I snagged a bargain in a melodramatic novel and became incredibly wealthy!

Chapter 39 Memory Card

On the island, no one can leave without Shen He's permission, but the degree of freedom is much higher than outside. No matter where you go, there are always people watching you.

Cai Yi sat on the sandy beach with his hands wrapped around his knees, his head buried in his knees, with Xiao Baihua beside him.

The two sat quietly, the salty sea breeze blowing through their black hair, the waves pushing them up and down beneath their feet.

"The desire for wealth..."

Xiao Baihua opened her lips, but hesitated to speak. She didn't know how to comfort her. Given their identities, having killed someone... they would likely be dismissed by their families and dealt with according to the law.

She looked at the silent Caiyi, her eyes shining. She wanted to help her, but she couldn't bring herself to say that she was the one who killed the person, that she... and her parents.

Her face showed a struggle, and after a long while she whispered, "Caiyi... can you help me take care of my mom and dad?"

Caiyi did not raise his head; he remained silent.

“Caiyi, no one saw you kill him. After everything is over, no one will know. The drug cartel’s statements are not reliable. As long as you don’t say anything, no one will know that you killed him.”

"The desire for wealth!"

Xiao Baihua didn't want Caiyi to sink into stagnant water; she still preferred that lively, cheerful, brave, and resolute girl.

Cai Yi's voice was terribly hoarse, as if it had been polished by rough stones, extremely grating: "Killing someone is killing someone, not killing someone is not killing someone."

"But there's nothing you can do in that situation! If you don't kill him, we'll all die there, and we're not even sure if that guy is a cop!"

Xiao Baihua looked puzzled. She just wanted to find a decent job to support her parents, not such a dangerous job where life and death were uncertain.

Others might think she's selfish, but she is inherently selfish. The premise of helping others without expecting anything in return is not to harm herself, but now she's going to die... and Caiyi might die too.

She donated simply because she believed her family wouldn't harm her, but rather treated her as a citizen and a partner.

“Xiao Baihua, you can’t have this thought. You’re a member of the Special Operations Department. You can’t think like this.”

Cai Yi's dark eyes shone like stars as he stared directly at Xiao Baihua, as if piercing her soul.

She rarely called her by her name properly, so she was serious.

Xiao Baihua lowered her head dejectedly. She knew she shouldn't think like that, but she still said, "Aren't you scared? I finally managed to get back to a normal life, and now..."

Caiyi looked up at the starry night sky, where the bright moon hung high, illuminating the quiet and dark island.

Her voice was hoarse, but firm: "No one is unafraid of death. If they are not, it must be because they have never been in close contact with death."

You know... when that person died, their warm blood splattered on my hands, filling me with utter terror. It wasn't the terror of being forced to die, but the terror of what he... had given me even at the cost of his own life.

The sounds behind her were as faint as willow catkins; if the island's night hadn't been so quiet, Xiao Baihua thought she probably wouldn't have heard them.

Her brows furrowed, and she instinctively asked, "...What do you mean?"

Caiyi stretched out her hand, her slender, sallow fingers spread out, and in the middle of her soft palm was a small memory card, still stained with mottled bloodstains.

That was the cop—no, he should be called a narcotics officer. He lunged forward and grabbed her hand. In the instant the memory card slipped into her palm, he pointed the gun at his own heart and shot himself dead. The warm blood couldn't extinguish the burning passion in his heart. His bulging eyes shone with an astonishing light. The fear in his heart dissipated, replaced by an indescribable joy.

His fear stemmed from his inability to deliver the message, but now that he knew someone could deliver it for him, he felt no fear, only a sense of relief and even joy.

Caiyi clenched her fists, trembling uncontrollably. Everyone thought she was afraid. Yes, she was afraid at first, and then she was terrified that she couldn't fulfill his last wish.

I'm afraid of whether I can handle this task.

Xiao Baihua remained silent. She reached out, not daring to touch the memory card stained with mottled blood in Cai Yi's palm.

Her voice was hoarse: "...Is he a policeman?"

Caiyi nodded, tightened his fingers, and clenched his fist: "Yes, he's still so young, isn't he afraid?... But what he's afraid of is that he won't be able to pass this memory card home even if he dies, so once we're in the Special Operations Department, we can't be afraid."

Otherwise, everyone here will die, whether innocent or not.

Xiao Baihua nodded without saying anything. It was her fault for being despicable; she would adjust her mindset.

"The most urgent thing now is to find Wei Yan. Only he has a tablet computer, and I have to see what's on it."

Caiyi sneezed. After a day of fright, coupled with the sea breeze blowing late at night, she had the illusion that she was about to catch a cold.

When she and Xiao Baihua got back, they drank several cups of hot water to ward off the chill.

At this critical juncture, catching a cold can be fatal.

But they couldn't contact Wei Yan and Shan He at all.

The two spent the last few days wandering around the island, looking for Wei Yan and Shan He, but they couldn't find them.

Instead, Tang Ning came knocking on their door again.

Tang Ning's face was cold, and her tone was displeased: "It's just killing a cop, do you two really need to rest for so many days?"

Cai Yi waved his hand, looking nervous and frightened: "I've rested enough, I've rested enough. What are your orders, Sister Tang?"

Xiao Baihua followed with a look of fear and dread.

Tang Ning felt extremely satisfied. Apart from Shen He, most people here had to treat her with utmost respect. She enjoyed her current life, but she also had some worries and anxieties.

We need to finish these deals as soon as possible, then we can take the opportunity to persuade Shen He to retire from his criminal activities, and the two of us won't have to live in constant fear.

She smiled with satisfaction and said to Xiao Baihua, "Go and prepare an outfit for me, just like last time, something that will catch Shen He's eye. Otherwise, you know the consequences, understand?"

Xiao Baihua nodded obediently and went to Tang Ning's bedroom. Tang Ning's bedroom was much larger than their group dormitory. It was an apartment-style house, small but complete.

Xiao Baihua didn't know if there were any surveillance cameras, so she didn't dare to rummage around in other places. She obediently walked to the wardrobe, opened it, scanned the clothes one by one, and carefully selected a workwear-style outfit.

As she reached for her clothes and grabbed the hanger hook, the memory card was neatly and decisively embedded in the top of the gap in the wardrobe.

Cai Yi said that they shouldn't keep this on their person until they find Wei Yan. They need to use instruments to check for it when doing missions here. If it's detected, their fate won't be much better than that of the anti-drug police officer.

Judging from Tang Ning's expression, he must have a big business deal with them today.

You absolutely must not leave this memory card on your person.