The next morning.
Chen Jinzhao was awakened by a hurried phone ringing. He opened his phone and saw that Tao Qiyue had called him over a dozen times between four or five in the morning, and by seven or eight, Xu Yaoyao had also called him a few times.
"That's strange. Why have I been sleeping so soundly lately? I didn't even know they were calling me?" Chen Jinzhao patted his head, realizing he had exhausted too much energy last night.
"I need to restrain myself from now on."
Looking at Yu Mengzhi, who was still fast asleep, Chen Jinzhao tiptoed out of the room and onto the balcony, then called Tao Qiyue to inquire about the situation.
Tao Qiyue answered after a while. Chen Jinzhao asked, "Qiyue, you called me this morning. Is something wrong? Is it about the Su family, or has something else gone wrong?"
"Oh, you're Chen Jinzhao..."
Tao Qiyue's voice sounded tired. It seemed Chen Jinzhao had woken her up from her sleep.
Chen Jinzhao quickly said, "Did you stay up all night? If it's not urgent, you can tell me after you've rested. What do you think?"
Tao Qiyue was groggy for a few more seconds. She shook her head and became much clearer. Then she said, "No need. It's something that can be explained in a few words. Last night, a film company CEO named Zhu Xiaotian died."
Chen Jinzhao was silent for a few seconds.
"Murder?"
Tao Qiyue shook her head. "No, he was found to have committed suicide in his villa in Donghai. Donghai has already issued a police report. However, it's worth noting that a female celebrity named Yang Qianqian died in a car accident on her way to Ninghai. I'm telling you this because these two were together last night and both met with accidents. It seems too coincidental."
"So, whether Zhu Xiaotian committed suicide is also questionable," Chen Jinzhao said.
"Yes, but Donghai claims it was suicide, and we can't interfere there. I'm just telling you this to see if it can provide you with any clues," Tao Qiyue said helplessly.
Chen Jinzhao nodded. "Alright, I understand. You should rest now."
"Take care of yourself."
On the other end of the line, Tao Qiyue suddenly chuckled. "I know, goodbye!"
After hanging up, Chen Jinzhao didn't dwell on Tao Qiyue's tone. Instead, he focused on the deaths of Zhu Xiaotian and Yang Qianqian. This struck Chen Jinzhao as odd because both were affiliated with Han Shangwen, and Donghai was Han family territory. Since the Han family hadn't come forward to avenge Zhu Xiaotian, it implied the Han family was responsible. No one else would be.
"Zhu Xiaotian and Yang Qianqian did offend me yesterday, but Han Shangwen wouldn't be afraid of me and kill them, would he?" Chen Jinzhao murmured to himself.
This made no sense.
Chen Jinzhao shook his head and didn't think about it further. He then called Xu Yaoyao.
"Yaoyao, it's me."
"You called me this morning. What's going on?" Chen Jinzhao asked.
Xu Yaoyao, upon receiving Chen Jinzhao's call, quickly said, "Brother Jinzhao, have you heard? Zhu Xiaotian and Yang Qianqian are both dead!"
"Yes, I heard. Is that why you called me?" Chen Jinzhao retorted.
"Of course not. I have something else to tell you. Do you remember Yang Qianqian's agent, Liang Mei? She came to find me last night and is still with me."
"She said she knows why Zhu Xiaotian and Yang Qianqian died, but she wants to tell you personally."
Chen Jinzhao's heart sank. This matter was shrouded in mystery, and it seemed many forces were involved, otherwise Liang Mei wouldn't be so afraid. However, Liang Mei's appearance also put Xu Yaoyao in danger.
"Yaoyao, listen to me now," Chen Jinzhao said.
"You'd better stay away from Liang Mei now and have her find a secluded place to wait for me, understand?"
Xu Yaoyao was silent for a moment. Chen Jinzhao continued, "Yaoyao, are you listening to me?"
"Brother Jinzhao, is Liang Mei going to die?" she suddenly asked.
Chen Jinzhao didn't know how to answer. He continued, "In any case, stay away from Liang Mei now, or she might get you killed."
Xu Yaoyao vaguely understood Chen Jinzhao's meaning, but she made a decision that gave Chen Jinzhao a headache. She pursed her lips and said, "She's right next to me. I can't just abandon her. She might not be a good person, but she doesn't deserve to die."
"Don't worry, I'll stay with her at school and won't go anywhere. Those people shouldn't dare to act here."
Chen Jinzhao wanted to continue persuading her, not wanting Xu Yaoyao to be in danger.
Xu Yaoyao seemed to know what Chen Jinzhao was going to say and preempted him, "Brother Jinzhao, you've always been a kind and righteous person. Aren't I defending justice by doing what I'm doing now?"
"But I don't want to see anything happen to you," Chen Jinzhao said in a deep voice.
"You don't need to worry about that. Since ancient times, defending justice isn't just about talking; it requires shedding blood, doesn't it?" Xu Yaoyao's words stunned Chen Jinzhao.
She had grown up.
Chen Jinzhao stopped trying to persuade her and instead urged, "Then you must be extra careful and cannot leave the campus even a step. If all goes well, I'll be back in an hour."
"Mm-hmm, I understand," Xu Yaoyao replied obediently.
Chen Jinzhao didn't say anything more, hung up the phone, and prepared to return to Ninghai, to prevent Xu Yaoyao from being isolated and helpless.
"This girl..." Chen Jinzhao gave a wry smile.
But after this incident, Chen Jinzhao realized he wasn't as righteous as he thought. What concerned him most were the people around him, not treating everyone equally.
This made him sigh, "People, truly cannot be absolutely rational. Only saints can achieve that."
Chen Jinzhao suddenly felt that he was getting further and further away from his goal.
He shook his head and put these thoughts aside, deciding to resolve Xu Yaoyao's danger first. Since Shangguan Yu'an was training at the Candle Dragon special forces base of the Jiangnan Military Region during this period, and the personnel from the research institute couldn't be mobilized, Chen Jinzhao had to go himself. He turned and walked into the room, and at a glance, he saw Yu Mengzhi, who had just woken up, sitting on the bed in a daze, rubbing her sleepy eyes and asking, "What happened?"
Chen Jinzhao said while getting dressed, "I have to rush back to Ninghai immediately. You can take your time."
Yu Mengzhi originally wanted to go back with Chen Jinzhao, but considering she needed some time to get ready, she wisely abandoned the idea.
"Is it dangerous?" she asked, now more awake.
Chen Jinzhao said in a deep voice, "Perhaps, or perhaps it's just a false alarm. I can't say for sure."
Yu Mengzhi quickly got out of bed and tidied Chen Jinzhao's clothes for him, then warned him to be careful on the road and not to act rashly. Chen Jinzhao directly picked her up, kissed her, and said, "Alright, I know."
Chen Jinzhao gently put Yu Mengzhi down and then turned to leave the room.
At this moment, in a certain manor in Donghai.
Han Shangwen sat in his study, rubbing his temples. On his desk were the crime scene photos of Zhu Xiaotian and Yang Qianqian. Both photos were rather gruesome, but Han Shangwen showed no discomfort, having long grown accustomed to such sights.
He remained silent for a long time before tearing the photos and throwing them into the trash can. He muttered, "If you want to be my dog, you must obey. If you show any disloyalty, I don't mind making an example of you."
"These two fools were too self-important."
Zhu Xiaotian and Yang Qianqian thought they could escape, unaware that Han Shangwen had installed surveillance software on their phones. Their every move was under Han Shangwen's control.
Therefore.
When Yang Qianqian followed Zhu Xiaotian's suggestion to flee towards Chen Jinzhao's residence and met with a car accident, and Zhu Xiaotian was 'forced to commit suicide'.
Even though everyone knew something was amiss, who would believe something without evidence?
"However, this Liang Mei is really troublesome, running off to Ninghai," Han Shangwen said with a headache. He picked up his phone and called Fang Mingchao. In their circle, anyone who had something inconvenient to deal with would entrust it to Fang Mingchao.
This was because Fang Mingchao could mobilize the forces of the Black Blood organization, which specialized in dirty work.
The call connected, and Han Shangwen spoke directly.
"Hello, Mr. Fang."
"There's one more fish that escaped and has gone to Ninghai. Please take care of her as well."
"There will be a generous reward after the task is completed."