But on second thought, if Fu Chen was fooled by Martin and suffered a heavy loss, and the Fu Group was thrown into chaos, Martin would definitely take action against the Ning Group immediately, which was not what she wanted to see.

She also needed Fu Chen, this "good dog", to protect her in public for a while, so as to buy Ning's more breathing space.

Oh, how ironic.

She paused briefly, then typed a line of words on the keyboard: "Martin is extremely cunning. Be careful of small gains, as they may lead to self-destruction. - Ning Nanxue."

Click Send.

Putting the phone aside, Ning Nanxue looked out the window.

She had given Fu Chen a heads-up, all for the Ning family. Whether Fu Chen was dead or alive, believed or not, what did it have to do with her? He was nothing more than a chess piece.

Fu Chen was thinking about Martin when his personal phone screen suddenly lit up. A new message came from an unsaved number.

He casually unlocked the message and clicked in. The content was not long, but the signature at the end made him stop in his tracks - Ning Nanxue.

Ning Nanxue? She sent him a message to remind him? The sun rose from the west?

Fu Chen's mind raced with speculation. Was she testing something? Was she trying to sow discord? Or did she truly possess some secret that he wasn't aware of?

He stared at the message, reading it back and forth two or three times.

Ning Nanxue's tone didn't sound pretentious.

Thinking back to Martin's slick look in the afternoon and those vague explanations, Fu Chen's brows unconsciously furrowed again.

Was he too eager to succeed in this collaboration with Martin? The prospects Martin painted for him were too rosy, so rosy that he blinded himself to some areas that should have raised doubts.

Ning Nanxue's message was like a bucket of cold water poured on him out of the blue, causing a crack in his plan, which he thought was foolproof.

He, Fu Chen, never trusted anyone easily, let alone a woman like Ning Nanxue. But this piece of information did ring a warning bell in his heart.

Martin...you'd better behave yourself. Fu Chen picked up the cigar on the table. This time, he slowly lit it. His eyes darkened in the smoke.

A few days later, the private cell phone rang again, and the word "Martin" appeared on the screen.

Fu Chen looked at the name and frowned in his mind. Is this person unable to sit still, or is he trying to play some new tricks?

The call is connected.

"Mr. Fu, I'm sorry to bother you during your busy schedule." Martin's voice was filled with artificial warmth. "We were rushed last time and didn't get to discuss some things properly. I've made some special arrangements tonight. I wonder if Mr. Fu could spare some time to come and give me a chance?"

It sounded a little more humane than the official tone last time, or rather, a little more urgent.

Fu Chen held the phone in his hand. Well, some things should be discussed face to face.

"Location." He only replied with two words.

Martin immediately reported the address and time, with a barely perceptible hint of relief in his voice.

As night fell, Martin chose a place that was elegantly decorated and claimed to be confidential. The lights in the private room were soft, and only Fu Chen and Martin were there.

Before the food was served, Martin sighed and acted as if he was speaking from the heart.

"Mr. Fu, let's be frank. Our two companies are collaborating for mutual benefit. What's the basis for this? Trust, right?" Martin picked up the teapot and personally refilled the empty cup in front of Fu Chen. He continued, "But Mr. Fu, I feel like you have some misunderstandings about me, and they're getting deeper and deeper. Your repeated questioning is making me feel uncomfortable, and my subordinates are also having some gossip. Isn't it obvious that this is affecting the atmosphere of our cooperation? We need to move the project forward, but how can we expect success if we keep suspecting each other like this?"

These words made him seem like the one who was wronged.

Fu Chen didn't touch the cup of tea. He leaned back in his chair and watched Martin's performance.

"Mr. Martin, we both know how much money Fu Corporation has invested. It's not a small sum, and I, Fu Chen, have a responsibility to ensure that every penny is spent wisely and that the project proceeds as planned." He spoke slowly, but each word was clear. "But your recent actions seem off. You can't explain the direction of the funds, and the project's progress is dragging on. Let me ask you, have you ever given a convincing explanation? You either claim commercial confidentiality or gloss over the issue vaguely."

He leaned forward slightly. "I want something tangible. I can't just get rid of it with a few nice words."

"Something's wrong?" Martin sneered. "Mr. Fu, business is never smooth sailing. It's normal to have some twists and turns, some temporary difficulties. There are some things that involve core business operations that I can't disclose to outsiders. This is also the rule. Mr. Fu, you are an expert, you should understand."

Martin spread his hands, his expression softening a bit, a bit more assertive. "If Mr. Fu insists on being so stubborn and thinks I, Martin, can't be trusted, then I can't help it. Having said that, if Mr. Fu still insists on his own opinion, then I can only assume that Mr. Fu no longer trusts me, Martin, and no longer has any hope for our cooperation."

He leaned back and crossed his legs. "If it really comes to that, I, Martin, won't be the type to drag my feet. At worst, the cooperation will be terminated and the funds will be withdrawn. Of course, this won't be a good thing for either the Fu Group or us. Mr. Fu, you're a smart person. You'll figure this out."

After hearing this, Fu Chen sneered. He finally picked up the cup of tea in front of him, but just played with it in his hand without drinking it.

"Withdraw investment?" Fu Chen repeated the two words, his voice low but chilling. "Mr. Martin, are you teaching me how to do things, or are you trying to scare me?"

He put down the teacup, and the cup made a loud noise against the table, which was particularly clear in the quiet box.

"Fu's success wasn't built on just one or two projects. What do you think will happen to Fu if you withdraw your investment? Will it be seriously damaged? Mr. Martin, you think too highly of yourself." Fu Chen stood up and looked down at Martin. "I'm here today to give you a chance to explain. If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, then it's not up to you to decide whether to continue the cooperation. I, Fu Chen, will have to settle this account with you. You can weigh the consequences yourself."

The air in the box suddenly became tense, Martin's face changed several times, and sweat seeped out of his forehead.

Although he already knew that Martin was no ordinary person, he remained calm even after the situation between them became like this.

If he wasn't desperate, why would he be willing to cooperate with such a person?

"Mr. Martin, are you threatening me by saying this?"

Martin snorted coldly: "Is it a threat? Mr. Fu, you know it yourself."