Chapter 639: Chapter 41: Was it a Conspiracy?
Chapter 41: Is That a Conspiracy?
(A self-recommendation for new readers: Old Lai’s complete book "Seems Pure" has nearly 800,000 recommendations, the highest among all my books. It also tops monthly passes among my books, a very joyful read. Friends who like this book will surely enjoy it too. Click on the book page’s "Heaven’s Feather" or "Author Information" for direct links. Welcome to read!)
Whether Nian Yufei is helping her friends more this time, or just wanting to get closer to Li Yan, only she knows. Anyway, after Li Yan made the arrangements, she fully agreed.
Afterwards, Li Yan and Yue Yao were downstairs, drinking tea and watching TV. He asked her about the situation with "their" organization and if there have been any new developments in the past few days.
Yue Yao indicated that there was no other bad news; everyone has remained low-key and hidden. However, those who lost contact are still missing.
They had dinner at home, with Zhang Yurong heading out in the evening. This dinner was not someone inviting her, so she had to arrive early. The venue was chosen at the Prince Hotel’s restaurant, keeping resources within their own circle.
After dinner and some rest, Li Yan went back to the gym, maintaining his routine of running and physical training, and some appropriate reaction and combat training. This afternoon, even though he handled the confrontation with the security guards smoothly, it was not necessary to use deadly force. However, compared to his peak, he still felt his capabilities had slightly declined.
In fact, whenever he’s free at home, he maintains his exercise routine every evening. Some combat and killing techniques had been honed through hundreds of thousands, even millions of practices, becoming instinctual reflexes requiring only occasional practice to maintain. The key is to sustain good body coordination and physical condition. It’s like writing; once you’ve learned it in school, even if you don’t practice it diligently, using a computer and not writing for years, you won’t forget how to write.
Since he was expected to pick up Zhang Yurong tonight and wasn’t certain of the exact time, Li Yan exercised a bit earlier. Afterward, he took a shower, told Yue Yao, and went out.
Zhang Yurong asked him to pick her up, not out of being coy, but because she’s cautious and won’t drive after drinking. Plus, she wasn’t sure how much she would drink tonight, so having a sober Li Yan drive her back was the safest option.
Since he was going to pick her up, he didn’t drive out. So, he left early, walked to the nearest bus stop, took a passing bus to a busier area, and then took a taxi to the Prince Hotel.
He was quite familiar with the Prince Hotel. The last time someone falsely claimed an anthrax virus was released there, and because Zhang Yurong went inside, he rushed there, mixed into the hotel, and got locked inside. Another time, he returned for a stay there, and once Nian Yufei held a piano concert there, she stayed at this hotel.
Prince Hotel is located on the outskirts of the city, beside a main road, with a specially paved road leading in, about a hundred or two hundred meters in, flanked by carefully managed greenery, creating a beautiful environment. After getting off the taxi, Li Yan didn’t head in immediately. Instead, he strolled around slowly. Even in the warm climate, by December, the grass was no longer lush green. But he didn’t mind and sat down under a tree.
Leaning against the tree, Li Yan’s thoughts wandered. Zhang Yurong might have chosen the Prince Hotel not just to keep resources within their circle and manage hosting costs since it’s part of their group. Perhaps she was using this home field to express some things at the gathering without needing to say much.
At that time, Li Yan hadn’t thought deeply about the events behind the scenes. He and Zhang Yurong didn’t share much emotion, and he was just fulfilling his duty as a husband by preparing to help her if a danger was discovered, nothing more. So back then, he offered some suggestions but didn’t delve into the conspiracy behind the case or understand how it was eventually handled.
Now, being there again and with the recent issues concerning the Changhe Group, he connected the two. Reflecting on it, it seemed that there was an international business forum held in the city around that time. The Prince Hotel, under Paradise Group with a great environment, obtained the main venue, and many foreign guests stayed there. In such an environment, the threat of anthrax virus surfaced. What would be the outcome?
Thinking back, there’s a different perspective now!
That time, on the rooftop, the mysterious cleaner Chen Junwei caught the foreigner. Through him, they caught an employee holding a packet of powder, proving he was paid to assist the foreigner. Since it wasn’t released into the main air conditioning vents, it didn’t spread. Later, the health department’s tests proved it contained infectious bacteria but wasn’t anthrax. The matter seemed neither too complex nor particularly well-executed crime-wise.
But if it was not anthrax virus, just intimidation, what was the goal? A scare? To draw attention?
These are possible outcomes, but are they the larger results? Could it have been an opportunity specifically used to tarnish the Prince Hotel’s reputation?
Back then, it was treated as an unexpected crisis, and the PR outcome was considered decent. But if the culprit hadn’t been caught, and the powder packet not controlled in time, the powder, even if not as terrifying as anthrax, would have caused chaos for a week or two, right? And as long as there were infections and symptoms appeared, it would surely lead to mass isolation and hospitalization, implicating Paradise Group’s reputation and stock price...
Thinking that it might not have been an accident, but rather a conspiracy, Li Yan felt somewhat relieved!
If he hadn’t gotten involved back then, it might have been a different outcome. It’s just a pity that he didn’t think of these things at the time; it would have been troublesome.
Actually, after returning post-lockdown, Li Yan did suspect that it was resolved too easily and the mastermind was caught. Even Chen Junwei was a suspect. But without leads and lacking interest in those matters, he didn’t think much of it nor reminded Zhang Yurong.
If this was truly orchestrated by Changhe Group, with whatever means they used, Li Yan felt a strong need to give them a heavy blow!
...
As he thought things through, his phone rang. It was Zhang Yurong calling.
Judging the time, it should be about right. Li Yan stood up, walking towards the hotel while answering the call: "How’s it going? Finished dinner?"
"Yeah, but you don’t need to come to pick me up. Xiao Di didn’t drink and didn’t drive, so she’ll drive me back. No need to trouble you!"
"Ah?" Li Yan found it a bit amusing. I’ve come all the way here, and now you’re telling me not to come?
"What’s ’ah’? That’s how it is. I’m hanging up now." Zhang Yurong finished speaking and hung up.
Li Yan stopped in his tracks, wondering what was going on!
After some thought, he realized Xiao Di probably intended to go to their place, so she didn’t drive, only had Ji Yi drop her off. During dinner, claiming youth and student status to avoid drinking, the others wouldn’t force her. As the host, Zhang Yurong would surely drink, and Xiao Di conveniently offered to drive her home. Zhang Yurong likely foresaw this but, being helped back, wouldn’t or couldn’t refuse.
He looked around for a moment, unsure if they had left. If they hadn’t, and he hurried up, they could have driven him back. But if he ran into Ji Yi, it would be difficult to explain.
After thinking about it, he decided to give it up. If Xiao Di took Yurong home, she’d likely stay overnight, and he’d see them tonight or tomorrow morning anyway. Since he didn’t have to rush back, he decided to attend to removing the tag of being a "no-show" for his friends.
Li Yan immediately moved outward and started calling Sun Hui and Xu Ping, telling them to head to a bar they often visited before.
Though they received his text in the morning, no one believed him. Now with his call and repeated assurances that he had already left and would soon be at the bar, Xu Ping and Sun Hui decided to believe him once more and each contacted others.
Catching a taxi to the bar, Li Yan felt a bit nostalgic. They used to hang out every week; even without a group, he’d come out alone for fun. It had been some time since his last drink-out, and he had grown accustomed to it. Indeed, people change! Especially men, who change for women.
This bar wasn’t the one where he and Hai Fu had dates, but rather Wen Qianyi’s friend’s bar. On the night Wen Qianyi interviewed at Paradise Group, they encountered each other there, and he’s had drinks with her there many times.
Perhaps because they lived close by, just as Li Yan was reminiscing at the bar entrance, Xu Ping and Sun Hui showed up in succession. Seeing Li Yan, they both embraced him.
"Holy shit! It’s real, you didn’t lie to us!" Sun Hui feigned surprise.
Xu Ping laughed, "Gosh, that’s incredible! No one believed you, they wouldn’t come out even if we invited them; they said you would never show up!"
"Damn, is it so exaggerated? Well, that means you win money, and I spend less."
"That’s true."
Chatting away, the three entered the bar together. As Li Yan walked in, he looked around and unexpectedly spotted Wen Qianyi!
(Thanks to the brothers who rewarded yesterday: Me, The Most Unique, Meng Du Te, Obba, CP Pampas, Support You with Heart) (To be continued, for more, please log in to www.qidian.com, see how the story unfolds, stay tuned for more!)
"""
