Rebirth: He Decides to Lie Flat
Chapter 252 - 252 249 A Thief in the Night (Third Watch)

Chapter 252: Chapter 249: A Thief in the Night (Third Watch) Chapter 252: Chapter 249: A Thief in the Night (Third Watch) At night, Yang Yan shared a bed with Yang Dan. After putting the child to sleep, the two sisters lay in the quilt, chatting.

“Dad’s cashmere sweater is so soft, and your handiwork is getting better and better. You can even knit such complicated patterns, but why did you make it so big?”

Yang Dan cast down her eyes and perfunctorily replied, “Dad’s getting older, he likes wearing loose clothes.”

As they were true sisters, Yang Yan could tell from her expression that she wasn’t telling the truth and teased her, “Dan Dan, this sweater’s color and style seem to suit young people. Didn’t you knit it for a male classmate? Tell me, is there someone you like?”

“Not at all, don’t talk nonsense, sis.”

Yang Dan’s anxious denial only confirmed that Yang Yan had hit the nail on the head.

“Look at you, what’s there to hide from your sister? Besides, you’re already twenty, it’s perfectly normal to have a love interest. Come on, tell me, is it a high school or a college classmate? Is he handsome? Why haven’t you given him the sweater? Is it because it doesn’t fit, or is there another reason?”

Why hadn’t she given it away?

Because it could never be given away.

From the beginning of knitting the sweater, she knew she shouldn’t be doing so, but her hands acted on their own, and she ended up staying up late to finish the sweater anyway.

She hated Qiao Yuning because she had struck upon her secret pains. What she hated even more was herself. Why hadn’t she crushed these feelings at the start?

“Dan Dan?”

“Let’s not talk about it, sis, he… he has someone he likes.”

Yang Yan paused, then sighed, “If that’s the case, you should stay away from him. You’re still young. If you don’t see him or think about him for a while, you’ll be able to forget him soon. Dan Dan, listen to your sister, in the future you must find someone who likes you more than you like him. That’s the only way you won’t be bullied later on.”

Yang Dan reached out to hold her sister’s hand, her thumb caressing the rough back of her hand, and spoke softly, “You’re overthinking it, sis. I have so many things to keep me busy every day, with studying and working taking up all my time. I don’t have the time to think about him. Besides, for people like us, love is too much of a luxury. First, I have to take care of putting food on the table before I can afford to spend any time and energy on anything else. As for you—”

“Sis, what I’ve always been worried about is you. You need to stand up for yourself and not be so weak. You see, mom and dad seem meek, but if you’re truly bullied, like if Hen Changchun hits you, do you think dad wouldn’t dare to take a knife to him? They’re just too used to being compliant and aren’t used to arguing, but that doesn’t mean they’re incapable. You don’t have to worry about causing trouble for mom and dad. They want you to be happy, not to live a life swallowing grievances. You understand?”

Yang Yan couldn’t help but feel her eyes welling up with tears again. She nodded gently, choking up, “I understand. You also shouldn’t work too much. Focus on your studies, after all, you are still a student. Don’t worry, I won’t give my money to Hen Changchun anymore. I’ll save up. I will for sure help you with your tuition next year.”

“No need, it’s enough that you keep it for yourself.”

The sisters talked until the middle of the night before falling asleep. In a daze, Yang Dan couldn’t resist telling her sister about the boy she started liking in her senior year of high school. He was very tall, and his smile didn’t look kind. He always teased her deskmate, and later she found out he liked her. She was always protected by him; no matter what, his eyes were only for her.

But the problem was, she liked her deskmate too.

This revelation completely baffled Yang Yan. So you not only like that boy, but you also like the girl he likes; how could… According to the principle of like charges repelling, shouldn’t you dislike that girl?

Is young people’s love these days so… broad?

Watching her sister who had fallen asleep, Yang Yan also closed her eyes in peace. She felt that Dan Dan’s feelings for that boy might not be love at all, or perhaps not deep enough, certainly less than the fondness she felt for that girl.

That’s good!

….

At the same time, under the dozing security guard’s watch, three figures quietly passed through the main gate and snuck into the garage at Xinyu Residential Area 101.

“First, take down the surveillance camera.”

In front of the door near the garage, one dark figure motioned upwards to another, taller and skinnier one. Under the dim glow of the streetlight, a blinking red light was visible, indicating that the surveillance camera was functioning normally.

The tall, lanky figure stealthily approached the wall and, once he was behind the camera, rose on his tiptoes and reached up. His hand touched the camera and then he yanked it down forcefully.

With a snap, the camera was torn off.

“It’s done, pick the lock.”

The shorter one, who had spoken earlier, took out two pliers-like tools from his backpack, prompting the other to quietly ask, “Why not try with a wire first?”

Using a wire to poke into the keyhole was something they often did; it was convenient and easy as the lock would pop open with just a poke.

That’s why it was strange to see his partner go straight for the pliers.

“This lock can’t be poked open, I’ve tried,” he said.

No one knew where it was bought; this kind of lock was not seen on the market.

After fiddling for a while, there was a loud “snap”, and the lock was broken with the pliers.

“There, open the door.”

Seeing this, the dark figure waiting by the side hurriedly pushed the sliding doors apart. They thought everything was going smoothly until, halfway through the push, a “beep beep beep beep beep….” sound started coming from perhaps alongside or above the door.

Though not particularly loud, the sound was starkly clear in the silent night, and to the three men, it was as alarming as a police siren.

“Where’s it coming from, shut it off fast!”

The tall one was jumping from unease, and the figure pushing the door quickly withdrew his hand, but the beeping continued, growing louder.

“What do we do? Should we bail?”

Unable to locate the source of the sound, staying any longer was a sure way to get caught.

The shadows glanced warily towards the gatehouse. Thankfully, the bitter cold of winter meant the door was shut tight, and the elderly security guard inside was sleeping so soundly that he didn’t hear a peep from their direction.

The three men felt slightly relieved.

“Look for it, and quick!”

Having gone this far, the shorter man was reluctant to retreat. After all, they had torn off the camera and cut the lock. Anyone would realize a burglary attempt had occurred, and if so, it would be much harder for them to return another time.

The group frantically searched on both sides of the gate following the sound, oblivious to the fact that a light had turned on in a second-floor room above the garage.

The second brother dialed 110 first, and then, while putting on his clothes, watched on the computer as the men looked for the source of the noise. Unfortunately, the device that was making the noise had been cleverly hidden and rigged by his brother, making it difficult to dismantle. Most crucially, after dismantling one, it would trigger an alarm at a second location, then after dismantling the second, a third alarm would be triggered, and so on with a fourth.

If they could find and successfully dismantle all four, the second brother would really be impressed!

As expected, it took the men quite a while to find the small device emitting the noise, and then they violently smashed it to bits with some heavy blows.

If they couldn’t dismantle it, smashing was the only option!