The three of them got straight to the point without exchanging more than a few words. Chen Ke explained his plans in a few words, which surprised Xu Manling and Li Guaizi.

"You can't just throw away such a big company like that, can you? Don't you want to check the funds in the account before you say anything?" Li Guaizi looked incredulous.

Chen Ke shook his head, "No need. All the money you've earned is from the hard work of the two of you. I didn't start this company for money." Besides, Li Guaizi and his wife did no less than I did in protecting cultural relics. Their great contributions can be seen from the records of later generations.

Xu Manling understood Chen Ke somewhat and didn't try to shirk responsibility. It was true that Chen Ke had founded the company, but for the past twenty years, she and Li Guaizi had been the actual operators. Moreover, since the outbreak of the war, the situation in Shanghai had become difficult and complicated. If Li Guaizi hadn't risked his life to fight, it was hard to say whether the company could have survived.

So she nodded directly, "Okay, but we won't take a single penny that's rightfully yours. I'll have the finance department calculate the value of your original shares later. You'll have to take the money yourself, otherwise I won't feel at ease."

Chen Ke knew that Xu Manling was saying this on purpose because she was afraid he wouldn't want the money, so he accepted her kindness and said, "Thank you then."

Seeing that the two had already discussed it, Li Guaizi was somewhat puzzled, but having been used to Xu Manling's orders for so many years, he subconsciously turned around and left after Xu Manling told him to go find the finance department.

After Li Guaizi left, Xu Manling's expression changed, and she became hesitant.

“Just say what you have to say. Hesitation isn’t in your nature, Miss Xu,” Chen Ke said, raising an eyebrow.

Upon hearing this, Xu Manling didn't hesitate any longer and asked directly, "Your brother must be overjoyed to be back, right?"

Chen Ke thought about Chen Zhuo's state over the past two days and said honestly, "He seems quite happy, but not to the point of going crazy."

Seeing Xu Manling's disbelieving look, Chen Ke continued, "Chen Zhuo is a mature adult now. Don't look at him with the same eyes you used to. Perhaps you don't feel much because you see each other often, but the Chen Zhuo I see today has changed a lot. He's no longer the somewhat naive and stubborn boy he once was."

"Is this all you've felt about Chen Zhuo these past few days?"

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Chen Ke frowned.

Xu Manling looked at Chen Ke and fell silent, her eyes deep and uncertain as if she were pondering some century-old problem.

Chen Ke, preoccupied with Chen Zhuo's plan, had no desire to stay any longer. Seeing that Xu Manling remained silent, he prepared to get up and leave. At that moment, Xu Manling suddenly asked, "Do you love Chen Zhuo?"

Chen Ke, who was about to get up, paused. Without thinking, he replied, "He's my own brother, how could I not love him?"

In that instant, Xu Manling's expression was extremely complex, as if it were an expectation, yet also a mixture of sympathy and regret...

Chen Ke asked, puzzled, "Why are you asking this?"

Xu Manling changed the subject, "Are you familiar with Project Jiangying?"

Chen Ke's eyes suddenly turned cold. "How did you know about this plan?"

Xu Manling shrugged and smiled meaningfully, "Chen Ke, in the past twenty years, my relationship with Chen Zhuo has become much closer than before. I know all his secrets."

Hearing this boastful remark, Chen Ke didn't even lift his eyelids. "Oh, does Li Jinchun know you two are so close?"

Xu Manling: ······

She's completely impervious to reason!

"Alright, let's get to the point." Xu Manling suddenly became serious. "Since you know about Jiang Ying's plan, you have to find a way to stop Chen Zhuo from implementing it. You have to understand that once this plan starts, Chen Zhuo will have nowhere to retreat."

Chen Ke nodded. "I know. Although this plan has been proposed, there are always ways to stop it before it is implemented."

Upon hearing Chen Ke's words, Xu Manling stood up abruptly, her voice trembling as she asked, "Where did you get this information?"

"Yesterday's secret meeting of the pseudo-government."

After listening, Xu Manling turned pale and slumped into a chair, looking at Chen Ke and saying word by word, "The holding of the secret meeting of the puppet government is the sign that the Jiang Ying Plan has begun."

Chen Ke could hardly believe his ears. "Say it again!"

"The Jiangying Plan was a plan within a plan. When Chen Zhuo used himself as bait to push the government to start implementing the plan, the real Jiangying Plan had already begun."

————

So Chen Zhuo had been lying to him all along? Jiang Ying's plan had already begun when he learned of it?

A surge of unprecedented anger welled up in his chest. He gripped the chair so tightly that he felt as if he wanted to crush it to relieve the rage that had nowhere to go. For the first time, Chen Ke felt his emotions spiraling out of control, and the string of reason was teetering on the brink of collapse under the onslaught of fury.

Xu Manling, sitting across the table, was startled by Chen Ke's appearance. His expression was so frightening that the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat until Chen Ke's icy voice rang out, "What would be the consequences if we terminated this plan immediately?"

Xu Manling was taken aback by the question, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I asked, what would be the consequences if we stopped implementing the Jiangying Plan right now?" Chen Ke's voice sounded like it was being forced out through clenched teeth.

Xu Manling gasped in shock and stammered, "The plan started as soon as the meeting began, and every step was initiated. If it is suddenly terminated now... then all the intelligence points in Shanghai will be exposed, and all the underground workers... will be wiped out."

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