CM | Chapter 13

Gu Yao’s first move after getting home was to open the business registry website and search for information on Xu Shuo and Ming Shuo Law Firm.

She found it very quickly.

The law firm had only just been registered, and its address matched the one on the back of Lin Meimei’s business card. The legal representative was indeed named Xu Shuo. Every detail lined up. The man had not lied.

So what about that photo of Zhu Shengxi at Jeane Bar? Was it related to him?

For some reason, Gu Yao suddenly had a feeling that she would get her answer very soon…

Before long, it was the next day. As usual, Gu Yao was at home watching the morning news.

Today, the media had already turned in unison, no longer targeting the inside story of “Jiangcheng Gene,” and instead showering the future of Jiangcheng’s investment circle with praise.

Clearly, Gu Chengwen’s public support for Zhu Shengxi at last night’s award ceremony had already achieved the effect of sounding the alarm for all the media.

Over the years, Gu Chengwen had sponsored quite a lot of media resources. Many newspapers and magazines, those traditional outlets now facing the impact of online media, relied on him to survive, and even the executives of several major TV stations were his golf buddies.

For reporters to suddenly change their tune so uniformly, it was probably also due to pressure from above.

Gu Yao browsed the internet for a while longer and saw that a large portion of the posts that had been doxxing “Jiangcheng Gene” and Zhu Shengxi had also been deleted. The ones left behind were mostly vague and had little to look at.

For some reason, Gu Yao suddenly had the illusion that the storm might be over just like that, that it was all thunder and no rain, that her father had only stomped his foot and this murder case had been smoothed over?

If the same thing had happened to anyone else, she would certainly have found it infuriating. She knew full well that public opinion was a young girl everyone could dress up however they pleased, that it could be manipulated back and forth by the powerful, and yet there was nothing she could do about it. It was hard not to feel trapped and angry.

But today, this was happening to the two men she cared about most. Gu Yao could only frown.

She told herself that, no matter what, as long as they were safe, that was enough.

It was not until noon, after Gu Yao finished yoga at home, ate lunch, and showered, that she saw a new WeChat message from Zhu Shengxi on her phone.

“I have to go on a business trip these next two days, so I may not have time to see you. Wait for me when I get back.”

Gu Yao casually turned on the TV, about to reply to Zhu Shengxi, when she unexpectedly saw him on the news.

On the TV, Zhu Shengxi was dressed in casual clothes. He was surrounded by a group of children, with Lixin Orphanage in the background. Several staff members from Lixin were nearby, handing out gifts to the children. The children were all very happy, grinning from ear to ear as they eagerly showed off their practice sheets.

Gu Yao’s gaze skimmed over every face, and finally settled on Zhu Shengxi.

When dealing with outsiders on ordinary days, he was always cool and distant. Even when he had to socialize, he only ever responded in a businesslike way. When clients were taken care of by his thoughtful arrangements and left completely satisfied, they would assume he was a very savvy businessman. But after so many years, no one had ever truly gotten close to him. He kept people very clearly separated. No matter how pleasant the partnership, it was still only a bond of interest, not friendship.

But at Lixin Orphanage, Zhu Shengxi would rarely show a smile, letting down his guard. The children would scramble to play with him, and he never refused. Every time he left, he ended up covered in dirt.

Lixin Orphanage, after all, was where he grew up. He was sincere toward Lixin.

If she had seen this news before, Gu Yao would only have smiled through it. But at a time like this, Zhu Shengxi had gone to Lixin Orphanage and the media had broadcast it so openly. She really could not laugh at all.

Troublesome times indeed…

Gu Yao put down her phone, then picked up the landline and called Zhu Shengxi.

He answered.

“What is it? You called me all of a sudden.”

Gu Yao opened her mouth, but when the words reached her lips, she did not know how to say them.

After a few seconds of silence, Zhu Shengxi seemed to understand what she meant and simply said it for her: “Are you worried about me?”

Gu Yao said, “Mm.”

Zhu Shengxi said, “I heard that you went to the award ceremony with Mr. Gu last night.”

“Mm. I left first later on.”

Zhu Shengxi really did know her. He only asked two questions before understanding. “This morning, all the news stopped attacking ‘Jiangcheng Gene.’ Mr. Gu really did use his influence to help ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ weather the crisis, but that is not shielding them. This time, it was clearly a setup. Someone dug a pit and laid a trap. We can’t fall for it. ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ is innocent.”

Gu Yao sighed and added, “You also went to the orphanage this morning.”

Zhu Shengxi said, “Maybe to some people with ulterior motives, that just looks like showmanship, like me trying to earn points in front of the media and salvage my image. But you know what Lixin means to me. That is my home.”

Yes, Lixin Orphanage had carried nearly thirty years of Zhu Shengxi’s feelings. It was absolutely a special place.

Gu Yao switched off the TV and finally voiced her concern. “I understand all the reasons behind this, but others won’t. My dad said a few words for your company one moment, and the next day you’re on the news going to an orphanage to do charity work. Those black fans outside will only think ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ is feeling guilty, that you’re distracting attention and deliberately obscuring the main point. There must be something going on here, otherwise there’d be no need to do all this to whitewash it.”

The warmth in Zhu Shengxi’s voice cooled. “I’ve never cared what outsiders think.”

“You can not care, but ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ does. No company can operate healthily while completely ignoring public opinion.”

Zhu Shengxi fell silent.

Just like every time before, whenever they had a difference of opinion, he would go quiet.

Gu Yao also realized that her tone had gotten a little too sharp, so she slowed her pace. “This time, even if someone has laid things out in secret, if we can turn it around and use it, and take this opportunity to prove to the outside world that all of ‘Jiangcheng Gene’s’ research is normal and there’s no problem, then the people behind it won’t be able to do anything. But right now, ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ has done no explanation work at all. It has only rushed to control the direction of public opinion. This kind of obvious attempt to cover things up won’t convince anyone.”

After Gu Yao finished speaking, there was another silence on the other end of the line.

Only after a soft sigh did Zhu Shengxi say, “The police investigation has already reached an initial conclusion. They believe this incident was not an accident, but man-made. It will soon be handed over to the procuratorate for prosecution, and every legal procedure that follows will attract public attention.”

Gu Yao froze. “You’re going to file a case? Sue that female assistant from the firm?”

“Based on the current evidence from the scene, what she may have committed is very likely intentional homicide. Right now, the lawyers are discussing a change in strategy and hope to have it argued down to manslaughter.”

Gu Yao’s mind went blank for a few seconds, then she immediately connected all the dots. “So that’s why you and my dad acted so fast. Even if it meant risking accusations of whitewashing, it was all to protect ‘Jiangcheng Gene’?”

“Once a case is filed, we’ll definitely have to produce evidence showing that the drug residue found at the scene has nothing to do with ‘Jiangcheng Gene.’ Even if it does, we still need to present evidence proving those drugs were not the cause of death. The biggest factor here is human manipulation.”

Gu Yao’s brows were already tightly knitted. She thought for a moment, then a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. “Have you ever thought that maybe it became a setup from the moment that executive died unexpectedly?”

Zhu Shengxi said, “You mean someone deliberately bought a human life to use against ‘Jiangcheng Gene’?”

Gu Yao said, “If that person is only using the media to smear ‘Jiangcheng Gene,’ it can be suppressed pretty easily. But if they designed a case of ‘intentional homicide,’ then that’s a different story altogether.”

There was another silence on Zhu Shengxi’s end.

Very soon, the background noise on his side became noisy, as if he had gone somewhere very open, and then a female announcer’s voice sounded.

Gu Yao heard it and asked, “You’re at the airport?”

Zhu Shengxi said, “Mm. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it back these next few days. Remember to take care of yourself.”

“You too.”

Zhu Shengxi chuckled softly, and his tone became lighter as well. “I’ll think carefully about the analysis you just gave me. And you, don’t just focus on all this messy stuff either. This was supposed to be the lawyers’ homework in the first place. Why waste your brain cells? When I get back, let’s go on a vacation.”

Gu Yao smiled too. “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

The two of them exchanged a few more reminders before hanging up.

But the moment the call ended, the smile on Gu Yao’s face disappeared.

She knew that her sudden inspiration just now was probably something those lawyers had already thought of, and had already begun to position their pieces and prepare their response strategy. After all, those people were all very professional PR lawyers. They had seen big scenes and sudden crises countless times. How could they not have thought of that layer?

She also knew that Zhu Shengxi’s later deliberate ease had been only to comfort her. This matter might be far more serious than what she could see, he just hadn’t mentioned the most crucial part. Otherwise, he would not have rushed off on business so urgently.

But what exactly was that crucial part?

For some reason, a person suddenly popped into Gu Yao’s mind.

Xu Shuo, with his playboy air.

According to him, he had only just come to Jiangcheng, and his law firm had only just been registered, but his timing was simply too perfect. The moment something happened to “Jiangcheng Gene,” he appeared. He had only been in Jiangcheng for a few days, but he had already been to “Jeane Bar,” and Zhu Shengxi had also been there with a strange woman.

When Xu Shuo appeared last night, he was dressed head to toe in designer goods. A rookie young lawyer could never afford that. Either his family was rich and being a lawyer was just a hobby, or the money he made came from other channels and the lawyer identity was only a facade.

What was most strange was that a man with roots somewhere else had actually run to an unfamiliar place to set up a law firm. How deep was the water here, what tricks and backdoor connections were involved, had he really looked into it? Was he just rich enough to be burning money, or was he truly stupid?

Thinking of this, Gu Yao raised a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. She really could not believe that, amid such a busy day, she had still managed to remember this stranger’s trivial details so clearly.

Gu Yao decided to drink a glass of water and calm down.

Who would have thought that just as she stood up, the doorbell rang, and the intercom screen quickly showed a courier’s face.

Gu Yao thought about it. She had not bought anything, so she asked the courier, “Is the recipient Gu Yao?”

The courier said, “Yes.”

“Then who’s the sender?”

The courier took a look and said, “Oh, Xu Shuo.”

Gu Yao froze. “Xu Shuo? What did he send me? Hold it up and let me see.”

The courier lifted it. It was just a flat mailing envelope, most likely containing documents or something similar.

Gu Yao hesitated for a second, then still opened the door for the courier.

She took the package, and after closing the door, walked back to the living room. She took out a letter opener and cut open the envelope. Inside was only one sheet of paper.

Gu Yao raised a brow and pulled the paper out.

The next second, she froze.

Xu Shuo had actually sent her an enlarged photo, and it was precisely the group photo of Zhu Shengxi and that stranger woman at Jeane Bar!

Gu Yao’s mind buzzed, and she was completely stunned.

So her guess last night had been right!

This Xu Shuo was the one who had secretly taken the photo. He had also hacked into the computer at her school to deliberately show her the photo. He had even drawn her attention at the award ceremony venue, struck up a conversation with her, and handed her the wrong business card for one of Jeane Bar’s beer girls.

All of it had been Xu Shuo’s long-planned scheme!

Gu Yao clutched the photo tightly, her fingers using more force, and a thought also darted rapidly through her mind, was Xu Shuo the mastermind behind the executive’s death?

Wait… that did not seem quite right.

If Xu Shuo was the mastermind, would it not be too stupid of him to keep jumping around so frequently in front of her?

That man might be unserious, his words half true and half false, and he might even seem hostile toward her father Gu Chengwen and Zhu Shengxi, but he also did not look like the kind of person who would commit monstrous crimes. Besides, how much hostility would it take to sacrifice an executive’s life?

Thinking of this, Gu Yao quickly picked up her phone, took a photo of the picture, then opened Xu Shuo’s WeChat and sent it to him.

Xu Shuo replied very quickly: “???”

Gu Yao said, “Stop pretending to be stupid. You sent this to me. What do you mean?”

Xu Shuo sent another emoji, still a question-mark face.

Gu Yao drew in a breath. “If you want to use this photo to spin some story, just be direct about it.”

Xu Shuo lazily sent back a line: “Is Miss Gu testing my reading comprehension?”

Gu Yao’s anger had already been slowly stirred up. She knew very clearly that this was some kind of baiting tactic. Xu Shuo was deliberately provoking her. As long as a person got angry, they would lose their sense of proportion and make the wrong judgment.

But at this point, she could no longer control herself.

“Fine. Then I’ll make it clear to you. If you’re targeting Zhu Shengxi and ‘Jiangcheng Gene,’ I won’t let you off. Sneaky photography like this is already a crime.”

Xu Shuo replied unhurriedly, “Miss Gu, just from what you said, I can also sue you for intimidation.”

A second later, Xu Shuo sent two more words: “But…”

Then the WeChat window kept showing the message “The other party is typing…”

For quite a while, there was no new movement.

Gu Yao frowned and waited in silence.

Until Xu Shuo sent this sentence: “But since you just mentioned ‘Jiangcheng Gene,’ sorry, this matter directly involves the first case of our firm. Given that I take this very seriously in person, and your identity is rather sensitive, I’m not convenient to tell you too much. After all, I am a professional lawyer, and I have to observe professional ethics.”

After he finished, he added a smiling face.

During the next minute, Gu Yao’s emotions rose and fell again and again.

– What case? What does the executive case of “Jiangcheng Gene” have to do with a guy named Xu?

– Since he knows her identity is sensitive, why is he still coming here to stir things up? If he can’t say too much, why send photos, hack computers, stuff sexy girls’ business cards at people, and impersonate Cheng Yaohui’s assistant? What kind of sleazy move is that?

– And professional ethics, my ass!

Gu Yao closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, but still could not suppress the fire in her chest. She was already furious beyond reason.

Soon after, she grabbed her car keys and the photo and stormed out.

Gu Yao was driving very fast, but she had not lost her rationality. Halfway there, she even called Qin Song and sent him her live location.

Qin Song answered and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Yao said, “I’m going to meet someone now and ask about something, but I don’t trust this person. I’ve already sent you my location. Call me in half an hour. If I don’t answer, call the police.”

Qin Song froze, then fired off several questions in a row. “My goddess, who are you going to meet? Damn, why do I feel so nervous hearing this? If you know it’s dangerous, why are you still going? Wait, don’t tell me you found out who’s blackening your name?”

Gu Yao said, “Mm, it’s him.”

Qin Song cursed. “Fuck, which bastard is it? Why didn’t you call me? Wait for me, I’m coming to join you right now!”

Qin Song immediately looked ready to roll up his sleeves and fight.

Gu Yao said at once, “Don’t come. Just do what I said. Besides, this matter is complicated, and I can’t explain it clearly to you right now. If you come along too, I can’t guarantee I’ll get the thing I need. Okay, I’m hanging up. I’m almost there.”

Gu Yao ended the call, turned off the engine, and parked by the roadside. Looking out through the car window, she saw that just a few steps ahead was Donghua Office Building. The rent in this area was not cheap. It was not the kind of place an ordinary junior lawyer could afford.

For safety’s sake, before getting out, Gu Yao still reached into the car storage compartment and pulled out a spare recorder.

She had been in this line of work long enough to develop the habit of recording. And because she used it so often, afraid the equipment would fail her at a crucial moment, she had bought several at once and kept them separately in the office, at home, and in the car. This time, it was just right.

Gu Yao set the recorder to recording mode, put it into her pocket, then opened the car door and walked straight toward Donghua Office Building.

At this very moment, there was only one thought in her mind, to teach that bastard surnamed Xu a lesson!

Author’s note:

Because every event in this story is tied to Gu Yao’s romantic relationship, compared to my previous novel that focused more on workplace conflict and business warfare, this one will pay more attention to changes in the emotional line. The mutual destruction is about to begin, so sit tight, I’m speeding up now!