In the afternoon, the sun hung suspended in the sky, casting a drowsy glow over the world.
Taking advantage of Ji Qikun’s absence from the gallery, Wei Zhi left her phone at her workstation and took a taxi to Eagle Eye Security.
It was the same deserted storefront. This time, Wei Zhi walked straight toward the counter where the folding bed sat behind it.
As expected, the curly-haired young man was sprawled there, playing games on his phone.
The circular device in Wei Zhi’s hand tapped against the glass counter with a crisp *clack*. The young man’s eyes suddenly peeked out from behind his phone. He stared at the object in her hand with surprise, then sat up.
"You detected that?"
"What is it?"
"Let me see."
The young man took the circular device from Wei Zhi, examining it closely for a moment. "It’s a GPS tracker with a recording function. Latest model. Large battery capacity; if it only pings once a day, the battery can last five years."
"Do you sell these here?"
The young man got off the folding bed and walked to a corner shelving unit piled high with boxes. After rummaging around, he returned with a black box.
"Here—" He placed the box before Wei Zhi’s eyes. "They don't sell well. Four hundred and ninety-nine yuan each. The ordinary ones only cost a few dozen."
"Have you sold any?"
The young man finally realized what she was getting at and chuckled. "You’re trying to investigate who bought this tracker through the sales channels? Even though this model doesn't sell well for me—maybe ten or twenty people buy it a year—do you know how many shops sell surveillance equipment in Jiangdu City? How could you possibly find them all by yourself? That camera pen you bought, did it catch anything?"
Seeing that Wei Zhi remained silent, the young man picked up his phone to resume his game, offering one last piece of advice: "It’s more realistic for you to just call the police."
"Is the recorded content stored on the device or online?" Wei Zhi asked.
"It uploads directly to the cloud once it's recorded. You won't be able to see it!"
"Now that I’ve removed the tracker, will the person who installed it find out?"
"Depends on your luck," the young man said. "But usually, they won't. To save power, who would keep the recording or tracking on all the time? Especially with these covert placements; they only turn them on when they need to! But seriously, you’re not going to the police?"
"Thank you."
Wei Zhi put the black device back in her bag and walked out of the shop.
She trusted no one but herself.
If there were anyone capable of saving her, they would have done so twenty years ago; they wouldn't have waited until now.
Having struggled to survive until this point, she had come to understand one truth with increasing clarity: do not hope for others to save you, and do not harbor the delusion of saving others.
Only you can turn the tide of your own fate.
Getting out of the taxi on the street opposite the gallery, Wei Zhi saw Xiao Cai and the inventory accountant. They had just finished lunch and were walking back toward the gallery arm-in-arm, each holding a cup of coffee. Wei Zhi deliberately slowed her pace, trailing far behind them.
Xiao Cai and the accountant passed Tan Mengyan, who was standing guard, as if he were nothing more than a stone bollard. His gaze swept over them indifferently before inadvertently landing on Wei Zhi, who had just crossed the street.
He nodded to Wei Zhi, and she responded with a smile.
The corners of Tan Mengyan’s mouth seemed to turn upward slightly, but before Wei Zhi could see clearly, he had already pulled down the brim of his hat to shield his face.
By the time Wei Zhi reached the gallery’s main entrance, he had regained his usual cold, detached expression.
"Oh, Xiao Wei!"
Zheng Tianxin had just come out of the gallery entrance, wearing her cooking clothes and a white non-woven hairnet. Seeing Wei Zhi returning from outside, she waved her over with a beaming smile.
"Sister Tianxin," Wei Zhi said with a smile. "Why are you coming out from that side?"
At the mention of it, the smile on Zheng Tianxin’s face twisted into a mass of wrinkles.
"It’s that bitch from the administration department! She wrote in our suggestion book that there was a hair in the food!" Zheng Tianxin said indignantly. "Look at us—everyone wears their hats properly; we never take them off even when we're dripping with sweat. Was it our hair, or did her own hair fall in? I’m going to find her and have it out!"
"Don't be angry, Sister Tianxin," Wei Zhi soothed. "Take it easy; these things happen all the time."
"If only everyone were as easy to talk to as you, Xiao Wei." Zheng Tianxin sighed, then suddenly added, "Oh, right! The canteen had braised ribs and stewed beef today. It’s such a shame you missed it!"
She grabbed Wei Zhi’s arm. "There’s still some left in the staff pot. How about I pack a portion for you?"
"No need, I bought a sandwich at the convenience store," Wei Zhi replied with a smile. "I have too much work today; I really didn't have time to go eat."
"No matter how busy work is, you have to eat properly!" Zheng Tianxin said earnestly.
Wei Zhi hummed in agreement, preparing to end the conversation and head into the gallery.
"By the way, Xiao Wei—you should watch out for that Xiao Cai in your office." Zheng Tianxin lowered her voice, looking mysterious. "I just saw her. As soon as she saw President Ji, she went running up to greet him all eagerly, not even caring that President Ji was entertaining guests—"
"President Ji is back?" Wei Zhi stopped in her tracks.
"He’s back! Just got in. He brought two guests and just went inside to look at the paintings!" Zheng Tianxin said.
"...I see. Thank you, Sister Tianxin."
"I’m definitely on your side." Zheng Tianxin gave her a "fighting" gesture and hurried her stout frame toward the canteen building.
Wei Zhi bypassed the main gallery building via a side path and returned to the second-floor office area through the fire escape.
No one noticed her emerging from the stairwell.
Wei Zhi returned to the finance office and resumed her normal work as if nothing had happened.
The next day, Wei Zhi repeated her tactic, leaving her phone at her desk and taking a taxi to Eagle Eye Security. The twenty-three trackers she had found were sold for a total of 2,300 yuan.
Returning to the gallery, she used a bathroom break to check the footage recorded on the pen again. She fast-forwarded through it but still found no sign of anyone coming to change the battery.
The third and fourth days were the same.
On the fifth day, an uninvited guest arrived at the gallery.
"I have nothing to say to you."
In the narrow alley beside the gallery, Wei Zhi stood with her arms crossed, ignoring Wei Lai.
"You caused Mom’s death, and you think you can just walk away that easily?" Wei Lai squinted at her, his puffy eyes—so like Wei Shan’s—shot through with blood vessels.
"You were the one who switched the medicine and killed Mom," Wei Zhi said coldly.
Wei Lai snapped angrily, "If you hadn't told her, how would Mom have been driven to such a dead end?"
"When it comes to twisted logic, you’ve truly inherited your father’s essence," Wei Zhi said. "Anything else? If not, I’m going back."
"Give me fifty thousand yuan. Then I’ll never bother you again." Wei Lai stepped toward Wei Zhi. "Otherwise, we’ll go down in flames together. I’ll tell Ji Qikun exactly how much you owe and send you back to the life you had before."
"The price went up?" Wei Zhi mocked.
"You killed Mom; of course it can't just be ten thousand anymore." After speaking, Wei Lai paused and softened his tone. "Fifty thousand. I need to buy the 'Three Golds' engagement jewelry for my girlfriend. If I can't produce the money, she’s going to break up with me. I really love her; I can't lose her. I said before I wanted ten thousand a month, but wouldn't it be better to just settle it once and for all with fifty thousand?"
He pleaded, "Just think of it as... helping me out as my sister. I promise, once I have the money, I’ll never bother you again."
Wei Zhi looked closely at his face—a face that had once been so familiar, so dear.
"Not now. I’m very busy lately; I don't have time to scrape the money together," she said.
"Then when?" Wei Lai grew anxious. "I don't have time to wait for you! If you don't give it to me, I’m going into the gallery right now to find Ji Qikun!"
"...Within a month."
"No, that’s too long. One week!"
"Fifty thousand yuan, not five thousand. I can't borrow any more money from any platform right now. If you want the money, wait patiently. Otherwise—go ahead and find Ji Qikun. I truly have no other way."
Wei Zhi turned to leave.
"Fine! I get it!" Wei Lai blocked her path. "One month. One month at most. I won't wait a single day longer!"
"I’ll call you. Until then, don't come looking for me again."
Wei Zhi pushed past him and strode out of the alley.
Tan Mengyan, who had been waiting outside the alley entrance, glanced at the fuming and helpless Wei Lai inside before stepping out to follow Wei Zhi.
When they reached the gallery entrance, Wei Zhi thanked him.
"It was nothing," he said calmly. He then pulled down the brim of his hat and returned to his post.
That evening, the series of tasks brought on by the signing of the new artist finally wound down. Ji Qikun took a rare moment of time to go grocery shopping with Wei Zhi, and the two prepared to cook a grand meal at home.
Back at the house, Wei Zhi took the fresh steaks and other vegetables out of the shopping bags and began preparing the ingredients with practiced ease.
the sharp kitchen knife tapped rhythmically against the cutting board, and whole cloves of garlic began to release their roasted aroma in the oven. Under the glow of the chandelier above the dining table, the red wine bottle looked as though a deep crimson eel were swimming within it.
Once dinner was served, Wei Zhi knocked on the study door to call Ji Qikun away from his work.
Ji Qikun only ate his steak medium-rare. He would bring the knife down slowly, revealing the pale red cross-section of the meat, sometimes with pomegranate-colored juices running out.
When he chewed, it was as if he had pressed a slow-motion button, as if to ensure every morsel of meat had died for a worthy cause; he would savor the flesh of another life with patient, meticulous care.
In front of Ji Qikun, Wei Zhi also tried to slow her eating pace as much as possible, so as not to look like a savage who had just emerged from the deep mountains.
After eleven o'clock, the two of them washed up and went to bed. Ji Qikun turned on the projector, and Wei Zhi brought over some red wine.
Before the opening credits of the movie had finished, Ji Qikun received a call from a business partner. He gave Wei Zhi an apologetic look and went into the adjacent study while talking on the phone.
Accustomed to this, Wei Zhi continued watching the movie, pouring herself a glass of wine.
The phone resting on her lap suddenly vibrated.
Thinking it was a message notification, Wei Zhi picked it up. It was a software alert.
"Omniscient View Reminder: Motion detected."
Her gaze locked onto that black notification. It felt as though an unknown horror might surge out from it at any second and swallow her whole.
Wei Zhi tapped the notification.
The app controlling the pinhole camera popped up on her screen.
In the dim finance office, the camera in the pen was faithfully pointed at the wall behind her desk and that unremarkable green plant.
A dark, indistinct figure was standing with his back to the lens in front of the plant, fiddling with something.
She stepped off the bed barefoot and walked to the bedroom door.
Light spilled from the crack beneath the study door next door, and the faint sound of Ji Qikun’s business conversation could be heard from within.
She looked back at the phone in her hand.
The tall figure slightly bent over in front of the lens, changing the battery.
He finally turned around, pressed down the brim of his hat, and walked out of the frame.
***
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