Chapter 478: Chapter 478: The Camera
Sheng Tang’s grandmother was the neighborhood’s go-to person for all big and small matters; she knew everything.
She knew many people and had an extensive network in the community.
As for the building they lived in, Grandmother was particularly knowledgeable about most residents.
"Grandma, are there new tenants moving in downstairs?" Sheng Tang asked her.
Grandmother nodded, "Yes, right below us. That unit has always been rented out. Yesterday, new tenants moved in."
Sheng Tang responded with an "oh".
"Why are you asking about this?"
"I ran into them in the elevator. Seems like it was two men," Sheng Tang said.
Grandmother frowned slightly, "That’s strange. I just bumped into Uncle Huang, and he said the renters are two young girls."
Sheng Tang paused with her chopsticks.
Uncle Huang was the landlord of the unit downstairs. He used to live there and had been neighbors with the Sheng Family for over a decade.
A while ago, his family moved to a new house in the suburbs, turning the unit into a rental.
On the day the rental agreement was signed, he came back to sign the contract and chatted briefly with Sheng Tang’s grandmother.
"...I rented it out to two young girls who work nearby. I don’t like complicated people. If their lifestyle isn’t good, they’ll disturb the neighbors. We’ve been long-time neighbors, and I don’t want to make your life noisy," Mr. Huang had said at the time.
After Grandmother finished speaking, Sheng Tang seemed a bit dazed.
Her mother spoke up, "Maybe it’s their boyfriends."
Sheng Tang replied, "Maybe."
She didn’t say anything more.
The next day, she woke up early. At that time, Gu Shiting and Grandmother were about to head out to buy breakfast.
"I’m coming too," Sheng Tang immediately said.
Grandmother laughed, "You’re very prompt today. Why are you up so early?"
Sheng Tang smiled, "I felt like going out for some soy milk."
Grandmother teasingly called her greedy.
The three of them entered the elevator, and Sheng Tang instinctively looked up, only to find the elevator’s camera wrapped in black tape.
Sheng Tang was surprised.
"Grandma, Ting?" She quickly asked them to look as well.
Grandmother didn’t understand what she meant.
Gu Shiting, however, felt his heart sink.
The three successfully exited the elevator. The air downstairs was slightly cool, carrying the refreshing feeling unique to late spring.
"Grandma, you go buy breakfast. Ting and I will go to the security office and ask what’s going on," said Sheng Tang.
Grandmother frowned, "The camera in the elevator was covered up; that’s nothing. I’ll go with you. Let’s buy breakfast first."
She was knowledgeable about social situations.
After picking up breakfast, they brought an extra three portions to the security office.
Bright and early, the security office was already open, and a security guard in his fifties was yawning.
"Missus, you’re up so early?" The guard recognized Sheng Tang’s grandmother.
Grandmother smiled, "You must have had a long night. Haven’t had breakfast yet?"
"I’ll eat when I get home."
"I bought extra. Eat it before you go. You can sleep after eating," Grandmother said with a smile, handing him the breakfast.
She occasionally gave food to the neighbors and security guards. The guard happily accepted.
Grandmother then said, "The camera in our building’s elevator seems to have been covered. What’s going on?"
The security guard was taken aback.
Yawning and eating a bun, he checked the monitors.
Sure enough, one of the screens was black.
He was drowsy, hadn’t paid attention overnight, and by three or four in the morning, he had fallen asleep. Just now waking up, he hadn’t had time to check.
Seeing this, he broke out in a cold sweat.
This wasn’t a fancy neighborhood, and sometimes cameras were mere decorations, but it was still his job.
"Sir, can you check when it was covered? And with what?" Sheng Tang asked from the side.
The guard called property management.
Two young men from property management arrived quickly to inspect the elevator camera.
Meanwhile, the guard rewound the surveillance footage to see who might have done it.
The elevator camera had been tampered with around 3 AM.
That person wore all black, with sunglasses and a mask, making it impossible to see their face. They brought a small stool, stood on it, and covered the camera. They appeared to be at least 180 cm tall.
The guard frowned slightly.
Grandmother asked from the side, "What’s the point of this?"
The property management guy removed the black tape from the camera; it was undamaged.
The guard breathed a sigh of relief, "It must be a prank. If someone truly wanted to do something bad, they would have smashed the camera."
The two property management guys returned quickly, confirming it was a prank.
Grandmother gave them the remaining two portions of breakfast.
They quickly accepted, "Thank you, ma’am."
