Chapter 49
Guan Ying waited in the VIP room for eight or nine hours, until after eleven o'clock in the evening, and it was almost midnight.
Although Guan Ying didn't request any more service, Xiao Liu continued to attend to her, constantly serving her tea and water, concerned that she would be waiting alone. The duty manager also came in several times, intentionally or unintentionally, to remind her that it might not be possible to contact Mr. Zhang tonight. Guan Ying simply smiled and didn't bother them, quietly waiting in the VIP room.
After midnight, around one in the morning, Guan Ying was already dozing off on the sofa when she suddenly heard the heavy wooden door of the VIP room creak open, followed by a burst of hearty laughter.
"Miss Guan, sorry to have kept you waiting!" Zhang Rong looked exhausted.
Guan Ying straightened her clothes, stood up to greet him, and said modestly, "I'm sorry, I rushed here without any preparation today."
Seeing that Guan Ying didn't mention the missed calls and didn't complain about waiting here for a long time, Zhang Rong was satisfied that she was sensible and considerate. She smiled and asked the manager to bring in coffee. She sat down on the sofa and stretched out in front of her. She lit a cigarette, took a puff, and narrowed her eyes to tease her: "Mr. Zheng's girlfriend?"
After saying this, she blew out two or three dazzling smoke rings in a row over the coffee table. At about one o'clock in the morning, after midnight, this action was like the witch finally revealing her true identity.
Guan Ying didn't know that she smoked. Although he had dealt with her twice, he still felt that she was very unfamiliar. The more he got to know her, the more difficult it seemed to get close to her. He was really curious about how Zheng Juyong dealt with her.
Guan Ying considerately pushed the ashtray across the table before sitting down again. "Haha, Mr. Zhang, please forgive me for making fun of you... I just don't want to explain too much..."
Zhang Rong was not polite at all. He gently shook the cigarette stem at the ashtray she pushed towards him, and interrupted her without even raising his eyelids, his deep eyes drooping: "Since you are reluctant to let go, now is your chance."
Opportunity? She really knew everything about Qiao Qi!
It was obviously pointless to continue arguing with Zhang Rong about her relationship with Zheng Juyong. Guan Ying hesitated for a moment. Since the other party had been so straightforward, there was no need for her to be cautious. She simply continued with the conversation, hoping to see Zhang Rong's reaction. "Qiao Qi hasn't done anything wrong. She's actually at the most distressing moment right now. This really isn't a good opportunity for me."
"Hahahaha, Miss Guan is so funny!" Zhang Rong crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa, changing into a comfortable sitting position and looking at Guan Ying. "If you really think so, why don't you go home earlier? Why are you still coming here to talk to me?"
Guan Ying pondered the meaning behind her words and wanted to confirm it again: "What Mr. Zhang meant by this, is Qiao Qi..."
The manager on duty happened to come in with a fruit plate and two cups of coffee, interrupting the conversation between the two.
Zhang Rong pinched out his cigarette with one hand and took the coffee cup with the other. After taking a sip of half the cup, he casually put it back on the tray in the manager's hand. Then he waved his hand for the manager to take it out and rubbed his eyelids tiredly. "It's late, everyone, don't waste time. Miss Guan is a smart person, ask something you don't know. Since you have helped me, I can answer a few questions for you before this cigarette goes out."
Guan Ying asked in surprise: "Have I helped you?"
Zhang Rong took a puff of her cigarette. Every time she took a puff, she would unconsciously squint her eyes, and her words became a little mysterious: "You don't know, but I've got it."
Guan Ying couldn't recall when she had ever helped her. She looked at the cigarette between her fingers, which was only half smoked. Knowing her behavior, she quickly pondered, "Did you already know Zheng Juyong and me before Dong Zhiqiao brought us here?"
Zhang Rong smiled with satisfaction and exhaled a puff of cigarette: "I told you, ask something you don't know."
Guan Ying frowned: "How do you know us?"
Zhang Rong: "Photos."
Guan Ying felt that something was amiss: "Who gave you the photo?"
Zhang Rong: "Private detective."
Guan Ying broke out in a cold sweat: "Who hired a private detective?"
Zhang Rong leaned forward, shook the cigarette into the ashtray again to speed up the burning, and said leisurely, "I."
Guan Ying's brows furrowed, a mixture of surprise and relief. Indeed, the customers Zhang Rong encountered daily at Fangxiang Restaurant were all influential figures. What kind of news didn't she know? The Lido Group behind her was no ordinary company either. They'd made their fortune in the gambling business, then transitioned into the entertainment industry with a few low-budget films. Behind her unique vision, they must have gathered and accumulated all sorts of inside information. And who knows where all that information came from!
Someone like Zhang Rong would never target two unknown northerners like herself and Zheng Juyong for no reason. Unless it was for Qiao Qi, but Qiao Qi wasn't a celebrity, not worth her efforts... Could it be for Qian Shaowei? He had all the resources in the music industry at his disposal... But she hadn't shown any enthusiasm for Qian Shaowei at the engagement party!
While Guan Ying was brainstorming, Zhang Rong took another puff of his cigarette, sucking the cigarette end until the flame flickered and burned.
It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about this matter anymore. She was in a hurry to deal with Guan Ying and leave quickly. It was thanks to me that I helped her at some point that she was willing to at least squeeze out time for a cigarette.
Guan Ying hurriedly asked, "Mr. Zhang just said that I helped you. I want to know when."
Zhang Rong let out a long puff of smoke and said slowly, "Which time did you ask?"
Guan Ying thought: What, more than once?
"When was the first time?"
Zhang Rong recalled: "More than a month ago."
Just over a month ago, Guan Ying was still in Dubai! Thinking she wouldn't lie, Guan Ying asked in confusion, "Mr. Zhang also has business in Dubai?"
Zhang Rong smiled and said, "Haha, you could say that. I like the way you define it as business."
Her answers were always vague and ambiguous, forcing Guan Ying to question her one by one, or to guess on her own. Guan Ying was helpless, but she didn't dare point it out, fearing that she would just walk away. Since she couldn't get any information out of him, she could only mentally filter through questions: "What about the most recent time?"
Zhang Rong looked at her: "The day when Mr. Zheng got engaged."
Guan Ying frowned. That day, she and Zhang Rong sat far apart at the table, and aside from pleasantries, they had little meaningful interaction, save for a few casual conversations outside the restroom. She had originally wanted to inquire about how Zheng Juyong had suddenly acquired Fenghua Technology, or what had led to such rapid developments in his relationship with Zhang Rong, but Zhang Rong deftly deflected her with a few words, leaving her with no information at all.
There wasn't much content in the conversation that day. Guan Ying realized the key point after thinking about it for a moment. His scalp suddenly went numb. He raised his eyes and stared at Zhang Rong with obvious anger in his eyes.
Zhang Rong noticed the change in her eyes, but didn't care. He just switched his left leg to his right leg and crossed his legs.
Guan Ying's tone was slightly angry as she questioned her, "Did you do this? Or should I ask, did you arrange for someone to do this?"
Zhang Rong raised her eyebrows and looked at the cigarette in her hand. There was still one-fifth of the cigarette left, which meant about two or three minutes more. Guan Ying was not very old, but he was smarter than she thought.
"Miss Guan, are you interested in the Lido Group? I heard that you and your father have already cashed out and left Xicheng Steel. With such a large sum of money in hand, wouldn't it be a shame not to do something with it?"
Guan Ying no longer concealed her anger and said bluntly, "The cigarette is still there. Please answer me!"
Zhang Rong leaned forward and stared at her lazily: "What do you want to do? Call the police? Or, are you recording this?"
Guan Ying reacted immediately, took out the cell phone from his pocket, turned it off in front of her, and slammed it on the coffee table.
Zhang Rong stared at her clothes again.
Guan Ying: "I changed into your clothes a long time ago. The only thing I have on me is this phone!"
Zhang Rong glanced up and down with satisfaction, then leaned back again, letting out a long sigh. "Eh... Is there anything wrong with the worker just wiping the countertop a little cleaner?"
Guan Ying stood up suddenly: "Those are two lives. Do you have any humanity? The last time I saw you protecting your employees, I thought you were a good person!"
Zhang Rong raised his eyelids slightly, shuffled on his toes, and said calmly, "From what I know, Miss Guan was just detained in Dubai, right? I think, at least the two of us, are the same kind of people, what do you think?"
Xiao Weiyan had her police record expunged, but she couldn't erase the fact that she'd spent five days and five nights there. She hadn't expected Zhang Rong to find out, given the circumstances! This woman had easily ruined Qiao Qi, who was already a hot topic. If she was determined to use the Dubai police incident to ruin her, a relatively unknown figure, wouldn't it be even easier? Zhang Rong was warning her...
Guan Ying stood there for a moment, then calmed down and asked cautiously, "What will happen to Qiao Qi next?"
Zhang Rong put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray in advance: "You care about her? Of course she'll withdraw from the competition, unless she thinks rap is more important than her life."
The other party mentioned life as if it was as light as a feather. Guan Ying was horrified: "But she has already reached the top of the resurrection competition list. If she withdraws now, aren't you afraid of causing even greater public opinion?"
Zhang Rong laughed: "I'm scared, very scared. I'm afraid that she'll suddenly become too obedient and become an advantage for unscrupulous programs."
Guan Ying's arms were covered with barely noticeable goose bumps. "You hurt her, and you still want to use her?"
Zhang Rong stood up. "Haha, that's not what I'm saying. Do you think it's that easy to get into the intensive care unit of the military hospital? If you got the information there, why would you come here? My client is too soft-hearted. No one would harm her unless she did it herself."
Guan Ying then realized that the hospital was actually affiliated with the military region, no wonder the confidentiality measures were so strict. If that were the case, the "client" behind Zhang Rong must be quite influential, which is why she didn't even take Qian Shaowei seriously.
Before she pushed the door open and left, Guan Ying asked one last question: "What would you do if Zheng Juyong blocked your way?"
Zhang Rong walked out with a smile, and waved back in the corridor without looking back, leaving only one sentence: "I hope Miss Guan can seize this opportunity!"
There was an air-conditioning vent right above the corridor, and the cold wind blew over her sweat pores, causing Guan Ying to shiver.
She regretted...regretted calling Zheng Juyong back!
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