Manager Xiao Zhang wanted to liven up the atmosphere by having people come up and introduce themselves.

But after calling out several times, not a single person below was willing to go up.

Just as Manager Xiao Zhang remarked how unexpectedly shy everyone was, Sun Yijie raised his hand.

Seeing this, Manager Xiao Zhang's eyes immediately lit up.

He enthusiastically invited Sun Yijie onto the specially constructed stage for this matchmaking event.

Now standing at the front facing the crowd, Sun Yijie had over a hundred pairs of eyes fixed on him.

If he had Jiang Ran's Danger Warning System,

he might have noticed something interesting.

In this enclosed large space,

apart from Jiang Ran and Wang Anjian in the audience, and himself,

every single other person present, including the smiling Manager Xiao Zhang standing beside him,

had constant warning flashes appearing over them.

Each one was continuously accumulating points.

Meaning, aside from these three people, everyone else was a deranged criminal - serial killers.

Three little lambs had wandered into a pack of wolves.

And one particularly bold lamb was now on stage, proudly displaying his plumpness to all the wolves.

Whether this was bravery or foolishness remained to be seen.

While this matchmaking event was underway,

Mike was in a private room of a small restaurant in Nancheng City.

With him in the room were a young man and woman.

Both were Chinese - the man about Mike's age, the woman in her early twenties.

The man began pulling a brown paper folder from his backpack and placed it on the table.

Mike similarly took out a thick paper envelope from his own bag.

They exchanged items.

Mike eagerly opened the folder he received,

while the Chinese man did the same with Mike's envelope,

pouring out rectangular bundles held by rubber bands - humanity's favorite - cash.

And not Chinese currency, but American dollars.

As Mike opened the folder, he glanced at the Chinese man sniffing a dollar bill with intoxicated delight and smiled, asking:

"I've always wondered - after so many collaborations, why do you only take USD and not your own country's currency?"

Still savoring the dollar's scent, the man replied: "USD is more valuable. Plus I'm saving up to emigrate. So you understand now why I want dollars, right?"

Mike nodded, pulling out a dozen printed sheets from the folder to examine carefully.

"Take your time. If anything's unclear, just ask - full after-sales service included."

The Chinese man laughed.

Why did a detective of Mike's caliber charge so much per commission?

First: His reputation and capability justified it, just like A-list celebrities charge more than B or C-listers.

Second: When accepting commissions to investigate cases, he needed information.

He couldn't possibly handle everything alone - there wasn't enough time, and it would be exhausting.

So he needed others to assist.

Like the current task of gathering intelligence.

The Chinese man and woman before him were also detectives who moonlighted as information brokers.

And when outsourcing work, one had to pay from their own pocket.

Hence Mike's high fees.

Earlier when Mike mentioned having several tasks, those involved collecting intelligence on certain individuals - which he'd delegated to these two.

The information Mike had them gather included:

Personal details on Wu You, Sun Yijie, and Wang Anjian.

Information on Manager Xiao Zhang and assistant manager Jiang Ran.

And data on Alice Apartment.

He first reviewed the files on Wu You, Sun Yijie and Wang Anjian.

After reading, he muttered: "Two broke guys and an ordinary man being chased - how could they afford Alice Apartment at 50,000 per square meter? They couldn't even rent there."

Next he examined Manager Xiao Zhang and Jiang Ran's files.

Their birthdates, ID numbers, phone numbers, addresses, family backgrounds, elementary and middle schools attended, post-graduation employment histories.

Romantic relationships.

Social media accounts and posts.

Frequently visited websites and apps used.

Recent life circumstances, even some extremely private matters - all meticulously documented in the Chinese man's files.

The detail was astonishing - after reading these, Mike knew them better than they knew themselves.

After reviewing these, he turned to the Alice Apartment materials.

Construction start and completion dates.

The development company involved, etc.

Finishing these documents,

America's tenth-ranked detective crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair,

rocking backward then forward while staring at the restaurant's golden ceiling,

as if pondering something profoundly complex.

Seeing Mike like this,

the Chinese man across from him remarked curiously: "Known you for years, but this is the first time I've seen you so serious. Is this commission that difficult?"

Mike exhaled deeply: "Extremely difficult. And my instincts tell me what's behind this case is beyond my ability to handle alone."

Surprised, the Chinese man took a stack from the dollars Mike had given him and tossed it back.

"Tell me about it - I'm curious."

Mike pushed the money back: "After all our collaborations, we're practically friends. Throwing money at me is insulting."

The Chinese man smiled: "If you won't take payment, I can't in good conscience listen. Our profession forbids prying into clients' affairs."

Mike said: "Then don't listen - maintain your professional ethics!"

Shaking his head, the man replied: "Ethics are meant to be broken! Come on, tell me - I'm dying to know!"

Beside him, the Chinese woman gave her partner an exasperated glance - she was his girlfriend.

Their names were Lu Fei and Huo Xiaoyu.

Fellow professionals who'd worked together several times before developing feelings and becoming a couple.

Huo Xiaoyu was completely satisfied with Lu Fei except for one thing - his insatiable, almost frightening curiosity.

Now reminiscing, Mike said: "Back in America, I once worked with police and colleagues on a case."

"A simple yet brutal case."

"Wealthy people buying poor people's lives."

"Desperate poor people needing money would get it from the rich, then their bodies became the rich's playthings."

"The brutality lay in how these rich people bought lives solely to satisfy twisted desires - subjecting the poor to various tortures before killing them."

Hearing this, both Lu Fei and Huo Xiaoyu paled.

Mike concluded: "The commission I'm investigating now feels similar in nature, though with some differences."