The air in the Fu Group's conference room froze.

Fu Chen's passionate speech failed to arouse any response.

Those sitting below were all backbone members of the group. At this moment, they all had blank expressions and lowered eyes, and no one responded.

Fu Chen felt a surge of anger in his chest, but he maintained the dignity of a president on his face.

He knew that the army's morale had been broken and it would not be easily won back together with a few harsh words.

After the meeting, Fu Chen returned to his office and tugged at his tie in frustration. The sky outside the window was gloomy, just like his current mood.

The phone screen lit up, and the assistant sent a message saying that some of Fu Group's project partners had been poached.

The one who poached the employees was none other than Jiang Tingchen's subsidiary.

"Jiang Tingchen..." He squeezed out the name from between his teeth, his eyes icy. Martin was watching him from the outside, but Jiang Tingchen was stabbing him in the back, pushing him to a dead end!

He had to do something. An idea formed in his mind: he wanted to ask Jiang Tingchen out.

The meeting place was a very private teahouse. Fu Chen arrived a few minutes early. The antique style and the aroma of tea in the private room could not calm his inner anxiety.

Jiang Tingchen showed up on time, wearing a well-tailored dark suit that made him look tall and straight and his temperament calm.

As soon as he entered, the air pressure in the box dropped a few degrees.

"Mr. Fu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Jiang Tingchen's voice was not loud, but it had a force that left no room for questioning.

Fu Chen pulled the corner of his mouth and made a gesture of invitation: "Mr. Jiang, of course, please sit down. I invited Mr. Jiang here today mainly to discuss how to deal with that old fox Martin. The lips and teeth are cold, this principle is known to both you and me."

Jiang Tingchen sat down, touched the teacup with his slender fingers, took a sip, and without even looking up, asked, "Mr. Fu, do you have any good ideas?"

Fu Chen stared at him, trying to find something on his face. "Martin has a big appetite this time, and the funding chain is our number one target. However, I heard that Ning's company has recently made a new name for itself in new energy technology. Mr. Jiang is always well-informed, could you share some information? As the saying goes, only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you..."

Jiang Tingchen put down his teacup, and the bottom of the cup made a slight sound when it hit the table. He raised his eyes, and there was no ripple in his eyes, but it made Fu Chen feel an inexplicable pressure.

"Nan Xue has her own arrangements for Ning's technology. Instead of worrying about this, Mr. Fu should focus more on Fu's financial issues." He paused, "However, I do have some clues about Martin's funding chain. If Mr. Fu is sincere, it's not impossible to share."

Fu Chen's heart skipped a beat. Jiang Tingchen had seen through her plan? And was he even using the latter to defeat her?

He calmed down and said, "Oh? Mr. Jiang, if you have any clues, please tell me. As long as we can bring down Martin, the Fu family will certainly not let Mr. Jiang suffer any loss."

The two of them exchanged words with each other, and their words were full of sharp wit. On the surface, it seemed like they had reached some kind of "cooperation", but in fact, they each had their own agenda.

As the night deepened, Ning Nanxue stood on the balcony of her apartment, the evening breeze ruffling her hair.

Jiang Tingchen approached from behind and put a thin coat on her shoulders.

"Fu Chen is looking for you today not just for Martin's matter, right?" Ning Nanxue turned around and looked at the man beside her.

Under the moonlight, Jiang Tingchen's profile has clear lines, a tight chin, and focused eyes.

The pleasant cedar scent on him made her feel at ease.

"Well, he wants to get to know the Ning family's technical details," Jiang Tingchen said in a low voice, holding her cold hand. "He also wants to see if Martin has tortured me to death."

"Then how did you reply to him?" Ning Nanxue's fingertips moved in his warm palm.

"I said, if you want to cooperate, you have to show something concrete." Jiang Tingchen smiled faintly. "If he wants to kill someone with a borrowed knife, he has to ask me, the knife, whether I am willing to be used by him."

Ning Nanxue snuggled up to his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his chest and his steady heartbeat.

"Fu Chen is a man who will do anything to achieve his goals. You should be careful. I'm afraid he will shift the Fu family's mess onto you."

Jiang Tingchen tightened his arms and held her tighter.

"Don't worry, Nanxue. I won't let the Fu family drag down the Ning family. As for Martin, Old Liu has already obtained key evidence of their money laundering through overseas channels. It won't be long before he finds out who has the stronger fist."

He lowered his head, nuzzling the top of her head with his nose, and said soothingly, "I'll do the dirty work. Just focus on taking care of Ning's business."

Ning Nanxue hummed, and the frustration in her heart caused by Fu Chen and Martin was smoothed out by his few words.

She felt relieved. With him around, she felt safe no matter how strong the storm was.

Fu family villa.

Xu Zhao, carrying an exquisite fruit basket, rang the doorbell. "I'm here to see my sister," he said, grinning at the housekeeper, revealing his white teeth, but his eyes seemed a little vague.

Xu Zhiru was pruning branches in the living room. Seeing her brother, she was a little surprised: "Why are you here?"

"I missed you, sister." Xu Zhao handed over the fruit basket and quickly scanned the villa. "Where's my brother-in-law? Is there something going on at the company?"

"His company is busy. This is not the first day you've known this." Xu Zhiru took the fruit basket and responded casually.

"Oh, then I'll go upstairs and take a look at my room. It's the one I lived in before. It hasn't been moved, right?" Xu Zhao said, walking upstairs as if he was familiar with the place.

"You..." Xu Zhiru wanted to say something, but Xu Zhao had already gone up the stairs.

Fu Chen's study was usually locked, but Xu Zhao came prepared.

He took out a thin piece of wire from his pocket and pried open the door lock in a few strokes.

He slipped into the study and quickly took out a black device the size of a matchbox from his pocket, which he skillfully stuck in a hidden corner under the desk.

After doing all this, he checked carefully to make sure that no traces were left before quietly leaving and locking the door again.

As he walked downstairs, his nonchalant smile returned to his face. "Sister, I have something else to do, so I'll leave first. I'll come visit you and brother-in-law another day."

Xu Zhiru walked him to the door. Xu Zhao turned around and said in a low voice, "Sister, the waters are very deep over there with Martin. I think Fu Chen is in big trouble this time. You should think of a way out for yourself as soon as possible."

After saying that, he left without waiting for Xu Zhiru to react.

Xu Zhao's pointed words were like a thorn in Xu Zhiru's heart.

She returned to the living room and looked at the fruit basket sent by Xu Zhao. The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.

She had heard of Martin's power, but Xu Zhao's tone carried a deeper meaning than she had expected, which was even more terrifying than her usual understanding of Martin's power.

If Fu Chen really collapsed, then her engagement... her future...

Xu Zhiru was restless and paced back and forth in the room. She couldn't put all her hopes on Fu Chen.

Late at night, she tossed and turned, and finally picked up her spare phone, edited an anonymous message, and sent it to a number that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her - Ning Nanxue's.