123: Chapter 123 The rich really can do whatever they want.

As the Sunday morning sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting dappled light spots on the bedroom floor, the phone Zhang Fan had left on his bedside table rang abruptly.

The words "Police Station" flashed on the screen, causing his heart to skip a beat; as his fingertip swiped the answer button, he subconsciously sat up straight.

"Mr. Zhang, regarding the case of Lin Haoyu illegally obtaining citizens' personal information, we have a new development."

The police officer's voice on the other end of the line was formulaic and devoid of emotion, yet it felt like a bucket of cold water poured directly over Zhang Fan's head.

"Lin Haoyu's assistant, Wang Peng, has turned himself in, admitting that he privately arranged for people to investigate your information to please his boss, and that all actions were unrelated to Lin Haoyu. Mr. Lin has been cleared of suspicion and left the Police Station half an hour ago."

"The assistant investigated privately?" Zhang Fan's grip on the phone tightened sharply, his tone filled with disbelief.

"Would an assistant really have nothing better to do than spend hundreds of thousands to hire a private investigator to check my personal information, and even go to a kindergarten to take secret photos? He even dared to threaten to 'make me disappear'? Does that logic make any sense?"

"Mr. Zhang, we made this determination based on the suspect's confession, transfer records, and the private chat logs provided by Wang Peng."

The officer's voice paused, carrying a hint of helpless reassurance.

"If you have other evidence proving Lin Haoyu's involvement, you can submit it to us at any time, and we will re-investigate. Additionally, Mr. Lin Haoyu asked us to pass on a message that he hopes to resolve the previous misunderstanding. If you have any demands, you can also communicate with his team through a lawyer."

The busy signal of the hung-up call rang in his ears; staring at the "Call Ended" text on his phone screen, Zhang Fan couldn't help but curse under his breath: "Damn it, the rich really can do whatever they want."

In the past, when he watched short videos about "domineering CEOs finding scapegoats to escape guilt," he always felt the plot was absurd and unrealistic, like something made up to bait views.

But when it actually happened to him, he realized how ironic the saying "art imitates life" really is.

Lin Haoyu merely found an assistant willing to take the fall and forged a few pages of chat logs, allowing him to easily clear his suspicion without even a proper apology, and he even dared to suggest a "settlement."

He leaned against the headboard, his fingertips unconsciously scrolling through his photo album until he reached the photos from the parent-child day, where Lele held up a heart-shaped robot badge, smiling until her eyes crinkled into slits.

The thought of Lin Haoyu possibly continuing to cause trouble for Xia Qinyi and her daughter made him feel stifled.

Just then, a familiar buzzing sound suddenly came from his mind, and pale blue system text slowly appeared in his consciousness, like a ray of light cutting through the deadlock:

[Today's Intelligence: Lin Haoyu's "Haoyu Group" has engaged in persistent tax evasion for 3 years, with a cumulative amount exceeding 20 million yuan, mainly operated through "yin-yang contracts" and "inflated costs." Additionally, two irregular loans totaling 50 million yuan (used to fill funding gaps in real estate projects) were not disclosed in the financial statements. The relevant vouchers are currently in the hands of Li Man, the former Chief Financial Officer of Haoyu Group, who is preparing to resign due to dissatisfaction with Lin Haoyu withholding bonuses.]

Zhang Fan's eyes lit up instantly; while Lin Haoyu had exploited a legal loophole regarding the illegal acquisition of information, tax evasion and irregular loans were hard, undeniable flaws. As long as he could get the vouchers from Li Man, even if Lin Haoyu had connections, he wouldn't be able to escape so easily.

This would not only make him pay the price but also completely cut off his confidence to harass Xia Qinyi and her daughter.

He immediately grabbed his phone and dialed Gu Jingshen. The phone rang three times before it was answered, and Gu Jingshen's voice came through, wrapped in the sticky fatigue of just waking up, still carrying a lingering nasal tone, with the faint rustling sound of fabric rubbing as he turned over in the background: "Fan Zi? Not hugging your pillow and sleeping early in the morning? What are you plotting to stir up again? It's only nine o'clock; have you entered 'overachiever' mode early?"

"What am I plotting? The sun is almost hitting the end of your bed!" Zhang Fan was amused by his tone and retorted, "Listening to your voice, did you go to the bar again yesterday? Who did you drink with? You must have had a lot, right?"

"What do you mean 'go to the bar'?"

Gu Jingshen's voice instantly became a bit more spirited, defending himself with a hint of grievance, "I sat down with Engineer Li from Digital Power. That old drunkard insisted on dragging me to drink until late at night, saying he wanted to discuss the derivative merchandise cooperation for 'star path: reboot' with us. You have to reimburse me for this entertainment expense later; I was running business for the company, not a private engagement."

"You, the dignified eldest young master of Gu Group, and now the Vice President of Singularity, can't you just sign it and be done with it?" Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, teasing him on purpose.

"Hey, that won't do!" Gu Jingshen sighed, his tone full of helplessness, "Our company is legitimate now, and Sister Zhou watches reimbursements tighter than anyone! Last time I submitted a 20,000 yuan entertainment expense, she argued with me for half an hour, insisting that bar consumption doesn't count as 'reasonable business expenses,' and in the end, only reimbursed the meal costs. Don't you think I'm wronged? By the way, you called me early in the morning, do you actually have serious business? Please don't tell me you want me to help you watch the situation over at Xia Qinyi's side again?"

"Don't overthink it, I'm calling about Lin Haoyu."

Zhang Fan put aside the joking, his tone becoming serious.

"I have information that there are major problems with the accounts of his Haoyu Group—tax evasion exceeding 20 million, and two irregular loans totaling 50 million that haven't been disclosed. Help me look into it in detail, especially the contact information for his former CFO, Li Man; this person might have evidence."

The other end of the line was silent for two seconds, followed by Gu Jingshen's yawning complaint, the tail end of his words still clinging to the laziness of not being fully awake: "Big brother, it's not like you don't have people around you! The Legal Department, Uncle Wang, they can all investigate, so why do you have to come to me? I've practically become your exclusive special assistant! Twenty-four hours a day revolving around your affairs—life, relationships, work—it's just short of helping you carry bags, pass water, and order takeout. I'm practically a tool character in a short drama with no lines, and I have to be on call!"

Zhang Fan was stunned by these words, rubbed his nose with his fingertip, and his tone revealed a bit of embarrassment: "Uh... it seems... it really is a bit like that."

He paused and added a heartfelt, honest remark: "Old Gu, I only heard a bit of gossip, but if I really want to investigate deeply, I have to rely on you. You're the famous 'Mr. Know-It-All' in Jiangcheng; from group CEOs down to tax bureau clerks, there isn't anyone you can't talk to. Besides, I trust you from the bottom of my heart; I wouldn't be at ease with anyone else."

"Alright, using the soft approach again!" Gu Jingshen scoffed lightly, but there wasn't a hint of real anger in his tone; instead, it carried a bit of the indulgence between old friends, "Tell me, how are you going to thank me this time? Last time I helped you solve that Pei Yunxiao matter, you only treated me to a cheap hole-in-the-wall restaurant—three dishes, one soup, and two beers, were you trying to get rid of a beggar? This time, you have to at least arrange a Michelin star meal, right?"

"This time is different!" Zhang Fan quickly replied, his tone softening with a touch of teasing, "Once this matter with Lin Haoyu is resolved, I'll treat Officer Qin Xue to a big meal! She can pick any restaurant in Jiangcheng, how about that?"

"Good fellow!" Gu Jingshen's voice pitch instantly rose, as if poked in a ticklish spot, "I've been working hard to help you check people and run connections, and you, on the other hand, turn around and invite Qin Xue? Zhang Fan, your abacus beads are flying right into my face! So I'm just a free laborer?"

"Hey, you two are practically one and the same; eating with Qin Xue is the same as eating with you." Zhang Fan teased with a laugh, "Didn't you brag to me last time that both families have agreed to meet next month? How about it, has the wedding date been set? Do you want me to prepare a red envelope for you in advance? A big one!"

"Get lost! Stop prying into my private affairs!" Although Gu Jingshen was a veteran in the romance scene, he was still rarely flustered when it came to serious matters of marriage.

He quickly changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "I'll keep the accounting investigation in mind, don't rush me. I plan to have the CFO of Gu Corporation help take a look—both Haoyu and Gu Corporation started in real estate, so they know all the tricks in the industry. If we really want to check for 'yin-yang contracts' and 'inflated costs,' people from Gu Corporation will be able to spot the problem at a glance. As for the former CFO Li Man, I'll have my buddy look for her contact information right now and try to get in touch by this afternoon."

"Deal, then I'll wait for your news." Zhang Fan felt relieved and added a reminder, "Try to be as quick as possible. Lin Haoyu just got out of the Police Station, and I'm afraid that if he gets desperate, he might cause trouble for Xia Qinyi and her daughter."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Gu Jingshen's voice paused, and he couldn't help but tease again, "I'm telling you, you're too attentive to Xia Qinyi; you really don't have other thoughts? How are you going to explain to Sister Zhou? And Song Zhiwei, that jealousy at the airport last time, I still feel scared thinking about it now."

"Don't stir up trouble, I just think the mother and daughter have it tough." Zhang Fan sighed helplessly, "Once the matter with Lin Haoyu is resolved, I'll keep my distance from them to avoid any more misunderstandings."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Fan finally relaxed completely, leaning back in his chair and stretching.

He picked up his tablet and opened the R&D schedule for "star dream workshop" that Liu Ruyan had sent that morning. The loading speed of the AI-generated map was 0.5 seconds slower than expected; the Technology Department was debugging the algorithm and expected to finish the optimization by Wednesday. The character customization feature had completed testing and could enter the internal playtest phase next week.