Chapter 491: Investigate Wu Chen!

Chapter 491: Investigate Wu Chen!

“What they discussed… I’m not entirely sure.” Li Ruobing slowed her speech, her expression turning a little strange. “Wu Chen and my father spoke privately. Neither my brother nor I was allowed to remain in the room. They talked for two or three hours.”

Su Ruiwen’s expression grew strange too. The more she told him, the more mysterious it all sounded.

He could understand Li Maoren not wanting Li Ruobing present. Father and daughter were on bad terms, after all, and there were things Li Maoren couldn’t conveniently say in front of her.

But Li Ruobing hadn’t said only she was excluded. Li Ruotai hadn’t been allowed to listen either.

“And then?” Su Ruiwen asked after considering this.

“Then… we had lunch together. My father no longer objected to Wu Chen and me. They probably had some private contact afterward, a few phone calls perhaps. But I don’t know what they discussed or what cooperation they may have arranged.” Li Ruobing spoke with apparent candor.

In truth, however, she wasn’t being entirely honest!

She knew part of what Wu Chen and Li Maoren had discussed in private. Wu Chen had told her afterward, about the Ding family and the Dong family.

And that was something Li Ruobing clearly couldn’t tell Su Ruiwen.

Or rather, it couldn’t come from her!

Far too much was at stake!

Su Ruiwen stared at Li Ruobing, his expression unsettled. He couldn’t regain his composure, and his thoughts were running deeper and deeper. He was beginning to entertain the most unlikely possibility of all!

That Li Maoren knew Wu Chen intended to kill Ding Ruilong, yet still accepted him as his prospective son-in-law. That would mean the Li family was willing to let matters go that far…

The Li and Ding families had already become allies in name only!

More than that! The Li family might be preparing to turn its former ally into an enemy! It might even strike first!

Following this reasoning, Su Ruiwen arrived at an astonishing conclusion: the Li family was working with Wu Chen to go after the Ding family?!

It was still unbelievable!

But it was the only explanation that made everything fit!

“Miss Li, I heard Ding Ruilong came to Donghai a while ago and left with a crippled hand. That was an accident, wasn’t it…?” Su Ruiwen asked, his words carrying an unmistakable implication.

“You guessed correctly, Boss Su,” Li Ruobing replied directly, with a faint smile.

Su Ruiwen’s pupils contracted again.

Wu Chen really had done it!

“Does your father know?” he asked.

“Of course.” Li Ruobing nodded.

The Li family really was going to move against the Dings! Su Ruiwen felt his suspicions had been confirmed!

He simply could not imagine how a young man like Wu Chen, whose ordinary family background was perfectly clear, could have persuaded Li Maoren. Or what kind of bargain could he have struck with Li Maoren to make the Li family abandon the Ding family as an ally and even turn against it?!

Something supernatural?!

Su Ruiwen was a businessman, and an exceptionally successful one. He understood a simple principle very well: there were no eternal friends or eternal enemies, only eternal interests!

So what exactly had Wu Chen…

Su Ruiwen remained lost in thought.

Li Ruobing glanced at her watch. They had talked long enough for one day. It was already three thirty in the afternoon, and she ought to leave.

Su Ruiwen noticed the movement. His fingers unconsciously tapped the tabletop once, very lightly. “Miss Li, I have one last question.”

“Go ahead, Boss Su.” She smiled at him.

“Does your father… know about Qingying’s relationship with Wu Chen?” he asked.

“He probably does,” Li Ruobing replied. “My brother knows, so my father must know too. But we haven’t discussed it. I imagine he’s spoken to Wu Chen.”

“Hmm…” Su Ruiwen nodded and fell silent again.

Li Ruobing glanced outside the floor-to-ceiling window. When she turned back to Su Ruiwen, she said, “Let’s leave it there for today, Boss Su. I should be getting back.” She picked up her bag and stood.

“All right.” Su Ruiwen answered, rising too.

They exchanged a few more polite pleasantries and shook hands.

Li Ruobing left!

Su Ruiwen turned to watch her walk away and down the stairs. He pondered for a while longer, then got up and approached the floor-to-ceiling window. Looking toward the front left from this position and angle, he could see the entrance to Tangsha Club and its parking lot.

Soon he spotted Li Ruobing.

Accompanied by her bodyguards, she entered the parking lot and got into a car. Her convoy pulled away… Su Ruiwen kept watching until the vehicles disappeared from sight, then withdrew his gaze.

He took out his phone and dialed a number. The call was answered almost immediately.

“Where are you? I’m in the café. Mm… all right… Where’s Qingying?… Yes, I want to talk to her. Mm…” After a few exchanges, he hung up and returned to sit on the sofa.

He began thinking again, gradually losing himself in his thoughts.

Ten minutes later.

Click, click, click… The slightly uneven sound of high heels approached. Su Qingying and Mrs. Su were coming.

“Dad, were you looking for me?” Su Qingying asked as she walked over, instinctively glancing at her mother.

More than half an hour earlier, Mrs. Su had called Su Qingying away. There hadn’t been anything particularly important to do. She had simply introduced Qingying to a few people.

They too were guests at Lu Guangnian’s wedding, wealthy businessmen from out of town.

Then Mrs. Su had received Su Ruiwen’s call and brought Su Qingying over, saying something about having a talk.

Su Ruiwen turned toward his wife and daughter. He seemed about to speak, but hesitated.

“What’s wrong, Dad? What did you want to talk about?” Su Qingying asked again when she reached the table. Her smile held a little surprise, and she glanced at her mother once more.

Mrs. Su exchanged a look with her daughter, said nothing, and turned toward her husband.

She didn’t know what he wanted to discuss with Qingying either.

Earlier, she had called Su Qingying away from Li Ruobing at Su Ruiwen’s request, but she hadn’t known why. He still hadn’t explained it to her.

“What’s going on?” Su Qingying asked yet again. Her expression was beginning to change. Her smile stiffened as she looked between her parents, afraid something serious had happened.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Mrs. Su asked too.

“Mm… let’s go home first. We’ll talk when we get back.” Su Ruiwen said, rising.

He certainly intended to speak to his daughter!

After his conversation with Li Ruobing, he had felt he should talk to Qingying immediately. But after thinking it over, he’d decided there was no need to rush. The conversation had to happen, but not now.

Su Ruiwen genuinely had no idea what to do with his daughter. If he talked to her, he would have to make a decision. And at the moment, he simply couldn’t!

There were many things he still needed to verify.

He truly could not believe that everything Li Ruobing had said was true! How could those bizarre, almost fantastic things possibly be real?

So he would investigate!

Investigate Wu Chen!

…

A little more than two hours later.

Six in the evening. Dusk was falling.

Villa No. 6, Shenghe Tianxia Manor, a villa community in Donghai’s West District.

In his study, Su Ruiwen sat behind his desk, his fingers tapping it softly and absently as he thought. Standing before the desk was a thin middle-aged man in a black suit, in his early forties.

His name was Du Jun. He was a staunch confidant who had worked for Su Ruiwen for nearly twenty years, and also served as his personal assistant. He often handled private affairs for Su Ruiwen, including certain things that couldn’t stand the light of day.

The study remained silent for quite some time.

Du Jun had been there a while. Su Ruiwen had summoned him by phone, but hadn’t spoken a word since Du Jun entered.

Du Jun knew his boss well. This kind of silence meant another matter of exceptional importance was about to be entrusted to him.

“Go and…” Su Ruiwen finally raised his head. “Investigate a girl called Zhuang Xiaodie. She’s a university student. She should… know Qi Chenghong, the son of Qi Min, chairman of Shuangqi Real Estate. They may be classmates… You must be extremely careful. Don’t let anyone discover what you’re doing, and don’t disturb the girl. Just… find out who she is. Everything you can about her.”

“Don’t worry, Boss. I understand.” Du Jun bent slightly at the waist and lowered his head. His answer was prompt and direct, though privately he was puzzled.

He had no idea why his boss suddenly wanted to investigate this particular girl.

“And another thing…” Su Ruiwen continued. “Arrange for someone to keep an eye on Hezhong Media. I need a detailed dossier on the company. Monitor it closely. If anything happens there, if anything changes, I want to be the first to know.”

“Yes, Boss!” Du Jun answered readily.

“Get to work. Keep it confidential.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Du Jun left in a hurry.

Su Ruiwen watched him go, then his gaze drifted again. He wanted to investigate Wu Chen, but that didn’t mean he bore Wu Chen ill will or intended to target him.

He only wanted to verify whether Li Ruobing’s claims were true. Was Wu Chen really that capable?

It was too difficult to believe!

And so he’d chosen two relatively safe starting points.

An Menglan and Li Maoren were unsafe avenues of inquiry. There was no reason for Su Ruiwen to take that risk. If the An or Li families learned he was investigating them, it would cause considerable trouble.

Instead, he chose Zhuang Xiaodie as an entry point. He wanted to know who she was and how her life had changed after becoming Wu Chen’s lover.

As for Hezhong Media… Li Ruobing had told him Wu Chen was making a move against the company. The exposure of Zhou Shenglong’s scandal was only the beginning. The real show was yet to come.

Su Ruiwen intended to watch that show, to see how Wu Chen would retaliate against Hezhong Media, one of the country’s three largest entertainment conglomerates!

What else could Wu Chen accomplish? Just how capable was he?!

After sitting in thought for a while, Su Ruiwen came back to himself and picked up his phone. He checked it, tapped the screen, opened his contacts, and scrolled down to Wu Yurong’s number. After a brief pause, he dialed.

She answered quickly.

“Brother Su.” Wu Yurong’s soft, sweet voice came through the phone.

“Yurong, are you free? Let’s have dinner tonight. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” Su Ruiwen said.

“Tonight… I’m afraid tonight won’t work.” Wu Yurong drew out the words a little, then added, “How about tomorrow, Brother Su? I already have plans tonight.”

“Plans? With whom?” Su Ruiwen asked.

“A friend, of course.” Wu Yurong laughed.

“Wu Chen, right?” Su Ruiwen said.

The other end of the line went abruptly silent.