Ita Era

Chapter 199 Baiyuan
While waiting for a taxi by the roadside, a garbage truck arrived first, and a worker got out to retrieve a large garbage bin from the villa's entrance.

Ding Shi still had tissues in his hand, so he stepped forward, opened the trash can, and threw the tissues in. He then saw that there were three bags of trash inside, the top bag containing a yellow paper bag.

Ding Shi reached out and picked up the paper bag. It read: Jiangnan Xiaolongbao (steamed dumplings), with an address on it.

Ding Shi politely nodded to the staff, put the paper bag back, took a few steps to the side, reached out, and hailed a taxi.

As the taxi began to accelerate, Ding Shi saw a shop on the roadside: a time-honored xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) shop. The shop was doing good business, with the interior full and several people queuing outside.

Ding Shi asked, "Master, how far is it from here to Jiangnan District?"

The driver replied, "Under normal circumstances, the ride takes half an hour, which is about the same as the time to get to the Jiangdong commercial district."

Ding recalled breakfast: there were 18 xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), 4 youtiao (fried dough sticks), and 2 cups of soy milk. Bai Yan drank coffee. In the end, there were 6 xiaolongbao, 2 youtiao, and 1 cup of soy milk left.

Bai Yan and I ate a total of 12 xiaolongbao, 6 each. Considering the size of the xiaolongbao, it wasn't much for the two of us.

This shows that neither he nor Bai Yan have a particular fondness for xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

The question then arises: why would Bai Yan spend an hour traveling to and from Jiangnan to buy xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)?

Bai Yan has a car, making it convenient for her to come and go, but it still takes an hour after all.

自己醒来是7点15分，白艳最少是6点15分前前往江南区。现在是初冬，6点15分天还没亮。

One possibility is that she really likes the xiaolongbao from this restaurant in Jiangnan, and Bai Yan adores her, so she made a special trip for it.

However, judging from the atmosphere at breakfast, that wasn't the case. I neither dislike nor particularly like xiaolongbao. If Bai Yan went to such lengths to buy me xiaolongbao, I would probably feel frustrated and wonder why I didn't eat more of them.

"Hello." Ding Shi answered an unknown call.

Electronic voice: "Mr. Ding, is the money ready?"

Ding Shi asked, "Who are you?"

Electronic voice: "Did you receive the gift I sent you?"

Ding Shi said, "Let's get straight to the point. I don't know what you mean."

Electronic voice: "Are you going to keep stalling? I know you already know where the body is buried. Mr. Ding, if I don't have $20 by noon tomorrow, I will call the police."

Ding Shi processed the information provided and said, "I don't have that much money." He explained that he had hidden a corpse, which the other party discovered and removed. Last night, the other party cut off a finger from the corpse and mailed it to him to prove the credibility of his claims.

Electronic voice: "Hehe, just kidding, the only son of the Ding family wouldn't have 20."

Am I supposed to be very rich?

Ding Shi seemed to have grasped the key information: "The money is in my mother's hands, I can't get the money."

Electronic voice: "You can totally settle out of court with your mother. Not to mention 20, even 50 is no problem."

An out-of-court settlement? I sued Ding's mother? Logically speaking, I should have a lawyer.

However, there's a flaw in the electronic voice's statement: why did it say 50 was no problem? How did it know so much about its own case? Since it's an out-of-court settlement, it's a negotiation; how did it know to what extent the mother and son would discuss it? How did it know the progress of the case?

Ding Shi slapped his thigh. Damn it, the electronic voice belonged to Ding's mother. Ding's mother was forcing him to settle out of court.

Ding Shi replied, "I'll think about it."

Electronic voice: "I will call you at 12 noon tomorrow. Either I get the money, or I call the police."

Ding hung up the phone. This wasn't a simple extortion case; extortionists have room for negotiation on the amount, but the other party was insisting on 20. It's very likely that the other party was worried that he could get the extortion money without reaching a settlement.

The other party didn't want money; they wanted an out-of-court settlement between themselves and Ding's mother.

Therefore, it can be inferred that Ding's mother is at a disadvantage in this lawsuit.

Another problem has arisen. In yesterday's email, the system denied committing murder, so why is the other party blackmailing it? Can't you blackmail the murderer?

Ding Shi fully restored the known information.

There are currently two lines, and the two lines are related.

The first storyline is about love. His official girlfriend is named Bai Yuan, but he has never met her and doesn't even have her number in his phone. Bai Yuan is the boss's eldest daughter.

His secret girlfriend is named Bai Yan, who is gentle and kind to him. Bai Yan is the boss's youngest daughter.

The boss doesn't know if he's attracted to her body or if he simply likes her.

The second storyline involves family. The protagonist is currently in a lawsuit with Ding's mother, who is very wealthy, and the protagonist needs money. Someone is blackmailing the protagonist, seemingly trying to force them to reconcile with Ding's mother.

Ding's mother's current legal husband is named Lin Yuan, and Lin Yuan is Bai Yuan's true love.

Ding Shi focused his attention on Bai Yuan, because she was connected to both storylines.

……

The next day, at 8:30 a.m., Ding Shi arrived outside the office building. As he looked up at the building, a red car stopped beside him. The driver's side window rolled down, and a girl wearing sunglasses took them off and said, "Get in."

The girl wore purple lipstick, had a high nose bridge, and big eyes. Ding Shi could only describe her charm with one exclamation, not the uncultured "Holy crap," but something at an elementary school level: "Stunning."

Although Ding Shi had never met this beautiful woman, he was certain that she was his official girlfriend: Bai Yuan. This was because she bore a striking resemblance to Bai Yan, and he had seen her photo on his boss's computer.

If Bai Yan is like the girl next door, then Bai Yuan exudes the aura of a mature and sophisticated woman.

Ding Shi had to admire the dog system; this one was indeed quite to his liking, so he got into the passenger seat.

Bai Yuan drove to the parking lot on the left side of the office building, without turning off the engine, and looked at Ding Shi: "Today I..."

As she spoke, she unbuttoned Ding Shi's white shirt with her fingers, looked at the hickey on his chest, and sneered, "You seem to be having a very good time."

Ding Shi didn't know how to answer, so he spread his hands and said, "Being handsome is a sin. Let's get down to business." I don't know what the business is, please tell me.

Bai Yuan withdrew her gaze and said, "I will meet Lin Yuan at the hotel today."

Hmm? It sounds like I forced you and your true love to go to a hotel?
Bai Yuan asked, "What about what you promised me?"

What did I promise you? You met your true love, so I have to reward you?
Ding Shi was most adept at this kind of situation, and he immediately said, "You should do your own thing first."

Bai Yuan conjured a butterfly knife with her left hand and pressed it against Ding Shi's neck: "You better not play me for a fool, I know people in the underworld."

Ding Shi calmly pushed Bai Yuan's hand away: "Don't worry, what's yours will be yours."

Bai Yuan poked the hickey on Ding Shi's chest with her finger and said, "You better keep your word. Don't let some vixen bewitch you and you won't even know how you died." After warning Ding Shi, Bai Yuan withdrew her finger, started the car, drove Ding Shi to the office building entrance, and then drove away.

Bai Yuan didn't say much, but it was enough for Ding Shi to deduce.

Based on our interaction just now, I realize that Bai Yuan and I are not really boyfriend and girlfriend, but rather business partners—or rather, we each get what we need.

Lin Yuan is Bai Yuan's true love. Even after marrying Ding's mother, Bai Yuan may still be Lin Yuan's ideal woman.

Bai Yuan went on dates with Lin Yuan and took many photos and videos to blackmail him. Lin Yuan is Ding's mother's husband, and there is a significant age and appearance difference between them. Theoretically, Ding's mother should love Lin Yuan very much. If Bai Yuan has leverage over Lin Yuan, he will have to comply with Bai Yuan's demands.

Bai Yuan's request was her own request. She and Ding's mother were in a lawsuit, and she hoped that Lin Yuan could help her win the case.

The purpose of gathering the evidence might be to get Lin Yuan to persuade Ding's mother to agree to his demands, or to have Lin Yuan collect evidence that is detrimental to Ding's mother. As long as Lin Yuan helps him, Ding's mother will be in a very disadvantageous position.

That should be correct; that's half of Bai Yuan's situation. The other half involves his own promise to Bai Yuan. What did he promise?
Logically speaking, Bai Yuan's target might be the boss or Bai Yan. Based on the known information, the boss invited him to her house to discuss Bai Yuan, possibly with the intention of taking advantage of him. Bai Yan suddenly appeared and fell in love with him at first sight.

Bai Yan's case is an unexpected one.

Since I went to the boss's house and we were talking about Bai Yuan, my target was most likely the boss.

The question now is, what does Bai Yuan want me to do to the boss? It definitely can't be anything sexual; even if it is, it's a means, not an end.

Is it possible that Bai Yuan discovers her boss is interested in her and therefore takes the initiative to seek cooperation with her?
Based on our brief interaction, Bai Yuan seems to have a strong desire for control, and the mutually beneficial cooperation plan was likely proposed by her. This plan may have originated from Bai Yuan's desire for revenge after being dumped by Lin Yuan.

Although there are still many details to be addressed, this should be the general outline.

The whole thing started when Lin Yuan dumped Bai Yuan and married the wealthy Ding's mother. To get revenge, Bai Yuan investigated Ding's mother and discovered that Ding Shi was in a lawsuit against her. Knowing what kind of men her mother liked, Bai Yuan contacted Ding Shi, and the two became a couple.

Bai Yuan, as the girlfriend, recommended Ding Shi to the boss. Ding Shi started working at Happy Company, and during that time, he may have also been tasked with seducing the boss.

When the boss discovered that Bai Yuan and Lin Yuan had booked a hotel room, he felt particularly sorry for Ding Shi. So he invited Ding Shi to meet him at his home. At this moment, Bai Yan suddenly appeared, disrupting the boss's or Ding Shi's plans.

The boss despised Ding Shi and Bai Yan's relationship and deliberately told Ding Shi that Bai Yuan had betrayed him by going to a hotel with her true love, Lin Yuan. Seeing Ding Shi's good reaction, the boss was furious at his lack of self-respect and bluntly demanded that Ding Shi make Bai Yuan happy.

After clarifying the main background, the main problems still remain, the biggest of which is that Ding Shi is being blackmailed. Ding Shi suspects that the blackmailer is his mother, but Ding Shi clearly did not commit murder, so why can the other party threaten him with a corpse?

In addition, there are doubts about the missing parts of the story.

As for Ding Shi's idea that he needed money, it originated from Ding Shi's guess. However, after learning that he was in a lawsuit with his mother, Ding Shi dismissed this guess.

Ding Shi met with his mother at a coffee shop. Ding Shi was beaten by the bodyguard. It was not that Ding Shi asked his mother for money, but that the plaintiff was beaten by the defendant.

However, this raises another question: why would the boss secretly take photos of himself meeting with Ding's mother?

Could it be that the boss is her true love?
What exactly is Bai Yuan's goal? Why does she need to get close to the boss to achieve it? It seems that Bai Yuan can only achieve her goal by being at the boss's house.

There are corpses. Whose corpses? Someone I know is a murderer. Who is this person? Why did they kill? Will they kill me?
New rule for the 80th floor: There are no faceless people on this floor. If you see a faceless person, please do not show surprise or scream, because facelessness is a disease that can be transmitted through fear.

When Ding arrived at the logistics office, he found that all the players' desks, except for his own, had been emptied.

Just as he sat down, the head of the household said, "Ding Shi, the boss wants to see you."

Ding Shi replied, went to the boss's office, and looked towards the administrative secretariat. Yesterday, a player named Mimi was sitting here, and today, a faceless woman is sitting here.

Ding Shi leaned closer, resting his body against the counter, and asked, "Is the boss here?" This rule had absolutely no effect on him. Don't even mention how shameless you are; I could accept anything, even if you were utterly shameless.

The faceless woman said, "Yes." She didn't move her mouth, but she made a sound.

Ding Shi reached out and pinched the spot where the faceless woman should have a nose. "Oops, she does have a nose! I just didn't see it." Is this visual pollution?

"Ding Shi, you shameless bastard!" Faceless Woman jumped up in anger.

Ding Shi heard the voice and asked, "Are you Mimi?"

No-Face: "Of course."

Ding Shi asked, "Do I look like I have a face?"

The faceless woman got really angry, pouted, and spat out saliva like a machine gun. Ding Shi fled in panic and ran into the boss's office.

The boss and his personal assistant were both there, separated by a screen.

When the boss saw Ding Shi, he gestured for Ding Shi to sit down in the chair to the right of the desk and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

Ding Shi: "I won't drink."

The boss took a package from under the table, unzipped it, and inside were bundles of Ita coins. He asked, "Did you get your business done?"

Ding Shi asked, "About my breakup with Bai Yan?"

The boss nodded.

Ding Shi asked, "Why don't you care about my relationship with Bai Yuan?"

The boss said, "You have so many questions. If you do a good job, take your money and leave. I'll promote you to supervisor. If you don't do a good job, then submit your resignation to me as soon as possible."

Ding Shi said, "I have no interest in money."

The boss asked, "What are you interested in?"

Ding Shi said, "I'm currently in a lawsuit with my mother."

The boss said, "I know."

Ding Shi asked, "Boss, can you help me?"

The boss said, "From a legal perspective, your lawsuit to divide your father's estate is perfectly sound. You can get more than 40% of your mother's total assets. Your mother is using the excuse of sorting out the estate and investigating the details of the assets to delay the case, so it's unlikely to be resolved in a short time. If you really want to end the lawsuit quickly, you'll need to give up some of your interests."

The boss asked, "Does your mother have any leverage over you?"

Ding Shi replied, "No."

The boss said, "My advice to you is to find something on your mother. That's all I have to say. The money is right here. Come to me for the money after you've done the job."

Ding Shi stood up: "Thank you, boss."

The boss waved for Ding Shi to leave.

Meeting the boss is also a job.

Back at my workstation, the Cloning Administration sent me an email with the following question: You are currently in a lawsuit with your biological father's widow. Is your biological father's widow your biological mother?
(End of this chapter)