Chapter 474: Chapter 474: Caught in the Act
Adrian Hawthorne had arrived yesterday, but the boxcar hadn’t, so he’d waited an extra day in the city. The boxcar got in today, so he, Winston Lowell, and their group hauled the goods back. He had just returned, carrying a sack of cloth. He and Goldie Thorne would go get the rest tomorrow.
"Mr. Hawthorne!"
Tang Xiaonan called out happily, finally relieved. She offered him the piece of stinky tofu she’d just taken a bite out of. When she saw the half-eaten piece, her face flushed red, and she wanted to pull it back, but Adrian Hawthorne had already taken it. He really was hungry.
Without a second thought, Adrian Hawthorne ate the piece of stinky tofu Tang Xiaonan had bitten into. It tasted pretty good. He then took two skewers of rice cakes from Jim Thorne and polished them off in a few bites. His stomach finally felt a little better.
"You guys going to town?"
"Yeah. Phoenix Golding went to meet her lover. We’re going to catch them in the act!"
Jim Thorne leaned in and whispered in his ear. Adrian Hawthorne frowned slightly. ’They still haven’t managed to catch her? Goldie Thorne was being far too inefficient. Or maybe Phoenix Golding was just too good at covering her tracks.’
"Are you sure?"
Jim Thorne nodded vigorously. "A hundred percent. Why don’t you come with us?"
Adrian Hawthorne nodded. He scanned his surroundings, then took the sack off his shoulder. He and Jim Thorne carried it into a patch of weeds behind the hill. The weeds were taller than an adult, thick and deep; the sack was completely hidden inside.
"Let’s go!"
Adrian Hawthorne dusted off his hands and lifted both Tang Xiaonan and Amanda Chapman onto the bicycle, one in front and one in back. It was a perfect fit. They continued on their way to town, which was only a mile or two away. They would be there soon.
About ten minutes later, they arrived in town. Phoenix Golding’s bicycle wasn’t at the school entrance. Adrian Hawthorne was about to ask the gatekeeper when he saw Goldie Thorne. "Uncle?"
Goldie Thorne rushed over, followed by several young men—all his no-good cronies. He had also rushed over after getting a tip from one of his buddies. He’d been bottling this up for over a month, and today he was going to make that bitch Phoenix Golding a total spectacle.
"What are you all doing here? Go home, quick. Kids shouldn’t get involved in this kind of messy business."
Goldie Thorne was taken aback, immediately trying to shoo them away. This was dirty business that children shouldn’t see.
"Uncle, you’ve been trying for a month and haven’t caught her. I’m here to help," Jim Thorne said with a cheeky grin. He and Goldie Thorne were as close as brothers, so he often spoke to him without the usual respect for an elder.
Goldie Thorne glared and was about to start cursing, but Adrian Hawthorne raised a hand and shushed him. He walked toward the alley across the street. Phoenix Golding’s bicycle was parked there. The door was shut tight, and the curtains were drawn.
Tang Xiaonan was instantly thrilled. ’In her two lifetimes, this was the first time she’d ever gone to catch adulterers in the act. How exciting! I can’t wait! I wonder if there’ll be any R-rated scenes?’
The group crept to the spot beneath the window. That shameless couple was pretty bold; they had only drawn the curtains before getting down to it, not even bothering to close the window. Goldie Thorne hooked a corner of the curtain and squinted inside. His eyes immediately lit up. His cronies grew anxious and crowded around to watch the live show, each of them with an entranced look on their face, unable to look away.
Tang Xiaonan pouted. ’I want to see too!’ But she knew these guys definitely wouldn’t let her. However, she could hear that they were making quite a racket inside. ’Hmph. What a shameless couple.’
’She just wondered if the man inside was Storm Xavier, or that government official Phoenix Golding had been stringing along.’
(Author’s Note: I can only be vague about the official. A Chapter where I went into more detail got censored.)
"Don’t waste any more time. Let’s get down to business!" Adrian Hawthorne reminded them.
Any longer and the pair inside would be finished.
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