Chapter 186

「……」

Seeing Amy's smile freeze on her face, then her hand instinctively reach up to touch her chest, Li Ang's lips twitched involuntarily, and his toes curled reflexively.

To prevent any more lethal remarks from the inner room from pushing the current awkwardness to new heights, Li Ang quickly stood up, opened the door to his room, and proactively invited:

"How about… we talk in my room?"

"Okay…"

Upon hearing Li Ang's invitation, the girl with the doll-like face blushed slightly, nodded quickly, picked up her shopping bag again, and followed Li Ang into his room.

Once Li Ang slammed the door shut, locking out all the embarrassing keywords—"papaya soup," "size," "sister-in-law"—Amy finally exhaled in relief and looked at Li Ang with a hint of embarrassment:

"Mr. Li Ang, I came here this time because I still want to invite you to visit our home. You saved me from the Masai family—you're a great benefactor to us. My parents both want to meet you!"

If it weren't for my mother still being unwell and my father needing to care for her while managing the company, they would've come with me this time. Please believe us—we truly just want to thank you properly!"

"This… I'm sorry."

Looking at Amy, whose eyes never left his, her sincerity practically radiating, Li Ang hesitated, then spoke:

"I'm not refusing out of obstinacy—my work has just been extremely busy lately. I don't even always make it home at night, and after speaking with Anna for a few minutes, I'll have to rush right back to the bureau. I simply have no time right now."

"Then… I understand. Sorry to bother you."

After her heartfelt invitation was rejected again, the doll-faced girl's head dipped slightly, a deep look of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

Clenching her fists with quiet determination, she didn't press further to change his mind. Instead, she lifted her head again, her eyes filled with hopeful anticipation:

"Mr. Li Ang, is there anything I can help you with in your work? Oh! Please don't misunderstand—I'm not trying to force you to visit our home."

It's just… since you're too busy to accept our thanks in person, at least let me do something within my power, so we can have a chance to show our gratitude. Is that alright?"

"This…"

Looking at the doll-faced girl, her posture humble, her large, watery eyes brimming with sincerity, Li Ang found it hard to refuse. After a moment's hesitation, he said:

"Lately, our bureau has been tracking rebels, but their movements are extremely hard to pin down. Even the Police Department's Secret Investigation Bureau has no leads. If your family has any way to help, could you keep an eye out for them?"

"Hmm… but please don't do anything else—just observe. Those rebels have some things you can't possibly fight against."

Rebels?

Hearing Li Ang's words, Amy blinked, as if recalling something.

After a brief pause, she whispered:

"About the rebels… our family's department store used to have some connection with them. If you're looking for them, we might actually be able to help."

Oh? An unexpected gain?

Surprised, Li Ang raised an eyebrow. Originally planning to see her off quickly, he took a deep breath, then invited her to sit on the only bed in the room, while he pulled over a small stool to face her, his expression serious:

"Miss Amy, could you tell me more details?"

"Ah? Of course!"

Looking at Li Ang, sitting solemnly across from her, his bright, sharp eyes fixed intently on her, the doll-faced girl suddenly felt nervous, unsure where to put her hands or feet.

Mr. Li Ang… is truly a capable and reliable man.

Watching the calm, focused man before her—his clothes cheap, yet radiating an undeniable, magnetic aura—Amy, filled with admiration, gently bit her lower lip, then began to speak:

"Mr. Li Ang, our family runs the largest department store in the capital—you probably know that, right?"

"Yes, and the prices are the lowest."

"Exactly. Beyond being the largest, cheapest, and most widely distributed, our store also carries the most complete range of goods."

"My father, as vice-chairman of the Merchants' Guild, has strong ties with the Lower House and several departments, securing sales licenses for nearly every category of goods. Before the capital's full firearms ban, we even sold small quantities of several modified firearms with drastically reduced range…"

After briefly outlining the features of Char Department Store, the doll-faced girl strained to recall:

"Just before the capital's full firearms ban took effect, someone took advantage of our store still carrying them and bought nearly a hundred civilian nail guns across more than ten branches, in batches."

"My father feared these people might use these weapons to cause trouble and implicate Char Department Store, so he investigated. He was shocked to discover that, beyond the guns, these individuals had been doing business with us for years."

My father worried these people might misuse these weapons and implicate our Charle Baihuo, so he investigated—and was stunned to discover that, besides these firearms, these suspicious individuals had been doing business with our family for many years.

Li Ang frowned:

"Are these people the rebels? So they bought many nail guns from Char Department Store?"

"Actually, not many nail guns."

Amy shook her head:

"My father is cautious. Even though selling firearms was profitable, he never stocked them in large quantities—only a few counters in a few stable branches."

"What these people bought in large amounts were ordinary supplies: seasonal clothing, oil, salt, sugar, alcohol, quilts, blankets, food, utensils, and so on."

"Not once or twice, but consistently, over a long period—clothing twice a year, oil and salt every one to two months, fresh food bought in bulk every week."

After recounting her father's findings, Amy looked at Li Ang, who now seemed to understand, and continued:

"To this day, their purchases haven't stopped. My father calculated the total quantities and found they're enough to sustain seven or eight hundred people normally. In the busiest half-year, it reached the level needed for a thousand."

"The terrifying part is, this group of nearly a thousand people never drew any attention—unless they suddenly bought a large number of nail guns right before the firearms ban, which caught my father's eye, no one would've ever noticed them."

"After discovering the anomaly, my father, being cautious, didn't make direct contact—but after comparing news reports on rebel activity with changes in their supply consumption, he deduced their identity."

And after my father discovered the anomaly, though out of caution he avoided close contact with them, he still deduced the identity of these people by comparing news about the rebels' activities with changes in their supply consumption.