Hearing Chu Ge's words, Shen Lang's face broke into a smile. He had always thought that Chu Ge's reluctance to acknowledge him stemmed from not wanting others to know about her past as a beggar on the streets. Now, it seemed he was truly mistaken; Chu Ge had forgotten that period of her life entirely.
Recalling his own experiences, Shen Lang found this entirely plausible. After all, he himself had lost all his memories due to a significant upheaval.
"Alright, when I have time, I'll take you back to the places where we used to live for a trip down memory lane."
Shen Lang looked at the person most important to him and said with a faint smile.
Half an hour later, Shen Lang and Chu Ge parted ways and left the Shanyuan Villa.
After leaving the Shanyuan Villa, Shen Lang did not return to his villa. Instead, he drove to the Jiangnan Renjia Restaurant.
As Shen Lang parked his car, he discovered that the restaurant, which was always full, was now sealed with red tape. However, Shen Lang keenly heard movement from within the restaurant. He then leaped over the wall and entered the restaurant.
Upon entering, Shen Lang saw Chu Ge skillfully wielding a large wok and spatula, stir-frying. Her movements were so adept that they could be described as flawless. Soon, she finished stir-frying a dish of minced meat and eggplant.
After plating the dish, Chu Ling'er stopped her movements, sensing someone watching her from behind. She turned around nervously, "Who's there?"
"What, you don't recognize me?"
Seeing Chu Ling'er's shocked expression, Shen Lang smiled and said, "The restaurant is sealed, and yet you dare to cook inside. You're quite bold."
"Brother Shen Lang, how did you get in?"
Upon seeing it was Shen Lang, Chu Ling'er's face lit up with joy.
"I heard your sister mention that your restaurant had some issues, so I came to take a look. I didn't expect it to be this serious, with over a dozen seals. It seems you're truly going bankrupt."
Shen Lang looked at Chu Ling'er and said with a smile.
"No, as long as I'm here, the restaurant won't close. I will prove that it wasn't the restaurant's ingredients that caused the diners' food poisoning, but someone deliberately poisoned them."
Chu Ling'er said resolutely, "This restaurant was built through my hard work. I absolutely will not allow it to be ruined by others."
"Good, very good. Your attitude is firm. But I'd like to know how you plan to find evidence."
Shen Lang walked step by step to face Chu Ling'er, picked up a chair, sat down, and picked up a pair of chopsticks, taking a piece of eggplant and putting it in his mouth. While eating, he asked.
Upon hearing this, Chu Ling'er felt disheartened, as she truly had no way to find evidence.
The ingredients that caused the diners' poisoning were sent to the Martial Guard Department for testing, but no toxins were found. The result was that expired ingredients led to food poisoning.
Chu Ling'er had no way to prove that the diners' poisoning was unrelated to the restaurant's ingredients, so she could only watch helplessly as the restaurant was sealed. She wanted to prove her innocence but couldn't find any proof. Frustrated, she had come to the restaurant alone to cook.
"Brother Shen, can you help me?"
Chu Ling'er, looking dejected, finally turned to Shen Lang with a hopeful gaze and asked.
"Of course, I came precisely to help you."
Chu Ling'er's appearance allowed Shen Lang to find Chu Ge. To Shen Lang, Chu Ling'er could be considered his great benefactor, so he would never refuse to help her.
"Brother Shen, do you have a way to help me?"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Chu Ling'er's eyes lit up with joy.
"Ling'er, your predicament is overwhelming for you, but for me, this is not a problem at all."
Shen Lang looked at Chu Ling'er and asked, "Who is the Martial Guard in charge of this matter?"
"Yu Youwei from the Criminal Investigation Department."
Chu Ling'er replied, "She's been in charge of this matter, but she's very impartial and upholds the law strictly, making her difficult to communicate with."
"It's Yu Youwei. No problem, I'll just give her a call now."
Shen Lang had a connection with Yu Youwei; he had even helped her resolve a hidden physical danger. So, he took out his phone and quickly found Yu Youwei's number.
"Team Leader Shen, what made you think of calling this humble lady?"
As soon as the call connected, Yu Youwei's playful voice came from the other end. She said, "Last time you told me I was poisoned with a deadly poison called 'Eternal Love's Thread of Fate,' and that I would die within three days. It's been almost three months, and I'm still fine. Were you tricking me?"
"Weiwei, I was scaring you last time. Actually, with the 'Eternal Love's Thread of Fate' poison, you have at least half a year to live. But to get you to seek medical attention quickly, I exaggerated the severity of the poisoning."
Shen Lang, hearing Yu Youwei's words, showed no sign of panic and smiled, "Don't you trust my character?"
"Are you saying you called me specifically to detoxify me?"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Yu Youwei chuckled.
"Detoxifying you is certainly the priority, but besides that, there's something else I need your help with."
Shen Lang said to Yu Youwei, "I have a friend named Chu Ling'er. Her restaurant was sealed because of a diner's food poisoning. You should be aware of this, right?"
"Of course. I'm the lead investigator on this case. The restaurant's ingredients indeed had problems. Over a dozen diners are still in the hospital with severe vomiting and diarrhea. The situation is quite serious."
Yu Youwei told Shen Lang, "If Team Leader Shen is calling me to put in a good word and ask me to lift the seals on Jiangnan Renjia Restaurant, I'm afraid I can't help. After all, official business is official business, and personal matters are personal matters. They should be kept separate."
"Alright, I know you're a person who distinguishes clearly between public and private matters. However, I hope you can give me a chance to prove it."
Shen Lang knew that Yu Youwei was like Gu Qinghan; when it came to official matters, no amount of personal favors would work. Thus, he could only ask her for a chance to prove himself.
"Team Leader Shen, what do you want to do?"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Yu Youwei's tone carried a hint of surprise.
"It's very simple. I want to go to the hospital to see those poisoned people."
Shen Lang stated, "You know my medical skills. Whether it's food poisoning or deliberate poisoning, I can tell as soon as I've seen them."
"I naturally trust Team Leader Shen's medical skills, but how do I know you won't say it was deliberate poisoning when you know it's actually food poisoning, just for your friend?"
Yu Youwei smiled and said, "You know that people like us rarely trust others, so I have to say the unpleasant things upfront."
"Don't worry, I'm not that kind of person. I swear on my uncle's name."
Shen Lang said, "If you still don't believe me, then I really can't do anything, and you'll have to wrongly accuse an innocent person."
"Alright, since you've put it that way, I'll give you this chance."
Yu Youwei smiled and said, "Let's meet at the emergency room of Nanling People's Hospital in an hour. I hope you won't disappoint me."