"Alright, I'll find someone to investigate. We'll find her!" Lu Taobao nodded, then began making a call right in front of Zheng Wei.
"You should focus on recovering. While you don't seem to be seriously injured anywhere else, your leg still needs attention. Take care of yourself for the next couple of days..."
"I'm leaving the hospital tomorrow," Zheng Wei interrupted Lu Taobao directly.
Lu Taobao felt speechless upon hearing this.
"Are you sure you can manage? It's not a fracture, but..."
"When did you become so long-winded?" Zheng Wei clearly had no patience to discuss this any further.
Seeing this, Lu Taobao waved his hand dismissively.
...
Under Zheng Wei's insistence, he was discharged the next day. Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the parking lot, he was surrounded by a large group of reporters. Although he wasn't in the entertainment industry, he was still one of the top young talents in the capital. The public had always believed that the leader of the Zheng family had been severely injured. Who would have thought he would be discharged today, and he looked as if he wasn't that badly hurt, only in a wheelchair. Yet, his aura remained incredibly imposing.
"Mr. Zheng, rumors have been circulating that you're divorced. Is this true?" As Zheng Wei was being helped into the car, a female reporter suddenly rushed forward, her eyes gleaming with gossip.
Rumors had indeed been circulating for a while that Zheng Wei, a powerhouse in the business world, was married, but his partner's identity was ordinary, which was why she hadn't been exposed. However, Zheng Wei had indeed revealed in an economic interview that he was married. But recently, with the news of his car accident spreading, rumors of his divorce also began to gain traction, and many single young women online were already celebrating on Weibo.
This female reporter was extremely excited, her microphone almost shoved into Zheng Wei's face.
Zheng Wei, who was wearing sunglasses, suddenly took them off upon hearing the female reporter's question. His piercing eyes stared directly at the reporter, who became both scared and shy under his gaze.
"Who told you I was divorced?" After speaking, Zheng Wei directly signaled to the security guards accompanying him. The guards immediately escorted the group of reporters out.
As the car drove towards the Zheng residence, Lu Taobao, sitting in the car, looked back at Zheng Wei, who was resting with his eyes closed, and asked, "Do you know the consequences of what you just said?"
"Do you think I don't know?"
"Do you desperately want to announce to the world that Shen Xiaoyan is your woman right now?"
"Am I not your elder brother? You call your elder brother's wife by her first name? Call her 'sister-in-law'!" Zheng Wei frowned and said in a chilling tone.
"You're truly something else," Lu Taobao found it difficult to look at Zheng Wei like this.
"Have they found any results from the investigation?" Zheng Wei was becoming impatient. For some reason, he had a premonition that things were about to escalate beyond his control. He felt as if Shen Xiaoyan had vanished, and if she were truly gone, he... wouldn't be able to bear it...
No one could have predicted that things would develop to this point. Despite Lu Taobao deploying almost all the resources he could muster, even with such an extensive search, they still couldn't find any trace of Shen Xiaoyan. Her whereabouts were as if she had been erased from the world, completely untraceable.
"Even after searching all the cars, and even if she drove out herself, we've checked all the surveillance footage and still haven't found her," Lu Taobao and Lin Xin were both extremely surprised by this outcome.
"Hey, Old Zheng, are you sure you weren't tricked? Even Big Mom might have been deceived. Big Mom admired Shen Xiaoyan's character back then, but what if it was all an act? Maybe she's a spy!" Lin Xin had never had a good impression of Shen Xiaoyan. Even though he could sense something changing now, he still didn't want to admit it. He always clearly drew a line between himself and Shen Xiaoyan in his heart.
After they finished speaking, they slowly realized that Zheng Wei's mood had become somewhat off.
"Boss, Vice President Ge from the economic channel called. He wants to invite you to an economic interview on the evening of the 24th at 8 PM. Would you like to attend?" As Zheng Wei's expression darkened, Assistant Hou's call came in. Upon hearing the news, Zheng Wei instinctively wanted to refuse. His leg hadn't recovered yet, and he was completely unsuitable for appearing on camera. Assistant Hou thought the same, but such matters still needed to be confirmed with the boss.
"Boss?" Assistant Hou asked softly. As his most trusted assistant, he was well aware that the boss had been in a very bad mood these past few days, and it was easy to incur his wrath if one wasn't careful.
"Attend." Zheng Wei only gave Assistant Hou two words, and before Assistant Hou could express his surprise, Zheng Wei had already hung up the phone.
Looking at the hung-up phone, Assistant Hou was momentarily stunned.
Meanwhile, Lu Taobao and Lin Xin stared at Zheng Wei with looks of disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.
"Your leg still hasn't healed, and an economic channel interview isn't a written report; you need to be on camera. Are you sure you want people to push you in on a wheelchair?" Lin Xin's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Zheng Wei.
"What's the big deal? No one will dare to say anything even if I'm in a wheelchair!" Zheng Wei said casually.
"But..."
"Old Lin, say less," Lu Taobao interrupted Lin Xin, raising his hand. "This is his own business. He has the right to choose." Although Lu Taobao didn't say it, he felt that in these few short days, something must have changed within Zheng Wei, and all of these changes were likely related to Shen Xiaoyan.
"Lu Er is back these days. He used to hack computers quite a bit. I'll ask him to help look for Shen Xiaoyan's whereabouts." Lu Taobao stood up, patted Lin Xin on the head, angering Lin Xin, who jumped up. Lu Taobao then pulled him out, leaving Zheng Wei alone in the room.
"Old Zheng, think carefully. If this is your final decision, we'll all support you!" After speaking, Lu Taobao didn't care what Lin Xin wanted to babble about, and pushed Lin Xin out, stopping him from rambling any further.
After the two left, the vast mansion suddenly became empty. Zheng Wei's body seemed to have lost its strength. He leaned back on the sofa, his expression somewhat desolate...
Although Zheng Wei felt somewhat uncomfortable, his leg injury wasn't severe. Therefore, on this day, he had Assistant Hou push him to the economic channel's studio.
Zheng Wei's importance was well understood by those who had been covering economic news for years. So, when they learned that this influential figure had been invited, everyone was secretly anticipating Zheng Wei's appearance.
Zheng Wei was dressed in a black suit again today. His physique was excellent, and his long legs were undeniable even in a wheelchair. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, which, instead of diminishing his imposing presence, made him look even more like a "well-dressed beast."
"Oh my, oh my!" As Assistant Hou pushed Zheng Wei into the studio, everyone present, especially the women, let out excited cries.
"Mr. Zheng, as this is a live broadcast, there are some questions we need to review. If there are any unsuitable points, we can make timely changes," the female host asked cautiously.
Zheng Wei merely grunted. As he reached out, Assistant Hou handed him the document the female host had provided.
Zheng Wei skimmed through it. Indeed, there were no sensitive questions, only issues related to the group and the economy. Nothing seemed inappropriate.
The female host, with a flushed face, kept looking at Zheng Wei cautiously. However, as she was quietly observing him, the man suddenly looked up, and his gaze met hers.
This startled the female host. She quickly tidied her hair and then asked with curiosity and confusion, "Mr. Zheng, is there a problem with this script?"
"I don't mind discussing my wife. It's because there have been rumors recently that I'm divorced." Zheng Wei's sudden statement surprised not only the female host but even Assistant Hou, who was following behind him.
It seemed the weather was indeed going to change, and the boss actually wanted to mention his wife in front of the entire audience?
The female host, possessing excellent professional ethics, reacted quickly to Zheng Wei's words. "Mr. Zheng, let's review it together. To what extent of questioning are you willing to accept?"
The female host had heard rumors about the Zheng family. After all, the scandals of the prominent young men in the capital were followed by people all over the country. Among them, Zheng Wei was the only one who was married, and his marriage had always attracted considerable attention.
"Regarding her, anything is acceptable," Zheng Wei said lazily, lifting his head slightly before adding.
Assistant Hou behind him almost spat out blood. The female host was also very surprised. Just now, she thought she had glimpsed a hint of suppressed emotion in Zheng Wei's eyes through his gold-rimmed glasses.
This... was truly strange. However, even though Zheng Wei said this, she wouldn't dare to ask any casual questions later. Therefore, she chose a few relatively neutral questions for Zheng Wei to prepare for.
Zheng Wei didn't say much about this. However, Assistant Hou felt increasingly strange because... he somehow felt that the boss seemed somewhat dejected... Could it be... that the questions weren't personal enough? Did he want to flaunt his affection on camera?
Zheng Wei's true thoughts were naturally not revealed to Assistant Hou, but Assistant Hou had guessed something correctly.
After arranging Zheng Wei, Assistant Hou obediently went to watch behind the cameras with the director. The boss was inconvenient to move around, and he didn't want the camera to tarnish his boss's wise and mighty image.
The director was a very professional individual. Especially after hearing Zheng Wei's previous statement, he had keenly realized that Zheng Wei was currently not avoiding discussing his wife. He watched the camera intently, and at this moment, he noticed something on Zheng Wei's hand. So, he spoke softly into the walkie-talkie to the cameraman on the left, "Get a close-up shot of the diamond ring on Mr. Zheng's hand."
It was only when the director said this that Assistant Hou slowly realized that on his boss's right hand, there was indeed! There was a diamond ring. The ring looked simple and elegant, but... for some reason, he was absolutely certain that this ring was his boss's wedding ring.
While Assistant Hou was intensely "peeking at the screen," the female host had already finished asking questions about the economy.
When Assistant Hou looked back, the female host's new question was already being asked.
"Mr. Zheng, rumors have been circulating recently that you are divorced. What are your thoughts on this matter?" The female host suppressed her inherent curiosity. After all, she was a host for an economic channel, not an entertainment one, although she was dying to gossip.
The man clasped his long, handsome hands together. Because of this action, the diamond ring on his hand was very eye-catching. It was at this moment that the female host also noticed that he was wearing a diamond ring on his hand.
"Regarding this matter, I want to clarify here. My wife and I are not divorced. However, I recently angered her, so she is preparing to leave home." Zheng Wei said this with a smile, his exquisite face already captivating the female host.
"May I ask why your wife is angry?" the female host inquired curiously.
"She has a very good temper. Perhaps I've angered her too many times, so this time she's reached her breaking point." Zheng Wei said casually, making people speculate that he was probably referring to a minor tiff between a couple.
Assistant Hou, sitting below, was about to faint. His wife wasn't just planning to leave home; she had already been gone for many days! Even with people dispatched by President Lu, they hadn't found her!
His wife was clearly in a missing state right now!
"Mrs. Zheng must be very happy," even the director, a grown man, couldn't help but ask Assistant Hou.
Assistant Hou smiled politely from beginning to end.
While smiling, he felt a pang of sadness in his heart. That... that Mrs. Zheng wasn't as happy as you all imagined. She wasn't unhappy; she had endured the disapproval of several influential figures. Assistant Hou sometimes felt that it was truly not easy. She never caused a scene or troubled the boss, and she bore everything alone. And now, for some reason, the boss... Assistant Hou didn't dare to say anything, and he had a feeling that if Shen Xiaoyan left this time, she might not easily return.
There are people in this world who, though they appear slow, are resolute when it comes to certain things, and no one can pull them back.
Naturally, many people were paying attention to Zheng Wei, including many female fans. After this episode of the economic interview was aired, the term "Mrs. Zheng" instantly sparked heated discussions online. However, whenever someone secretly posted photos of Shen Xiaoyan, the brand department of Wen's Group would quickly have them removed.
After the show ended, indeed, no one spread rumors about Zheng Wei being divorced anymore. But there was still no news from Shen Xiaoyan, which made Zheng Wei anxious.
"Still no news from Lu Er?" Zheng Wei asked.
Lu Taobao nodded.
"Oh, right, Old Lu, did your Lu Tianmeng need any practical experience back then? My second son is currently volunteering as a teacher in a mountainous area." Speaking of which, Lin Xin suddenly remembered that his younger brother, Yi Zhixie, was going to teach in a mountainous area. He needed a good practical experience for his overseas studies, and this volunteer teaching was clearly aimed at that.