allonlinenovel Chapter 233 Seeking help
Chapter 233 Seeking help
Chen Youen frowned sharply. "Shen Feiwan, how could you do this? I'm going to get angry! Your business is my business. Without you in the past, there would be no me now. I don't regret anything we've done together."
She took a deep breath and continued speaking to Shen Feiwan, "Besides, now that Shen Xubai is in trouble, I can't just stand by and watch him get hurt. So please don't say things like that anymore."
After saying that, she took Shen Feiwan's hand and together they pressed the Enter key heavily.
The code on the screen scrolled rapidly, and the fluorescent afterimages were reflected in both of their pupils.
They quickly got into the zone, their fingers flying across the keyboard.
After breaking through layers of encryption barriers, they finally found Shen Xubai's file directory.
However, all the documents related to today's case were marked with the word "Top Secret" in bright red, indicating an encryption level far exceeding their ability to crack them.
After several hours of operation, Chen Youen suddenly leaned back, rubbing his aching fingers, "No, I can't break through."
Shen Feiwan tried even more complex algorithms, his fingertips almost burning hot on the keyboard, but ultimately failed.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "There are always higher levels to reach, and more capable people to rely on. This is where we can go for today. Shut down!"
The two quickly initiated the trace erasure program, and the data stream was withdrawn from the system like a receding tide.
Subsequently, Shen Feiwan completely shut down the host and server, and even the hum of the cooling fan fell silent.
Even hacking into the other party's system didn't yield any results; she was truly at a loss.
Shen Feiwan leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling.
The light stung her eyes, and an unprecedented sense of powerlessness washed over her.
Chen Youen clenched her fists, looking at Shen Feiwan with resentment, her eyes bloodshot. "Is this all we can do? Is waiting the only option? Is there really no other way?"
Shen Feiwan sighed deeply, a hint of weariness escaping her throat. "There's one more person; he might be able to find connections."
"Who?" Chen Youen immediately straightened up, the swivel chair making a screeching sound.
Shen Feiwan remained in that powerless posture, her gaze fixed on a certain spot on the ceiling, "Lin Xiaoyan's father."
She paused, then added, "But he might not necessarily help me with this."
"Why?" Chen Youen frowned. "Aren't your two families on good terms? If he really has connections, it shouldn't be difficult for him to find out some information."
Shen Feiwan slowly sat up straight, rubbing the red marks on her wrists from typing on the keyboard for a long time. "Having good relationships is one thing, but one's own survival is another. Although I haven't paid much attention to what's going on in officialdom lately, I still know about the downfall of a certain high-ranking official."
“I saw this news too,” Chen Youen’s pupils contracted slightly. “It’s everywhere, pushed out by every app. So this ‘former big shot’ is a connection to the Lin family, right?”
Shen Feiwan nodded, her knuckles pressed against her temples. "If he hadn't gotten into trouble, perhaps Uncle Lin could have helped me. But now it's probably difficult. Everyone is trying their best to distance themselves from that person. They're all on edge, and they're even less likely to make a mistake now."
At this point, Shen Feiwan took a deep breath and suddenly stood up. "Even so, I still have to give it a try. I can't give up any possible opportunity."
Chen Youen looked at Shen Feiwan, her voice muffled, "If only I had such connections, I wouldn't be unable to help at all now."
Shen Feiwan raised her hand and gently patted her shoulder. "You'en, you've already helped me a lot. If my brother knew that you did such dangerous things for him, he would definitely be very moved."
“I don’t want him to be moved,” Chen Youen shook her head. “I just hope he comes back safely and unharmed soon.”
“Yes,” Shen Feiwan said softly, but with unwavering determination. “I will definitely do it. I don’t believe my family would betray the country. I must find out what really happened.”
As she spoke, she glanced at the time and said, "It's getting late, I should go get some sleep."
"how about you?"
"I'm going to sleep too."
But Shen Feiwan couldn't sleep at all.
After taking a shower, she wrapped herself in a coat and went downstairs to the 24-hour convenience store, where she bought a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
The wind on the snowy night stung her face. She stood under the streetlamp, the flame of her lighter flickering in the wind.
She tried three times before she could light it, but she didn't smoke it; she just watched the tobacco burn little by little. The occasional ash that fell was quickly soaked by the snowmelt.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and a snowflake landed on her eyelashes.
In a daze, the image of Bo Junxing flashed through her mind.
It's strange that she still had time to think about this person even in such a difficult situation.
She quickly walked to the trash can, stubbed out her cigarette, and with a soft hiss, the last spark disappeared into the snowy night.
-
The next morning, Chen Youen frowned as soon as she opened the door, overwhelmed by the strong smell of tobacco.
She hurried through the living room and pushed open the glass door to the balcony. There she saw Shen Feiwan sitting in a rattan chair, wearing only a thin bathrobe, with a long ash accumulated on the cigarette between her fingers.
The crystal ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts, a few still glowing.
"Why did you smoke so much?" Chen Youen walked over in her slippers.
Shen Feiwan seemed to be pulled back to reality from a distant place. She stubbed out her cigarette with one hand and waved away the smoke in front of her with the other. "Why are you up so early?"
"I was woken up by the urge to pee, and once I woke up I couldn't fall back asleep." Chen Youen walked to her side. "I don't mind you smoking, but you smoke too much."
Shen Feiwan took a deep breath. "No, actually I only smoked one."
She pointed to the ashtray, "Most of the time I just watch it burn. I always feel like once a cigarette is finished, I'll be able to figure out a solution."
As she spoke, she suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile, "Actually, I haven't smoked in a long time, I've forgotten how."
Chen Youen held her shoulders. "Would you like another one? I'll order one for you."
"No, I need to get down to business." Shen Feiwan picked up her phone and tapped the screen lightly with her fingertips.
Chen Youen looked down and saw that she was scrolling through the blacklist of contacts, and Lin Xiaoyan's name was prominently listed.
Then, Shen Feiwan clicked "Unblock" without hesitation.
Chen Youen pursed her lips. "Isn't there a way to contact your Uncle Lin directly?"
“I don’t have my elders’ numbers.” Shen Feiwan stroked her phone screen. “It’s not easy to find him. Instead of going through all the trouble of contacting his staff, I might as well contact Lin Xiaoyan directly.”
"Then... what if we go directly to the Lin family?"
Shen Feiwan shook her head, the morning light casting a shadow under her eyelashes. "Have you forgotten? Lin Xiaoyan's mother doesn't like me."
“That’s true.” Chen You’en knew this. If Lin Xiaoyan’s mother hadn’t interfered, the two of them might have gotten together smoothly long ago.