Chapter 27: Chapter 27

C27 – Investigation

Soon, Sun’s father grasped the situation.

The county leaders were grappling with the issue of exorbitantly priced watermelons.

Watermelons were a common fruit; farmers would sell them for just three to five cents per kilogram.

In the city, prices were higher—about a dollar per kilogram in summer, with a slight increase in winter.

But never had they reached the astronomical price of five thousand dollars per melon.

The pricing itself was problematic—not by weight, but per melon, regardless of size, each for five thousand.

The online buzz had inevitably caught the attention of higher authorities, prompting them to send an investigator to Zeffari County.

This had the county officials in a state of distress.

Despite their efforts, the location of Walden remained a mystery.

Sun’s father, a seasoned local, had never even heard of the village.

When they sought out the poverty alleviation team for answers, they found the team was nowhere to be found.

This wasn’t due to negligence; the team was simply overwhelmed with the influx of businesses seeking investments, leaving them no time for other matters and leading to staff being reassigned from other departments.

In the end, it fell to Sun’s father, straddling the line between government official and businessman, to handle the situation, given his familiarity with pricing issues.

He quickly pieced everything together.

“Are you talking about heading into the mountains, to that secluded Walden village?”

“Yes! There’s no clear path; even the locals struggle to find it.”

“The same young man who’s been selling those outrageously priced watermelons?”

“Exactly. He’s the grower. I think a melon from a billionaire farmer is worth the five thousand.”

“How do you know he’s a billionaire?”

“He was buying a car at my brother’s dealership. I saw his account balance exceed a hundred million. Odd guy, though—he always insists he’s just a farmer.”

Sun’s father’s demeanor turned grave. He sat in contemplation for a while before finally speaking up.

“Tomorrow, you’ll accompany me and the investigation team to check it out.”

“Ah? Dad, aren’t you swamped with work every day? I thought you wanted my brother to go with you?”

“You don’t grasp the significance of possessing a fortune in the hundreds of millions for someone in Zeffari County.”

“In terms of wealth, he’s among the top five in Zeffari, and he’s still so young.”

“Even I, your father, want to get to know him.”

“If you actually manage to marry him, I’ll give you a dowry of twenty million yuan.”

Sun Ying’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing.

“Dad, what are you saying?”

“There’s really nothing between us.”

Despite her distaste for her father treating marriage like a transaction, she had become accustomed to it.

After all, she had been aware of this inevitable path from a very young age.

Yet…

If she could truly marry Zhao Yuegu, she would be willing.

Sadly, their current relationship was nothing more than employer and employee.

She was merely a driver!

Sigh…

With these thoughts, Sun Ying couldn’t help feeling a bit downcast.

She was undeniably attractive, with a sweet and cute demeanor, and no shortage of admirers.

So why didn’t he seem interested in her?

Could it be that Zhao Yuegu didn’t favor her type?

Her mind wandered to Dong Qingqing, with her mature charm.

“He couldn’t possibly be into that sort, could he?”

She peered at her reflection in the mirror, a sense of resignation washing over her.

Her figure was neither here nor there, lacking the presence to command such an aura.

Maybe it was just because she was still too young.

That night, she was filled with dreams, envisioning herself as Zhao Yuegu’s wife, receiving a hefty dowry from her father, who proclaimed her as his pride.

Little girls are prone to such fanciful dreams.

But the next morning, she was abruptly awoken by the family’s housekeeper, groggily getting ready. By the time she regained her composure, she found herself sitting in her father’s car.

Before long, they picked up a member of the investigation team—a woman in her mid-twenties, bespectacled and radiating an intense scholarly vibe.

Sun’s father introduced her, “This is Xia Guo, the director sent by our superiors, and this is my daughter, Su Su.”

Sun Ying was left speechless, her mouth agape.

Sun’s father treated Xia Guo with great respect, a courtesy he extended to very few, especially considering Xia Guo’s youthful age.

“You… hello.”

“Hello.”

Xia Guo was rather aloof, leaving them at a loss for words.

However, Sun’s father broke the silence: “Susu, Director Xu has achieved so much as a young business professor and is even held in high regard by the nation. You should take a leaf out of his book.”

Sun Ying was on the verge of tears.

To be a business professor and head of a special department at such a young age was nothing short of extraordinary.

Indeed, I’m just a typical heiress…

No comparison.

“The investigation takes precedence.”

With Xia Guo’s directive, they settled into the Audi A8L and, following Sun Ying’s directions, made their way towards the Walden Village intersection.

But such a high-end vehicle was no match for mountain terrain.

And Sun Ying wasn’t even sure of the mountain path.

“We’ll have to wait for him to bring the car out before we can go in.”

“Probably only Zhao Yuegu would dare to drive on this road.”

Xia Guo’s brow furrowed at the sight of tire tracks in the dirt.

She had anticipated rough conditions, but this was beyond her expectations.

In this day and age, how could there be a place without even a proper road?

“Susu, try giving him a call to let him know we’re here.”

Sun’s father suggested, their high status making it unseemly to just wait.

Sun Ying’s expression conveyed her frustration.

“There’s no signal in the mountains. We have no choice but to wait.”

“Alright then…”

They reluctantly accepted the situation.

But after a long wait, not only did Zhao Yuegu not appear, a fleet of construction vehicles did.

“Why would the Second Construction Company come here to build a road?” Sun’s father wondered aloud.

Sun Ying hadn’t expected the builders to arrive so swiftly and explained to her father.

“Oh, it’s Zhao Yuegu who paid them to pave the road.”

Xia Guo turned to Sun Ying.

“If this road has no commercial value once it’s built, why bother repairing it?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

Sun Ying really wanted to say, “I’m just a regular girl!”

How could she possibly understand the mindset of someone like that?

But Xia Guo pulled out her phone and dialed an unfamiliar number.

“Check Zhao Yuegu’s identity and bank accounts, find out where his funding is coming from.”

Soon enough, Xia Guo’s phone buzzed with an update.

“All the bank funds came from an inheritance of a foreign farm owner?”

“The farm owner was his great-uncle, who lived abroad from a young age and established a vast farm. With no children or heirs, he transferred all his wealth to Zhao Yuegu’s account through a trust.”

“The asset’s origin checks out.”

Xia Guo nodded in agreement.

Of course, with the money provided by the system, not even the most skilled professionals could detect any issues.

So there was nothing to fear from an investigation.

With the money being clean, Zhao Yuegu was free to spend it as he wished!

Economically speaking, Zhao Yuegu’s road construction project could even aid in the recovery from the epidemic.

Xia Guo had no objections.

But still…

They needed to have a word with Zhao Yuegu about the exorbitantly priced watermelons.

This wasn’t Zugrary! Regular fruits and veggies shouldn’t be sold for such steep prices.

But…n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

They had waited from dawn until noon before they finally saw the mud-splattered off-road vehicle approaching.

“Here it comes! Here it comes!”

Sun Ying was visibly excited.

Despite her annoyance at Sun’s father for waking her up so early, the thought that their long wait was actually because of her brought a secret thrill.

It was because she always slept in late that Zhao Yuegu had postponed his departure.

Such a considerate man!

He even let her sleep in.

But this was something she wouldn’t share with Sun’s father, nor did she dare to.

After another ten minutes, the SUV emerged from the mud, and Zhao Yuegu stepped out, noticing the two individuals standing with Sun Ying.

“These two have quite a presence.”

In just a glance, he discerned that the elderly man with graying hair and the bespectacled woman were far from ordinary.