Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
âYou!â
Ling Han was left speechless by Lin Yiâs retort.
She had always been confident in both her physical abilities and her skills.
But today, she found herself being looked down upon.
âAnd when we go in, donât wander around aimlessly. Just stick close to us.â
Lin Yi added before walking off with Gu Yiran, not bothering to acknowledge Ling Han further.
As they walked away, Zhao Su asked,
âBoss, what should we do now?â
âIgnore him. Everything he said is nonsense. Stick to our original plan and donât let him distract you.â
âUnderstood.â
Meanwhile, the team stationed outside overheard the conversation through their listening devices. Han Zhongyu commented,
âOld Liu, your guy is quite a character. What kind of theories are those? And heâs got a whole lot of them.â
His tone was clearly dismissive.
He was implying that Lin Yi was just spouting useless information.
âBetter safe than sorry. If your people slip up, ours can still cover for them.â
âWeâll see how it plays out,â Han Zhongyu replied nonchalantly.
At the same time, both teams arrived at the Qianjiang Bathhouse, entering one after the other without much distance between them.
However, the four members split into three groups because Lin Yi didnât actually walk side by side with Gu Yiran.
They maintained a half-meter distance, not too close but not too far either.
This made it look like a couple who were annoyed with each other but couldnât avoid being together.
Trailing behind them, Zhao Su felt a bit nervous.
Unlike their usual crackdown operations, this time they were pretending to be customers, which made him feel uneasy.
âRelax. Donât act like a thief,â Ling Han said confidently. âJust follow my lead.â
âAlright.â
With that, the two approached the front desk to purchase a package deal.
However, they were surprised to see a middle-aged woman with a big smile approach Lin Yi.
âOh, Boss Lin, youâre here! The usual today?â
Ling Han and Zhao Su were both stunned by the managerâs enthusiastic greeting.
They were all supposed to be undercover, so why was Lin Yi getting VIP treatment?
But Gu Yiran remained calm, knowing that as a regular at such establishments, it wasnât unusual for Lin Yi to receive this kind of welcome.
âWhat do you mean âthe usualâ? Iâm here with someone today, so no funny business,â Lin Yi scolded lightly.
The front desk manager glanced at Gu Yiran and immediately understood the situation.
âOh my, I didnât realize! My apologies,â the manager said with a smile.
âItâs a pleasure to meet Mrs. Lin. My mistake.â
âI said Iâm with someone, not that sheâs my wife. Why did you go ahead and call her Mrs. Lin?â
âIsnât it obvious?â the manager laughed.
âI know Boss Linâs preferences well. Youâre not interested in anyone below a D-cup, and Mrs. Lin here looks like sheâs a B-cup at best. Not too small, but not up to your usual standards. If she werenât Mrs. Lin, she wouldnât be here with you.â
Although the managerâs voice was low, Gu Yiran caught most of the conversation.
Now, she was itching to punch someone.
Who did they think they were looking down on?!
âYouâve got a good eye,â Lin Yi laughed.
âSet me up with something nice. Iâve been busy lately and need to relax.â
âBoss Lin, you and Mrs. Lin wait here for a moment. I feel like somethingâs off,â the manager whispered.
âWhatâs wrong?â
âThose two who came in after you seem a bit suspicious. I think they might be cops. If they start investigating, it could be bad for you.â
âAre you serious? Donât scare me. They donât look like copsâwhat makes you think they are?â
âIâve seen a lot over the years, so Iâve learned to be cautious,â the manager explained.
âLook at how theyâre dressed, theyâre clearly like a couple. But who comes to a place like this with their spouse? Itâs too obvious. I need to warn the boss.â
âThatâs unlikely,â Lin Yi said.
âI ran into them outside earlier, and they were talking about business. I think youâre mistaken. Maybe theyâre just a close couple.â
âThat could be,â the manager conceded. âWith your reassurance, Iâm not worried anymore. Maybe I was overthinking it.â
Lin Yi nodded with a smile. âAlright, get back to work. Iâm heading in.â
âOf course, Boss Lin. Take care.â
With a nod, Lin Yi confidently walked upstairs with Gu Yiran, moving with the air of someone who owned the place.
Outside, Han Zhongyu and the others felt a sense of relief.
If it werenât for Lin Yiâs quick thinking, Ling Han and Zhao Su might have blown their cover.
âOld Han, Ling Hanâs physical abilities are excellent, but sheâs lacking in social experience. Sheâll need to work on that in the future,â Liu Chunjiang commented.
âIndeed,â Han Zhongyu agreed.
He knew he couldnât argue, given that he was in the wrong.
Inside the bathhouse, Lin Yi and Gu Yiran moved toward the back of the lobby, with Ling Han and Zhao Su following behind.
Unaware of how close they had come to being exposed, Ling Han and Zhao Su remained focused on their mission.
âWait, donât rush.â
Lin Yi called out as he saw Gu Yiran heading upstairs.
âWhatâs wrong?â
âEverything above the third floor is for, well, special services. If you go up in your own clothes, they wonât let you in,â Lin Yi explained.
âYou need to go to the womenâs bath, change into a bathrobe, and wet your hair and feet a little before going upstairs.â
âThis place has so many rules,â Gu Yiran grumbled.
âItâs not really a rule. Itâs just that youâre here for a different reason than the regular customers. Their mindset is different from yours.â
âAlright, fine.â
Following Lin Yiâs instructions, the two went to their respective bath areas.
Watching from behind, Ling Han and Zhao Su exchanged confused looks, completely unable to understand what Lin Yi and Gu Yiran were doing.
They were here to catch criminals, but they were actually going to bathe?
âBoss, do you think theyâre taking this undercover thing too far? Are they really going to bathe?â Zhao Su asked.
âItâs possible, but itâs unnecessary,â Ling Han replied.
âOur mission is to get to the fourth floor and take down Bai Yongshou. We donât need to waste time with all this extra stuff.â
âI agree,â Zhao Su said. âBut we need to hurry up.â
Ling Han nodded. âLetâs go.â
âGo!â
With their minds made up, the two quietly headed toward the staircase, planning to sneak up to the fourth floor.
About ten minutes later, Lin Yi and Gu Yiran, now dressed in bathrobes, emerged from their respective bath areas.
They glanced around but didnât see any sign of Ling Han or Zhao Su.
âWhere did they go?â Gu Yiran murmured.
Lin Yiâs expression changed slightly. âDamn, they didnât sneak off to try to get up there on their own, did they?â