96: Chapter 96 Zhao Tai was almost taken away

A cold sneer curled the corners of Lin Yu's mouth: "Hmph! Is running away really that simple?"

"As the Legal Director, Miss Jiang has been dealing with the company's backlog of contract breach disputes over the past few days." Leng Yue paused, then added, "She didn't panic; instead, she used this opportunity to comb through all the company's previous non-compliant project contracts, issued letters demanding rectification, and is upholding the bottom line of the legal department."

"Hmm." A flash of admiration crossed Lin Yu's eyes. "She is a smart person who knows what should be managed and what shouldn't."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu glanced at the time.

He picked up his phone and sent Jiang Shuying a WeChat message:

"What do you want to eat for lunch? I'll come pick you up."

...

Jiang Shuying stepped along in her high heels, wearing a khaki professional suit that was tailored to fit, outlining her slender yet upright figure. Her long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, revealing her long, fair neck. Her face was made up with delicate, light makeup that hid the fatigue in her eyes. She poured a cup of coffee and sat back down behind her desk.

These past few days, Yayun Culture had been a complete mess.

The Financial Director had run off, leaving behind a pile of bad debts, and the Tax Bureau had moved in to audit the accounts, leaving everyone in a state of panic. Although that madman Zhao Tai had been suspended, he was still hiding in his office issuing orders, roaring in rage at the slightest provocation.

She had long been completely disappointed with this company. Zhao Tai's previous harassment disgusted her, and those shady businesses of the Zhao family made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles. If it weren't for the fact that her contract hadn't expired yet and some inner concerns, she would have resigned long ago.

Now that the company was in complete chaos, she was actually glad for the peace and quiet.

She was the Legal Director, not a savior. What did the financial mess have to do with her? She was only responsible for completing the compliance reviews that the legal department was supposed to do; as for whether the company lived or died, that was the Zhao family's business.

"Buzz—"

Her phone vibrated once in her bag.

Jiang Shuying paused as she was opening the car door, took out her phone, and saw the familiar name on the screen—Lin Yu.

"What do you want to eat for lunch? I'll come pick you up."

Looking at this line of text, the corners of Jiang Shuying's tense mouth lifted into an extremely slight arc.

She had been running around busily for the past few days, barely grabbing a bite to eat. Lin Yu had been away at that Confucian Entrepreneur Conference for three days, and she assumed that after the rich second-generation heir finished his business, he would have been entangled by some young lady from a prestigious family.

She hadn't expected him to be back.

And at the very moment when she was most distressed.

She replied quickly and concisely: "The usual place, that Cantonese restaurant. Twelve-thirty."

After sending the message, she put her phone back into her bag.

...

Twelve twenty-five.

In the IFC parking lot, Lin Yu parked his car not far from the elevator.

He pushed the door open and got out.

Today, he was wearing a sky-blue silk shirt with the collar slightly open and the cuffs casually rolled up, revealing his sturdy forearms. The midday sun shone down through the skylights of the garage roof, casting light on him and outlining his figure, which was as straight as a pine tree.

The elevator door opened, and as soon as Jiang Shuying stepped out, she saw this scene.

The light was bright, without any dim obstruction. Lin Yu stood there with his aura fully unleashed, forming a sharp contrast with the cold concrete pillars around him.

"Please, get in." Lin Yu looked at her and smiled slightly. His gaze lingered on her slightly pale face for a second, then he naturally pulled open the passenger door, placing his hand over the top frame.

"Thank you." Jiang Shuying returned the smile and sat in the car.

The car was filled with a faint scent of agarwood, the unique smell of the hanging ornament, which made one feel inexplicably at ease.

"Are you tired?" Lin Yu fastened his seatbelt, turned his head to look at her, and reached out to adjust the car's air conditioning vent upwards to avoid blowing directly at her.

"It's okay." Jiang Shuying adjusted her seat, her tone calm. "I'm used to it."

Lin Yu didn't ask any more questions, started the car, and drove steadily out of the underground garage.

"Over at the company..." As the car merged into traffic, Lin Yu asked seemingly casually, "Are they still giving you trouble?"

"No." Jiang Shuying watched the streetscape flying by outside the window, her tone indifferent. "He's too busy to look after himself. The Financial Director ran off, the Tax Bureau is auditing the accounts, and I heard there's a scandal over at Xingyao Media too. He's probably busy putting out fires right now and has no time to harass me."

Speaking of this, she paused and turned to look at Lin Yu: "However, I'm glad for the peace and quiet. The legal department's work is always heavy, and I've just happened to use these past few days to clear through all the backlogged contracts."

A playful smile curled the corners of Lin Yu's mouth.

Jiang Shuying was just the type of person who was clear-headed, had a bottom line, and wasn't a saint.

"You did the right thing." Lin Yu nodded, his eyes showing a touch of admiration. "Work is for the sake of life; if you punish yourself for someone else's mistakes, that's putting the cart before the horse."

Jiang Shuying was stunned for a moment, then nodded gently: "Yeah, that's how I thought about it."

...

At twelve-forty, the two arrived at the private Cantonese restaurant tucked away in the old town.

Lin Yu took her into a private room.

The dishes ordered were simple but exquisite: Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, Black Pepper Beef Short Ribs, Vegetable Hearts in Superior Soup, and a bowl of daily soup.

Jiang Shuying was indeed hungry.

She usually followed the rule of "not talking while eating," but in front of Lin Yu, she relaxed unconsciously. She picked up a shrimp dumpling and took a bite; the delicious soup burst in her mouth, dispelling the tension of the past few days.

"Eat slowly." Lin Yu poured her a cup of Pu'er tea, his eyes gentle. "No one is going to snatch it from you."

Jiang Shuying's cheeks flushed slightly. She put down her chopsticks and picked up the tea cup to take a sip: "I haven't been eating properly these past few days; I've let you see me make a fool of myself."

"This is called being real." Lin Yu smiled, picked up the serving chopsticks, and placed a piece of beef short rib in her bowl. "Eat more. Only when you're full will your body be less likely to have problems."

Jiang Shuying looked at the tender piece of beef short rib in her bowl, and a warm current surged in her heart.

She looked up at the man across from her.

His movements were calm, as if everything in this world was under his control.

"Lin Yu." She suddenly called his full name.

"Hmm?" Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you." Jiang Shuying looked him straight in the eyes earnestly. "If it weren't for you... I might really not have been able to hold on."

Lin Yu put down his chopsticks, pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, leaned forward slightly, and stared at her with burning eyes: "Shuying, I said it before: as long as I am here, this is your safe zone."

His voice was low and magnetic, carrying an irresistible power.

Jiang Shuying's heart skipped a beat.

She lowered her head, looked at the beef short rib in her bowl, and said softly: "I believe you."

Outside the window, cicadas chirped in waves, and sunlight spilled onto the windowsill through the gaps in the leaves, mottled and dappled.

Inside the room, the scent of tea curled in the air. The two sat across from each other; although there weren't many words, they were cultivating a different kind of tacit understanding.

...

Two o'clock in the afternoon, downstairs at the Xingyao Media building in Quan City.

The scorching midday sun baked the earth. The plaza at the entrance of the building was empty, save for the cicadas screaming hoarsely in the trees.

A black domestic car with a standard license plate was parked at the exit of the underground garage. The doors were tightly closed, the windows opened only a crack, and the interior of the car was filled with a suffocating, muggy heat and the smell of sweat.

In the back seat, Zhao Tai's hands were locked behind his back with cold handcuffs, and he looked as if he had just been fished out of the water. His face was as pale as paper, his eyes were unfocused, and his lips were trembling uncontrollably.

"Liu... Captain Liu... Can you make an exception..." Zhao Tai's voice trembled, filled with a crying tone. "I am Zhao Tai of the Zhao Group... My mother is General Manager Hu... My grandfather is Governor Zhao Liguo..."

Captain Lao Liu of the Economic Crime Investigation Detachment, who was sitting next to him, glanced at him coldly, toying with the evidence seized from Zhao Tai's office in his hands.

"Zhao Tai, you're still mentioning your grandfather at this point? With the evidence seized from your office just now, along with the identifications from those female artists, isn't any single one of them enough for you to spend ten or eight years inside?" Lao Liu's voice carried a professional indifference. "Don't say it's Governor Zhao Liguo; even if the King of Heaven himself came, he would still have to abide by the law."

"That was Vice President Wu Liang's doing! It has nothing to do with me! I was framed!" Zhao Tai roared, his voice sharp and grating, echoing in the cramped carriage. "Captain Liu, if you let me go, I'll have my mother send you five million... no, ten million!"

Lao Liu sneered and ignored him further. He had seen too many rich second-generation heirs like this; usually arrogant and domineering, but once they entered the station, they were more cowardly than anyone else, opening their mouths only to talk about money and power.

"Drive." Lao Liu instructed the police officer in the driver's seat.

The car started slowly, drove out of the underground garage, and reached the surface.

Just as the car was about to merge slowly into the main road, it braked sharply.

All five people in the car were shaken. Lao Liu frowned and looked through the windshield.

He saw a black Audi A6 with a provincial committee pass (Lu O · A000X) blocking the way. The car body was pitch black and polished, exuding a sense of oppressive authority even without anger under the sunlight.

The door opened, and a middle-aged man in a white shirt stepped out. His face was stern, a party badge was pinned to his chest, and he was holding a red folder.

The police officer in the driver's seat was about to get out and yell, but upon seeing the car's license plate and the man's face, he swallowed the words that were on his lips. His face turned deathly pale in an instant, and he hurriedly pushed the door open, got out, stood at attention, and saluted: "Wei... Secretary Wei? Why are you here?"

The person who arrived was none other than Wei Ming, the secretary to Governor Zhao Liguo.

Wei Ming ignored the police officer and walked straight to the back seat of the domestic car, knocking on the window.

Lao Liu's expression in the car changed, and he rolled down the window: "Secretary Wei, this is a case currently being handled by the Economic Crime Investigation Detachment. The suspect, Zhao Tai, is suspected of major economic crimes, and the evidence is conclusive..."

"Lao Liu, Governor Zhao asked me to pass on a message." Wei Ming interrupted him, his voice not loud and his speed steady, yet carrying an unquestionable authority. "Although Zhao Tai is suspected of disciplinary violations, he is, after all, the heir to a key provincial enterprise. Before the evidence chain is closed, his personal freedom cannot be easily restricted, lest it affect the normal operation of the enterprise and cause unnecessary social unrest."

As he spoke, Wei Ming handed over the red folder in his hand: "This is the 'Application for Bail Pending Trial' signed by Governor Zhao and the 'Letter on Protecting the Normal Business Order of Key Provincial Enterprises.' The provincial authorities have instructed to release him first."

Lao Liu looked at the document, his expression changing repeatedly.

He certainly knew that this was a violation of procedure. But the words "Governor Zhao" represented absolute authority in Quan City and even the entire Lu Province.

"But... Secretary Wei, the charges listed here are not light..." Lao Liu was still trying to struggle.

"Lao Liu," Zhou Ming leaned in closer, lowering his voice, his tone carrying a hint of warning. "Governor Zhao said that Vice President Wu Liang has already confessed; he is the principal offender. Zhao Tai was merely deceived by his subordinate. Since he was deceived, that makes him a victim. Why must you insist on arresting a victim?"

Lao Liu fell silent.

He knew that this was the Zhao family looking for a scapegoat. That Vice President named Wu Liang was probably already in the station or "made to disappear" by now.

"Fine." Lao Liu gritted his teeth, pushed the door open, got out, walked to the back seat, and unlocked the handcuffs. "Zhao Tai, you are released on bail. But this matter isn't over; keep your phone on and be ready to come whenever called!"

The moment Zhao Tai saw Secretary Wei, he knew his grandfather had sent someone to save him, and he shouted ecstatically, "Uncle Wei, save me!" Once the cold sensation on his wrists vanished, he stumbled out of the car, scrambling and crawling into Wei Ming's Audi A6, as if it were his only lifeboat.

"Uncle Wei... no, Secretary Wei, you scared me to death... I really thought I was going to go inside..." Zhao Tai collapsed in the back seat, tears and snot streaming down his face, devoid of any dignity.

Wei Ming sat in the passenger seat and glanced at him coldly through the rearview mirror. There was not a shred of sympathy in his eyes, only disgust: "Young Master Zhao, the leader wants you to go home and wait for him."

After speaking, the Audi A6 turned around and sped away, leaving behind an indignant Lao Liu. After standing for half a minute, he took out his phone...

...

Ze City, Junlin Capital headquarters, top-floor conference room.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city's prosperity, and the air was filled with a faint, cold fragrance. President Wang Ya sat in the main seat, her eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses as sharp as a hawk's. Sitting to her left in order were Vice President Liu Qingyan, Financial Director Xia Wanxing, and Investment Director Shen Ruoyao; to her right were Charity Director Chu Yao, Administrative Director Tang Xingmian, and HR Director Lu Zhiyi.

These seven beautiful executives, with an average beauty score of over 90, were currently exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

"The boss's order is that this case is to be handed over entirely to us; the target is Renhetang." President Wang Ya threw a thick financial statement onto the table with a crisp "slap." "Financial Director Xia Wanxing, tell us the situation."

Financial Director Xia Wanxing pushed up her rimless glasses, her fingers sliding rapidly across the tablet. A holographic projection unfolded a set of red data on the table: "Renhetang, total share capital of 405 million shares, market value of about 4 billion. On the surface, it's a century-old brand, but in reality, it's a mess. The asset-liability ratio is as high as 77.74%, with 3.3 billion in interest-bearing debt, and the current ratio is only 0.88. Simply put, their capital chain is broken, and they are relying on selling assets to keep their lives going."

"Furthermore," Investment Director Shen Ruoyao took over, wearing a sharply tailored deep-V suit, her tone carrying a hint of mockery, "their two major shareholders are frantically cashing out. The actual controller, Chairman Li Jie (35.17%), and the founder, President Qin Xia (15.14%), have both been selling off shares recently. According to the intelligence we have gathered, Chairman Li Jie owes a huge debt due to gambling and urgently needs cash to fill the hole; President Qin Xia has family reasons and needs a sum of money. Both have the willingness to 'sell themselves,' but they just haven't found a suitable sucker to take over yet."