Li Yueyao thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "By the way, I took a picture of the two of them back then. The photo is still at my place. I'll send it to you later."
Lin Chudong nodded. Although a single photograph might not reveal much, it could potentially provide some unexpected leads.
"Alright, that’s all I wanted to ask. You can go now."
Li Yueyao stood up and walked out, her face flushed with embarrassment. If it had just been the two of them, she certainly would have had the nerve to linger a while longer. But now, with Lin Chudong sitting in the seat of honor, she couldn’t bring herself to stay.
She never expected that after five years, Lin Chudong would be doing so much better than she had imagined. Thinking back on her own self-righteous attitude earlier, it was truly laughable. Lin Chudong wasn't interested in rekindling their past; he was purely trying to understand what happened five years ago.
Knowing that Lin Chudong’s status was extraordinary, a thought suddenly shifted in Li Yueyao’s mind.
Could it be that they... still had a chance?
He wasn’t married, she wasn’t married—surely they could pick up where they left off? Even if there had been some misunderstandings before, as long as she set her attitude right, she believed Lin Chudong would forgive her.
Walking out of the private room, she found the two leaders actually standing at the door smoking. She hurriedly greeted them. Unfortunately, both men ignored her and walked straight into the room.
They had previously thought Li Yueyao quite emotionally intelligent and clever, but now, she seemed like a frog in a well, utterly foolish. To fail to see the status of a big shot like Mr. Lin—with her limited vision, reaching this level was the absolute ceiling of her life.
Li Yueyao walked downstairs, feeling dejected, and arrived at Private Room No. 2. Just then, her phone rang; it was their CEO, Chen Tianfu.
Li Yueyao took a deep breath. She had another business engagement today and absolutely could not afford to mess it up again. She pushed open the door and hurried to instruct the waitstaff to prepare.
...
"It’s about time. Where the hell have you been?"
Seeing the WeChat message from Qin Wei, Lin Chudong gave a wry smile.
"Alright, I have things to take care of. You two keep drinking."
Liu Fugui and his companion stood up and saw Lin Chudong out. Being able to have a few drinks with Lin Chudong was already enough to leave them satisfied.
Lin Chudong walked out of Room No. 1 and headed downstairs. When he pushed open the door to his room, the table was already full. Qin Wei was sitting in the seat of honor, and the empty seat beside her was clearly reserved for him.
The moment Lin Chudong entered, everyone stood up. Li Yueyao was among them, her expression turning incredibly complex.
They had already been chatting with Qin Wei for a while and knew that she had brought her boyfriend today. Everyone was curious: what kind of man could win over a woman as exceptionally talented as Qin Wei? In other words, what kind of man was worthy of her?
Just as their curiosity peaked, Lin Chudong walked in. A sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in Li Yueyao’s heart.
"Everyone, apologies, I’m late."
With that, Lin Chudong walked toward Qin Wei. Her expression softened slightly, and as he reached her, she naturally reached out and linked her arm with his.
"Let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Lin Chudong."
They sat down, and the others followed suit. Lin Chudong took Qin Wei’s hand in his, looking very intimate. Everyone rushed to offer compliments, calling Lin Chudong a man of talent and appearance, and saying they were a perfect match. Only Li Yueyao, sitting in the corner, looked ghastly.
...
Liu Tao was furious that his younger brother had no sense of the situation; calling him "brother" in front of Qiu Shuhua and Li Chunyuan was just asking for trouble. He glared at his brother and hissed, "Cut the crap and get out of here!"
Scolded by his brother, Liu Yong realized what was happening and hurriedly stepped aside.
Seeing the police arrive, the workers who had been squatting on the ground stood up one after another. However, with the security guards still looming nearby, the workers were afraid to speak freely.
Li Chunyuan understood the situation best. Just moments ago, Qiu Shuhua had ordered Liu Tao to take control of the security guards, but Liu Tao had been stalling, pretending to comply while actually dragging his feet.
Wu Di had known Qiu Shuhua previously and had always looked down on him. He sneered, "Vice Town Mayor Qiu, I didn't expect you to show up here. This is an internal matter for our factory, and we should solve it ourselves. Is there really any need to involve both town leaders and the police station?"
Watching Wu Di’s arrogant and shameless display infuriated Li Chunyuan. He walked up to Wu Di, pointed a finger at his nose, and barked, "Wu Di, I’m warning you: don't think that just because you're Yang Lituo’s brother-in-law, you can throw your weight around. Don't forget that Yang Lituo is already behind bars, and even if he were still the town party secretary, if you dare to be this arrogant again, I’d still take you down."
Li Chunyuan’s intensity shocked the arrogant Wu Di, but he still refused to back down. "What? You think you can hit me? I’m warning you—you’re a town official now. If an official strikes someone, the consequences are very serious."
Liu Yong chimed in from the side, "That's right! He hit me earlier!"
Li Chunyuan sneered, "For trash like you, I'd find it beneath me to even dirty my hands." He wouldn't be impulsive and give them leverage.
Seeing Liu Tao still standing still, Li Chunyuan said, "Director Liu, Secretary Qiu has already given the order to secure these guards. Isn't it time to act?"
Liu Tao might not fear Qiu Shuhua, but he was wary of Li Chunyuan. He had heard that during the town party committee meeting, Li Chunyuan had put the Party Secretary on speakerphone in front of everyone, proving their relationship was extraordinary.
Liu Tao had no choice but to order all the guards present to be taken away. But Li Chunyuan added, "Director Liu, Wu Di is the mastermind behind this incident. He must be taken into custody as well."
Wu Di glared at Li Chunyuan and roared, "You dare?"
Liu Tao looked troubled. "Vice Mayor Li, Wu Di is a factory leader after all. Give me a little face, let’s just let it go."
Li Chunyuan immediately snapped back, "What kind of face? Wu Di led people to set up a private kangaroo court—this is suspected criminal activity. As the police station chief, can you afford to let him off easily? Can you shoulder that responsibility?"
Hearing this, Liu Tao didn't dare to object further. He said helplessly, "Factory Manager Wu, please come with me." As he spoke, he gave Wu Di a look. Wu Di glared at Li Chunyuan, let out a defiant scoff, and was led away by an officer.
Li Chunyuan arranged for Zou Kai and Tian Zheng to take the injured Cao Fulong and the others to the town hospital, instructing Liu Tao to have his officers follow to take statements.
Liu Tao’s performance had infuriated both Qiu Shuhua and Li Chunyuan. As a police chief, he acted as if he didn't know how to handle a case unless pushed.
At this point, only Qiu Shuhua, Li Chunyuan, Wang Chang, and the uninjured workers remained in the workshop.
Li Chunyuan said, "Workers, this is Secretary Qiu of our town government. Please tell us what happened today. We will ensure justice is served."
But the workers remained silent, looking toward Wang Chang. It was clear they no longer trusted him either.
Li Chunyuan turned to Wang Chang and said, "Factory Manager Wang, please excuse yourself for a moment." Wang Chang immediately turned and walked out.
Only then did the workers start to speak. It turned out that shortly after 1:00 p.m., after Li Chunyuan had left the textile factory, Wu Di and Liu Yong had brought a large group of security guards into the workshop. They had spent hours interrogating, threatening, and intimidating the workers, treating them as less than human.
Finally, Cao Fulong had stepped forward, admitting he was the one who provided the information to Vice Mayor Li. Several other workers followed suit, hoping to spare their colleagues, but Wu Di and Liu Yong had continued to beat them for nearly two hours. If that female worker hadn't hidden in the bathroom to call Li Chunyuan, there was no telling how much worse it would have escalated.
Li Chunyuan told the workers to leave the factory immediately and not to return to work until further notice. Seeing them depart, Li Chunyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Tao hadn't taken Wu Di, Liu Yong, or the guards back to the police station, but had instead gathered them in the factory’s main conference room.
Li Chunyuan and Qiu Shuhua held an emergency consultation. Li Chunyuan said, "Secretary Qiu, we must take Wu Di down completely this time, or the textile factory's restructuring will be impossible."
Qiu Shuhua replied, "This is indeed the best opportunity. But it's difficult if Liu Tao doesn't cooperate. He’s the police chief, after all, and with his brother involved, he'll do everything to exonerate them."
Li Chunyuan pondered for a moment. "Relying on Liu Tao to take down Wu Di is impossible. It seems we must seek help from the County Public Security Bureau."
"Chunyuan, what do you plan to do?"
"While I was hospitalized, County Party Committee Deputy Secretary Lu Zhidong visited me several times, usually accompanied by the County Public Security Bureau Chief, Kong Min. This shows their relationship is close."
Qiu Shuhua said, "Chief Kong and Deputy Secretary Lu are indeed close. Why don’t we report this to Secretary Tong? I’m sure he would have Deputy Secretary Lu step in."
Li Chunyuan shook his head. "We can't just trouble Secretary Tong for everything; that would make us look incompetent. I feel it's better if you contact Deputy Secretary Lu directly, since you are the acting Party Secretary. I will go to the hospital to get statements from Cao Fulong and the others. I’ll aim to have Wu Di and Liu Yong detained by tonight."
"Alright, your approach is correct. But what if Deputy Secretary Lu refuses to help?"
"If he refuses, we'll go to Secretary Tong. But I believe Deputy Secretary Lu will help. Not only is it within his jurisdiction, but more importantly, he’s currently eager to prove himself—both to get closer to Secretary Tong and to increase his weight within the county leadership."
...
"Weiwei, if you aren't going to eat, I won't stand on ceremony."
Lin Chudong picked up his chopsticks and slurped down the noodles. The bowl of hot soup noodles was simple—just a fried egg, greens, and tomatoes—but it looked delicious. Before long, he had finished the entire bowl.
Lin Chudong wiped his mouth and said, "Weiwei, go ahead and eat. I’m going to sleep."
Seeing Lin Chudong walk away, Qin Wei gnashed her teeth in anger. *What a jerk! He’ll never find a girlfriend!* There were two people in the house, he made only one bowl of noodles, and then he ate it himself? What was he thinking?
Qin Wei chewed on dry biscuits and drank cold milk, feeling a wave of loneliness and injustice. Sometimes she felt it was quite pathetic; she appeared imposing at the office, but at home, there wasn't a single person to share any warmth. She had never been in love, but she longed for that kind of sweetness. Perhaps it was her personality; maybe she wasn't meant to have love in this life.
After a few bites, her stomach didn't feel any better, so she tossed the biscuits aside and headed upstairs, feeling dejected. She pushed open her bedroom door, exhausted, just wanting to collapse onto her bed.
As she entered, the scent of tomatoes hit her. She turned on the light and froze. On her nightstand sat a bowl of steaming noodles, identical to the one Lin Chudong had eaten.
*When did he drop this off?* She had been working in the study and hadn't been in the bedroom. Had he delivered it as soon as he finished his?
*So that’s why he was teasing me earlier—he was doing it on purpose!*
Qin Wei felt a mix of anger and amusement. He could have just told her! He must be feeling smug in his room right now. *That rotten man!*
She sat on the edge of the bed and started eating hungrily. She had been craving it all night, and now that she tasted it, it was truly heavenly. After a few bites, the warmth spread from her stomach to her heart.
*This guy isn't completely useless after all,* she thought. *He acts like a slouch, but he’s actually quite considerate.*
If she were to actually be with him...
Qin Wei shook her head, trying to banish the thought. *What are you thinking? Being bought off by a bowl of noodles?*
...
The next morning, Lin Chudong went to the kitchen and saw the bowl from last night—it was empty, not even a drop of soup left. It seemed she had polished it off. However, beside the bowl, someone had used cilantro sprigs to spell out four characters: "NO CILANTRO."
Lin Chudong laughed. *This woman is truly interesting, taking the time to pick out the cilantro and spell something out.*
He pulled out his phone and replied: "Understood. No cilantro next time."
He tidied up and prepared to leave for work. Qin Wei had left too early to wake him, so it looked like he’d be taking the bus again.
*Ding-dong.*
Qin Wei replied: "The keys are in the drawer by the door. Take one of the cars in the garage. Don't take the bus; I can't afford that kind of embarrassment."
Lin Chudong opened the drawer and found the car keys. A smile tugged at his lips. *This woman has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.*
*A bowl of noodles for a car? Maybe I should make a candlelight dinner tonight and try to win her over completely?*
...
He drove to the company, intending to hang out in the security office, but Chen Jiayu walked down and said, "Mr. Lin, President Qin wants you upstairs for the board meeting."
Lin Chudong was taken aback. Why call him to a board meeting? He was technically an outsider, or at best, Qin Wei's driver. He spent his days in the security office; what right did he have to attend a board meeting?
He didn't know what was going on in Qin Wei’s mind, but since she had asked, he followed Chen Jiayu into the elevator.
As soon as they stepped inside, Lin Chudong’s hands began to wander. He turned and backed Chen Jiayu into a corner.
She reacted quickly. With only the two of them in the elevator, she covered her mouth with her hand. This jerk had said he’d kiss her every time he saw her. With no one around, she had to be prepared.
Lin Chudong moved swiftly and leaned in to kiss her, but unfortunately, he only landed on the back of her hand.
"Oh ho, quick reflexes!"
Chen Jiayu kept her hands over her mouth. "Don't get too arrogant, or I’ll tell President Qin!"
Lin Chudong wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body against his, his forehead resting against hers. Even without a kiss, their bodies were pressed together, and with only her hand separating their lips, the atmosphere was incredibly intimate.
"Tell me, what is your true intent in staying by her side?"
Chen Jiayu replied, "You don't ask me, and I won't ask you. Let's just stay out of each other's way!"
Lin Chudong’s mouth curled into a playful smirk. "You're a killer; do you really think you’re in a position to negotiate with me?"
As he spoke, his hand moved slowly up her waist. Chen Jiayu’s figure was truly something—curvaceous and perfect. The jerk was getting bolder, touching her like this even in the office. If President Qin saw this, she’d make him pay!
*Ding-dong.*
The elevator chime sounded. Lin Chudong quickly let her go. Chen Jiayu looked down and saw her clothes had been ruffled by him. She quickly tugged at her hem, trying to smooth everything out, terrified that someone would notice.
Seeing Lin Chudong walk out, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. *This won't do. It’s starting to feel like an affair. I need to find a way to threaten him—I can't let him be this reckless. Last time it was a kiss, this time he’s touching me... next time, is he going to try to get me into bed?*
...
He walked into the conference room. Dozens of people were seated around a table. Seeing him enter, Qin Wei nodded, signaling for him to take a seat. Perhaps because of the noodles last night, there was a hint of tenderness in her eyes as she looked at him.
Lin Chudong sat down beside her.
"Alright, the board meeting is now in session. The focus today is the acquisition of two companies. E-commerce is the trend; instead of relying on other platforms, it’s better for us to acquire our own. We have two options in front of us: Hongtu and Chuangke. I am leaning toward Hongtu. What do you all think?"
A middle-aged man spoke up. "President Qin, we’ve discussed this more than once. I’ve told you about the problems with Hongtu—they have a lot of baggage. They are currently being targeted by a man called Lord Hu Ba. If we acquire them, we’ll be inheriting a mess. I lean toward acquiring Chuangke. What does everyone else think?"