Chapter 456 - Wai Chengguo''s Troubles


    The next day at noon, Wai Chengguo groggily opened his eyes.


    He sat up, staring vacantly ahead, his mind aplete nk.


    It took a while before he slowly blinked.


    Why was his body aching so much?


    It seemed he had a dreamst night.


    In the dream, someone had doused him in cold beer.


    Then, it appeared that person had asked him a question, but he couldn''t remember if he had responded.


    Afterward, it felt like something had struck his foot, and then he passed out.


    Wai Chengguo found this odd.


    Dreams usually seemed tost a long time.


    But he could only recall this dream being brief.


    He let out a sigh.


    Suddenly, he noticed his hair was sticky.


    And his feet ached.


    Wai Chengguo shifted with difficulty and touched his face.


    “What''s this? Why is my hair sticky?” he wondered.


    By now, Wai Chengguo was bing more alert.


    He turned his head and noticed a multitude of stains on his bed.


    What had happened?


    Had he not been dreamingst night?


    Wai Chengguo quickly lifted his right foot.


    As he suspected, there was a round mark on the sole.


    It was slightly discolored, and there was a bit of pain and itchiness.


    “Damn it,” Wai Chengguo thought. “Could a thief have entered my housest night? Was I not actually dreaming? Impossible. I have an rm system, and I own a dog. There''s no way a thief could go undetected. Plus, I''m a light sleeper; the slightest noise would wake me.”


    Wai Chengguo got up and headed to the living room.


    He scanned the area and saw nothing amiss.


    ncing out the window, he saw the bright sun and realized something was off.


    He checked the wall clock and saw it was already 11:30.


    Older folks typically rise early.


    Wai Chengguo normally went to bed at 11 PM and woke up at 6 AM.


    Yet today, he had overslept.


    That exined why the house seemed unusually bright upon waking.


    Wai Chengguo waspletely bewildered.


    He gazed around with a vacant expression.


    The study''s door was ajar.


    A sense of foreboding washed over Wai Chengguo as he swallowed hard.


    He made his way to the study for a thorough inspection.


    “Damn it! A thief did break into my housest night! The safe has been tampered with!” he eximed.


    Wai Chengguo quickly approached for a closer examination.


    His cash and gold were untouched, and his valuable watches and jewelry were all ounted for.


    Had the thief left empty-handed?


    But Wai Chengguo quickly sensed that something was amiss.


    He had the nagging feeling that he was missing something.


    Wai Chengguo furrowed his brow, wracking his brain.


    Under normal circumstances, he would have immediately realized what was missing.


    Butst night, Wai Chengguo had been incapacitated twice by electric shocks.


    With his advancing age, his memory wasn''t what it used to be. The electric shocks had only dulled his reflexes further.


    After much thought, Wai Chengguo faintly recalled a square, somewhat thick item of some importance to him.


    ”My ashtray? No, that can''t be it. A brick of mine? Impossible,” he pondered.


    While Wai Chengguo was deep in thought, his dog approached.


    The dog wasrge, with a thick coat and a robust build, and it had already awakened.


    Seeing Wai Chengguo, it came over to him.


    Wai Chengguo affectionately patted the dog''s head.


    Then it hit him: his ount book was missing, and what was absent from the safe was a collection of Mathematics from the College Entrance Examination!


    Who in the world could have done this?!


    He frantically searched the dog for the ount book.


    Indeed, his ount book was nowhere to be found!


    What in the world was happening?


    He was the only one who knew the ount book was stashed on the dog, and he hadn''t shared this with anyone.


    Despite his prolonged contemtion, Wai Chengguo came up empty-handed.


    In frustration, he kicked the safe''s door.


    “Damn it! This worthless safe! It''s an import, supposedly impervious to bombs.” Wai Chengguo ranted. Then, suddenly, something caught his eye.


    He looked down and noticed the hole in the safe.


    It appeared to be the kind of hole that only an electric drill could make.


    Wai Chengguo swore under his breath, “Damn it!”


    Someone had managed to drill open the safe in the study, mere meters from his bedroom, and he hadn''t had a clue.


    Wai Chengguo dashed downstairs to review the surveince footage, eager to discover how the intruders had entered.


    His ount book was crucial.


    If it ended up in the hands of the police, he would be doomed.


    The surveince room was on the ground floor.


    As Wai Chengguo reached the second floor and saw the debris scattered everywhere, he was on the verge of losing his mind with fury.


    Had the thievese to rob his house or dismantle itst night?


    Their audacity was astounding.


    Quickly making his way to the ground floor, Wai Chengguo couldn''t help but swear again.


    Fuming, he thought, “These thieves have gone too far! They''ve actually cut a huge hole in the window. What is happening?”


    Wai Chengguo pinched his thigh, unable to shake the feeling that he was trapped in a bizarre dream.


    Thieves had invaded his home the previous night. They had shattered his windows, toppled shelves on both floors, and even drilled open his safe.


    Yet, he hadn''t heard a sound from the intruders.


    He rushed to the adjacent surveince room and fired up the monitors.


    To his dismay, the surveince had captured nothing from the previous night.


    Wai Chengguo could only see that the house was in disarray half an hour after he had gone to sleep.


    Amidst his confusion, police sirens wailed outside his home, and officers stormed in.


    Captain Wu, holding an arrest warrant, announced, “Mr. Wei, you are under suspicion for moneyundering and fraud. Pleasee with us.”


    Captain Wu gave a slight, satisfied smile.


    Despite the dark circles under his eyes, he was clearly pleased.


    After all, he had cracked a significant case.


    “Captain Wu, can you exin what''s happening?”


    “Was it your team that entered my housest night?”


    “Why didn''t themotion wake me up?”


    “How did you pull it off? How did you know where my ount book was hidden?”


    Even as the police officers handcuffed him, Wai Chengguo continued to barrage them with questions.


    Despite facing the prospect of imprisonment, Wai Chengguo was desperate to understand the situation.


    Captain Wu, grinning, said, “I''m sorry, Mr. Wai. I can''t disclose that information to you.”


    He purposefully kept Wai Chengguo in the dark.


    Since Wai Chengguo had caused him several sleepless nights, Captain Wu intended to return the favor by leaving him restless and unable to sleep.


    “Captain Wu, I''m begging you, please tell me!”


    “How did they manage to enter my house? Why am Ipletely in the dark?”


    “What is that small circr mark under my feet?”


    “How did they figure out where my belongings were hidden? How did they know that the College Entrance Exam Mathematics Comption was a cipher?”


    “Captain Wu, I''m willing to confess all my actions. I''ll even donate all my money. Just tell me, please!”


    After that, Wai Chengguo found it even harder to fall asleep at night.


    At the slightest rustle of leaves or whisper of the wind, he would snap awake.


    One must never engage in illegal activities; otherwise, a peaceful night''s sleep bes a luxury.