CHAPTER 272: CHAPTER 272 ORIGINAL SIN 81

Originally, Shuangshuang planned to obtain her university diploma as quickly as possible, but after truly entering Yinghua University, she realized she needed to learn so much more. This university had the best teachers and the largest library, immersing her in a sea of knowledge from which she could not extricate herself, completely forgetting her initial desire to swiftly obtain her diploma.

However, although Shuangshuang no longer intended to skip grades, she never forgot the most important matter: investigating who was responsible for harming her mother, Feng Jinyan!

For this investigation, Shuangshuang was extremely cautious. She prepared a significant amount of funds, intending to hire the most professional private detective because this detective must be able to gather information without alerting the adversary.

It was only when she actually went to find a private detective that Shuangshuang realized she had been too optimistic. This profession was not officially recognized domestically, so while many knew of private detectives, they could not operate openly.

Moreover, the quality of private detectives was highly variable, with many small-time crooks posing as detectives. Finding a genuine private detective was not easy; finding a competent one was even harder.

Shuangshuang needed a private detective with enough experience, patience, and professional ethics to help her uncover the truth of the past year. But the industry was too chaotic, and after a year of searching, she still hadn’t found a suitable candidate.

Finally, another university summer break came, and Shuangshuang once again began her grueling process of selecting a private detective!

After meeting yet another seemingly proper but shifty-eyed private detective, Shuangshuang returned to Red Dust feeling particularly dejected. She lay down in the boat, staring blankly at the water!

After this challenging experience of searching for a private detective, Shuangshuang truly understood the saying, "Knowing is easy, but doing is hard." She had read some novels in the past, and in them, the protagonist could easily find a private detective.

Their private detectives were legitimate and openly operable, and their business skills were so strong that they could uncover any privacy. Their professional ethics were impeccable; one would never worry about being blackmailed with one’s private information after a job was done.

For Shuangshuang, after a year of toil, every private detective she met was either unethical or incompetent. Some even approached her with bad intentions, demanding exorbitant fees upfront to scam a sum first!

Shuangshuang felt a complete loss of will, her ambitious plan to find her mother’s enemy and secretly ruin them was stuck at this initial step for so long!

Shuangshuang thought if she couldn’t find a suitable private detective, she might rely on her lifesaving favor to ask Song Lian to get her into the army to learn reconnaissance skills, and then personally take to the field!

As Shuangshuang lay dejectedly in the boat, staring at the water, she heard a soft laugh. Then a robust yet elderly voice reached her ears, "Young girl, why are you lying there looking so lethargic and defeated? Have you encountered some insurmountable issue?"

Shuangshuang looked up and saw a small boat appear in front of her own, with an elder standing at the bow with his hands behind his back.

The elder was not wearing the traditional garb typically worn when visiting this place. Instead, he wore a loose, casual outfit. He was neat and tidy, exuding a profoundly authoritative aura cultivated from a long-term position of issuing commands!

Behind the elder stood a tall man, ordinary in appearance, wearing a short-sleeve T-shirt with muscular arms exposed.

As a fellow martial artist, Shuangshuang immediately recognized that this man’s muscles were forged through martial arts, truly powerful, unlike the mere showy muscles developed in a gym!

The man stood there, his posture upright, breathing calm and steady, with restrained sharpness in his eyes, clearly an expert. Shuangshuang even felt as if she were facing a dangerous beast, making her heart unknowingly tremble—not out of fear, but from excitement at meeting a worthy opponent!

There’s a sense that experts have, just like how people sense terror even when faced with a stalking beast. This man gave Shuangshuang that feeling.

This was the second time Shuangshuang felt such a dangerous presence. The first was Song Lian, but this man felt even more dangerous! Shuangshuang even suspected that if she were to fight him, it would be a tough battle!

One must know that Shuangshuang’s talent in martial arts was already rare. Song Lian was highly skilled because his father had provided him with private martial arts tutoring combined with grueling special forces training. This man must be equally talented and diligent!

Faced with such a dangerous person, Shuangshuang almost instinctively stood up as soon as she noticed, her body instantly entering a combat-ready state! This wasn’t something Shuangshuang consciously decided to do; it was a reflex triggered by sensing the man’s dangerous vibe.

Seeing Shuangshuang’s reaction, the elder nodded with satisfaction and said, "You young girl are quite alert; no wonder you can spar equally with my son!"

Shuangshuang was full of questions. Sparring equally with his son? When had she fought with someone? She looked at the elder in confusion, "Excuse me, sir, who is your son? I never fight with people!"

The elder smiled, "Never fight, eh? That’s good. Having martial skills but not using them to bully others, this girl has a good nature. My son, you should know well; you once worked together to save people during a disaster!"

Disaster relief! A flash of insight struck Shuangshuang, "Are you the father of Brother Song Lian, Uncle Song?"

As she called out "Uncle," Shuangshuang felt unexplainably awkward, for in fact, given the elder’s age, she should probably call him grandfather. But she and Song Lian were peers, and she had never known that Song Lian was born late in his father’s life. Calling Song Lian’s father grandfather would arbitrarily make Song Lian a generation younger, and facing Song Lian, she’d feel awkward. However, calling him uncle instead of grandfather still felt awkward!

Shuangshuang knew something about the Song Family. In Song Lian’s family, there were two brothers. His father, Song Chengdong, an old soldier, was the elder in front of her. His brother, Song Ming, was also a soldier. Song Lian was still a soldier, indicating that their family was a military aristocratic family.