Wu Yanjun nodded instinctively and said, "That makes sense. What could be the inside story?"
He Kao: "I don't know either, but we can speculate. Let me make up a story for you. For example, before this, the library lost an important artifact, and your master used a fake he made himself to cover it up in order to avoid responsibility.
Or in another case, a powerful figure took an important artifact from the library collection without leaving any proof.
This powerful figure was someone your master did not want to offend and dared not offend, and even wanted to curry favor with, so he proactively used a fake to replace it and smoothed things over.
Assume a little more, that this is how he gained recognition from a certain important figure back then, and that's how he was promoted to director. Doesn't the story's logic become more coherent?
But the Alchemy Sect got wind of this, which is why your master had to comply with their demands. Is this reasonable or not?"
Wu Yanjun tapped on the skewer and said, "Makes sense! How did you come up with this?"
He Kao: "Just brainstorming! When we have meetings at our company, we often do brainstorming sessions."
That wasn't entirely true; brainstorming did take place, but He Kao had always been deep-thinking since childhood and tended to overthink without realizing it.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "These are all my speculations, so don't take them seriously. No one can really be sure about the actual situation."
Wu Yanjun: "I know, of course. I'll investigate it. You mentioned two things. What's the other one?"
He Kao: "Personally, I feel even if you find out about this matter, you probably can't do anything about it. It's likely your master's own matter. As for the other thing, have you investigated your master's case?"
Wu Yanjun: "Of course I did, and I even got a copy of the case files through my senior brother."
He Kao: "How many people did the police arrest?"
Wu Yanjun: "Only my master was arrested." He sighed again, "My master was loyal, evidently taking all the blame on himself."
He Kao: "Did your master tell you that after that incident, a group came to blackmail him, forcing him to continue doing illegal things? Did he ever mention those people's identities?"
Wu Yanjun: "He didn't say a word about it!"
He Kao: "He didn't tell you because he didn't want you to investigate it, knowing you couldn't afford to provoke them, and he was also protecting himself... Your master has a wife and child, right?"
Wu Yanjun: "Yes."
He Kao: "He had to ensure his family's well-being! Besides, in such a big case, he was in custody for less than two years before being released for medical treatment, indicating that those he protected had considerable influence.
But there's another matter: was he genuinely sick, or did he fake being sick to get medical treatment outside? If his health wasn't seriously compromised, it's suspicious how he died so soon after getting out!"
Wu Yanjun: "I also find it suspicious. While inside, my master appeared unwell and indeed claimed to be sick, but based on my observation, it shouldn't have resulted in such a quick death… But the medical records are all real."
He Kao removed the pendant from his chest and said, "These past few days, I'd thought this thing was real."
Wu Yanjun nodded slowly again and said, "My master died, the chain of evidence broke, and everyone else is safe. So even though my master took all the blame, someone might still not be willing to let him go…"
He Kao: "So, why are you looking for the Hidden Moth? If you really want to do something, investigate your master's cause of death!"
Wu Yanjun suddenly stood up and said, "You're right!"
He Kao quickly waved his hand: "Don't rush, this isn't going anywhere soon, and we haven't even finished drinking yet. I must remind you, be extremely cautious with this, don't get yourself involved if you lack the capacity and conditions. Don't act recklessly."
Wu Yanjun sat down and said, "I understand, of course!" While speaking, he raised his glass, "A toast to you, I really have to thank you today!
I've always wanted to know who initially blackmailed my master? But my senior brother won't let me pursue this further, saying it's a debt that can't be settled, and preserving those people was my master's own decision.
Still, I'll carefully consider your suggestion..."
He finished the drink, choking a little, gently rubbed his chest. He had said so much, continuously thinking at high speed, to persuade Wu Yanjun not to look for the Hidden Moth and to extract more hidden information.
He Kao achieved his goal, but in the end, he began to sympathize with Xiaowu; this young man's nature was so straightforward, he had never seen someone so persistent before.
It seemed he'd never suffered or faced any hardships before, and the first setback was a massive one, followed by an unusual encounter in custody, mastering the legendary technique, yet his temperament remained unchanged.
While continuing to grill skewers, Wu Yanjun was evidently somewhat absent-minded. But He Kao was still eager to continue, tentatively asking, "Xiaowu, may I ask you something else?"
Wu Yanjun played with the skewer and said, "Go ahead."
He Kao: "When we first met today, why did you claim to have come from another world and called me an NPC?"
Wu Yanjun looked up and said, "I can't explain the specific situation to you, but I can ask you a question. Don't you find this world strange, a bit unreal?"
He Kao looked around and said, "Oh, what's unreal about it?"
Wu Yanjun waved his hand and said, "I'm not saying there's a flaw, I just can't explain it to you. Forget it, let me give you an example! Haven't you thought, in everything you analyzed just now, there is one thing that seems inexplicable?
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