Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Boss of the Disabled Heroine - Chapter 45

Pei Yujiang froze for a moment before realizing what was happening.

Had Yu Zhiwan’s glass of water not contained sleeping pills? Or had she, like herself, noticed something amiss and refrained from drinking it? But Yu Zhiwan was blind sleeping pills had no taste so how could she have possibly detected them in the water?

As if answering her unspoken question, Yu Zhiwan shook her head the next second and whispered,

“I never accept drinks from strangers.”

After all, she was a beautiful Omega, and being blind made her especially vulnerable in public. Pei Yujiang nodded in agreement with her caution, then remembered Yu Zhiwan couldn’t see the gesture and tugged lightly on her wheelchair instead.

“Stay behind me and be careful.”

Yu Zhiwan responded softly with an “Okay.”

Pei Yujiang found a length of ribbon in the room, tied one end to her belt, and placed the other in Yu Zhiwan’s hand so she could hold onto it, ensuring she wouldn’t lose track of her movements.

At the same time, she carefully pushed the door open.

The long glass corridor shimmered under multicolored lights, scattering rainbow-like fragments across the floor. The glow flowed between the reflections, blurring the outlines of their figures. The moment Pei Yujiang stepped out, she heard voices not far away likely coming from the direction of the restroom.

The restroom was in the opposite direction, so anyone inside wouldn’t be able to see them. But Pei Yujiang quickly realized that Yu Zhiwan’s wheelchair would inevitably make noise as it rolled across the floor. If the other party was alert enough, they’d hear it.

Either way, eavesdropping was awkward. Pei Yujiang was about to suggest they forget it, but when she turned and saw the eager look on the Omega’s face, the words died on her lips.

She pressed a finger to her lips in a silent “shh,” then closed the door until only a narrow gap remained. Returning to Yu Zhiwan’s side, she crouched in front of her and patted the woman’s hands.

Understanding, Yu Zhiwan leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Pei Yujiang’s shoulders, letting herself be carried on her back.

The Omega was light not weightless, but Pei Yujiang was stronger than the average female Beta, so carrying her for a short while was no trouble.

Pei Yujiang hooked her arms under Yu Zhiwan’s thighs to secure her in place, left the door slightly ajar, and then headed toward the restroom.

She chose a good spot close enough to hear some of the conversation but not so near that their presence would be detected. Even if the speakers decided to leave, Pei Yujiang could retreat back into the room in just three quick steps.

But unexpectedly, the conversation wasn’t about anything scandalous.

The first voice belonged to the mutual friend of the Mayor’s wife and Fang Nianjing. Her tone was hushed, making it difficult to catch more than a few key words and fragmented sentences:

“How much for the final payment? Should I have them transfer it to you through multiple accounts like last time?”

The Mayor’s wife quoted a figure, and Pei Yujiang quickly memorized it, a six-digit number.

In the Federation, the average person’s annual salary was around a hundred thousand. This amount started with an eight. Pei Yujiang frowned, only to hear the friend chuckle teasingly:

“Oh? That little?”

“Installments. Have them pay in installments. I’m not that generous, haha.”

The wife of Xiangcheng’s mayor gave a dry chuckle, and the other person laughed along with her. Both of their laughter was restrained, as if afraid of being overheard. After a brief pause, the mayor’s wife continued:

“But if you want more land, it’s not easy to deal with the Land Bureau. The director is a close associate of my husband. If he finds out about this, that stubborn fool might report it to my wife, and then we’d have quite a mess on our hands.”

Her friend grew visibly anxious upon hearing this:

“This isn’t what we agreed on last time.”

“Last time was different. That area was abandoned and unmonitored. I suggested merging three welfare institutions, which already drew some attention. She only approved it because she thought my proposal was considerate of the people’s welfare. With so many welfare institutions in Xiangcheng, she can’t oversee everything. As more issues piled up, she naturally stopped paying attention to the economic development zone.”

The mayor’s wife quickly explained:

“Besides, don’t you remember? I didn’t let you go there immediately you had to wait. If she had taken an interest, your friend’s relatives would’ve had to move out! Or how about buying land in the city instead? My close friend is in real estate development. What’s the point of dealing with sewage? It’s much better to do business in the city.”

The woman’s subsequent words became fragmented, likely lowered to a whisper when discussing confidential matters.

But Pei Yujiang had already grasped the situation. Hearing them gather their belongings, she seized the opportunity to leave.

With long strides, she reached the door in three precise steps. Yu Zhiwan helped push it inward, and Pei Yujiang swiftly closed it behind her, a seamless motion as if rehearsed countless times.

The two fell back into their previous roles with perfect synchronization. Pei Yujiang pretended to be fast asleep, her head lolling against the sofa, legs sprawled inelegantly apart, even emitting soft snores.

Not long after, Pei Yujiang detected faint sounds someone cracking the door open slightly to peer inside. Finding nothing amiss, they carefully closed it again.

After waiting a moment, Pei Yujiang cracked her eyes open and crept forward. Confirming the coast was clear, she tapped Yu Zhiwan.

While feigning sleep, her mind had raced about how to explain this to Yu Zhiwan. For both personal and principled reasons, she didn’t want the female lead involved in such affairs the potential consequences were too dreadful to contemplate.

Regardless of Yu Zhiwan’s stance or whether it aligned with her suspicions, one unshakable thought now anchored Pei Yujiang’s mind:

She wanted to go home.

This longing eclipsed all other desires.

Only much later, in casual conversation, would Pei Yujiang realize this moment marked her ironwood heart trembling to produce a single fragile blossom, a bud nipped cruelly before it could grow, denied nourishment and sunlight.

At this moment, Pei Yujiang understood none of this, nor did she examine her feelings closely.

In her worldview, personal desires could never compete with greater causes. Even if she felt reluctant about Yu Zhiwan, anything potentially hindering their grand mission would be decisively cast aside.

Pei Yujiang swallowed, moistening her parched throat.

“What a wasted trip. I thought they were having an affair, how boring.”

She tried to brush it off, but Yu Zhiwan had never been an easy person to fool. This was something Pei Yujiang had gradually come to realize after spending time with her. Though the blind girl could be naive in some ways, her sharpness in matters like this seemed no less than Pei Yujiang’s own.

Yu Zhiwan’s clear voice soon rang out, her tone lifting slightly with excitement as she firmly countered:

“Why is it boring? They were negotiating a land deal, couldn’t you tell?”

Pei Yujiang: “…”

Of course, Pei Yujiang had noticed. She just hadn’t expected Yu Zhiwan to cut straight to the heart of it, so bluntly.

Land deals were usually the domain of corrupt officials. According to records, Mayor Xiang was a good official, who would’ve thought his wife, a seemingly unremarkable woman, would engage in such dirty dealings behind the scenes? That was far worse than an affair.

If it had just been a private family matter, Pei Yujiang wouldn’t have cared enough to meddle.

What truly concerned her were the words “pollution discharge,” “remote area,” and “orphanage” in their conversation each phrase seemingly linked to the water plant she had been investigating.

From their exchange, she could guess that the friend was likely a middleman, or some kind of “introducer,” connecting Mayor Xiang’s wife with the buyers of the water plant.

Land use rights in Xiang City were publicly documented. Changing factory ownership or industrial projects required layers of approval. But Mayor Xiang’s wife might have had connections to help them bypass regulations either by creating shell accounts or using other means to secure the plant.

The buyers supposedly wanted to make money, but how could a wastewater plant turn profits as quickly as urban businesses?

The more Pei Yujiang listened, the angrier she grew. Even if Mayor Xiang’s wife didn’t fully grasp what they were doing, leveraging family power for illegal land deals was already a blatant violation of the law. And if the problem truly stemmed from that water plant, then Mayor Xiang’s wife was effectively plunging the entire city into disaster committing an unforgivable crime!

She didn’t have time to ponder whether Mayor Xiang knew about his wife’s actions, because Yu Zhiwan had already grabbed her sleeve, shaking it insistently.

“Something this interesting at the very least, Mayor Xiang should know what kind of person his wife is, don’t you think?”

The Omega arched her slender brows, her tone playful, as if discussing something as mundane as the weather.

“Yujiang, what do you think?”

Even though she was blind, she kept her eyes open when speaking. Under the harsh KTV lights, her pale irises shimmered like polished glass.

Yu Zhiwan couldn’t see, so the glare didn’t bother her. Guided by instinct, she turned toward Pei Yujiang, tilting her head up from her wheelchair like a mischievous child demanding an answer.

Pei Yujiang’s breathing slowed, heavy and deliberate, as she leaned down to meet the blind girl’s gaze. She studied Yu Zhiwan intently, letting the silence stretch until the air grew thick with awkwardness.

After their official trip to Ningxiang, Pei Yujiang had mostly called her by affectionate nicknames. But now, for the first time in a while, she addressed her formally.

“Yu Zhiwan.”

Do you know what’s inside that wastewater treatment plant on the outskirts of town?

Her heart skipped a beat, but she still couldn’t bring herself to ask that question. The response to Pei Yujiang came in the form of approaching footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Support