30: Chapter 30 Investigation

Downstairs in Wu Mengyao's home study.

President Wu Guodong closed the door, did not turn on the main light, and only pressed the floor reading lamp on one side of the desk.

The dim yellow light cut him in half: one side was immersed in the warm glow, the other half sank into the shadows of the wall.

He didn't sit, but stood at the boundary between light and shadow, picking up his mobile phone. He didn't scroll through the contacts; his thumb directly dialed a string of numbers, like inputting a password.

Three rings, and the call connected.

"Old Fourth," President Wu Guodong's voice sounded as if the study had absorbed all its moisture, dry and deep, "Help me check something."

A slightly hoarse male voice came from the other end of the line: "Brother Guodong, tell me."

"This afternoon, a little after three o'clock, Studio No. 3 in Creative Park Zone C. My daughter was almost framed there." President Wu Guodong's speech wasn't fast, but every word was distinct. "Two things: First, find out the background of that group of people and see what the situation is. Second..."

He paused, tapping his index finger lightly a few times on the rosewood desktop.

"There was a young man at the time, probably in his early twenties, wearing a dark casual suit, who helped Yao Yao out of the jam. He might have been passing by, or maybe he worked nearby, or perhaps he was looking at property or renting a studio. Help me find this person."

"Got it," Old Fourth replied crisply. "Do you have a photo or more detailed physical descriptions?"

"My Mengyao was startled and doesn't remember clearly. You can start by checking around the studio, ask the people working nearby first, or use connections to check the surveillance footage there." President Wu Guodong's gaze deepened.

"Understood." Old Fourth paused. "After finding him?"

"Don't alert him yet," President Wu Guodong said. "Figure out his angle, what he does, and where he is. I only want the information."

"Alright, I'll wait for your news."

The call ended.

Silence flooded back. President Wu Guodong finally sat down, his gaze cast out the window.

He started his career in decoration, carving out a path through dust and the smell of paint. He understood both principles and the rules of the street: some losses could be taken, but some debts had to be settled clearly.

...

April 17, 2025, Thursday, Sunny, 16 ~ 23°.

The elevator in the morning was still crowded. Qiao Yichen, weaving through the gap in the crowd, handed a cup of warm coffee to Liu Yanran.

The elevator ascended, the numbers ticking up. As they neared the 23rd floor, Liu Yanran suddenly spoke, her voice low enough for only him to hear:

"You are a Senior Planner now. By convention, you won't remain in your original team."

Qiao Yichen glanced at her.

The elevator doors opened, and the two walked out side-by-side.

The sound of her high heels tapping on the tile was crisp. She spoke at a steady pace: "HR mentioned that they will arrange for two newcomers next week, who should be assigned to your side. Then, we'll coordinate an experienced person from another team to join you. That way, the basic framework for your small team will be established."

She pushed open the door to her office, gesturing for him to enter as well, and casually placed the coffee and her bag on the desk.

"I'm telling you this in advance so you can prepare." Liu Yanran didn't sit down but leaned against the edge of the desk, looking at him. "The first phase of the xianbai project officially concludes this week. Our strategy output and framework construction are complete. Starting next week, we enter the second phase, lasting three months, which is mainly 'broadcast monitoring' service."

"So I won't need to follow up on the subsequent execution?" Qiao Yichen asked.

"Routine material review, weekly debriefs, and minor strategy adjustments will be handled by the dedicated service team," Liu Yanran explained. "You basically won't need to pay attention to this project anymore; you can focus your energy on building the team and mentoring the newcomers. Of course, if the xianbai project requires major strategic adjustments or unexpected issues later on, you will still need to step in."

"I understand," he nodded.

"Mmm." Liu Yanran picked up her coffee and took a sip. "If you have time in the next couple of days, you can finalize the final strategy document for the xianbai project and archive all the process files. Next week, the permissions need to be transferred to the service team. This is your last task for this project."

"Okay." Qiao Yichen acknowledged and turned to leave the office.

Back at his workstation, Qiao Yichen reflected on Liu Yanran's words.

She had revealed the upcoming personnel arrangements and the project handover details in advance.

Having someone look out for you, especially someone you cared about, was a good thing.

Without hesitation, he decided to organize all the strategy and process documents for the xianbai project right away that morning, finishing early so he wouldn't have to worry about it later.

As it neared noon,

His neighboring colleague, Li Yong, holding a notebook, sidled up to Qiao Yichen's workstation, lowering his voice: "Old Qiao, sorry to bother you for two minutes."

Qiao Yichen saw he likely needed something, so he stopped what he was doing and nodded, signaling him to continue.

Li Yong immediately explained the situation: "Our side just took on a pitch for the 'Light Food Brand.' It's due next Wednesday. They also want to tap into health anxiety. They asked Director Liu, and she said they could reference the underlying logic of your xianbai project... specifically, that 'Social Capitalization' model methodology you discussed."

He paused before tentatively asking, "Can you send me the framework for reference? Strictly internal, absolutely no leaks."

Qiao Yichen's eyes didn't leave the data trend chart generating on his computer screen; his fingers typed rapidly on the keyboard. "Sent it to you. The file is named 'SCC Model - Methodology Distilled Version.' Note that the data examples and specific strategies for xianbai have been removed; only the logic framework and thought process remain."

"Thank you so much!" Li Yong acted as if he had found a treasure.

Only then did Qiao Yichen turn his head, pulling the corner of his mouth into a slight smile: "Save the drama. Remember to change the branding."

"Got it, got it. I'll treat you to a meal another day." Li Yong gave him a meaningful look.

...

On the other side, Old Fourth, who had received President Wu Guodong's instructions yesterday.

He went to Creative Park that morning. First, he located Studio No. 3, then walked into the management office.

He placed President Wu Guodong's decoration company business card on the counter: "I'm looking for the owner of Studio No. 3 to discuss repainting the walls."

The person at the management office glanced at the card and flipped through the records: "The owner's surname is Hu, Hu Wei. We can't give you the phone number directly. If you leave a contact method, we can forward the message."

Old Fourth wrote down the number, pulled out an unopened pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and gently slid it across the counter: "Appreciate your trouble, make it quick."

The cigarettes didn't move, but the other person tapped their fingers on the ledger: "Wait for news."

In the afternoon, the phone rang. Old Fourth, hearing the sound of Mahjong being played on the other end, requested a meeting.

At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon, a freshly washed BMW 5 Series stopped in the shaded area behind the studio.

Old Fourth walked over, handed over the business card first, and then followed up with his words: "Boss Hu, sorry to bother you. My niece was almost set up by someone in your studio yesterday."

The hand reaching for the business card paused. Hu Wei didn't look at the card first; he raised his eyes to look at Old Fourth. "In my place?" His volume didn't change, but his speech slowed.

"Rental record," Old Fourth said, "Just yesterday afternoon."

Hu Wei didn't ask further, pulled out his phone, swiped a few times, and read from the screen: "Wednesday afternoon, renter, Liu Jun. The phone number follows." He raised his phone. "Shall I send it to you?"

"Please do." Old Fourth gave his number. The message notification sound rang quickly.

Old Fourth put away his phone, as if he had just remembered: "Boss Hu, the walls of this studio need maintenance. If you have any work in the future, look us up; we'll give you cost price."

Only then did Hu Wei put the business card into his wallet. "We can talk about that." He nodded and pulled open the car door.

Old Fourth stood where he was. Only after the car had driven far away did he take out his phone.

He relayed Liu Jun's name and number, word for word, to President Wu Guodong on the other end of the line.

"Received," President Wu Guodong said. The sound of a lighter striking echoed over the phone. Then came a brief silence, as if waiting for the first drag of smoke to hit his lungs.

"That's all for now," President Wu Guodong finally said, hanging up the phone.

Old Fourth tucked his phone back into his pocket.