073 This Dumbbell Is Suspicious!

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While Chen Jue was practicing his skills on the small fishing boat after descending the back cliff, the wealthy bodyguard stationed on the rooftop had witnessed Chen Jue traversing the mountain path and vanishing into the night, where the sea wind wailed.

“Jun, target has left the house... but he’s wearing swimming trunks, seems to have goggles on, and a bath towel draped over his shoulders. Looks like he’s headed to the sea for a swim,” the rooftop bodyguard murmured into the tiny microphone hidden in his collar.

“Swimming in the sea this late?”

“Never mind, I got it. Xiao He, keep your eyes on him. Let me know immediately if he comes back.” The buzz-cut bodyguard, who was finishing his meal during the shift change in the villa, looked puzzled for a moment. Then, recalling the instructions from his employer, he set down his bowl and exchanged meaningful glances with his companions, who were also eating.

The three slipped out from the back, taking a detour to the last villa in the row. Chen Jue had not locked the door before leaving. The bodyguards slipped shoe covers over their soles, pulled black gloves onto their hands, and entered, glancing around cautiously.

“Jun, the house is empty!”

“Looks like he lives alone!”

“Understood. Move quickly, see if there are any hidden weapons or surveillance devices.”

They spoke in low voices. Two rushed upstairs, searching room by room, while the buzz-cut bodyguard called Jun took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and began examining the living room.

First, he saw a tracksuit tossed carelessly on the sofa, left behind by Chen Jue after changing into his swimwear. The clothes were empty, with nothing in their pockets.

Next, he noticed a smartphone plugged in to charge beside the TV cabinet. The phone was locked. On the coffee table lay a wallet. Jun gingerly opened it and glanced at the ID card inside, muttering under his breath, “Twenty-seven? Local from Wen City?”

He closed the wallet and placed it back exactly as he found it, then resumed his inspection of the living room.

After only a few steps, he spotted an unusually large object in the corner. He shone his phone’s flashlight on it and discovered an oversized dumbbell, gleaming with a chrome finish.

“What the...?!”

“Is this a fitness dumbbell?”

Jun was startled. He approached and saw “200KG” laser-etched on the sides. The dumbbell was somewhat exaggerated in size, but the design matched those trendy street dumbbells seen online.

“Two hundred kilograms?”

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“That’s four hundred pounds!”

“Can anyone really lift this?” Jun thought he must be seeing things. He tried to lift it with his gloved hand and found it impossibly heavy—definitely not just a prop for show.

“I...!”

“Is it really two hundred kilograms?”

Jun was clearly skilled in martial arts and no stranger to fitness equipment; dumbbells were old news to him. But he’d never encountered anything so outrageous. Despite several attempts, he couldn’t budge it except to roll it slightly along the floor.

“This guy’s not normal!”

Jun grew wary, carefully returning the dumbbell to its original spot, then headed into the kitchen.

On the stove sat a clean sand-pot. Leaning in, he caught a lingering fishy aroma mixed with medicinal herbs—the remnants of Chen Jue’s tonic soup and collagen stew. Though it had been scrubbed with detergent, a faint trace remained.

“Tonic food? Herbal supplements? A folk expert!” The thought flashed through Jun’s mind. Remembering the scene when he’d seen Chen Jue earlier and the monstrous dumbbell in the living room, he quickly formed an image of Chen Jue as a martial arts master.

He rifled through the kitchen drawers and found a bag of fish collagen and a heap of herbal medicine packs.

He sniffed them closely and identified the scent of ordinary tonic soup. Jun had drunk plenty of such brews in his youth.

Meanwhile, the two bodyguards upstairs had finished their inspection and returned to join Jun. “Jun, nothing upstairs. Just clothes, the other rooms show signs of previous tourists. Seems like an ordinary guy.”

“Ordinary? Really?” Jun’s face twitched. He waved them off. “Let’s get out.”

The three slipped out the back door, leaving the interior untouched. Their actions were exceedingly discreet.

...

“You guys keep eating. I’ll report to the boss.”

Back in the villa, Jun queried his two subordinates, gave a few instructions, hastily finished his meal, and made his way to the tycoon’s lodgings.

It was around seven in the evening. The tycoon’s family sat at the table, chatting and enjoying seafood prepared by their private chef.

Jun entered from the front door, his face serious. The young man at the table immediately set down his chopsticks and spoke to his family, “Dad, Mom, little sister, eat up. I have something to discuss with Jun.”

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“Oh, come on, we’re eating! Jun, can’t your urgent news wait till we finish?” The lovely, energetic young woman at the table pouted in protest.

The mature man in silk pajamas, calm and dignified, glanced at his son with a hint of meaning. “Alright, Chen, take care of your business. Come back and eat afterward.”

The young man nodded and led Jun upstairs into a private room.

“Well?”

“Did you find anything?” The young man sat steadily in an armchair.

“Boss, that man’s probably a local martial artist. His name is Chen Jue, twenty-seven years old. I checked his ID—looks legit.”

“There were traces of tonic soup and fish collagen in the kitchen, so it seems he practices boxing near the coast.”

“I asked the innkeeper before; he’s been here since late August, rented the villa for a month.”

“We searched his room thoroughly. No issues, except... there’s a dumbbell in the living room that’s unusual,” Jun reported honestly.

“If he’s just a local, then it’s nothing. We docked here on a whim. Even if he knows some martial arts, since he moved in earlier, he’s not here because of us.”

“So, what’s wrong with the dumbbell? Just fitness equipment, right? What’s the issue?” The young man stroked his chin, looking thoughtful.

“It’s nothing major—just that it’s heavy.” Jun’s face twitched as he replied.

“How heavy?” The young man glanced at him.

“Two hundred kilograms each. I tried several times, couldn’t lift it. Seems accurate.”

The young man: “...”