Chapter 42: Crying and Begging for a Hug (Asking for Recommendation Votes)

Night was gradually falling.

Hua Tianyu, unaware of the commotion at the rental shop behind him, was in high spirits as he made his way back to his newly rented apartment complex—Golden Sea Garden. As he walked, he planned to find some time soon to help Lin Lin and Tian Li move their belongings over from Lin Lin’s old place.

As for himself, he only had a single suitcase to his name—a simple matter to carry.

Suddenly, a man in a mask, whose appearance struck him as somewhat familiar, brushed past him in haste, overtaking him on the sidewalk. Hua Tianyu narrowed his eyes, rifling through his memories until he finally placed the man.

It was him!

Deciding not to alert the man, Hua Tianyu quietly followed, curious to see what he was up to this time. But the further he tailed him, the more surprised he became. Wasn’t this the way to Golden Sea Garden?

Could it be that the man lived there as well? But by ordinary logic, people of his kind would never reside in a high-end complex.

After all, such communities were bristling with surveillance cameras. For ordinary people, these cameras brought a sense of security, but for those moving in the shadows, they were mortal enemies.

A few more minutes of following confirmed Hua Tianyu's suspicion—the man was not a resident of Golden Sea Garden.

Why was Hua Tianyu so certain?

Because the man was circling the perimeter of the compound, sticking close to the outer wall.

Hua Tianyu had already followed him around twice. If his guess was correct, the man was searching for a way to enter the complex without being caught on camera.

Since the man was in no rush, neither was Hua Tianyu; he kept his distance, careful not to be discovered.

After the third circuit, the man finally stopped at a roadside flowerbed.

A large tree leaned tightly against the outer wall of Golden Sea Garden, its thick branches stretching mostly over to the inside of the wall, blocking much of the cameras' view.

The man was secretly delighted, pleased with the spot he had found.

After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he sprang up, landing on the wall.

With a light leap, he dropped down to the other side.

Hua Tianyu waited until the man had moved away before vaulting over the wall himself, silently resuming his pursuit.

"Building Three?" Hua Tianyu’s heart tightened. Though the man zigzagged through the complex to avoid the surveillance, his ultimate destination was clear—Building Three.

Lin Lin’s new rental was in Building Three.

Hua Tianyu’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing through them. He would not let this Si Tu Dao slip away tonight.

Yes, the man he was following was none other than Si Tu Dao.

Si Tu Dao, who had once abducted Wang Hong at Swan International Tower, and later escaped under Cheng Feng’s watch.

Hua Tianyu knew full well that Si Tu Dao’s escape had everything to do with Cheng Feng—perhaps Cheng Feng had even deliberately let him go.

Hua Tianyu had already collected evidence of this, and was simply waiting for the right moment to make it public.

But he had not expected Si Tu Dao to be so bold, to remain in Shangjiang City, and now, by chance, to encounter him again at Golden Sea Garden. There was no way Hua Tianyu would let him go tonight.

Oblivious to the fact that Hua Tianyu was on his trail, Si Tu Dao flipped his hands, and a set of specialized Spider-Man tools appeared.

He took a deep breath, calming his recently troubled mind.

If he succeeded tonight, he would finally complete his task for Swan International Group.

After Cheng Feng had let him go, he had rested two days to recover, then quickly resumed monitoring his target near Swan International Tower.

The thought of the tower brought to mind the man who called himself Bai Suzhen, with his obsessive compulsion—a surge of hatred welled up inside Si Tu Dao.

That failed mission, those stinging slaps, the loosened teeth—all were thanks to that man!

But tonight…

He touched the wrist guard strapped to his left forearm, within which was a mechanism of his own design.

With a light twitch of his arm, thousands of hair-thin silver needles would be fired from the device.

Moreover, the needles would be released in waves, blanketing an area over time.

No matter how his enemy dodged or jumped, unless he could fly, Si Tu Dao was confident he would be riddled with needles.

To be sure, he had coated the needles with poison. It would not take thousands—one prick would mean almost certain death.

If Bai Suzhen showed up this evening, Si Tu Dao was sure he could turn him into a dead snake!

He had given this device a name: The Pathless Silence.

Si Tu Dao chuckled to himself. Bai Suzhen had made him so paranoid, but this was not Swan International Tower—how could they possibly cross paths again?

His target tonight was Shu Yue. After days of surveillance, he was certain that Shu Yue lived in apartment 2001, on the twentieth floor of Building Three at Golden Sea Garden.

Since he couldn’t get into the biolab at Swan International Tower to steal the research data, he decided to change tactics and go after the lab director herself.

With the director in hand, would he lack for information? Surely her home computer would hold something from the lab.

Years of experience told Si Tu Dao that this was the right call.

Having accepted an assignment from the Hall of Shadows, he would never allow himself to fail. Even after his initial setback, he was determined to create his own opportunity and complete the mission.

Now, like a shadow melting into darkness, he waited in the greenery by the building, lying in ambush.

He was patient, waiting for the perfect moment.

Gradually, the area around Building Three emptied of residents; the moon overhead was veiled by a passing cloud.

This was it—he moved.

Si Tu Dao grasped the outer wall with both hands. The Spider-Man tool came into play, and his figure shot upward.

For a lone thief like him, the Spider-Man tool made climbing to the twentieth floor as easy as reaching the second; he could scale the wall with ease.

Height was never an obstacle for him.

The window along the corridor on the twentieth floor was open. Si Tu Dao swung himself inside, deftly stowing his equipment.

He knew Shu Yue was home, so he used a reverse peephole tool to check through the door’s viewer. The living room lights were on, but she was not there.

Perfect timing!

He swiftly produced his lockpicking tools, and in less than half a minute, had the door to 2001 open, slipping inside in a flash.

The sound of running water from the bathroom, the glowing lights—it all made Si Tu Dao pause, then break into a grin of wild delight.

Tonight promised both profit and pleasure!

Shu Yue, just wait for me—I’m coming!

I checked today’s almanac before I left!