Chapter 79

The next day, Xu Wanyi was woken up by a phone call. When she woke up, it was almost evening.

She was so exhausted yesterday, both physically and emotionally, that she didn't fall asleep until the early hours of this morning. As soon as she fell asleep, she started having bizarre and fantastical dreams.

"Hello." His tone was not very clear.

"Chairman, this phone number belongs to Yu Zhou. We checked, and this number has been moving around a lot in several nearby cities recently. It's not like he's on a business trip or just traveling."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wanyi jumped up. "Hmm, anything else?"

“Cen Ruoshi is still in this sanatorium. She moved in five years ago. The general manager, Mr. Lin, said, “Ruoshi is a very quiet girl. Few people come to see her all year round. I have never met her parents. It seems that the only person who has come to see her in the past few years is her sister or someone else. It’s pitiful.”

This sanatorium happened to have business dealings with the Leguang Group, so Xu Wanyi could easily obtain their information. That's how the world of the wealthy works; what's incredibly difficult for outsiders is practically effortless for those within the circle.

"Okay, got it. Wait for my call."

It seems that this number is not the "black number" she imagined, used specifically for shady dealings, but a normal, ordinary phone number. The owner of the number is still able to move freely and does not conceal his activities at all.

With these preparations made, Xu Wanyi dialed the number again. Again, the other party answered quickly.

"Hey? You're that guy from yesterday, right? Tell me, what do you want?" His tone was a little impatient.

“Yes, it’s the person from yesterday. Hello! I’m Li Ye’s friend. I’d like to meet you.” Xu Wanyi’s voice was steady and calm, completely shedding the weak and helpless demeanor she had shown yesterday.

"Who are you? Why should I meet you?" His tone became arrogant.

"Meeting me will only bring you benefits, not harm." Could Xu Wanyi possibly be unaware of the tactic of playing hard to get?

She had already considered this. Since Li Ye hadn't given anyone this woman's contact information and rarely contacted her, the two must have reached some kind of tacit understanding. Therefore, if someone were to identify themselves and take the initiative to contact this person, it would only send her one signal: I'm very familiar with Li Ye and your current situation is not good.

She didn't believe the other party could really ignore such a phone call.

"How would I know you're Li Ye's friend?" Just as I suspected.

"I know you and how to contact you," Xu Wanyi said matter-of-factly.

On the other end of the phone, Mr. Tian sat in the empty, dark hotel room, holding a glass of wine, and pondered for a moment.

"Okay, go to Tianheng Plaza at 11 a.m. the day after tomorrow. Just you and no one else is allowed."

When Xu Wanyi heard this, it was beyond her expectations. She thought this person would find a remote and secluded place where he could kill and dispose of the body at will. Unexpectedly, he chose an open-air coffee shop in a shopping mall with the largest foot traffic in Haixi.

"Okay, see you the day after tomorrow."

The day after tomorrow is still during the Qingming Festival holiday, and there should be many people in the mall. This person probably wants to see who she is first, which is fine. As long as the other party shows up, she will have a way to achieve her goal.

Coming to her senses, Xu Wanyi realized that it was completely dark. The streetlights in the neighborhood shone into the room, making it possible to see something, but it was in this hazy light that an unprecedented sense of loneliness suddenly surged into her heart.

At this time of day, she would usually hear the low sound of the television as soon as she stepped out of her study and see the person who evoked so many emotions in her—Li Ye—either lying on the sofa or sitting at the dining table fiddling with something. But today, there was not a sound anywhere. The cold rain tapped on the window, and the dim light shone on the wall, creating a desolate scene.

Xu Wanyi sat there for a while in the dim light before taking out her phone and making a call.

"Feng Jing, come pick me up from downstairs at Li Ye's house at 10:30 a.m. the day after tomorrow with Xiao Jiang."

"Yes, Chairman, is there anything else we need to prepare?"

"That's all. Come early, we'll talk about the specifics later."

“Okay, um… please remember to eat.” Feng Jing hesitated for a moment. She knew that the past few days had been difficult for the chairman, and Xu Wanyi was not someone who was very good at taking care of herself.

After hanging up the phone, Xu Wanyi wiped her face. Feng Jing was right; the next period would be a tough battle, and she wouldn't be able to cope without good spirits and energy. So she got up to find herself something to eat.

The second day was the most difficult. Xu Wanyi focused all her energy on her work and didn't let herself have a moment to rest, just to get through the day.

At 11:30 a.m. on the third day, she appeared in the coffee shop exactly as the second had passed.

She was dressed as plainly as could be: jeans, a sweater, and flat boots. She wore large sunglasses and, to make herself easily recognizable, she even wore one of Li Ye's black down jackets as an outer layer. It wasn't particularly large, but she managed to make the short down jacket look like a mid-length one.

Even so, people couldn't help but look at her. Even though most of her face was covered and she was wearing a down jacket that was obviously not very big enough, Miss Xu was still the one who could be seen at a glance in the crowd.

"Hello, ma'am! This is where you can order." As soon as she sat down, a waiter came over. Xu Wanyi never came to open-plan cafes like this and didn't realize that she was ordering at the counter.

"Oh, okay." She immediately realized what she meant, quickly walked to the bar, ordered two black coffees, and returned to her seat with the food pick-up signal.

This open-air restaurant has a high turnover rate. People often stop here to rest after shopping, have a coffee and a dessert, and then continue shopping after they are full and refreshed. However, Xu Wanyi had only drunk half of her coffee when the other person still hadn't appeared.

However, Xu Wanyi wasn't in a hurry. She sat there leisurely, her purpose being to put on a show for that person. Sure enough, just as she finished her cup of black coffee, a tall woman wearing sunglasses quietly walked up to her side.

"Chairman Xu, I've heard so much about you. Please call me Xiao Tian'er or President Tian, ​​that's what Attorney Li calls me too." The other party didn't stand on ceremony, pulled out a chair and sat down before speaking in a low voice.

"Xiao Tian'er?" Xu Wanyi was taken aback at first, then said, "Since you know me, do you want to talk here? Why don't we get in the car and talk?"

"good."

The two walked side by side from the lobby to the parking lot like best friends. Xu Wanyi got into the driver's seat, and Tian Zong got into the passenger seat. The BMW drove off smoothly and silently.

"Speak, Chairman Xu, what exactly do you want to see me about?"

As usual, the city center was incredibly crowded during the holidays, with traffic conditions reaching a disaster level. Xu Wanyi pressed the accelerator with varying pressure and her hands moved with incredible speed, but unfortunately, the car's movement was far from satisfactory. Even so, she still had to watch out for people jaywalking. Some people, for reasons unknown, even brought their own children to jaywalk, which was terrifying to watch.

"President Tian, ​​your boss is in trouble, you didn't know?" Xu Wanyi planned to startle her first.

Upon hearing this, Tian was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure. She was actually quite shocked. When she had helped Li Ye investigate Yu Zhou's company, she knew that the owner of that company was from the Le Guang Group, so she had more or less guessed that the person behind Li Ye was also from this giant.

To her utter surprise, the person who contacted her was none other than the legendary, beautiful, and decisive boss of the Leguang Group.

What exactly is the relationship between Li Ye and this Chairman Xu? Why would the chairman of a company come all the way to meet someone with no background in order to meet an external lawyer? What if I'm a vicious and ruthless person?

In this world, if someone is willing to take such a risk for another person, especially if that person is a billionaire, then it is almost certain that the relationship between the two people is definitely not simple.

Thinking of this, President Tian looked at Xu Wanyi again and found it even more interesting. She weighed the consequences of concealing or admitting it in her mind and said, "President Xu, Attorney Li didn't do anything wrong, nothing will happen."

"I guess the investigation team has just started their work and has only found out what's on the surface, so they came to Li Ye. As for President Tian, ​​it's probably not on the surface."

While the car was stuck in traffic, Xu Wanyi turned to look at Cen Ruotian, "But what level is the investigation team? It should only be a matter of time before they find out about you."

The situation has become somewhat complicated. Xu Wanyi was right, but the investigation team acted much faster than people imagined. Now, she can't leave the country with her passport and can only keep changing hotels to console herself. In fact, she knows very well in her heart that doing so is not of any real use. If those people want to arrest her, they can do so in a matter of minutes.

It's fair to say she's been semi-monitored.

While she was lost in thought that day, Xu Wanyi finally drove the car off the chaotic road. The car's speed increased instantly, and she stepped on the gas to get onto the elevated road. She drove silently across the river, eventually stopping the car in a shady, green area and turning off the engine.

"I think you're being so cautious because something has happened that has put you on your guard. So, Mr. Tian, ​​I won't beat around the bush. I want to save Li Ye, and you want to save yourself. How about we make a deal?" After a long silence, Xu Wanyi finally spoke again.

"What kind of deal? Does Chairman Xu think that with your abilities, you can extricate us all from this?"

"Of course I don't have that ability. Mr. Tian should know best. I'm just a businessman. I may look glamorous, but in our society, I don't actually have any real power, let alone the ability to cover up everything. The officials around you are the real power holders. If they can't even protect themselves, how could I, a commoner, possibly do it?"

"So what do you want?" President Tian naturally understood Xu Wanyi's meaning, and was therefore full of doubts. Since you can't save me, what kind of deal do you want me to make with you?

“Cen Ruoshi”.

Tian Zong's face changed instantly, literally. She took off her glasses, leaned forward, and moved closer to Xu Wanyi, her eyes burning with rage.

"Xu Wanyi, you can talk to me about anything, but don't touch my sister, understand? If you dare to lay a finger on her, even if I'm just an ant, I can cripple your leg."

"Oh, so you're still a poisonous ant." Xu Wanyi said indifferently, "Since I dared to come directly to see you and tell you this, I have no intention of harming your sister."

Upon hearing this, Cen Ruotian's tense muscles visibly relaxed. Xu Wanyi's words made a lot of sense.

“As I said before, you’ve been running around these past few days, you must have figured something out. You know it yourself, and it won’t be long before it’s your turn. My conditions are simple: I’ll take responsibility for your sister’s future, and if you want to return the stolen goods, I’ll provide up to 100 million. In exchange, you’ll give Li Ye some materials so she has something to confess. Also, if those people find anything, you’ll protect Li Ye.”

The car was silent for a moment, with only the occasional rustling of the wind through the branches outside the window.

Tian was mentally assessing the plan. She could go in herself if she wanted; she was just an intermediary and wouldn't face the death penalty. Even if she had to return the embezzled funds, it wouldn't amount to a hundred million. What she was most worried about was precisely her younger sister. If Xu Wanyi promised to take care of her, then her life would truly be secure. Besides, she did owe Li Ye a favor.

After a very long time, long enough for the fiery clouds to rise in the sky, Mr. Tian finally spoke again: "Alright, then Mr. Xu, you must keep your promise, otherwise I'll bite you even if I go to jail."

Xu Wanyi looked at her with a determined expression, "Don't worry, I, Xu Wanyi, always keep my word."

"Let's go. I'm staying at the West Hotel. Come with me. I'll give you the information, and you can figure out how to give it to Li Ye."

Just as Feng Jing and Xiao Jiang were getting impatient and were about to rush in, Xu Wanyi's car finally drove out of the parking lot. When they saw that the driver was the chairman, their hearts, which had been in their throats, finally settled down, and they immediately followed.

"Chairman Xu, that's all. This is enough for Attorney Li to make a good impression. I will turn myself in later. I'm entrusting my sister to you."

"Yes, don't worry, neither Li Ye nor I are people who break their promises."

Hearing this, Cen Ruotian suddenly laughed, "Chairman Xu, you're the one in Attorney Li's heart, right? You know, I've been trying to get her to give in to me, but she's been vehemently refusing, saying she has someone in her heart, saying she'll love him until death. But all these years, I've never seen 'that person' appear. I never expected that when she does appear today, it would be so shocking, so extreme. That's truly Attorney Li's style. She never shows up unless it's for no reason, and when she does, it's always something big."

Xu Wanyi held the folder, feeling somewhat ashamed of Tian Zong's words. She hadn't expected Li Ye to dare to say anything.

"If Li Ye really can get out, we'll take good care of your sister. I won't bother you any longer," Xu Wanyi replied, seemingly changing the subject, and then walked towards the door.

"Yes," Cen Ruotian's expression shifted, as if he wanted to say something, but hesitated. Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he took a breath and said, "However, Chairman Xu, I was able to do this not only because of your promise, but also because of Attorney Li himself. Of course, you are also very important. If you hadn't offered this condition, even if I thank Attorney Li, I wouldn't have done this."

Xu Wanyi was startled and looked up at her, not understanding what she meant. Could it be that this person really liked Li Ye?

Tian Zong immediately realized that Xu Wanyi had misunderstood. "Don't misunderstand. Next time you see Li Ye, please tell her for me that you thank her for taking care of my sister these past few years."

After saying this, he gently closed the door before Xu Wanyi could say anything more.