Chapter 178: Fishing Enthusiast

Wen Shilin, male, 32 years old.A reporter for *Aurora Daily*, he wrote 184 articles during his three years at the newspaper, but only 22 were successfully published. He has no wife or children. His parents died of illness five years ago, and he lives alone in a 12-square-meter shack in the South City District. He doesn't smoke or drink, has no bad habits or hobbies. He changes assistants most frequently, and the place he visits most often is the hospital... The hospital?

Chen Ling's expression was a little strange as he read the information provided by the thugs. He suddenly recalled Wen Shilin's practiced movements when he was beaten yesterday, and understood why he frequently visited the hospital. With his stubborn and reckless determination to unearth the truth, his salary was probably entirely spent on treating injuries.

Hearing Chen Ling mumbling to himself, Chu Muyun, sitting opposite him, put down his newspaper and asked curiously, “Why are you collecting this information?”

“To find a new identity.”

“A new identity?” Chu Muyun glanced thoughtfully at the papers in his hand. “Are you referring to... a reporter?”

“In this city, aside from law enforcement, there's no quicker way to obtain information than through media freedom,” Chen Ling said calmly, tossing the document onto the table. “Especially Wen Shilin; he wrote nearly two hundred articles in three years, but only twenty-something were published... So what about the content of those that weren't published? Too many people in this city want to kill him because he possesses too many secrets, and I am very interested in the secrets he holds.”

Chu Muyun raised an eyebrow, seeming intrigued. “While media freedom is effective, being a reporter isn't something just anyone can do. Under the control of unseen hands, the profession of a reporter is extremely lucrative, and countless people in the city are eyeing these positions... You've just arrived in Aurora City, with no prior experience or background. How do you plan to approach Wen Shilin? Will you switch identities or change your face?”

“No need for such trouble.” Chen Ling picked up a pair of semi-rimless glasses from the table and put them on, a faint smile playing on his young, scholarly face. “Wen Shilin is too righteous, and that's one of his weaknesses... Gaining his trust is simple; all it takes is a small performance to make him useful to me.”

In front of the hospital.

“How much are these fruits?” Assistant Ah Cheng stopped at a street stall.

“Small fruit baskets are twenty, large ones fifty, and those elegant boxed fruit baskets over there are one hundred twenty,” the vendor said leisurely, without looking up.

Ah Cheng frowned slightly. He scanned the elegant fruit baskets, then pointed to a few loose, unwanted apples in the corner. “What about those?”

“Those? If you want those, take them for five copper coins.”

“I’ll take them. Could you also give me a few nice ribbons to tie them up?”

The vendor glanced at him, mumbled something, but still packed the apples and handed them to Ah Cheng, who then carried the fruit towards the hospital behind him.

Ah Cheng skillfully navigated the bustling corridor and pushed open a ward door. “Mr. Wen, how are you—”

Before Ah Cheng could finish, he saw the bed in the ward was empty. He paused, about to turn back and confirm the room number, when a voice slowly emerged from under the bed: “Ah Cheng... Come in.”

Wen Shilin, covered in bandages, crawled out from the dark, cramped space under the bed. He quickly waved his hand, “Quick, close the door.”

“Huh? Oh.” Ah Cheng quickly closed the door, shutting out the noise from the corridor, and asked curiously, “Mr. Wen, what were you doing under the bed?”

“Too many people are after me lately; I have to be careful everywhere, otherwise, how do you think I've survived until now?” Wen Shilin dusted off his hands and sat back on the bed. “And I always feel like someone's been watching me recently.”

“Mr. Wen, aren't you overthinking it? Who would be watching us?”

“No, I trust my intuition... And have you forgotten how strangely those recent manuscripts went missing? Perhaps I've really uncovered someone's fatal weakness... The more critical the moment, the more careful we must be.”

As Wen Shilin spoke, he got up and walked over to Ah Cheng. Seeing the fruit adorned with elegant ribbons in Ah Cheng's arms, he remarked with emotion, “Ah Cheng, you've gone to trouble again.”

“What are you talking about, Mr. Wen? You subsidize my salary, so buying a fruit basket is only right.” Ah Cheng smiled, took an apple from the basket, wiped it on his sleeve, and handed it to Wen Shilin. Then he frowned, “I didn't notice when I bought it... Why is this apple a bit rotten? Mr. Wen, please wait a moment, I'll go argue with the vendor.”

“It's fine, I'm not picky.” Wen Shilin stopped Ah Cheng, who was about to turn away, and said, “My injuries are almost healed; let's get discharged.”

“Okay.” Ah Cheng nodded.

Wen Shilin dressed and followed Ah Cheng out of the ward. As they reached the hospital entrance, his peripheral vision caught something, and he stopped. At the hospital entrance, a familiar figure in a brown overcoat and semi-rimless glasses stood before a doctor in a white lab coat, holding a file folder and earnestly explaining something.

“Huh?” Ah Cheng also saw the person and exclaimed in surprise, “Mr. Wen, isn't that the passerby who helped us out yesterday? What a coincidence!”

Wen Shilin's eyes lit up as he looked at Chen Ling in the distance.

After Chen Ling earnestly spoke for a while, the doctor shook his head, replied a few words, and then turned to leave. The figure in the brown overcoat stood alone at the hospital entrance. After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh.

Seeing this, Wen Shilin immediately walked forward and called out to him, “Excuse me!”

Chen Ling paused, his black eyeglass chain swaying slightly as his face turned. He looked at the approaching Wen Shilin, a hint of surprise appearing in his cool, melancholic eyes.

“Do you remember me? We met yesterday on the West City Outer Ring.”

Chen Ling nodded slightly. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I'm Wen Shilin, a reporter for *Aurora Daily*. I know this might be a bit sudden, but perhaps we could find a place to sit down and talk,” Wen Shilin said earnestly. “Our newspaper is currently running a column called ‘Seeking Truth, Goodness, and Beauty,’ and we regularly feature ordinary citizens who perform acts of bravery...” Noticing Chen Ling's somewhat strange expression, Wen Shilin added, “If you appear in the newspaper for your act of bravery, I think it might make your job search a bit easier.”

Chen Ling asked in surprise, “How did you know I was looking for a job?”

“It's written on your file folder.”

Chen Ling looked down and saw that his name, contact address, and target position were indeed written on his file folder.

“Alright... but I hope the interview can be quick. I might not have much time... After all, I have another hospital interview this afternoon.” Chen Ling offered a polite smile.