187: Chapter 187 Ye Ziming's Favorability Soars, What Will Hungtai Construction Do? (Part 2)

"How is the on-site investigation going? Can you confirm it's a suicide?" Director Shen furrowed his brows and asked urgently.

When saying this, Director Shen did not deliberately avoid the others. After all, news of Secretary Wu's death would eventually get out, and no matter how much he tried to cover it up, it would be useless. It was better to just say it openly and use the opportunity to observe the reactions of everyone present. Thinking this, Director Shen's gaze swept over the group as if inadvertently, and he saw that both Zhou Qian and Xiao Yugang were looking at him.

On the other end of the line, Cao Zhen reported with a solemn expression: "Director Shen, according to the on-site investigation, no signs of a struggle were found, and there are no obvious external injuries on Secretary Wu's body. Furthermore, in his home, other than his and his family's fingerprints and traces of daily life, we found no traces of anyone else, nor any signs that things had been wiped down. As for the handwriting on the suicide note, I have already had forensic experts conduct further examination and comparison. Based on the current situation, the cause of death appears to be blood loss from slitting his wrists. The body has been taken back to the police station; we will only be able to confirm the final cause of death after the forensic autopsy."

Listening to Cao Zhen's report, Director Shen was silent for a moment, then sighed helplessly and slowly continued: "Alright, tell the forensic team to hurry up. Inform me immediately if there are any new developments. I am heading back now to report this situation to Vice Mayor Ji."

After hanging up the phone, Director Shen turned to leave, but unexpectedly, Xiao Yugang leaned in curiously and asked in a low voice: "Director Shen, what happened? Who committed suicide?"

Director Shen stopped in his tracks, looked back at him, and also responded in a low voice: "Wang Hongtai's secretary."

"He died?" Hearing this news, Xiao Yugang immediately widened his eyes, an expression of disbelief on his face, and asked: "How did he die?"

"The preliminary judgment at the scene is suicide by slitting his wrists, but the specific cause of death still requires a forensic autopsy to confirm." Director Shen patiently explained, while observing Xiao Yugang's reaction; he didn't seem to be faking it. After finishing, he gently patted Xiao Yugang on the shoulder and instructed: "Old Xiao, keep an eye on things here for now. I need to go back and report to Vice Mayor Ji, and also check on the situation with Cao Zhen's autopsy."

"Alright, don't worry, I've got things covered here. You go ahead and get busy." Xiao Yugang said, nodding at Director Shen to reassure him.

Director Shen greeted the others and left Wang Hongtai's office. Xiao Yugang watched Director Shen's retreating figure, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

He glanced at the others in the office; the people he had brought, as well as the Discipline Inspection Commission staff, were still busy examining the documents collected from Wang Hongtai's office. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Xiao Yugang quietly slipped away to a secluded spot. Seeing no one around, he took out his phone and dialed Wang Ming's number.

The call was quickly answered, and Xiao Yugang reported to Wang Ming in a low voice: "Lawyer Wang, I just received news from Director Shen that Wang Hongtai's secretary has committed suicide by slitting his wrists."

Xiao Yugang had expected this news to shock Wang Ming, but to his surprise, the other party only responded indifferently: "Is that so? That's quite good news, don't you think, Chief Prosecutor Xiao?"

Xiao Yugang's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he quickly returned to calm. However, an inexplicable sense of tension surged in his heart. Could it be that Secretary Wu's death was related to the boss? Thinking this, he almost blurted out his suspicions. Fortunately, he was a veteran in government departments and managed to steady himself at the critical moment.

He paused for a moment, calmed his nervous and anxious mood, and chimed in: "Yes, yes, yes, Lawyer Wang is right, this is indeed good news." Immediately after, he changed the subject and asked: "Oh, right, does the boss have any new instructions?"

Wang Ming chuckled and replied: "The boss said that some people who should be protected still need to be protected. After all, if people's hearts are lost, it won't be easy to lead the team in the future."

"Yes, everyone does indeed have that concern. So, what does the boss mean?" Xiao Yugang asked with a fawning smile.

"The boss's meaning is that this case should stop at Secretary Wang's level; digging any deeper will likely get ugly. After all, the news exposed online doesn't have a clear, targeted direction. As long as someone takes the fall and there's an explanation, isn't that enough? What do you think, Chief Prosecutor Xiao?"

Xiao Yugang understood Wang Ming's meaning, immediately nodded with a smile, and responded: "The boss is wise, I understand."

"Haha, I love dealing with smart people like Chief Prosecutor Xiao; you understand things instantly." Wang Ming said with a smile, his tone revealing a hint of appreciation.

"Haha, Lawyer Wang, you flatter me." Xiao Yugang responded with a fawning smile.

"We're all our own people, no need for formalities. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now?" Wang Ming said, preparing to end the call.

"Alright, Lawyer Wang. I will report to you if there are any developments on my end." Xiao Yugang agreed and then hung up the phone. However, he felt a bit uneasy in his heart. Although he had not yet met the boss behind Wang Ming, judging from Wang Ming's reaction just now, Wang Hongtai's secretary's death was most likely related to the boss.

Just then, Zhou Qian walked out of Wang Hongtai's office, looked left and right, and walked towards Xiao Yugang. Seeing this, Xiao Yugang hurriedly put away his phone and smiled at him as a gesture.

Zhou Qian arrived close by, looking solemn, and asked in a deep voice: "Chief Prosecutor Xiao, if there is nothing else for me to do here at the company, may I leave first?"

"Oh, sure, Lawyer Zhou, go ahead and attend to your business." Xiao Yugang agreed, then proactively reached out to shake Zhou Qian's hand, and continued: "Thank you, Lawyer Zhou, for your support of our Joint Investigation Team's work. We will likely still need to trouble you, Lawyer Zhou, during this period, and hope for your understanding."

"Chief Prosecutor Xiao is too kind. Cooperating with the investigation is every citizen's duty." Zhou Qian responded politely.

...

At this moment, in the presidential suite of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Wang Ming sat across from Zhao Lintai, put his phone into his pocket, curled his lips into a smile, and reported in a relaxed manner: "Boss, news has come from Old Xiao; Secretary Wu has committed suicide by slitting his wrists."

Zhao Lintai heard this, raised his eyebrows slightly, and responded coldly: "Good thing he's dead. This way, the parties involved and those who know about the case have been dealt with; let's see what kind of waves their Joint Investigation Team can still stir up."

Wang Ming heard this and immediately complimented him: "Hehe, the boss is still the clever one. As soon as you heard the news of Wang Hongtai's accidental death, you made a decision immediately, cutting off the police's path. I really admire you, truly."

"Don't bother with the flattery." Zhao Lintai waved his hand, interrupting Wang Ming's flattery, and asked in a deep voice: "Regarding Secretary Wu, you didn't leave any loose ends, did you?"

Wang Ming felt a shiver in his heart and quickly straightened up: "Boss, rest assured. I used an anonymous internet call to speak with Secretary Wu. Even if the police notice the call records, they will absolutely not be able to trace it to me. Moreover, Secretary Wu cares so much for his wife and children; he wouldn't gamble with their lives for the rest of their days."

Zhao Lintai nodded with satisfaction, then changed the subject and asked: "How is the situation with Vice Mayor Qian?"

Wang Ming showed a confident smile on his face and replied: "Rest assured, I have already been in contact with him. The things exposed online don't have much impact on him; at most, he'll get a reputation for lax supervision and poor judgment in personnel. However, Secretary Zhong's suspicion of him is still quite strong; I estimate that before the case concludes, Vice Mayor Qian will have to sit on the bench for a while."

"This is also within expectations." Zhao Lintai nodded slightly, seemingly not surprised by this result. After pondering for a moment, he asked again: "What about his secretary? He won't turn against us, right?"

Wang Ming smiled, looking confident, and said: "He won't. If he dares to turn, his wife will also be implicated. All these years, Vice Mayor Qian has given their family so many benefits, isn't it just for this moment of preparedness? He surely can't just stand by and watch his children be left without a father or mother at such a young age, right?"

"Sigh," Zhao Lintai shook his head and sighed, then began to lament thoughtfully, "That's why I say, it's better to be unattached; you can do whatever you want without worrying so much. People, once they have a weakness, lose their choices." As he spoke, he chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Wang Ming also laughed along, "Yes, Boss, you are right." A moment later, Wang Ming retracted his smile, looked at Zhao Lintai, and asked with some anticipation: "Boss, the matter of Hongtai Construction should end at Wang Liang's level, right? Do we need to do anything else next?"

"I hope so." Zhao Lintai glanced at the time on his phone, stood up, and continued: "You continue to keep an eye on the Hongtai Construction matter. By the way, the person who exposed the black material on Hongtai Construction must be found as soon as possible. I always feel that this matter isn't over yet. Have Old Qian keep an eye out recently as well; if any strangers contact him privately, tell him to notify you immediately. In addition, don't let your guard down regarding Wang Hao and that legal counsel named Zhou Qian."

Hearing this, a flash of doubt crossed Wang Ming's eyes, and he couldn't help but ask: "Boss, this Zhou Qian is just a friend of Wang Hongtai's from when he was alive. Now that Wang Hongtai is dead, Hongtai Construction is already in your pocket. There's no need for us to keep him, is there? He's not a shareholder of the company, just a legal counsel. If you are worried he will cause problems, we can just replace him."

Zhao Lintai glanced at Wang Ming, smiled faintly, and asked: "What? Do you want to take this legal counsel position?"

Wang Ming was startled in his heart and hurriedly waved his hands to deny it: "No, no, I absolutely do not have that thought. I was just offering a suggestion to you, Boss. Of course, if you have the idea of replacing him, I can also help you find a suitable candidate to take Zhou Qian's place."

Zhao Lintai listened, waved his hand, and said: "Forget it, forget it, there's no rush to move him now. Hongtai Construction is currently at the center of the storm; which lawyer would dare to take on this hot potato right now? Let's wait until the Joint Investigation Team has reached a conclusion before talking about it, to avoid any complications at this time."

After hearing this, Wang Ming immediately understood Zhao Lintai's concerns and plans, so he hurriedly nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, yes! You are still the one who considers things thoroughly, Boss! Then I will act according to your instructions!"

Zhao Lintai nodded with satisfaction and said: "Alright! I have an appointment to meet Ye Ziming today. If there's nothing urgent, don't call me."

"Ye Ziming? Is that the second young master of the Ye Family of the Capital?" Wang Ming asked curiously.

"Yes. You know him too?" Zhao Lintai looked at Wang Ming with his eyebrows raised slightly.

"No," Wang Ming hurriedly waved his hand and responded with a fawning smile, "I just often hear people mention that this second young master of the Ye Family is a playboy, idle and incompetent, and his reputation doesn't seem to be very good either."

"Hahaha," Zhao Lintai laughed heartily, but this laughter was mixed with some indescribable meaning. He paused for a moment before continuing meaningfully: "How many young masters in the Capital are not playboys? You tell me, with the old master of the Ye Family being so powerful, as a third-generation member, if he weren't a playboy, could it be that he wants to go even further?"

"That is indeed true. However, I heard that this second young master Ye has a sister who seems to be quite a figure."

"You mean Ye Qingcheng?" Zhao Lintai nodded thoughtfully, as if searching his memory for information about Ye Qingcheng. After a moment, he continued: "She is indeed a figure. However, it's a pity she's a woman. If she were a man, the status of the Ye Family might really have gone even further."

After finishing, Zhao Lintai looked at Wang Ming again, reached out and patted his shoulder, and continued: "When dealing with those young masters from the Capital, don't just look at the surface; that's just what they want you to see. You, you should think about it carefully."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ming felt as if he had been enlightened, thinking to himself that indeed, only a playboy could truly understand a playboy. So, he said with genuine admiration: "So that's it! The boss is wise, I understand now."

"Alright. You go get busy, it's about time, and I should be heading over."

"Yes, then I won't disturb you, Boss." Wang Ming said, then walked towards the door.

...

At this moment, in the buffet restaurant of the Hilton Hotel on the Bund, the breakfast time had long passed. However, Qin Yi, Wang Tengfei, and Ye Ziming were still sitting around the table. At this moment, Ye Ziming and Wang Tengfei's eyes were tightly locked on their phone screens, their faces unable to hide their excitement, while Qin Yi appeared much calmer, his fingers sliding lightly and skillfully over his phone.

In the past hour, the trend of those few stocks was just as Qin Yi had predicted; although there were fluctuations, they were overall on an upward trend.

Suddenly, Wang Tengfei grabbed Qin Yi's arm, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Fourth brother, look, my principal of forty thousand has now turned into one hundred and fifty thousand!"

Qin Yi looked with a smile at the phone screen he handed over, and just as he was about to respond, the System's voice suddenly rang in his mind: [Ding! Detected that Ye Ziming's favorability towards the host has increased by 20 points, current favorability is 80!]

Hearing the System prompt, Qin Yi immediately looked at Ye Ziming, who was on the phone nearby, and saw that he was also exceptionally excited at this moment, his gaze constantly looking towards Qin Yi.

Just as Qin Yi was curious, the System prompt rang out once again.

[Ding! Same-sex favorability has reached 80, triggering a random System task—within 48 hours, increase Ye Ziming's favorability towards the host to 90!]

[Task success: Reward the host with Charm +1, Intelligence +1, and 1 Lucky Draw chance; Task failure: Randomly deduct two of the host's six-dimensional attributes, and suffer from bad luck for 24 hours.]