Yan Jing.
This is the center of power in Hua Country. Someone you might casually encounter on the streets of Yan Jing could be a high-ranking official within a certain system.
At this very moment, within a grand courtyard.
A middle-aged man sat in the living room, reading a newspaper. The clock on the wall ticked with a steady rhythm; it was already four in the morning.
The middle-aged man glanced at the time, then folded the newspaper and placed it on the coffee table.
Just then.
Someone knocked on the living room door. The middle-aged man called out, "Come in."
A young man pushed the door open, the chill of the outside clinging to him. He hurried to the middle-aged man, hesitating several times, appearing as if he had something stuck in his throat.
"What is it?" the middle-aged man asked in a low voice.
The young man knew he couldn't hide it any longer and meekly said, "Second Master, something terrible has happened. Zhang Jingchou's operation failed. He's been killed by Chen Jinzhao, and they've taken the body."
The middle-aged man closed his eyes, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
He suppressed his rage, and after a long moment, he opened his eyes and grunted, "I know."
"What about Li Qiutao?"
The young man continued, "He was only shot in the abdomen, not a fatal wound. After emergency treatment at the hospital, he's out of danger. I tried to get to him through the hospital, but the security is too tight; I couldn't get involved."
"And more—"
"Wu Peiqin has already left for Ninghai, Jiangnan, overnight."
The middle-aged man was the Second Master referred to by Zhang Jingchou. Hearing the bad news, he became furious. "Wu Peiqin is truly childish. I've never seen such a foolish woman."
"Second Master, what should we do next? Please instruct us." The young man asked.
Second Master waved his hand, signaling the young man to leave.
The young man bowed respectfully and departed.
Second Master found himself in silence and rubbed his temples. "Zhang Jingchou is dead..."
"Damn it, I spent so much money on him, and it's all gone to waste! If nothing unexpected happened, this bastard must have gone to provoke Chen Jinzhao. What terrible luck."
He hadn't managed to kill Li Qiutao even with such a perfect opportunity. Once Li Qiutao recovered, there would be no more chances.
This greatly agitated Second Master.
After pacing the living room a few times, he muttered to himself, "Li Qiutao's origins are very mysterious. It seems he's deliberately hiding something. Perhaps I can seize this breakthrough and investigate Li Qiutao's background thoroughly!"
"You just wait!"
And then there was Wu Peiqin.
After all these years, if Wu Peiqin hadn't constantly protected Li Qiutao, he would have gotten rid of him long ago.
Meanwhile, in Ninghai.
After finishing his tasks, Chen Jinzhao went to the hospital. He saw Wu Lingyun standing obediently before a beautiful woman, sharing a striking resemblance with her, suggesting this was likely Wu Lingyun's mother, Wu Peiqin.
After a moment's thought, Chen Jinzhao stepped forward and called out, "Aunt."
Wu Peiqin scrutinized Chen Jinzhao, her eyes filled with an unusual expression, and she didn't speak immediately.
Seeing this, Wu Lingyun quickly said to her mother, "Mom, we're lucky we brought cousin along this time. Otherwise, Dad and I might never have seen you again. And cousin is really amazing; those thugs were no match for him."
"Is that so?" Wu Peiqin blinked.
At the same time.
She also felt a subtle strangeness.
She had witnessed firsthand how much animosity her daughter and Chen Jinzhao had towards each other before.
To have her daughter change her opinion of him within a single day suggested that Chen Jinzhao indeed possessed great capabilities.
"You've worked hard," Wu Peiqin said impassively.
Chen Jinzhao could sense Wu Peiqin's lack of warmth and calmly replied, "It was no trouble. It's just something I should do."
Wu Peiqin's gaze held a hint of surprise, and she looked at Chen Jinzhao with newfound regard.
If others knew her identity, they would undoubtedly try to curry favor with her. However, Chen Jinzhao did not do so, instead responding with a rather indifferent attitude.
It was truly peculiar.
She said meaningfully, "You're just like your uncle. Both of you are the type who, once you've set your mind on something, refuse to budge. To put it bluntly, you're both stubborn as mules."
Wu Lingyun quickly looked at Wu Peiqin, thinking how could she say such a thing?
Chen Jinzhao's reaction was still subdued. He calmly said, "Perhaps."
Wu Peiqin smiled and didn't continue speaking.
As dawn broke.
Li Qiurong arrived late. She first inquired with the doctor about Li Qiutao's condition and then spoke with Chen Jinzhao to understand what had happened last night. Upon hearing that Li Qiutao had nearly died, Li Qiurong couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
"Mom, this is Aunt," Chen Jinzhao introduced.
Li Qiurong then looked at Wu Peiqin and nodded to her. Wu Peiqin gave Li Qiurong a profound look. "Sister, I'd like to speak with you alone. Is it convenient for you now?"
"It's very convenient, very convenient," Li Qiurong replied repeatedly.
Wu Peiqin nodded. "Then, let's find a quiet place to talk."
Li Qiurong readily agreed.
Chen Jinzhao noticed his mother appearing somewhat submissive in front of Wu Peiqin, and his brow furrowed. However, remembering his mother's usual personality, he didn't say anything more.
"Cousin, what do you think they'll talk about?" Wu Lingyun asked curiously.
Why couldn't they discuss it openly?
Chen Jinzhao was also curious but could only shake his head and say, "I'm not sure. You can ask her later."
Wu Lingyun stuck out her tongue. Even if she asked, she knew she wouldn't get an answer.
Li Qiurong and Wu Peiqin's conversation wasn't long, less than ten minutes. When they returned, their expressions hadn't changed significantly, making it impossible to guess what they had discussed.
After a busy morning at the hospital, Chen Jinzhao prepared to leave for home once Li Qiutao was moved to a regular ward.
As he stepped out of the ward's doorway, he saw a familiar face—
Qin Fengwu.
Wu Lingyun was bustling around Qin Fengwu, asking him many questions. It was evident that Wu Lingyun greatly admired Qin Fengwu, and Wu Peiqin was also chatting and laughing with Qin Fengwu, creating a scene of harmony.
Chen Jinzhao didn't go to join them, intending to pretend not to see.
However, Qin Fengwu suddenly called out to him, forcing Chen Jinzhao to stop and look at the young master of the Qin family. "Is there something?"
Wu Lingyun, seeing this, felt a pang of anxiety in her heart.
Anyone could see that Chen Jinzhao and Qin Fengwu were like fire and water. She wanted to mediate their conflict but didn't know how to start.
Qin Fengwu smiled faintly. "There's a gathering in Jiangning in a couple of days. I'd like to invite you to attend."
"What kind of gathering?"
"A gathering within our circle. The theme of our meeting is the economy and domestic development over the next decade. As a shining example of the younger generation, you naturally must attend," Qin Fengwu said with a smile.
Chen Jinzhao understood.
This was likely a gathering for the third and fourth generations, forming a small clique centered around Qin Fengwu. If Qin Fengwu were to gain power in the future, these people would be his loyal companions, helping him manage various affairs.
In other words, Qin Fengwu was trying to win him over?
Chen Jinzhao pondered for a moment. Regardless of Qin Fengwu's intentions, he had no interest in attending such a gathering that symbolized privilege.
"Sorry, I'm not free," he stated directly.
Qin Fengwu was not annoyed. He smiled and said, "I haven't mentioned the specific date yet."
Chen Jinzhao lied without blushing. "I won't be free for the next few days."
"We can wait for you. After all, you are a distinguished guest, worth our wait," Qin Fengwu continued to press, making Chen Jinzhao feel somewhat annoyed.
Wu Lingyun walked up to Chen Jinzhao and quickly said, "Cousin, why don't you attend?"
Seeing this, Chen Jinzhao relented. "Alright. You can inform me later. I'll just go and take a look."
As long as he didn't get involved in the murky affairs, it would be fine.
Qin Fengwu smiled. "Yu Mengzhi will also be attending. We'll be holding an economic summit first, where many outstanding business elites will be present. The small gathering will follow the main conference. You can bring her along then."
Chen Jinzhao's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
For some reason, he felt that Qin Fengwu's smile hid a dagger, as if he knew secrets that Chen Jinzhao was unaware of.
Chen Jinzhao sighed inwardly. The resources of Qin Fengwu's circle were truly terrifying. Once formed, it could almost monopolize the upward mobility for the next fifty years, making it difficult for those from humble backgrounds to rise.
Oh well.
He would first see what Qin Fengwu's intentions were. If he dared to set a trap for him, Chen Jinzhao wouldn't hesitate to abandon all pretense of civility.