Reversing the Milky Way

Now that the item has been found, it's crucial that Ye Wenbin doesn't discover it. The fact that he cares so much about it, even enlisting his daughter's help, means it must be incredibly valuable. Something that even a vice president with a net worth of hundreds of millions would be so concerned about must be immeasurably valuable.

Thinking this, Bai Cheng began searching for the hidden location of the stone. If he carried it with him, it would definitely be found during a search. The stone was so valuable; that old fox might resort to any means necessary, especially someone like him, new to society with no connections. He never knew when someone might sneak up on him. Then he looked at his suitcase and suddenly his eyes lit up. His suitcase had unusually large handles...

After a while, Bai Cheng looked at his suitcase. Hmm... unless you look closely, there's no flaw. That problem is solved now; only the door handle remains. If he replaces it, the asymmetrical handle on the inside and outside of the door will inevitably arouse suspicion. So, he has to replace the entire handle. Replacing it himself wouldn't be a problem under normal circumstances, since door handles can break. But replacing it at this crucial moment, if Ye Wenbin's men find out, it will inevitably raise suspicion. So, after careful consideration, Bai Cheng called a locksmith to replace the lock, thus avoiding suspicion.

A dozen minutes later, a car bearing the logo of Worry-Free Locksmith pulled up in front of Bai Cheng's building. The apartment complex consisted of three-story buildings, each with two households on each floor, one on the east and one on the west. A row of communal parking spaces in front of the buildings was almost always full. Bai Cheng took the opportunity to half-close his window and carefully observe the cars below. He noticed that the windows of two cars had rolled down as the locksmith came upstairs. It seemed Bai Cheng's suspicions were correct; that old man Ye Wenbin really had people watching him. And this car had been parked in this parking lot for three years! Bai Cheng was startled. Had it started three years ago? That was the year his parents passed away. Thinking of this, Bai Cheng clenched his fist again. Soon, the locksmith arrived at the door and said to Bai Cheng, "Young man, you're here to change your locks, right?"

Bai Cheng replied, "Yes."

The locksmith said, "What kind do you need? We have old-style and new-style locks."

After listening, Bai Cheng pondered for a moment and then asked, "What does the old-style one look like?"

The locksmith responded, "The old-style door uses a traditional handle, while the new one requires fingerprint unlocking, which means the entire door needs to be replaced."

Hearing this, Bai Cheng thought that replacing the entire door might arouse suspicion. Besides, he was moving out today, so why would he need to replace the door for him? He said, "Then I want the old-fashioned one."

The locksmith said, "Okay, it'll be done right away."

A short while later, after the locksmith's work, the doorknob was replaced. Bai Cheng paid 200 yuan, and the locksmith left. Just then, Bai Cheng's phone rang. It was Zhao Cuilan calling. Bai Cheng glanced at the time; it was 10:20 AM. 'So impatient?' he muttered to himself before answering the phone.

"So, Xiao Cheng, today's the last day. What's your decision?"

After hearing this, Bai Cheng replied, "Aunt Zhao, I've made up my mind. Please bring the contract over." Then he hung up the phone.

About half an hour later, the familiar extended sedan pulled up in front of Bai Cheng's building. A man and a woman got out; it was Zhao Cuilan and Ye Wenbin. Ye Wenbin glanced at the parking lot before going upstairs with Zhao Cuilan. Once inside Bai Cheng's home, the three found a place to sit. Zhao Cuilan then said, "Xiao Cheng, you don't need to be in such a rush. If it's really necessary, we can give you a two-day extension." As she spoke, she took a house purchase contract from her bag and placed it on the table.

Seeing this, Bai Cheng felt like a million grass mud horses were running through his mind. Although Zhao Cuilan said that, her actions were very honest, and the professional fake smile on her face made Bai Cheng feel slightly nauseous. At this moment, Ye Wenbin spoke up: "Alright, we agreed beforehand that everything in the house would be left behind, so we need to check your person and your suitcase. If you don't want this million, then pretend I didn't say anything."

After hearing what Ye Wenbin said, Bai Cheng felt somewhat angry, but he forcibly suppressed it. After all, it was a free million, so why not take advantage of it? As for the furniture in the house, it was worth less than 100,000 in total. He said, "Alright, alright, you can check it." His words revealed a hint of impatience, which was to dispel Ye Wenbin's vigilance. After all, if he agreed too readily, it might arouse suspicion.

Ye Wenbin got up and searched Bai Cheng thoroughly, even his shoes. Seeing this, Bai Cheng joked, "I didn't expect Vice President Ye to have this kind of fetish." As soon as he said this, Bai Cheng felt a chill run down his spine. He panicked. This was a man worth billions! He must have a few shady characters working for him. Could he be trying to get rid of me?

Ye Wenbin slowly raised his head, his smile unchanged, but a slight twitch appeared at the corner of his eye, which Bai Cheng noticed. The old man's behavior made Bai Cheng inwardly nauseous, but he couldn't show it. Ye Wenbin then began inspecting Bai Cheng's bag, which contained his usual clothes and personal belongings. Seeing this, Bai Cheng's heart pounded faster, as if the surrounding air had stilled, and he could only hear his own heartbeat. Afraid that Ye Wenbin would notice something amiss, he tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand, to calm himself down.

Ye Wenbin took everything out and carefully inspected it, even feeling around in the suitcase for hidden compartments. After checking, he put everything back.

Then he said, "Alright, since there are no problems, let's sign the contract." He then pulled a bank card from his pocket and added, "There's 400 million in here, and the PIN is six zeros." Bai Cheng didn't waste any words, readily signed the contract, pressed his fingerprint on it, picked up the bank card from the table, and left without looking back.

Seeing that Bai Cheng had already walked away, Ye Wenbin picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said, "Have them all come up." As soon as he finished speaking, three cars in the parking lot downstairs opened their doors, and eight people got out one after another and went upstairs. All of this was seen by Bai Cheng, who was hiding in the shadows.

"Luckily, I wasn't discovered. It seems this Ye Wenbin is no pushover. I need to find a place to stay quickly." With that, he left the residential area, hailed a taxi, and drove away.

Upstairs, Ye Wenbin looked at his eight henchmen and said, "Let's begin." Immediately, the sounds of smashing and breaking came from inside the room. This caused trouble for the downstairs residents, who came up to argue from time to time. However, when they saw the eight burly men inside, they immediately retreated, afraid that if they were too slow, they would cause trouble they shouldn't have.

Meanwhile, Bai Cheng, sitting in the car, drove through the bustling streets of the city center. Shops and cafes on both sides of the street exuded various aromas, and the glass windows of the buildings reflected a shimmering glow, mirroring the city's rhythm. Soon, the car arrived at a real estate agency. His primary concern was finding an apartment convenient for his commute, but properties near the city center weren't cheap. His current apartment complex was older and therefore cheaper, while apartments closer to the city center were all newly built upscale complexes. With 400 million yuan, Bai Cheng could only afford a small 50-square-meter apartment, which wasn't a good option for him in any way.

Moreover, he still needed money to buy furniture, so he had to look at remote areas, even the suburbs. Ultimately, Bai Cheng chose a house far from the city center, practically in the suburbs. Although it seemed far from the city center, transportation was convenient these days, so that wasn't a problem. The main advantage was its low price. However, he couldn't see the house until tomorrow, so he had to make do with a hotel for today. Afterwards, Bai Cheng left the real estate agency and checked into a random hotel.

On the other side, it was already evening. Ye Wenbin looked at the dazzling array of houses, his face filled with impatience and irritability. His eyes were restless and his gaze was uneasy, as if he was enduring unbearable annoyance.

His expression was devoid of any smile; his face had lost its previous gentleness. At this moment, a subordinate named Song Biao approached and said, "Boss, we've searched the entire house, leaving no stone unturned. We've even smashed open the sofa and bed, broken down the floor and walls, but haven't found anything suspicious." Ye Wenbin pinched the bridge of his nose upon hearing this; clearly, this answer didn't satisfy him. He closed his eyes, pondering for a moment, but then wondered if he was wrong? Bai Qingshan hadn't hidden the item in the house, but somewhere else?

Then, with a relaxed expression, he sighed slowly and said, "Alright, everyone go back now." He turned to leave, but as he turned the doorknob to go out, he paused, his eyes involuntarily glancing at the handle. The brand-new doorknob exuded a unique charm and modern feel; its pristine surface had a smooth, delicate texture. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "Has the doorknob in this house been replaced recently?"

Upon hearing this, Song Biao stepped forward and replied, "This morning, a locksmith came and replaced the door handle."

"Where did the handle go?"

At that moment, another henchman handed over a tattered handle. Ye Wenbin's face suddenly contorted with rage upon seeing it; his brows furrowed tightly, a deep line forming between them. *Slap!* A crisp slap echoed throughout the room. "Useless!" Ye Wenbin's face was now contorted, his eyes flashing with a murderous light, as if a flame of destruction burned within them.

“I’m giving you one day to find that bastard and bring me the stuff. That kid probably already knows. If necessary…” Ye Wenbin raised his hand and made a gesture as if drawing lines across his neck. He continued, “If you don’t do it right, none of you are coming back.”

The underlings: "Yes!"

It was around 8 PM. Bai Cheng, who was staying at the hotel, had finished dinner and was lying on the sofa watching TV. The screen was showing the time it took for the electromagnetic storm to pass through the solar system, and the countdown at the bottom of the screen showed 16:11:05. Bai Cheng did a quick calculation and realized it was exactly 12 noon the next day. Tomorrow was also the last day of the five days the fortune teller had mentioned. Of course, he didn't believe in such things; he didn't believe such a coincidence existed. His internship ended tomorrow, and although it wasn't a working day yet, he was going to get a promotion and a raise after tomorrow.

Bai Cheng glanced at the suitcase again. Although he had already brought the stone with him, he didn't dare to take it out easily. After all, it was probably very valuable, and there might be hidden cameras in the hotel, which would be troublesome. Those who know, know; Bai Cheng had seen those videos before, and they were quite entertaining. Thinking of this, Bai Cheng stopped thinking about it and went to bed early. That night, as expected, Bai Cheng fell into that dream again. The scenes in the dream were clearer and felt more real.

The next morning, Bai Cheng hailed a taxi and headed to the outskirts. Unbeknownst to him, three other cars were following behind. These were the same three cars that had been lurking outside Bai Cheng's building, monitoring him. Inside were the same eight men from the previous day. At that moment, one of the men in one of the cars said, "Brother Biao, this kid's courting death. We thought he'd make a move at the hotel, but there were too many people there. We didn't expect him to run off to the outskirts himself. Now we don't have to dispose of the body." As he finished speaking, a man beside him was playing with a pistol, a bright red handprint on his left cheek, and bloodshot eyes. His face was contorted with rage.

"When we get there, I'm going to teach this kid a lesson. I'm going to make him pay for the humiliation I suffered tenfold."

He wiped the gun in his hand and put it away. An hour later, after a long journey, Bai Cheng finally arrived at his destination. A strong rural atmosphere greeted him; old houses nestled among flowers and vines stretched as far as the eye could see. Paths wound through verdant farmland, flanked by lush green trees and fragrant flowers, creating a picturesque rural scene. Many agricultural machines were busy working in the fields, and a crystal-clear stream flowed gently through the countryside.

Seeing this, Bai Cheng was dumbfounded; "This isn't the suburbs, this is practically the countryside!" He had to admit, real estate agents these days are really unreliable. They promised the suburbs, but it's suddenly in the countryside. Just then, a simply dressed man with a thick gold chain around his neck approached, looking somewhat shifty. The man said, "Mr. Bai Cheng, right? I'm from XX Real Estate Agency. Let me show you a house now."

"Didn't we agree to go to the suburbs? Why did you come to the countryside?"

"Yes, it's the outskirts of the city. Isn't this the outskirts?"

Bai Cheng rolled his eyes after hearing this. Since he was already here, he might as well take a look. At this moment, the man continued, "Don't be fooled by this being the outskirts of the city. The environment here is beautiful, with lush mountains and clear waters, and a place where outstanding people gather! How about I take you to see the houses first?" He then pointed to a hillside not far away, where some houses were situated. They didn't look very tall and appeared to be single-story houses.

After the two left, three cars slowly pulled up behind them, and eight people got out one after another. Leading them was Song Biao, who took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and said, "He really did find himself a good spot."