“You’ve caused more trouble yet again!” It really did not feel good to come back to an angry Han Chu. This was especially true after Ye Shuang rushed home once the plane touched ground, transformed into her male form, and was dragged out by the man before she had enough sleep. For some reason, Han Chu gave her the feeling of a discipline teacher; he had that presence about him that made her feel that she had done something wrong when he stood before her even though she had no idea what she had done wrong…
Looking at the innocent expression on Brother Shuang’s perfect face, Han Chu’s eyes could not help but twitch. Then, he sighed and sat down on the sofa.
He thanked Little brother Ye, who served him tea, and ignored the kid’s curious gaze. Instead, he turned his cannon to Ye Shuang. “The FBI have been following the movement of the thief gentleman and that Edward… Do you try to get involved with these characters wherever you go, or are you so confident that your secret will not be exposed with so many eyes watching?”
“Well, that’s only because I have you, Brother Han.” After a prick of guilt, Brother Shuang quickly flashed a charming smile as he sat down like he really had full confidence in Han Chu from the very beginning. “I believe that with you there, no matter what they intend to do, it’ll never escape your eyes.”
Han Chu lifted his gaze to look at him , and a breath escaped from his curled lips. “Huh… Now you’ve learned how to flatter as well?”
“…I’m being serious!” Ye Shuang smiled sincerely.
Han Chu lowered his head. “I only know that you’re seriously good at acting.”
Brother Shuang chuckled twice and stood up to brush his teeth. We can’t be friends anymore unless you take that back!
…
After brushing his teeth and changing his clothes, Han Chu did not stop him this time, instead sitting down on the sofa and typing on his computer. There was an excited Little Brother Ye surrounding him to try to get an interview… As annoying as the boy could be, he was one of the hosts, and since he was so familiar with Han Chu, there was nothing worth hiding… With the droning going on, Han Chu pulled out four documents and then searched for several profiles.
When Ye Shuang was done fixing her personal hygiene, she came out and squeezed Little Brother Ye away to see the profile of an old foreign woman taking up the entirety of Han Chu’s computer screen.
“This should be the Cynthia that Edward told you.” Han Chu’s eyes did not waver as he pointed on the screen and elaborated. “James’ partner is not that famous, but we can still extrapolate his age. Based on that, we can speculate his mother’s age. Combined with the clue of Egmont that he gave, there is only one Cynthia that meets all the requirements…”
Little Brother Ye was saddened. “I can’t understand, it’s all English…”
Ye Shuang glanced at Little Brother Ye. You are not supposed to understand anyway, so why are you complaining?
Regardless, she did not give up this chance to teach him a lesson. “I’ve told you before to focus on your studies. You’re the same as Xiao Su in France, not knowing anything.” Brother Shuang lectured his brother. “Look at you! You can’t be a bad guy since you forgot to study a foreign language!”
Han Chu ignored the change in topic and quickly pulled the issue back. “I believe you’ve read up on the Egmont Group?”
“Yes.” Ye Shuang turned around to the real issue and ignored Little Brother Ye. “I’ve done some investigation. It is a relatively famous international anti-money laundering organization. More than one hundred countries joined this organization by providing their economy reports, and the organization collects these reports to analyze and study them. Then they systemize the transference of money and information. When they come across evidence of money-laundering, they will approach the local government to conduct the next step… hmm, I suppose it is like an international economic FBI unit?”
“That’s right, that is pretty much what Egmont is about.” Han Chu lifted his eyes to look at Ye Shuang. “But what you said are just the public information—many details still elude you.
“The members of Egmont include the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and many big Western Countries. From Asia, there’s Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan as well as many island countries and Switzerland… The unifying feature of all these countries is that they’re famous for money-laundering activities, so the organization’s presence was needed there. For the time being, our country has not been targeted by any money-laundering organizations, so we are still not yet a member. What we have is a local bank analysis center to focus on anti-money laundering.
“You should understand it by now. These countries are perfect for money-laundering activities, so the countries join the organization to more effectively counter these activities. It is not because they are upholders of justice… Especially since Egmont has grown to today’s scale and after so many members have joined, in fact, a small portion of members use this connection to do something.”
“An inside job.” Ye Shuang nodded. “Human thoughts are complicated. Perhaps they have the bad intention from the beginning or perhaps initially, they really wanted to do good but their mind changed due to life or other allures, these are fairly common… I remember reading scandals about Egmont online before. At the time, the Taiwanese prime minister was involved in a scandal and after Egmont finished the investigation report and handed them to FIU at Taiwan, instead of passing them over to law enforcement, the report was passed to the prime minister himself.”
“That was only one of the scandals that they were willing to reveal.” Han Chu pulled out a few other documents. “In reality, Egmont has a lot more scandals, but most of them do not have definitive proof, or some have too much of an international influence, so they were not revealed due to pressure from higher up. Egmont was formed in 1995, and based on what Edward said, the money-laundering organization has been around since forty years ago. From Tony’s investigation, Cynthia is one of the early founding members of Egmont… If all of this information is connected, then this money-laundering organization probably has connections with Egmont.”
“It should be more than a hostile relationship,” Brother Shuang said confidently. “On the surface, they are already enemies, and if it was just that, then the fatty wouldn’t have to purposely bring this up. However, there is not enough other information… If your speculation is correct, then based on the timeline, they might be the same entity at different times, one preceding the other.”
Han Chu nodded. “That’s what I think as well.”
He typed on the keyboard and moved away all the information, leaving only Cynthia’s part behind. “To seek further confirmation, we can only focus on Cynthia and Edward for now.”
Edward was definitely a no-go. Even though the man had given them a great lead, to trust him fully before confirming the authenticity of the lead, they would be too naïve. Since Edward had brought up Cynthia’s name, then it was probably a sign of sincerity. An old lady in her sixties, it was going to be difficult to fake her life. After all, no one would have started the smokescreen forty years ago to confuse the future generation. On top of that, they had the secret weapon known as Anthony.
Ye Shuang and Han Chu shared a look, and the consensus was made immediately. One stood up, and the other closed the computer. They ended the conversation and walked to the dining table for breakfast, leaving behind a confused Little Brother Ye.
“Eh? That’s all?” Little Brother Ye lifted his head in confusion. He had thought that there was a continuation, but suddenly, the two ended the tale. Is there really anything crueler than such a sheer cliff?
“Sis! Tell me what’s going on!” Little Brother Ye surrendered his pride and went to harass Ye Shuang. “I haven’t heard everything. Why did you and Brother Han stop talking?”
“Why do you want to know so much? Last I checked, you’re an illiterate who doesn’t even know English.” Ye Shuang looked down on him.
“Hey! At least give me something. After all, it was me who bought the breakfast!” Little Brother Ye claimed angrily.
Han Chu raised a steamed bun and said clearly, “But it was with my money.”
Brother Han, don’t be like that! Quickly take that back, and we can still be friends!
…
After breakfast, Ye Shuang could finally return to the apartment. Mother Ye and Father Ye had returned to Grandmother Luo’s to visit the family. Apparently, it was because Luo Ce and Ou Qianru’s relationship had progressed to the next stage—the two had decided to get married, so naturally, Mother Ye had to be there. Father Ye decided to tag along, so there was only Little Brother Ye who was left behind to guard the house.
Because of that, Sister Shuang had a valid reason to not show up—she could just say that she went back to Grandmother Luo’s place.
Other people did not have any comments about this result, but Anthony was particularly sad. Even though he still had his good friend, Han Chu, it did not detract from his sadness.
“Why didn’t Xiao Shuang tell me about it before she left? She just came back to the country.” Anthony sat on the balcony alone, shrouded in melancholy, looking like a pet who had been abandoned.
“Yes, she did.” Han Chu mocked him easily. “But this is not even your country. If you’re bored, feel free to leave—no one is making you stay.”
“Cough!” Ye Shuang quickly interrupted him. “Tony’s contract is not over yet.”
If the man really did leave, she really could not accept it as casually as Han Chu.
Han Chu looked at Ye Shuang but continued to speak to Anthony. “By the way, where is your Cedrick? I also want to meet him.”
Once Cedrick was brought up, the justice-filled Ye Shuang played dead—she was really no better than Anthony.
The two were in the same boat, and they both had something in Han Chu’s paws.
“You’ve caused more trouble yet again!” It really did not feel good to come back to an angry Han Chu. This was especially true after Ye Shuang rushed home once the plane touched ground, transformed into her male form, and was dragged out by the man before she had enough sleep. For some reason, Han Chu gave her the feeling of a discipline teacher; he had that presence about him that made her feel that she had done something wrong when he stood before her even though she had no idea what she had done wrong…
Looking at the innocent expression on Brother Shuang’s perfect face, Han Chu’s eyes could not help but twitch. Then, he sighed and sat down on the sofa.
He thanked Little brother Ye, who served him tea, and ignored the kid’s curious gaze. Instead, he turned his cannon to Ye Shuang. “The FBI have been following the movement of the thief gentleman and that Edward… Do you try to get involved with these characters wherever you go, or are you so confident that your secret will not be exposed with so many eyes watching?”
“Well, that’s only because I have you, Brother Han.” After a prick of guilt, Brother Shuang quickly flashed a charming smile as he sat down like he really had full confidence in Han Chu from the very beginning. “I believe that with you there, no matter what they intend to do, it’ll never escape your eyes.”
Han Chu lifted his gaze to look at him , and a breath escaped from his curled lips. “Huh… Now you’ve learned how to flatter as well?”
“…I’m being serious!” Ye Shuang smiled sincerely.
Han Chu lowered his head. “I only know that you’re seriously good at acting.”
Brother Shuang chuckled twice and stood up to brush his teeth. We can’t be friends anymore unless you take that back!
…
After brushing his teeth and changing his clothes, Han Chu did not stop him this time, instead sitting down on the sofa and typing on his computer. There was an excited Little Brother Ye surrounding him to try to get an interview… As annoying as the boy could be, he was one of the hosts, and since he was so familiar with Han Chu, there was nothing worth hiding… With the droning going on, Han Chu pulled out four documents and then searched for several profiles.
When Ye Shuang was done fixing her personal hygiene, she came out and squeezed Little Brother Ye away to see the profile of an old foreign woman taking up the entirety of Han Chu’s computer screen.
“This should be the Cynthia that Edward told you.” Han Chu’s eyes did not waver as he pointed on the screen and elaborated. “James’ partner is not that famous, but we can still extrapolate his age. Based on that, we can speculate his mother’s age. Combined with the clue of Egmont that he gave, there is only one Cynthia that meets all the requirements…”
Little Brother Ye was saddened. “I can’t understand, it’s all English…”
Ye Shuang glanced at Little Brother Ye. You are not supposed to understand anyway, so why are you complaining?
Regardless, she did not give up this chance to teach him a lesson. “I’ve told you before to focus on your studies. You’re the same as Xiao Su in France, not knowing anything.” Brother Shuang lectured his brother. “Look at you! You can’t be a bad guy since you forgot to study a foreign language!”
Han Chu ignored the change in topic and quickly pulled the issue back. “I believe you’ve read up on the Egmont Group?”
“Yes.” Ye Shuang turned around to the real issue and ignored Little Brother Ye. “I’ve done some investigation. It is a relatively famous international anti-money laundering organization. More than one hundred countries joined this organization by providing their economy reports, and the organization collects these reports to analyze and study them. Then they systemize the transference of money and information. When they come across evidence of money-laundering, they will approach the local government to conduct the next step… hmm, I suppose it is like an international economic FBI unit?”
“That’s right, that is pretty much what Egmont is about.” Han Chu lifted his eyes to look at Ye Shuang. “But what you said are just the public information—many details still elude you.
“The members of Egmont include the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and many big Western Countries. From Asia, there’s Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan as well as many island countries and Switzerland… The unifying feature of all these countries is that they’re famous for money-laundering activities, so the organization’s presence was needed there. For the time being, our country has not been targeted by any money-laundering organizations, so we are still not yet a member. What we have is a local bank analysis center to focus on anti-money laundering.
“You should understand it by now. These countries are perfect for money-laundering activities, so the countries join the organization to more effectively counter these activities. It is not because they are upholders of justice… Especially since Egmont has grown to today’s scale and after so many members have joined, in fact, a small portion of members use this connection to do something.”
“An inside job.” Ye Shuang nodded. “Human thoughts are complicated. Perhaps they have the bad intention from the beginning or perhaps initially, they really wanted to do good but their mind changed due to life or other allures, these are fairly common… I remember reading scandals about Egmont online before. At the time, the Taiwanese prime minister was involved in a scandal and after Egmont finished the investigation report and handed them to FIU at Taiwan, instead of passing them over to law enforcement, the report was passed to the prime minister himself.”
“That was only one of the scandals that they were willing to reveal.” Han Chu pulled out a few other documents. “In reality, Egmont has a lot more scandals, but most of them do not have definitive proof, or some have too much of an international influence, so they were not revealed due to pressure from higher up. Egmont was formed in 1995, and based on what Edward said, the money-laundering organization has been around since forty years ago. From Tony’s investigation, Cynthia is one of the early founding members of Egmont… If all of this information is connected, then this money-laundering organization probably has connections with Egmont.”
“It should be more than a hostile relationship,” Brother Shuang said confidently. “On the surface, they are already enemies, and if it was just that, then the fatty wouldn’t have to purposely bring this up. However, there is not enough other information… If your speculation is correct, then based on the timeline, they might be the same entity at different times, one preceding the other.”
Han Chu nodded. “That’s what I think as well.”
He typed on the keyboard and moved away all the information, leaving only Cynthia’s part behind. “To seek further confirmation, we can only focus on Cynthia and Edward for now.”
Edward was definitely a no-go. Even though the man had given them a great lead, to trust him fully before confirming the authenticity of the lead, they would be too naïve. Since Edward had brought up Cynthia’s name, then it was probably a sign of sincerity. An old lady in her sixties, it was going to be difficult to fake her life. After all, no one would have started the smokescreen forty years ago to confuse the future generation. On top of that, they had the secret weapon known as Anthony.
Ye Shuang and Han Chu shared a look, and the consensus was made immediately. One stood up, and the other closed the computer. They ended the conversation and walked to the dining table for breakfast, leaving behind a confused Little Brother Ye.
“Eh? That’s all?” Little Brother Ye lifted his head in confusion. He had thought that there was a continuation, but suddenly, the two ended the tale. Is there really anything crueler than such a sheer cliff?
“Sis! Tell me what’s going on!” Little Brother Ye surrendered his pride and went to harass Ye Shuang. “I haven’t heard everything. Why did you and Brother Han stop talking?”
“Why do you want to know so much? Last I checked, you’re an illiterate who doesn’t even know English.” Ye Shuang looked down on him.
“Hey! At least give me something. After all, it was me who bought the breakfast!” Little Brother Ye claimed angrily.
Han Chu raised a steamed bun and said clearly, “But it was with my money.”
Brother Han, don’t be like that! Quickly take that back, and we can still be friends!
…
After breakfast, Ye Shuang could finally return to the apartment. Mother Ye and Father Ye had returned to Grandmother Luo’s to visit the family. Apparently, it was because Luo Ce and Ou Qianru’s relationship had progressed to the next stage—the two had decided to get married, so naturally, Mother Ye had to be there. Father Ye decided to tag along, so there was only Little Brother Ye who was left behind to guard the house.
Because of that, Sister Shuang had a valid reason to not show up—she could just say that she went back to Grandmother Luo’s place.
Other people did not have any comments about this result, but Anthony was particularly sad. Even though he still had his good friend, Han Chu, it did not detract from his sadness.
“Why didn’t Xiao Shuang tell me about it before she left? She just came back to the country.” Anthony sat on the balcony alone, shrouded in melancholy, looking like a pet who had been abandoned.
“Yes, she did.” Han Chu mocked him easily. “But this is not even your country. If you’re bored, feel free to leave—no one is making you stay.”
“Cough!” Ye Shuang quickly interrupted him. “Tony’s contract is not over yet.”
If the man really did leave, she really could not accept it as casually as Han Chu.
Han Chu looked at Ye Shuang but continued to speak to Anthony. “By the way, where is your Cedrick? I also want to meet him.”
Once Cedrick was brought up, the justice-filled Ye Shuang played dead—she was really no better than Anthony.
The two were in the same boat, and they both had something in Han Chu’s paws.
