Chapter 22

"I see you're so absent-minded today." At the end of the morning meeting, his boss, Eric, left Xiao Weiyan alone. "New York headquarters is taking this case very seriously. They originally planned to send in external help, but considering the change in counseling costs, they've withdrawn the help. After all, at your current service fee, one person can do the work of two... Alas, don't they have a Western proverb: 'Heavy is the head who wears the crown.' You can only bear with it. Those who are capable should do more work!"

The law firm doesn't promote any employee for nothing, and this promotion doesn't fall within the regular review period. To maintain personnel balance, headquarters will naturally refrain from providing further HR support to the UAE branch. The increasing difficulty of incoming cases and workload are inevitable.

Xiao Weiyan was holding a stack of new case files in his hand, and he was mentally prepared: "Nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night."

Eric asked his assistant to bring in a cup of coffee: "Is this about your girlfriend? Hasn't the police department resolved it yet?"

Xiao Weiyan shook his head: "The police station didn't make it difficult. They've already submitted the information and are going through the process."

Eric pushed the coffee in front of him. "Well, that's good. You should focus on this. This case is not only tight on time, but also extremely difficult. I don't know how many eyes are watching you at headquarters right now. You must not let your guard down. Even I am under a lot of pressure."

Xiao Weiyan stroked his teacup, took a sip, and looked under dark circles. "I understand. This is actually a test from headquarters... Don't worry, I'll kick off with the team today."

He had originally wanted to take advantage of the lunch break to go see Guan Ying, but now it seemed that he couldn't leave at noon. Well, he had tossed and turned all night and still hadn't figured out a clear plan. It would be better to postpone it until dinner time to give himself more time.

Although this wasn't his usual style, it had never happened to him before. His empiricism was completely useless, and he even began to try to convince himself: "Wouldn't it be better to take it slow?" Perhaps "slowing down will lead to a smoother outcome?" Even at this point, deep down, he couldn't help but crave the "best of both worlds."

......

As long as he devotes himself to the work he is good at, he forgets the time. When he looks up again, he finds that it is already dark outside the office window, but there is still a series of work waiting for his decision and approval.

The lights in Eric's office were still on and the team members were all there. Everyone was going to have an overtime meal tonight. How could he, the core member, leave alone at this time?

Xiao Weiyan stood in front of the window, looking at the colorful city of Dubai, and after a moment he picked up Guan Ying's mobile phone.

"Hello? You still remember to call back..." Zheng Juyong's voice sounded a little weak, a kind of weakness that he would only reveal to his own people. He might not be aware of it, but Xiao Weiyan was very sensitive at the moment.

"It's me."

The tone of the person on the other end changed instantly, and he said firmly, "Oh, it's you! What? Why are you calling me from her phone?"

"I heard Hassan has already taken away all the scrap from the yard. Are you busy these past few days?"

The person on the other end reacted: "Strange, why didn't she ask me herself? Isn't it a little late for her to finally have a change of heart now?! Never mind, I'm a magnanimous person, just give her the phone."

Zheng Juyong still seemed to have no good words for Guan Ying, and he knew nothing. Xiao Weiyan raised his eyebrows and said, "She's not with me."

"...What's the meaning?"

"Something happened to her."

"..." Zheng Juyong had been running around the trading market all day. When he returned to the dormitory, he had no appetite for dinner and went to bed early. At this moment, he was startled and sat up. "Ahem! What's wrong? Tell me quickly!"

Xiao Weiyan raised his hand and looked at the time: "It's a bit late now, why not tomorrow morning? Look, can you come over? I'll take you to see her. She's fine, it's just a small matter."

"What's so trivial? She can't even make a phone call herself?!" The other party obviously took it seriously.

Xiao Weiyan had nothing to hide anymore: "She's at the police station."

......

Two hours later, Zheng Juyong arrived at Xiao Weiyan's brightly lit office, looking just like everyone else working overtime. He seemed even more exhausted. He knew what he was about to face, so he'd changed into formal attire. As he slipped through the firm's gate with the other employees, he blended in unimpeded. Everyone was so engrossed in their work that no one noticed him.

When Xiao Weiyan looked up from behind the computer screen, he thought it was one of the assistants working overtime outside. He asked in a daze, "How did you get in?"

"It's been 48 hours, and you can still sit still!" Zheng Juyong pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down without any hesitation.

Xiao Weiyan stood up, closed the office door, and pressed the electric privacy curtain: "It's past the police station's visiting hours now. You're just impulsive to come here. Didn't we make an appointment for tomorrow morning?"

"Ahem! I want an explanation! Why did she hit that car? I grew up with Guan Ying. Although she has a bad temper, she never loses her temper for no reason. It must be you who did something. I think you didn't tell me the truth on the phone." Zheng Juyong put his arms on the armrests, sat upright, and adopted a negotiating posture. Although he was still a little childish in front of Xiao Weiyan, he was still on point.

"You seem to have a cold? Would you like some VC?" Xiao Weiyan turned around and took out a bottle of orange drink from the small refrigerator by the window, and handed it to him politely. "You don't have a car, how did you get here so late?"

"Don't worry about it, I have plenty of ways!" Zheng Juyong took the drink as a matter of course and gulped down half of it. He really needed to temporarily suppress the occasional stirring in his trachea. He was unfamiliar with the place and it was night, so in order to borrow a car, he flattered himself and contacted two masters, Liu and Qin, for help. He finally found a small truck going back to Dubai at the cargo yard by the port. He finally got a ride. Along the way, he was curled up in the cramped back seat of the small truck in formal clothes. The ups and downs stimulated his body and he couldn't stop coughing. The driver was disgusted when he heard it. Perhaps he was afraid of infection, so the driver opened the window all the way, and the sea breeze poured in, adding a layer of damp heat and stuffiness to his chest. Tonight's one-hour journey was really very long for him.

Xiao Weiyan leaned against the corner of his desk and took the opportunity to look at him from the side: "You should have met Daniel, right?"

"Ahem!" Zheng Juyong put down the bottle and calmed down. "Daniel told me that you'll be going to Vancouver soon to become a partner."

"Really? I didn't expect him to talk to you about me. I've been trying to arrange a meeting with him these past few days, but he refused to reply."

"Hey! I don't care about Daniel. I want to know what happened between you, Guan Ying, and Sister Jiawei. What happened to each of you?"

"I've already rejected Daniel." Xiao Weiyan turned his back and slowly walked to the French window. He didn't want to mention Jiawei at the moment, and just wanted to put the blame on Daniel again. "You should know that Daniel came back this time for Guan Guan. He originally wanted to take Guan Guan back to Canada, but she insisted on staying and pursuing Sabur to the end. No one knew when Sabur would show up, so she simply broke up with Daniel. Of course, I guess Guan Guan's excuse was still you, Juyongguan."

Zheng Juyong finally figured out the reason why Guan Ying and Daniel broke up, but he didn't expect that it was just as his father said, she did it for Xicheng Steel.

In the reflection of the window glass, Xiao Weiyan caught a glimpse of him bending over. "Guan Guan has gone into hiding at the police station, and you won't be able to handle Daniel. Perhaps we should try to work together."

Zheng Juyong knew Guan Ying wanted to hide away, but her decision to hide at the police station seemed a bit extreme. He was still suspicious. "So, it was Daniel who arranged for you to go to Vancouver? How could he do that?"

Xiao Weiyan smiled. "Why do you think the Hassan family chose Daniel? His status in the legal world is beyond your imagination. I think even Guan Guan wasn't aware of his background before they met him. I was fortunate enough to see a photo in his New York office. It was a photo of a Canadian aristocratic family from the 1980s, but you would never guess who was sitting in the front. That person was US President Reagan. What kind of family do you think could host the then-US president in their home in that era?"

"Reagan? The only American presidents I can recognize started with Obama..."

Xiao Weiyan turned around and said, "So, it might not be impossible for Guan Guan to hide in the police station."

It seemed like a fairy tale. Zheng Juyong was in a daze, remembering the night he saw Daniel confronting Guan Ying across the car downstairs. He couldn't help but feel a little scared. The little bully in West City really dared to mess with anyone. Then he remembered Daniel's words to him, "I want to compete with you fairly." He couldn't help but feel a chill in his chest and back: "Ahem...how did she end up dating such a big shot?"

Xiao Weiyan knew he had listened, and leaned back against the corner of his desk. "Now that Sabur's issue is resolved, have you ever thought about returning home as soon as possible to marry your celebrity friend? I think Guan Ying will also return home with you for a while to facilitate your marriage. Daniel will think that you two are fulfilling your engagement, so he'll have no choice but to let go. I'll let you know after Daniel leaves, and I'll be waiting for her here."

While Xicheng Steel had achieved some success in western Beijing, and the Guan and Zheng families were considered major local businesses, once they ventured beyond the borders of the capital, they were nothing. Daniel's background was so complex that he couldn't help but worry about Guan Ying: "How long will Guan Ying stay in the police station?"

"I'll expedite it. It's hard to say at this point, but the detention won't last more than a week in total."

Zheng Juyong stood up, as if to cooperate, but also as a warning: "Xiao Weiyan, I will consider your words. But she is your girlfriend, you should take good care of her, instead of really believing her words about hiding away. Please put her affairs first! Hurry and do it as soon as possible!"