Three days later, in the early morning, the sunlight cut through the glass curtain wall of the Qin headquarters building at a sixty-degree angle, casting a sharp blade of light on the Italian handmade carpet in the president's office.
Qin Yuzheng stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The black coffee in the bone china cup in his hand had gone cold. A layer of oily sheen floated on the surface of the dark brown liquid, just like the coldness in his eyes that had not dissipated.
In the distance, workers were removing the sign from the Dingfeng Capital building. The orange-yellow crane drew a slow arc under the blue sky, like a silent funeral.
"Mr. Qin, the handover documents for the South City project are ready." Ji Yan stood beside the desk, the buttons of his black suit were buttoned meticulously, and the corners of the folder in his hand were pinched white.
On the electronic screen behind him, news about Dingfeng Capital's bankruptcy and liquidation was scrolling, accompanied by a picture of Wang Zhenhai being escorted in handcuffs. The once high-spirited private equity fund tycoon now had gray hair at the temples.
Qin Yuzheng didn't look back, his eyes fixed on the slowly lowering flag on the top floor of Dingfeng Building.
The navy blue flag with the Dingfeng logo printed on it twisted in the wind like a dying fish.
"Have the Legal Department check the list of transferred claims and debts again," his voice was like frosted glass scratching metal.
"Especially for the environmental impact assessment report for the Chengnan site, I want to ensure that every piece of data can withstand the review of the Geological Survey Bureau."
Ji Yan nodded, his pen swishing across his notepad. He knew Qin Yuzheng's habits—the Qin family never left anything unfinished. They would thoroughly scrutinize any project they took on, stripping it down to its very core.
The only sounds in the office were the rustling of pens across paper and the faint city noise coming from outside the window, which was isolated by three layers of vacuum glass and turned into a vague background sound.
"Brother," when the office door was pushed open, Qin Yuheng's voice was like melted honey, instantly breaking the coldness in the room.
"Look what I brought you?" He was wearing a light gray suit and a dark burgundy tie, Qin Yuzheng's favorite color. In his hand, he was holding a white gift box with the "Lady M" logo printed on it.
Qin Yuzheng turned around, his eyes fell on the gift box, and his eyebrows raised slightly.
Qin Yuheng immediately opened the box as if presenting a treasure. Inside was a dark chocolate mousse cake, and the cocoa powder on the surface was sprinkled into the shape of the Qin Group's logo.
"I asked them to make it specially," he said with a smile.
"Celebrating our acquisition of that piece of land in the south of the city—and, by the way, celebrating the complete demise of a certain overconfident clown."
Ji Yan tactfully bowed and retreated, closing the door gently.
Only the two brothers were left in the office. Qin Yuheng picked up a silver knife, expertly cut off a piece of cake, and passed it to Qin Yuzheng: "Try it, the sweetness is just right, just like the one I had in Paris last time."
Qin Yuzheng opened his mouth and took a bite. The rich chocolate melted on his tongue, but the sweet taste failed to completely dispel the coldness in his eyes.
He watched Qin Yuheng carefully wipe the cake crumbs from the corner of his lips, feeling the warmth of his fingertips as they brushed across his skin.
"Has Ruan Weiwei completely disappeared?" he suddenly asked, his eyes falling on a sycamore tree swaying in the wind outside the window.
Qin Yuheng paused, his smile fading. "Well, someone found her car at a scrap yard on the outskirts of the city last night, and she's nowhere to be found."
He placed his knife and fork on the porcelain plate, making a crisp clinking sound. "But it doesn't matter anymore. The loan sharks she owed have already tracked her down to her hometown. Even if she survives, she'll never be able to turn things around in this lifetime."
The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the blinds, creating a mosaic of light and dark on Qin Yuheng's face.
He picked up the cold coffee next to Qin Yuzheng, took a sip, and then frowned: "Brother, why do you drink cold coffee? It's not good for your stomach." He stood up and walked to the coffee machine and made another cup for Qin Yuzheng. His movements were as familiar as if he was in his own kitchen.
"How is Wang Zhenhai doing in the detention center?" Qin Yuzheng took the hot coffee, and the warmth spread from his fingertips to every part of his body.
"It is said that he has completely collapsed," Qin Yuheng said with his back to him, a hint of cruel laughter in his voice.
"Not only did his wife want a divorce, she also ran away with all the private money he had hidden in a Swiss bank—oh, and that money was the same money he had embezzled from Dingfeng's clients."
The steam from the coffee machine emitted a white mist, blurring his profile. "The Economic Investigation Department is interrogating him every day now. I guess by the time he's sentenced, his hair will be completely white."
Qin Yuzheng didn't say anything, just looked at Qin Yuheng's busy back.
"Brother," Qin Yuheng placed the coffee cup next to him and sat down on the desk, swinging his legs like a child asking for candy.
"That piece of land in the south of the city, should we design a villa ourselves? It'll be like the old house we lived in when we were kids, with a backyard full of camphor trees, where we could drink tea under them in the summer."
Qin Yuzheng's eyes softened for a moment when he mentioned the old house. He remembered how his mother loved to read under the camphor tree, and how his father would play chess with him and his brother in the evenings.
Those times had long been crushed into pieces by Qin's vast business empire, and would only turn into vague light and shadow when he occasionally woke up in his dreams at midnight.
"Okay." Qin Yuzheng rarely stopped talking about work right away. "Let the design institute come up with a few plans, and we'll choose from them together."
"Let's go to the old house in the afternoon," Qin Yuzheng said, and looked out the window again. At this time, the Dingfeng sign had been completely removed, revealing the mottled wall.
"My mother's death anniversary is coming soon, let's go and see her."
"Okay!" Qin Yuheng agreed immediately, his smile as bright as the sunshine outside the window, "I'll go buy my mother's favorite purple roses."
He jumped down from the desk, walked to Qin Yuzheng, and leaned lightly on his shoulder.
"Brother, do you think Mother would be happy if she knew how well we managed the Qin family?"
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