Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 241: Why Persist

Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Why Persist

They were worried that Gu Fan and his team were already known to the mysterious force, and were under surveillance. The moment Gu Fan impersonated Lei Haichen to enter the Elite Club he certainly would attract attention, hence, they wouldn’t be able to find out about the key people inside.

So Zhuo Hang got someone of Lei Haichen’s age from above to impersonate him, entering the Elite Club tonight pretending to be a first-timer, making small talk with the other members.

Zhuo Hang, Su Hui, and some others were staking out the place from outside. Their goal tonight was to gain an understanding of this Elite Club and plan the next steps based on what they learned.

Gu Fan insisted on being there to confirm something. He didn’t specify what it was but was adamant about it, implying that he’d come even if Zhuo Hang and Su Hui didn’t want him to.

Seeing Gu Fan’s sickly state, Su Hui attempted to persuade him to go home and rest. But Gu Fan was determined. Su Hui knew that it would be futile to persuade him more and believed that Gu Fan had a good reason for doing so.

The person impersonating Lei Haichen had already been inside for an hour, meeting people from all sorts of professions. He could see the yearning for future prospects in the eyes of these individuals likewise at the grassroots level, their thirst for resources and connections. Perhaps the Elite Club leverages on this aspect.

Then a figure resembling a manager appeared. He warmly greeted everyone, gave a speech mainly thanking them for their presence, promising not to disappoint. He also shared about the Club’s philosophy of generating results exponentially by consolidating limited abilities of the grassroots level and ensuring that no member would feel insignificant due to the vast resources at their disposal.

His words were convincing, spurring some newcomers to consider pledging their allegiance to the Club.

The impersonator moved around the club after the speech, attempting to ascertain if there were any higher-ranking personnel present. Also, he inquired if the man who gave the speech was the highest authority there.

The three-hour gathering ended and after everyone left, Zhuo Hang and Su Hui escorted the impersonator back for an emergency debriefing at their secret base. If they confirmed the highest authority of the club, then they can start surveillance.

But Gu Fan disagreed. He reasoned that the club divided its members into three tiers - grassroots, middle and top. This was a gathering for the grassroots members and it was unlikely that the most senior club executive would attend. More investigation was needed.

Although Zhuo Hang and Su Hui agreed with Gu Fan, the question was how to proceed with more investigation.

While pondering, Gu Fan thought of someone and decided to call Luo Jingrong. They exchanged a few niceties before getting to the point.

To Gu Fan’s delight, Luo Jingrong had received an invitation from the Elite Club but hadn’t joined due to his hectic schedule. He was clueless as to how Gu Fan had come to know of it.

That was great news, Gu Fan immediately asked Luo Jingrong to visit the club the following night expressing his interest in joining but only after a prior telephonic appointment.

Luo Jingrong didn’t know what Gu Fan was up to but found it intriguing and agreed. During the call, he noticed that Gu Fan’s voice sounded weaker than usual.

Gu Fan brushed off Luo Jingrong’s concern, reassuring him his condition was not serious and would recover soon. However, he had been sick for a few days already.

"Oh my God, when will my health improve?" Gu Fan was slightly worried. Why wasn’t he feeling better despite having visited the hospital? Did he consult the wrong doctor, or was he being given the wrong medication?

Before he knew it, another day had passed. Luo Jingrong entered the Elite Club as per the appointment made and was warmly received for three hours.

Despite being unwell, Gu Fan insisted on keeping a vigil outside. This perplexed Su Hui who considered it completely unnecessary because once Luo Jingrong emerged from the club, all she had to do was send him the picture of the man from the previous night, and have him confirm whether he was the same one who had received him. There was no reason for Gu Fan to maintain a stakeout.

Gu Fan didn’t respond except to say that he wanted to confirm something.

As planned, Luo Jingrong left the club and looked at the photograph sent over by Gu Fan. He confirmed that the man who had received him was the one in the photograph.

This confirmed one thing. The man who addressed the grassroots gathering the previous night and the man who received Luo Jingrong tonight was the same person. This suggested that, even if he wasn’t the highest authority in the Elite Club, he was one of the key figures.

Now that they had identified the target, they could begin surveillance immediately. Normally that should be Su Hui and Zhuo Hang’s responsibility, but Gu Fan insisted on accompanying them.

Seeing Gu Fan’s poor state, Su Hui advised him, "Gu Fan, I am aware of your motive of righteousness and am grateful for your willingness to assist. But, please take care of your health. You are more helpful when your wellbeing isn’t compromised."

In response, Gu Fan merely shook his head, "I don’t want to assist yet, I need to confirm something first. If I miss this opportunity, I may not get another. Trust me Sister Su, I can’t disclose it yet. But I wouldn’t be doing this without reason, you know me."

"Alright, alright..." Just take care of your health."

Gu Fan assured her that he wouldn’t overstretch himself. He said he knew his own limits but in reality, he was pushing himself. He had been grappling with a major doubt that he needed to resolve.

Zhuo Hang chimed in, "Gu Fan, I appreciate your valuable assistance with the investigation. But there are aspects of our work that we, as the police, should handle. Do you understand what I’m saying?"

In reply, Gu Fan just gave a weary smile, shook his head and said, "The moment I helped the police, I was already involved. And as I’m already a part of this, might as well let me stay involved. Besides, if I decide to investigate on my own, you can’t stop me, right? We might as well investigate together, don’t you think?"

Zhuo Hang didn’t respond, he just looked awkwardly at Su Hui, urging her with his eyes to persuade Gu Fan. Gu Fan had already been involved a lot in the police investigation, it really wasn’t convenient for him to be further involved.

But Su Hui conceded by saying, "Alright, if you’re that adamant, you can continue to participate. But you have to follow our commands."

"OK, no problem." Gu Fan responded eagerly, leaving Zhuo Hang with no choice but to let out a sigh.