Chapter 98: Harbinger of Misfortune

Huang Ying’s words put Li Yan in a bit of a dilemma. It was already a tricky situation to reconcile, and adding another girl just added more pressure. But he also felt there wouldn’t be an issue; Li Jie wasn’t familiar with them, so being together would just be like a friendly gathering. It’s just that her personality might not allow her to engage with everyone.

While he hesitated, Huang Ying already sensed his reluctance and was embarrassed to refuse, so she quickly said, "It’s okay, I was just saying. I won’t call her then..."

"No need, invite her along! It’s not that I don’t want to invite her, it’s just that she doesn’t talk much, so she might not engage in conversation with you all, but she’s somewhat familiar with you, so there shouldn’t be any problem. How about you and she come together later!"

"Are you sure there won’t be any problem?"

"No problem at all!"

"Okay." Huang Ying was slightly excited. She invited Li Jie, partly because Li Jie would be alone tonight, and also because in front of Wen Qianyi, she felt quite inferior and pressured. Having an acquaintance along could spark more topics and alleviate some of the pressure.

...

A couple among three now turned into a couple among four. Li Yan didn’t know whether to feel lucky or pressured. In any case, tonight he must be vigilant and cautious. They might all potentially slip up, but if each one only manages their own affairs, it’s fine. Whereas he had to handle various aspects, one careless word could easily reveal the intimacy he shared with any of them.

Just as he thought everything was in place, and there wouldn’t be more calls, his phone rang again. He was out of patience and didn’t bother guessing who it was. However, when he saw the caller ID, he paused.

It was an unfamiliar number!

He didn’t think it was a wrong number. Who could it be from this unfamiliar number? Could it be...

Li Yan felt a surge of excitement; perhaps it was Xiao Di!

Has she finally escaped her mother’s clutches?

Without further hesitation, he immediately answered the call.

Though the call connected, there was no sound on the other end, but he could tell there was someone there, and not a prank.

"Is it you? I’ve been waiting for your call..." Li Yan spoke softly, eagerly anticipating and hoping it was Xiao Di, thinking she might be too excited to speak.

After a moment of silence, there was finally a response: "It’s me. You’ve been waiting for my call?"

Li Yan’s brow furrowed instantly; it was a stranger’s male voice, definitely not Yu Xiaodi!

"Who are you? Did you dial the wrong number?"

"Are you... Li Yan?" the man on the other end hesitated a bit.

"Who are you?" Li Yan was already on high alert. Someone who could know his number and who he is at this moment was dangerous, likely related to Sonia’s group, or connected to the antique auction tomorrow!

He didn’t admit it outright, but his rhetorical question pretty much served the same purpose. The person on the other side understood clearly enough to pick up on his caution.

"We’ve met a few times, and you gave me your card. My name is Chen Junwei..." the person said calmly.

Having met several times and even left a card, theoretically, it should be someone he knows, not someone dangerous. Li Yan relaxed a bit and tried to recall who Chen Junwei was.

"The first time at the Prince Hotel, it was my move; the second time at the Crown Prince Hotel, we both moved, and you were even more ruthless than I; the third time you assaulted a civilian..." Chen Junwei offered an introduction, seeing that Li Yan didn’t immediately remember.

As soon as he heard the name ’Chen Junwei,’ Li Yan had a faint recollection, and as he mentioned the Prince Hotel and Crown Prince Hotel, he realized who this person was, the mysterious martial arts cleaner!

"I remember you. I told you to keep my card safe. But yes, we’ve crossed paths a few times, and if you ever need help, you can count on me. So, what’s up? You got into trouble?" Li Yan laughed. [See Chapter 391 for details]

He’d always had suspicions about this mysterious martial arts youth who liked being a cleaner. However, suspicion was just suspicion, and as long as their paths didn’t clash, he wouldn’t interfere. Just like him and Duan Haibo, they all had their backgrounds and lived incognito in the city. If someone tried to pry into his secrets, he’d be displeased; what you don’t want done to yourself, don’t do to others.

"Not quite trouble, but there is something I do need your help with..." Chen Junwei hesitated.

Li Yan naturally thought of the antique auction happening tomorrow night. Although it was just a plan in ’Rose’ and co.’s preparations, and uncertain if it would really happen, this Chen Junwei seemed tied to misdeeds and would coincidently show up. Could it be he had taken up the cleaner role again and stumbled across this crime?

"Go ahead, what is it that you need my help with?" He didn’t agree without understanding the specifics first.

Chen Junwei hesitated a bit before saying, "We’ve cooperated twice before, and when you did those things, I didn’t interfere or report you, so what I am telling you, you can’t share with anyone else."

"Nonsense! What kind of person do you take me for? You were the one who said you’d report me, not the other way around!" Li Yan became more certain.

"Okay then, let me say it. Tomorrow, at our hotel... uh, I’ve switched hotels again; I’m working as a cleaner again. At our hotel, there’s going to be an antique exhibition, featuring a live auction of several ancient artifacts. And I’ve accidentally discovered that someone is plotting to steal these artifacts..."

Li Yan was speechless. This guy really had an attachment to hotels and cleaning jobs, having switched to being a hotel cleaner again... However, was he genuinely pursuing justice, or was he actually a jinx who just happened to stumble upon crime repeatedly? He’d stumbled upon yet another one!

Recently, Li Yan had been investigating details about the antique auction, learning it would be held in the multipurpose conference hall of the hotel he previously stayed in. Perhaps Sonia had checked in early to catch wind of this. The auction house hosted guests by invite only, sending invitations to credible and willing buyers, usually those who had previously dealt with them. After a phone inquiry to ascertain interest, invitations were sent out.

Under such circumstances, Chen Junwei certainly wouldn’t have had the opportunity to enter, but unexpectedly, he was there as a cleaner. Just like the incident at the Crown Prince Hotel, he might end up playing a crucial role.

It couldn’t be true that he was a jinx, a calamity bringer; such frequent occurrences couldn’t be mere coincidence, right? His sources of information surely weren’t just overheard in bathrooms as he previously claimed, were they? What exactly was he? What was he after?

Li Yan’s mind was full of suspicion, but he expressed surprise verbally: "No way? Someone’s gonna steal them? You didn’t just overhear this plot from a bathroom again, did you?"

"Where the information comes from isn’t important; the key is that it’s true. There are indeed people eyeing those antiques!"

"Who’s eyeing the antiques? And what do you need my help with? I can’t afford to buy up all those antiques." Li Yan replied with feigned helplessness, waiting for him to reveal more information.

Chen Junwei pondered for a while and then spoke softly: "As far as I know, there are two groups interested in those antiques. They’ve already moved into the hotel well in advance, but their exact methods are unclear to me. I want your help in protecting these antiques from being stolen by the criminals."

"Just you and me? Aren’t you dreaming of heroics?" Li Yan laughed.

"You know my abilities. I witnessed your strength at the Crown Prince Hotel. Perhaps if it were just one group of bandits, I could handle it alone; with two groups, I’d call for your assistance." Chen Junwei spoke truthfully, though there was a hint of flattery.

"Why should I do it then? What’s in it for me? The risk is very high, you know!"

Chen Junwei was momentarily stunned. He had met Li Yan several times, and aside from the apparent personal vendetta the last time, the pursuits at the Prince Hotel and Crown Prince Hotel seemed driven by justice, without seeking fame. After the incidents, there was no media coverage. Thus, he may have assumed Li Yan was of the same ilk as himself!

"Risk, for you and me, is just a more thrilling experience, right? As for benefits... I enjoy the process; I don’t understand if you’re being serious or joking. You shouldn’t care about money, should you?"

Li Yan immediately refuted, "Wrong! I do like money a lot personally. If there’s no monetary benefit, regardless of how interesting or exciting, I’m hardly keen."

"..." Chen Junwei fell silent. He’d seen Li Yan in action a few times, and apart from the last incident that seemed personal, the pursuits at Prince Hotel and Crown Prince Hotel appeared out of a sense of justice, not for fame or benefit. He’s now unsure if Li Yan is truly interested or just joking about the money.

"In the past you..."

"That was just coincidental."

Chen Junwei hesitated again before continuing, "...well, I’ll just go ahead and share the situation. Tomorrow, at our hotel... um, I’m working temporarily at another hotel now, still the cleaning staff. There will be an exhibition of antiques at our hotel, with some ancient relics up for auction. And, I stumbled upon that someone is planning to rob these antiques..."

Li Yan was speechless, this guy really seemed to have a particular zeal for hotels and cleaning jobs, switching again to a hotel cleaner... However, was he really determined to chase down crime, or was he an ill omen, happening to show up where crimes occurred? It’s incredible that he stumbled upon such things again!

In these past few days, he had also been investigating the situation of the antique auction, knowing that the upcoming auction will be held in a multi-functional hall in the hotel he stayed at last time. Perhaps Sonia preemptively booked the hotel as she knew about the event. The organizing auction house issues invitations to capable and willing buyers, typically those who have previously worked with them, inviting only those interested after prior phone inquiries.

With those methods, there was no way Chen Junwei could attend the event. But unexpectedly, he was on-site as a cleaner. Just like last time at the Crown Prince Hotel, who knows, perhaps he would once again play an important role.

It couldn’t be that he was actually a harbinger of calamity, appearing repeatedly by sheer coincidence, right? His sources of information couldn’t be just from overhearing in the bathroom, as he once claimed. Who was he really? What was his game?

Suspicion gnawed at Li Yan, but he expressed shock out loud: "No way? Is someone actually going to rob them? Did you eavesdrop on this secret from a bathroom again?"

"The source isn’t important, what’s key is that it’s real - someone is indeed eyeing those artifacts!"

"Who is pursuing these artifacts? What help do you need from me? I can’t afford to buy all of the antiques." Li Yan replied feigning helplessness, waiting for him to reveal more.

Chen Junwei hesitated briefly and then said, "As far as I know, two groups are eyeing these artifacts. They’ve moved into the hotel well in advance, but I’m unclear on their exact methods. I need your help in protecting these artifacts from the robbers."

"Just you and me? Are you really dreaming about being a hero now?" Li Yan laughed.

"You know my capabilities. I witnessed your strength at the Crown Prince Hotel. Perhaps if it were just one group of bandits, I could handle it alone. But with two, I thought you could lend a hand." Chen Junwei was being truthful, though it seemed like he was flattering him a bit.

"Why would I do that? What’s in it for me? The risk is pretty high, you know!"

"Risk, for you and me, is just a more thrilling challenge, isn’t it? As for benefits... I enjoy the process, and I’m not sure if you’re being sincere or jesting. You don’t seem to care about money, do you?"

"..." Chen Junwei was silent. He had seen Li Yan’s actions a few times before. Apart from the last time, which seemed like a personal grudge, the chases at Prince Hotel and Crown Prince hotel seemed to be for justice, not for what he could gain. Now, he wasn’t sure if Li Yan’s talk about seeking benefits was real or a joke.

"Before, you..."

"That was because I just happened to encounter it."

Chen Junwei hesitated a bit more. "We have had two collaborations before, and I didn’t disturb or report you for what you did then, so you can’t leak the content I tell you without my consent."

"Nonsense! I am not the one who said I’d report you, was I?" Li Yan was more sure now.

"Alright, I’ll tell you. Tomorrow, at our hotel... um, I’ve changed jobs to another hotel now, still as a cleaner. At our hotel, there will be an exhibition of antiques with an on-site auction for a batch of antiques. And I accidentally discovered that someone is planning to rob these artifacts..."

Li Yan was speechless. This guy really had a peculiar obsession with hotels and cleaning jobs, having switched back to being a hotel cleaner again... However, was he really intent on pursuing justice or was he some jinx, with crimes always occurring anywhere he went? He ran into it again!

Recently, Li Yan had also been investigating and understanding the situation of the antique auction. He was aware that this auction would be held in the multifunction hall of the hotel he had stayed at last time. Maybe Sonia had known in advance and checked into the hotel. The auction house invited capable and willing buyers by sending invitations. Usually, they invited those guests who previously dealt with them in the past, after confirming interest through a phone inquiry.

With that method, there was no way Chen Junwei could attend the event. Yet, unexpectantly, he showed up again as a cleaner. Just like the time at the Crown Prince Hotel, perhaps he would again play a key role.

He couldn’t really be a harbinger of bad luck, a jinx, or a disaster-bringer, could he? But appearing so frequently, surely that was more than just a coincidence, right? How did he obtain such information? It cannot be as he previously claimed, simply overhearing in the bathroom, right? What exactly was he there for?

Li Yan was suspicious, but expressed his surprise: "No way! Is there someone planning a robbery? You couldn’t have happened to overhear this secret in a bathroom, right?"

"How the information came isn’t important. The key is, it’s real. Someone has their eyes on these antiques!"

"Who’s eyeing the antiques? And what help do you need from me? I can’t buy all the antiques myself," Li Yan replied, pretending to be exasperated, waiting for him to divulge more.

Chen Junwei hesitated before responding, "To the best of my knowledge, there are two groups interested in these artifacts. They’ve already moved into the hotel before the event, but it’s unclear how they’ll act. I need your help to safeguard these artifacts from falling into the hands of thieves."

"Just you and me? You’re not seriously aiming for some vigilante dream, are you?" Li Yan chuckled.

"You know my abilities. You saw what you were capable of at the Crown Prince Hotel. Maybe with one group of bandits, I could handle it alone, but with two, I’m asking for your help." Chen Junwei said, a note of flattery in his honesty.

"Why should I do it then? What’s in it for me? The risk is substantially high!"

"Risk, for you and me, is nothing more than a thrill, right? As for the benefits... I enjoy the process. I don’t know if you’re serious or joking when you say that, you can’t actually be serious about money, can you?"

Li Yan immediately ripostes. "Wrong! Personally, I love having money. If there’s no money involved, even if it’s fun or exciting, I’m less interested."

"..." Chen Junwei was speechless. He’d seen Li Yan act a few times, and besides when it seemed personal, his actions at Prince Hotel and Crown Prince Hotel appeared motivated by justice, with no interest in fame or reward. He couldn’t tell if Li Yan was being serious or joking.

"But before you..."

"That was just by chance."

Chen Junwei hesitated briefly and then said, "I’ll tell you. Tomorrow, at our hotel... um, I just switched to working at another hotel, still as a cleaner. At our hotel, there’s an antique exhibition happening, and several ancient artifacts will be auctioned on-site. I’ve uncovered that someone plans to rob these antiques..."

Li Yan was speechless. This guy really seemed obsessed with hotels and being a cleaner. He had transferred back to a cleaner position at a hotel... Was he truly running after crimes, or was he a harbinger of disaster, showing up wherever there were crimes? How did he happen to discover this again?

In recent days, Li Yan had been investigating and understanding the antique auction situation, aware that this auction was occurring specifically in a multifunctional conference hall within the hotel he previously stayed. Maybe Sonia had checked in early to spot this. The hosting auction house had sent invites to capable, willing buyers who were informed through prior phone inquiries, usually those who had previously transacted with them.

With that method, there’s no way Chen Junwei could enter the venue, yet surprisingly, he was there as a cleaner. Just as during the incident at the Crown Prince Hotel, perhaps he’d play a significant role.

He couldn’t truly be a jinx, a harbinger of misfortune, appearing over and over again was too coincidental, wasn’t it? The way he got the information was probably not as he claimed before, just overhearing some secret in a bathroom, could it? What exactly is he up to? What does he want?

Li Yan was full of suspicion, yet feigned surprise, saying: "You’re kidding, right? Are you saying someone’s plotting a robbery? Did you overhear this secret from a bathroom again?"

"The source doesn’t matter, what matters is it’s real. Someone’s eyeing those antiques!"

"Who wants the antiques? What exactly do you want me to help with? I can’t afford to buy all the antiques to keep them safe." Li Yan feigned helplessness, waiting for him to reveal more.

Chen Junwei contemplated for a moment, then spoke softly: "As far as I know, two groups are targeting the antiques. They’ve already been in the hotel long before, but it’s still vague how exactly they plan to act. I want your help to protect these antiques before the bandits succeed."

"Just you and me? You can’t be serious about going out as a vigilante, are you?" Li Yan chuckled.

"You’re aware of my abilities, and I know how skilled you are from the Crown Prince Hotel incident. If it was just one group, perhaps I could handle them alone. It’s two groups now, so I’m asking you for help." Chen Junwei acknowledged the truth while flattering a bit.

"Why should I do it then? What’s in it for me? The risk is very significant!"

Chen Junwei hesitated, having seen Li Yan a few times before this. Except for the last time, which seemed like a private quarrel, the pursuits at Prince Hotel, Crown Prince Hotel appeared to stem from public duty and didn’t seek fame, as there was no media coverage after. Therefore, he might have assumed that Li Yan was similar to him.

"Risk is just a more thrilling experience for us, isn’t it? As for benefits... I enjoy the process, and I don’t know if you’re serious or joking about wanting something in return. Do you actually care about money?"

Li Yan instantly denied, "Wrong! I really like money. Even if something is interesting or thrilling, I’m not very interested unless there’s money involved."

"..." After a moment of silence, Chen Junwei spoke softly, "You said you’d help me before; I thought you were serious."

"I am serious. But that’s if you were in trouble or danger, then I’d help. The current situation isn’t you being in trouble, it’s you wanting to be an unsung hero. You’re a martial arts expert, I get the hero complex, but I’m scared of dying, I don’t want to get involved." Li Yan deflected.

"But before you..."

"Before, it just happened I was there."

Chen Junwei was frustrated, but he didn’t give up. After thinking for a while, he said, "I’ll send the information I know to your phone. If you happen to be in a situation, maybe you could help."

Li Yan was speechless; this guy really was relentless! How did he know, though? "Maybe you should focus on cleaning toilets; perhaps they’ve already taken the antiques away."

"They haven’t! The antiques are still with the dealers and collectors themselves. They’ll be transported to the site two hours before the auction. That’s the window when they’ll strike."

"You know so much, why do I feel like you’re planning something?" Li Yan teased.

"Don’t joke around!" With that, Chen Junwei hung up. (To be continued, for more details, please visit www.qidian.com, support the author, support legitimate reading!)