Chapter 67 The Habits of Villains

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"Uh, the note marks him as the employer!" Tanya exclaimed in surprise, only now noticing how peculiar the label on her phone was. If their relationship wasn’t exceptionally harmonious, then he must be someone who strictly separates work from life, able to distinguish the personal from the professional.

"Employer?" Chu Ning rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Was there still a transactional relationship between them?

The word "employer" was indeed simple and straightforward, suggesting an inevitable exchange, and one of a secretive nature. Otherwise, why would they use code names to refer to each other? Who else would go to such lengths, unless there was something to hide? It was utterly unnecessary for ordinary people!

After hanging up, Chu Ning started combing through his phone records, but found nothing. Discouraged, he slipped the phone into his pocket, then eagerly invited Tanya to join him in searching the room.

Whenever something secret was involved, the room usually yielded discoveries.

Chu Ning pondered for a while, as though considering where best to begin. At last, he said, "Let’s start with the study. Let’s try to find ledgers or diaries. Don’t stray too far from me; there may be other dangers lurking in the room!"

Villains always had a habit of recording their transactions and keeping diaries! Tanya didn’t know how to mock this; after all, film and television always depicted things this way, and bad guys seemed to mimic the so-called successful people they saw on screen.

Perhaps this was the guidance of successful people! Newcomers always blindly believed in it, as if possessed by a warped sense of admiration. Regardless of whether the leader’s words were true, they followed them with fanatic devotion.

Chu Ning drew the curtains, took out a pair of white gloves commonly seen in detective dramas from his backpack, and handed an extra pair to Tanya.

Those with a vested interest in any case were always more invested in its progress than any hired detective. If a detective wanted free labor, the employer was always the best choice!

"Here you go. Let’s get started!" Chu Ning handed the gloves to Tanya with gusto. The last case hadn’t followed the usual script, so his props had gone unused; this time, he was finally putting his efforts in searching the storage room to good use.

Seeing Tanya’s slightly displeased expression, Chu Ning quickly added, "We’ll split any valuables found in the room equally. You can’t ask for more!"

"Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?" Tanya mumbled. She hadn’t been a ghost for long, and her conscience hadn’t yet eroded entirely; she still adhered to human social rules.

Though Tanya questioned Chu Ning’s actions, she cooperated and put on the gloves, carefully checking their coverage to ensure she left no trace of wrongdoing.

"But he’s my beloved friend! Can you really bear to see his inheritance go unclaimed? You’re just too heartless!" Chu Ning dramatically clutched his chest, striking a pose of heartbreak.

Tanya’s mouth twitched involuntarily; she could hardly bear to look at the scene before her. She lowered her head to avoid Chu Ning’s face, and though she knew she’d eventually become what she despised, she still wanted to delay the transformation.

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"You’re starting to resemble another greedy fellow," she said.

Chu Ning didn’t retort, but turned to gaze at the blood-stained floor, his eyes drifting elsewhere.

"Perhaps," he murmured, his voice listless, his whole bearing defeated—like a rooster who’d lost a fight, utterly dispirited.

Tanya looked at Chu Ning with a strange expression. This wasn’t his usual style at all—sarcasm, mockery, and playful teasing were what left the deepest impression on her. She couldn’t fathom how her words had touched him; it had been just a casual jibe.

Chu Ning soon regained his vigor and led Tanya into the study. The furnishings were complete, and from the arrangement one could tell the owner fancied himself a cultured man.

Dust coated the bookshelf thickly, but Chu Ning’s attention was caught by a cleaner shelf at the bottom, where a brown-covered notebook was placed.

"This is far too careless," he muttered. Anyone would notice the secret here, unless the person searching was equally careless and missed such an obvious clue.

Chu Ning drew the diary from the bookshelf, the fine texture smooth and almost skin-like beneath his fingers. He couldn’t resist caressing it several times—the sensation was addictive.

"The material is exquisite," Chu Ning remarked, admiring the notebook repeatedly, marveling at what craft could produce such refinement.

He gently opened the title page, which bore the phrase: "Greed prevented me from trading the perfect masterpiece!" Chu Ning puzzled over the cryptic message, unable to grasp its meaning.

He thought reading further might help unravel the riddle. The rustling of pages echoed through the room as Tanya sidled up to Chu Ning, craning her neck to peer at the notebook.

"What is this?" Tanya blurted out. The notebook was filled with pure numbers, like 2056.02.12 07 5000. The first part was clearly a date, but the rest left her baffled.

The pages flew by rapidly, and no valuable information appeared; Chu Ning’s face was expressionless as he flipped through at a speed rivaling quantum reading.

Tanya’s eyes blinked in time with the turning pages. Now she understood why Wang Jinkai had left the secret notebook in such an obvious spot—without the corresponding cipher, no one could decipher its contents.

Suddenly, a page adorned with a black pencil sketch flashed past. Chu Ning stopped, returned to the page, and stared at the drawing, occasionally glancing at Tanya.

It depicted a woman—a particularly beautiful one. The simple sketch was not of Tanya, or she would’ve exploded right next to him.

"Truly delightful," Chu Ning praised sincerely. The woman in the drawing fit his aesthetic perfectly. He nodded, his smile gentle.

"And how do I compare? You’ve been staring long enough; surely you have an answer," Tanya said, one hand braced on the desk, turning sideways to Chu Ning. When it comes to women, one must never praise another in front of the woman present.

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No matter a woman’s temperament—gentle, kind, magnanimous—mentioning another woman always evokes a faint hostility and a competitive spirit. A misstep in answering is a deadly trap.

It’s more terrifying than any ghost.

Chu Ning answered with a smile, "Each has her own charm; there’s no way to compare." To him, the dismembered bodies scattered through the living room paled in comparison to the peril of the current situation; a careless word could trigger a plot twist.

The correct answer made no sense at all—it was utterly absurd. No one could ever give the perfect answer, for it changed with the mood, never fixed.

"Hmph," Tanya snorted, dropping the subject. She seemed unaware of how quickly her relationship with Chu Ning was developing, enough to exchange harmless jokes.

Chu Ning opened the diary on the desk; Tanya scrutinized it, sometimes taking the initiative to turn pages, but mostly pondering the meaning of the numbers.

On the page with the portrait, there was also a number, but missing the final digits: 2056.04.19 12. Chu Ning quickly flipped to the last page, disappointed, then returned to the portrait page—how unfortunate there were no more sketches of other women.

"You’re not allowed to look, you scoundrel!" Tanya flipped back to the last page for Chu Ning, feeling a pang of jealousy as he gazed, entranced, at the woman in the drawing.

It’s just that her clothes were a bit more revealing, her figure a bit better, her face soft and pitiful, evoking a man's protective instinct—what’s so remarkable about that? Tanya thought bitterly.

"Ah, the last entry is dated the day I found Wang Jinkai. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?" Tanya lingered on the page, recalling clearly it was the third day after her death.

"It’s no coincidence," Chu Ning replied coldly, his voice as chilly as a winter wind brushing the branches outside. "The dates in the diary are significant. Check your confiscated phone records; look for Wang Jinkai’s calls with me, and you’ll understand much more."

Seeing the final date, Chu Ning’s mind conjured the image of the red sofa at the northern villa—the fragmented memory of blood splattering onto the sofa, then seeping in, finally becoming part of it.

Chaotic memories flooded Chu Ning’s mind, and he finally understood the employer’s identity and the nature of the deal entrusted to Wang Jinkai.

"Can’t you see what’s hidden in the dates?" Chu Ning’s enthusiasm seemed low as he idly flipped through the diary, examining the dates. If he was right, the last number must be a price.

The middle set of numbers was easy enough to understand—arranged sequentially, it must be some simple code.

"I don’t see it," Tanya said, slumping into the leather chair, her arm accidentally bumping the desk's edge, but she barely noticed, still stunned by the shocking revelation.