Hu Ziyuan desperately wanted to establish his own kingdom. Mom’s workstation became his experimental zone, with various chairs pulled around to encircle the already small area. He sat in the center, frowning as he played with his Lego. Lawyer Qian was once again busy with his business trips, while Pan Jie remained at her central position, staring at the screen and pounding the keyboard.
Zhong Tianming originally stood holding a teacup, leaning against the railing, wanting to play Lego with Hu Ziyuan. This had always been his favorite pastime until work got too busy. Now seeing Hu Ziyuan playing, he felt the urge again. However, Hu Ziyuan saw through his intentions immediately, turning his small body away and blocking Zhong Tianming’s view of the Lego pieces gathered on the chair in front of him—he wanted to play alone.
When Ning Yue came out, she saw Zhong Tianming circling the railing, blocked by various chairs, unable to get close to Hu Ziyuan. Ning Yue found it amusing that Hu Ziyuan’s sudden whim had proved useful.
After greeting Zhong Tianming, as she reached to move the chairs to enter, she suddenly remembered the thought that had occurred to her in Secretary Qin’s office. She paused and asked, “Ziyuan, Mom’s back, may I come in?”
Hu Ziyuan looked up, glanced around to confirm Zhong Tianming was gone, then nodded and said, “Come in, don’t forget to close the door.”
Ning Yue followed his instructions and sat at the workstation’s exit. She then told her son there was no way to close the door. Hu Ziyuan thought for a moment, then surprisingly stood up and went to another empty position next to Ning Yue, arranging it the same way before saying to her, “Mom, you can work now. This is my office, let’s work together, okay?”
Ning Yue nodded, her heart feeling both full and slightly bitter.
In this world, truth is the hardest to discover, while rumors spread the fastest.
When Qin Can was working overtime until after nine in the evening, he received an email forwarded by Luo Yating. Looking at the sender list, it was already crowded with names, too many to see clearly. The content was lengthy. The first line was Luo Yating’s, containing only three words: “Scroll to the bottom.”
Qin Can do as told and saw what had happened to Ning Yue before she came to his office. He dialed Luo Yating’s number, “What are you trying to do?”
“Ning Yue should be suspended temporarily for self-reflection,” she paused, then added, “with pay continuing.”
“No,” Qin Can firmly rejected.
Luo Yating made a slight “Oh?” sound, “Do you think she’s fit to work right now?”
Qin Can look outside at those still working overtime—only Pan Jie remained. The system showed Ning Yue had just logged in. At this hour, Hu Ziyuan would be asleep this was Ning Yue’s second work shift.
Qin Can scratch his head: “Give her a month’s leave, but not a suspension for reflection.”
However, the next day, before they could notify Ning Yue, Miao Chongli from the Human Resources Center called Luo Yating in to understand the situation. Miao Chongli said that although the other party hadn’t reported to the police, it wasn’t good for the company’s image. Ning Yue had previously caused a bleeding incident within the company, and now she was openly fighting, causing extremely negative impacts. He asked Luo Yating what should be done.
Luo Yating was cursing internally but asked outwardly, “I remember the company indeed stipulates that employees involved in criminal offenses or causing adverse social public impact should have their labor contracts terminated immediately. However, regarding the bleeding incident, Ning Yue was also a victim. In our line of work, who hasn’t been threatened? Speaking of bleeding, Director Miao should remember, I was also attacked in the company garage.”
Miao Chongli’s lips twitched slightly. That time was because Luo Yating had helped their Human Resources Center handle a termination lawsuit and was attacked by the person involved.
Luo Yating frowned slightly: “If we’re not counting bleeding incidents, ah, I remember in the second half of last year, there was an employee’s mother who held up signs in front of the office building for two months, and I believe Director Miao was mentioned on them.”
That was about an employee who died in a traffic accident while returning late, and there was a disagreement with the family about whether it qualified as a work-related injury. So the family held up signs saying things like “Miao Chongli is a bloodsucker” in front of the company and even brought many reporters. Speaking of negative impact, that incident even made the newspapers…
Luo Yating checked her watch and said with a smile, “I need to go to the department. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave first.”
Miao Chongli silently watched Luo Yating leave and made a phone call, “Have you found the source of that anonymous email I asked you to investigate?”
Chen Gongzhe’s voice came through the phone: “Wow! That woman in your company is too fierce! Can you introduce her to me?”
“She’s forty. Let’s talk about the matter at hand.”
“So old! What a shame.” Chen Gongzhe sighed deeply, “I was born too late to meet you in your prime…”
“Speak plainly.”
“Found it.” Chen Gongzhe gave an address.
Miao Chongli put down the phone and typed several commands into his computer. The colorful computer screen went black, and lines of white code appeared cascading down. Miao Chongli operated skillfully and soon found what he was looking for. He went to the Security Department to request surveillance footage, adjusted the time, and soon saw someone in the black and white images.
“Director Wang?” Miao Chongli muttered to himself, “Wasn’t Hu Cheng connected to Director Chen? Why is Wang Mingcheng from the Sales Center involved?”
Hu Cheng impatiently said to the person on the phone, “I helped you hold so much inventory, and now I’m just asking for a small favor, what’s the big deal!”
“Yes, you helped me hold inventory, but you also made good money! Back then when you wanted the company to find reasons to fire your wife, I did as you asked. But from now on, don’t come to me with matters between you and your wife!”
Hu Cheng chuckled: “Come on! Director Wang, if you have any difficulties, tell your brother. We’ve known each other for over ten years, you know what kind of person I am.”
The person on the phone was indeed Wang Mingcheng, the Deputy Director of the Sales Center who had been suppressed by Director Feng. Hu Cheng still called him Director Wang as before, and Wang Mingcheng quite enjoyed it.
However, Wang Mingcheng seemed somewhat distracted at this moment. He lowered his voice mysteriously and said, “Someone sent a whistleblowing letter to Chairman Han, seemingly pointing to the Procurement Center. Old Chen just got called in for a talk, and now Chairman Han has summoned that woman Luo Yating and Director Miao from the Finance Center.”
Hu Cheng suddenly flashed to Ning Yue’s expressionless face, and his back suddenly felt cold. But he still calmly said, “Why are you worried about matters in the Procurement Center?”
“Do I need to spell out the relationship between Old Chen and that Tian woman? Yesterday your wife beat up that Tian woman in the company lobby, it certainly wasn’t because of Chen, right? Hu Cheng, you’re a smart person, don’t come looking for me until you’ve sorted out your family affairs. Oh, and that discount you wanted, Old Feng has been watching very closely lately, I can’t get it anymore. Sorry, brother. I have to meet someone, we’ll talk later!”
The phone went dead, and Hu Cheng stood stunned for a moment before suddenly throwing his phone against the wall.
Before Hu Cheng could get his phone screen fixed, Tian Qiuzi burst into his office, demanding to know why he wasn’t answering his phone!
Hu Cheng swallowed his reproach when he saw Tian Qiuzi’s bruised and swollen face. He knew Tian Qiuzi had been beaten, and had even tried to use this incident to get Ning Yue fired. But seeing Tian Qiuzi beaten this badly made him wonder who had done it.
Tian Qiuzi, ignoring her disheveled state, just urged Hu Cheng to quickly return the money to Director Chen. Hu Cheng became annoyed and suddenly remembered what Ning Yue had said, immediately realizing: “The whistleblower is Ning Yue!”
Tian Qiuzi impatiently waved her hand: “Who else could it be? But there’s no time to deal with her now, we must fix Director Chen’s deficit first!”
Hu Cheng looked Tian Qiuzi up and down: “Yes, it must be fixed. So, why don’t you think of something?”
Tian Qiuzi took a deep breath and said with a smile: “Hu Cheng, do you think I’d let you play around so easily? They’re investigating several procurement contracts, and haven’t gotten to the slush fund issue yet. But those contracts are related to Qiancheng Investment, Director Chen is just worried it will eventually draw attention. Besides, Qiancheng has financial transactions with your company. You’re not going to deny this too, are you? Ah, right, even if you do deny it, I have recorded here.”
Hu Cheng’s face changed slightly, then he suddenly laughed, stood up, and put his arm around Tian Qiuzi’s shoulders, saying intimately: “That’s a lot of money, I’ll need some time to gather it. How long do I have?”
Tian Qiuzi was already panicking. Her leverage over Hu Cheng was just a sudden inspiration; she hadn’t thought through how to use these connections. Hu Cheng’s softened attitude was only because he feared she had backup plans, having been made extremely cautious by Ning Yue’s recent wave of actions. However, Tian Qiuzi was not in the same league as Ning Yue. She was just worried that as the actual controller of Qiancheng, a simple investigation would reveal everything. If things went wrong, she would be finished!
“One week! No! Three days!”
Hu Cheng gave a cold laugh, he understood: Tian Qiuzi didn’t have that many tricks up her sleeve. But this whole incident was Ning Yue’s doing. Just as she had said before, investigate Old Chen internally, then force him to repay. In such a short time, borrowing would be difficult, and even if he could borrow, the interest would be high. He could only move funds through the companies he controlled. Once he moved his funds, all his assets would be exposed to Ning Yue’s view.
What a clever plan!
Hu Cheng looked up at the still anxious Tian Qiuzi, couldn’t help but laugh coldly, then said softly: “Alright, I understand. Tell Old Chen I’ll take care of this.”
Tian Qiuzi breathed a sigh of relief. She trusted Hu Cheng, and seeing him say this, she smiled sweetly, then realizing her appearance was somewhat inappropriate, hurriedly left.
Hu Cheng sat alone in his spacious office, looking around at the solemn dignity in the silence that made him proud. This was his world, this was his glory, this was the kingdom he had fought for many years to possess.
Asking him to give it up? Dream on!
And Ning Yue and the child in her care were both his!
Hu Ziyuan stood at the kitchen doorway, watching his mom cook from afar. Although it had only been a few days, the little boy had slowly accepted that even if he was very hungry, he had to give Mom time to finish cooking.
“Mom, why don’t we order takeout?”
“Because restaurant food has too much oil and salt, it’s not good for children’s health.”
“But it tastes so good!” Hu Ziyuan glanced at the steaming pot, “Better than mom’s cooking.”
“Is that so? Then mom will work hard to learn how to cook food that’s both healthy and delicious!”
The steamed pearl meatballs were served, the cooked millet porridge was ladled into bowls, the Chinese cabbage cut into small pieces suitable for a child’s mouth came steaming hot from the wok, and finally, vinegar was drizzled over it, filling the house with an enticing vinegar fragrance.
Hu Ziyuan couldn’t help but swallow, hurriedly setting up the bowls.
Ning Yue watched him rush around with a smile, hoping to use this opportunity to change his habit of preferring heavy flavors. The old saying goes, when hungry, even chaff tastes sweeter than honey. Being this hungry, perhaps he could accept food with less oil and salt.
While Ning Yue was secretly observing her son’s reaction to the food, the doorbell rang.
Hu Ziyuan became alert like a little mouse, immediately stopping his spoon. Ning Yue patted his hand, offering a reassuring smile to calm the child. Hu Ziyuan’s shoulders slumped slightly as he lowered his head to continue eating.
Ning Yue stood up and walked to the door. Looking through the peephole after removing the bandaid covering it, she saw Zhuo Hao’s distorted face appearing enormously large. He was pacing back and forth at the door, carrying a large plastic bag.
Ning Yue opened the door to let him in, “Don’t you have a key?”
Zhuo Hao said, “That wouldn’t be right.” Then he sniffed the air, “Smells good! Did I come at the right time?”
Hu Ziyuan called out loudly: “Uncle Zhuo, my mom made stir-fried Chinese cabbage and pearl meatballs, they’re delicious!”
Zhuo Hao eagerly rushed over, but upon seeing the size of the dishes and portions, he turned to Ning Yue with a wry smile. Ning Yue said awkwardly, “Um, wait a moment. There’s chicken soup from last night in the fridge, I’ll make you some noodles.”
“Great! Add some luncheon meat, spinach, and eggs – make sure to break up the eggs!” Zhuo Hao said without hesitation, “You made chicken soup, is there any chicken meat left?”
“It’s from an old hen, the meat’s tough.”
“No problem, shred it finely and grill it. I’ll eat that!”
Ning Yue shook her head, familiar with that preparation method. After school when she was young, the street vendors would sell chicken skewers – the chicken breast wasn’t great, but students loved it because of the heavy seasoning. She had eaten it with Zhuo Hao a few times but got gastroenteritis once and never ate it again.
After eating and drinking their fill, Zhuo Hao insisted on washing the dishes. He said since she cooked, she shouldn’t have to wash dishes and pulled Hu Ziyuan to help. What should have taken just ten minutes ended up taking an hour before the kitchen was clean and bright.
After turning off the kitchen lights and closing the door, they found Zhuo Hao helping Hu Ziyuan with homework in the living room. Seeing Ning Yue come out, Zhuo Hao asked, “What kindergarten does he attend that gives homework?”
“He’ll be starting elementary school in a year, it’s good to get him used to it early.”
Zhuo Hao glanced at the child and asked Ning Yue, “I’ve heard everything. I’m watching the bank, as soon as his account moves, we’ll know. Then we’ll find out if he has any other companies or income sources we don’t know about.”
“What if he doesn’t move it?”
“That’s impossible, right? Then Old Chen would collapse.” Zhuo Hao suddenly paused, “Right, Old Chen is Tian Qiuzi’s connection. But can he ignore Tian Qiuzi?”
Ning Yue sighed: “At this point, I hope he cares more about Tian Qiuzi.”
They both fell silent, simultaneously looking at Hu Ziyuan. Hu Ziyuan quickly asked eagerly, “Mom, can we play with Lego?”
Zhuo Hao was also good with Legos and stayed until it was Hu Ziyuan’s bedtime before saying goodbye. After seeing him off, Ning Yue remembered the large plastic bag. Opening it, she found it full of various meats and vegetables.
“Mom, you look very happy today!” Before bed, Hu Ziyuan said, “Is it because Uncle Zhuo played with me, so you’re not as tired?”
Ning Yue’s heart skipped a beat – was her exhaustion that obvious? After a moment’s thought, she said, “Mom is indeed very tired from work, some things are troublesome, some things I don’t know how to handle, some things need constant attention, it is tiring. But after work, being able to practice writing, read stories, and build Lego with Ziyuan helps me not think about those things, it’s a form of rest for Mom. Otherwise, thinking about those troublesome things all the time would be tiring!”
“So, Mom, you’re happy when you see me, right?”
“Yes! These days have been especially busy, thanks to baby keeping mom company, mom can keep going.”
“Mom, you’re welcome, I don’t mind keeping you company more.”
Ning Yue laughed out loud. Hu Ziyuan snuggled into Ning Yue’s embrace. After what seemed like a long time, when Ning Yue thought Hu Ziyuan had fallen asleep, she suddenly heard him say: “Mom, don’t fight anymore. I’m scared!”
Ning Yue’s nose stung as she gently hugged her son, slowly patting him…
When conducting a targeted audit, finding specific results is easy. As Ning Yue arrived at the office with her child, Qin Can called her and Pan Jie to the conference room for a meeting. Zhong Tianming quickly ran to Ning Yue’s workstation, wanting to build Lego with Hu Ziyuan. Ning Yue gave him a grateful look, but he shook his head, indicating she needn’t worry.
Ning Yue then discovered that Pan Jie had already prepared a detailed list of contracts, organized by business partners and transaction relationships, creating a diagram of financial flows that clearly showed Director Chen’s income and expenditures over the years.
Though Ning Yue was very nearsighted, one glance was enough to tell that Pan Jie’s approach matched her own, and they had produced identical work.
Pan Jie moved her laser pointer, circling “Qiancheng Investment” in red: “I confirmed yesterday that Qiancheng Investment’s legal representative is Sun Yuexia. However, her ID number is very similar to Tian Qiuzi’s. So I found Tian Qiuzi’s online job resume, and the earliest home address matches Sun Yuexia’s. To further confirm, I went to Sun Yuexia’s residence. I confirmed that Sun Yuexia is Tian Qiuzi’s mother.”
“How did you confirm it?” Qin Can suddenly ask.
Pan Jie smiled: “I asked a delivery man to help me. With the package I gave him, he required Tian Qiuzi’s signature. Sun Yuexia opened the door and said her daughter didn’t live there. So I just brought the package back.”
As Ning Yue listened to them talk, her thoughts drifted elsewhere: perhaps she had been targeting the wrong person. Old Chen’s fate and Tian Qiuzi’s comings and goings might mean nothing to Hu Cheng. So who should she focus on?
A beautiful yet somewhat weathered face appeared in her mind, and Ning Yue’s heart went cold as a husky, magnetic voice echoed in her ears: “I won’t interfere in your marriage. I’m just a memory of Hu Cheng, I’m very clear about that… If you can accept me, it means you can accept Hu Cheng’s past, and he’ll be grateful to you. Moreover, I understand Hu Cheng and his parents’ character better than you do, I don’t want to get involved in their family affairs.”
When Tian Qiuzi provoked this woman, Hu Cheng began to despise Tian Qiuzi. What did this mean?
Hu Cheng had placed his hopes for the family’s or clan’s future on Hu Ziyuan. He focused his present life on himself. So what about “her”? The past. There had to be someone, a person from the past, to witness his current glory and future brilliance. Otherwise, for someone like Hu Cheng who cared about others’ opinions, his hard work would be like wearing brocade in the dark!
Ruan Meiying lived in Hu Cheng’s memories, and no matter how she aged, she remained frozen in Hu Cheng’s youth. As long as she quietly gazed upon his success, offering appropriate praise and humble compliance, she would never be abandoned by Hu Cheng.
Women came and went in Hu Cheng’s life, but only Ruan Meiying remained unmoved.
Ning Yue’s heart sank slightly. If there was one woman in this marriage who could arouse Ning Yue’s resentment and jealousy, it could only be Ruan Meiying.
“Lawyer Ning, what’s your opinion?” Pan Jie’s stern voice broke through Ning Yue’s reverie. Ning Yue looked at everyone blankly, apologetically nodding, “I’m sorry, what was the question?”
Pan Jie snorted but repeated: “Although it’s obvious that someone in the Procurement Center has irregular financial dealings with Qiancheng Investment, we still lack direct evidence. They’ve had a cooperation relationship for five years, and the financial transactions look normal, just a bit frequent, but we can’t say there’s anything wrong with their cooperation. The Finance Department started investigating Qiancheng yesterday but still has no conclusions today. Given their professional level, they should work faster than us, so this can only mean one thing – they also don’t have evidence.”
Qin Can say: “So if we find evidence before Luo Yating and her team, we can get out of this passive position.” After speaking, Qin Can looked at Ning Yue.
Ning Yue nodded: “All right, I understand. I’ll go take another look soon, see if I can find anything new.”
Qin Can didn’t say anything, but Pan Jie suddenly threw her pen onto the table with a loud bang.
Sure enough, after the meeting, Pan Jie cornered Ning Yue in the break room while she was preparing milk for Hu Ziyuan.
“Why won’t you share what you have?” Pan Jie demanded aggressively.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Stop pretending! Everyone knows you reported Director Chen! You must have more than just that!”
Ning Yue paused, looking at Pan Jie: “I won’t say you need evidence to make such accusations against me. Based on what you just said, if something happened to me, how would you clear yourself?”
Pan Jie was stunned, looking at Ning Yue with uncertain eyes. But when Ning Yue tried to leave, Pan Jie blocked her path, persisting: “We will protect you!”
Ning Yue laughed mockingly, “Really? If it weren’t for Director Qin, I probably wouldn’t be standing here right now, would I?” Seeing Pan Jie’s face alternating between red and white, Ning Yue knew she had gone too far. Her emotions had been too complex lately, and many were beyond her control. Taking a deep breath, she said helplessly: “I don’t have anything.”
Pan Jie didn’t believe her: “You’ve seen the files, seventy percent of those related transactions were signed by Director Qin.”
“That’s because he became director three years ago,” Ning Yue looked at Pan Jie, “The relationship with Qiancheng was established five years ago.”
Pan Jie examined Ning Yue carefully: “But he still had to sign, and signing means taking responsibility.”
Ning Yue said seriously: “For normal business contracts, what responsibility does the signer need to take?”
Pan Jie’s eyes lit up as she looked Ning Yue up and down: “Are you saying there’s nothing wrong with the contracts? But if the contracts are fine, how did they… What exactly do you mean?”
Ning Yue shook her head, “Nothing! Just telling the truth. If problems could be found in the contracts, it would be too obvious. You’re underestimating Tian Qiuzi’s intelligence. She may have loved the wrong person, but she’s not stupid.” Looking at Hu Ziyuan outside, she decided to share her speculation with Pan Jie, “Qiancheng Investment is an investment company. I suspect she received money in the form of investment returns and then transferred it to Hu Cheng as returns. Old Chen’s money wouldn’t go to Tian Qiuzi first either. If you check previously canceled companies, you might find some clues, though I don’t have that ability. However, Old Chen isn’t deeply in love with Tian Qiuzi – they must have something in writing about how to use, profit from, and distribute this money. If we can find this document, all problems will be solved.”
“But Old Chen would surely keep such a document safe…” Pan Jie pondered thoughtfully.
“Right. If I could find it, it would make certain people desperate and bring trouble upon themselves. So, these are all just my speculations, and I won’t touch or look for such evidence.” This was also why she refused to provide more evidence to Mu Xiao. After speaking, Ning Yue nodded apologetically to Pan Jie, walked past her, and brought the milk bottle to her son. Hu Ziyuan was still arguing with Zhong Tianming as they tried to transform Captain America into a lunar rover.
Pan Jie reported Ning Yue’s words to Qin Can, who thought for a moment, “Ning Yue is right, Old Chen would keep such critical documents secure. However, if we apply enough pressure, would Tian Qiuzi return the money to him? Then we’d have a trail to follow.”
Pan Jie hesitated: “Just wait?”
“No, investigate. While Luo focuses internally, we’ll go talk to some suppliers!”
These storms had already exceeded Ning Yue’s control. She remembered when she first met Hu Cheng, there was a similar incident. She had been very afraid then, and it was Hu Cheng who gradually taught her what to do, how to respond, how to think, and when she felt merciful, it was Hu Cheng who taught her that mercy toward incompetent teammates was cruelty to oneself. Even if Pan Jie didn’t understand, Qin Can should know where the focus should be.
What did it matter to Qin Can whether Director Chen was corrupt? The key should be whether the evidence Luo Yating had was disadvantageous to him!
However, Ning Yue thought to herself, given Qin Can’s personality, he would get involved even if it didn’t concern him. Besides, he was already in the middle of it! He would certainly play it to the fullest!
At noon, Ning Yue received a call from Hu Cheng. He said, “Give up! Your little tricks aren’t even enough to amuse me. Come home, I’ll forget everything.”
Ning Yue said, “I’ll wait for you until three o’clock.”
At three o’clock, when Mu Xiao received Ning Yue’s call, she and Nie Congfeng were in the filing hall. After hanging up, Nie Congfeng looked at Mu Xiao: “Looks like it didn’t work?”
Mu Xiao said nothing and walked straight to the window.
Everything went smoothly.
“Now we just wait for notification,” Nie Congfeng said while putting away the receipt. But Mu Xiao paused, turned around, and asked how the investigation into Hu Cheng’s investments was going.
Nie Congfeng scratched his head: “Not good. According to the information Ning Yue provided, Hu Cheng directly or indirectly controls seven companies, including those that have been deregistered. These companies mainly include Yaofeng Technology, Mingdu Catering, Licheng Anping, and Chengping Baoshi, plus two houses purchased under his parents’ names. Yaofeng Technology is a startup company founded by Hu Cheng, currently has received an angel round financing, business is good but mainly burning money with no profits on paper. Mingdu Catering’s operator is Ruan Meiying, Hu Cheng’s middle school classmate. Currently, mainly for the convenience of Ruan Meiying’s daughter’s schooling, they’re renting Hu Cheng’s parents’ house, and Ruan Meiying’s restaurant and office space are renting property owned by Chengping Baoshi. Ruan Meiying owns a house in the city center where she lives. Licheng Anping mainly does agency work, business is mediocre with slight losses, and has some business dealings with the group’s sales center. Chengping Baoshi is more complex, controlled by an overseas company that might be Hu Cheng’s BVI company. Yaofeng and Mingdu have financial dealings with this company. Main businesses include stocks, funds, and real estate investment, plus controlling stakes in some enterprises. Business is average, investments are breaking even. From the books, all companies directly invested in or controlled by Hu Cheng are in a loss state. Including his current Yaofeng Technology.”
“What about Ruan Meiying’s side?”
“Ruan Meiying is Hu Cheng’s middle school classmate and longtime neighbor. Hu Cheng’s parents know her too, so renting to an acquaintance isn’t strange. What’s strange is the rent is much higher than the area average.”
“This way part of Mingdu’s money can flow back as rent.”
“Yes! If only Hu Cheng wasn’t living at Ruan Meiying’s place every day!”
“Any evidence?”
“I have surveillance footage from outside Ruan Meiying’s door showing Hu Cheng’s entry and exit times,” Nie Congfeng scratched his head, “Though sometimes he stays at that apartment in the city center too.”
“Have you traced Mingdu Catering’s funding sources?”
“It’s been eight years, money’s been laundered several times. Takes some effort but can be traced. The initial investment was 2 million when Ruan Meiying was worried about her child’s tuition. The day after a class reunion, the child’s tuition was solved and she started preparing to open this restaurant. I found the original investment documents, Hu Cheng invested under Licheng Anping’s name. Now Ruan Meiying is the main investor, Hu Cheng isn’t anymore. But Mingdu’s business condition is average, reporting very little tax. I’ve been to the store, business is good, and a rough calculation shows considerable unreported cash income.”
“Same technique as Yaofeng.” Mu Xiao said while driving, “The money should be in Chengping Baoshi, but there’s a foreign company blocking the investigation.”
“Good thing Ning Yue just wants the house, her property demand is only a one-time child support payment,” Nie Congfeng said, “We just need to calculate higher child support.” He turned to look vigilantly at Mu Xiao, “This could turn criminal if mishandled, you won’t be that stupid, right?”
Mu Xiao rolled her eyes at him!
When Mu Xiao rushed back to the office, Ning Yue was already waiting. Seeing Ning Yue, Mu Xiao was startled: “What happened to you?”
Ning Yue looked at her scraped spots and shook her head: “My bag was snatched.”
“Are you okay? Did you report it?”
Ning Yue shook her head, smiling with a hint of oddness: “No need. It’s good it was taken.”
As Mu Xiao went to get first aid supplies, Ning Yue looked out the window: By now, Hu Cheng should have her bag, right? When he discovers it contains just a pack of blank A4 paper, would he be excited?
Ning Yue pulled out the necklace hanging around her neck, and Mu Xiao noticed it had a somewhat elaborate jeweled pendant. Ning Yue gently pulled it apart – the pendant was a USB drive. The necklace was delicate and thin, usually hidden under clothing, no one would have thought it contained anything!
Browsing through the USB drive’s contents, Mu Xiao frowned and asked: “There’s nothing about Director Chen in here?”
“I never intended to dig too deep into Director Chen’s matter. This kind of relationship several people removed wouldn’t gain Hu Cheng’s trust anyway.” Ning Yue explained, pointing to a name in the spreadsheet, “This person is from the tax bureau. These are his border crossing records. These are photocopies of boat tickets and purchase records.”
“Gambling?”
“Or money laundering,” Ning Yue said expressionlessly, “A considerable portion of Hu Cheng’s money gets cleaned on international waters. These are his accounts in Hong Kong and Macau.”
Mu Xiao looked carefully and nodded: “I understand. Who is this Wang Mingcheng?”
“From our company’s procurement center,” Ning Yue smiled coldly, “Licheng Anping is our company’s agent. To meet performance targets, Wang Mingcheng lets agents bulk purchase equipment to inflate numbers but gives very lenient payment terms under the company’s name. For agents, they can either sell or return, it’s pure profit.”
“How does this benefit Hu Cheng?”
“He usually doesn’t return them and sets a very high-cost price. When reselling, it’s basically at a loss or break-even.”
Mu Xiao thought for a moment: “So, his money…”
Ning Yue nodded.
After reading for a while, Mu Xiao suddenly looked up at Ning Yue: “You know who snatched your bag, don’t you?”
Ning Yue remained silent.
Mu Xiao said: “Where are the originals of these documents?”
“I called for delivery this morning, they should be among the courier packages at your company’s entrance. The recipient is Director Wang from your company who was sick yesterday, the sender is our company’s standard printing.”
Mu Xiao quickly had someone look for packages marked with Ning Yue’s company name, and indeed found two packages. Feeling them, she couldn’t tell what was inside. Mu Xiao took a utility knife to open them, finding various documents categorically arranged in foam packaging. There were originals, copies, and notarized documents, some even yellowed with age…
Mu Xiao’s hand swept over the yellowed pages, looking up at Ning Yue in surprise. Ning Yue smiled bitterly and said: “Back then I hadn’t decided to divorce, just felt uneasy. With a child, I couldn’t do much, could only collect some seemingly useful information. I never knew our family’s financial situation, using only a supplementary card that didn’t require repayment. When Hu Cheng talked about income, he always frowned and said business was hard, barely making ends meet each month. I believed it at first, after all, I didn’t earn much before either. But once, the credit card center called my mobile for repayment, and after Hu Cheng found out, he complained to them behind my back. I became suspicious then and discovered he had changed my contact number to his mother’s.”
Mu Xiao sighed, reached out, and patted Ning Yue’s shoulder, indicating she understood, no words were needed.
Ning Yue shook her head helplessly and breathed a sigh of relief.
Mu Xiao had seen many such cases. Since then, Ning Yue had lost her sense of security, feeling isolated, subconsciously realizing she was being guarded against by her husband. Fortunately, she instinctively did the only right thing she could at the time – preserve evidence.
Later, Hu Cheng might have become more experienced, using various methods to transfer funds, but in the initial stages, there weren’t so many, even quite straightforward. Ning Yue’s most direct evidence was from this period. Later ones were more indirect supporting materials. However, this was enough to prove that Hu Cheng wasn’t penniless and debt-ridden as he claimed.
Seeing Ning Yue still looking worried, Mu Xiao comforted her: “It’s okay, even if property division is completed during a divorce. If new evidence of marital property transfer is discovered after divorce, you can still apply to the court.”
Ning Yue was stunned: “I didn’t know that.”
“It’s new,” Mu Xiao smiled.
Ning Yue shook her head: “I’m getting old.”
They smiled at each other, the atmosphere lightening slightly.
“Mom, I’m hungry.” Hu Ziyuan pushed open the door, looking expectantly at Ning Yue. He had been playing hide-and-seek with Nie Congfeng outside and was sweating.
“Thank you,” Ning Yue looked at her child and suddenly bowed to Mu Xiao. Mu Xiao was startled, then saw Nie Congfeng’s grinning face poking out behind Hu Ziyuan and understood Ning Yue’s meaning. Seeing her red eyes, Mu Xiao couldn’t help feeling touched.
When leaving, Mu Xiao had Little Lu drive the mother and son home. Ning Yue didn’t refuse. Although she had been mentally prepared for Hu Cheng’s interception, when her bag was suddenly yanked away and disappeared with the roar of a motorcycle, causing her to stumble and fall, seeing her son kneeling beside her crying in fear, she suddenly realized what a dangerous thing this was!
At that moment, she had truly been terrified!
Leaving the law firm, under Little Lu’s persuasion, Ning Yue, who had been hesitant about filing a police report, agreed to do so.
The police officers at the station already knew her. After completing the basic information entry, the young female officer asked what was in her bag. Ning Yue said it was originally evidence about her husband’s financial sources and transfers meant for her lawyer, but she had replaced it with a pack of A4 paper before leaving. The officer showed a look of understanding, but Ning Yue said no more. The officer spoke quietly with her colleague, then politely comforted Ning Yue before seeing her out.
Watching Ning Yue leave, the station chief came out from the inner room. The young female officer said, “It’s just a divorce, why make such a fuss?”
The female officer was still single, with uncomplicated views about marriage. In her opinion, staying together when compatible and separating when not was perfectly normal.
The old station chief took a sip of tea, looked at the female officer, and sighed: “You still need more experience! Take this woman – her husband’s affairs, domestic violence, transfer of assets, it’s been going on for years, yet she didn’t divorce. Why?”
“Why not divorce?” the female officer asked curiously, “Why not divorce such a terrible man!”
“She’s forty, with a child, and a housewife. That man is as clever as they come, his whole family is! If she can’t secure enough financial foundation through divorce, how would she support her child afterward, and she might not even get custody? Then all her sacrifices from half a lifetime, her whole life’s dedication, would be wasted. What meaning would life have? How could she divorce easily? You people casually talk about ‘divorce,’ asking why someone doesn’t divorce at the slightest problem. Let me tell you, suggesting divorce without understanding the situation is irresponsible! Their suffering always exceeds your imagination!”
The female officer stuck out her tongue and added, “But now she still wants to divorce.”
The chief said: “When it comes to money and children, some people will risk their lives.”
“Surely not?” If something serious happened, their bonuses would be in jeopardy.
“That’s why! Visit more, understand the situation better, maintain communication with Hu Cheng’s district, and stay informed of developments. Hopefully nothing goes wrong.” The chief turned to leave, suddenly paused, “Where does this Ning Yue live?”
The officer was startled: “Her registered address seems to be an office building.”
The chief nodded slowly, let out a long sigh, and left.
The female officer frowned, still puzzled: “So troublesome. What money! And a child, such a burden! If it were me, I wouldn’t want anything, just live my own life, that would be great!”
Standing below the company building, Ning Yue watched Little Lu leave and hailed a taxi. Just as she was about to give her home address, she glanced at the rearview mirror and instead gave the address of a shopping center.
“Mom will take you to play, okay?” Ning Yue told Hu Ziyuan.
Hu Ziyuan’s eyes lit up, but he snuggled into his mother’s embrace and said glumly: “No need. Mom took a big fall today and bad people stole your things, let’s go home and rest!”
Ning Yue stroked her son’s fluffy head, feeling that although the child still laughed and played recently, his eyes no longer held their previous innocence.
“Thank you, baby, for thinking of mom. But Mom thinks going to the amusement park to relax and then having something good to eat is also a nice way to rest. What do you think?”
Hu Ziyuan finally looked up, showing a satisfied smile.
In the end, it was Zhuo Hao who picked up the mother and son from the amusement park.
Recently, whenever Zhuo Hao had free time, he would go to Ning Yue’s place for dinner. Today he went and knocked but no one answered, only learning their whereabouts after calling.
In the car, Zhuo Hao also learned about Ning Yue’s stolen belongings. Angry, he wanted to investigate, but Ning Yue stopped him: “If you help me, no one will know. But if you investigate, people might notice you. Why risk the bigger picture for something small?”
Zhuo Hao was disgruntled, feeling unsatisfied, and had a long talk with Hu Ziyuan about how real men should build strength because they must protect those around them. Hu Ziyuan listened seriously, finally complaining bitterly about how Ning Yue hadn’t bought him that toy dumbbell at the mall.
Zhuo Hao said, who needs toys, uncle has the real thing. The smallest one you can lift, I’ll bring it to you, practice well, and beat up those who bully your mom.
Listening to their conversation, Ning Yue felt somewhat dazed, slowly swaying with the car’s rhythm, unconsciously drifting into a light sleep.
Hu Cheng stared at the pack of A4 carbon paper on the table, as if seeing Ning Yue sitting across from him, mockingly watching. But this time, his anger didn’t transform into violent aggression. Hu Cheng’s fingers caressed the new phone in his palm as he showed a thoughtful expression.
Qin Can indeed have some skills, starting with suppliers and finding a consulting contract. Following that trail, they had already caught Old Chen’s fox tail!
The phone rang, Hu Cheng glanced at the caller ID but didn’t hurry to answer. Instead, he watched the phone on the desk with an appreciative gaze, like a cat watching a mouse rolling in its paws, with a composed smugness. The screen went dark, and Hu Cheng patiently watched. Then the screen lit up again, the light reflecting in his pupils, sparkling, but he still didn’t answer. Finally, a WeChat message came asking him to call back when convenient.
He waited.
Now you’re the one asking me, not me asking you.
He would certainly help Director Chen, but it had to be on his terms. Not as Ning Yue demanded, nor as Tian Qiuzi hoped. Women were all foolish and narrow-minded. He would never allow himself to be led by the nose of women!
While Hu Cheng was plotting, his office door was suddenly slammed open, and his secretary struggled with Tian Qiuzi as they entered. Seeing Hu Cheng, the secretary tried anxiously to explain, but Hu Cheng waved her out.
“Hu Cheng, are you going to repay the money or not?” Tian Qiuzi tossed her hair, questioning aggressively. Without waiting for an answer, she continued: “Don’t tell me you don’t have money, I’ve asked the accountant!”
Hu Cheng lowered his eyelids, expressionlessly saying: “I don’t know what money you want me to repay. Did I ever borrow from you? If you’re referring to Qiancheng’s investment, we have agreements. What I received was investment returns, what do I owe you?”
“You’re playing dumb! That money was originally a loan from me! How can you deny it!” Tian Qiuzi didn’t back down, her beautiful almond eyes showing madness, “Hu Cheng, don’t push me too far! You included me and Director Chen to write off this money, but what about what follows? You think I don’t have connections in the investment world, that I can’t tell stories?”
Hu Cheng waved his hand, smiling, “Don’t rush! If you need money, I can give you some. But look, I don’t have any! Originally had over a million in the account, but just paid out 800,000.”
“What recent project needed so much payment?”
“Meal expenses! Employee meals, company dining, owed the restaurant money, had to pay them!”
Tian Qiuzi suddenly fell silent, her lips trembling slightly, eyes narrowing. After a long while, she finally forced out through gritted teeth: “You paid Mingdu?”
“Ah! Yes!”
“You gave it all to that slut Ruan Meiying!” Tian Qiuzi suddenly rushed over, violently shaking Hu Cheng, “You gave my money to that slut! I’ll fight you to the death!”
Hu Cheng impatiently pulled her off: “Enough! Someone come!”
The secretary had already brought security, waiting at the door. Hearing the call from inside, they immediately entered, dragging Tian Qiuzi out. This was probably treatment Tian Qiuzi had never experienced in her life: her shoes, necklace, and clothing buttons were left scattered in some unknown corner of Hu Cheng’s office. Her blouse hung out over her skirt. And the skirt’s buttons had been torn…
As Tian Qiuzi was being dragged away, she had completely lost control, crying and begging Hu Cheng to return the money, saying it wasn’t just Director Chen’s but also her entire life savings…
The secretary waited for Hu Cheng’s instructions, but he just waved his hand, saying nothing.
Ning Yue rubbed her eyes as she walked out of the room, the dim light in the living room still a bit strong for her. After adjusting, she discovered Zhuo Hao still sitting on the sofa watching TV.
“Hmm? What are you watching? Is it good?” Ning Yue said as she walked to the side to pour a glass of water, moistening her throat.
Zhuo Hao put down the remote, “Nothing special, just passing time. Hu Cheng has been looking everywhere for his son lately, even reaching out to me.”
Ning Yue lowered her head, straightening the cup: “What does he want to do?”
“I’m worried that if you stay in one fixed location, he’ll find you quickly.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Move to my parents’ place the day after tomorrow. There are elderly at home, they like children and can help watch him. Stay for a while and see.”
Ning Yue looked up seriously at Zhuo Hao, who slightly turned his head, averting his gaze. Ning Yue sighed: “I’m tired. Ziyuan has changed a lot, he’s so worried.”
“So are you planning to give up? Go back like Hu Cheng said!” Zhuo Hao suddenly asked excitedly.
Ning Yue shook her head: “How could I! I just wonder, how can such a man live so freely in this world! He’s not only unfaithful to his wife but also shows no loyalty to his lovers, he’s selfish and profit-driven, why does no one punish him? Why do I have to use all my strength just to fight for what I deserve, isn’t it mine? I don’t know what he did right to enjoy all this. I also don’t know what I did wrong to have to live like a mouse every day!”
“Ning Yue!” Zhuo Hao’s voice trembled as he instinctively reached out, pulling Ning Yue into his embrace, “Ale.” He softly called her childhood name, burying his head in her hair.
Ning Yue’s tears seeped into Zhuo Hao’s clothes as she tiredly collapsed in his embrace. At this moment, she didn’t want to scheme, didn’t want to worry, didn’t want to stay tense, she just wanted to lean for a while, just for a little while.
Ning Yue usually woke at 5:30 AM without an alarm. But today when she woke, it was already bright. Looking at the clock, it was 6:30.
Ning Yue propped herself up, discovering she was lying on the sofa! Then she remembered, last night she seemed to… well, she had cried until dizzy, then knew nothing after that!
Touching her face, it felt warm. There was movement from the room, and Ning Yue immediately composed herself, recovering her usual reactions and emotions as quickly as possible. Tiptoeing to the bedroom door, she found Hu Ziyuan still sleeping, having just turned over and mumbled in his sleep. Ning Yue patted him, and seeing he was deeply asleep again, went to the kitchen.
Zhuo Hao…
Ah, she must be getting old, offering herself and no one wants her! Cutting vegetables, Ning Yue couldn’t help thinking. The warmth in her face immediately turned burning hot, not from embarrassment, but from shame! Better stay away from men in the future, at least to preserve some dignity!
While Ning Yue silently summarized her lessons learned, she had no idea that in his office, Zhuo Hao, who hadn’t slept all night, was already deeply regretful: “Ah, what if I had stayed a bit longer? What if I had waited a bit more? Even if I had just said one more word, just to comfort her.” Zhuo Hao stared at the ceiling, remembering long ago, and remembering the moment he met Ning Yue again. However, what left the deepest impression was Ning Yue sitting across from him, calmly saying: “I want to divorce, help me!”
At that moment, housewife Ning Yue finally revealed the true face of problem girl Ale.
The long-hidden feelings could no longer be suppressed from then on.