Qin Fengwu personally saw Chen Jinzhao out of the hospital, appearing to be polite, even addressing him as "Little Brother Chen" repeatedly.
As if—
The unpleasantness between them before was truly just a misunderstanding.
After Chen Jinzhao had walked far away, Qin Fengwu let his smile fade and let out a soft snort, "I've been waiting for you to attend this gathering. I was truly afraid you wouldn't come."
He certainly wasn't trying to win Chen Jinzhao over.
Because Qin Fengwu had learned about Chen Jinzhao's life and believed Chen Jinzhao was indeed a man of ideals. Qin Fengwu felt he didn't have the ability to make Chen Jinzhao abandon his ideals.
The greatest respect he could show Chen Jinzhao was to destroy his ideals.
Wu Lingyun, standing beside Qin Fengwu, suddenly asked, "Brother Qin, what were you just saying?"
Qin Fengwu came back to his senses and replied with a smile, "Nothing, I just felt your cousin is truly a heroic figure, not someone like me, a common man, could compare to."
"Brother Qin is also very capable," Wu Lingyun said.
Qin Fengwu smiled and said nothing more, while the smile on Wu Lingyun's face instantly vanished. She had actually overheard Qin Fengwu's soliloquy and vaguely felt that Qin Fengwu intended to harm Chen Jinzhao.
"Impossible, Brother Qin isn't that kind of person. Perhaps I misheard," Wu Lingyun shook her head.
She was unwilling to believe it.
On the other side.
Chen Jinzhao's expression also turned grim after leaving the hospital.
His intuition told him that something bad might happen at this so-called gathering. He sighed inwardly, "It seems Qin Fengwu is more difficult to deal with than I imagined. He has undoubtedly become the spiritual leader of that circle, commanding respect with a single word!"
Even if Chen Jinzhao wanted to bring Qin Fengwu down, Qin Fengwu's associates would not allow it.
Unless Chen Jinzhao could catch them all in one fell swoop, but achieving that was like a fool's dream, almost impossible.
Too difficult, too difficult.
Chen Jinzhao suddenly felt a sense of urgency, realizing time was truly running out.
"I hope I can do something meaningful in my lifetime," he murmured to himself.
Back home.
Yu Mengzhi was waiting for him at home and informed him about her upcoming participation in the economic summit. It was evident that Yu Mengzhi was very much looking forward to this summit, as it would bring together business elites. She might even be able to forge collaborations with some major corporations, which would be nothing but beneficial for Gou Chen Group's development.
"What's wrong? You don't look very happy?" Yu Mengzhi asked, puzzled.
Chen Jinzhao denied, "Nothing, I was just lost in thought for a moment. Hearing you say this, it's a good thing."
"Yes, such an opportunity is incredibly rare," Yu Mengzhi nodded.
"I'll accompany you then," Chen Jinzhao said.
Yu Mengzhi was overjoyed.
Looking at Yu Mengzhi's happy expression, Chen Jinzhao suddenly had a thought: Could the real target of this gathering not be him, but Yu Mengzhi?
Could it be that Qin Fengwu hasn't given up on Yu Mengzhi?
The thought made Chen Jinzhao feel increasingly agitated, and he was eager to know Qin Fengwu's scheme.
"Right."
Chen Jinzhao remembered Yu Huaiqing and Bai Meizi. "Have the Su family been causing trouble these past couple of days?"
Yu Mengzhi replied that they hadn't, and everything was fine.
"It seems the Su family has retreated and dares not be too presumptuous. You go ahead and attend to your own matters; don't just hover around me. Also, I might be having dinner with Yaoyao tonight, just letting you know in advance." Chen Jinzhao said with a smile. Yu Mengzhi rolled her eyes at Chen Jinzhao and huffed, "You don't need to report to me who you're eating with; I can't control you anyway."
Despite her words, Yu Mengzhi felt a flutter of joy in her heart.
This, in any case, meant that she was the one in Chen Jinzhao's thoughts.
She checked Chen Jinzhao's wounds again, confirming there were no major issues, before leaving for work. Chen Jinzhao, who hadn't slept all night, finally closed his eyes to rest and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
He even had a strange dream.
In the dream, he was in a pitch-black space, and then he watched as Yu Mengzhi, Xu Nianqing, Tao Qiyue, and others disappeared before his eyes.
He wanted to grab them, but it was all in vain.
Moreover, no matter how Chen Jinzhao ran, he couldn't escape that dark space, which felt like a colossal cage.
"Hoo—"
Chen Jinzhao suddenly woke up with a start.
He sat up in bed and noticed the afterglow of the setting sun streaming through the western window onto him. After wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Chen Jinzhao murmured to himself, "I didn't expect to sleep for an entire day. It seems the exertion yesterday was truly too much."
"That dream felt too real."
"Is this what death feels like?"
Chen Jinzhao was unsure.
He picked up his phone and glanced at it. Xu Yaoyao had called him several times half an hour ago. Chen Jinzhao patted his head and said, "What's wrong with me? I didn't even hear the phone ring?"
He washed his face, changed his clothes, and went out.
It took him forty minutes to reach the agreed-upon location with Xu Yaoyao. As soon as Chen Jinzhao emerged from the subway station, Xu Yaoyao quickly hurried towards him.
Hmm?
Chen Jinzhao didn't recognize her at first glance.
Xu Yaoyao was meticulously dressed, wearing light makeup and high heels, a stark contrast to her usual plain appearance.
"Yaoyao, you are..." Chen Jinzhao said with a wry smile.
Xu Yaoyao giggled and said, "Brother Jinzhao, you didn't recognize me at first glance, did you? I heard people say that makeup is essential as a form of respect for others. Do you think I look good?"
"Beautiful," Chen Jinzhao said directly.
It was a different kind of beauty from her natural look.
To insist that Xu Yaoyao remain plain-faced would also be a selfish desire.
Xu Yaoyao's face flushed slightly, and then she changed the subject, pulling Chen Jinzhao into a mall and together they entered a rather upscale Chinese restaurant.
They chatted and laughed, enjoying each other's company.
However, midway through their meal, the Chinese restaurant suddenly began "expelling" customers. Many diners were told they could not continue being served, even though they had only eaten halfway through. The restaurant stated they would refund double the amount, so no one caused a scene.
"What's going on?" Xu Yaoyao asked, puzzled.
What confused her even more was that the restaurant staff didn't ask them to leave, but specifically asked them to stay.
"Brother Jinzhao, could you be planning a surprise for me?"
Meeting Xu Yaoyao's suspicious gaze, Chen Jinzhao quickly replied, "I really didn't. I have no idea what's happening."
"Let's wait and see."
Before he could finish speaking.
Several men in sunglasses stood at the entrance of the Chinese restaurant. Then, a tall woman walked in, also wearing a mask and sunglasses. Even so, they couldn't conceal her extraordinary aura.
Xu Yaoyao, while staring at the woman, leaned closer to Chen Jinzhao and said, "I think I know who she is."
"Who?"
"It's Yang Qianqian, the one competing with me for the endorsement. She's a popular star in the entertainment industry, and her career has been developing rapidly these past two years." Xu Yaoyao said.
Chen Jinzhao realized, "So, she's here to cause trouble?"
Xu Yaoyao shook her head, stating she wasn't sure what Yang Qianqian was thinking. She also added, "Even if she is here to cause trouble, I won't be afraid of her. However, I don't think she's that brainless. This approach is too childish."
While they were talking, Yang Qianqian and her companions walked directly towards Xu Yaoyao and Chen Jinzhao.
Soon.
The group stood by their table. Yang Qianqian's agent, Liang Mei, said, "Xu Yaoyao, is that you?"
Xu Yaoyao blinked her large eyes. "It's me, what's wrong?"
Liang Mei didn't answer directly. Instead, she brought a chair from the side for Yang Qianqian to sit on. After Yang Qianqian sat down, Liang Mei said to Xu Yaoyao, "We'd like to talk to you about something. Are you available?"
"If I say I'm not available, will you disappear from my sight?" Xu Yaoyao retorted.
Liang Mei sneered, "You've got quite a sharp tongue."
"I'll get straight to the point. We hope you will voluntarily give up the endorsement for Gou Chen Pharmaceuticals. Our Qianqian is more qualified to hold it than you. Whatever you want, you can name your price."
Xu Yaoyao and Chen Jinzhao exchanged glances.
Well, well.
It turned out they were indeed here to cause trouble.
Xu Yaoyao smiled, "Don't you think this is too overbearing? The reason I secured the endorsement is through my own strength. You couldn't win me over, so you want to force me to give it up this way?"
Yang Qianqian removed her sunglasses, revealing a delicate, oval face that could be described as stunningly beautiful.
"I'm not forcing you; I'm just discussing it with you."
"You can name any condition, and if I can meet it, I will definitely agree."
"How about it?"