CH 34

Zhou Qingbo had a history of using unorthodox methods and infiltrating gossip networks, so Pei You certainly wouldn’t think he had just gone out for a walk and to have fun.

Unexpectedly, when Zhou Qingbo turned his head to look at him, he seemed confused. Then, he lowered his head and patted the mud stains on his pants, naturally saying, “Just now? I went to see them drilling a well.”

Pei You: “……”

Zhou Qingbo had teased Pei You countless times, mixing truth and lies, and Pei You fell for it every time. Upon hearing Zhou Qingbo’s words this time, Pei You’s expression turned blank for a moment. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything.

Zhou Qingbo enjoyed seeing Pei You’s bewildered and clueless expressions every time. Upon seeing Pei You’s reaction, Zhou Qingbo couldn’t help but burst into laughter, waving his hand at him.

“Just kidding,” Zhou Qingbo said after laughing, straightening up and trying to suppress his amusement. “Actually, I went there to see the construction team digging the foundation.”

Pei You: “……”

Again and again, Pei You finally caught on, sighing and silently staring at Zhou Qingbo as if he knew he couldn’t win in the face of Zhou Qingbo’s constant teasing and was trying to scold him with his eyes.

“Don’t be angry,” Zhou Qingbo moved closer to Pei You and said with a smile, “I’m serious this time—I checked, Dongjiang has its own construction team and contractors, and they have construction supervisors employed long-term. Most likely, these people move between different construction sites, so they should have more information.”

Pei You’s eyes flickered, understanding Zhou Qingbo’s intention.

Dongjiang undertakes various projects, ranging from building factories to renovating rural homes, so they have diverse projects.

Different construction projects require different specialized workers, but no matter if it’s building bridges or houses, excavations are always necessary.

If Dongjiang’s construction team is stable and well-organized, the group operating the excavators would be the most knowledgeable about the construction projects.

Not far away, two bright red excavators were diligently working, and the outline of a drainage ditch was beginning to take shape as a dark seam on the ground.

Pei You shifted his gaze away from the machines and suddenly looked at Zhou Qingbo with newfound respect, as if those excavators were no longer just Zhou Qingbo’s whimsical toys but evidence of his thoughtful consideration.

Of course, Zhou Qingbo, who genuinely had an inexplicable interest in excavators, had no idea that Pei You had mentally put a thick filter on him. He casually put his hands in his pockets, lazily changed his posture, and continued with the topic, “I’m not good with accounting, but I feel like Liu Xin wouldn’t embezzle funds in a small-scale project—it wouldn’t be enough even to fill the gaps between teeth.”

This was true, Pei You thought. Small projects meant limited operational space, and the profits and costs were much lower than in larger projects, so the money available for embezzlement was very limited. If Liu Xin was as daring as Zhou Qingbo had heard, he wouldn’t resort to the “dripping water” strategy in these small projects.

“Someone who can lay bricks might not be able to build a house, but someone who can build a house can definitely lay bricks,” Zhou Qingbo said, glancing at a nearby construction site and casually continued, “So I came here to try my luck.”

The construction project Pei You selected was not small, and Zhou Qingbo came to interact with these technical workers, playfully making jokes, pretending to be clueless, and spent a lot of time bonding with the down-to-earth construction workers.

As Zhou Qingbo expected, those workers often moved between various construction sites in Dongjiang and were familiar with the business there.

Before, Zhou Qingbo didn’t manage to find out any information about the mysterious project from the group of uncles and aunties, so he tried to gather some clues from those construction workers. Unfortunately, Liu Xin had prepared them well, and the contractors were cautious. Despite chatting with them about various unrelated topics, Zhou Qingbo couldn’t dig out any valuable information.

“As for the other construction workers, they have connections with Liu Xin, so they won’t speak carelessly in front of me,” Zhou Qingbo kicked a pebble into the gutter and shook his head, feeling a bit disappointed. “After all, we’ve only had a short time to build trust.”

Pei You was not disappointed with this answer as it was within his planning scope. He wasn’t worried, as his forte was sifting through accounts and data. While the other evidence could be helpful, he didn’t rely on them too much.

“It’s okay,” Pei You comforted, “it’s only the first day, no need to rush, there will be more opportunities.”

Pei You had prepared to review more than one project, and after a day’s work, he had adjusted his plan for the next steps.

During the journey back, Zhou Cangshan called to inquire about the situation.

During the initial phase of the investigation, he didn’t want to push Pei You too much, but he had no qualms about ordering his younger brother around. So, in the car on the way back, Zhou Qingbo gave his brother a brief report about their work.

After a day of hard work, Zhou Qingbo was lying lazily on the back seat like a salted fish, answering Zhou Cangshan’s questions while doodling on the foggy window.

He spoke calmly and composedly, but his appearance didn’t match these adjectives at all; he looked like a restless child with ADHD. After glancing at him for a while, Pei You couldn’t bear it any longer and reached out to grab Zhou Qingbo’s wrist.

Pei You said, “there’s dust.”

Zhou Qingbo finally noticed that Pei You had a mild obsession with cleanliness. If it wasn’t about folding clothes, it was about throwing away garbage for him. While Zhou Cangshan continued to talk on the phone, Zhou Qingbo multitasked, not paying much attention, and let Pei You pull his hand away from the car window. He then gestured to Pei You.

“Just wait, it’ll be done soon.”

Pei You wasn’t in a hurry, but watching Zhou Qingbo talk on his phone, he suddenly remembered something belatedly.

“By the way…” Pei You waited until Zhou Qingbo hung up the phone before he asked, “Did you tell Ge Xing not to interfere in my matters?”

Zhou Qingbo was taken aback for a moment but quickly realized what was going on. He cursed Ge Xing in his mind for being a loudmouth.

Discussing others’ private matters behind their backs was obviously not right, and despite Zhou Qingbo knowing that Pei You was understanding, he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.

“Yes, I did,” Zhou Qingbo quickly said, “Don’t be angry. I promise I didn’t say anything bad about you—if I said anything, it was all positive.”

Pei You wasn’t really angry to begin with. He just wanted to tell Zhou Qingbo that if such things arose in the future, he should directly discuss with him first. And then, Pei You would handle it directly, so Zhou Qingbai wouldn’t be in an awkward position, and there would be no suspicion of speaking on his behalf.

However, before he could say anything, Zhou Qingbo seemed to assume he held a grudge against him and handed the phone to Pei You without saying anything.

“I’m serious; you can check if you don’t believe me, i never said anything negative,” Zhou Qingbo said with confidence, “I have nothing to hide.”