Chapter 418: The Situation Is Dire, Go Underground

Wei Ming had known about the census long ago; the "Third National Census Regulations" had been issued at the start of the year, and Peking University had even established a dedicated Census Work Leadership Group, with Feng Ge as a member.

Wei Ming also knew this would be China's first time processing all census data and records using electronic computers.

Wei Ming had heard this news early too, which was why he slowed down his search for his aunt—he planned to go to Sichuan later and use his reputation to get locals to check how many people matched the name "Xu Shujie."

See if he could filter out his aunt using big data.

At that moment, Wei Ming and the other two heard the voice of the neighborhood committee auntie—and it wasn't just one person; there might even be police from the nearby station. Wei Ming immediately thought of next year's Thunder Operation.

Xue Jie and Lin Jie were even more nervous; their current situation was impossible to explain!

Wei Ming was the first to calm down. He picked up his luggage and said, "I'll hide. You two handle them."

Zhu Lin called out, "Coming, coming!"

Then she walked out slowly, trying to buy time, while Gong Ying quickly tidied the house, erasing all traces of Wei Ming's presence—luckily, there were no photos of Wei Ming displayed anywhere.

Zhu Lin opened the door. Outside were not only the auntie but also police officers from the precinct, all of whom recognized Zhu Lin; one shy young officer even blurted out, "Du Shiniang!"

He had just watched that movie yesterday; his expression was wildly excited, as if to say, "I've finally seen a real one!"

Zhu Lin smiled and said, "I'm actress Zhu Lin. You're here for the census, right?"

"Mm," the lead auntie with the clipboard peered suspiciously inside and asked, "You live here alone in such a big house?"

Facing this suspicious auntie, Zhu Lin replied calmly, "Oh, I don't live here. This is my friend's place."

Just then, Gong Ying walked out from inside, towel drying her hair, giving the impression she'd just finished washing it.

"Auntie, hello. This house is mine. Please come in," Gong Ying said.

The group didn't hesitate—they walked right in—but Gong Ying had no intention of inviting them further; they stayed talking in the outer courtyard.

The auntie was displeased; she wanted to look around. She asked, "How many people live here?"

Gong Ying: "Just me for now, but Zhu Lin often comes over to keep me company, and cultural circle friends visit regularly."

"Was this house passed down from your ancestors?" the auntie asked again. Originally it was just a census, but now she'd spotted something suspicious—she had to get answers, no matter if you were a big star.

Both Zhu Lin and Gong Ying sensed this woman was difficult to deal with.

Gong Ying said, "No, we bought it."

"Bought it? You could afford this two-courtyard mansion?" The neighborhood auntie perked up—this had to be suspicious.

They'd already prepared their answer: "I couldn't afford it, but I have a relative in the U. . my aunt in San Francisco. She's quite well-off and gave me money to settle down in my work city."

Hearing Gong Ying had overseas connections, the others present felt a touch of envy. By now, after so many years of reform and opening, overseas ties weren't shameful anymore—having foreign currency could even earn you extra respect.

The officer said, "Auntie Tong, aren't we here for the census? Let's hurry up—we've got many more households to cover."

"I know, I know, but I've got to ask clearly," Auntie Tong snapped, then asked, "Is your household registration here?"

Gong Ying: "No, it's registered with my unit—Beijing Film Studio."

Auntie Tong snapped her notebook shut, annoyed: "Wasted my time. Let's go."

The young officer said, "Comrade Gong Ying, your unit will handle the statistics later—just fill out whatever they ask you to."

"Oh, okay, thank you," Gong Ying wiped her hair, making the officer stare blankly; he glanced at Zhu Lin, suddenly finding it hard to choose.

After seeing them off, Gong Ying and Zhu Lin exchanged a look, only speaking once they were inside the inner courtyard.

Gong Ying: "That scared me to death—I was terrified someone would spot Xiao Wei coming here and we couldn't explain it."

Zhu Lin: "Didn't you already say cultural friends often visit? That covers it."

Gong Ying sighed: "The census is such a nuisance. I lived here over a month without anyone noticing me, and now I feel exposed to everyone."

Zhu Lin: "Mainly because Auntie Tong was so persistent."

As they spoke, they walked inside. Gong Ying called out, "Xiao Wei, come out."

No response. They searched for a while, then noticed the bookshelf had been moved. They opened the hidden room and found Wei Ming fast asleep, sprawled on top of the safe.

Zhu Lin chuckled and nudged him: "You're that tired?"

Wei Ming opened his eyes, stretched his arms and legs: "On the train, hard seat—how could I sleep well? I didn't sleep at all. Stayed up all night reading magazines."

The round-trip had worn him out, and both Gong Ying and Zhu Lin felt heartbroken—they helped him out, urged him to lie down and rest, and the two good sisters tended to him as he settled into bed.

After lying down, Wei Ming asked, "What did they ask?"

Gong Ying: "Nothing much. The unit will handle the stats later—just sleep. I'll cook you something nice tonight."

Wei Ming pouted: "I can't sleep alone."

Gong Ying rolled her eyes: "You only can't sleep when there are too many people."

Zhu Lin smiled: "Why don't you lie down with him? I'll go make something to eat."

Gong Ying nodded: "Fine, I'll lie with him until he falls asleep, then I'll leave."

With Wei Ming nestled in her arms, he finally slept soundly and drifted off quickly.

After about three or four hours, before dark, Wei Ming woke up automatically—no one was beside him.

He went out and saw Gong Ying and Zhu Lin lying together in another bedroom. Neither was asleep—they were voicing their fears, and Wei Ming overheard them.

Their relationship was already illegitimate, and now with three of them tangled together—if the neighborhood committee caught them in the act, all three would be ruined, with no face left to show in public.

Wei Ming leapt onto the bed and squeezed between the two sisters: "So you're scared of this? Looks like the neighborhood committee folks are just too curious."