Chapter 236

Yan Baiqing is currently holding a meeting at the Yan Group headquarters, making his first official appearance. Several members of the board of directors who support him have specially come from the Greater Bay Area to support him in case Yan Weilan's cronies interfere.

The man stood outside the conference room door, one hand in his pocket. In the bright light, his features were handsome and refined, and his tone was calm and composed. "Is it safe?"

"Safety is one thing. I suspect she suddenly exposed herself and reported Jiang Zhongyi as a counter-espionage scheme. You left the city for two days, and she hid in the Imperial Mansion. Jiang Jingyan must have met with her. The people who approached her were sneaky. I wonder if they were plotting something."

Yan Baiqing lowered his eyes, "Will Jingyan allow Qing'er to take the risk of being a spy?"

"If he doesn't allow it, Miss Chen might insist on having her own way. Some women are willing to sacrifice for a man's future." Hua Mei was firm and anxious. "Would you like to send her away from the party tonight?"

"She's a student of acting, what can she do that I can't control."

"Mr. Yan!"

"Alright." Yan Baiqing ordered calmly, "Jingyan now has Wan Lihong and Li Xiangli's wife in his hands. We don't know who has the most crucial evidence yet. You don't need to stay at the venue. Keep an eye on Li Xiangli."

He finished speaking, hung up, and returned to the conference room.

After the two-hour internal meeting, Yan Baiqing left behind a few key members to provide supplementary information.

"Not many members of the Chamber of Commerce accepted the invitation. Director Yan was just one step away from being elected as the Chamber of Commerce President. Now that you have taken over, most members are just waiting and watching. Moreover..."

Yan Baiqing played with a pen, a faint smile on his face. "Besides, with the Zhong family's obstruction and the members who are all enthusiastically supporting Jing Yan, most of the Chamber of Commerce don't even take my Yan family seriously, right?"

The vice-president who was speaking exchanged glances with his companion. "There's a long way to go. Your reputation in the city is no worse than Mr. Jiang's. People in the Chamber of Commerce need to eat. Mr. Jiang is often too harsh, which doesn't fit the nature of a businessman. Sooner or later, they will understand that such a person can only be admired from afar, not be trusted."

Yan Baiqing casually practiced calligraphy, and with each stroke, a bold "Qing" (green) leapt out of the paper. "The Chamber of Commerce is not in a hurry. We will fully recommend Mr. Shao to join Huasheng."

"Mr. Shao is innocent. The power to appoint and dismiss personnel at Huasheng is not entirely in Mr. Jiang's hands. We are keeping an eye on it. Don't worry, nothing will go wrong."

Another vice-president echoed, "That's right. Today's focus is on Mr. Feng using the Nanhong bracelet for fraudulent auctions and tax evasion. Are you ready?"

The man hummed calmly, then added three water drops next to the character 'qing', his voice arrogant and powerful, revealing his sharp edge. "The Greater Bay Area case concerning Mr. Feng has been concluded. The evening party will start at 8:30. The municipal task force will give me a reply before then."

"If Xu Jing's husband hadn't been heavily in debt from gambling in the Greater Bay Area, she wouldn't have taken the bait this time. As long as her hiding place isn't found, President Feng won't be able to escape. Even if it's Old Director Yan's forces that are dismantled, you've cleared out the treacherous officials for the group. In the future, everyone will admire your style of work."

Yan Baiqing smiled faintly, tore off the paper, crumpled it into a ball, and after a moment, unfolded it again, stroking the spread ink thoughtfully.

…

At 7:30, guests of the charity gala entered the venue one after another.

With the Pei family being invited, Yuan Hui's backstage treatment increased dramatically, with a private lounge, an exclusive makeup artist, and even Chen Qing benefited from it.

"You didn't sleep last night?" Yuan Hui stared at her and frowned. "Even makeup can't hide your dark circles."

Chen Qing had a blank expression on his face, all his thoughts were disturbed by the note in the piano case.

She was not sure which side the man was from, Jiang Zhongyi, Jiang Jingyan, or maybe Yan Baiqing had come up with a new way to test them.

The performance only lasted one hour, and after the performance, the students returned to school, so she needed to respond quickly within that hour.

Suddenly, Yuan Hui exclaimed, "Mrs. Jiang is here too!"

Chen Qing came back to his senses and looked at her phone screen.

Master Pei understood the relationship between Chen Qing and the Jiang family, and would inform Yuan Hui immediately of any disturbance.

"It's not surprising that Madam Jiang is here." Chen Qing sat up straight. "She has been dedicated to charity for many years. Mr. Yan and... are fellow apprentices, so she's just here to show her support."

"Does she know you're here?"

"Maybe."

Yuan Hui lowered her voice, "My husband said that when Mrs. Jiang was Miss Zhong, she had a hot temper. Now people in the circle say that you are wavering between her son and Mr. Yan. If she makes things difficult for you..."

"Mrs. Jiang, there's no need for you to bother with me." Chen Qing didn't tell her too much about what happened in the past two days and casually evaded the topic.

While waiting, Yuan Hui couldn't sit still and slipped out to watch the opening dance and the guests.

Chen Qing stayed with her every step of the way. During the first three months, she had to be careful about everything. Originally, the Pei family did not want her to perform on stage again, and even suggested that she take a leave of absence from school and continue her studies after giving birth. But Yuan Hui refused. She was outstanding in this class. If she waited for a year or two, the younger generation would be far better than her, and it would be difficult for her to stand out again. By then, she would have no choice but to let her in-laws arrange everything for her.

She advised Chen Qing more than once that no matter whether she married into the Jiang family or the Yan family in the future, a woman needed to have the ability to make a living on her own.

Chen Qing was not overly worried. Jiang Jingyan respected her plans for her studies and future very much. Mrs. Luo was a coloratura soprano and had intended to train her as her last disciple. Jiang Jingyan knew that she was cautious about living under someone else's roof, so he never let her know about it and declined it on her behalf.

After taking the college entrance examination, Chen Qing applied for college only in the city. Firstly, she wanted to stay in the city where the Chen family used to live, and secondly, she knew that Jiang Jingyan had retired from the army and changed his career, so she wanted to be as close to him as possible.

The two of them were standing on the second floor, with a clear view of what was happening downstairs.

Yuan Hui looked around and muttered, "Mrs. Jiang is here, so Mr. Jiang should be here too, right?"

Chen Qing was also paying attention to the downstairs, but he was not looking for Jiang Jingyan.

Staff members were coming and going in the corridor, their footsteps drowned out by the host's announcement. She looked around and saw a familiar face at the corner of the stairs.

"Let's go back first."

Yuan Hui was getting excited and pulled her back, "Wait..."

The audience erupted in noise and applause. Chen Qing looked at the big screen on the stage. The man was wearing a champagne-colored business suit and had his short hair carefully styled. He looked quite gentle and handsome.

Yan Baiqing was more stylish than before. He nodded politely at the camera and walked to the front row to sit down. His every move exuded an ancient and profound mature charm, which was quite different from his usual calmness. He completely dominated the scene.

Although the charity auction at the beginning of the year was not organized by the Yan family, it was also to please the Yan family. At that time, Yan Baiqing was somewhat restrained, but today, he is the real him.

"I still prefer Mr. Yan's looks," Yuan Hui commented, her chin in her hand. "Do you know what women outside say about him? The more refined he is, the more contrasting it is. He may look like a gentleman, but who knows how wild he is in bed!"

These words echoed through Chen Qing's ears. She glanced at the figure around the corner again and urged in a low voice, "Go back, someone is watching me."

Yuan Hui sensed her nervousness and didn't dare delay any further.

The Pei family's marriage had not been announced to the public yet, so it was not convenient to send their own bodyguards. Even if they found two strangers, they would only guard from a distance.

Chen Qing was worried that she would be implicated by him, so he took his violin case and went to the public lounge on the first floor to wait.

As soon as she entered the elevator, the man who bumped into her in the morning walked in.

He changed his clothes and was no longer dressed as a hotel waiter.

After Chen Qing pressed the floor button, the moment the elevator door closed, several staff members rushed in and squeezed her into the corner.

The man stood beside her, his voice almost whispered, "Ms. Chen, I couldn't wait for you to contact me, so I had to use this method."

Chen Qing looked up tremblingly, "Who are you working for?"

"Whoever you want to report, that's who I'm reporting for."

This is a very clever statement. It could be Jiang Zhongyi or Meng Hongwen.

Chen Qing remained calm and said, "I don't understand."

The elevator quickly reached the first floor, and she squeezed out of the crowd and rushed out.

The man's footsteps fell behind her, following closely, like a tease before hunting, leaving her in a panic and at a loss as to what to do.