Chapter 82. "What a coincidence."
Amidst the dappled shadows of the trees, Lin Baizhou clearly saw the fear in Wen Xue's eyes.
Not to mention her, even he felt chills after hearing the whole story and various speculations.
Did that man know? He thought he definitely did. Even from a distance, he could tell that Zhou Zhan and that man had a very special relationship.
“Our company has business dealings with Wanbo Group. There used to be a vice president at the headquarters surnamed Gao. Mr. Gao is Mrs. Zhou’s cousin. You may not know this, but Zhou Zhan and his brother are half-brothers. Mr. Gao is his brother’s uncle. This position is very important.”
Wen Xue listened intently, not wanting to miss a single word.
“At the beginning of last year, President Gao was exposed for a scandal. After a meeting of the senior management and shareholders of Wanbo, he was dismissed.” Lin Baizhou would never talk about things that had nothing to do with him behind his back, but with her staring at him so intently, he couldn’t help but say some things. “The position was left vacant. Who would sit there? For several months, the matter was not decided. Then one day, news came that Zhou Zhan had returned to China and was parachuted in.”
He exhaled and stared at her: "Who do you think instigated President Gao's scandal? And who was behind it all, pushing him down? It was Zhou Zhan's people."
Throughout history, the struggle for power and profit has never been a peaceful affair; it involves many people. Winning is certainly good, but what if you lose?
“Zhou Zhan’s younger brother won’t let him off the hook.” Lin Baizhou was also very worried for her. In his opinion, neither of the Zhou brothers were easy to deal with. The older one might be more restrained, but the younger one was lawless. “After you go back, talk to him and see if you’re sure you really want to get involved in this mess.”
Wen Xue hesitated, wanting to tell Lin Baizhou that He Yan hadn't gotten involved and that he was a good person who saved people.
But those words stuck in her throat, and she swallowed them down. She was suddenly terrified, afraid that more people would find out that it was He Yan who saved Zhou Zhan.
"Are you still able to drive home?" he asked, softening his tone. "Or should I call a designated driver for you?"
"Need not."
She shook her head. "Thank you..."
Lin Baizhou was really worried. She was the person he loved, and he couldn't bear to watch her get caught up in the trouble.
Now he just hopes that the man can come to his senses and stop getting too close to Zhou Zhan.
He thought for a moment, then said, "Teacher Wen, please wait here. I'll be right back."
Wen Xue hadn't quite come to her senses yet, but she nodded.
Lin Baizhou strode towards the parking lot, and when he turned back, he handed her a business card, saying, "If you need any help, feel free to call me anytime."
He gave her his business card last year, but she never sent him a single text message or made a phone call.
Now that I think about it, I understand. She probably just left the business card lying around.
It's okay, he gave her another one.
Wen Xue was still reeling from the shock she had just received. She reached out and took it, her voice barely audible, "Mr. Lin, thank you for telling me all this."
"You're welcome."
Lin Baizhou had a lot to say, but seeing her distraught appearance, he could only watch her silently return to her car.
Wen Xue felt the air was humid and stuffy. She sat in the driver's seat and it took her a long time to start the car. She turned on the air conditioning, and the cold wind made the hairs on her arms stand up. Everything she had heard today had overturned her understanding.
She was still clutching the business card tightly in her left hand, her nails turning white. She opened the armrest box and put the business card inside.
She took a deep breath, and once her heartbeat had calmed down, she fastened her seatbelt, gently pressed the accelerator, and drove out of the parking space. Lin Baizhou was still standing there. As she passed by, she rolled down the window, and her previously pale face seemed to have returned to normal. She smiled at him and said, "I'm leaving now. Goodbye."
Lin Baizhou hesitated, then said, "Be careful."
Wen Xue returned to her school dormitory in a daze.
On Friday night, while her two other roommates were out playing games, Bingwen was wearing headphones and the keyboard was clattering loudly. She turned her head and casually asked, "You're back already?"
Wen Xue responded softly.
After taking a shower in a daze, she returned to her desk and sat down. After listening to what Lin Baizhou had said, she almost couldn't wait to call He Yan to confirm, but she hung up as soon as she dialed the number. She remembered that he was on a business trip or socializing at the moment.
Such an important matter, even if she wanted to ask or say it, shouldn't be over the phone. She suppressed the impulse, took a few deep breaths, turned on her computer, her expression blank, and typed "Wanbo Group" into the search bar.
The Zhou family is very low-key. Apart from a few official photos of the current chairman, Zhou Yunshan, very little information about them is publicly available.
The incident that Zhou Zhan encountered last November was completely untraceable, not even a single word could be found in the local American news. If she hadn't heard it with her own ears, if she hadn't seen the injury on He Yan's left shoulder, she would have had the illusion that nothing had happened.
-
Early Saturday morning, Wen Xue, with dark circles under her eyes, left her dormitory and went to the faculty and staff residential area. She picked up the yelping Stone and drove to the old town.
She had called Wu Yuejiang beforehand and learned that he was working overtime today, so she didn't stay in the dormitory building and came directly to the company. Apart from a few drivers who were preparing to go out, only Wu Yuejiang was in the office typing on the computer.
Stone wandered around the room curiously.
After playing with it for a while, Wu Yuejiang finally asked, "What happened?"
Wen Xue is not someone who can keep things to herself, especially when it involves He Yan.
The dark circles under her eyes and her uneasy expression made Wu Yuejiang nervous. He looked at the desk opposite him... He had a bad feeling. Wen Xue was acting strangely today. Why did she have to come over when He Yan was away on a business trip?
"Brother Yuejiang".
Wen Xue took the bottle of mineral water he handed her, but didn't open it; she just held it. "I came here to ask if the company has any business dealings with Wanbo?"
Wu Yuejiang paused.
He sat down opposite her: "No, who told you that?"
"Have you met Zhou Zhan?" she pressed.
Wu Yuejiang shook his head, his expression growing increasingly serious. "What's wrong?"
Wen Xue's heart sank.
She knew how close He Yan and Wu Yuejiang were; their personal and professional lives were closely intertwined. Last night, after hearing Lin Baizhou's words, she assumed it was a reward from He Yan for saving Zhou Zhan, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
“Someone I know told me,” she said, choosing her words carefully, “that they saw him with Zhou Zhan when they were on a business trip to Huacheng a while ago.”
Wu Yuejiang was stunned. "You must have seen wrong?"
He and He Yan were close friends who could talk about anything.
He knew about the business trip to Huacheng, as the trading company he had established had several clients there, but he had never heard He Yan mention Zhou Zhan.
Wen Xue also hoped it would be like this, but...
Although she wasn't familiar with Lin Baizhou, she trusted his character.
He had only met He Yan a few times, and given his calm and reliable nature, he wouldn't have said those things to her unless he was absolutely certain.
Seeing that she remained silent, Wu Yuejiang got up, picked up his phone from his desk, and wanted to dial his friend's number to ask for clarification. After thinking for a few seconds, he quickly hung up. "Little sister, how about this, I won't get involved in this for now. When your brother comes back, you can ask him directly."
He knew He Yan well enough to know that his friend must have his reasons for doing this.
But Wen Xue has only known He Yan for a few years, so more communication is not a bad thing.
"When is he coming back?" Wen Xue stood up anxiously.
She knew that He Yan had been very busy lately, often traveling for business, sometimes for ten days to half a month, sometimes for two or three days. Unfortunately, his flight to Huacheng was scheduled for the evening before last.
The thought of him being in Huacheng made her heart clench again.
Wu Yuejiang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let me see."
He opened his email and glanced at it; "The schedule of meetings is booked until the end of the month."
That means at the earliest, it will be ten days later.
There's no other way; the company has just been established, and there's a ton of things to do that can't be put aside yet.
Wen Xue's grip on the bottle tightened. She had thought of all of this; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought Shi Tou with her. After going through it in her mind, she mustered her courage and said, "Brother Yue Jiang, I've already asked the students' parents for leave. Could you take care of Shi Tou for me for two days? I..." She paused for a few seconds, then made up her mind, "I'm going to Huacheng to find him."
She couldn't wait that long.
She wanted to ask him face-to-face what exactly happened.
Wu Yuejiang looked surprised.
He didn't take Wen Xue's words as a joke. In fact, she was well-behaved and sensible, and didn't like to trouble others. She probably had already thought it through before she came. Since that was the case, he didn't try to persuade her anymore.
He's been busy lately and can't get away. He was thinking about whether to postpone his current business and go with Wenxue. Before he could decide, he heard her say, "Brother Yuejiang, you don't need to come with me. I can manage on my own."
After saying that, Wen Xue stood up; time was running out.
She not only asked Fang Lirong for leave today, but also had to go to the drama club. She could only squeeze out two days at most, and she had class on Monday afternoon, so she had to rush back.
"etc."
Wu Yuejiang called out to her.
He had been to Hwaseong many times, "I still have time to take you to the airport."
In addition, he quickly bought Wen Xue a business class ticket on his phone and reassured her, "Don't worry, don't be anxious. Have a good talk with him and let him take you around Huacheng. Just think of it as a vacation."
Wu Yuejiang's composure and his words eased Wen Xue's suppressed and tense mood a little.
…
Airport.
After watching Wen Xue pass through security, Wu Yuejiang turned and headed to the parking lot. His phone kept ringing with calls and texts. Back in his car, he called He Yan but got no answer, assuming he was busy. Without further ado, he sent him the flight number: 【Wen Xue went to Huacheng to find you】
If he weren't tied up, he would have wanted to get to the bottom of it.
You're just bored, aren't you? Getting involved in all that nonsense with the wealthy.
Wen Xue boarded the plane smoothly, found her seat and sat down. She turned her head to look out of the cabin. She hadn't slept all night, and a sharp buzzing seemed to echo in her mind. She didn't know if she was being impulsive, but whenever she closed her eyes, the wound on his shoulder would always appear before her.
She sighed softly.
Perhaps things aren't as she thinks...
She sat up straight, leaning back in her chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure. Her gaze shifted slightly, and she met the eyes of the person who had entered.
Both of them were taken aback.
She recognized the stranger she had met twice, but she couldn't hide her surprise, thinking, "What a coincidence!"
Zhou Xian raised his hand and took off his headphones, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He raised his eyebrows slightly and chuckled, "What a coincidence."
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