After Zheng Wei left the manor, he didn't go home. Instead, he went straight back to the group. He didn't let anyone into his office, not even Special Assistant Hou.
His office was incredibly luxurious, complete with a large lounge area and everything one could possibly need. Zheng Wei was in an extremely low mood, feeling as if all his strength had been drained from him. He was listless and slumped onto the floor, his tall, sturdy frame splayed out. Empty wine bottles lay scattered around him. The office phone and his mobile were practically ringing off the hook, but he couldn't hear them. Every cell in his body was submerged in a sea of discomfort, unable to snap out of it.
Initially, Special Assistant Hou hadn't realized the situation had become so dire. It was only when he could smell the smoke and alcohol from outside the office door that he understood how serious things might be.
Just as Special Assistant Hou was trying to figure out how to open the door, Shen Xiaoyan sent him a message.
It turned out that the boss had planned to return at noon, but the boss's wife had been waiting for him in vain. She had called the boss multiple times with no answer, so she had messaged him instead.
Upon seeing Shen Xiaoyan's message, Special Assistant Hou's heart sank further. The boss was even ignoring his wife's calls, which made him wonder just how serious the situation was.
Knowing that Shen Xiaoyan couldn't speak, Special Assistant Hou thought for a moment before calling her: "Madam, the boss is at the group's office, but he's in a very bad state. I'll come to your home to pick you up. Please wait."
Shen Xiaoyan didn't understand what had happened when she heard Special Assistant Hou's words, nor did she know Zheng Wei's current condition.
...
Special Assistant Hou drove incredibly fast, arriving within half an hour. He opened the car door, and as Shen Xiaoyan got in, Hami Melon agilely hopped in too. Unfortunately, Hong Fuji, with its short legs, couldn't reach. In the end, Shen Xiaoyan and Special Assistant Hou had to lift the little dog into the car.
Shen Xiaoyan couldn't speak, and she couldn't ask Special Assistant Hou to look at his phone while he was driving. So, she was actually very anxious the entire way.
Special Assistant Hou understood this perfectly, so he explained Zheng Wei's unusual behavior that day to Shen Xiaoyan on the way: "After the boss returned from outside, he locked himself in his office, saying no one was to disturb him. But later, the smell of smoke and alcohol emanating from inside could be detected from the door. The boss rarely smokes. From what I've observed, he only smokes when he's in a very bad mood. As for drinking, he's also been drinking very little lately." Special Assistant Hou voiced his concerns.
Shen Xiaoyan's heart tightened upon hearing this.
Zheng Wei had indeed been drinking much less lately. At home, unless Lu Taobao and Lin Xin were visiting, he rarely touched alcohol or cigarettes. She knew he did it for her own good and never allowed anyone to smoke at home to prevent her from inhaling secondhand smoke.
But he had been perfectly fine when he left that morning. Why was he like this now? Something must have happened in between, otherwise, it wouldn't be like this.
Shen Xiaoyan was lost in thought all the way. When they arrived at the group's office, she quickly headed towards Zheng Wei's office with the two dogs.
Since Shen Xiaoyan couldn't speak, she couldn't even call out. She desperately wanted to speak, as she was so anxious, but every time she tried to open her mouth, her throat would burn painfully, and no sound would come out.
"Young Madam, I'll do it!" Special Assistant Hou stepped forward and knocked forcefully on the office door. While knocking, he called out, "Boss, Young Madam is very worried. What's wrong? Young Madam and the two dogs are right outside!"
Hong Fuji and Hami Melon also barked fiercely, but there was no response from inside.
"It's just too bad the soundproofing in here is so good!" This was the most luxurious office in the entire group, so the soundproofing was naturally excellent.
Shen Xiaoyan stood still for a moment, then circled a few times as if she had made a decision.
She typed a few words on her phone and then handed it to Special Assistant Hou.
Upon seeing the words on the screen, Special Assistant Hou was so shocked he almost dropped his phone.
"Go find someone to unlock it."
This was what Shen Xiaoyan had conveyed to Special Assistant Hou.
Special Assistant Hou thought for a moment and quickly made a call. When he returned, his expression was still filled with worry: "Madam, this lock is not easy to pick. It's a very high-security lock. If we can't pick it, we only have one option..."
Shen Xiaoyan pointed to the door with her finger: Did she mean to dismantle the door?
Special Assistant Hou understood her intention and nodded. At this point, that was indeed the only way left...
Shen Xiaoyan nodded. No matter how expensive the door was, it wasn't as important as Zheng Wei's safety. Facing this situation, Shen Xiaoyan felt a bit lost. She didn't know what had stimulated Zheng Wei.
Oh, right, there was also Lu Taobao and Lin Xin.
Upon seeing Shen Xiaoyan's message, Special Assistant Hou immediately contacted the two influential figures again.
...
Lu Taobao and the locksmith arrived at the same time. As soon as the locksmith saw the lock, he immediately shook his head: "It's too advanced. It's impossible to pick."
"Old Lin, take a team and dismantle the door directly." Lu Taobao made a decisive command. Lin Xin seemed to be shouting something loudly, but Lu Taobao couldn't be bothered to listen. He hung up the phone and turned to look at Special Assistant Hou and Shen Xiaoyan.
"Did Old Zheng show any unusual signs before?"
Special Assistant Hou shook his head. Shen Xiaoyan lowered her head and typed on her phone: "He said he was going out today and would bring me back braised pork from Innovation Valley."
These were Zheng Wei's exact words. That place in Innovation Valley was a bit far, but there was a restaurant there that sold delicious braised pork. She thought Zheng Wei might have gone there for a reason.
Shen Xiaoyan couldn't discern anything from this statement, but Lu Taobao understood. He put his hands on his hips, gestured with his finger, and then said to the two of them: "After the door is dismantled, you are responsible for taking them, the couple, home. You go down first. I have something to say to her."
Special Assistant Hou nodded, leaving the space for Lu Taobao and Shen Xiaoyan.
"Shen Xiaoyan, when you get home, comfort him well. He's actually a very insecure person. He must have gone to the resort in Mingcheng District today. Sima Han built a manor there. I don't need to introduce Sima Han to you, do I? I can only say that his feelings for you are more than just a doctor's for a patient; it could be a man's for a woman. You understand what I mean. Old Zheng looks very strong, but he also needs your comfort. Think about it, the women who have appeared around him recently have all been dealt with by him. Correspondingly, I hope you can give him a sense of security."
The situation was critical. If it were just a normal stimulus, Old Zheng wouldn't be like this at all. But now, Old Zheng's state was bordering on self-seclusion, which meant he must have been greatly stimulated today.
Shen Xiaoyan stood there blankly, the two dogs obediently crouching behind her to protect her. It took Shen Xiaoyan a long time to snap out of it.
Lu Taobao patted Shen Xiaoyan's shoulder: "Don't overthink it. Since you two are a couple, only you can comfort him."
Shen Xiaoyan looked up, her eyes a little confused as she glanced at Lu Taobao, then nodded.
As soon as they finished talking, Lin Xin rushed in with his men.
They all knew how sturdy Old Zheng's door was, so Lin Xin had brought a whole team!
"Give me 15 minutes, hurry up and take this door down." Lin Xin was also in a hurry. He looked back and saw Lu Taobao and Shen Xiaoyan still standing there, so he impatiently waved them away: "You two, quickly find a place to hide. There will be a lot of noise here. What if the door falls and hits you?"
As Lin Xin was speaking, the elevator doors opened, and a figure, dressed sharply yet alluringly, emerged. She first peeked into the boss's office and called out, "Wolf dog, what's going on? Is the boss in?"
Special Assistant Hou, with a dark expression, pointed in the direction of Zheng Wei's office and gave a brief explanation.
Na Mu Zhong looked in that direction and immediately saw Shen Xiaoyan and the two dogs standing in the corner.
"Is it that serious? Then I..."
Before Na Mu Zhong could finish speaking, she saw President Lu of the Lu family walking towards them with Shen Xiaoyan, and their gazes fell directly on her.
Since they had already met, it would be awkward to turn back and leave. So, she walked towards them in her high heels.
"President Lu, Madam Boss."
Shen Xiaoyan nodded, but her mind was still entirely on Zheng Wei. Lu Taobao, however, subtly glanced at Na Mu Zhong with his deep eyes. After a brief nod, he added, "Vice President Na has changed a lot."
This was something Na Mu Zhong had been enjoying hearing lately. She raised an eyebrow playfully and said to the two of them, "I still have something to do, so I'll be going down now."
Lu Taobao gave a faint hum.
Bringing people to dismantle the door was indeed the right decision. In 15 minutes, the door was finally taken down. After it was removed, the smell of alcohol and smoke became even stronger.
Lu Taobao strode in with his long legs, and Shen Xiaoyan quickly followed.
Zheng Wei was not in the office, but he was in the lounge. Lu Taobao kicked open the lounge door and saw Zheng Wei sitting there, drunk, with a very dejected expression on his face.
Seeing him like this, Shen Xiaoyan's heart clenched.
"Old Lin, come over and help. Special Assistant Hou, you go downstairs and drive the car. Shen Xiaoyan, you bring the dogs and follow."
...
The group then transported Zheng Wei down from the boss's office. Special Assistant Hou was already waiting with the car. Lu Taobao placed Zheng Wei in the back seat and instructed Special Assistant Hou: "Shen Xiaoyan is not strong. You'll have to carry him up later."
"Yes." Special Assistant Hou dared not disobey the words of the influential figure.
Shen Xiaoyan sat in the back seat. She had Zheng Wei rest his head on her lap and gently rubbed his forehead, looking at his furrowed brow, trying to make him more comfortable.
Zheng Wei was clearly drunk, but his hand tightly gripped Shen Xiaoyan's hand, refusing to let go.
Shen Xiaoyan desperately wanted to speak, but her throat burned. She couldn't utter a sound, so she could only hold Zheng Wei tightly.
Special Assistant Hou's driving skills were excellent. After settling Zheng Wei in the master bedroom, Special Assistant Hou left.
Once everyone had left, Shen Xiaoyan was preparing to get a wet towel for Zheng Wei. Before she could turn around, Zheng Wei pulled her arm.
The man who had appeared to be extremely drunk moments ago now had a pair of deep eyes that were remarkably clear.
Shen Xiaoyan looked at him in surprise. Why did he seem sober?
Yet, the smell of alcohol on him was still very strong.
Shen Xiaoyan thought for a moment and then reached out to wave her hand in front of Zheng Wei.