Hidden moth

Chapter 6 The Magic Pendant

He Kao's rented apartment had already been searched more than once, leaving even his underwear untouched. He Kao's family home, a three-story building with a courtyard in Pugang Town, JB District, had also been thoroughly searched inside and out.

While searching the small building, Qian Guran felt something was amiss, and this only reinforced his own judgment. Although he was a sorcerer, his academic credentials were genuine; he was indeed a doctorate from the School of Architecture at Chunhua University.

That small building must have been specially designed; it's unlike any other house around it. Originally called Puhu Village, it was renamed Pugang Town a few years ago. To the old Qiyuan people, it's the countryside.

When people in the countryside build a house, no one will ask a design institute to draw up a blueprint, and they don’t even have the concept of design fees. They just make a rough request, and the engineering team will do all the work.

Foremen often have a number of ready-made blueprints, copied from somewhere or from previously built houses, that they can offer to homeowners to choose from. Consequently, it's common to see self-built houses in rural areas often appear in the same few styles, with little variation.

However, the design of that three-story building is very reasonable in the arrangement of various usage areas, and the building materials even exceed national standards. This is obviously unnecessary for a mere three-story building.

Especially on the third floor, there is a very strange small room. The door opens into a large room, but there is no window. The walls are bare and there is not even a light. The walls are even stronger than the load-bearing walls of ordinary buildings.

It was a secret room that didn't look like a secret room. Could it be a private vault? Unfortunately, the renovations weren't finished yet.

Qian was indeed suspicious, as that was a node for the hidden moth to enter and exit, so he tried to be as secretive as possible. As long as the door was closed, no one would know what he was doing inside or whether he disappeared and reappeared.

There was another thing that made Qian Guran want to complain. The main room on the first floor was filled with a large number of flammable and explosive dangerous goods, such as fireworks and firecrackers set off during the New Year.

What are you trying to do? Even if the house is solid, you can't tear it down yourself. Moreover, storing these things without permission is illegal as long as the quantity is large!

Although Qian certainly didn't report it, he had to be cautious when searching the house.

There are three floors above and below, as well as front and back yards. He even checked the soil in the yard. Although he has the ability to sense and project information, it is not a job that can be completed in one day to ensure that nothing is missed.

During the last inspection, which was about three days ago, Qian Guran suddenly discovered that someone seemed to have been here, and there were some new traces that were not there last time.

Either He Kao had used the ability of the hidden moth to come back, or someone else had also set his eyes on this place with the same purpose as him, which made Qian Gu feel a sense of urgency.

But an old hand must keep his composure when doing things. It would be best if he could get the hidden moth's thing, but even if he couldn't get it, there would be no loss. He must make sure before taking action and do things thoroughly.

Otherwise, even if he got the things, it would be difficult to escape, and being targeted would be even more troublesome. He is not the only extraordinary person in the world...

While he was preparing himself mentally, Qian Guran noticed that He Kao finally got up from the toilet, washed up and went to bed. There was nothing unusual and he was still wearing the pendant.

Qian Guran also discovered a habitual action of He Kao, which was to hold the pendant in his hand and turn it over before going to sleep.

At around two o'clock, Qian was sure that He Kao had fallen asleep, and he seemed to be sleeping soundly. It was not difficult to tell whether a person was fast asleep, lightly asleep, or awake with his eyes closed by using the art of observing qi.

He had just been telling himself to stay calm, but now he seemed to be possessed by some unknown force.

There was a surveillance camera in the corridor, but Qian Gu had already tampered with it. He quietly came to the door of Apartment 0912. It was an electronic lock that could be entered with a password or a card.

The room card is in the hands of the administrator, and residents also have one, and they usually set their own password after checking in. After such a long period of secret observation, Qian had already learned the password and obtained a copy of the room card, and had entered and exited the room many times.

At this moment he was using an induction card, because the electronic sound of pressing the password would be louder and would sound six times in a row, while swiping the card would only produce a simple induction unlocking sound.

There should have been an electronic voice prompt of "Door open", but he had broken this function. Normally, no one would care as long as it did not affect the normal use of the switch.

The lock was opened, Qian Guran gently pressed down the door handle and then slowly lifted it up, trying not to make any sound...but at this moment his face suddenly changed and he quickly slipped back to his apartment.

He Kao suddenly woke up from his sleep and subconsciously touched the pendant on his chest. He seemed to have heard the sound of the door lock being opened, but he was not sure, as if it was an illusion.

He opened his eyes and found that the room was not particularly dark because he forgot to draw the curtains before going to bed. The light pollution in modern big cities at night was too serious.

Just then, he heard the door lock, this time for real! Could it be that he hadn't locked it properly before going to bed? In this case, even the slightest disturbance, like a gust of wind, would cause the door to lock automatically.

But He Kao remembered very clearly that he had locked the door. He immediately got out of bed and walked barefoot to the door. He looked through the peephole into the corridor outside, but saw nothing. In the dim light, he could only hear the sound of his own heartbeat.

Qian, who was also standing behind the door of his apartment, frowned. Could it be that He Kao was a leopard? He was so alert even when sleeping that he was startled by such a faint sound?
No, the problem should be with the pendant! When he got close to it tonight, Qian Guran realized that the pendant should be a treasure, as if it could calm the mind.

He Kao was sleeping soundly, and Qian Guran was very aware of it, otherwise he would not have rashly entered the room. However, He Kao's reaction made Qian Guran realize that the pendant seemed to have a warning function.

More precisely, it has a "malicious detection" function. When someone approaches with malicious intent, it will trigger a certain induction in the wearer. He Kao is just an ordinary person, so he probably doesn't understand the mystery of it.
This was a bit of a problem. Although Qian had originally intended to take the pendant and "study" it while He Kao was asleep, it was difficult to do so now.

With Qian Guran's ability, it is not impossible for him to capture He Kao and interrogate him, but he does not want to do that.

The sorcerer has magical powers, but he also has taboos. If he directly captures He Kao and snatches this item, he will not only expose himself, but also will not be a qualified strategist.

The practice of each technique has its own rules, and each level of advancement is like a ritual. If you don't follow these rules, you may not only lose the possibility of advancement, but it will also become an excuse for your fellow practitioners to deal with you.

So Qian certainly didn't want to do that, at least not personally. It would be best to think of other, more clever ways. If that didn't work, he could only drug He Kao.

Giving medicine is the worst option, and whether it violates the principles of diplomacy is unclear.

He Kao woke up the next day feeling fine, though still a little tired, having slept so little the previous day. After some thought, he opened his phone and asked for half a day off from his job, having already mentioned his discomfort the previous day.

Gao Xue'e did not make things difficult for him this time. She asked him to have a good rest and take care of his health. In fact, the project team's attendance was not strict and the working hours were flexible. As long as he completed the task as planned, it would be fine.

Unfortunately, this flexibility mostly meant overtime, and today was He Kao's first absence since joining. He took another nap, then waited until Qian Guran should have arrived and started work before leaving. Qian Guran had just started yesterday, so it was unlikely he'd be absent today, which gave He Kao an opportunity to investigate him. He Kao went to the Zhima Apartment management office and found Xiao Hu, who worked in the rental and sales department.

His purpose for coming was simple: he felt his current apartment was a bit small and wanted to move to a bigger one. He had already chosen a room, which was 0915 diagonally across the street.

He Kao came to rent an apartment last month, and it was Xiao Hu who met him and showed him around. Sesame Apartment didn't have many rooms available, so Xiao Hu took him directly to Room 0912 in Building . He Kao was straightforward; if he was satisfied, he rented it right away.

However, Xiao Hu strongly recommended 0915 diagonally opposite, saying that this apartment is not only spacious, but also has a good orientation and a great view. It is very rare that it has just been vacated. Although the rent is a bit expensive, it is worth the money.

He Kao said he wanted to save some money, so he booked 0912. Xiao Hu's sales pitch was unsuccessful, and he even muttered, "You'll know when you move in. A small house is really inconvenient. Are you going to give up on dating?"

This is what He Kao said today. He told Xiao Hu that after moving in, he felt that the apartment was indeed a bit small, and that the 0915 apartment that Xiao Hu had recommended was better. He wondered if he could switch to this larger apartment?
Xiao Hu patted the folder and said, "I didn't lie to you! I had good intentions at the beginning and was afraid you would misunderstand me. Unfortunately, 0915 has already been rented out, the day after you rented 0912! It's okay, I'll help you check the other two-bedroom apartment."

He Kao: "No, I don't want to make it too much trouble. I just want 0915 and rent it out."

He had already gotten the information he wanted, and he wasn't really looking for a bigger apartment. At this point, Xiao Hu looked up regretfully and said, "There aren't any two-bedroom units available yet. Wait a little longer, and I'll let you know when they become available."

He Kao was about to leave when he heard Xiao Hu mutter, "What a coincidence! The floor you rented originally had several empty units, but it quickly became full."

Upon hearing this, He Kao changed his mind and said, "What about the one-bedroom apartment? It would be better to change to another building."

Xiao Hu checked on his computer and said, "Yes, they do. They're in Building 2, Building 3, and Building 5. They have different floors and different orientations. You can pick one yourself. If you're trading in a smaller apartment for a larger one, it won't count as a breach of contract. You just need to pay the deposit and rent."

"But we have a rule that we must collect at least a full month's rent. You've only lived in this apartment for a month and a half. If you move out now, the remaining half month's rent will still be deducted as usual."

He Kao: "What if I move in half a month?"

Xiao Hu: "Then I can't guarantee that the apartment you picked out today will still be there."

He Kao: "That's it, I'll rent the new apartment today, and I'll move out of the current one in half a month."

Xiao Hu smiled and shook his head, "You're such a calculating person! You calculate everything so meticulously!"

Sesame Apartments have always been in high demand, but a month and a half ago, there were still several vacant apartments on the floor where He Kao rented, which means that there were almost no apartments left over in all five apartment buildings.

Building No. 1 is indeed not that good. The lighting and view are the worst in Sesame Apartments. The ninth floor is an awkward location. You can't avoid the noise and dust on the ground, and the light pollution from across the street can shine directly into the windows.

He Kao was inexperienced at the time, and since there weren't many vacancies in other buildings, Xiao Hu took him there and rented a place right away. But now he learned that Qian Gu had rented the apartment across the street the day after he rented the place, and then all the vacancies on that floor were rented out one after another.

Could it be that besides Qian Guran, there were other new tenants who were equally suspicious? Regardless of whether this was true or not, He Kao no longer wanted to live in his current apartment and took this opportunity to move on, using the excuse that 0912 was too small.

Even though it would cost an extra 1,500 yuan per month to move from a studio apartment to a one-bedroom apartment, He Kao gritted his teeth and accepted the expense. He specifically chose a floor that was almost completely occupied, with only the last apartment remaining, which happened to be in the same building as Huang Xiaopang.

It was already noon when he finished the formalities. He Kao was not in a hurry to move. He didn't have much stuff anyway, and he could live in the old apartment for another half a month. He saw that he could still catch the company's buffet lunch, so he walked to the company to eat.

While walking on the road, he was still thinking about the hidden moth. At this moment, the phone suddenly vibrated. He took it out and saw that it was his aunt's number. He Kao frowned but still answered it.

"Hey, Xiaokao, are you coming back this week?"

"I have something to do at the company, so I won't be going back."

"Then when will you come back?"

"I'm afraid I'm quite busy these days and can't go back for the time being."

The eldest aunt's voice was a little hesitant, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just said, "Okay, keep busy. When you come back, be sure to let me know in advance. I'll ask your uncle to make something delicious."

He Kao was stunned for a moment, then after thinking for a while, he asked, "Aunt, what's the matter?"

Aunt: "No, it's nothing. I just wanted to ask because you haven't been home for a long time!" Then she hung up in a hurry.

He Kao was holding the phone, feeling a little confused for a moment, and subconsciously touched the pendant on his chest through his clothes.

Before yesterday afternoon, he was a typical "nothing to do" person, but in the blink of an eye, various incidents came one after another, making it almost impossible for him to react.

The so-called people with nothing to do do not necessarily have nothing to do. Just like He Kao, he seems to be very busy going to and from get off work every day, but in fact he does not need to worry too much. It seems that he is just running along a pre-arranged track.

But he accidentally heard a recording yesterday, in which he not only heard about the existence of hidden moths in the world, but also about a secret past of his father and the bizarre experience of the company's director Gao Xue'e.

Then he inexplicably became suspicious of his new colleague, always feeling that someone was watching him in the dark, which made him a little suspicious. He deliberately found an excuse to change apartments, and at the same time became more convinced of his suspicions.

As a result, the eldest aunt called again for no apparent reason. He Kao could guess with his heels that something must have happened to the eldest aunt. This matter must be related to him, and it was not a good thing!
Don't ask why, this is just an intuition, because he knows his aunt too well. His aunt asked him if he would go back in the near future, which means that this incident happened in his hometown in nine out of ten cases. His aunt may have done something secretly, and if he goes back, it will be exposed.

So when she heard that he wouldn't be coming home in the near future, her aunt seemed relieved, thinking that she could keep it a secret, and hung up the phone without saying anything.

At this moment, a person suddenly jumped out from the green belt nearby. He Kao was startled and patted his chest and said, "Why are you so elusive? Why are you hiding in a tree nest for no reason?"

**
(End of this chapter)