Director Zhou is indeed highly efficient; he speaks confidently, but he gets things done more efficiently than anyone else.

That evening, just as darkness fell, Meng Zihan's pager went off.

She quickly dialed back and heard Director Zhou speaking in a low voice, proudly boasting to her: "Boss Meng, I've taken care of everything you asked me to inquire about. Gu Jingran lives in the Lijing Hotel on the hillside of Gangcheng, and usually discusses projects in the office buildings around the Municipal Bureau area."

"I've found out the information you wanted. Don't forget the reward we agreed on before."

Meng Zihan held the microphone and smiled: "Don't worry, Boss Zhou, you'll definitely get your share of the benefits."

After saying that, she hung up the phone without saying another word.

For her now, time is more important than anything else. With such a great opportunity in front of her, she absolutely cannot miss it.

The following evening, the lobby of the Lijing Hotel was brightly lit under the night sky, with the crystal chandelier emitting a warm yellow light that illuminated the floor.

The guests coming and going were mostly well-dressed businessmen or wealthy people from other places, and their conversations carried the air of business.

Meng Zihan sat down early in the lobby sofa area, holding a cup of coffee that had gone cold, but her eyes were fixed on the entrance.

Time passed second by second, but her patience did not wane; instead, she became more and more excited.

She had to seize the opportunity whenever Gu Jingran appeared!

Even if it means sticking to him, she'll cling to Gu Jingran and never let him escape again.

Sure enough, around 9 p.m., a black sedan pulled up in front of the hotel.

The car door opened, and a tall man stepped out.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit, with a cool and aloof expression, and an innate sense of detachment in his every move.

Meng Zihan's eyes lit up, and she quickly stood up, running over in her high heels. She called out in a sweet voice, "Brother Gu, what a coincidence!"

Gu Jingran frowned, but did not stop walking.

He walked straight ahead as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Meng Zihan persisted, quickly catching up and blocking his way, her smile still bright.

"Brother Gu, what's there to hide from? Do you think I'm going to eat you?"

Gu Jingran's eyes turned cold, and he took a small step back, as if afraid of being touched by her.

His voice was low, but every word was cold and sharp: "There are some things that I shouldn't be saying. But you took your aunt and uncle's retirement money, which caused your uncle to have a stroke and still be hospitalized. What you should be doing is focusing on running the company well, instead of spending your days doing nothing outside."

Meng Zihan's smile froze for a moment.

When they last met, Gu Jingran was surprised by my appearance. In just three days, she has already found out all about me.

But she quickly realized that Ye Linchen had most likely told her this news.

Thinking of this, Meng Zihan slightly raised her chin and said coquettishly, "Brother Gu, you're quite the informant! You found out so quickly? Did your cousin tell you?"

"But have you ever considered that what she said might not be the truth? What if my aunt and uncle are doing very well now, and the money was given to me voluntarily?"

Gu Jingran remained expressionless and replied calmly, "I trust Xiao Chen. As for whether the money was given voluntarily, I didn't say it wasn't."

Meng Zihan frowned deeply, a surge of irritation rising within her.

This man is completely different from Gu Yifei.

Gu Yifei is simple-minded and can be easily fooled with a few words.

But Gu Jingran was like a cold, high wall, impervious to swords and spears, and even turned the tables on him.

Unwilling to be dismissed so easily, she shifted her gaze and spoke softly, "Brother Gu, we're both from Jiangcheng, so we're fellow townsmen. It's such a rare thing to meet someone from your hometown in a foreign land. Your coldness is so unfriendly. I just wanted to say a few words to you."

"Brother Gu, let's find a place to sit down and have a good talk."

As she spoke, she reached out to gently take Gu Jingran's arm.

Gu Jingran's expression darkened, and he took two steps back, as if he had been stained with something dirty. His eyes were so cold they could freeze a person to death.

Meng Zihan missed her target, feeling both angry and annoyed, but still wearing a smile.

"Brother Gu, you were wrong about what you just said."

“How can I say I’m here for no reason? It’s okay if you don’t agree today. I’ve booked a room in this hotel and will wait for you every day from now on. Anyway, I have plenty of time. It just depends on whether you have the energy to waste on me, Brother Gu.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Jingran sensed that something was amiss.

He squinted, looking the woman up and down.

Her hair was styled to be shiny and smooth, clearly indicating that she had spent money on hair care.

The suit she wore was well-tailored and made of high-quality material.

Even if the bag they're carrying doesn't have any obvious brand logo, it's definitely not a cheap item.

Her leather shoes were polished to a shine.

Gu Jingran sneered inwardly.

Given Meng Zihan's background, even if she received resettlement compensation from the Ye family, it would be impossible for her to maintain such a lavish lifestyle in just a few months by running a business.

Especially the fact that she was able to stay at a place like the Lijing Hotel.

After all, this is one of the top hotels in the port city, and the price of one night's room is enough for an average family's expenses for half a month.

The money she's spending now is definitely not from legitimate sources.

Too lazy to argue with her any longer, he turned to the hotel lobby staff and instructed, "Please confirm whether this lady is a guest of your hotel."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere froze.

Meng Zihan's expression changed slightly, but she forced a calm smile and said, "Of course, I just booked a room."

But there was already a hint of unnaturalness in his voice.

Gu Jingran didn't even turn his head back. He turned around and walked straight to the elevator, pressing the button that only VIPs were authorized to use.

As the elevator doors closed with a "ding," his figure completely disappeared from Meng Zihan's sight.

Meng Zihan stomped her feet in anger, her mind in turmoil.

Upstairs in his room, Gu Jingran changed out of his coat, sat down at his desk, and frowned deeply.

What had just happened had completely extinguished his patience.

He picked up the phone, dialed his assistant's number, and said in a cold voice, "Check on Meng Zihan. She's from Jiangcheng and should have only recently arrived in Hong Kong. See what she's been doing since she came here."

The assistant was always efficient and returned the call quickly.

"Mr. Gu, we've checked. Since Meng Zihan came to Hong Kong, she's been doing foreign trade with her father, Meng Xuejun, but it's mostly small-scale business, and they lose money every month, making very little profit."

"However, in the past month, she seems to have gotten involved with Zhou Jianguo, the factory director of Hongda Factory. She moved out of the low-rent apartment and, through Director Zhou's connection, has received a lot of orders."

Gu Jingran listened quietly, his eyes growing colder and colder.

The assistant paused, then added, "There's one more thing. She's with her father, Meng Xuejun, but Meng Xuejun hasn't been seen or contacted for half a month. As for the reason, nobody knows yet."