As Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei left the meeting room after the meeting, they exchanged a determined glance. Meng Yanchen said softly, "Regardless of whether the mastermind is the mysterious investment group, we must take the initiative." Fan Shengmei nodded, "That's right. Tomorrow, we'll continue digging deeper into the clues. We absolutely cannot let their conspiracy succeed." With that, the two went to their respective offices to prepare more thoroughly for tomorrow's investigation.
The next morning, as the city gradually awoke in the dawn, sunlight streamed through the window and onto Meng Yanchen's desk. He arrived at the company early, sat down at his desk, and his fingers flew across the keypad, contacting his various contacts in the business world. With each call, he spoke earnestly, hoping the other party could provide the latest information about the mysterious investment group.
Meng Yanchen first dialed the number of an old friend with considerable influence in the financial world. As soon as the call connected, Meng Yanchen, without any pleasantries, said directly, "Old Chen, I've run into some trouble and I'd like to ask for your help. Have you heard anything about the mysterious investment group lately? What big moves have they made?" There was a pause on the other end of the line, then his friend said, "Yanchen, this mysterious investment group has always been secretive, but I've heard they've been frequently contacting some small companies recently, seemingly plotting something. I don't know the specifics, but they're definitely not up to any good." Meng Yanchen frowned and pressed, "What sectors are those small companies in? Could you find out more for me?" His friend agreed, and after a few more words, they hung up.
Immediately afterward, Meng Yanchen contacted an acquaintance with influence within the industry association. On the phone, Meng Yanchen's tone was serious: "President Li, this is Meng Yanchen. I suspect the recent negative rumors circulating about my Fu Group are related to a mysterious investment group. You have excellent connections within the association; could you help me investigate whether they've been making any unusual moves lately?" President Li sighed on the other end of the line: "Yanchen, to be honest, there have indeed been some strange movements within the association recently. Several small companies have joined forces and proposed some motions targeting your Fu Group. Although I've temporarily suppressed them, I feel there's definitely a force pushing behind the scenes. As for whether that force is the mysterious investment group, I can't be sure yet. I'll keep an eye out for you." Meng Yanchen's heart sank. He thanked him repeatedly and hung up the phone.
After a morning of effort, Meng Yanchen finally obtained some key intelligence from various channels. He learned that the mysterious investment group had recently been frequently in contact with several small companies, which were distributed across the upstream and downstream industrial chains related to the Fu Group's business. Moreover, they seemed to be secretly discussing a cooperation agreement, the contents of which were highly likely a market encirclement plan targeting the Fu Group. Looking at the compiled intelligence in his hand, Meng Yanchen's expression turned solemn, and he muttered to himself, "It seems they came prepared this time."
Meanwhile, Fan Shengmei wasn't idle either. She led her PR team to the location where the negative rumors first surfaced—a café on the outskirts of the city. The café was filled with the rich aroma of coffee, soft music played in the air, and customers chatted quietly or read quietly—everything seemed ordinary. But Fan Shengmei knew this was where the rumors began.
Fan Shengmei found the coffee shop owner, showed him her identification and relevant explanation, and stated her purpose. The owner, a middle-aged man, said somewhat nervously, "That day, a young man wearing a hat and mask sat in the corner, constantly fiddling with his phone. After a while, he hurriedly left. I only found out later that there were rumors circulating in the shop that were detrimental to the Fu Group." Fan Shengmei frowned and asked, "Do you remember what he looked like? Or is there any CCTV footage that captured him?" The owner shook his head helplessly, "He was very well disguised; I really couldn't see his face clearly. There is CCTV footage, but I don't know if it will capture any useful information."
Fan Shengmei immediately arranged for her PR team to review the surveillance footage. As her boss had predicted, the mysterious man was indeed completely covered up, only revealing a thin young man. He sat in a corner, head down, seemingly engrossed in his phone. After a while, he suddenly looked up, glanced around, and then quickly got up and left. Fan Shengmei stared at the footage, trying to find clues in the mysterious man's subtle movements. Suddenly, she noticed that as he got up to leave, he accidentally dropped a small note. Fan Shengmei was overjoyed and immediately had her PR team pause the footage to examine the note carefully. Unfortunately, the writing on the note was blurry; only a few words could be vaguely made out: "As planned…mysterious…"
Although the clues were limited, Fan Shengmei was not discouraged. She and her PR team continued to visit the area around the coffee shop, asking nearby businesses and residents. Finally, at a small convenience store, they obtained an important clue. The convenience store owner recalled, "After leaving the coffee shop, that young man came to my store to buy cigarettes. I thought he seemed a bit rushed, which I found strange. When he paid, I noticed he was wearing a very peculiar ring with a strange symbol on it, like a small sword." Fan Shengmei had a sudden inspiration; she knew this might be a crucial clue.
Fan Shengmei and her PR team returned to the company and met up with Meng Yanchen. Meng Yanchen told Fan Shengmei in detail about the intelligence he had obtained regarding the mysterious investment group's collusion with small companies. Fan Shengmei also reported on her investigation in the coffee shop and surrounding area. After analyzing the information together, the two concluded that the mysterious investment group was indeed secretly plotting a new conspiracy. They were attempting to unite these small companies to launch a new round of market encirclement against the Fu Group from both upstream and downstream of the industry chain.
Meng Yanchen sat in the conference room, his fingers lightly tapping the table as he pondered a countermeasure. Fan Shengmei paced back and forth beside him, her expression serious. After a while, Meng Yanchen broke the silence: "Shengmei, their move is very vicious. They're teaming up with smaller companies to launch a market offensive against us. If we don't handle it properly, we could find ourselves in a difficult situation." Fan Shengmei stopped pacing and looked at Meng Yanchen: "I agree. But we can't just sit and wait to be killed. Our top priority is to find more evidence as soon as possible to expose their conspiracy, and at the same time, we need to prepare in advance for their market offensive."
Meng Yanchen nodded in agreement: "I've already instructed the heads of all departments to be prepared for any potential crisis. However, regarding the evidence, we still need to conduct a more in-depth investigation." Fan Shengmei bit her lip and said, "I think we can start with that ring. Perhaps that mysterious person is a member of the mysterious investment group, or has a close relationship with them. We can look at the symbol on the ring to see if we can find any relevant clues." Meng Yanchen's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea. I'll arrange for someone to investigate the origin of this symbol immediately."
The two discussed specific countermeasures, including strengthening communication with partners to stabilize the supply chain and developing marketing strategies in advance to cope with potential market fluctuations. Before they knew it, night had fallen, and the city's neon lights flickered, illuminating the entire street. Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of their office, looking at the bustling night view outside, their hearts filled with worry.
Meng Yanchen turned to look at Fan Shengmei, his eyes filled with determination: "Shengmei, no matter how difficult things get, we'll face them together. I believe we can definitely defeat them." Fan Shengmei smiled slightly and grasped Meng Yanchen's hand: "Yes, we definitely can. The Fu Group won't be so easily defeated."
However, they knew all too well that an even greater crisis might be looming. The mysterious investment group's conspiracy was like a lurking beast in the shadows, poised to strike a fatal blow at any moment. How would Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei deal with the mysterious investment group's new scheme? Could the Fu Group withstand the crisis once again?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com