Chapter 529: Buying Clothes for My Dad!

Everyone began to split up and take on their tasks.

Ying Yuezi followed Xiao Gang and Old Hu to the beach, though clearly reluctant. They spent fifty yuan to rent some gear and then got straight to work. 

As she pulled on her waterproof suit, Ying Yuezi couldn’t help but feel a wave of amazement. She looked down at the raincoat she was wearing, then over at the two men working diligently not far away.

You couldn’t even see the identity wristbands anymore—not a trace. Even though they were hidden, it made sense for the wristbands to be hidden.

Even if a program inspector walked right up to them, it would be hard to spot anything suspicious.

The two were completely focused on their work.

Only Wang Yun could’ve come up with this kind of idea.

“He really is a genius,” Ying Yuezi murmured, shaking her head with a sigh before bending down and throwing herself into the task at hand.

***

Meanwhile, Old Zhou and Thirteen wandered leisurely through town, both wearing hats.

They were posing as a father and son on vacation. Their warm, familial behavior made it nearly impossible for any program inspector passing by to grow suspicious. After all, Old Zhou looked far too old to be a fugitive participant, and Thirteen, with his cold and emotionless expression, didn’t resemble one either.

That was the point—Wang Yun arranged for them to roam freely in public precisely because their identities wouldn’t be easily exposed. Apart from the staff, even someone like Zhao Youcheng wouldn’t be able to recognize them.

As luck would have it, Old Zhou and Thirteen really did cross paths with Zhao Youcheng while out on the street.

“Thirteen, have you memorized the layout of these two rows of shops yet?” Old Zhou asked in a low voice as they strolled along.

He moved slowly, but Thirteen always stayed a step or two ahead, which made Old Zhou worry. This pace was all just a blur to him. How could he possibly remember everything?

Especially two whole rows of shops? That was asking too much.

“I can.”

Just as Old Zhou was beginning to worry, Thirteen nodded calmly.

His fingers were constantly tracing something in his palm, and Old Zhou’s position carefully shielded the wrist with the identity band.

Old Zhou kept both hands in his pockets at all times, all to make sure nothing suspicious was exposed.

“Uncle Zhou.”

Old Zhou was just about to say something when Thirteen suddenly came to a halt.

Then, without warning, he grabbed Old Zhou’s arm and pulled him into a nearby clothing store.

“Welcome! What can I help you with today?” A shop assistant stepped forward with a smile after giving them a quick once-over.

“Huh? Thirteen, are you buying clothes?” Old Zhou was baffled. Why drag me into a shop out of nowhere?

Not to mention, it was a suit store. Not exactly their style, and judging by the décor, it looked expensive.

“That one,” Thirteen said, ignoring the question. He pointed at a tailored suit displayed on a mannequin. “It’s for my dad.”

“Of course. One moment.” The assistant turned to retrieve the suit.

Old Zhou instinctively raised a hand to decline, but when he looked at Thirteen’s face, the words caught in his throat.

Thirteen’s expression was unusually tense, nervous even.

It reminded Old Zhou of the first time he’d seen the boy in the airport VIP lounge. Back then, everyone had been nervous about meeting Wang Yun for the first time, so it had seemed normal.

But now… it was odd. And the way Thirteen had just called him “Dad”?

Old Zhou turned slightly to glance outside, only to have his sleeve tugged firmly.

Thirteen gave a small shake of his head. Even a fool would understand by now: someone was watching.

“Inspectors outside?” Old Zhou whispered.

Thirteen gave a single, tight nod, lips pressed into a thin line. His eyes were flickering, alert—but he never once looked toward the entrance. He turned his body instead, using his wristband-marked hand to idly touch each suit on display, making sure to hide the mark behind the fabric.

The moment Old Zhou caught on, he didn’t wait for the assistant to say anything. He took the suit and walked straight into the fitting room.

Just as he closed the curtain, he caught a clear glimpse of three men lingering outside the shop.

They were scanning the area, eyes alert. And one of them looked very familiar.

But who? He couldn’t recall immediately.

“Sir, how’s the fit?” the assistant called cheerfully into the fitting room. “Your son has a great eye; that suit is one of our finest pieces.”

***

Outside the curtain, Zhao Youcheng had just turned around, catching the tail end of her sentence.

He hadn’t come here to shop; he was investigating whether any of the shops were covert fronts.

He’d already uncovered one.

The last store had been a barbershop on the ground floor, but upstairs turned out to be a hidden café with private booths and sky-high prices. Obviously, no one was there just for coffee.

Having learned from that, Zhao Youcheng began inspecting every store in turn.

This current clothing shop had caught his eye because the last one had looked similar, empty and suspicious. That one had a secret door leading to an underground gambling den.

Looking closely, the clothing here was also quite worn and outdated.

“Sir, are you looking for a suit?” The assistant turned toward the front of the store, finally noticing the new guests.

Three men had just entered.

The man at the front looked wealthy, like a perfect target customer.

With a bright smile, she immediately shifted her focus to him, abandoning Old Zhou entirely. She had no idea that this new arrival was Zhao Youcheng himself, here to search for hidden fugitive activity.