensing that he might have been under surveillance. He casually strolled to the window and surveyed the area.

He spotted a figure hastily descending from the rooftop of the building opposite, a long piece of equipment in hand, which was quickly stowed away.

That must be the one.

Without further ado, to avoid causing any undue alarm, Yu Haoran made his way downstairs.

He estimated that he could reach the opposite building faster than the other could descend.

Yu Haoran was a well-known figure in the company by now. Though many hadn't seen his face, they recognized him as the man who had just left the chairman's office.

The chairman had made it clear that Yu Haoran was to be treated with respect and not to be delayed.

He walked briskly through the lobby and out of the building, heading straight for the building across the street.

Had he glanced back, he would have seen all the employees watching him intently, their faces a mix of caution and mild curiosity.

Yu Haoran stood outside the building, which had several exits.

Closing his eyes, he tapped into his spiritual energy to sense his surroundings. Soon, the image of a man with a long tube of equipment running in his direction formed in his mind.

In just a few seconds, sweat beaded on his forehead.

"It seems my spiritual energy is still too weak to be of any use."

He exhaled softly and positioned himself at the exit.

A figure "swooshed" out the door, heading towards a car parked at the curb, opened the door, and was about to get in.

"Hold on!"

The man, startled like a bird at the sound of a bowstring, trembled slightly without realizing it. He didn't dare look back, instead, he plopped down into the seat and fired up the engine.

But before he could even exhale in relief,

The car door was yanked open!

Indeed, the lock had been forcibly pulled from the outside!

"Come with me."

"You... Who are you?"