ATLAS TRANSLATES

Bai Lian never concealed her goals.
She watched the principal leave.

Hearing this, she replied casually, “Jiangjing University.”

“Jiangjing University, I see.” Xu’s assistant nodded. He was using his phone to reply to Xu Wenyao, typing halfway before he realized, “Jiangjing University?”

He looked up, dazed.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Lian glanced back at Xu’s assistant, raising an eyebrow.

Her black pupils reflected the sun, looking lazy, almost like a different person from last night at the bar.

Xu’s assistant was a bit silent: “…Nothing.”

“Alright, just remember not to reveal that he’s still in Xiangcheng,” Bai Lian looked in one direction, saying goodbye to Xu’s assistant, “I have something urgent to do, I’ll go to the hospital later.”

Originally, she had asked Xu’s assistant to wait for her to go to the hospital together, but Curator Jin suddenly wanted to see her.

“Okay.” Xu’s assistant looked in the direction she was walking.

A man was standing at the entrance of the bubble tea shop, his head slightly lowered, face unclear, but his cold aura was evident. Seeming to sense the gaze, he slightly raised his head, sweeping a glance in this direction.

A glance across the street.

Despite the bright sun overhead, Xu’s assistant couldn’t help but shiver.

Who was that? Xu’s assistant rubbed his arms, and when he looked up again, Bai Lian and the man had already entered the bubble tea shop.

Xu’s assistant took out his phone and reported to Xu Wenyao:
[Miss Bai wants to apply for Jiangjing University]

Xu Wenyao: [?]

**

At the bubble tea shop.

Jiang Fuli was also asking Bai Lian how her exams went.

They skipped over math and physics, only discussing chemistry and biology.

“The questions were simple, I did okay in biology,” Bai Lian leaned back lazily, watching Jiang Fuli queuing, and casually instructed: “Get one for Zhang Shize too.”

They were going to visit Zhang Shize first, then go to the Calligraphers Association.

Yesterday morning, Bai Lian had to take the exam, so Jiang Fuli changed the prison visit time to this afternoon.

At this time, there were many people buying cakes.

In the back kitchen.

Chi Yundai, who was bringing out a bunch of fresh cakes, stumbled when he saw Jiang Fuli standing out from the crowd. He almost fell.

“Master Chi,” the bubble tea shop boy quickly steadied him, “Are you alright?”

“Huh?” Chi Yundai handed him the cakes in a daze, “…I’m fine.”

He immediately turned back to the kitchen.

When turning the corner, he couldn’t help but steal a glance back.

Jiang Fuli happened to look at him calmly, expressionless. Chi Yundai withdrew his gaze as if he had seen a ghost.

It really was Young Master Jiang.

Chi Yundai immediately took off his chef’s hat, then his clothes, before taking out his phone and posting on social media—
[Saw a ghost]

Chen Ju commented with a question mark.

**

After Jiang Fuli and Bai Lian visited Zhang Shize, they went to the Calligraphers Association.

Bai Lian went to find Curator Jin first.

Jiang Fuli waited for her at the association and watched Jiang He.

Jiang He was using a brush to practice writing with a group of children, his face covered in ink spots. Yet he still maintained a cold and silent demeanor, making the other children want to say something but not dare to.

Jiang Fuli lazily took out his phone to take a picture, then casually sent it to Bai Lian.

Next door.

Curator Jin silently poured a cup of water for Bai Lian, and after a while, asked: “Are you sure you want to invest in the martial arts hall?”

“Yes,” Bai Lian had barely used her ten million. She leaned slightly against the chair back, “This place is developing well, reopening the martial arts hall is just a matter of time.”

Curator Jin knew this too.

This area was being planned as a tourist route, and many people had recently approached him to buy the martial arts hall.

“I’ve seen your plan,” Curator Jin looked up, “But reopening a martial arts hall isn’t easy.”

“Please explain,” Bai Lian blew on the hot water, looking up.

Curator Jin smiled somewhat forcedly, “Jinfeng Martial Arts Hall won’t let us open so easily.”

“Jinfeng Martial Arts Hall?” Bai Lian knew about this hall, many people learned Taekwondo and Muay Thai there.

“Yes,” Curator Jin looked towards the door, “Their martial arts hall has backing. Many martial arts halls in Xiangcheng had to close down because of them, and eventually had to change businesses. So, do you still want to invest in me?”

“Of course.” Bai Lian’s phone on the table lit up.

She opened it to see the picture Jiang Fuli sent her.

She chuckled softly.

“Are you serious?” Curator Jin’s hand tightened on the teacup. He stared at Bai Lian intently, “But they really have someone behind them…”

“Someone?” Bai Lian looked up. She leaned back, tapping her fingers carelessly on the table, her expression lazy: “Well, I’d like to see who exactly it is.”

**

Xiangcheng Hospital.

Xu En’s ward.

Lansi’s antidote wouldn’t arrive in Xiangcheng until tomorrow. He was still on oxygen.

“You say it’s CN nerve agent?” The police looked at Xu’s assistant, somewhat hesitant, “Are you sure?”

Xu’s assistant nodded, “These are all detected by Dr. Li, he has records there.”

The police nodded, noting this down, and finally looked at Ji Mulan: “Ms. Ji, if it involves foreign entities, the investigation will be much more difficult.”

“Why?” Ji Mulan looked at the police, her chest heaving greatly, “Old Xu has been poisoned, you can see he’s still on the hospital bed, his life hanging in the balance…”

The police understood the victim’s family’s emotions. He held his notepad, “We don’t have that much authority. In the end, it’s very likely to be left unresolved.”

He was frank with Ji Mulan.

Xiangcheng is close to the border, and such cases are too common.

These two policemen were almost openly saying that the water was too deep, and ordinary people wouldn’t dare to get involved easily.

“We’ll do our best.” The other police officer tried to comfort Ji Mulan.

But looking at the eyes of the two men.

How could Ji Mulan not know this was just an excuse, “If you don’t have the authority, then find someone who does!”

She wanted to say more, but was stopped by Xu’s assistant. He shook his head at Ji Mulan.

Xu’s assistant saw the two policemen off.

Then he called Ren Qian, as among the people they knew, only Ren Qian had significant influence in Xiangcheng.

“Mr. Xu has returned to Jiangjing?” Ren Qian had already received Xu’s assistant’s false message.

Following Bai Lian’s intentions, Xu’s assistant subtly changed the subject, “Yes, so now the police in Xiangcheng have no restrictions on foreign matters?”

Hearing this, Ren Qian became serious, “It’s not that there’s no way…”

Xu’s assistant was startled, “Please explain.”

“Mr. Xu, can’t you guess?” Ren Qian didn’t say directly.

But Xu’s assistant understood, “Thank you.”

Ji Mulan sat by Xu En’s hospital bed, tilting her head slightly, “What did Ren Qian mean? Is there someone who can handle Old Xu’s case? Who?”

Xu’s assistant was a bit silent: “You should have heard of him, Mr. Chen.”

Mr. Chen?

Ji Mulan looked up, dazed.

She had heard this name more than once. Xu En had been in Xiangcheng for so long, but even with his status, he couldn’t invite Mr. Chen for a meal. Only Xu Yajun from Jiangjing had met Mr. Chen once.

It was so difficult just to meet him once, asking this Mr. Chen to investigate Xu En’s case…

Xu’s assistant went out with his phone.

He called Xu Wenyao.

Xu Wenyao was in a car from North City to Xiangcheng. Hearing this, he looked out the car window, “So we can’t pursue this?”

“There’s no way,” Xu’s assistant sighed. He had experienced more than Xu Wenyao, “It’s already an unexpected blessing that Mr. Xu could safely keep his life this time. Ren Qian and others made it very clear. For this matter, he suspects it might be that Mr. Lu, so the only one who might be able to intervene is Mr. Chen.”

After all, the project in Xu En’s hands was snatched from Mr. Lu.

Xu En had been here for so long, and Mr. Lu was his only enemy. They didn’t know that Mr. Lu had already disappeared.

Xu Wenyao pressed his lips, “I’ll contact Xu Yajun.”

He and Xu Yajun were high school classmates.

At a time like this, they could only contact her. No one in the entire Xu family knew Mr. Chen.

**

When Bai Lian brought Ji Heng to see Xu En, Xu’s assistant had just hung up the phone.

“Miss Bai, Mr. Ji.” Seeing the two, Xu’s assistant respectfully greeted them and opened the ward door in advance to let them in.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Lian walked to the bedside, casually feeling Xu En’s pulse.

She asked lightly.

Ji Mulan was now annoyed and distressed. Dr. Lansi’s antidote hadn’t arrived yet, and she didn’t know whether to believe Bai Lian.

Now they couldn’t find anyone to investigate Xu En’s case.

When Bai Lian asked, she was too lazy to reply.

Ji Heng sat silently on the side, quietly inquiring about Xu En’s current condition from Xu’s assistant.

Xu’s assistant explained a few words to Ji Heng. He remembered that Bai Lian liked to drink tea, so he specially found a can of tea, went outside to get hot water, and brewed it for her.

Then he replied to Bai Lian: “The police said this case would be very difficult to investigate, unable to collect evidence, and might end up unresolved.”

Xu’s assistant didn’t say exactly how difficult it was.

This morning’s trip to the school made Xu’s assistant realize that Bai Lian was just a high school senior.

“Why?” Bai Lian withdrew her hand. She gestured for Xu’s assistant to put the tea on the table, her eyes slightly narrowed.

She wasn’t very clear about the laws of modern society.

Ji Mulan looked up at Bai Lian, pressing her brow, “You go back and study well, why ask so much? We’re troubled enough, children shouldn’t get involved in this matter.”

Bai Lian took out her phone, tilting her head slightly, her eyes and brows unusually cold.

“Miss Bai,” Xu’s assistant didn’t pay attention to Ji Mulan. He explained to Bai Lian, “Because it involves foreign affairs, we need international police to help investigate the evidence…”

Mr. Chen might be able to.

But Xu’s assistant didn’t say the latter part.

Bai Lian’s phone rang.

“Mm,” Bai Lian answered, standing by the window, looking down at the ground floor, “Third floor, Room 312.”

312 was Xu En’s ward number.

Xu’s assistant looked at Bai Lian in surprise. Who was on the other end of the phone?

“Is it really that troublesome?” Ji Heng was still holding his big pipe, unlit. In most cases, the pipe could calm him down.

So he would bring it wherever he went.

Ji Mulan sighed, “Dad, if you don’t know, don’t ask. Even Ren Qian can’t do anything about this for now.”

She brought up Ren Qian, and Ji Heng understood the seriousness of the matter, “Then what should we do?”

What to do? Ji Mulan didn’t know either.

In the silence, there was a knock on the door. Xu’s assistant came to his senses and went to open it with the water kettle.

Outside was a middle-aged man wearing black casual clothes, holding a bouquet of sunflowers. His face was stern. He nodded slightly to Xu’s assistant, then walked in.

When he saw Bai Lian and Ji Heng, he greeted them: “Miss Bai, Uncle Ji.”

He put the sunflowers beside Xu En’s pillow.

He didn’t greet Ji Mulan.

“Chief Chen, this case…” Bai Lian put away her phone, only looking at Xu En on the bed, her tone slow and deliberate: “Will it be left unresolved?”

This tone was probably—

Chen Yongkun, dare you say “yes” and see what happens.