Chapter 102 – WC, Ice!
“Hahahaha!”
Watching the screen where Yi Ning looked completely chuuni, Lu Zheng burst into laughter again.
Even after laughing, he still didn’t feel satisfied. He pulled a USB drive out of his pocket and plugged it into the computer port, planning to copy this segment and take it with him.
Who knows when it might come in handy someday?
Besides, a hilarious video like this—wouldn’t it be a waste not to share and savor it together with Yi Ning at some point?
Ideally, after he once again thwarted one of Yi Ning’s evil plots, he would pin her to the couch, forcibly turn her face—
And publicly shame her while enjoying all the awkward “oyster” sounds of embarrassment she made.
Wouldn’t that be delightful?
Thinking this, Lu Zheng moved the mouse and began operating.
But just as he was about to copy the video to the USB, his hand paused.
Was this really the right thing to do?
Lu Zheng’s moral compass and his sense of duty as a hero stopped him.
He had entered Yi Ning’s base solely to search for clues about that Freedom Alliance guy. Beyond that, he shouldn’t be seeking any other gains from the opportunity.
Besides, the way he got into the base wasn’t exactly aboveboard.
Although Yi Ning opened the door for him, that was only because he took advantage of his status as her friend, causing her to misunderstand his real purpose.
As a hero, under no circumstances should he use this for personal gain.
At that moment, Lu Zheng was as saintly as a Buddha.
He let go of the mouse, bent down to pull the USB drive from the tower, and reopened the surveillance footage.
Even though Yi Ning followed up her Kamen Rider No.1 henshin pose with a continuous series of other transformation stances, Lu Zheng resolutely hit the fast-forward button.
Time was tight—how could he afford to waste any more of it on watching Yi Ning’s string of chuuni performances?
Well, mostly, he was afraid if he kept watching, he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to permanently save these videos.
Lu Zheng crossed his arms and rested his chin on them atop the desk, eyes glued to the surveillance footage speeding forward.
Until a sudden close-up of a face on the screen startled him.
“Oh my god!”
Lu Zheng quickly hit pause.
Yi Ning again.
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow.
He couldn’t quite figure out what Yi Ning was doing, leaning into the camera like that.
To satisfy a bit of his curiosity, Lu Zheng rewound the footage a little.
On-screen, Yi Ning once again poked her little head out of the base’s main door.
After confirming no one was around, she carried a ladder over to the camera, climbed up, and shoved her face right into it, then began pulling silly faces.
Yes.
She was making funny faces.
Yi Ning stood there making faces at the camera for several minutes, stopping only when she seemed to get bored.
Then, still leaning on the ladder, she pulled out her phone, looked at the screen, and covered her mouth with one hand, giggling “hee hee.”
No idea what she was laughing at.
Lu Zheng propped his head up with a hand.
Soon, a careless tilt of Yi Ning’s screen revealed the answer.
She was watching the recording of herself making all those goofy faces at the camera.
Were evil scientists this free nowadays?
Sure, it wasn’t work hours, but did this kind of behavior suit an evil scientist at all?
Lu Zheng rubbed his temples and prepared to fast-forward again.
But before he could, Yi Ning moved again.
She tapped twice on her screen, then pointed the phone’s livestream of the surveillance footage right at the surveillance camera itself.
The screen immediately formed an infinite mirror effect.
Yi Ning.
Are you a mischievous child?
Lu Zheng hit fast-forward.
Fortunately, Yi Ning’s interest in the camera seemed to be fully spent. She didn’t reappear to do anything else weird.
The footage returned to the usual unchanging scenery in front of the base door.
Just as Lu Zheng was starting to nod off watching, a truck appeared on screen.
Lu Zheng perked up immediately, quickly switching the playback to normal speed, and glanced at the time stamp at the top of the footage.
09:00 A.M.
Yi Ning’s official work hours.
If someone wanted to find her, this would be the right time.
Lu Zheng focused intently on the man in the truck’s driver’s seat, noting his appearance.
Was this the Freedom Alliance guy?
He zoomed in on the man using the mouse.
Then took out his phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to Ms. Qiu Yu at the Hero Association.
While continuing to watch the surveillance, he also opened his call log and dialed Qiu Yu.
The call connected quickly.
“Where are you now?”
“It’s already past Yi Ning’s off-duty time—why aren’t you back yet?”
“And your car and helmet—did you bring them back?”
Before Lu Zheng could speak, Ms. Qiu Yu hit him with a death combo of three questions.
“Uh…”
Lu Zheng blinked, unsure where to begin.
After a moment’s thought, he decided to answer the first question.
“I’m still at Yi Ning’s base.”
“Huh?”
Qiu Yu’s tone shot up eight decibels.
Still at Yi Ning’s base?
So comfortable there you can’t even be bothered to return to the Hero Association?
Qiu Yu felt a sour taste in her mouth.
“You—”
She opened her mouth, just about to ask more questions, when Lu Zheng cut her off directly.
“I’m investigating that Freedom Alliance guy. I sent you a photo—help me look into it.”
Hearing that, Qiu Yu’s rationality snapped back into place.
Now wasn’t the time for romantic drama.
“I got it.”
She nodded, hung up, looked at the photo Lu Zheng had sent, and forwarded it to the information department staff to assist with the investigation.
Meanwhile,
Lu Zheng was still seated, watching the footage.
The man driving the truck skillfully parked off to the side, then stepped out of the cab and took out a small notebook. He walked to Yi Ning’s door and rang the bell.
Soon.
Yi Ning opened the door.
The two began chatting familiarly.
Lu Zheng supported his chin with one hand and zoomed in on their interaction, trying to decipher their conversation using his limited lip-reading skills.
Unfortunately, due to the angle—and his very shallow grasp of lip reading—he could only barely pick out a few words: “goods,” “rest assured,” “pure,” “price.”
“Hiss—”
Lu Zheng drew a sharp breath.
Put together, those words were serious.
They could imply all kinds of crimes worthy of execution!
His mind began to conjure up all sorts of inappropriate imagery.
Could it be...
Ice?