Chapter 81 President Lin, how could it be you?

When Shen Donghua heard this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. After a moment's thought, he nodded and replied, "Alright, President Chen, I understand." However, though he agreed to Chen Yang's request not to investigate further, Shen Donghua couldn't let it go. He was determined to keep digging until he uncovered the truth.

He nodded to Chen Yang, then turned and left the office. Once alone, Chen Yang returned to his work, unconcerned that Shen Donghua hadn't discovered the so-called truth. He believed that whoever was plotting against him wouldn't give up so easily after failing this time. It was better, he thought, to simply wait for them to make their next move.

In the blink of an eye, another day passed.

What Chen Yang didn't know was that, although Shen Donghua had promised to stop investigating, he had in fact continued his inquiries in secret. Perseverance paid off, and after another day of relentless investigation, Shen Donghua finally uncovered the truth.

Elated, Shen Donghua strode into Chen Yang's office early the next morning, a broad smile on his face as he reported, "President Chen, I have great news. Perseverance has its rewards—I've found out what happened last night."

"Really?" Chen Yang was genuinely surprised. He'd thought Shen Donghua had dropped the matter, but apparently not. Still, since the truth had come to light, it was a good thing. He looked at Shen Donghua seriously and asked, "Alright, who was behind it?"

Shen Donghua frowned and said, "It was a local casino boss named Cai who sent people to do it, but behind him was none other than Qin Guofu, acting on behalf of the Qin family."

"Is that so? Does this Cai have much power?" Chen Yang asked.

Shen Donghua shook his head immediately. "Hardly, just a minor local player."

"Then it seems Cai did it for money," Chen Yang remarked with a faint smile.

"Exactly," Shen Donghua nodded.

Chen Yang thought it over. It was such a trivial matter—Cai wasn't worth his personal attention, and even Qin Guofu didn't warrant his intervention. After considering for a moment, he looked at Shen Donghua and said, "You handle it. Have Wu Guangde deal with Cai. As for Qin Guofu, handle him as you see fit. I won't get involved."

Shen Donghua quickly nodded. "Understood. Such a small matter doesn't require your personal attention."

"Go on, then," said Chen Yang indifferently.

Shen Donghua nodded and left.

After he was gone, Chen Yang couldn't help but smile wryly. He hadn't expected Qin Guofu to still bear a grudge and go out of his way to make trouble for him. Foolish, he thought—why not just live his own life in peace instead of seeking conflict?

That evening, Chen Yang returned home after work. No sooner had he walked in than Qin Muxue, who was sitting on the sofa, smiled and called to him, "Chen Yang, come here, I have something to tell you."

Seeing the flush of happiness on her face, Chen Yang was immediately curious—something good must have happened. Smiling, he walked over to her and chuckled, "What's up, honey?"

"I want to tell you something," she said, blinking.

"What is it?" he asked, his curiosity growing.

"Well, tomorrow I'm going to the provincial capital to attend a dinner organized by the Provincial Chamber of Commerce. I'm truly honored—they actually invited me!" Her joy was obvious, her happiness bubbling over.

Chen Yang grinned. "That's wonderful news—congratulations!"

But privately, he mused, What Chamber of Commerce dinner? Muxue, do you know that the former president Liu Xianghui was once completely subdued by me? Not that you would know, of course.

Naturally, though it was true, Chen Yang had no intention of telling her about his dealings with Liu Xianghui.

Qin Muxue nodded with a smile. "I might be away from home for two days. Please look after my parents while I'm gone."

"Two days?" Chen Yang asked.

She laughed, "Yes, besides the dinner, there will be a networking conference and other events. It will definitely take two days."

"Alright," Chen Yang agreed. After a moment, he smiled at her and said, "Then I hope you have a great time."

Qin Muxue sighed, a little helpless. "It's not about having fun—I'm going for business."

"Alright, just go. I'll take care of everything at home these two days," Chen Yang replied with a smile.

"Thank you," Qin Muxue said gratefully, nodding.

Bit by bit, she was starting to see Chen Yang's good qualities.

The next morning, at seven o'clock, Qin Muxue set out with her colleagues from the company.

No sooner had she left than Chen Yang took out his phone and called Lin Qianyao.

He was calling Lin Qianyao because he knew Lin would be attending the Chamber of Commerce event as well. Although Chen Yang completely trusted Qin Muxue, he wasn't accompanying her this time, and who knew if some unscrupulous businessmen might try to take advantage of her? So he asked Lin Qianyao to keep an eye on her and step in if she ran into any trouble.

Of course, it would be best if nothing happened, but if there was any problem, and since he wouldn't be there himself, having Lin Qianyao look after her gave him peace of mind.

Lin Qianyao readily agreed to his request.

By a little after nine, Qin Muxue had arrived at the hotel designated by the Chamber of Commerce. The hotel lobby was crowded with prominent business leaders from various industries across Jiangdong Province, chatting and networking in small groups.

Although most of them were there to make connections, there were always some who came in search of beautiful women.

Among the attendees, there were indeed such people. With her stunning looks—easily scoring above ninety—and her refined demeanor as a female entrepreneur, Qin Muxue drew many admiring glances the moment she entered the lobby.

It was her first time attending such an event, and she felt a bit uneasy. Just as she was feeling awkward, a loud male voice suddenly sounded behind her, "Hello, beautiful! May I ask your name?"

She turned to see a chubby man, about 1.7 meters tall, eyes gleaming as he approached.

One look, and she sensed he wasn't the most reputable character. Still, it was her first time at such a gathering and lacking experience, she replied politely, "Hello."

"And your surname, miss?" the chubby man asked with a sly grin.

"Oh, my surname is Qin," she answered honestly.

"Ah, Miss Qin! Nice to meet you, nice to meet you," the man said enthusiastically, extending his hand to shake hers.

Qin Muxue stepped back, startled by his forwardness. But the man was undeterred, hand still outstretched, insisting, "Miss Qin, pleasure to meet you."

He was determined to shake her hand, no matter what. Reluctant to appear rude, Qin Muxue hesitated, then reached out her own hand. But just as their hands were about to meet, another man suddenly appeared, grabbing the chubby man’s hand.

Startled, both she and the chubby man looked up to see a lean, sharp-eyed middle-aged man with slicked-back hair.

He was a well-known figure in the Jiangdong business world. The chubby man, instantly pale with fear, stammered, "President... President Lin..."