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墨書 Inktalez
Nothing could stop Sehun and Yixing from their curiosity at that moment, and Jin Jong-in found himself caught in the middle with nowhere to escape.
"Come on, tell us what you were talking about! Why is it so mysterious? Do you have a secret between you?" Yixing asked.
"I really can't say," Jin Jong-in insisted stubbornly.
"Wow, you're really keeping us in suspense," Sehun remarked.
"This is a secret; we agreed not to reveal it," Jin Jong-in replied.
"Oh my gosh, so you really do have an unspeakable secret," Yixing exclaimed.
"Hey, a secret is a secret. What do you mean by unspeakable?" Jin Jong-in shot him a helpless glance.
Sehun looked over at Park Chan-yeol, who was sitting nearby drinking water, and asked, "Hey, Chan-yeol, aren't you curious?"
To his surprise, Chan-yeol replied very briefly, "Not curious."
"Why do you dislike Anna so much? You're being really rude today," Sehun questioned.
"Did she offend you in some way?" Yixing said, recalling a scene from long ago when he and Chan-yeol had encountered Anna at the gym. He added, "It seems like Chan-yeol has never gotten along well with Anna. When he saw her before and she greeted him, it felt awkward."
"That's where Chan-yeol is wrong. No matter what, she's still a girl. Even if she offended him in some way, he shouldn't have that attitude..." Sehun said quietly, worried about upsetting Park Chan-yeol.
However, Park Chan-yeol heard him. It was hard to explain anything to these clueless people. Feeling inexplicably frustrated, he decided to ignore them and turned up the music, dancing vigorously to clear his mind.
In just half a month, the first trial would begin, and their time was running out. Even if Yoo Jae-suk could hold out until the end without pleading guilty, public opinion pressure would force the court to reach a conclusion sooner rather than later.
A few hours later, Anna received a call from an unknown number. It was a simple arrangement for a meeting place and time. Having only just taken a bite of bread all day, Anna hurried off.
Jin Zhongxi and Jin Jong-in look remarkably similar, except that Jin Jong-in is a bit taller and plumper. However, it is clear that he is a very cautious person, as this café is located in a rather inconspicuous place. He wears a hat and dresses very low-key. Of course, all this concealment proves one point: if someone discovers his contact with Anna, who works as a staff member on Running Man, it would bring him great trouble. Anna, who originally had a request of him, would certainly do her best to avoid such a situation.
Sitting in the corner of the café, Jin Zhongxi did not wave to Anna despite the few customers present; he merely glanced at her, and Anna understood immediately and walked over.
The staff came over to ask Anna what she would like to drink. Anna smiled and said she would like the same as the gentleman in front of her.
Seeing that Anna was quite perceptive, Jin Zhongxi smiled slightly and said, "Hello, Miss Anna Zheng."
"Hello, Mr. Jin Zhongxi. Just call me Anna; after all, we are just friends having coffee together, not discussing work, so there's no need to be so formal," Anna replied with a smile.
Jin Zhongxi instantly grasped the meaning behind her words and was slightly impressed by Anna's ability to handle situations at such a young age. He said, "Alright, Anna."
"Your coffee, enjoy," the staff placed the coffee in front of Anna. She nodded in thanks and then looked at Jin Zhongxi.
"Then I will call you Brother Zhongxi," Anna said as she slowly added milk and sugar to her coffee, stirring it gently. "This coffee is very rich; have you been too busy lately to come here for a drink?" The implication in her words was clear to anyone perceptive enough.
"Yes, very busy—trying to untangle a mess of threads. It's too complicated; even though there are blueprints, they could be wrong. If we try to untangle it based on incorrect information, the results may not be correct either, but everyone will think it is," Jin Zhongxi explained.
"The blueprints are wrong? Why does your leader still give them to you? Don't they know?" Anna asked.
"Because it’s said that a big rat entered the warehouse and ate the other correct blueprints while bringing many nuts to the leader. The leader was happy; as long as an answer is produced, they naturally don't care about right or wrong. Of course, most importantly, they can't bear to part with the rat that brings them an endless supply of nuts," Jin Zhongxi chuckled helplessly.
"Where is this rat? Why not catch it?" Anna inquired.
"Too big to catch. I haven't seen it myself; I only know it lives inside a giant pillar that might support half of a skyscraper."
"Then why did this clever rat come to eat the correct blueprints while leaving the incorrect ones behind? How could it be so smart and choose so precisely?"
"I don't know; it must be that someone wrapped up in this mess offended this rat spirit somehow."
"Then you should be careful too; make sure you don't get bitten by this rat."
Jin Zhongxi smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "I'm just a minor character; it only targets the big ones, so it's not my turn."
Anna also smiled and paused for a moment before asking, "Are you sure there are no correct blueprints left at all?"
"Even if there are, we haven't found any fragments now. Even if we did find them, it's uncertain whether the leadership would be willing to give up so many nuts to make it public."
"Why not report it? Let Cat catch them, since your leader is so greedy?"
Jin Zhongxi shook his head, bitterly smiling as he replied, "There are too many greedy leaders; no one knows how many people have actually consumed this nut or which level it should be reported to."
"I understand now. Thank you, Zhongxi Gege," Anna said with a smile.
The young staff member leaning on the bar was lost in thought, catching snippets of their conversation and feeling puzzled. It seemed like a nice couple was out on a date but was talking about some big mouse story; it was quite strange.
After days of exhausting effort, Anna looked somewhat haggard. She wished that Andy could return at this moment, but every time she called, it went unanswered. When she texted him to ask when he would be back, he always replied late with "Not confirmed yet; I will return once the work is done."
Often when she got home, she would collapse onto the sofa and fall asleep immediately. If she woke up in the middle of the night and felt energetic, she would drag her groggy body to take a shower and then go to bed.
Fortunately, she frequently received calls and texts from Ji Hyo Kwang Soo and others, discussing what they should do next or what they had already discovered. Anna knew they were all working hard like her, waiting together; after all, this journey was not lonely.
Lying weakly on the bed, she opened her eyes and saw the Ruby Moon quietly lying there along with that bead, casting an enchanting glow under the light. Remembering her reaction when she saw Park Chan-yeol at S.M., she realized that this time they really would not have any further connection.
Tomorrow, she would find someone to return this gem to him. This gem should meet a more suitable owner.
Suddenly, everything around her brightened. Anna followed a stream of clear water as she slowly moved upstream. The trees on both sides rustled softly.
As she walked, her feet began to hurt more and more. Looking down, she noticed bloody footprints trailing behind her; her soles were covered in countless pinpricks that made her skin crawl. The water flow began to roar slowly.
Wanting to retreat to safety, she turned around only to see a dark mass of ants following her blood trail.
Run!
Run!
However, the loss of blood made the body increasingly cold, losing strength and collapsing in a place filled with needle points, thousands of pinpricks appearing on her body, blood flowing out. The black ants, drawn by the scent of blood, crawled from Anna's toes, slowly spreading to her ankles and knees...
The places they consumed revealed stark white bones.
"No... no, ah!"
With a sudden convulsion, Anna opened her eyes, still lying on the bed. The sky outside was dimly lit, having brightened at some unknown time. Forgetting to cover herself with a blanket, she felt icy cold despite the heating.
Taking a deep breath, Anna turned over and covered herself with the blanket. She felt much warmer but lost her sleepiness, staring blankly at the ceiling until daylight brightened the room, making her eye bags even heavier.
In a daze, she faintly heard a few indistinct howls from the front yard.
Since she couldn't sleep anymore, Anna decided to get up, put on her coat, and see what was going on.
The front yard was empty. Anna thought she must have misheard. However, just as she turned around, a pitiful wail came from beneath some dense rose vines. The snow had not completely melted away. As Anna approached to take a look, she found a row of tiny footprints. Crouching down, she saw a pair of timid and terrified eyes along with a small trembling body.
It was a yellow puppy. Anna was surprised; it looked only two or three months old. She wondered how it had ended up here and how long it had been trapped.
The thorns from the roses had left several bloody marks on its body. Anna tried to pull it out with her hands but ended up cutting herself when she reached in. If she forcibly pulled it out like this, it would only hurt it more.
"Wait for me; I'll be right back," Anna said to it.
As if it could understand her words, the puppy calmed down significantly, staying there quietly without making noise while waiting for Anna to return.
Finding the pruning scissors, Anna carefully cut through the rose branches, afraid of hurting it again. The moment the puppy regained its freedom, it immediately walked over unsteadily. Anna picked it up in her arms, wrapped it in her coat, and brought it inside. It was exceptionally clean and even smelled faintly pleasant; it must have gotten lost while being mischievous.
As if sensing something, the puppy kept its round eyes fixed on Anna, gently licking her arm and making soft sounds as if expressing gratitude. Anna cooked two eggs for it, removing the egg whites and mashing the yolks with warm water. The puppy was starving and devoured them in just a few bites without leaving anything behind.
Anna disinfected its wounds; fortunately, they were all superficial injuries and not serious.
After finishing her meal, the puppy obediently sat there, looking at Anna with eyes full of love and trust. Anna smiled as she picked it up again, stroking its soft body. Perhaps it was too tired, and soon it fell asleep peacefully on Anna's lap.
"What’s your name? Where did you come from? Why did you end up here? If no one comes to find you, would you like to stay with me? Let’s give you a name. Since you’re a boy, how about ‘Peter’? Spider-Man Peter. That way, even if your real owner comes looking for you, you’ll remember me," Anna said with a smile, gently touching its little chubby ears and murmuring to herself.
The hurried and exhausting life suddenly seemed to have a hint of color and light. For the first time, Anna felt that her car was truly useful, carrying little Peter to the pet store. Although she didn’t know how long he would accompany her, she still cheerfully bought everything he would need: dog food, a dog bed, milk powder, nutritional tablets, shampoo... everything was ready. If it weren’t for this little guy’s sudden arrival, Anna wouldn’t have realized how many things dogs need and how particular they are. She had never been this attentive when buying things for herself.
The pet store clerk said that little Peter was likely a mix between a Labrador and a Golden Retriever.
Anna smiled at him and said, "It seems your parents really had a love that crossed boundaries."
Of course, she wondered if Peter could understand any of this.
"What are you doing? Is there a dog barking nearby?" This was Kwang-soo's first question when he called.
At that moment, Peter was eagerly looking at the dog food in Anna's hand, sitting anxiously.
Anna replied, "It's a long story. I found him under the rose bush in my front yard, and he just came into my house." She made a gesture for Peter to be quiet; he was indeed smarter than she had imagined and immediately stopped making noise. Anna smiled with relief as she placed the dog food in front of him.
"I found out some things," Anna continued.
"What things?" Kwang-soo asked.
"It turns out that some police officers were also involved in the matter concerning Brother Jae-seok."
"Police involvement... Are you saying that the person who framed Brother Jae-seok to such an extent has connections with the police?"
"No, simply put, they were just bribed," Anna explained.
"So what you're saying is that we can't rely solely on the police investigation to clear Brother Jae-seok's name... No wonder he seems to have no hope; he must have known it would turn out this way..." Kwang-soo said.
"I think that's the case. So now we can only try to find evidence ourselves and not hand it over to the police," Anna said. Peter had finished eating and ran over to Anna's feet asking for a cuddle. Anna scooped him up into her arms.
Kwang-soo fell silent for a moment and said, "Anna, you've found out so much that we couldn't. You must have put in a lot of effort."
Anna smiled slightly and replied, "Brother Kwang-soo, you all shouldn't feel guilty. My behind-the-scenes role is much more convenient than yours. I believe that if the roles were reversed, you would do the same."
"Well, all we can do is to firmly express our stance in public and show our trust in Brother Jae-seok, hoping that more people will stand with us," Kwang-soo said.
"That's already very important. Only if everyone chooses to trust Brother Jae-seok will he have the chance to see the truth revealed one day," Anna said.
After settling Peter down, Anna picked up the red gem, intending to go out. Even after telling it not to follow her, it still relentlessly pursued her to the door, only to be pushed back inside. At the moment the door closed, it sat there in disappointment, looking utterly wronged.
Anna spoke through the door to Peter, assuring it that she would be back soon.
Anna believed it would understand.
The car stopped at the entrance of S.M. Anna took one last look at the gem, sighed, and placed it into a box.
The receptionist at the front desk still followed protocol and asked about her reason for visiting. Anna explained that it was for work and requested her to pass the box to Park Chan-yeol. After thanking her, she hurriedly left.
There was truly no longer any connection left.
The car drove aimlessly along the streets of Seoul. She was well aware that there was someone who could help her find out everything she wanted to know. However, Anna felt she had no reason to reach out to him anymore, especially knowing how powerful his background was. She didn't want to involve him in this matter; that person was Hogga.
However, she still had one place she could check out: Cat's Paw Bar.
Anna remembered that in the information Hogga had given her, there was a record of a woman named Gao Yingmei who had danced there part-time. It was an unspoken secret among insiders; perhaps going there would lead to some different discoveries.
"Miss, I'm sorry, but we haven't started business yet," a handsome waiter wiping glasses stopped Anna as soon as she entered.
"Oh, hello. I know that; I'm here... I want to ask if you have had a lady named Gao Yingmei dancing here before. Do you know anything about her?" Anna inquired.
"I'm sorry, miss; I'm not sure. Please come back during business hours," the waiter said expressionlessly as he tried to usher Anna out.
"I..." Anna was about to speak.
From the second floor, the slow, distinctive sound of high heels approached. Anna looked up to see a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, tall with a curvaceous figure, her eyes and brows exuding allure. She held a high-end cigarette in her hand and leisurely walked to the middle of the staircase between the first and second floors, leaning against the railing with a half-smile as she looked at Anna.
"Good evening, Boss Lady," the waiter greeted with a bow.
The woman exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Please have this young lady come with me."
"Yes," the waiter replied.
Although Anna felt that the way the Boss Lady looked at her was somewhat strange, she followed her footsteps. After all, as the Boss Lady, she would know more.
The room was fragrant, not large, and its layout was particularly simple, contrasting sharply with the woman's flamboyant attire.
"Please take a seat, Miss Anna," the woman gestured for Anna to sit in the chair opposite her.
Anna was somewhat surprised but still greeted her first: "Thank you, and hello. But how do you know me?"
The woman pressed her cigarette into the ashtray, added a bit of water, and after a moment of mist, it completely lost its warmth. She wiped her hands with a damp tissue, raised an eyebrow with a smile, and said, "I know everyone who has been here."
Hearing this made Anna extremely happy. She asked, "Then do you know Ms. Gao Yingmei? She used to dance here."
"I do," the woman replied as she tossed the tissue into the trash can.
Unexpectedly, Anna received an affirmative answer easily.
"But," the woman looked at Anna and said, "if Miss Anna wants to inquire about someone from me, especially about someone in my Cat's Paw, you must follow the rules of my establishment."
"What rules?" Anna asked.
"That is, matters within Cat's Paw can only be discussed inside the bar and cannot be taken outside," the woman said with a playful smile. "Unless..."
"Unless what?" Anna asked.
"Unless you are one of my Cat's Paw," the woman replied with a smile.
"What?" Anna said in surprise. "What can I do here?"
The woman coldly laughed, stood up, and slowly walked around Anna like a noble cat, examining her. She said, "Don't underestimate yourself. You can chat, drink, dance—just have fun..."
"How long do I have to work before you tell me about Gao Yingmei?" Anna asked, clenching her fists. At that moment, she felt like she was being observed like an animal, and this sensation made her very uncomfortable.
"Well... once you come in, it depends on your abilities. It could be a day, ten days, or even a few months... But don't worry, everyone who comes here has status. In my place, no one dares to act out of line... However, if someone wants to take Miss Anna out and she agrees, then it's no longer my concern..." The woman returned to her seat.
Anna stood up, instinctively feeling she should leave this place quickly. However, her consciousness ultimately made her body stop. Anna bit her lip and sighed, saying, "I'll think about it."
"Alright, I'll wait for Miss Anna's good news," the woman said.
Fleeing from the bar, Anna got into her car and closed the door, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.
The woman's words echoed in her mind. Anna didn't know whether to take the risk; she was truly scared. But what other options did she have?
Think carefully; there must be a way...
Just as Anna was feeling restless, she suddenly realized how close another car was to her. She snapped back to reality, slammed on the brakes, and turned the steering wheel. After a sharp screeching sound, Anna slowly opened her eyes. She was drenched in cold sweat but relieved that nothing serious had happened.
"How do you drive?! Are you blind?! What were you doing?!" shouted the driver of the car that had almost collided with hers as he passed by angrily.
Anna wanted to say sorry in confusion, but the car had already sped away. The surrounding area was filled with urgent honking sounds urging Anna to quickly leave the lane she was occupying. She gathered herself and started driving again.
Meanwhile in Australia, Andy was replying to Anna's text when he suddenly received a phone call. Frowning, he pressed the answer button.
"Hello."
"How is the situation in Australia being handled?"
"Very well, progress is smooth."
"That's good. However, there has been a bit of trouble domestically."
"What is it?"
"Your dear sister, Miss Anna Zheng, is diligently investigating Mr. Yoo Jae-suk's matter."
"She won't find anything."
"It’s best if that’s the case, but just to be safe, you should give her a heads-up."
"Alright, I understand."
"Hehe, okay, goodbye."
"Goodbye."
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