Chapter 453
Chapter 453 - On a Dog's Body
Upon hearing Su Ming's words, Xiao Chen was baffled. He couldn't help but wonder, “Shouldn't we be making a run for it? Why are we heading to the second floor? Could Wai Chengguo actually be deaf? No way. I've met him before; the man is in excellent shape and enjoys his food. Could it be that there's no one in the house? That seems unlikely. From the first floor, I can hear snoring on the third floor. What on earth is happening here? Can anyone explain this to me?”
Frozen in place, Xiao Chen's mind raced with endless thoughts.
Watching Su Ming ascend to the second floor with ease, Xiao Chen shook his head to clear it and followed suit. Despite not understanding what was happening or why Wai Chengguo hadn't heard them, Xiao Chen trusted that following his brother-in-law's lead was the right move.
The second floor was more cluttered than the first, filled with shelves stacked with half-finished products. Next to the shelves was a room, likely a workshop for making forgeries. “He's actually got a counterfeiting studio in his own house,” Su Ming mused internally.
“Master, Yuvyuv has located the account book,” came Yuvyuv's voice in Su Ming's mind.
“Where?” Su Ming inquired eagerly.
“The account book is with a dog in the master bedroom on the third floor.”
”What?” Su Ming was taken aback.
“With a dog? Good heavens! How did the old man manage that? It's no wonder the police couldn't find the account book; nobody would think to search a dog. All Wai Chengguo had to do was casually walk the dog out during a police search, and he could easily conceal the account book without raising any suspicion. This old fellow is quite crafty. But how did he hide it on the dog?”
Filled with curiosity, Su Ming made his way to the third floor.
He discovered that the third floor was immaculately tidy, resembling a villa, complete with a furnished living room. It appeared that Wai Chengguo lived on the third floor and only went downstairs for work. The master bedroom door was ajar, and Su Ming could see Wai Chengguo sleeping soundly. Beside him, a stunning woman was also asleep.
Reflecting on Wai Chengguo's depravity, Su Ming glanced beside him and spotted a large dog.
If he wasn't mistaken, it was a Rough Collie. At first glance, it bore a resemblance to a Border Collie, yet it was significantly larger and covered in long, flowing fur.
The Rough Collie's chest fur could easily rival that of a male lion.
Upon scanning, Su Ming discovered an account book nestled beneath the Rough Collie's fur.
The account book was quite slim, barely over twenty pages.
Upon closer inspection, he uncovered some clues.
The old man had shaved the hair off the dog's neck and fashioned a faux fur piece for the Rough Collie.
This faux fur, akin to a human wig, was affixed to the dog's neck, with the account book concealed within its layers.
The old man's heart was cold; he had likely shaved the dog's neck bare, preventing the hair from regrowing. The attached fur was stubbornly in place, making it difficult to remove. When necessary, he would simply unzip the small, hidden zipper on the dog's neck and tuck the account book inside the fur. Normally, the thick fur around the dog's neck hid everything from view. Wai Chengguo was indeed formidable, a master of deception.
Su Ming remained unfazed.
Xiao Chen, on the other hand, was a bundle of nerves. The empty first floor hadn't bothered him, but the sight of two men and a dog filled him with dread.
He stood there shivering, too scared to leave or even turn around, his pleading eyes turning to Su Ming for support.
“Brother-in-law, shouldn't we get out of here? This place is freaking me out. I can't handle it,” he implored with a look that spoke volumes.
In the midst of Xiao Chen's panic, Su Ming coolly pulled out two e-cigarettes from his pocket.
Xiao Chen was taken aback, not expecting his brother-in-law to even think about smoking at such a moment.
“I'm scared stiff here. Be careful, okay? Let's make a move before it's too late,” he thought anxiously.
Su Ming walked straight into the room, and Xiao Chen was absolutely terrified.
He thought to himself, “Why not just smoke outside? Are you really going to smoke in there? Are you planning to wake up Wai Chengguo, offer him a cigarette, and then ask where the account book is? Doing that would surely make Wai Chengguo call the cops.”
As Xiao Chen watched in disbelief, Su Ming pressed two buttons on his electronic cigarette and then kicked the soles of the two people on the bed.
Following the buzz of electricity, the pair on the bed convulsed and then slipped into an even deeper slumber.
Clearly, they had passed out.
At that moment, the Rough Collie's eyes snapped open. Though deaf to the noise, its keen sense of smell was on high alert.
Upon spotting Su Ming, the dog bared its teeth, ready to growl.
But then, the air was filled once more with that familiar electric sound. The dog's eyes rolled back as it too succumbed to unconsciousness.
Su Ming reached out and retrieved the account book.
Xiao Chen was dumbfounded, thinking, “Brother-in-law, how did you pull that off? What just happened? What was that electric sound? Is that e-cigarette actually a stun gun? Brother-in-law, you're incredible! So you have high-tech gadgets up your sleeve. Rest assured, brother-in-law, whatever you do from now on, I'm your most devoted supporter. You're just too cool.”
Su Ming examined the account book only to find it was filled with a series of codes.
What in the world was this?
Xiao Chen quickly joined him and said, “Brother-in-law, this account book must be encrypted. I've seen this kind of thing in movies. There's probably a code book hidden somewhere.”
Su Ming nodded in agreement with Xiao Chen's deduction.
They had the account book, but without the code book, they couldn't crack it.
The location of the code book was likely known only to Wai Chengguo.
After a moment's thought, Su Ming headed to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed two chilled beers. He then found a basin and poured the frosty beverages into it.
Xiao Chen watched on, clueless about Su Ming's intentions.
As Xiao Chen puzzled over it, Su Ming strode into the bedroom with a basin and doused Wai Chengguo's face with beer.
Xiao Chen was utterly petrified.
With Xiao Chen looking on in horror, Su Ming produced a small bottle from his chest and administered two drops into Wai Chengguo's mouth.
Gradually, Wai Chengguo's eyes fluttered open.
Having been stunned into unconsciousness earlier, Wai Chengguo was now abruptly roused, his mind foggy and his vision unclear.
He was completely disoriented, caught in a daze.
Su Ming inquired coolly, “Where's the account book?”
Wai Chengguo replied forthrightly, “It's in the safe.”
The substance Su Ming had just dispensed was the Truth Serum, compelling Wai Chengguo to speak honestly.