She walked towards the conference room, with Assistant Lu following closely, chattering about the events in S City over the past few months.
"The company is operating normally. The most important matters will be discussed in the upcoming meeting. I've already sent you the relevant materials," Assistant Lu said.
"Mhm."
"Mr. Yan from Yan's Group had contacted you before. We told him you were on your honeymoon, and then he left."
"Mhm."
"The executive CEO of Yan's Group's parent company resigned a month ago and went to HD. Rumors are flying that he sold commercial secrets. Yan's Group seems to be preparing to sue him. Mr. Yan plans to get married by the end of the year and has already given me an invitation. He also asked me to bring you one and to make sure to bring your spouse. Mr. Zhou, would you like one?"
"Commercial secrets?" Zhuo Ling smiled faintly. "What commercial secrets are there in real estate? Stealing his design blueprints?"
The assistant was speechless. *What is he talking about? Are we discussing the same thing?*
Before she could ask if he wanted it, they had already arrived at the conference room.
She hadn't been back for months, and being a hands-off manager wasn't something to be done casually. Of course, she had a lot of work to do.
These past few days were also the wrap-up of the business war between Yan Huaizhang and those who had been plotting against him. Then, unnoticed by most, the business war had taken a turn towards legal proceedings.
Chong Yan hadn't expected to hear Yan Huaizhang's name again, especially not on the social news.
"Framing and false accusations are unacceptable, malicious competition is unacceptable, and blatant hired murder like this is even more unacceptable. The public security organs have arrested Liu, the legal representative of HD. According to Liu's confession, there are people behind him..."
Chong Yan was stunned for a long time. Even after the news ended, he felt as if he were dreaming.
He turned his head to look at Zhuo Ling. "Is this real?"
Zhuo Ling was wearing a silk pajama set, the clothes on her right shoulder having slipped down to reveal a fair, rounded shoulder. Her black hair cascaded down, giving her a look of gentle charm.
Hearing his question, she leaned closer to look. "It's on the news, how could it be fake?"
It certainly couldn't be fake.
Chong Yan was shocked for a long time, then slowly exhaled.
Zhuo Ling put down the iPad in her hand. "It has nothing to do with you, why the long face?"
He replied with a complex expression, "I thought all of that was just acting."
He didn't know that Zhuo Ling had once been targeted by assassins, but the attempt failed. The perpetrators were sent to prison by Zhuo Ling.
In the past, he had seen similar social news reports. The business wars that sounded impressive to outsiders were often as ridiculous as a company's general manager or even chairman climbing over walls to steal from another company, or even culinary professionals sneaking into other people's kitchens to learn their recipes.
A case of hired murder that made it onto social news was a first.
It was no wonder he was surprised.
"Art imitates life."
"Art surpasses life."
Zhuo Ling shook her head. "No, art can't get ahead of life. No matter how ornate the language, how clear the story structure, how wild the imagination, or how grand the visuals, it's all illusory. People can make anything real. You might think the content in stories is absurd, but sometimes reality is even more astounding. Don't forget, no matter how bizarre a story is, it's all conceived in the human mind."
What people can imagine, they have already done, or will eventually do.
The true ugliness of human hearts and nature can never be fully described in a few words. No matter how well language describes it, when a real case occurs, you'll find that the description is still too superficial.
Chong Yan thought about it carefully and nodded in agreement. "It seems to be true. Those cannibalistic movies and TV shows aren't real, but things that movies and TV shows can't depict have actually happened in reality."
"So you need to maintain a calm state of mind," Zhuo Ling transformed into a life coach. "If you grieve over every insignificant matter, your life will only be filled with sorrow."
Chong Yan put his phone down. "It's not entirely insignificant. We've met him a few times, and the reports say he's seriously injured in the hospital. Should we go see him?"
What happened at their wedding and his later interactions with Zhou Lanlan made Chong Yan feel like they were friends.
When a friend is in trouble, one should visit.
Zhuo Ling desperately wanted to refuse. Yan Huaizhang wasn't an idiot; this incident was most likely orchestrated by her. Zhuo Ling had already played enough roles for the sake of "compatibility," and she had no interest in watching him act pitiful.
"Not going would be impolite. He even sent us a wedding invitation. We see each other often, and if word gets out, people will think you two are at odds, which wouldn't be good."
"There's nothing bad about it," Zhuo Ling pushed him onto the bed. "He's not going to die. Besides, he probably won't have time to see us tomorrow. Doesn't your laboratory have several projects in progress? Handle your work first, and visit him when you have time later."
Having also gone away for a few months, Zhuo Ling had at least half a month's worth of work to catch up on. Chong Yan's workload was no less, and then there was the island they had recently bought. They were both so busy, yet he still had the leisure to visit someone unrelated. Zhuo Ling couldn't help but admire him.
Chong Yan was persuaded by her words and diligently spent several days in the laboratory, finally catching up on most of his accumulated work. Yan Huaizhang had also successfully apprehended the mastermind behind the incident. Only then did they go to the hospital to see him.
Yan Huaizhang's injuries weren't severe. He had a limp, a wound on his head, and a scar on his face, making him look like a mummy. However, his complexion was ruddy, and his spirit was good.
Having eliminated a major threat and with his beloved by his side, it was hard not to be happy.
Lu Shiyao harbored strong reservations towards the two of them, especially Zhuo Ling. Ever since Zhuo Ling had exposed her identity as a reborn person, she had become increasingly curious about Zhuo Ling's own identity. However, after investigating for a long time, she still couldn't figure it out, so she could only assume Zhuo Ling was like her, either reborn or a transmigrator.
Yan Huaizhang was almost smiling at everyone he met. Lying in the hospital, he seemed as if good news was about to arrive, happily inviting them in.
Lu Shiyao got up to wash some fruit for them.
"I heard you two had a very enjoyable time playing outside."
"Yes, we had a great time."
He looked at Chong Yan and teased, "Mr. Ran's face, while not extraordinarily handsome, does have some appeal. No wonder Miss Zhou would give you a thousand pieces of gold for a smile. Oh, I envy you."
Chong Yan replied nonchalantly, "Then Mr. Yan can just envy us. Or, perhaps you can buy one for yourself to console yourself?"
Yan Huaizhang was speechless. *His skin has thickened. If he had said something like that before, this person would have been embarrassed.*
"That won't be necessary," his smile held a hint of complexity. "Yan's Group cannot compare to YL's vast fortune, and we cannot afford such an expenditure."