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Chapter 26: In Progress
Most middle-class residential compounds come with excellent auxiliary service companies, ranging from cleaning to security, including hospitals and doctors, providing residents with comprehensive care and services.
For these services, residents in these residential compounds had to spend a considerable amount each quarter to maintain these amenities. However, their investment was deemed worthwhile because it provided them with a sense of "dignity" and "respectability," surpassing that of the lower social strata.
Just as Lynch turned his bicycle into the residential compound’s entrance from the main road, the security guard stationed at the gate stopped him. "This is a private area. You can't enter..."
With the fading daylight, the security guard hadn't initially noticed Lynch's attire, the typical outfit of an electrician. Only after Lynch ventured further did the guard take note of his appearance.
Generally, many middle-class residential compounds had their own electricians. These electricians' salaries weren't covered by the service companies but rather by all the residential compound's homeowners. They also allocated an additional sum to the service company as management fees.
The advantage of this arrangement was that if there was an issue with a household's electrical system, the electrician would promptly arrive to rectify the problem. However, this arrangement had also led to some problems, such as dissatisfaction from the power supply company.
Business that originally belonged to the power supply company was taken over by the service companies. This led to tensions between the two entities. To recover their losses, the power supply company resorted to highlighting issues of circuit aging and maintenance.
The service companies refused to acknowledge the power supply company's demands. Consequently, the power supply company resorted to various methods, primarily phone threats, informing homeowners with the residential compound’s electricians that their circuits were aging and that refusal to inspect the lines could lead to fires and consequences of death.
Eventually, most homeowners demanded inspections by the power supply company and were willing to pay an additional sum for it. Some were unaware that this fee would be billed by the service company before the end of the billing cycle.
Some people would read the itemized bills carefully, especially the increasingly financially strained middle class, while most normal families wouldn't pay much attention to these small expenses.
This explained why middle-class residential compounds and some high-end neighborhoods would cover various lines and equipment with lead seals that prevented disassembly. And only the power supply company's personnel were authorized to disassemble them. If a portion of the circuit was dismantled for inspection, the entire residential compound's homeowners would need to foot the bill.
This wasn't the case for all residential compounds; some service companies didn't provide electrician services, which was a common occurrence.
Lynch stopped his bike, lifting the clipboard in his hand. The first page of the maintenance record made him appear more formal. "I'm here to inspect the circuits. There have been reports of aging and cracking."
The security guard frowned. He was well aware that these were tactics employed by the power supply company, but that wasn't his concern. He didn't need to make enemies over his company's affairs.
He waved his hand, admonishing Lynch not to disturb the residents before returning to his post at the gate, diligently carrying out his duties.
Lynch, familiar with the area, found Michael's house. Next to his yard stood a utility pole with a platform, akin to a medieval crow's nest on a ship, used primarily for inspections.
There was a box installed there, housing some electrical equipment sealed with lead strips. It required special tools to break the lead seal to access the box.
The numbers on these lead strips were used as the basis for billing by the service company. Typically, electricians would show these numbered lead strips to the service company, keep a record, and then return them to the power supply company.
Lynch climbed up the protruding part of the utility pole effortlessly. From this angle, he could observe Michael's entire house clearly.
It must be said that this guy knew how to pick a spot. The three-story detached house seemed to cover about 200 square meters, including the front and back yards. While it didn't have a swimming pool, it did boast some small landscaping features.
Occasionally, passersby would glance up at Lynch, who appeared "busy." Soon, their gazes would avert elsewhere.
As the weather grew hotter, it became the season for frequent circuit inspections. Every summer, almost every week, fires caused by aging circuits would occur across the nation. Even in more upscale residential compounds, monthly inspections were considered normal. Especially during the hottest days, where electricity consumption would increase dramatically, it was easy to encounter some issues, so there were checks almost every day.
By around ten in the evening, and with no sign of the News Head, Lynch was about to leave when, at that moment, a suspicious figure stealthily approached from the rear of the residential compound.
The News Head had wanted to come earlier, but the problem was that he was stopped outside the gate. Someone dressed in cheap clothes and emanating the smell of alcohol like him surely couldn't be a resident of this residential compound, so the security guard dutifully prevented him from entering.
Considering the frequent patrols by security inside the residential compound and having had a bit to drink earlier in the night to build courage, the News Head, while waiting for an opportunity, dozed off in the roadside bushes.
If it weren't for the temperature and the mosquitoes waking him, he might have slept until the next morning.
Seeing no chance through the front gate, he decided to go around to the rear gate.
The back gate also had a guardhouse and a small road leading directly to the main road, but it was further away. Plus, people were accustomed to using the front gate, so the back gate was closed.
Cars couldn't go in or out, nor could pedestrians. But such lenient measures couldn't stop someone with hands and feet. The News Head easily scaled the gate, waiting until two sets of patrolling guards had passed by to confirm their patrol interval, and then made his way toward Michael's residence.
At this moment, the streetlights, constrained by their lampshades, were unable to cast light horizontally. Standing at the top of the utility pole, Lynch—hidden in the darkness—was barely noticeable unless someone got particularly close.
Lynch watched as the News Head stealthily flipped over a roughly 1.2-meter-tall vegetation-covered courtyard wall and hopped into the yard. Observing him sneakily circling around the house, attempting to push open every accessible window.
Perhaps due to the excessively secure environment or maybe due to an inherent sense of complacency common among women, on the western side of the house, amidst the News Head's surprise, he managed to open a window.
The window was slowly pushed open without making any noise. With a forceful push, his upper body squeezed through the window. All of this was observed by Lynch, who remained motionless, waiting.
As time ticked away, the tranquil night sky exuded its starry brilliance and serene beauty. In the darkness, Lynch's gaze remained fixed on that house.
It had been almost ten minutes since the News Head entered until now. That idiot couldn't even manage such a small task? Lynch thought to himself.
After waiting another minute or two, the light on the second floor suddenly came on. A figure appeared behind the slightly opaque curtains, with contours suggesting it was a female. The shadow lingered at the window for a while before disappearing.
A few seconds later, Lynch heard a scream!
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