Start with push-ups to gain experience

Fang Cheng and Lin Chuqiao walked back along the slope they had come from and pushed open the heavy iron door of the air-raid shelter.

I hadn't felt anything while I was underground, but as soon as I came out, a huge commotion hit me.

"Rumble--"

Not far away, several yellow excavators were working, swinging their giant arms.

The mixer drum rotates slowly, continuously mixing the mortar.

The shouts of the workers rose and fell, mixed with the crisp sound of steel bars colliding.

Compared to the silence and emptiness of the air-raid shelter, this place is filled with a vibrant and energetic atmosphere.

It was as if they had plunged from a secluded underground world back into the bustling, chaotic world.

The sun was already setting in the west, and the industrial park was bathed in a warm, orange glow.

Fang Cheng stood at the cave entrance, squinting to adjust to the light outside, and casually patted the dust off his sleeve.

Then he turned his head to look at Lin Chuqiao beside him.

This usually impeccably beautiful woman looked rather disheveled.

The hem of her black business suit was stained with a little grayish-white wall dust, and her shiny high heels were covered with a thick layer of dust, with even the heels smeared with dark red rust.

Just now down there, she had to hold up the blueprints and explain to each abandoned building, while also taking notes on various data. It certainly took a lot of effort.

Lin Chuqiao also seemed to feel discomfort in her feet, looked down and frowned slightly.

He then took out a wet wipe from his bag, bent down, and gently wiped the stains off his leather shoes.

"That's enough. The ground is covered in dirt; it's impossible to clean it properly."

Seeing her cautious demeanor, Fang Cheng offered some advice.

"At least wipe this grease off, otherwise how are we going to get in the car later?"

Lin Chuqiao muttered something to herself without looking up, seemingly struggling with a stubborn stain on the tip of her shoe.

To gain leverage, she had to bend her waist even deeper.

With this large movement, the already well-tailored black business suit was instantly stretched taut.

The fabric fits snugly against the body's curves, outlining a breathtakingly full arc and presenting a perfect peach-shaped silhouette.

Fang Cheng stood to the side and slightly behind, his gaze initially sweeping casually across the scene, but involuntarily lingering for a moment.

Although I always knew that Lin Chuqiao had a stunning figure and walked with a graceful gait, the visual impact of this completely unguarded view of her back was just too strong.

The voluptuousness and firmness unique to mature women were perfectly accentuated by this conservative black suit.

Like a ripe peach, it exudes a silent allure under the setting sun.

Fang Cheng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he felt it was inappropriate to look at, and he immediately tried to look away.

However, in the instant his gaze shifted, he raised an eyebrow and noticed a conspicuous gray-white mark on the back side of Lin Chuqiao's taut skirt, near the base of her thigh.

It must have been when she was measuring the load-bearing columns in the air-raid shelter that she accidentally bumped into the wall.

Just then, Lin Chuqiao straightened up and turned her head, only to meet Fang Cheng's somewhat dazed gaze.

She followed Fang Cheng's gaze and looked down, then reached out and tugged at the hem of her skirt, discovering the unsightly stain.

"oops……"

Lin Chuqiao let out a soft cry, her willow brows furrowed.

She quickly pulled out new tissues from her bag and reached out to wipe the dust off her skirt.

But that position was rather tricky, being in the blind spot behind the inner thigh.

She was wearing a suit skirt, and her figure was plump and shapely. She felt uncomfortable if she moved even slightly.

I twisted my body and wiped it several times, but my fingers could barely reach the edge.

The result was that not only did it not get clean, but because it was difficult to apply force, the dust was spread even more.

Seeing her clumsy and flustered appearance, Fang Cheng shook his head helplessly.

"Don't move, let me do it."

Fang Cheng stepped forward and naturally took the tissue from Lin Chuqiao's hand.

Lin Chuqiao's body stiffened abruptly, her red lips pursed, but she did not flinch.

She simply stood obediently in place, legs together, her body unconsciously tensing up even more.

Fang Cheng bent down and gently wiped the gray stain with a tissue.

Even through the thin fabric of the suit, the tactile sensation transmitted to my fingertips was surprisingly clear.

The rich, soft, and bouncy texture felt so good that with just a little pressure, your fingers would sink into that soft, smooth flesh.

Although it was just a simple favor, the atmosphere around us became quite romantic.

Even the distant roar of excavators seemed to fade away at this moment, leaving only slightly hurried breathing.

Lin Chuqiao could clearly feel the temperature and pressure of Fang Cheng's fingertips, and a strange tingling sensation spread from the point of contact throughout her body.

Her charming face flushed instantly, even her ears burned, her eyes became watery and dreamy, and she could only tightly clutch her briefcase.

Fang Cheng's hand didn't linger; after completely wiping away the stain, he quickly withdrew it.

He stood up and looked at Lin Chuqiao's shy yet composed appearance, and felt a strange restlessness in his heart.

"cough."

Fang Cheng coughed lightly, breaking the overly ambiguous atmosphere and subtly changing the subject:
"I see it's getting late, it's almost time for dinner."

Hearing this, Lin Chuqiao breathed a sigh of relief.

She raised the back of her hand and pressed it against her burning cheek, then glanced at her watch, her tone tinged with surprise:

"It's almost five o'clock? We've been down there for three whole hours. No wonder I'm so hungry and my legs are weak."

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled, she stomped her finally clean high heels, and adopted a coquettish tone:

"Brother Cheng, you heartless capitalist, you've been using me like a laborer all afternoon. If you don't treat me to a good meal tonight, I'm going on strike."

"Don't worry, you'll get plenty to eat."

Fang Cheng smiled, gestured with his chin towards the black SUV parked not far away, and said as he walked over:
"After a busy afternoon, climbing up and down and sucking up dust, even capitalists can't let their employees work on an empty stomach."

Lin Chuqiao's eyes lit up. She clutched the used wet wipe in her hand and followed along with light steps.

"What, boss, are you really going to treat us?"

"That's natural."

After leaving the factory, Fang Cheng opened the passenger door of the Land Rover and politely gestured for it to proceed.

"Pick whatever you want to eat. To reward our Illuminati's butler, there's no budget limit tonight."

"You said it, don't go back on your word!"

Lin Chuqiao sat in the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt as she tilted her head and began to think seriously:
"Then I won't stand on ceremony. I eat boxed lunches at the construction site every day, and my sense of taste is almost deteriorating."

"Hmm... I want to have a good meal tonight, it has to be the kind with meat and wine..."

"No problem, miss."

Fang Cheng laughed heartily, closed the passenger door, walked around to the driver's seat, and nimbly climbed into the car.

Ignite, shift gears, and accelerate.

With the deep roar of the engine starting, the black Land Rover SUV started smoothly and slowly drove away from the noisy construction site.

With the car windows rolled up, the thick soundproof glass completely shut out the flying dust and ear-piercing noise.

It also locked that lingering warmth of the ambiguous moment into this private space.

At this moment, the sun is setting.

The orange glow of the setting sun streamed through the windshield into the car, casting a soft golden hue over the silhouettes of the two people.

Soft music played in the carriage, and a faint fragrance wafted in the air.

That was the perfume emanating from Lin Chuqiao, elegant yet with a slightly intoxicating sweetness.

Fang Cheng held the steering wheel with one hand, his posture casual and relaxed.

Lin Chuqiao leaned back lazily in the leather seat, turning her head to gaze at the man who was focused on driving. Occasionally, she would raise her hand and gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Her slender fingers traced across her fair, long neck, the movement exuding an indescribable charm and allure.

Having been relieved of her work burdens, she was clearly relaxed and filled with joy.

The two remained silent, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

However, this leisurely period did not last long.

"Jingle Bell--"

A sudden cell phone ring broke the silence.

Fang Cheng took his phone out of his bag and glanced at the screen.

When he saw the string of numbers flashing above, his relaxed expression instantly tightened, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

It's a monkey.

For safety reasons, Monkey and Hammer used temporary anonymous black cards when carrying out their surveillance missions; only Fang Cheng knew the number.

Fang Cheng reached out and pressed the answer button, then casually turned down the volume of the car stereo.

Upon seeing this, Lin Chuqiao immediately abandoned her lazy posture and sat up straight.

The tenderness that had been flowing in his eyes instantly turned into alertness; his ears twitched, and he held his breath.

"President, I am Monkey."

A deep voice came from the other end of the phone, with only a very faint hum of electricity in the background, indicating that it was a quiet indoor environment.

“There’s an emergency here on Jiuchang Street. Da Chui and I have been keeping an eye on the entrances and exits of the tenement buildings. We just saw a stranger enter the building.”

Fang Cheng frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice:
"Who is the other party?"

"He was a man in his early thirties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and an average appearance. He was about 1.8 meters tall."

The monkey's voice was calm and steady, as if it were reading a reconnaissance report:
"Although he was wearing an ordinary gray jacket, you could tell he was a trained fighter; he was very strong and had a very sharp gaze."

"Moreover, judging from his gait, his stride is uneven and his center of gravity is a bit off, which probably indicates that he has an old injury in his legs."

“I’ve been watching the surveillance footage every day for the past few days, and I can remember the faces of all the residents in this building. I’m 100% sure that this person is definitely not a neighbor, nor is he a deliveryman or takeout person.”

Is he still in the building?

Fang Cheng kept his eyes on the road ahead and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"He just left not long ago. He went in for less than five minutes and came out looking hurried."

The monkey paused, his tone slightly annoyed:

"Because I didn't know the situation and was afraid of alerting the enemy, I didn't let Da Chui follow him on his own. I just noted down his features."

"Why did it take you so long to report this?"

Fang Cheng's tone became more stern, and his gaze sharpened.

Lin Chuqiao, who was standing next to him, sensed the sudden change in the man's aura and couldn't help but reach out and gently place her hand on the back of his hand, her eyes full of concern.

"Reporting to the Chairman, I dialed your number ten minutes ago."

The monkey immediately offered an explanation, without any attempt to evade responsibility:
"I tried calling seven times, but it kept saying it couldn't connect until the signal was finally restored."

Fang Cheng was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then realized what he meant.

Just now, he and Lin Chuqiao were conducting an investigation deep inside an underground air-raid shelter.

The rock and concrete layers, several meters thick, blocked all signals, and communication was not restored until we emerged from the cave.

"That's my problem."

Fang Cheng's tone softened, and he stopped dwelling on the detail, instead asking:
What did he do during the five minutes he went in? Did he do anything unusual?

"There are too many blind spots in the surveillance cameras, making it impossible to see the specific situation clearly..."

The monkey paused for a second, slowing its speech, as if it were retrieving a video recording:
"However, according to the camera footage installed on the opposite building, after he went in, he went straight to the ninth floor, made a point of walking around, and knocked on the doors of several households, as if he was asking about something."

Is it just to scout out the location and confirm the position?
A thoughtful glint flashed in Fang Cheng's eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he gave the order:
"Okay, I understand. You did a good job this time; it was right not to act blindly."

After offering a few words of encouragement, he then gave further instructions:
"Keep an eye on things for me, especially these last two nights. Go through the extra work. Notify me immediately if anything happens."

"The professor will arrange for new people to take over your positions the day after tomorrow."

"Understood, Chairman. Please rest assured, if he dares to come again, we will make sure he doesn't get away this time."

The monkey readily agreed and then hung up the phone.

The carriage returned to silence, but the previous relaxed atmosphere was gone.

Fang Cheng tossed his phone back into his bag, his brow still furrowed, deep in thought.

"Brother Cheng..."

Lin Chuqiao gripped the man's hand, her slender fingers tightening slightly, her delicate face filled with worry:

"Have the people from Utopia come looking for us again?"

Fang Cheng shook his head, his gaze fixed on the increasingly dense traffic ahead:
"It's still uncertain. The other party only showed up briefly and didn't make a move. Their identity and background are unknown."

Looking at Fang Cheng's solemn profile, Lin Chuqiao bit her lip, a resolute glint flashing in her eyes:
"How about... we go take care of our business first? I'm not that hungry right now anyway..."

"It's alright. Since that person has already left, we'll just be wasting our time if we rush over there now."

Fang Cheng turned his head, gave her a reassuring look, and spoke calmly:
"Besides, didn't you predict it for me? If there were any real danger, you would definitely have sensed it in advance."

Lin Chuqiao was taken aback upon hearing this, then withdrew her hand and nodded:

"That's right. I made a prediction before I left this morning. Your fortune has been stable these past few days, with no unusual signs of danger."

"but……"

A little uneasy, she sat up straight, clasped her hands together, and was about to close her eyes to meditate:
"Just to be on the safe side, I'll test you again now."

"no need."

Fang Cheng raised his hand to stop her movement, his tone decisive:

"Your abilities are very mentally taxing. Last time, you had a headache for two days because you were helping me. Since you've already tested it this morning, there's no need to use it continuously in a short period of time."

Seeing that Lin Chuqiao still wanted to insist, Fang Cheng softened his voice and patiently explained:
"The other party has not yet taken any substantial harmful actions, and it's not even certain whether they are targeting me."

“The old factory street is a mixed place. Maybe it’s just a relative from out of town who got lost, or a tenant looking for a house.”

"We don't need to panic over something uncertain and lose our composure."

Hearing Fang Cheng say that, especially the care he showed for her body, Lin Chuqiao felt a warmth in her heart, and a faint blush rose on her cheeks.

"Okay, whatever you say."

She obediently lowered her hand and softly instructed:
“But we still need to be vigilant. Don’t go back to the tenement building for the next few days. Just let Monkey and the others keep an eye on things.”

"If there's any emergency, be sure to tell me immediately, and I can help."

"Ok, I know."

Fang Cheng nodded and agreed.

But deep down, I wasn't as relaxed as I appeared.

The mysterious man went straight to the ninth floor, stayed for five minutes, and then hurriedly left the old factory street.

This behavior pattern is definitely not as simple as just visiting relatives.

However, since Lin Chuqiao's premonition did not give any warning, it means that at least for the time being, there is no need to rush.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Lin Chuqiao took the initiative to change the subject, looking out the window at the passing street scene and saying:
"By the way, a new private restaurant has opened on Baiyun Street in Jiangdong. I heard the food is really good and the environment is quiet. Why don't we go there and try it?"

Fang Cheng suppressed his doubts and a smile returned to his lips:
"I'll listen to you, you're the star tonight."

After saying that, he lightly turned the steering wheel, and the Land Rover nimbly changed lanes and turned.

In the distance, the setting sun dipped below the horizon, its orange-red glow burning like fire.

Skyscrapers, like a forest of steel and concrete, stand tall in the twilight, with countless neon signs lighting up in a staggered pattern.

The black SUV merged into the traffic and sped off ahead. (End of Chapter)