KUNLUN – The Little Lotus

Chapter Five

The call ended, and the man immediately continued following Lianhua. The young observer silently watched as Lianhua reached the checkout, paid for everything, then calmly pulled two large reusable shopping bags from her backpack. She packed every purchase with remarkable precision, distributing the weight evenly before lifting both bags with ease. Her backpack rested securely on her shoulders while she carried one heavy bag in each hand. The young man couldn't help smiling faintly. The little girl looked as though a strong breeze could knock her over. That smile vanished as soon as she left the supermarket. Throughout the entire time, not a single emotion had appeared on her face. She simply continued walking, one quiet, measured step after another, while the man followed several meters behind. Eventually she entered a gated residential community guarded by a security officer. After showing her identification, she was allowed inside without difficulty and continued walking toward her new home. The stalker attempted to enter after her, but the guard stepped in front of him. "Sir, I only want to verify whether I know that little girl," the man explained. The guard shook his head. "Visitors must be registered." "Could you at least tell me her name?" "I'm sorry," the guard replied firmly. "We do not disclose information about our residents." Watching everything from a distance, the young observer finally relaxed. At least the girl was safe inside.

He had just turned to leave when a black limousine stopped outside the gate. The stalker immediately hurried toward it and bowed respectfully as the rear door opened. "She went inside." A tall, slender young man stepped out of the limousine and strode directly toward the security guard. Holding out a thick bundle of cash, he asked, "Where does the girl live?" The guard calmly shook his head. "I am not permitted to disclose information about our residents." No matter how much money was offered or how insistently the young man questioned him, the answer never changed. Eventually the guard simply retreated into his booth. The silent observer frowned. Why were two different groups suddenly interested in one little girl? What exactly did they want from her? Fortunately, one of his comrades happened to own a house inside this very neighborhood. Taking out his phone, he quickly sent a message. Only minutes later, a Jeep drove up from inside the residential community and stopped sharply beside him. A cheerful young man jumped out with a broad grin. "Boss! This is a rare surprise." Bo Tian merely glanced at him. He had always been the quiet type, while his companion, Yu Feng, never seemed capable of speaking softly. "Let's go." Both men climbed into the Jeep, and Yu Feng drove toward his house at the far end of the neighborhood, where the forest began. Across the street stood only one other property, a villa surrounded by a tall wooden fence unlike any other house in the community. As Yu Feng parked, his eyes wandered across the road and suddenly widened. "Unbelievable... Someone actually bought that house." Bo Tian looked at him calmly. "And that's enough to get you excited?" Even so, he glanced across the street himself. The front gate stood open. A small moving van was parked outside while several cleaners loaded their equipment back into the vehicle. At that moment, movement caught the corner of his eye. Lianhua quietly walked toward the house with her backpack on her shoulders and a heavy shopping bag in each hand. The workers noticed her immediately. An older woman hurried over with a warm smile, gently taking one of the bags before calling another cleaner to help with the second. Lianhua gave them a small, respectful bow. "Thank you very much."Together they carried the shopping bags through the gate and set them down in the front garden. Lianhua slipped the backpack from her shoulders, reached inside, and took out several envelopes. She handed one to each member of the cleaning crew before bowing politely once more. "Thank you very much for your hard work." The older woman accepted the envelope with both hands, her eyes widening slightly at its weight. "Miss, this is too much..." Lianhua gently shook her head. "You worked hard. Please accept it." Seeing that she had no intention of taking the envelopes back, the workers thanked her repeatedly before climbing into the van. Once they had left, Lianhua quietly closed the wooden gate behind them. Across the street, Bo Tian's view of the property disappeared as the gate shut. He turned toward Yu Feng. "Do you know who that little girl is?" Feng shook his head. "Why?" Tian frowned slightly before recounting everything he had witnessed since the supermarket. Feng's expression gradually became serious. "But she's just a little girl. Why would two different groups be following someone like her?" Tian shrugged. "I don't know. But look at her. She's so thin. How is she supposed to defend herself with those little arms and legs?" He fell silent for a moment before another thought occurred to him. "We don't have an assignment right now. Why don't we stay here for a few days and keep an eye on her?" Feng blinked. "Seriously?" "I don't know why," Tian admitted honestly. "I just have a bad feeling." After another brief silence he asked, "If you had just moved your family into a completely unfamiliar city, would you let your daughter go shopping by herself?" Feng immediately shook his head. "Absolutely not. Unknown surroundings are always dangerous." Tian nodded. "Exactly. But that little girl went shopping alone, carried everything home by herself, and even tipped the cleaning crew. So where are her parents?"Still deep in thought, the two men entered Feng's house. Tian sat down on the sofa opposite the large front window overlooking the tall wooden fence surrounding the villa across the street. Opening his laptop, he accessed the security system connected to Feng's exterior cameras and quietly observed the neighboring property. Only a few moments later, surprise flashed across his normally expressionless face. "She's alone." Feng looked up from the kitchen in confusion. "Boss... why are you suddenly so interested in that little girl?" Tian leaned back slightly, his eyes never leaving the screen. "She has... something about her." He frowned as if trying to understand it himself. "I can't explain it. I just can't ignore her." At that moment his phone rang. He answered immediately, speaking only a few quiet sentences before ending the call. The warmth disappeared from his face, replaced by the calm, distant expression his team knew so well whenever work was involved. Looking at Feng, he said, "Call everyone. We have an assignment."