She gently pushed the teacup towards him, her tone carrying just the right amount of apology: "The other day... it was my fault. I drank too much and said some nonsense. Please don't take it to heart. I made a special reservation here today to apologize to you."
Zhou Yan said coldly, "There's no need to do anything unnecessary."
Seeing that Zhou Yan remained unmoved, she lowered her voice, with a hint of resentment and grievance: "After all... it's my father I have to deal with... I always feel a little uncomfortable, the pressure is too great, that's why I lost control."
Cha Meiling couldn't help but turn her face away, her eyes reddening.
Zhou Yan said indifferently, "Back in prison, you were the one who took the initiative to report many things about Cha Shenlou to your superiors, crying and begging to atone for your crimes. You were the one who offered to send your mother to the mainland to cooperate with our work in exchange for your chance to get out of prison."
Zhou Yan narrowed his phoenix eyes: "If it weren't for you investigating Shen Lou's daughter's identity, do you think you would have had this opportunity? You'd better not make any more mistakes and betray the land that gave you birth and raised you."
Cha Meiling's face lost some color.
She took a deep breath, her eyes regaining their firmness and seriousness: "I know, Ah Yan, I know everything. I won't make the same mistake again. I will do my duty."
She paused, as if remembering something important: "By the way, Yan, there's something I must remind you of."
Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.
Cha Mei-ling leaned closer, a hint of seriousness in her eyes: "You need to be careful with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). I've heard some rumors that it's not as clean as it seems on the surface. Some people might be connected to Chen Jingsong or the people behind him."
Zhou Yan's eyes flickered slightly, but his face remained expressionless.
Cha Meiling continued, "As for Jialin Group, although Chen Jingsong has been temporarily detained, he certainly won't stay there obediently. His trusted executives are now all following my lead. I will keep a close eye on their every move, so don't worry."
Zhou Yan looked at her, his deep eyes unfathomable.
Cha Meiling lowered her eyes, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and continued—
“I will pay attention to all the information they give me and figure out Chen Jingsong’s trump cards and backup plans. Once I have enough information, I will inform you as soon as possible. I absolutely cannot allow Chen Jingsong and the people behind him to have the opportunity to disrupt the Hong Kong government!”
After a few seconds, Zhou Yan gave a faint "hmm," his tone devoid of any inflection: "It's best if you have this kind of awareness."
Seeing that he seemed to have accepted her explanation, Cha Meiling breathed a slight sigh of relief.
But the next moment, Zhou Yan put his sunglasses back on and stood up.
Cha Meiling quickly stood up and pointed to the still steaming dishes on the table: "Ayan, all the dishes are served, we..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Yan had already put on his sunglasses and turned to walk towards the door of the private room.
Cha Meiling's smile froze: "Ayan, aren't you going to eat?"
Zhou Yan didn't turn around, only leaving behind a cold sentence: "No need, please enjoy your meal."
He opened the door to the private room and walked out without a second thought, leaving Cha Meiling and the carefully prepared food and drinks behind.
Cha Meiling stood alone in the empty private room, looking at the door that had closed again, her expression shifting.
Finally, she sat down and chuckled softly, "Heh."
She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat gracefully by herself.
After dinner, Cha Meiling returned to her luxury apartment located halfway up the mountain.
She glanced at the landline phone next to the sofa, turned around and went back to her room. She picked up the phone from the closet and skillfully dialed a special number.
The phone rang a few times before being answered, and she casually recited a few numbers.
A short while later, Chen Jingsong's slightly hoarse but still strong voice came through the receiver: "Hello? You finally decided to call me?"
Cha Meiling walked to the dressing table with the landline and sat down, her voice devoid of emotion: "Godfather, it seems you're doing quite well in prison, able to answer the phone whenever you want?"
Chen Jingsong on the other end of the phone snorted, a hint of smugness in his voice: "Of course! Don't you know who I am? Here, I can make calls whenever I want, and nobody dares to stop me!"
Cha Meiling's lips curled into a mocking smile: "Is that so? When has your godfather always been this powerful? How could the Cha family have fallen into your hands back then?"
"You!" Chen Jingsong's voice instantly turned angry, clearly having been hit where it hurt.
Cha Meiling ignored his anger and changed the subject: "Ning Bing'an did not disappoint me. Those three jade chili peppers are now in my hands."
Chen Jingsong's anger was instantly replaced by greed, and his voice rose sharply: "You really got it? That little bastard Ning Bing'an would give it to you? Isn't he afraid that you'll take the stuff, go straight to Switzerland, open the warehouse, and kick him out?"
He was extremely suspicious and didn't believe things would go so smoothly.
Cha Meiling chuckled softly, her voice languid and alluring: "Compared to that Swiss bank treasure that's been rumored for decades, the truth of which is still unknown, he'd much rather have the tangible and real piece of meat that is the Ning Group."
"I promised him that once it's done, he'll get a share of the Ning family's business empire that would be more than enough to satisfy him. As for the Swiss bank..."
She paused, her tone becoming playful: "I told him that if the Sheng family really had money, we would split it in half."
Chen Jingsong let out a cold snort, his tone full of disdain: "Hmph, half for each of us? In the end, I'm afraid he won't even have the right to smell it!"
He had clearly made up his mind that once he got the item, he would get rid of Ning Bing'an completely.
Looking at her bright red fingernails, Cha Meiling continued unhurriedly, "Godfather, I advise you not to be so short-sighted. Ning Bing'an is no pushover."
"He has been able to endure and lie low in the Ning family for so many years. His scheming and methods are far beyond our imagination. He must have someone supporting him. I always feel that he is... very dangerous."
Chen Jingsong scoffed dismissively: "Danger? What can an orphan do? Annie, you're just too timid and hesitant. You'll never amount to anything!"
Cha Meiling's fingers tightened slightly around the wine glass, and her voice suddenly turned cold—
"Cowardly? Have you forgotten how 'daring' you were back then? Daring enough to destroy the Cha family with your own hands, and destroy me too!"
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