Chapter 86 Head-on Confrontation

I wasn't really interested in talking to Song Ji-hyo about her fate. After lunch, I went back to my office. Chu Zhen dropped me off at work this morning and left; he hasn't come back yet. I'm feeling incredibly sleepy lately. I have no idea if Chu Zhen slept at all last night. When I woke up this morning, he had already prepared breakfast. I wonder if he got any rest last night. Lately, I've noticed he's getting thinner and thinner, with a furrowed brow. Although he's always smiling and full of tenderness when he's with me, I can clearly tell it's all an act.

Chu Zhen wasn't in the office, but Huang Yanyan called to say she was downstairs at the office.

"What brings you here now?"

"Lin Dang, the mastermind behind the gutter oil scandal back then was Li Guoqiang." Huang Yanyan's words were like a thunderbolt, instantly making my head feel like it was about to explode. How could the more I investigated, the more complicated the relationships became?

How did you know? Did you find out something?

"It's quite a coincidence. Yesterday, a distant cousin of mine came to visit. He used to run a restaurant in a small town in City A, and it was doing quite well. But now business is getting worse and worse. He wanted to borrow some money from my dad to tide him over, or perhaps try to get a position at a company. After a few rounds of drinks, he started talking nonsense. He mentioned that food hygiene is strictly enforced now, and that oil used to be so cheap, but a reporter messed things up and it's hard to buy now. I was on my guard and asked him how he buys oil. When you're drunk, you tell the truth, and he told me everything. I recorded it and will send it to you right away."

"How do you know it's Li Guoqiang's?"

“I showed him a photo of Li Guoqiang, and he said he recognized him because his restaurant was the biggest in town. At that time, Li Guoqiang was also new to the business and had to personally come down to run the business.”

Life is unpredictable. It turns out that we had a connection with Li Guoqiang several years ago. Chu Zhen was the producer of "Before Dawn," which Li Guoqiang must have known. After being reported, he remained calm and even managed to switch from gutter oil to food, and did quite well.

"He is indeed a business genius, but he didn't use his talents for good," Huang Yanyan sighed.

"Yan Yan, I'm quite curious. The gutter oil scandal has been going on for years, and things have been calm all along. So why is Li Guoqiang appearing so frequently now?"

"I'm wondering if it's because you're investigating food safety issues again that he's making him uneasy, so he's taking the initiative."

"The food safety issue was something I discussed privately with my director when I was working at the newspaper. He also talked about it with Chu Zhen at home, and almost no one knew about it. It was only recently that Chu Zhen had no clue and asked Song Huai to follow up, which is how Song Huai and Song Zhixiao found out. But I can assure them that they would never leak it out. These are basic professional ethics for journalists."

"Have you ever thought that we've been focusing on Li Guoqiang but neglecting Amy? Didn't you realize that Amy's appearance came first, and then we discovered Li Guoqiang?" Huang Yanyan pointed out the obvious. Thinking about it, it did seem a bit unreasonable that Amy's appearance came first.

"I've decided to put up a page in the newspaper to advertise the Huang Group. Isn't Amy the head of the newspaper's advertising department? She'll definitely come over in person to discuss such a big ad. I'll have to meet her." Yan Yan took a sip of tea, looking thoughtful.

Huang Yanyan is always decisive and efficient, and the very next day she had her secretary arrange for Amy to come to the company to discuss cooperation. Huang Yanyan knew Amy through her, and this was their first formal meeting.

Yan Yan told me that Amy's attitude towards work was admirable. Although she was hired at the last minute, she was able to provide three plans in a short period of time, and each of the promotional plans was flawless. However, this woman is indeed extraordinary. Wherever she goes, she attracts attention. The male colleagues in the company stare at her intently, while the female colleagues gossip about her behind her back.

Huang Yanyan did not hand over the print media publicity to the advertising department, but handled it directly herself. In her words, regardless of whether Amy was dangerous or not, at least she was under her watchful eye, so it wouldn't be so easy for her to do anything to harm me.

"Lin Dang, can we talk?" I was having a good time at work when a text message came in. It was from Amy's number, which I had saved when I worked at the newspaper.

“Okay, let’s go to the coffee shop next to the TV station.” I haven’t seen Chu Zhen much lately except in the mornings and evenings, so I don’t need to report to him. I took out my powder compact from my bag and patted my face. My face, which Chu Zhen had made round before, is now starting to lose weight again, and my complexion is yellowish. Professor Huang said that it might be a boy in my belly, absorbing the mother’s nutrients. Actually, I know that I’ve been thinking too much lately, but I don’t want to tell Professor Huang.

Amy was quick; perhaps she was already near the radio station, because she had already ordered her coffee when I arrived.

"Chu Zhen said you like black coffee, but it's too bitter during your pregnancy, so I ordered you a vanilla latte." Amy's attire was as flamboyant as ever, making her stand out in the coffee shop. The two of us were completely different, more like a battle between a wife and a mistress.

"No need, water is fine." I asked the waiter to pour me a glass of hot water.

"Sister Lin Dang, would you like me to make you a cup of hot milk?" The waiter seemed to know me quite well. When I came with Chu Zhen, he would order a black coffee and give me a cup of hot milk.

"Warm water is fine," I said with a smile.

"You're quite popular!" Amy said with a smile.

"It's alright. I come here often, so I'll get used to it. By the way, is there anything you need?" I prefer to get straight to the point rather than beat around the bush.

"Are you investigating me?" Amy was even more direct than I expected, leaving me speechless for a moment.

"Huang Yanyan is your best friend, right? She's a really nice person, very capable, and at such a young age, she's able to manage the Huang Group. That's quite impressive."

"Yan Yan mentioned you to me, saying that you are quite capable, your plans are flawless, and it is a pleasure to work with you."

“Lin Dang, what do you want to know? I mean, there’s no need to investigate me, or me and Chu Zhen.” Amy took a sip of coffee, her crescent-shaped eyes flashing with a sharp light, which made my heart tremble.

"You're overthinking it. I don't want to know anything about you. Chu Zhen has already told me the general situation. As for you and Chu Zhen, I have no intention of investigating. I know what kind of man I am."

"Really?" Amy took an envelope out of her bag, which contained photos of her daily life, clearly taken from a third-person angle.

"You're concluding I'm investigating you based on just a few photos?"

"How could I contact you without witnesses?" Amy turned on her phone to record a conversation. I didn't recognize the voice of the strange man in the recording, but I could clearly hear it. He was acting under Lin Dang's orders.

"Do you have anything to say now?" Amy asked arrogantly.