CM | Chapter 10

After a night of scattered rain, Jiang City finally saw clear skies the next day.

With the emergency rescue efforts of tens of thousands of frontline workers, the whole city had also gotten back on its feet. The morning rush hour was unaffected at all, and the morning news was still full of speculation about Jiangcheng Gene’s new drug, while the Chen Feiyu incident had already become a supporting role, only mentioned in passing.

On one live talk show, experts even linked up on the spot with a reporter who had first-hand information. They learned that the law firm and Jiangcheng Gene had already formed an all-star legal team for the parties involved in this case, and planned to use legal means to prove that Jiangcheng Gene’s drug was indeed harmless, while the female assistant was at most a witness and absolutely had nothing to do with the death of a Jiangcheng Gene executive.

With Jiangcheng Gene moving this fast, it looked very possible that the public security bureau handling the case would bring charges against the female assistant and the drug supplier, Jiangcheng Gene.

Next, Jiangcheng Gene would have to hurry and prepare the relevant documents, such as the drug research and trial records, the physical examination reports of the dead executive and the female assistant, whether the drug residue found at the scene really came from Jiangcheng Gene, whether someone had swapped it behind the scenes, and so on.

Gu Yao finished watching the morning news while eating breakfast. She switched off the TV and sat on the sofa in a daze.

From last night until this morning, Zhu Shengxi had not sent any news. He must be busy.

Gu Yao hadn’t asked him about it on purpose, but she couldn’t stop her mind from working. She thought of several suspicious points.

First, after that executive’s accident, what did the female assistant do? Did she call the police, or contact the law firm she worked for?

From a lawyer’s point of view, once you are involved in a murder case, the first thing you would absolutely not do is call the police. Lawyers are professionally suspicious. Sometimes even evidence lies, so how could they trust the police with themselves? The first person the female assistant contacted had to understand the law, and had to be the person she trusted most.

Then the second question came. If the female assistant asked someone else for help and they helped her come up with a plan, they must have found a foolproof way to clear the matter up before contacting the police. Then how did the news from the scene leak to the media? Could it be that the person she asked for help had a problem?

Third, everyone outside was now saying that the drugs the executive had taken before his death came from “Jiangcheng Gene.” Had that been confirmed? Who confirmed it? Had the police technical investigation team already compared the samples? How could the tech investigators possibly leak the news to the media?

Gu Yao closed her eyes. After a quiet moment, that photo she had seen yesterday suddenly flashed through her mind again.

No one knew how long she sat there before Gu Yao suddenly opened her eyes, grabbed her car keys and phone, and went out.

She already had her answer.

Halfway through the drive, Gu Yao called Qin Song.

Qin Song said, “Hello.”

Gu Yao didn’t waste any time. In one breath, she told Qin Song the analysis she had just made.

After hearing it, Qin Song was silent for a moment before saying, “There are indeed a lot of suspicious points in this whole thing. If there isn’t someone writing the script behind this big drama, who would believe it? But the question is, who is the幕后黑手? Is it a competitor of Jiangcheng Gene? What’s their goal, to take Jiangcheng Gene down in one blow?”

Qin Song paused, then said, “Oh, but I did hear a bit of news. Do you know who was the first person to reach the scene after the incident?”

Gu Yao froze. “Who?”

The first person to arrive at the scene meant the female assistant’s first person to ask for help.

“Hey, this is so weird. She didn’t ask her own firm for help, but instead went to another firm called Likun and asked their PR lawyer to handle the crisis. People always say firms in the same trade are jealous of each other, so why didn’t she follow the usual script?”

What?

She didn’t ask her own people, but asked for outside help?

Qin Song said, “In my opinion, this female assistant doesn’t trust the firm she works for that much either.”

After a moment of silence, Gu Yao said, “So, the person who leaked the news to the media was very likely someone from Likun?”

Qin Song said, “If it really was someone from Likun, that’s some next-level self-sabotage. Isn’t that just going against themselves? The moment they picked up this hot potato, the first thing they should have done was suppress the story as much as possible and only bring in the media after they were fully prepared. Instead, they let the news leak out so quickly. Isn’t that just throwing a rock at their own foot…?”

Gu Yao interrupted Qin Song’s rant. “There’s another possibility.”

“What’s that?”

“Maybe Likun’s goal was to use the media to spread the news in the first place? The point was to catch Jiangcheng Gene off guard and drag them into the mess.”

Qin Song: “…”

Silence fell for a moment.

Gu Yao drove while organizing her thoughts, then started looking at the problem from another angle.

Usually, when you can’t make sense of a problem, the problem is probably with the angle you’re using to think about it. Because when people think, they are all standing at their own angle. That limitation narrows their field of view, and what they end up seeing is only one side of the whole thing.

So what if the angle were switched to someone else? For example, the female assistant, the dead executive, or that幕后黑手…

At that moment, Gu Yao’s car came to a large intersection.

The traffic lights were changing. A car ignored the rules and ran a yellow light, drawing angry honks from several cars.

Qin Song on the other end heard it and asked, “Hey, you went out? You don’t have classes today.”

Gu Yao said, “I’m going to my parents’ place. There’s an investment association award ceremony tonight.”

Qin Song was stunned. “Wait, your dad is going to show up? And you’re going too?”

Gu Yao said, “Mm.”

Qin Song was shocked. “My God, is this really the time for that? Why are you actively looking for trouble?”

Gu Yao found it funny. “Who’s the one looking for trouble? Me?”

Qin Song choked, and after a few seconds said, “I know you’re on the defensive. You didn’t provoke anyone, and yet someone still set their sights on you… But precisely because of that, you should be even more careful. Go to crowded places less, don’t show off at public events, keep everything cautious and low-key. You said before that you weren’t planning to attend that award ceremony. You even said it was all just posing, a bunch of cheap floozies comparing whose clothes looked better and whose sugar-daddy backers had more energy. And now? Now you’re really going there to play the family-background game. Aren’t you just handing the person who’s trashing you behind your back some material?”

Gu Yao’s car had already reached the underground parking garage of the residential complex where her parents lived. She listened to Qin Song talking on and on with a smile, and only after parking steadily did she cut him off.

“Qin Song, why don’t you change the angle and think about it. If you were the person blackening me, what would be the first thing you did now?”

Qin Song said, “Find another chance to blacken you again.”

“Exactly. So I’m giving him that chance now.”

Qin Song froze for a few seconds, then suddenly reacted. “Wait, do you mean you’re going to go against the grain and lure the snake out of its hole? My God, auntie, do you think you’re the FBI or CID? Have you watched too many movies? Do you even have the ability to protect yourself?”

Gu Yao asked back, “Then do you think he’ll let me go just because I’m helpless? No. Even if I don’t give him a chance, he’ll create one. Since it’s come this far, he won’t stop. But I still have the right to choose whether I strike first or not. One is active, the other passive. The former is always better than the latter.”

Then Gu Yao changed the subject again. “Think about it. When a serial murder case appears, the police are collecting evidence and the public is worried. As psychology experts, what’s our biggest pressure?”

Qin Song said, “The biggest pressure is that ‘psychological contradiction.’ We don’t want any more victims to appear, but we also want the killer to keep committing crimes, because only the more he does, the more flaws he exposes, and the more analysis material we can get. Only then do we have a better chance of catching him.”

Gu Yao said, “So right now, I’m giving him a chance to expose a flaw.”

Even though Gu Yao said that, Qin Song was still worried.

“But Gu Yao, that person can even hack the school computer. If he hacks your phone too, or plants a listening device in your car, then won’t our conversation be…”

Before he could finish, Qin Song shut up on his own.

Better safe than sorry. Bah, bah, bah!

The next second, Gu Yao gave a cold laugh and said, “If he hears it, that’s even better. Take it as my declaration of war against him. If he can’t seize such a good chance, then he only deserves to hide behind the scenes as a cowardly turtle.”

After that, Gu Yao opened the car door and got out.

On the other side, at Mingshuo Law Firm.

Xu Shuo and Xiao Chuan were sprawled on the sofa listening to the “live scene.”

Xiao Chuan was chewing chocolate, sitting all wrong, wearing a hoodie and ripped jeans, looking a mess.

Xu Shuo, on the other hand, was dressed to the nines in a suit and tie, with one leg crossed over the other, looking like a nightclub playboy.

The two of them were listening with great interest and total concentration. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought they were watching some epic drama, until the video lightly dropped one sentence.

“…If he can’t seize such a good chance, then he only deserves to hide behind the scenes as a cowardly turtle.”

The two men fell silent together.

Gu Yao had already left the car.

With a “bang,” the car door closed, and the video turned into a jpg.

Xiao Chuan blinked and said blankly, “Holy shit, ge, she called you a turtle!”

Xu Shuo shot him a cool sideways glance, then disgustedly swept over the stupid shock on his face and the brownish crumbs hanging at the corner of his mouth, and said, “You look like you just ate shit.”

“…”

Xiao Chuan wiped his mouth. “Uh, so what are you planning to do now? Are you going to take her challenge?”

Xu Shuo ignored him, stood up on his own, and straightened the front of his suit jacket. Then he looked down at Xiao Chuan and asked, “How do I look in this?”

The office was bright in the daytime. Sunlight came through the blinds, filtered into strips, and fell across Xu Shuo. Even so, the shifting light did nothing to dull those deep features. The sharply tailored suit outlined his crisp lines just right. A sanctimonious gentleman probably looked exactly like this.

Xiao Chuan said, “One word, fucking handsome!”

Xu Shuo’s lips twitched.

Xiao Chuan suddenly asked, “Ge, you’re really planning to go to that award ceremony? If someone asks why you’re there, what are you going to say?”

“Oh, Mingshuo Law Firm has just entered Jiang City. We don’t know the place well, so we’ll take this chance to drum up some business…” Xu Shuo’s tone was flat. “And, incidentally, go meet that Little Bunny.”

Xiao Chuan froze and watched Xu Shuo’s retreating back, those broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs.

“Drum up some business… with that outfit and that vibe, won’t people read way too much into it…”

Gu Yao went upstairs and arrived at the floor where her parents, Gu Chengwen and Li Huiru, lived.

This was a high-end apartment complex. Each floor had only one household, with smart security access and theft prevention systems, plus complete privacy. It cost 170,000 per square meter, and the smallest unit started at 280 square meters.

Gu Yao rarely came here. Every time she did, she would forget the password, and every time she had to dig out the chat records on her phone. This time was no exception.

She pulled up the password combination Li Huiru had told her the first time, glanced at it, and keyed it in while clearing the record.

The lock opened with a pleasant chime. Gu Yao went inside and changed into slippers herself. Just then, she saw Li Huiru come out of the kitchen.

Li Huiru was surprised to see Gu Yao. “Oh, daughter, why did you suddenly come over? Have you eaten?”

She was both surprised and delighted, but there was also a trace of worry in her expression.

Gu Yao said, “A little. Where’s Dad?”

Li Huiru lowered her voice. “Your dad went into the darkroom to develop film first thing this morning. He hasn’t even had a sip of water yet. Later, bring it in to him and coax him out to rest a little. He’ll definitely listen to you.”

Gu Yao smiled, washed her hands, and took the two glasses of water Li Huiru handed over. She drank a few mouthfuls from one glass herself and set it down, while she was just about to take the other to the darkroom.

Li Huiru seemed to think of something and stopped her again, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

Gu Yao understood. “Mom, do you want to ask me about Shengxi?”

Only then did Li Huiru say, “Yes. I don’t know how Shengxi’s company business is being handled. Anyway, your dad hasn’t looked right these past two days. I asked him, but he wouldn’t say. He even told me not to go looking for you and Shengxi at a time like this, so as not to add to your troubles. He said that once you two finished being busy for a while, you’d naturally come back home safe and sound.”

Gu Yao was still smiling, and she and Gu Chengwen were on the same page. “Dad’s not wrong. Mom, just put your mind at ease. It’s fine. Shengxi will handle it.”

Li Huiru furrowed her delicate brows. She was almost fifty, yet she took such good care of herself that she looked like she was in her thirties. Her skin was fair, her figure was good, and she had never really experienced any major storms in life. She understood the complexity of the outside world only in fragments, and had always been carefully protected by the men around her in a kind of ivory tower. So whenever something happened at home, even if Li Huiru wanted to help, she could not really do anything. At most, she could keep talking and worrying.

Everyone said that apart from inheriting Li Huiru’s looks, Gu Yao was nothing like her in any other way. Instead, she looked more like Gu Chengwen, who was decisive and seasoned in everything he did.

But Gu Yao herself felt that she wasn’t much like Gu Chengwen either. She would never be able to learn his depth.

While the mother and daughter were talking, the darkroom door opened with a sound, and Gu Chengwen came out.

Gu Chengwen was two or three years older than Li Huiru. The two of them could be considered childhood sweethearts, but from their appearance alone, it looked as if he were seven or eight years older. In terms of looks, Gu Chengwen was maintained pretty well for someone his age, but the lines on his face couldn’t lie. No matter what he wore, his whole bearing still carried the air of a successful businessman.

When Gu Chengwen saw Gu Yao, the tension in his expression softened instantly. “Yaoyao is back?”

Gu Yao smiled as she went up to him and said straight to the point, “Dad, I’m here to go with you to the award ceremony tonight.”

Gu Chengwen paused. “You’re going too?”

Gu Yao handed him the glass of water and said, “I know how hard this fight is, and I know how people outside see it. Now two men in my family have been dragged into it. How could I just stand by and do nothing?”

Gu Chengwen took a sip of water. His smile deepened, and pride and satisfaction showed in his gaze as he looked at Gu Yao. “Good. A tiger father has no dog daughter.”

Before long, it was evening.

Tonight, the big names in Jiang City’s investment circles would all gather at the newly completed convention center.

The convention center was brightly lit outside, luxury cars streamed in one after another, and the guests were all elegantly dressed. This was a place of wealth and status, where heaven and hell met. Everyone here represented an astronomical sum of money and a formidable background.

There were rules to when guests arrived. The earlier they came, the lower their standing. Coming early meant having a chance to surround the big shots who arrived later, try to win resources, and build connections. Reporters from every major media outlet were also straining their necks to get in, but the venue had a strict screening standard. Only finance reporters were allowed inside, so as to keep gossip reporters from low-tier tabloids from sneaking in and fishing for scandals. Otherwise, tomorrow Jiang City would be in chaos.

Everyone knew that the more these gatherings of the wealthy swarmed with people, the more chaotic the relationships inside became. For example, some rich man’s ex-wife remarried another rich man after the divorce, and the two rich men were both competitors and business partners. For example, a rich father and son both married a pair of cousins. Or a certain wealthy man came to the ceremony, while the first wife, second wife, and third wife all vied to see who got the right to stand by his side and dressed themselves up to the nines…

Of course, none of that compared to the hottest news these past two days.

The man hailed as an angel investor, Gu Chengwen, and the boss of “Jiangcheng Gene” whom he had personally backed, Zhu Shengxi, were ostensibly business partners, but in reality they were future father-in-law and future son-in-law.

Now Zhu Shengxi’s “Jiangcheng Gene” had run into trouble, and Gu Chengwen just happened to be coming to receive this year’s Outstanding Investor award. So would Gu Chengwen come or not? If he did, he would have to face everyone’s curiosity and deal with the public’s gossip hunger. No one knew what he would think about the “Jiangcheng Gene” matter.

The media waited anxiously, crouched by the entrance and waiting there for a rabbit to run straight into their lap, while the wealthy people who had already arrived were whispering to each other while sipping champagne, and a few bored ones were even placing bets on the spot.

Until a woman’s figure appeared outside the venue’s main doors, and many people’s attention was drawn over.

It wasn’t because the woman was dressed provocatively or looked flirtatious. On the contrary, she wore a professional pantsuit, her short hair cropped to the ears and combed impeccably, without a single expensive accessory. Her low-profile style was as extreme as it could get.

This woman was no one else. She was Gu Chengwen’s most capable special assistant, Du Tong.

The outside world didn’t know much about Du Tong. Even the reporters had only managed to dig up a little gilded background, like the fact that Du Tong had been an orphan. By some twist of fate, she won Gu Chengwen’s favor, and he sent her abroad for further study. She then studied law, investment, and business administration in succession, and after coming back to China with that polished resume, she had been helping Gu Chengwen manage his business empire ever since. Even Gu Chengwen’s legal team was now being handled by Du Tong alone.

A lot of people said that Gu Chengwen had a pampered princess at home, a young career woman by his side, and a daughter under his roof who studied psychology. That kind of family dynamic was not something just any man could handle.

As soon as Du Tong appeared, the financial reporters crowded around her.

“Special Assistant Du, hello. May I ask if you’re here today to accept the award on behalf of Mr. Gu? Has Mr. Gu changed his schedule?”

“Or is Mr. Gu coming later?”

“What do you think about the recent news regarding ‘Jiangcheng Gene’?”

“May I ask whether you regret investing in ‘Jiangcheng Gene’?”

The questions poured out all at once, but Du Tong kept smiling. Then she raised a hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

After the reporters quieted down, she said, “I know what you want to ask, and you also know I won’t say it. But since everyone has worked so hard, and I don’t want you to make a wasted trip and waste precious time, why don’t I answer everything at once?”

The reporters all pricked up their ears.

Du Tong raised two fingers as she spoke. “One, Mr. Gu was delayed by something, but he will definitely come in person to accept the award today. Two, regarding the ‘Jiangcheng Gene’ issue, Mr. Gu will definitely give the government, our media friends, and the public a satisfactory explanation, and Mr. Gu has complete faith in his own judgment. He absolutely did not misjudge the person. Also, this matter is still under investigation at present, so I hope everyone will not make baseless speculation before the facts are clear and lose the media’s credibility. Thank you.”

Author’s note:

Turtle Xu: Little Bunny, I’ve received your challenge.

…

Du Tong is out. Do you remember her? The Du family child from the prologue.

All right, in the next chapter the male and female leads will finally meet for the first time. This is still the latest any of my stories have ever had the leads meet, because this one has a lot to set up, and I was afraid too much setup would slow the pace, so I spent a few chapters laying out their separate storylines.

Once the two of them meet, the pace will be faster than these chapters, so buckle up and sit tight!

Also, I saw a lot of readers guessing the identities of the teenage boy and girl in the prologue, as well as the mysteries in this story. I can only say, if it feels brain-burning, then don’t overthink it. Just enjoy the read. Besides, if everything gets spoiled now, how am I supposed to keep writing?