Taboo Mage - Chapter 235 - Conspiracy Theory

The person we were familiar with, whom we had met not long ago, was none other than Xu Benzhang.

Seeing Xu Benzhang in this place didn’t surprise me at all. After all, Xu Benzhang was known for dining on the company’s dime, so he’d naturally choose the most expensive places. However, the coincidence of running into him here was still a bit odd.

“What’s up? Why are you staring at some guy? Haven’t seen you in a few days and you’ve gone gay?” Chi Rui, sitting across from me, followed my gaze and teased with a grin.

I rolled my eyes, discreetly pointing a finger at Xu Benzhang not far away. “Zhou Qifang, look! Isn’t that Xu Benzhang?”

Zhou Qifang, who usually didn’t bother with his surroundings, glanced in the direction I indicated and replied indifferently, “Yeah, the first time we met Xu Benzhang was here too. It’s normal for him to be here.”

“Huh? You guys know him?”

“Yeah, we just saw him a couple of days ago.” I lowered my voice and gave Chi Rui a brief rundown of what had happened during his absence.

Chi Rui’s eyes widened as he listened, finally exclaiming, “This guy’s really something, isn’t he?”

I chuckled and continued, “He’s okay, but his mom, she’s the real piece of work.”

I knew it wasn’t right to speak ill of someone who was already halfway into the grave, but I was never one to hold back my temper. Especially not with Xu Benzhang right in front of me. Just thinking about how they behaved back then made my anger flare up.

Chi Rui asked me some questions about the events, and I answered absentmindedly while keeping an eye on Xu Benzhang.

Suddenly, I squinted, taking a closer look at Xu Benzhang. “Zhou Qifang, something’s off.”

“What’s off? Can you stop being so paranoid, like an old woman?” Zhou Qifang frowned, clearly annoyed.

I patted his shoulder and said, “Look at Xu Benzhang. He’s not wearing the life amulet I gave him.”

“Hmm?”

Hearing this, Zhou Qifang finally took another look at Xu Benzhang. After a moment, he frowned and said, “You’re right, it’s not there. Could it be that Xu Benzhang gave the life amulet to his mother?”

Chi Rui glanced between us and said, “Why couldn’t he have just thrown it away?”

“I…” I opened my mouth, unsure how to respond.

What Chi Rui said might not be entirely without reason, but it was the most likely scenario. Could it be that Xu Benzhang really threw the life amulet away? The thought of it made my blood boil. That jerk! I went through so much trouble to ensure a good outcome, and he just tosses it aside like that?

“Hold on, look at the person next to him.”

I was about to stand up in anger when Zhou Qifang pulled me back down.

Thankfully, the hotel was bustling with lunchtime chatter, so my outburst wasn’t too loud and didn’t attract attention from anyone other than Zhou Qifang and Chi Rui.

Following Zhou Qifang’s advice, I sat back down and scrutinized the man sitting with Xu Benzhang. He wasn’t alone; there was an older man with a receding hairline, slightly overweight, wearing glasses perched on his nose.

Judging by his appearance, he seemed like the type who’d either be a corrupt official or a company leader exploiting his workers.

“What, you know this guy too?” Chi Rui rolled his eyes, sounding indifferent.

Zhou Qifang ignored Chi Rui and pulled out his phone, quickly finding a photo and placing it in front of us.

“Look, is it the same person?”

I glanced at the phone, then at the man sitting across from Xu Benzhang, and confidently said, “It’s the same person!”

I was so sure because his physique and appearance were highly distinctive.

“Wow, you really know him, Zhou Qifang. You’ve only been back a few months and already know so many big shots?” Chi Rui blurted out.

“Shut up!” Zhou Qifang finally snapped, glaring at Chi Rui before continuing, “That man is Li Mi’s so-called lover, Boss Hu, Hu Zhipeng.”

“What the heck? Hu Zhipeng? What’s he doing with Xu Benzhang?” My frown deepened, sensing that this situation might not be as straightforward as it seemed.

“Who’s this Hu Zhipeng?” Chi Rui, unaware of the Li Mi situation, was curious and couldn’t help but ask.

I gave him a brief explanation, and after hearing it, Chi Rui’s playful expression vanished. He turned to look at Xu Benzhang and Hu Zhipeng, then said coldly, “Could this whole thing be a setup from the start, just waiting for you to fall into it?”

“I don’t know, but at the very least, there’s more to this than meets the eye. One coincidence is chance, but two is a pattern.” Zhou Qifang smirked coldly.

“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled.

“Think about it. If Xu Benzhang is really connected to Hu Zhipeng, why would they show up now, just when we’re here? Do you really think there are such coincidences in the world?”

“But our decision to eat here was made on the spur of the moment. Even if they had someone planted around us, they couldn’t have gotten such precise information,” I argued.

The conspiracy theory was a bit too terrifying. I trusted Zhou Qifang’s judgment, but such things were hard for me to accept back home.

Chi Rui waved his hand dismissively. “You never know, maybe they planted a bug in your house. Stuff like that happens in movies all the time.”

“Shut up!” Zhou Qifang hissed at Chi Rui.

Chi Rui pouted but said nothing more.

The table fell into an awkward silence.

I rubbed my chin, my eyes never leaving Xu Benzhang and Hu Zhipeng. Something felt off, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea we can try!” Suddenly, Chi Rui leaned forward, whispering.

“What idea?” Zhou Qifang, always skeptical of Chi Rui, glanced at him with impatience.