Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei stared intently at the clues on the table regarding the mysterious investment group's illegal activities. Meng Yanchen grasped Fan Shengmei's hand: "No matter how difficult it is, we must find out the truth. Fundraising can't stop either; this is going to be a tough battle." Fan Shengmei nodded: "Yes, I'll visit a few more partners tomorrow; maybe things will turn around." The two packed up their materials, preparing for another day's challenges, unaware of the many difficulties and obstacles that lay ahead.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window onto Meng Yanchen's desk, where he was already seated, deep in thought as he stared at the data on his computer. The clues discovered the previous night were like a fog; although there was a direction, every step was fraught with uncertainty. He knew all too well that this investigation involved personnel within the regulatory department, and the slightest misstep could lead to complete failure.

Meng Yanchen picked up his phone and dialed a number. A steady voice came from the other end: "Mr. Meng, what's up so early?" Meng Yanchen briefly explained the situation, hoping the other party could use their connections to help find out the specifics of the collusion between the regulatory authorities and the mysterious investment group. There was a moment of silence on the other end, then the voice said, "Mr. Meng, this is a very risky matter. I'll try my best, but you must be careful." Meng Yanchen thanked them and hung up. He knew that every step from now on had to be taken with caution.

Meanwhile, Fan Shengmei arrived at the company early. She entered the conference room and convened a meeting with the department heads. The atmosphere in the conference room was serious; everyone sensed the gravity of the situation. Standing in front of the projector, Fan Shengmei said solemnly, "Everyone, the company is currently facing a huge crisis. We have discovered some important clues, but these clues must be kept strictly confidential. From now on, the flow of information within the company must be more cautious. All documents must be encrypted, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter the important data room." The department heads nodded in agreement, indicating that they would strictly comply.

After the meeting, Fan Shengmei went to the technical department to personally oversee the implementation of confidentiality measures. Watching the busy technicians, she silently prayed that everything would go smoothly. The technical supervisor reported to her, "President Fan, we have strengthened network security protection. All internal systems have been equipped with advanced encryption programs, making it very difficult for outsiders to intrude." Fan Shengmei nodded slightly and instructed, "You must ensure absolute safety; any negligence could put us in a desperate situation."

Meng Yanchen left his office and headed to the meeting place with his informant. It was a secluded coffee shop, quiet and sparsely populated. Meng Yanchen entered the coffee shop, sat down in a corner, ordered a coffee, and waited quietly. After a short while, a man wearing a hat and sunglasses walked in. He looked around, then sat down opposite Meng Yanchen.

“Mr. Meng, the situation isn’t looking good,” the man said in a low voice. “I’ve heard that the mysterious investment group is indeed colluding with several key figures in the regulatory authorities. They’ve been secretly manipulating some illegal financial transactions. But they’ve hidden this evidence very well, making it very difficult to obtain.” Meng Yanchen frowned and asked, “Is there any way to find this evidence?” The man hesitated for a moment, then said, “There’s someone who might be able to help. He used to work in the regulatory authorities, but he left for some reason. He might have some relevant information, but he has a strange personality and is difficult to deal with.” A glimmer of hope flashed in Meng Yanchen’s eyes. He said, “I’ll try no matter what. Please contact him for me.”

The man nodded, took a slip of paper from his pocket, and handed it to Meng Yanchen: "This is his contact information. Contact him yourself. But remember, be careful; this person is very cautious." Meng Yanchen took the slip of paper, carefully put it away, then exchanged a few more words with the man before leaving the coffee shop.

Back at the company, Meng Yanchen immediately dialed the number on the note. After a few rings, a deep voice came through: "Who is it?" Meng Yanchen identified himself and explained his purpose. There was a long silence on the other end, and just when Meng Yanchen thought there would be no response, the voice said, "Tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock, the usual place." Then it hung up. Meng Yanchen stared at his phone, feeling both expectant and nervous. He knew this might be a crucial opportunity to obtain key evidence.

Fan Shengmei wasn't idle at the company either. She carefully reviewed the company's finances, hoping to find ways to cut costs or increase revenue. She frowned as she stared at the dense numbers on the computer screen. Suddenly, an idea struck her: the company had some idle assets that could be sold or leased, which might alleviate some of the financial pressure.

Fan Shengmei immediately convened a meeting with the finance department to discuss asset disposal plans. During the meeting, everyone shared their opinions, and after a heated discussion, a preliminary plan was finalized. Looking at the plan in her hand, Fan Shengmei felt a slight sense of relief, but she knew that this was only a drop in the ocean; more effort would be needed to completely resolve the funding problem.

The following afternoon, Meng Yanchen arrived at the agreed-upon location ahead of time. It was an abandoned factory, overgrown with weeds, appearing particularly desolate. Standing at the factory gate, looking at the tightly closed doors, Meng Yanchen felt a little uneasy. At exactly three o'clock, a black sedan slowly drove up and stopped in front of Meng Yanchen. The door opened, and a man in a black trench coat stepped out.

"Mr. Meng, I've long admired your name." The man removed his sunglasses, revealing a weathered face. Meng Yanchen politely extended his hand and said, "Hello, thank you for coming to see me." The two entered the factory and found a place to sit down. Meng Yanchen reiterated his purpose, hoping the man could provide some evidence regarding the mysterious investment group's collusion with regulatory authorities.

The man was silent for a moment, then took a folder from his bag and handed it to Meng Yanchen: "This contains some information I collected before. Although it's not comprehensive, it should be helpful to you." Meng Yanchen took the folder and eagerly opened it to look at it. The contents made his heart race. Although this information wasn't enough to completely prove their crimes, it was already a very crucial clue.

"Why are you willing to help me?" Meng Yanchen asked, puzzled. The man smiled wryly and said, "When I worked in the regulatory department, I couldn't stand their actions. Later, because I refused to go along with them, I was ostracized and had to resign. I've always wanted to find an opportunity to expose them, but I haven't had the right moment. Now that you've appeared, I feel this is an opportunity." Meng Yanchen said gratefully, "Thank you. If I can successfully expose them, I will never forget your help."

Meng Yanchen returned to the company with the documents and immediately met up with Fan Shengmei. Fan Shengmei looked at the contents of the folder, a look of surprise and delight in her eyes: "This is truly a major breakthrough. With these, we're one step closer to the truth." However, both of them knew that the evidence wasn't conclusive enough and further investigation was needed.

Over the next few days, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei continued their in-depth investigation while simultaneously working to raise funds. Meng Yanchen tried to find more evidence related to the mysterious investment group's illegal activities through various channels, while Fan Shengmei constantly communicated with potential investors and partners, hoping to obtain financial support.

During a meeting with a potential investor, Fan Shengmei detailed the Fu Group's advantages and future development plans, as well as the current difficulties it faced. The investor was very interested in the Fu Group's projects but still had concerns about the company's current reputation and financial situation. Fan Shengmei patiently explained, emphasizing that the company was actively addressing the issues and had already made some significant progress. After her efforts, the investor expressed willingness to reconsider and agreed to provide a response the following week.

Meng Yanchen also encountered some obstacles during his investigation. Some people avoided answering his questions, and some even warned him to stop investigating. But Meng Yanchen did not back down. With his firm belief and tenacious perseverance, he continued to search for evidence.

One evening, Meng Yanchen was racking his brains over the data on his computer in his office. Suddenly, he discovered a crucial clue: emails between a mysterious investment group and someone inside the regulatory department. The emails contained specific details of some irregularities. Meng Yanchen clenched his fist excitedly; he knew this might be the solid evidence he had been searching for.

However, just as he was preparing to delve deeper into the investigation, there was a sudden knock on the office door. Meng Yanchen looked up warily and called out, "Who is it?" The door slowly opened, and an unfamiliar figure walked in…