Meng Yanchen looked at the preliminary investigation report on the energy project handed to him by Fan Shengmei, his expression grave. Fan Shengmei pointed to several key pieces of information in the report and said, "If these issues are true, they might be our breakthrough." Meng Yanchen nodded slightly, "But further verification is needed. I've made some progress in communicating with our partners, but the situation is still unclear. Next, we need to readjust our plans based on these new developments." Their eyes met again, a firm resolve shining in their eyes, and a new plan was about to unfold.

Meng Yanchen quickly summoned his most trusted subordinates and whispered instructions: "Closely monitor the movements of those high-ranking members of the mysterious investment group, especially Zhao Li; he's a key figure. Listen to their communications, but be careful not to alert them. Report to me immediately if there's any suspicious activity." His subordinates obeyed and left swiftly and silently. Fan Shengmei, meanwhile, was organizing documents, her fingers moving rapidly across the files, her eyes focused, marking any potentially useful information.

The surveillance operation was not without its challenges. The higher-ups at the mysterious investment group seemed to have sensed something amiss, becoming unusually cautious in their movements, frequently changing routes, and increasing the number of bodyguards. The surveillance team nearly lost him several times. On one occasion, Zhao Li suddenly turned back from his original destination, disappearing into a narrow alley. The surveillance team had to cautiously follow him, only to find him getting into a car without license plates and speeding away.

Upon learning of this, Fan Shengmei fell into deep thought. She paced back and forth in her office, analyzing, "They've definitely become aware of this. At this rate, it'll be difficult for us to obtain crucial information." Meng Yanchen stood by the window, gazing at the bustling street below. After a moment's thought, he said, "We need to change our strategy. We can't just rely on tracking them; we need to start with their social circles, finding some people who interact with them but aren't particularly noticeable, and break through from the sidelines."

So, Fan Shengmei used her connections to find a small businessman who had previously done business with the mysterious investment group. She personally arranged to meet him at a quiet coffee shop. The coffee shop was filled with the rich aroma of coffee, and soft music played in the air. Fan Shengmei and the businessman sat facing each other, and she smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, I know you've worked with the mysterious investment group before. I'd like to ask you about some things. Don't worry, we won't cause you any trouble." Mr. Zhang seemed a little hesitant, his fingers tapping lightly on the rim of his coffee cup, making a crisp sound. Seeing this, Fan Shengmei continued, "This matter is very important to us, and we will also give you appropriate compensation." Mr. Zhang finally spoke slowly, "I do know some things. They've recently been working with an overseas consortium on a large project, it seems to be related to new energy. I don't know the specific details, but I've heard that there are many unknown transactions behind this project."

Meanwhile, Meng Yanchen's initial contacts with the overseas consortium were also underway. He carefully selected a high-end hotel in the city center as the meeting place. The hotel's conference room was luxuriously decorated, with crystal chandeliers casting a soft glow, and fresh flowers adorning the conference table, emitting a delicate fragrance. Meng Yanchen, dressed in a well-tailored suit, calmly conversed with the representatives of the overseas consortium.

"Gentlemen, I believe you all understand that cooperating with the mysterious investment group is not without risk," Meng Yanchen's voice was steady and powerful. "Their recent actions have caused market instability, which is not good for any of us." The representatives of the overseas consortium exchanged glances. One blond, blue-eyed man frowned and said in broken Chinese, "Mr. Meng, we understand your meaning, but we have already invested a lot of money and energy in this project. Withdrawing now would result in huge losses." Meng Yanchen smiled slightly and said calmly, "I understand your concerns, but if you continue to cooperate with them, once their conspiracy is exposed, the losses you face may be even greater. Our Fu Group is willing to offer some preferential terms to compensate for your losses from withdrawing from the cooperation. At the same time, we can also cooperate on other more promising projects."

The representatives began to discuss in hushed tones, while Meng Yanchen waited quietly for their response. After a while, another woman wearing glasses said, "Mr. Meng, we need time to consider your proposal; after all, it's a significant decision." Meng Yanchen nodded in understanding: "Of course, I'll give you all three days to consider. I hope we can reach a consensus and work together to maintain market stability."

Back at the company, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei met again. Fan Shengmei told Meng Yanchen the information she had obtained from the small businessman. Upon hearing this, Meng Yanchen's eyes lit up: "A new energy project! This seems to be related to the energy project we investigated before. It seems we're on the right track." Fan Shengmei also smiled with relief: "Although we've encountered many difficulties, at least we've made new progress. Next, we need to continue to delve deeper into this new energy project and find more evidence."

However, gathering evidence remained extremely difficult. The mysterious investment group maintained extremely tight secrecy regarding its new energy projects, with all relevant data locked on highly encrypted servers. Meng Yanchen brought in the company's top technical staff to attempt to crack the server's password, but their multiple attempts failed.

"Mr. Meng, the encryption algorithm for this password is extremely complex, and it will be difficult for us to crack it in a short time," the technician said helplessly. Meng Yanchen frowned and paced back and forth in his office. Seeing his anxious look, Fan Shengmei comforted him, "Don't worry, let's think of other ways. Maybe we can start with their internal staff; perhaps someone knows the password or can provide other clues."

So, they began searching within the mysterious investment group for potential recruits. After some effort, they identified a low-ranking employee who was dissatisfied with the company. Fan Shengmei personally contacted this employee, and the two spoke in a secluded bar. In the dimly lit bar, amidst loud music, Fan Shengmei softly said, “I know you’ve been treated unfairly at the company. We can help you get revenge, and we can also offer you a generous reward, as long as you can provide some information about new energy projects.” The employee was tempted but also afraid: “If I’m discovered, I’ll definitely be in big trouble.” Fan Shengmei looked into his eyes and said firmly, “We will protect your safety and won’t let you be exposed. Besides, this is also your chance to change your situation.” The employee hesitated for a long time, but finally nodded: “Okay, I can try, but I can’t guarantee I’ll get the information.”

Days passed, and Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei waited for news from their internal staff while continuing to communicate with the overseas consortium. The overseas consortium still hadn't given a clear answer, and the collection of evidence remained stalled. Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei both understood that time was of the essence; they had to speed things up.

Finally, late one night, Meng Yanchen received a call from the employee. The employee's voice carried a hint of nervousness: "Mr. Meng, I've obtained some documents, but not much. I don't know if they'll be useful to you." Meng Yanchen was overjoyed: "Great! Where are you now? We'll send someone to pick them up right away." Hanging up, Meng Yanchen immediately dispatched his men to the agreed-upon location. A short while later, his men returned with the documents. Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei eagerly opened the documents and began to examine them carefully.

While the documents didn't contain conclusive evidence directly proving the mysterious investment group's conspiracy, they did provide some key clues, such as the framework of cooperation agreements for new energy projects and email records of communications with overseas consortia. Looking at the documents, Meng Yanchen said, "These clues aren't enough, but they allow us to understand their plans more deeply. If we continue investigating along these lines, we'll definitely find sufficient evidence." Fan Shengmei nodded in agreement: "Yes, we can't let our guard down with the overseas consortia either; we need to persuade them to abandon the cooperation as soon as possible."

As the investigation deepens, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei get closer to the truth, but they also know that the road ahead is still fraught with challenges. Will they be able to gather all the evidence? Will the overseas consortium be persuaded by Meng Yanchen? Everything remains to be seen.