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Gao Dawen listened to their reports with a serious expression, then said in a deep voice, "So, you're looking for evidence of Deputy Mayor Wan's crimes now?"

"Yes, Director Gao, can we apply to monitor Deputy Mayor Wan? Because there are too many possible locations right now, and if we can't pinpoint a location, we can't find evidence," Ye Lin suggested.

Gao Dawen looked at Ye Lin with a wry smile, pointed to himself, and said, "Me? A Branch Bureau director, agreeing for you to monitor the City's number three official? Ye Lin, you think too highly of me."

Ye Lin chuckled awkwardly; it seemed the difference in rank was indeed too great.

"You can only investigate on your own. If you find any leads, I'll report them to my superiors. I don't have the authority to give direct approval," Gao Dawen waved his hand.

Yu Haifeng and Ye Lin exchanged a smile. They understood; even leaders weren't omnipotent and needed them to provide ammunition.

However, regardless of whether Gao Dawen agreed or not, Ye Lin intended to proceed... Qiang Teng Group.

Today was a small business event. To liven the atmosphere, a dance troupe was invited to perform.

Meng Qiu had inquired beforehand and was told it was a business inspection team consisting of companies from other regions, with no high-ranking officials attending. So, she readily agreed to perform.

But as soon as she arrived at the performance venue and looked down at the audience, she was stunned. Sitting right in the center was Wan Zhihao, Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor Wan.

Meng Qiu's heart immediately panicked. She turned to flee but bumped into Gao Wen.

"You're about to go on stage. Where are you going?"

"Manager Gao, my stomach hurts," Meng Qiu decisively clutched her stomach and began to feign illness.

"Even if your stomach hurts, bear with it. Deputy Mayor Wan is here today. You can hurt after the performance," Gao Wen said without question, practically dragging Meng Qiu back.

The stage lights dimmed, and Meng Qiu made her entrance with the others.

As the music began, the girls started dancing gracefully on stage, like beautiful butterflies flitting among flowers, dazzling the audience. The guests below gave them enthusiastic applause.

But what they didn't know was that a pair of wolf-like eyes had already begun searching for prey in the audience.

"Leader, how about that lead dancer? She's got some curves," Gu Qiang suggested with a lewd expression.

Wan Zhihao, Deputy Mayor shook his head, a hint of lewdness flashing across his face. He said bitterly, "My luck hasn't been good lately; I need to change it. I usually go for the fatty meat, but today I'll have a rib, to practice my bite."

His gaze shifted to the back row of the dance troupe, to a slender figure...

After leaving Gao Dawen, Ye Lin stood in front of the City map for a long time, thinking. The three clubhouses were already marked with red circles. Which one could it be?

He had never been to any of the three clubhouses—Yuezhou No. 1 Clubhouse, Xiangcheng Clubhouse, and Zhuyuan Mountain Villa—and had no idea what was inside. If he were Wan Zhihao, Deputy Mayor, which one would he choose?

He actually felt that if he were Wan Zhihao, Deputy Mayor, he wouldn't choose any of them, because these three clubhouses were semi-public. For the City's number three official, going there publicly would be too conspicuous.

Even if he went secretly, it would be hard to avoid being discovered and easily targeted. So, if Ye Lin had to choose, he would prefer a place no one knew about.

However, the clue Zheng Xiao provided should not be false: the sounds of insects and birds. In a City of steel and concrete, where would such a place exist?

As he was thinking, his phone suddenly rang. Ye Lin looked down and saw "Meng Qiu" on the screen.

Ye Lin answered the phone in confusion, wondering if the girl had remembered something else.

But what he heard was a busy signal, leaving Ye Lin utterly bewildered.

Damn it, what's going on? Is she playing with me?

He habitually called back, but as soon as it connected, it was hung up.

Ye Lin shook his head. Women, sigh, they're all the same: when they call you, they demand you answer quickly, but when you call them, they always have countless reasons to reject the call.

Never mind her. Ye Lin looked at the map again. There were too many places within a half-hour drive.

What he didn't know was that Meng Qiu, on the other side, was already scared out of her wits by his recent callback.

To give Wan Zhihao, Deputy Mayor more time to choose, the dance troupe was scheduled to perform three dances tonight, leaving the girls breathless.

After the performance, Meng Qiu, panting heavily backstage, cursed inwardly, thinking how hard it was to earn this money.

After a short rest, she began to remove her makeup with everyone else. Finishing the performance made everyone happy, and the dressing room was filled with cheerful chatter.

Meng Qiu took out her phone while removing her makeup. She wanted to call Ye Lin. Since Wan Zhihao, Deputy Mayor was here tonight, it was likely that another girl would be harmed. Although it wouldn't be her, she still wanted to help others as much as possible.

Just as she dialed, the dressing room door was pushed open. Gu Qiang, dressed in a suit, walked in with a wide smile. "Girls, your performance tonight was excellent."

"To reward everyone, the Group has decided to give some special rewards to a few of the girls who performed well."

Meng Qiu felt her mind explode with a buzzing sound; her guess had indeed come true.

Most of the dozens of girls excitedly looked at Gu Qiang, eager to see who would receive the special rewards. They had long heard that President Gu was very generous.

Only a few older members, like Meng Qiu, began to shrink back. They knew the price of generosity.

Gu Qiang was very happy to see the girls' active and eager expressions. They were truly a flock of innocent lambs.

His gaze shifted to the back, stopping abruptly on Meng Qiu. Frightened, Meng Qiu quickly pressed her phone, hanging up the call that had just connected.

"You're Meng Qiu, right? You danced well tonight. Come on, the Group has a big gift package for you," Gu Qiang said to Meng Qiu with a smile.

Meng Qiu was dumbfounded. Why me?

Did I gain weight recently?

The other young girls looked at Meng Qiu with envious eyes.

Seeing Meng Qiu, who was speechless and dumbfounded, Gu Qiang was about to say something else when Meng Qiu's phone suddenly rang. It was Ye Lin calling back.

At the sound of the ringtone, Meng Qiu frantically hung up. Gu Qiang was standing right in front of her; how could she dare to answer?

"You have a call. Why don't you answer it first?" Gu Qiang acted very gentlemanly.

"No... no need," Meng Qiu was completely bewildered and didn't know how to react. She had always thought she was clever enough, but at this moment, she realized she was also a fool when faced with a situation.

"Then pack up and let's go. Don't keep me waiting too long; I have many other clients to entertain outside," Gu Qiang's tone carried a hint of displeasure.

"Hurry up, Meng Qiu! You haven't received a big gift package in all these years, and now you finally get your wish! Quickly!" Gao Wen urged from behind.

She genuinely thought this was a good thing.

Meng Qiu looked at her as if she were an idiot. At that moment, she suddenly remembered a saying: Sometimes, being foolish is also a kind of blessing.