Meng Qing
That evening, after reviewing the documents Jin Yan had compiled and comparing them again with the beta version, Gu Nan highlighted and bolded the eight characters "potential explosion" before sending them to Lu Yu. While chewing gum, she added a sarcastic comment: "[Did you dig up the Shen family's ancestral graves? That's why they hate you so much?]"
Foreign countries are not like China, especially in Beicheng, where land is extremely valuable. If an explosion were to occur, aside from the damage caused by the accident, the casualties alone would be enough to bring Lu Yushi down from his pedestal.
Think of a way to thank me.
Half an hour later, Lu Yushi replied: [Thank you.]
Gu Nan stared at the lone "Xie" character, grinding her teeth: [Is it over?]
The silent chat box didn't seem to be getting any more replies. Gu Nan cursed under his breath. Hearing an incoming email, he put away his phone and picked up his tablet to check it.
[Nan, the stress test results for the blockchain traceability system are not ideal, and the implementation time is expected to be delayed by about two months. I was too optimistic before.]
Xingzi Tower was isolated and helpless in the North City, with no effective information sharing. It was quite remarkable that it was able to reach the final stage of research and development under such isolated circumstances.
Gu Nan took out a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled, unsurprised by the result.
This afternoon, Lu Yushi sent someone with some materials tracing the Lu family's origins, indicating his interest in cooperating with us. He also brought two machines as an apology for the incident at the new West District building. He promised to offer concessions on the cooperation. I accepted the materials and agreed to give him a reply in five days.
"hiss."
As ash fell onto the back of his hand, Gu Nan suddenly came to his senses.
As the screen went dark, she shook her head, trying to shake off her drifting thoughts.
Given the current situation, cooperating with Lu Yushi can significantly improve our R&D efficiency and success rate. However, once we cooperate, we will be tied to Lu Yushi, and it will be difficult for us to remain uninvolved should anything happen in Beicheng. Of course, this is all predicated on Lu Yushi's genuine cooperation.
Even after sliding to the bottom, I didn't see any insincere assumptions.
Only a few words can prove Lu Yushi's decision: "I originally intended to refuse directly and deliberately ask for more benefits, but unexpectedly, as soon as I brought it up, Lu Yushi's assistant nodded in agreement, making it seem as if I was being aggressive."
After the cigarette burned out, Gu Nan closed her notebook, lay back on the sofa, and closed her eyes in deep thought.
The real treasures in the mall are harder to find than an oasis in the desert. Today's allies can be tomorrow's mortal enemies who won't back down an inch.
Among the five major families, Lu Yushi wants to turn against the Shen family, and Qiu Jingxun alone is far from enough to help him. Young Master Chu and Shen Ming are childhood friends, and the remaining Wan family lives a secluded life.
Whether he was sincere or not, at least Lu Yushi wouldn't make trouble for Xingzilou before the Shen family withdrew from Beicheng.
With her eyelashes trembling and drooping, Gu Nan sent a voice message.
"We can cooperate. All future collaborations with the Lu family, regardless of size, should be copied to my email address. Also, continue to be aggressive and try to find out his bottom line."
-
In the president's office, Sun Qian handed the drafted supplementary agreement to Lu Yushi for review.
There were 24 pages of black and white paper with the contract seal soaking through the paper, revealing a vibrant red color.
Sun Qian scoffed, "Xingzilou is willing to cooperate, but they've also taken the maximum benefits." He didn't reply to him until five minutes before the end of the workday on the fifth day.
Lu Yushi didn't take it to heart. He needed allies, and so did Xingzilou. He had been too eager to find out Gu Nan's identity and had pushed people too far in the matter of the new building in the West District. It wouldn't hurt to vent his anger on Xingzilou.
He quickly glanced at the supplementary agreement, twirled the pen along his fingertips, and wrote three large characters in a flourish.
The pen tip scratched against the paper, and the signer's strong handwriting landed on the last page of this extremely favorable contract.
What did she say?
Without a beginning or an end, Sun Qian felt, for the first time ever, that she was a mind reader in Lu Yushi's stomach.
"Miss Gu's home is not far from Xingyin Temple. She said she would meet you there. She also said she would not see Master Wan or Lin Jianye."
Lu Yushi unconsciously rubbed his cufflinks, his handsome profile filled with a puzzled expression.
Lin Jianye never makes enemies, and he is always at the top of the list of philanthropic entrepreneurs every year.
He tapped the table rhythmically with his index finger, a dark glint flashing in his weary eyes: "Lin Jianye's master has a young daughter?"
-
In a quiet, sparsely populated coffee shop, Gu Nan was playing a game while waiting for someone when she was suddenly attacked from behind. Her character in the game swayed and was shot right through by the opponent.
As the little figure lay in a pool of blood, only the word "Failure" remained on the horizontal screen.
It's blinding.
Gu Nan stared at the little figure for half a second, then rolled up his sleeves expressionlessly. Jin Yan knew something was wrong and rushed to Gu Nan, grabbing his wrist and saying with a heavy heart, "Boss, calm down, it can still come back to life."
Watching the countdown end and the game automatically return to the main screen, Jin Yan swallowed hard. Scenes of the Ulm underground black market flashed through his mind, making him even more reluctant to let go. He blurted out something to distract Gu Nan, "Boss, you...you...I found it! I've got leads on the person you asked me to find, boss!"
Gu Nan gave him a look that said, "If you dare to lie to me, you're dead." Jin Yan nodded haphazardly, "The person is still in Xuncheng."
"let go."
Jin Yan: "I wouldn't dare."
They exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, Gu Nan lowered her head and stood up.
Jin Yan swiftly withdrew his hand, plopped down in a chair, and awkwardly laughed while raising his hands: "Harmony, harmony brings wealth." There was no way around it; after nearly ten years of friendship, he had long since succumbed to Gu Nan's tyranny.
"explain."
"That person's name is Meng Qing, 26 years old, single."
Gu Nan interrupted, "On a blind date?"
"Well."
Jin Yan looked at Gu Nan with dissatisfaction, only to be glared at back by Gu Nan: "Get to the point."
He couldn't win a fight, and he couldn't win an argument either. Even if he managed to win an argument, he would likely get beaten up. After living abroad for so many years, the Chinese proverb that Jin Yan remembered most was: "A wise man submits to circumstances."
He endured it.
"She escaped from the orphanage at eight, probably to avoid acquaintances? She had no friends. Without any means of survival, she's made a living by scamming people all these years." Jin Yan glanced at Gu Nan, a sly itch in his heart, and casually taunted, "The last person she scammed was hypnotist J. Hey, boss, I seem to remember you being..."
Gu Nan squinted, feigning ignorance, and asked, "Like what?"
Jin Yan sensed a hint of danger in those eyes. Based on his years of experience surviving under Gu Nan's thumb, he knew he had to be a hero. He made a gesture to seal his mouth and shook his head: "It's nothing."
"It's alright, go ahead and tell me, I don't blame you." Gu Nan said with a kind smile.
Jin Yan looked at his boss and smiled kindly, clicking his tongue in amazement. If the Big Bad Wolf had this kind of acting skills, Little Red Riding Hood would definitely not survive. His brain raced, and in a moment of breath, he found a pitiful scapegoat: "Someone is protecting her. If I'm not mistaken, it's one of Lu Yushi's people."
As expected, this stirred up Gu Nan's emotions: "Lu Yushi?"
"After Meng Qing impersonated J, she was placed under Lu Yushi's protection. Or perhaps it wasn't protection, but rather... surveillance?"
Gu Nan pursed her lips in deep thought.
That day at the Houhai coffee shop, she hadn't intended to let the person impersonating J go, and she also thought about getting back the money Su Di had been swindled out of. Unexpectedly, during their encounter, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the scars on Meng Qing's waist and abdomen, exactly as she remembered them.
She became suspicious and tested him with a few punches, and sure enough, it was the same old friend whose name she didn't know and whose face she had never seen.
Three years in Ulm, two masters in the underground black market, she was backed by Walbus, while Meng Qing worked for Walbus's rival.
“Meng Qing must have realized that someone is watching her, and she hasn’t left the house for more than half a month,” Jin Yan said.
Leaving Ulm back then was not smooth, which gave her and Meng Qing a chance to be alone. The two should have been mortal enemies, but they developed a mutual respect during their conversation.
She was certain that, at least before that, Meng Qing had no powerful figures in the country to rely on.
During those five years, Lu Yushi was busy expanding his influence in Beicheng and had no contact with her. It wouldn't be right to suddenly start monitoring her on a whim.
My mind is a jumbled mess, I can't make sense of it.
"Is she in Xuncheng?"
"An old residential area outside the Second Ring Road. The boss wants to see her?"
"Um."
Jin Yan became interested and couldn't help but say, "She's very cautious and never goes out during the day. I've never seen the curtains in that room open. I lost her at least 10 times before I finally found her." After thinking for a moment, he described her precisely, "like a rat lurking in the sewers, observing stealthily."
Gu Nan glanced at her sideways, a plan forming in her mind. Her expression relaxed considerably, and she chuckled softly, "Speak with respect. She might be your second-in-command."
"What's the meaning?"
Gu Nan ignored him, lowered her head, picked up her phone, opened Su Wanting's WeChat Moments, and casually took two screenshots of her face to send to Jin Yan: "Xingyin Temple at the end of the month, help me protect her."
Looking at Jin Yan's nonchalant face, Gu Nan narrowed her eyes, half-commanding and half-threatening: "If anything happens to her, I'll send you back to Ulm to keep you company in your half-bombed house."
Jin Yan blurted out, clutching his chest in hurt: "You want me to risk my life to protect your pretty boy?"
Sensing Gu Nan's dangerous aura, he quickly checked his phone. The girl in the photo had a round face and looked cute; it was a girl. He casually blurted out, "Your illegitimate daughter?"
"...Then I guarantee you won't be able to leave the mountain." Gu Nan said softly, her straight back exuding a capable aura, sincerely uttering deadly words.
The silver fishbone chain around her neck shimmered in the light.
The faded chain was replaced again, but the daisy accessory half-hidden on her chest remained the same.
Jin Yan's gaze lingered on the chain for a moment, and a bold hypothesis emerged in his mind: "Holy crap! Could she be the necklace owner's daughter? Dude, you've got someone else's child?"
Gu Nan slowly stood up, her expression serious: "I'll give you half a minute to run away."
She suspected that she had been too self-disciplined these past few years, and even the most honest Jin Yan abroad was now trying to climb over her.
Jin Yan waved his hands frantically: "No, no, no, boss, let me explain."
"20 seconds."
Jin Yan: "Boss, calm down."
"10 seconds."
"Bang!"
The chair bumped into the table leg.
Jin Yan took off running, yelling as he ran, "Boss, you've changed!"
Back in Ulm, he was the boss's most trusted, favorite, and most trusted confidant. The base was entrusted to him without hesitation.
He had many underlings, and many of them were not convinced of his authority. The boss would send them back to their hometowns with each punch he threw.
Five years had passed, and the boss not only asked him to protect someone, but he also asked him to risk his life to protect them. The only person he could risk his life to protect was the boss.
The woman in the photo looks useless and cowardly, which doesn't fit the arrogant and domineering personality of the boss at all!
He glanced back briefly; the boss wasn't chasing after them. A taxi drove off in the opposite direction and quickly disappeared into traffic.
He frowned slightly, guessing that his boss had returned to Xuncheng to see Meng Qing.
He had no recollection of Meng Qing; he had read all the information he could find online and had no connection with the boss.
Looking up, the setting sun casts its last rays on the horizon, reflecting red clouds on the mountainside and painting the windows of tall buildings with colorful dappled patterns.
He let out a long sigh, his brows relaxed.
The boss will tell him when he wants to; the most important thing now is to protect the woman named Su Wanting.
As he walked, he searched for the location. It was only three kilometers away. He whistled and was about to close his phone when he caught a glimpse of the address out of the corner of his eye. He paused, rubbed his eyes hard, and looked at the destination sign again.
The expression of being struck by lightning remained frozen on his face for a long time before he finally found his voice and muttered to himself, "If she weren't the daughter that the boss was raising for the necklace owner, I'd eat all the traffic lights on this street!"
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