Chapter 54: Fishing with a Straight Hook

“Yes, that’s right. So, Kong Ge, when you continue your investigation and eventually find the person who hacked into Wang Yuluo’s phone to delete files, make sure to check if there’s any connection between that person and the influencer called Yang Xiaoyang,” Ning Shuyi said to Kong Ge.

Kong Ge chuckled. “Alright, I know what to do. I’ve been busy fishing lately!”

“Fishing for what?” Ning Shuyi didn’t catch his meaning.

“That guy is cunning. After scrubbing Wang’s phone clean at first, he hasn’t shown up again these past couple of days. So, I figured, if he doesn’t want to come to us, I’ll lure him out. I posted something online to try and bait him. Now that you’ve given me this Yang Xiaoyang, the timing is perfect! With this ‘bait,’ I don’t believe he’ll resist taking the hook.”

“What are the chances you’ll actually ‘catch’ him?” Ning Shuyi knew there were no guarantees in such matters, but she couldn’t help asking. The person who hacked into Wang Yuluo’s phone and deleted her stored information was the key to identifying their main suspect; if he didn’t bite, it would be a significant setback.

“Don’t worry. Judging by how cautious he’s been about Yang Xiaoyang, even if my bait is obvious, I bet this ‘volunteer’ will still take the risk! Besides, you can’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Kong Ge waved his hand with a relaxed smile, always unhurried and confident, as if he had everything under control. “I can’t rely solely on the fish biting, or expect him to spill all his secrets just like that. I’m also working on recovering the deleted data from the phone. It’s difficult—the guy’s no amateur, and he erased things thoroughly. But it’s still worth a try.”

“So, if your bait draws him out, will you be able to uncover his identity in the process?” Huo Yan, who was clearly less familiar with this kind of technical work, couldn’t help but ask.

Kong Ge had a way of communicating with everyone effortlessly. Even Ji Yuan, whose intense “keep out” aura kept most of the team at arm’s length, wouldn’t faze him; he’d still approach her with lighthearted banter. Huo Yan, with his gentler disposition, was even easier for Kong Ge to befriend.

“Absolutely! There’s a saying you must know: ‘He who plays with fire will get burned,’ and another: ‘Bringing disaster upon oneself.’ If this person dares to hack into Wang Yuluo’s phone again, I’ll seize the opportunity to turn the tables and break into his own phone or computer. Once I’m inside his lair, do I really need him to confess his identity?”

Huo Yan nodded without further questions. He wasn’t especially interested in the technical details of how Kong Ge would pull this off; he simply wanted some assurance. Since Kong Ge sounded so certain, he saw no reason to doubt him.

“Have you managed to recover anything from the phone yet?” Ning Shuyi asked.

Kong Ge nodded. “A few things, but not much—just some photos. The guy must’ve rushed when deleting them, got a bit sloppy at the end, so there were traces left behind that were easier to restore. The rest of the data was wiped much more carefully. I suspect deleting the photos wasn’t his main goal; that was probably just an afterthought. Anyway, I’ve sent the photos to your email, take a look and see if there’s anything useful.”

Checking the time, he added, “Wow, it’s already this late! I bet neither of you has had lunch yet. Let’s go—food first, and then back to work!”

Yan Xue stood up naturally, already used to her partner’s unwavering commitment to eating on time no matter what. Ning Shuyi, too, believed that taking a break could only help, so she grabbed her jacket to join them.

Huo Yan didn’t budge, shaking his head at them. “You go ahead. I’m not hungry.”

Yan Xue glanced at Ning Shuyi, who remained calm and unbothered. She said to Huo Yan, “Alright, I’ll go eat then,” and pulled Yan Xue along without any further pleasantries.

Kong Ge, seeing this, just smiled at Huo Yan and quickly caught up to the two women so the three of them could go get lunch together.

“Is it hard to get along with Huo Yan?” Once outside, Yan Xue asked Ning Shuyi quietly. “He seems a bit distant, doesn’t he? Like he keeps everyone at arm’s length—kind of aloof, maybe even a little odd?”

“It’s really not so bad. We should respect people’s personalities; as long as they don’t bother anyone, we can’t force our own standards on them.”

“Exactly!” Kong Ge chimed in with mock seriousness. “You don’t have to be best friends to get along. Peaceful coexistence is a good outcome in itself. As long as someone has good character and a professional attitude, who cares if they’re a little slow to warm up? Sincerity and mutual respect are what matter most.”

The three of them had a simple lunch. When Ning Shuyi returned to the office, Huo Yan was gone—perhaps off to eat alone—so she sat down, opened her email, and checked the recovered photos Kong Ge had sent earlier.

They were in luck: the photos Kong Ge managed to restore were indeed from the same set as the only surviving one on the phone. Wang Yuluo was wearing that blue dress in all of them.

And in the background not far behind Wang Yuluo stood the famous Yang Xiaoyang from their club.

In one of the photos, Wang Yuluo was radiant, her smile blooming, clearly in high spirits. Yang Xiaoyang, in the background, happened to be looking at her—but her own face showed no trace of a smile, only barely concealed disgust and hostility in her eyes.

Ning Shuyi raised her eyebrows, finding this turn of events interesting. She forwarded the photos to Huo Yan so he, too, could take a look, then began searching online for information about the blogger known as “Yang Xiaoyang.”

The club’s Dou Ge hadn’t misled them—Yang Xiaoyang was indeed a minor celebrity. Ning Shuyi quickly found her profile on a popular video platform. She had over three hundred thousand followers, and even a cursory glance at her view counts and comments showed that her popularity was genuine.