Chapter 123: Finding Someone

"Xu Yong?"

"Yes, that's him, one of the co-founders of Baidu. However, he left the company at the end of last year."

Li Dong thought for a moment and vaguely recalled hearing about someone like that.

"Where is he now?"

Gu Honglou sighed, "I really don't know. After leaving Baidu, Xu Yong just disappeared. Some say he went to the U.S., others say he's still in Beijing. There are plenty of rumors, but no one knows for sure."

Li Dong frowned. How is he supposed to find someone like that? Even if Xu Yong is still in Beijing, with a population of millions, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Gu Honglou, equally frustrated, reminded him, "You could try asking the police or immigration records, or even hire a private investigator."

"Finding Xu Yong means I can buy the shares?" Li Dong asked again.

Finding someone is doable, especially since Xu Yong isn't exactly a nobody. With enough money, there's a good chance he could be located. But what if, after all that effort and expense, Xu Yong refuses to sell the shares?

"I can't guarantee that."

Gu Honglou quickly distanced himself from any guarantees. If finding Xu Yong would definitely result in a sale, he wouldn't have hesitated to pursue the deal himself. But with such uncertainty, he preferred not to risk wasting time and resources.

Though the chances seemed slim, Gu Honglou offered some hope, "There's a possibility. It's said that before he left Baidu, Xu Yong sold some of his shares, and even after he left, he continued to sell small amounts."

Li Dong pondered for a while. Regardless of the odds, he had to try. He couldn't just give up without even meeting the person; that would make all his prior efforts worthless. Besides, if Xu Yong had sold shares before, he might be willing to sell more at the right price.

After a few more words with Gu Honglou, Li Dong ended the call. Deep in thought, he wondered how he could find Xu Yong.

In Beijing, he didn't have many connections. He needed time to pull strings, but time was precisely what he was lacking.

After considering his options, Li Dong decided to hire a private investigator. Dealing with them usually just requires money, and sometimes they're even more efficient than the police.

However, the private investigation industry is rife with frauds. Li Dong didn't mind losing money as much as he feared wasting time.

He thought about asking Gu Honglou to recommend one or two trustworthy investigators, but it was late, and he didn't want to bother him again.

...

The next day, Li Dong woke up early. When he stepped out of his bedroom, he saw Zhou Haidong and Zheng Long already working out. Judging by their sweaty appearance, they must have been at it for a while.

Seeing Li Dong, Zhou Haidong quickly said, "Mr. Li, I've brought breakfast up for you."

Li Dong nodded and started eating a bun. After finishing breakfast, he checked the time and called Gu Honglou to ask about private investigators.

Since it was a small favor, Gu Honglou didn't hesitate and directly recommended two reputable detective agencies to Li Dong.

After a quick clean-up, Li Dong took Zhou Haidong and Zheng Long and left the room.

Coincidentally, as they were heading downstairs, they ran into Hu Yue in the lobby.

Hu Yue was accompanying a mature woman in her thirties. When she saw Li Dong, Hu Yue smiled and nodded without speaking.

Li Dong assumed that the mature woman was Hu Yue's boss. Without engaging in small talk, he returned the smile and continued walking out.

After Li Dong and his companions left the lobby, the mature woman asked, "You know him?"

Hu Yue nodded, though her expression was a bit stiff. "A junior high school classmate."

In her mind, however, she was thinking, *Classmate, my foot!*

Last night, she had called several classmates from junior high, and none of them had ever heard of Li Dong. It was one thing for a few people to forget, but for everyone to have no recollection of him at all was suspicious.

Hu Yue was now certain that Li Dong was an impostor, not their classmate at all. As for why Li Dong was deceiving Lin Yang, Hu Yue hadn't figured it out yet, but she definitely needed to warn Lin Yang.

After all, when someone is overly eager to help without any apparent reason, they usually have ulterior motives.

Lin Yang was just a worker, and judging by Li Dong's appearance, he wasn't out to scam him for money. That only left one possibility: he was after Lin Yang for other reasons.

This thought gave Hu Yue a shiver. Who would have thought that Li Dong, who seemed so clean-cut, would be interested in something like that?

The mature woman, however, didn't notice Hu Yue's change in expression. Instead, she thoughtfully remarked, "Your classmate isn't simple. If you can, try to keep a good relationship with him."

Hu Yue was puzzled.

Others might not know her boss's wealth, but Hu Yue had a vague idea. She knew Li Dong had money, but not enough to warrant this level of attention from her boss.

The mature woman noticed Hu Yue's confusion but didn't explain further.

These days, the only people who hire bodyguards are those worth millions. Li Dong looked young and didn't have the aura of a wealthy second-generation heir, which made his situation all the more intriguing.

While others might not see it, she, being in business herself and with some success, could see things more clearly than Hu Yue.

...

Of the two detective agencies recommended by Gu Honglou, one was called "Baishi," and the other "Xinhong."

Since Baishi was in the CY district and Xinhong was in the HD district, Li Dong decided to visit Baishi first. Following the address provided by Gu Honglou, he found the private detective agency.

After hearing Li Dong's request, the person in charge at Baishi hesitated, "Mr. Li, the information you've provided is quite limited. It might take a bit longer..."

Before he could finish, Li Dong interrupted, "How long?"

"At least seven days!"

Li Dong didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at the man and asked, "And if I pay more?"

The man at Baishi gave a wry smile, "That depends on how much you're willing to pay. The tighter the deadline, the more resources we'll need to mobilize."

"Thirty thousand. How long will it take?"

Normally, finding someone costs anywhere from a few thousand to ten thousand yuan. Thirty thousand wasn't a small sum.

"Three days!" the man at Baishi replied without hesitation.

Li Dong nodded and said, "Then three days it is. I'll pay once you find the person."

The man at Baishi didn't argue or ask for a deposit. As long as they found the person, they weren't worried about not getting paid.

After leaving Baishi, Li Dong had Zhou Haidong drive to Haidian, where he found the other detective agency, Xinhong.

He made the same request with the same price, and the response was also three days.

Li Dong decided to hire both agencies to avoid any potential mistakes. It wasn't worth risking a major opportunity to save a little money.

By the time he finished, it was already noon.

Li Dong checked his phone and, after some thought, said to Zhou Haidong, "Take me to Peking University."

He hadn't informed Qin Yuhan that he was coming to Beijing, but since he was already here, it only made sense to visit her.