181: Chapter 181 Hongtai Construction's IPO Dream Shattered, Wang Hao's Recovery Unlikely (Part 1)

Zhao Lintai picked up his phone, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. After muting the TV, he leaned back lazily on the sofa, naturally resting his legs on the coffee table as he answered the call.

"Hello, Wang Ming, any new news from that side?" Zhao Lintai asked indifferently, his voice calm and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Wang Ming’s voice on the other end sounded slightly nervous: "Boss, three things. Xiao Yugang just called me, saying there's definitive news about Xiao Dao and Brother Mo..." Wang Ming then proceeded to report the situation to Zhao Lintai.

Zhao Lintai’s expression suddenly darkened, his brows furrowing deeply, and his voice took on a hint of severity: "Is the news reliable?"

Wang Ming paused for a moment on the other end, considering his response: "It should be reliable. According to Xiao Yugang, Vice Mayor Ji asked about Wang Hongtai's son and learned he was under police investigation. Thinking there might be a connection between the two cases, Director Shen Zhendong of the City Bureau reported the situation regarding the Underground Bank from yesterday. It's said they're even planning to hold a press conference today to announce it."

"Sigh," Zhao Lintai sighed, a flash of regret in his eyes, "It's just a pity about A-Mo. What about the other two things?"

"The second thing is that Secretary Zhong requested the formation of a Joint Investigation Team. Vice Mayor Ji, who is in charge of political and legal affairs, will serve as the leader. Director Shen of the City Bureau, Chief Prosecutor Xiao of the Procuratorate, and the head of the Discipline Inspection Commission will serve as deputy leaders. They will send people to Hongtai Construction this morning to begin the investigation." Wang Ming reported in detail, "Xiao Yugang asked me to check with you, Boss, if any of the people mentioned in that online post are our own, or if there's anyone you want to protect. If so, he can mediate to avoid any accidental involvement."

"Hmph," Zhao Lintai smiled craftily, "Xiao Yugang certainly knows how to play the game."

Wang Ming chuckled awkwardly on the other end and flattered him, "That’s all thanks to your favor, Boss. Chief Prosecutor Xiao is also looking to move up in his career."

"Sure. I'll take a look later. Some people should be protected if possible. Otherwise, who will be willing to risk their lives for us in the future?" Zhao Lintai responded with a smile.

"Yes, Boss is wise," Wang Ming complimented. "There's also a third thing. Zhou Qian, the legal counsel for Hongtai Construction, just called me. He wants to schedule a meeting with you."

"Oh? Meeting me? What for?" Zhao Lintai's brow arched slightly as he asked with some curiosity.

"He said it's about Wang Hongtai's son," Wang Ming replied. "From what he's saying, he likely hopes you can continue to help push forward Hongtai Construction's listing to preserve Wang Hongtai's remaining shares."

"Hmph, he really doesn't give up," Zhao Lintai sneered, a look of disdain appearing on his face. "What time is it already, and he's still thinking about listing?"

"He is quite naive," Wang Ming agreed. "But I think since he brought it up, there's no harm in meeting. After all, Wang Hongtai's son still holds 10% of the shares. Since he wants to talk, we might as well talk to him. As far as I know, Wang Hongtai's son has no ability to manage the company. We might as well let him be the legal representative and have him take the fall for anything that happens in the future. That would save us a lot of trouble. What do you think?"

Zhao Lintai thought for a moment and nodded. "Hmm, you have a point," he replied. "Fine, go ahead and reply to him. Tell Wang Hongtai's son to come to the hotel himself to talk to me. As for Zhou Qian, let him go deal with the Joint Investigation Team at the company. I have nothing to talk to him about."

"Hehe, Boss is wise as always," Wang Ming flattered. "I'll go reply to him right away." With that, he hung up the phone.

Zhao Lintai let out a long breath, his finger sliding gently across the phone screen, pausing on a contact saved as "President Chu."

...

At this moment, in the presidential suite of the Hilton Hotel on the Bund, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bedroom curtains, dappling Qin Yi's face. The sound of running water broke the silence of the room, waking Qin Yi from his sleep.

He rubbed his eyes groggily and reached out to grope for his phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up; he squinted slightly. It was already seven in the morning.

The Toutiao App on his phone screen was constantly pushing trending news. Qin Yi's fingertip slid across the screen, and a piece of news suddenly caught his attention, making his drowsiness vanish instantly.

He suddenly sat up in bed, leaning forward as he clicked into the news.

'Breaking! Chairman of Hongtai Construction, a company set for listing, died in a car accident in the early hours of the morning!'

Qin Yi's brow furrowed, a flash of surprise in his eyes. He quickly browsed the content of the news, the confusion in his heart growing deeper. He immediately asked the System in his consciousness: "System, Wang Hongtai died unexpectedly. Shouldn't my System task be completed?"

[Ding! To the host, detection shows that the current situation of Hongtai Construction is not yet sufficient to achieve the task goal. Please wait patiently. The System will remind the host when the task goal is met.]

Hearing the System's response, Qin Yi couldn't help but ponder to himself. Even this isn't considered complete? He really couldn't figure it out. With someone like Wang Hao, could he really take over his father's company and keep Hongtai Construction going?

Just as he fell into deep thought, the bathroom door opened with a "click." Wang Tengfei walked out wearing a bathrobe, his hair dripping wet, drying it with a towel. He caught sight of Qin Yi sitting on the bed staring blankly at his phone and walked over curiously.

"Old Four, you're awake," Wang Tengfei teased. "What are you looking at so intently? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Qin Yi snapped back to reality and handed the phone screen to Wang Tengfei, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness: "Take a look. That kid Wang Hao's good days are coming to an end."

Wang Tengfei curiously took the phone, his gaze falling on the news on the screen. His face instantly became filled with shock, his eyes widening as he looked at Qin Yi: "Holy crap! No way? Wang Hao's dad died in a car accident? This... this is too sudden!"

"Yeah. Sigh," Qin Yi sighed softly, "The world is unpredictable."

Wang Tengfei took a deep breath, trying to calm his shock. He frowned and continued, "But then again, although Wang Hao's dad passed away, the company is still there. Does that mean Wang Hao is going to inherit his father's business?"

Hearing this, a meaningful smile curled on Qin Yi's lips: "That's not necessarily true. Look at this." As he spoke, he opened the exposé post on his phone again and handed it to Wang Tengfei.

"This..." Wang Tengfei hesitantly took what Qin Yi handed over. With a glance, his brows instantly furrowed. After reading the content of the post, his eyes widened, and he turned to look at Qin Yi, his face full of disbelief, his voice kept low, "Old Four, this couldn't have been posted by you again, could it?"

Qin Yi just smiled indifferently, looking relaxed. "Whether I posted it or not isn't actually important. The key is that everything mentioned in this post can be verified. As long as these things are proven true, it will be difficult for Hongtai Construction to go public. Once the listing fails, the shares in Wang Hao's father's hands—hehe—won't be something Wang Hao can control."

Wang Tengfei looked confused and worried after hearing this. He frowned at Qin Yi, his heart full of trepidation. "Old Four, I feel like I'm understanding you less and less. Wang Hao's father's death shouldn't have anything to do with you, right?" he asked tentatively, his eyes full of doubt.

Qin Yi looked shocked, his eyes wide as he looked at Wang Tengfei, then he shook his head with a helpless, bitter smile: "Fatty, are you okay? You think I killed Wang Hao's father? Are you kidding? Just to get revenge on Wang Hao, I'd kill his dad? That would be too low-class of me."

Wang Tengfei let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. He tossed the phone back to Qin Yi and said half-doubtingly, "Scared me to death. As long as it wasn't you, I'm relieved. But aren't you afraid the Cyber Police will track you down through the internet? The water here is very deep; if they really investigate, it might involve a lot of people."

Qin Yi just smiled without saying a word. He patted Wang Tengfei's shoulder, a hint of craftiness flashing in his eyes. "Don't worry, right now, you're the only one who knows I did this. As long as you don't say anything, no one will know."

Wang Tengfei's eyes flashed with surprise. He looked at Qin Yi as if meeting him for the first time. "Okay then, Old Four, you're a hacker. Hey, when did you get this skill? Why didn't I know before?"

Qin Yi rolled his eyes and made up a story: "Cough, just learned it randomly. I figured I couldn't keep delivering food and packages forever, so I took some time to learn some hacking techniques. Who would have thought it would come in handy now?" As he spoke, he rolled out of bed and walked toward the bathroom. "By the way, Fatty, do you have any plans for today?"

Wang Tengfei shrugged. "The job is gone, what plans could I have? From now on, I'm following you."

Qin Yi laughed, "Alright, let's go eat first. After that, I'll take you to see where I live. Oh, by the way, where are you living now?"

"The apartment I rented with Old Three. It's quite far from here," Wang Tengfei answered.

"Well, tell Yuaner later to cancel the lease on the apartment. I have plenty of houses. I'll take you to see them later; whichever one you like, I'll give it to you guys. Also, I'll get you a car today. Once you're done washing up, pick one out online first, and we'll go pick it up directly!" Qin Yi's words were full of generosity.

Wang Tengfei's eyes widened in disbelief: "Holy crap! Old Four, you're loaded!"

"Haha, that must be it. Didn't we agree? If one of us gets rich, we won't forget the other. But you'll have to help me set up the company. I'm worried I might not have enough time to do everything personally," Qin Yi said to Wang Tengfei with a smile through the bathroom door.

"Got it! Don't worry, leave the company stuff to me!" Wang Tengfei promised, patting his chest.

...

Half an hour later, Zhou Qian's figure hurriedly appeared in the hospital room. Wang Hao had been waiting for a long time. As soon as he saw Zhou Qian, his eyes immediately lit up as if seeing a glimmer of hope. Ignoring the wound from his recent surgery, he eagerly stepped forward, his voice filled with anxiety: "Uncle Zhou, how's the situation? Did the owner of that company give a response?"

Zhou Qian steadied Wang Hao's shoulders and nodded: "Yes, it's all coordinated. I'll take you to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel now; you'll meet there."

A hint of confusion flashed across Wang Hao's face: "The Ritz-Carlton Hotel? Why not meet him directly at the company?"

"Sigh," Zhou Qian sighed, a flash of helplessness in his eyes. "Some negative news about the company suddenly broke out online last night, catching the attention of city leaders. The municipal government has now formed a Joint Investigation Team, and they're about to enter the company to investigate. His status is special; it's not convenient for him to appear at the company right now. Besides, with your father gone, I have to go back to the company to stabilize the situation."

Wang Hao's expression immediately became tense, and he stared intently into Zhou Qian's eyes: "Uncle Zhou, aren't you going with me to see that boss?"

Zhou Qian shook his head gently and explained, "I want to go with you, but the other party insisted on meeting you alone. I've already explained the situation to you. Just remember, pushing for the company's listing is beneficial to both parties; this was also his promise to your father."

A flash of unease appeared in Wang Hao's eyes: "But Uncle Zhou, without you there, I'm worried I won't be able to handle it."

Zhou Qian patted Wang Hao's shoulder and said in an encouraging tone, "Don't worry. I heard from Lawyer Wang that the boss of that company is also a young man; you should have a lot in common. Remember, if he asks you to sign any documents, don't be in a hurry to sign them. Wait until I've looked them over. Also, the other party has a deep background; you must not be impulsive, and definitely don't provoke him. Otherwise, the company's future will be truly dire."

"Sigh," Wang Hao sighed. Although he was apprehensive, he was helpless. Given the current situation, this was the only way.

...

By now, it was already the morning rush hour in the Magic City, and the number of cars on the road was gradually increasing. Zhou Qian drove, stop-and-go, and only arrived at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel near eight o'clock.

After parking, Zhou Qian was the first to get out, then turned to help Wang Hao out from the back seat. Just then, Wang Ming approached with a smile, proactively reaching out to shake Wang Hao's hand: "Hello, I assume you are Chairman Wang's Young Master? I'm Wang Ming. Lawyer Zhou should have mentioned me to you before."

Zhou Qian hurriedly introduced from the side: "Xiao Hao, this is the Lawyer Wang I told you about."

Wang Hao managed to squeeze out a smile: "Lawyer Wang, a pleasure to meet you." Although his heart was incredibly nervous, he tried his best to maintain his composure on the surface.

Wang Ming nodded and then offered comfort: "Mr. Wang Hao, I also heard about Chairman Wang this morning. The deceased is gone; please accept my condolences."

Wang Hao looked at him gratefully: "Thank you for your concern, Lawyer Wang."

"Then let's go up now. The boss is already waiting for Mr. Wang," Wang Ming said, then looked at Zhou Qian. "Lawyer Zhou, the Joint Investigation Team should be arriving soon. Please go keep an eye on things at the company."

Zhou Qian nodded and looked at Wang Hao. Seeing Zhou Qian about to leave, Wang Hao couldn't help but nervously grab Zhou Qian's arm. Zhou Qian gently patted the back of Wang Hao's hand, gave him an encouraging look, and then pushed his hand away, turning back to his car.

Watching Zhou Qian's car gradually drive away, Wang Hao took a deep breath and adjusted his emotions. Then, under Wang Ming's guidance, he walked into The Ritz-Carlton Hotel.