It was raining coldly when Zhou Yuan was taken away by London police.
She was shivering all over, and her expensive silk nightgown was soaked by the rain and stuck to her body in a mess.
The Narcotics Administration put a disposable raincoat on her, but it couldn't block the gazes from all directions - the hotel entrance was already surrounded by reporters, and the flash lights were like countless knives, cutting her disheveled appearance into pieces.
"Ms. Zhou, what is your response to the drug charges?"
"Is the Zhou Group's stock price plummeting related to you?"
"Who left the words on your forehead?"
Zhou Yuan bit her lip until she could taste blood. She lowered her head and got into the police car. The moment the door closed, she finally collapsed and covered her face.
She's finished.
Twelve hours later.
Zhou Hui's private jet has just landed at the VIP channel of London Heathrow Airport.
The man was wearing a well-tailored black suit, his silver-gray sideburns were neatly trimmed, and his eyes were as cold as ice.
He was followed by four lawyers and two assistants, walking steadily across the covered bridge, as if they were not there to rescue their daughter, but to participate in a business negotiation.
"Mr. Zhou, the police have agreed to bail, but Ms. Zhou needs to cooperate with the investigation," the lead lawyer reported in a low voice. "Currently, the chain of evidence is complete, including video footage, drug residue, and witness testimony. The situation is not optimistic."
Zhou Hui continued walking: "Who provided the evidence?"
"It was an anonymous report, but the technical department traced the IP address to the London branch of the Ye Group."
Zhou Hui's mouth corners tightened, his eyes darkened for a moment, then quickly regained his composure.
"Contact the Attorney General." His voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable sense of pressure. "Within three hours, I want to see all charges dropped."
The lawyer hesitated: "I'm afraid this will require..."
"Tell the Attorney General," Zhou Hui interrupted him, pulling a photo from his suit pocket and handing it over, "I can write off the 20 million yuan his son owes the Macau casino."
The lawyer's pupils shrank slightly, and he immediately lowered his head: "I'll do it right away."
Two hours later, London Police Station.
Zhou Yuan huddled in the corner of the detention room, the wound on her forehead already scabbed over, but the shame lingered around her like a venomous snake. When the door opened, she looked up sharply, and the moment she saw Zhou Hui, tears finally burst out.
"dad……"
Zhou Hui said nothing, but glanced at her coldly. His gaze was like a knife, cutting her whole body into a chill.
"Stand up," he ordered.
Zhou Yuan scrambled to her feet, trembling, her legs so weak she could barely stand. Zhou Hui raised his hand, and his assistant immediately handed her a cashmere shawl. He draped it over her with his own hands, his movements seemingly gentle, but his voice chillingly cold:
"The Zhou family's reputation shouldn't be humiliated by you like this."
Zhou Yuan clutched her shawl tightly, her nails digging into her palms. She wanted to argue, to cry, but when she met her father's gaze, all the words got stuck in her throat.
"Let's go." Zhou Hui turned around without looking at her again.
An hour later, Zhou Group's London branch.
In the conference room, Zhou Hui sat at the head table, all the documents related to Zhou Yuan's case spread out before him. The lawyers were discussing in hushed tones, while Zhou Yuan huddled in a corner, like a prisoner awaiting trial.
"The video evidence has been destroyed," the technical director reported. "The backup copy in the police database has also been cleared."
"Where are the witnesses?" Zhou Hui asked.
"The bar staff and hotel staff have all signed confidentiality agreements and the money has been received."
Zhou Hui nodded and turned his gaze to the window. The rain had stopped, and the London night sky was filled with a cold light.
"Ye family." He slowly uttered these two words, as if he was chewing some poison.
The lawyers were silent. Everyone knew that the feud between Zhou Hui and the Ye family went far beyond this generation.
"Dad..." Zhou Yuan finally couldn't help but speak, "It was Su Xinghui! She set me up, she—"
"Shut up." Zhou Hui interrupted her without even turning his head. "Your stupidity almost ruined the entire Zhou Group."
Zhou Yuan's face turned pale.
Zhou Hui finally turned around, his eyes looking at a defeated chess piece: "From today on, you are under house arrest for three months, and all assets under your name are frozen."
"Dad!" Zhou Yuan screamed.
"If I hear you messing with the Ye family again," Zhou Hui's voice was as soft as a whisper, "you'll end up working for the African branch for the rest of your life."
Zhou Yuan slumped in the chair, completely speechless.
—————————(time dividing line)
The sunlight poured down like molten gold onto the graduation lawn. Li Zhou stood at the top of the auditorium steps, the tassel of his graduation cap flapping against his cheeks in the hot wind.
He subconsciously raised his hand to touch it, but his fingertips touched the scar on his forehead that had not yet completely faded - it was left when he fell outside Zhou Hui Hotel on a rainy night three months ago.
"Zhou Zhou! Look here!"
A familiar voice came from below. Li Zhou squinted his eyes, which were stung by the sun, and saw Lin Xiaoman, wearing that light blue dress, standing on tiptoe in the crowd, waving at him.
The reflection of the silver chain around her neck was like a leaping fish, drawing tiny bright lines in the summer air.
When the SLR camera was pointed at him, Li Zhou reflexively tightened the corners of his mouth - ever since he discovered Zhou Hui secretly filming in the coffee shop, he had become physiologically wary of all cameras.
"Just smile!" Lin Xiaoman's voice cut through the noisy crowd. "I've received an official offer from Metropolitan Finance! The editor-in-chief said my investigative reporting—"
The second half of her sentence was drowned out by the sudden sound of a cannon salute. Li Zhou saw the shape of her lips moving, but could not read the words.
Just then, a faint aroma of cedar drifted into his nose. This smell was so familiar—Zhou Hui's standard car fragrance.
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