110: Chapter 110 Qin Yi Monitors Wang Hongtai

Meanwhile, in the Starbucks across from the Hongtai Construction Building, Qin Yi sat leisurely in a corner. A cup of coffee was on the table, but he was in no hurry to taste it.

His head was bowed, Bluetooth earbuds were in his ears, and his eyes were fixed on his phone screen. His focused expression made him look just like an internet-addicted youth immersed in a mobile game.

However, that was not the case.

Qin Yi was currently fully focused on watching the video surveillance footage sent back by the Miniature Bionic Tracker. In the footage, every floor and every person within the Hongtai Construction Building was being clearly recorded.

Amidst this vast amount of visual data, Qin Yi was carefully searching for footage of Wang Hongtai, the chairman of Hongtai Construction Company.

Soon, a satisfied smile curled at the corners of Qin Yi's mouth. He tapped on Wang Hongtai's profile picture, and the video footage of Wang Hongtai immediately appeared. He turned up the volume slightly, and Wang Hongtai's voice came through clearly.

At that moment, in Wang Hongtai's office, Wang Hongtai looked at the man standing before his desk with a dark expression and said in a low, angry voice, "What do you mean you can't investigate it? How many people in the entire company could know the contents recorded in that file in such detail? Secretary Wu, you are the person I trust most. Are you really unable to find out, or do you simply not want to, or perhaps you know who it is but are afraid to investigate?"

Hearing these words, Qin Yi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, wondering to himself: What is Wang Hongtai investigating? The contents of a file? What file is it, and what's recorded inside? It seems Wang Hongtai really is hiding quite a few secrets.

After a moment, the man addressed as Secretary Wu finally spoke.

He sighed and responded to Wang Hongtai with a slightly trembling voice, "Chairman, I... I truly cannot find out, and I truly do not dare to investigate... You've seen that file; the shadow operations recorded in it are quite detailed. Basically, every shady deal in every project since our company's founding is recorded there. I really can't imagine who could know everything so thoroughly. I feel that even you, Chairman, might not remember it all so clearly. Not to mention, each project had its own person in charge. Unless that Lawyer Wang Ming bribed every project manager in the company. But how is that possible? Moreover, if he really did bribe everyone who ever managed a project, some of those people are now senior executives in various departments, and some have even reached the position of Vice President. Even if I wanted to investigate, I don't have the authority."

After hearing Secretary Wu's statement, Wang Hongtai angrily raised his fist and slammed it heavily onto the desk with a loud "bang."

Secretary Wu was startled into taking two steps back, his face turning even paler.

Then, Wang Hongtai stood up from his executive chair and paced back and forth behind the desk, roaring with uncontrollable rage, "So, according to you, every executive in the company is a suspect?"

"Um..." Secretary Wu responded, nodding somewhat timidly. He didn't dare look Wang Hongtai in the eye, keeping his head down as he awaited further instructions.

"Damn it, every single one of them is an ungrateful bastard!" Wang Hongtai cursed. "I spend money to support them, and this is how they repay me?! You don't have the authority? I'll give it to you right now! From this moment on, you are the Executive President of the company, and you'll be responsible for investigating this matter for me!" He pointed at Secretary Wu and roared, his eyes revealing a sense of determination and ruthlessness.

Secretary Wu took a deep breath and then let out a long sigh. He shook his head and continued to advise with a hint of helplessness and bitterness, "Chairman, even if you promote me to Executive President, this matter cannot be investigated further... Continuing would bring nothing but harm to both you and the company..."

"What do you mean?" Wang Hongtai's eyes widened as he glared at Secretary Wu.

"You've forgotten that our company's IPO application has already been submitted," Secretary Wu reminded him. "If you start a massive purge now and involve so many people, someone dissatisfied is bound to jump out and leak this. If it truly comes to a 'burn the bridges' scenario, how will the company ever go public? Don't forget, you signed a gambling agreement with the investors. If the company really can't go public, then your company is truly finished... Investigating this is like pulling a single hair and moving the whole body; it's simply not feasible."

After hearing Secretary Wu's advice, Wang Hongtai's anger gradually cooled.

He sat back down in his executive chair and sat there in silence. After an unknown amount of time, he said thoughtfully, his voice tinged with fatigue and helplessness, "You're right. I was being impulsive about this."

Seeing that Wang Hongtai had calmed down, Secretary Wu's lips moved as if he were hesitating, and he said tentatively, "Chairman, I have a few more words, though I'm not sure if I should say them..." His eyes held a hint of trepidation, as if he were afraid his words would provoke Wang Hongtai's dissatisfaction.

Wang Hongtai looked at Secretary Wu, his gaze finally softening a bit. With a voice full of exhaustion but even more helplessness, he let out a long breath and then said, "Sigh, what are you still worried about with me? If you have something to say, say it!"

Secretary Wu took a deep breath and summoned his courage. "Well, as the saying goes, 'As long as the green hills remain, one need not worry about firewood,' and 'A wise man submits to the circumstances.' The current situation is very unfavorable for you. In my opinion, it would be better to agree to Lawyer Wang Ming's demands and let him suppress this matter first. As for that forty percent stake, after our company goes public, we can just reclaim the shares through other means. If all else fails, you can just establish another company and slowly transition operations until Hongtai Construction becomes a Shell company. There's no need to fight to the death with that Wang Ming and end up in a mutually destructive situation... What do you think?" After finishing, he looked at Wang Hongtai nervously, waiting for a response.

Wang Hongtai didn't speak; he just frowned at Secretary Wu, his eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions—consideration of the suggestion and concern for the company's future.

After a long while, he sighed and responded with some dejection, "Perhaps you're right. However, I still need to think about this carefully. Fine, let's put the investigation aside for now. We'll talk once I've cleared my head." After saying this, he waved his hand, signaling that Secretary Wu could leave.

"Then, Chairman, I'll take my leave first," Secretary Wu said, looking at Wang Hongtai. Seeing him nod, he cautiously backed out of the office. The moment he closed the door, he didn't forget to look back at Wang Hongtai with an indescribable look in his eyes.

Once Secretary Wu had left, Wang Hongtai rubbed his temples, looking exhausted and irritable.

A moment later, he picked up a file from his desk. Qin Yi noticed through the video surveillance that the cover of the file bore the words "Acquisition Letter of Intent."

However, to Qin Yi's disappointment, Wang Hongtai did not flip through the file but instead placed it directly into the bottom drawer of his desk.

Then, Wang Hongtai stood up again and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window with a face full of worry. He stood there quietly, gazing at the heavy traffic outside, his thoughts unknown.

Just then, a WeChat message suddenly popped up on his phone, interrupting Qin Yi's thoughts.

He quickly scanned the content, and his heart couldn't help but skip a beat. Then, with a slight arch of his eyebrow and a helpless, bitter smile on his face, he couldn't resist Make complaintsing, "No way, what a coincidence?"

Seeing that there was no movement from Wang Hongtai for the time being, Qin Yi quickly locked the tracking target onto Wang Hongtai and issued a confirmation command to the Miniature Bionic Tracker.

Upon receiving the command, the Miniature Bionic Tracker instantly followed Wang Hongtai like a shadow, hovering about half a meter above his head, and began recording his every move.

Qin Yi knew that since the Miniature Bionic Tracker was now locked onto Wang Hongtai, he didn't have to worry about missing any "exciting content."

So, he switched out of the Miniature Bionic Tracker's operation page and dialed Xu Qian's number.

...

The phone had barely rung once before Xu Qian answered it nervously.

She stared toward the kitchen, covering her phone, her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz: "Thank goodness, Young Master Qin, you've finally called. When are you coming back?"

On this end, Qin Yi suppressed the smile at the corner of his mouth, a hint of playfulness flashing in his eyes, but he asked quite seriously, "Sorry, Qianqian. I didn't expect you to be back so soon. Besides, why didn't you call me before you went?"

"It's all your fault... Who told you to go out without your car? I saw your car parked in the space and thought you were home... Who would've thought you'd go out without driving..." Xu Qian complained somewhat aggrievedly, her mouth pouting slightly, her eyes revealing a bit of dissatisfaction and helplessness.

Qin Yi raised a hand to touch the tip of his nose and said with a sheepish laugh, "Haha, then it's my fault, my fault. So, where are my parents? Are you all having a pleasant chat?"

Xu Qian took another peek at the kitchen and answered cautiously, her voice filled with trepidation and unease, "Uncle and Auntie are in the kitchen right now. I suspect they're probably discussing the matter between you and me..."

Before Qin Yi could respond, she quickly explained, "Young Master Qin, actually, I didn't intend to be the one to reveal our relationship. But Uncle and Auntie insisted on not taking the gifts I bought them, so in my haste, I blurted it out... Young Master Qin, I said it without consulting you... You won't be Life Qi, will you?" As she spoke, her eyes were filled with tension and worry, fearing that Qin Yi would be Life Qi because of it.

Hearing Xu Qian say this, the curve of Qin Yi's mouth became even more tender. He laughed and comforted her, "Haha, what's there to be Life Qi about? Besides, aren't you my girlfriend? Alright, don't be nervous. I'll be back in a bit."

Hearing Qin Yi's words, regardless of whether they were true or not, a surge of warmth welled up in Xu Qian's heart.

However, this warmth didn't last long. Xu Qian asked again with some unease, "But, what should I say later..."

Upon hearing this, a relaxed smile touched Qin Yi's lips: "Haha, just treat them like the customers at your Car dealership and chat with them casually. Treat them however you usually treat your customers."

"How can that be the same..." Xu Qian said, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness, and she continued, "Young Master Qin, can't you come back a bit faster? I'm really nervous and don't know what to say. What if Auntie asks how we met? What do I say?"

Qin Yi was about to respond to Xu Qian when he suddenly saw Wang Hongtai hurrying out of the Hongtai Construction Building. Behind him followed Secretary Wu from the video footage. Both looked hurried as if they had an urgent matter. Qin Yi's brow furrowed, and his gaze became sharp. He kept his eyes fixed on the two until they drove away from the building.

Seeing that Qin Yi had suddenly gone silent, Xu Qian thought the call had been disconnected. She pulled the phone away to look and, seeing it was still connected, brought it back to her ear and continued to ask in a low voice, "Young Master Qin, are you still there?"

"Yeah, Qianqian, I'm sorry. I have an urgent matter to handle here. Don't worry, I'll be back to accompany you very soon." Hearing Xu Qian's voice, Qin Yi finally managed a quick response.

"Oh... okay then... then you get back to work..." Although Xu Qian was a bit disappointed and helpless, she still spoke very sensibly.

"Yeah... hanging up now..." Qin Yi said and ended the call.

Afterward, his gaze returned to his phone screen. He replayed the surveillance footage from the Miniature Bionic Tracker, carefully checking the footage of Wang Hongtai during the time he was on the phone with Xu Qian.

In the video, Wang Hongtai had received a call in his office. Since he hadn't used the speakerphone, Qin Yi couldn't hear what was being said on the other end. However, from the sound of it, Wang Hongtai seemed very surprised and shocked. Moreover, looking at his expression, he seemed to be quite wary of the person on the phone, appearing very respectful as he kept nodding and saying things like 'No, don't worry,' 'Yes, yes, I'll come find you right away,' and 'Alright, alright, immediately, immediately.'

Immediately after hanging up, Wang Hongtai hurried out of the office, bringing Secretary Wu along with him.

Qin Yi watched the surveillance footage on his phone, his brow slightly furrowed as his fingers lightly tapped the table, considering his next move.

...

Meanwhile, in the kitchen of Qin Yi's home, Wu Xiuhua was skillfully cutting fruit while saying to Qin Jianye, who was helping wash it, in a low voice tinged with dissatisfaction, "What is wrong with that brat Xiao Yi? When did he get another new girlfriend? He didn't even tell us about such a major thing beforehand... Now look, the girl has come all the way to our home, yet that brat isn't even here, leaving us completely caught off guard..."