Chapter 27: Shi Shugao

After carefully browsing through several highly active discussion threads, Yan Xue noticed an account with the ID "UserXXXXXXXXXX." Although the account ID was just a randomly generated series of numbers, and the user hadn’t even bothered to change the default name, the account was remarkably active and showed a particular enthusiasm for debating Xin Rui’s artistic philosophy.

What was more intriguing was that this account was especially eager to respond to and interact with discussion group members who used female photos or cartoon avatars. In contrast, when it came to members with usernames or avatars that appeared male, the enthusiasm noticeably waned. While not entirely ignoring them, the responses became rather perfunctory.

Yan Xue found it surprising that such a performance artist—without any particularly impressive credentials or award-winning works, relying mostly on self-promotion—could have any so-called supporters at all. This fervent fan, who was so active and eloquent when discussing Xin Rui, naturally aroused her suspicion about the true identity behind the account.

Moreover, many of the messages from this user included invitations for private chats, especially towards female netizens with avatars of young girls and a youthful style of speaking. No matter how much these users ignored or clearly rejected the advances, the account holder persisted with relentless patience and persuasive efforts, giving the impression of ulterior motives.

Yan Xue decided to investigate this account further to see if it might be a secondary account belonging to Xin Rui himself.

However, she wasn’t sure how to go about probing such an account and sought advice from Kang Ge.

Kang Ge, evidently much more adept in these matters, took the task over from Yan Xue. Just then, a call came through from Cao Bokai, and Yan Xue hurriedly answered.

To her surprise, Cao Bokai proved quite efficient. In just one morning, he managed to uncover the current contact details for Shi Shugao and even gathered updates on his recent situation, relaying everything to Yan Xue over the phone. Yan Xue quickly grabbed a pen and notebook to jot down the valuable information he provided.

“That’s basically all I could find out. Not sure if it’ll be of any use,” Cao Bokai said, wrapping up the explanation.

“This information is a huge help. Thank you so much!” Yan Xue expressed her sincere gratitude. She hadn’t expected this old classmate, whom she hadn’t contacted in ten years, to be so effective in digging up such substantial leads.

Hearing Yan Xue’s thanks, Cao Bokai seemed pleased and seized the opportunity: “Hey, old classmate, saying thanks isn’t enough—you’ve got to show it with actions! How about we go out for a meal sometime?”

Yan Xue’s brow furrowed. While she genuinely appreciated Cao Bokai’s help in tracking down Shi Shugao’s whereabouts and updates, she wasn’t exactly thrilled by his invitation to dine together. After all, she understood perfectly well what his real intentions were.

A decade-long estranged classmate, after reconnecting, had first commented on her appearance and then nostalgically reminisced about how Song Chen was perceived by the boys back in middle school—such behavior was already somewhat impolite.

Now, borrowing the pretext of professional assistance to curry favor and invite her out alone was quite transparently a calculated move.

In the past, Yan Xue might have outright declined. But just as the words were about to leave her mouth, her gaze landed on Kang Ge’s smiling face nearby. A spark of inspiration struck her, and she altered her response accordingly: “No problem at all. You’ve done us a big favor, so a meal is only fair. But things are a bit busy on our end right now. I’ll inform my colleague, and once this busy period is over, we’ll find a suitable time for him to arrange the dinner and treat you to a feast!”

“Ah?” Cao Bokai probably didn’t expect such a reply and quickly tried to explain, “That’s not what I meant...”

“You don’t need to say more—I know you were joking earlier and weren’t asking for anything in return. But that’s to be expected, so don’t be shy! I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you. I’ll definitely tell my colleague about the dinner!” Yan Xue said warmly, effectively cutting off anything else Cao Bokai might have said, then promptly hung up.

After ending the call, Yan Xue tossed her phone onto the table and turned to see Kang Ge watching her with a smile, which made her a little self-conscious. She touched her face and asked, “How did I do just now? Did I pick up a bit of your style?”

“Not bad, not bad! A pupil worth teaching!” Kang Ge grinned and reached out to pat her on the head. “As long as it helps us achieve our goals and solve our problems, it doesn’t have to be with a head-on, straightforward approach. If there’s a shortcut, take it. If there’s a method more advantageous to us, of course we use it—after all, the outcome is what matters most.”

Yan Xue nodded. Although she fully understood Cao Bokai’s intentions, a direct refusal would have seemed rather impolite and put her in the wrong.

At the same time, she suddenly realized something—she wasn’t opposed to change itself. What she truly resisted was others forcing her to compromise in ways that made her feel wronged, then labeling that compromise and endurance as “change.”

That explained why she had no resistance at all to Kang Ge’s suggestions—because his adjustments were only in approach, while the ultimate interests and stance remained unchanged. Instead of confrontation, it was a gentler tactic.

“Cao Bokai said he asked people in the company who were once close to Shi Shugao. This is Shi Shugao’s current phone number,” Yan Xue pushed her notebook toward Kang Ge. “He’s still living in W City and hasn’t moved elsewhere.

“Apparently, because of the big scandal, Shi Shugao resigned rather abruptly and hasn’t found a suitable new job yet. His former company had a relatively high standing in the industry, and he was a mid-level leader—caught between ambition and reality. After leaving, it took him several months just to find a passable position.

“But recently, he might be facing unemployment again. He’s currently going through a divorce with his wife and is said to be seriously lacking the energy to balance personal life and work.”