It would be okay if they really had the courage. The real concern is that these people might act in bad faith, promising to meet his demands on the surface while secretly seeking help from unfamiliar strangers.
Tang Tang didn't seem easy to deceive.
He also didn't want to just appease Tang Tang casually, which was a significant difference from before.
As if just realizing the gravity of the situation, Zuo Mu belatedly found himself involved in matters that had nothing to do with him.
"Be obedient. There are some operations here that we can't disclose, but they are definitely legal," Zuo Mu remained calm even in this crisis, showing no sign of panic. "We have our own channels. I will naturally tell you all about it after this case is over."
He said "you", and Huang Xiaoli noticed that all the affection in this well - dressed man's eyes was for Tang Tang.
But his attention was all on the information exchange. A blatant hidden clue was exposed. They might as well have written something else on their faces to salvage the situation.
"Brother Zuo Mu is absolutely right, Tang Tang. The case is now at a critical stage. I think our top priority right now is not to know exactly how Brother Zuo Mu judges the case."
After Huang Xiaoli's earnest persuasion, Tang Tang finally gave up her desire to find out.
She gave Zuo Mu a casual glance, looking as if she understood everything. "If that's the case, then of course the case is the most important."
Obviously, she had compromised.
Tang Tang was soft - hearted after all, considering how carefully Zuo Mu was handling things.
She was confident that Zuo Mu would tell her everything when the time was right.
She didn't know where this confidence came from.
Although the three of them had a minor disagreement, their overall goal remained the same, which was to see if they could find any problems from this text message.
That night, Huang Xiaoli's parents were both on night shifts, so Tang Tang stayed to accompany her.
With Tang Tang here, Zuo Mu couldn't just leave the two girls alone.
So he had to make do in the guest room for the night.
Early the next morning, he woke up early. Out of habit, he wanted to go to the kitchen to make breakfast, only to find that Tang Tang had already occupied it.
Tang Tang was nervously bustling around in the kitchen. When she noticed that Zuo Mu was awake, she poked her head out of the kitchen and announced, "It'll be ready soon, brother."
Huang Xiaoli had been sleeping sprawled out. Finally, she woke up.
When she shuffled into the kitchen, hoping to find some instant food to fill her stomach, she unexpectedly became the last one.
Tang Tang and Zuo Mu were sitting upright at the dining table, waiting for her.
Huang Xiaoli blushed a little. When she sat down at the table, she found that there was quite a variety of food.
There were toast, fried eggs, porridge, and steamed buns.
"Wow," Huang Xiaoli quickly sat down and couldn't wait to take a bite of a steamed bun. Only then did she feel alive again. "Who made this? It's amazing."
Tang Tang couldn't believe her ears and replied, "It's obviously me. Brother doesn't have the time to do this."
Zuo Mu shifted uncomfortably. He had indeed discussed with the technician for a long time last night and had woken up much later than usual this morning.
"Eat quickly, eat quickly." Huang Xiaoli admitted defeat and ate heartily. With delicious food in front of her, who cared about talking.
Then she thought that there were so many people in the world, but she only cared about a few. Why should he hurt the people around him for a bunch of strangers he didn't know?
So, the sumptuous breakfast ended with the three of them joking around.
After breakfast, Zuo Mu fulfilled his duty as a guardian to the fullest. He was worried about the two girls taking public transportation, so he didn't mind the trouble and personally drove them to school.
Although Zuo Mu usually took care of her, this was the first time he had let someone other than her into his car.
Tang Tang felt warm inside.
The next day, Huang Xiaoli's parents finally managed to take time off from work. When they heard that their precious daughter had been well - taken care of, they were very grateful to Tang Tang and Zuo Mu.
"You're welcome," Zuo Mu said politely. "These days have been quite dangerous. You'd better spend more time with Huang Xiaoli. Children really need the company of their parents, especially after going through so much fright this time."
He briefly told them what had happened a few days ago.
He was afraid that while the children took it seriously, the parents didn't. By the time something really happened, it would be too late.
After hearing this, Huang Xiaoli's parents also realized the seriousness of the situation and were even more grateful for Zuo Mu's help.
Zuo Mu's goal was achieved once he had raised the vigilance of both the children and their parents.
So he had more time to be with Tang Tang.
Tang Tang knew the situation was urgent and had been extremely cooperative with Zuo Mu these days. She didn't cause any trouble at all. Being able to distinguish between what was important and what was not made Zuo Mu very relieved.
He didn't know why, but whenever he was around this girl, who had so many tricks up her sleeve, he was completely helpless.
Days passed in this increasingly tense atmosphere.
The murder case in the urban area had made people panic - stricken in recent days, and the city's criminal investigation bureau was under great pressure.
After staying up late for several nights, the technician finally found a loophole.
Zuo Mu happened to be working at home, tinkering with something on his computer, when the phone rang.
The person on the other end was extremely excited.
"Brother, the information you gave me was so useful. I've worked so hard these days and finally figured it out..."
"Just tell me the result."
"Why are you still the same as before? Can't I just complain a bit? Do you know what I've been through these days? I don't even remember when I last ate."
Zuo Mu was helpless and used his trump card. "Think about the deadline set by the higher - ups."
The other person fell silent.
The deadline for solving the case set by the city was getting closer.
"Okay, okay," the person on the phone surrendered. "I searched the entire telecommunications company from top to bottom based on that text message you gave me."
"Hey, guess what I found?"
"What?"
"You're so boring." Finding it no fun to tease Zuo Mu, the person on the phone gave up and directly stated the conclusion. "Anyway, thanks to my intelligence, I found the last location where this message was sent."
"What?" This news piqued Zuo Mu's interest greatly. He leaned forward, wishing he could go to the front line right away.
But he could only think about it.
"Yes," the voice on the phone said proudly. "I've already given the address to the boss. They should start the investigation."
After so long with no progress, there was finally some headway. Zuo Mu felt his heart pounding. He had a feeling that this case was about to be solved.
He had this premonition.
"Anyway, just wait and see. This murderer is so cunning. He must have more tricks up his sleeve." The voice on the other end of the phone kept going on. Zuo Mu had heard what he wanted to know and simply hung up the phone.