"The weather is nice today."
Chen Jinzhao intended to change the subject, but Yu Mengzhi's steady gaze made him uneasy.
He smiled again and said, "You look beautiful today."
"Does that mean I didn't look good yesterday?" Yu Mengzhi's face showed a hint of a smile.
Chen Jinzhao: "..."
"Alright."
"Continue answering my question."
Chen Jinzhao sighed inwardly, wondering who had invented such a cursed question, one that was arguably harmful for millennia.
"Do you really want to know?" he sighed.
Yu Mengzhi nodded.
"Alright then, I'll tell you the truth."
"I would choose to save you."
Just as Yu Mengzhi was about to tease Chen Jinzhao about saying one thing to one person and another to another, Chen Jinzhao continued, "But if I do that, I will be indebted to Xu Nianqing, so after saving you, I will die with her."
This stunned Yu Mengzhi.
She had initially thought Chen Jinzhao was joking, but after careful observation, she realized he was serious.
"You're just stubborn," Yu Mengzhi commented.
Chen Jinzhao was prepared for an outburst, but Yu Mengzhi said lightly, "Forget it. If such a day ever comes, you should leave the hope of survival to her."
After all, if Chen Jinzhao was going to die anyway, why couldn't he die with her?
It sounded rather romantic.
*Ding ding ding!*
The telephone on the desk rang.
Yu Mengzhi gestured for Chen Jinzhao to remain silent, then picked up the phone.
"It's me."
"What did you say? Is this true?"
"Okay, okay, I understand. Inform me immediately of any new developments."
She hung up the phone.
Yu Mengzhi was lost in thought. Chen Jinzhao had rarely seen her look so bewildered. "What's wrong? Did something major happen?"
"Yes!"
Chen Jinzhao was also puzzled.
What could be more shocking than Ning Pingguo's imprisonment?
Yu Mengzhi didn't keep him in suspense any longer. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Do you remember Su Jinghui's grandfather, Su Chengmin? This morning, a servant at his home called the police. Su Chengmin was found to have hanged himself last night."
Chen Jinzhao's expression faltered slightly.
This news was indeed more explosive than Ning Pingguo's arrest, primarily because Su Chengmin was closely linked to Gou Chen Group and the Yu family. The death of the Su family patriarch was bound to trigger a chain reaction.
Yu Mengzhi seemed to anticipate Chen Jinzhao's thoughts and shook her head, "The police have already investigated the scene and preliminarily ruled out foul play, meaning Su Chengmin did indeed die by hanging."
"What about the Su family's shares?" Chen Jinzhao's words reminded Yu Mengzhi.
Yu Mengzhi quickly sent someone to inquire and learned that Su Chengmin's shares had been acquired by a mysterious individual.
Chen Jinzhao sneered, "If I'm not mistaken, this mysterious person likely has a vested interest in Su Chengmin's death."
"But foul play has been ruled out," Yu Mengzhi reminded Chen Jinzhao.
"Ms. Yu, have you considered this possibility? That person holds the Su family's secrets. If Su Chengmin hadn't died, the entire Su family would have perished. In such a situation, Su Chengmin might have had no choice but to die."
"And..."
"The person orchestrating this is very clever, using the sensational news of Ning Pingguo's imprisonment as a cover to accomplish this. The Su family, in terms of size and influence, is far inferior to the Ning family, and this would minimize the fallout."
Chen Jinzhao's words startled Yu Mengzhi.
She found it hard to believe that such things could still happen in modern society.
"Of course."
"I'm just speculating. Perhaps Su Chengmin did indeed commit suicide," Chen Jinzhao didn't close the door on other possibilities. Yu Mengzhi rubbed her forehead and shook her head, "I hope there's no manipulation behind this. Otherwise, it will be quite troublesome."
Killing Su Chengmin was undoubtedly about Gou Chen's shares.
It was hard to imagine the consequences if such unscrupulous individuals entered Gou Chen.
Chen Jinzhao returned to his office.
He had been pondering who might have been responsible all the way. Could it be the Black Blood Organization?
If it were them, the problem would be quite tricky.
He shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. "Why think so much? We'll know when the mysterious merchant appears."
A figure entered his line of sight. Chen Jinzhao looked up.
"Isn't this Master Gou?"
"What brings you to my office? You should leave quickly. This humble temple cannot accommodate a deity like you."
Master Gou's real name was Wei Nangua. He was called Master Gou because of his underhanded methods. He was Liu Wenyao's right-hand man, a trusted confidant, and a seasoned veteran in the security department.
Within their small circle, Master Gou's status was second only to Liu Wenyao's.
His sudden appearance here meant he was up to no good.
Master Gou smiled obsequiously at Chen Jinzhao, putting on a naive demeanor that made Chen Jinzhao even more curious about his intentions.
They went to the hallway, where Master Gou flatteringly said, "Young Master Chen, everyone knows you are the second-in-command of the company now. You are truly blessed to have won over Ms. Yu."
Chen Jinzhao accepted a cigarette offered by Master Gou, lit it, and stood by the window, exhaling smoke. "Tell me, what do you want?"
Master Gou was direct. He handed Chen Jinzhao a USB drive, hoping Chen Jinzhao would protect him in the future. Chen Jinzhao was puzzled. What was on this USB drive?
"You'll know when you get back and look. It's inconvenient for me to say."
"If you don't say, I won't accept it," Chen Jinzhao shook his head and handed the USB drive back.
Master Gou became anxious. "Then I'll be direct!"
This USB drive contained numerous short videos. These were compiled from footage secretly filmed by subordinates under Liu Wenyao's orders when he was the head of the security department. They had installed hidden cameras in various offices.
Gou Chen Group had a large number of employees, and there were many places where unsavory dealings could occur.
More importantly...
These videos involved many high-level executives.
This was why many executives were obedient to Su Jinghui and even openly opposed Yu Mengzhi. Their secrets were firmly in Su Jinghui's grasp.
Chen Jinzhao looked at Master Gou intently.
Master Gou knew what Chen Jinzhao was thinking and quickly waved his hand, "Young Master Chen, I have definitely not kept anything for myself. Everything is here."
"Alright."
"I thank you on behalf of Ms. Yu. However, you'd better not spread this around. And don't use my name to do bad things in the future, or I'll be the first to deal with you."
Master Gou breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Jinzhao returned to his office and plugged the USB drive into his computer, then opened the folder.
He was shocked by what he saw.
The videos indeed involved many executives. Many were compromising situations between male leaders and their female secretaries.
What surprised Chen Jinzhao the most was that one woman appeared most frequently in these videos: Yu Mengzhi's secretary, Zhuang Xiaoyue. Zhuang Xiaoyue was particularly proactive in the videos, seemingly controlling many high-level executives.
*Knock knock knock!*
A knock sounded at the door. Chen Jinzhao immediately closed the computer. "Please come in."
The door opened.
Zhuang Xiaoyue, dressed in a body-hugging OL outfit, walked in from outside.