Video Editor

Even after leaving, Li Fendou still found it hard to let go, after all, that was his daughter.

The thought that the other party's motives for approaching his daughter were impure sent a chill down Li Fendou's spine.

Secretary Yan, who had never seen Li Fendou so out of control, was also very troubled, feeling that what was going on was too terrifying to think about.

However, Secretary Yan still tried her best to reassure Li Fendou, "President Li, perhaps it really is just a coincidence. I think Coco still likes Suning very much."

"No! I'm still not at ease! Secretary Yan, you don't need to do anything right now. Just focus on finding out the truth about Su Ning and Hu Manli."

"Okay! I'll take care of it right away."

"Also, Coco must never find out! If it's really confirmed that this is a setup, I'll throw this Suning company into the Huangpu River to feed the fish."

"clear."

In fact, investigating Suning, Hu Manli, and the other two is very easy; it's a piece of cake for a big boss like Li Fendou.

You should know that even the daughter of a certain Baidu executive can freely open other people's blind boxes; in this chaotic world, there's nothing that money can't solve.

Li Fendou stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the dazzling lights on both sides of the Huangpu River, the ice in his whiskey glass already mostly melted.

His brows were furrowed, his gaze was gloomy, and the glass reflected the tense lines of his profile.

"Mr. Li, the documents are all organized." Secretary Yan knocked gently on the door and walked in carrying a stack of documents.

Li Fendou turned around, put down his wine glass, and his fingers trembled slightly as he took the document.

"Has everything been investigated?"

“Yes, the background information of Su Ning, Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou is all here.” Secretary Yan pushed up his glasses. “As per your request, we used all our connections and even checked their social records from their university days.”

Li Fendou opened the document; the first page showed Suning's ID photo.

The young man in the photo has delicate features and an unsettling confidence in his eyes.

"This kid, he does look decent enough." He sneered.

“Suning is 25 years old this year. He graduated from the Department of Finance at Shanghai University. He had excellent grades during his time at university and served as the Minister of External Relations of the Student Union,” Secretary Yan reported professionally. “After graduation, he joined Lanyang Insurance Company and within six months his performance had risen to the top three in the company.”

"Hmph, how many insurance salesmen are any good?" Li Fendou turned to the next page, which contained Hu Manli's information. "What about this woman?"

“Hu Manli is 39 years old. She used to work as a customer manager at Lanyang Insurance. Later, she was reported by Xue Xiaozhou for suspected insurance fraud and was punished by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission with a two-year ban from working in the insurance industry.” Secretary Yan paused. “Interestingly, shortly after being reported, Xue Xiaozhou also resigned and joined Taiying International.”

Li Fendou slammed the file shut. "Isn't it obvious? The three of them are clearly in cahoots! Hu Manli's report was a ruse, a ploy to get Xue Xiaozhou infiltrated into Taiying International!"

Secretary Yan hesitated for a moment, "President Li, this speculation is a bit far-fetched. According to our investigation, Hu Manli did indeed engage in irregular operations at the time, and she and Xue Xiaozhou had almost no contact during their time at Lanyang Insurance."

“Coincidence?” Li Fendou sneered, walked to his desk and sat down heavily. “How many ‘coincidences’ have happened around Coco since she was a child? Which of those businessmen and politicians who tried to curry favor with me by getting close to her wasn’t meticulously planned?”

He picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't extinguish the anger in his heart.

“This time it’s different. Coco looked at that kid with those eyes…” Li Fendou’s voice suddenly choked up as he recalled the bright eyes of his daughter when she talked about Su Ning, a pure joy he hadn’t seen in many years.

Secretary Yan wisely remained silent.

The only sound in the office was the soft hum of the air conditioner.

After a long while, Li Fendou spoke again, his voice hoarse: "Continue investigating. I need to know how they met Coco. I can't overlook any detail."

“It’s already been checked.” Secretary Yan opened another document. “When Miss Li was working at the luxury goods store, Hu Manli was a frequent customer, and that’s how the two met. Later, Hu Manli took Su Ning shopping and introduced them. At that time, Miss Li used the name ‘Youqi,’ so it shouldn’t have been a deliberate arrangement.”

"Should?" Li Fendou's sharp gaze shot towards Secretary Yan. "Do you know what I relied on to build my empire from scratch? It's that I never believed in 'should' or 'coincidence'!"

He stood up and paced restlessly around the office.

"How did Hu Manli live after her business was suspended? Where did she get the money to buy luxury goods? How did Suning manage to secure a major client right after graduation? Why did Xue Xiaozhou report her boss and then jump ship?" A barrage of questions shot out like bullets. "Have all these questions been investigated?"

Secretary Yan's forehead was beaded with sweat. "During the shutdown, Hu Manli mainly lived off her savings and profit sharing from her partnership with Suning; Suning's first major client was General Manager Li of Yating Beauty, whom they reportedly met by chance at an industry forum; Xue Xiaozhou resigned because her mother was ill and needed high medical expenses, and Taiying International offered her a higher salary..."

"Enough!" Li Fendou waved his hand to interrupt. "These superficial excuses may fool others, but they won't fool me. Who is President Li of Yating Beauty? A notorious lecher in the industry! What makes Su Ning think he can win her over?"

A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. "Investigate whether there are any shady dealings between them."

Secretary Yan nodded and noted it down. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "President Li, there's something else... Xue Xiaozhou asked to meet you through President Gu. President Gu just called to say he's agreed."

"What?" Li Fendou turned around abruptly. "Why would that old fox Gu Tianming speak up for a nobody like an insurance salesman?"

"It is said that... Xue Xiaozhou played tennis with President Gu for a week and won him over with her sincerity."

"Sincerity?" Li Fendou scoffed. "Gu Tianming is ruthless and heartless. Would he help someone out of 'sincerity'? Xue Xiaozhou must have given him something in return!"

Just then, the phone rang.

Li Fendou glanced at the caller ID, his expression turning even uglier.

"Speak of the devil, and he appears." He pressed the answer button, his voice immediately becoming enthusiastic: "Brother Gu! What made you think of calling me?"

Gu Tianming's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone: "Brother Li, I heard you're going to set up a family trust? I have a young friend at Taiying International who's quite capable. I'd like to introduce you to him."

Li Fendou's lips twitched, barely suppressing his anger: "The person Brother Gu recommends is definitely not bad. But my schedule is packed with meetings lately..."

"It'll only take ten minutes of your time. You can talk to me on your way to the Housing and Construction Commission meeting tomorrow." Gu Tianming's tone left no room for refusal. "This young man has it tough, and he's still working so hard. It breaks my heart to see him like this."

After hanging up the phone, Li Fendou slammed it onto the sofa.

"See that? Even someone as insignificant as Xue Xiaozhou can move Gu Tianming! Their team's methods are even more sophisticated than I imagined!"

Secretary Yan asked cautiously, "And what about tomorrow's meeting..."

"See them! Why not?" A glint flashed in Li Fendou's eyes. "I want to see just how these people are."

The next morning, as soon as Li Fendou entered the underground parking garage, a woman in a business suit emerged from behind a pillar and blocked his car.

"Mr. Li, hello! I am Hu Manli from Taiying International." The woman bowed slightly, her voice neither humble nor arrogant. "I apologize for bothering you, but I would like to ask you to give our team a chance to showcase our abilities."

Li Fendou squinted and sized up the woman in front of him.

She appeared to be around thirty-four years old, with exquisite but not overly glamorous makeup, and her every move exuded the competence and charm unique to mature working women.

"Your team?" he sneered. "Yesterday, Xue Xiaozhou arranged to meet me through President Gu, and today you're here to ambush me. Is Su Ning going to be the one guarding my doorstep next?"

Hu Manli remained composed: "President Li, you misunderstand. Xue Xiaozhou's request for President Gu's introduction was his personal effort, while my presence here today is a spontaneous act. Every member of our team hopes to contribute to your family trust."

Just as Li Fendou was about to retort, Xue Xiaozhou ran over breathlessly: "President Li! I'm sorry I'm late..."

"Good! Everyone's here, huh?" Li Fendou laughed angrily. "One's pulling strings, the other's blocking people—they're working together pretty well!"

Just as Hu Manli was about to explain, Secretary Yan suddenly exclaimed, "President Li, there's a stain on the back of your suit!"

Li Fendou turned his head to look and, sure enough, found a noticeable coffee stain on the expensive custom-made suit.

His face immediately turned ashen: "What's going on? I need to see the leaders of the Housing and Construction Commission immediately!"

"I have a spare suit in my car, but it's too late to go back and get it now..." Secretary Yan was sweating profusely with anxiety.

"That's too late."

"Wait! I have a way."

Without saying a word, Hu Manli took out a gold watercolor pen from her bag, squatted down, and carefully drew a few strokes on the stain.

Amazingly, after her touch-up, the stain transformed into a faintly visible golden leaf pattern, seamlessly blending into the suit fabric.

"It's just a temporary fix. It can be removed by dry cleaning after the meeting." She stood up, looking at her work with satisfaction.

Li Fendou glanced at the rearview mirror and had to admit that the on-the-spot handling was perfect.

But he immediately hardened his expression: "Don't think I'll be grateful to you just like that. I've already arranged to speak with Su Ning alone. Let him come and talk to me!"

Watching the two figures walk away, Li Fendou got into his car, his feelings complicated.

Secretary Yan whispered, "President Li, that Hu Manli is indeed quite resourceful..."

"Hmph, just clever tricks." Li Fendou said this, but in his heart he had to admit that everyone on this team was extraordinary.

Meanwhile, back at the company, Xue Xiaozhou closed the door and finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Sister Hu! Do you know how risky it is to go and confront President Li directly like this? If we anger him, all our efforts will be in vain!"

Hu Manli slowly reapplied her lipstick: "So how much of a chance do you think we have by playing ball with Gu Tianming? Who is Li Fendou? He's known as a tough guy in Shanghai. If we don't teach him a lesson, will he even look at us?"

"But you were so humble and subservient in helping him with his suit..."

"Humble and subservient?" Hu Manli sneered. "That's professionalism. Our value lies in showing up when clients need us most and solving their most pressing problems."

She put away her lipstick, her eyes sharp. "Xiaozhou, remember, in this industry, you either win by surprise or you're out."

Xue Xiaozhou fell silent.

He knew Hu Manli was right, but deep down he was still uneasy about such radical methods.

"Oh right, where's Suning?" he suddenly remembered something.

Hu Manli smiled mysteriously: "He went to meet a key figure who can help us take down Li Fendou."

"Who?"

"Li Yuke."

Xue Xiaozhou gasped, "Are you crazy? What if Li Fendou finds out we've been in contact with his daughter..."

“It wasn’t us,” Hu Manli corrected, “it was a chance encounter between them. Miss Coco invited Suning for coffee.”

She blinked. "Is it any of the parents' business if young people are dating?"

……

The atmosphere in Li Fendou's office was so heavy it was almost palpable.

He stood by the window, his back to the door, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the window frame.

"Dad, you wanted to see me?" Li Yu pushed open the door and entered, her voice clearly impatient.

Li Fendou slowly turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping across his daughter's face.

"Coco, what exactly is going on between you and that Su Ning?"

Li Yu Ke's brows furrowed immediately. "You investigated me again?"

She walked a few steps to the desk, placed her hands on the surface, and said, "I'm already twenty-five years old, don't I even have the freedom to make friends?"

"Friends?" Li Fendou sneered. "You call those insurance salesmen who scheme to get close to you friends?"

"Deliberately plotting?" Li Yuke's voice suddenly rose. "I was the one who initiated the meeting! I was the one who asked him out! Do you think everyone in the world who gets close to me has ulterior motives?"

Li Fendou took a deep breath, trying to suppress his rising anger.

"Coco, Daddy just doesn't want you to be taken advantage of. Do you know how many people are eyeing our family's wealth right now?"

"Money, money, all you care about is money!" Li Yuke's eyes began to redden. "After Mom left, all you know how to do is use money to solve everything! Sending me abroad is spending money, making me happy is spending money, and now you even measure my friendships by money!"

These words were like a sharp knife, precisely piercing the softest part of Li Fendou's heart.

His face turned pale instantly, and his lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't utter a word in rebuttal.

Li Yu wiped her eyes and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Li Fendou called out to her, his voice suddenly softening, "Dad... Dad just wants to protect you."

“I don’t need that kind of protection,” Li Yu said without turning her head. “What I need is respect and trust.”

After saying that, she slammed the door and left.

The loud slam of the door closing echoed in the office, and Li Fendou slumped into his chair as if all his strength had been drained away.

With trembling hands, he took a yellowed photograph from the drawer.

The photo shows a young man and his wife holding their newborn daughter, Coco, and the three of them are smiling so happily.

"Afang, what should I do..." he murmured softly, his fingers gently tracing his wife's face in the photograph.

A knock sounded at the door, and Secretary Yan cautiously peeked in.

"Mr. Li, Suning has arrived."

Li Fendou quickly put away the photos, straightened his tie, and put on his cold, hard mask again. "Let him in." A moment later, Su Ning walked in, dressed in a well-tailored dark blue suit.

His steps were neither humble nor arrogant, and his gaze calmly met Li Fendou's scrutinizing eyes.

"Hello, Uncle." Su Ning bowed slightly.

"Sit down." Li Fendou pointed to the chair opposite him, his voice as cold as ice.

After Su Ning sat down, the two fell into a brief silence.

Li Fendou's sharp gaze swept across the young man before him like an X-ray, trying to find any flaws.

"Do you know why I'm looking for you?" Li Fendou finally asked.

Su Ning said frankly, "I can probably guess. It's about me and You Qi, and... the family trust."

"Hmph! You're not pretending to be confused." Li Fendou sneered. "Then I'll be blunt. Leave my daughter, and this 30 million trust is yours."

Su Ning's expression remained completely unchanged; not even her eyelashes trembled.

“Uncle, if I may be so bold, this kind of deal is too cliché. I will not agree to it.”

"What? You think it's not enough?" Li Fendou squinted.

“No.” Su Ning shook her head. “If You Qi no longer likes me, I will never pester her. But if we are forced to separate, I cannot do it.”

He looked directly into Li Fendou's eyes. "Moreover, do you really think that buying out your daughter's happiness with money is for her own good?"

Li Fendou slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. "You're just an insurance salesman, what right do you have to guarantee my daughter's happiness? Do you know how difficult it is to live in Shanghai? A decent apartment costs tens of millions!"

“I know I can’t give her the best material life right now,” Su Ning’s voice remained steady, “but I’m young and willing to endure hardship. And…”

He paused, then added, "Youqi isn't after my money, is she?"

These words pierced Li Fendou like a needle.

He recalled his daughter's angry gaze and was momentarily speechless.

“That Tang Ling, isn’t she your arch-enemy at Taiying International?” Li Fendou suddenly changed the subject. “I can make her stay above you forever.”

Suning finally showed a hint of surprise, but quickly regained his composure.

“Uncle, you really don’t need to do this. There’s not that much self-interest involved between Youqi and me.”

Li Fendou stared at Su Ning for a long time, then suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion.

The young man's composure surprised him; he was neither like those sycophantic businessmen nor like those pretty boys who only knew how to use sweet words.

"You can go now!" Li Fendou waved his hand. "I need to think about it some more."

Suning stood up and bowed politely.

“Uncle, whether you ultimately choose to serve our team or not, I hope you can respect Yuki’s choice. She’s a smart girl and knows what she’s doing.”

After Su Ning left, Secretary Yan came in.

"Mr. Li, how did the talks go?"

Li Fendou rubbed his temples, his brows furrowed.

"Secretary Yan, you said... if Coco gives birth to a child to inherit the family business, wouldn't Su Ning be a very suitable candidate?"

Secretary Yan adjusted his glasses and cautiously replied, "Theoretically speaking, that's true. Su Ning is young and promising, has good genes, and seems to genuinely care for Miss Li."

“That’s the problem!” Li Fendou stood up irritably. “He’s too perfect, unrealistically perfect! I’m worried that Coco can’t outmaneuver him.”

“Mr. Li, aren’t you… being overprotective?” Secretary Yan said cautiously. “Ms. Li has lived independently abroad for many years, so her judgment should be quite good. Besides, we can sign a prenuptial agreement.”

"Hmph! People have too many tricks up their sleeves these days! Didn't that 18-year-old girl in Taiwan who inherited 1.5 billion just commit suicide by falling from a great height a few hours after registering her marriage?"

"This..." Secretary Yan immediately trembled with fear.

At this moment, Li Fendou continued to speak thoughtfully, "Hmph! Although others call me a nouveau riche and a bumpkin behind my back, I've met quite a few important people. This Su Ning is definitely not an ordinary insurance salesman."

"..."

Li Fendou walked silently to the window and looked at the city view outside.

Secretary Yan's words reminded him of his daughter's earlier accusation—"All you care about is money."

"Let's observe further," he finally said.

His voice, however, carried an unprecedented uncertainty.

Although his main goal was for his daughter to get married and have a child as soon as possible so that he could make that child his heir.

But when this person actually appeared, Li Fendou couldn't help but feel anxious and uncertain.

……

Meanwhile, Suning left Li Fendou and went back, while Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou introduced their situation.

However, Suning advised the two of them to temporarily abandon the deal with Li Fendou, because their behavior had caused Li Fendou to misunderstand, and sometimes dealing with it quietly was more effective.

"So Li Fendou just let you go like that?" Hu Manli's eyes widened in disbelief. "He didn't threaten to throw you into the Huangpu River?"

Su Ning smiled and shook her head, then pushed a cup of coffee in front of her.

"Although Li Fendou is assertive, he is not an unreasonable person."

The three sat in a coffee shop near the company, reviewing their meeting from that morning.

Xue Xiaozhou stirred the latte in his cup, his brows furrowed.

"I don't think things are that simple. Someone like Li Fendou won't give up easily."

"So we have to change our strategy." Suning took a sip of coffee. "Let's temporarily put Li Fendou's deal on the sidelines."

"What?" Hu Manli nearly spilled her coffee. "That's a 30 million trust! We put so much effort into it..."

“That’s precisely why we need to pause,” Su Ning interrupted her. “Our actions have already aroused his suspicion and resentment. Continuing the offensive will only backfire.”

Xue Xiaozhou nodded thoughtfully.

"That makes sense. It's like fishing; you have to let the line out when the fish is wary."

Hu Manli pursed her lips, clearly unwilling, but did not refute further.

Just then, her cell phone rang.

"Sun Atao?" She looked at the caller ID, somewhat surprised.

"Hello, Aunt Sun?"

An elderly woman's anxious voice came from the other end of the phone.

Hu Manli's expression gradually became serious, and she nodded in response from time to time.

"Okay, I'll definitely be there tomorrow morning... No trouble at all, it's my pleasure... Goodbye."

Her eyes lit up after she hung up the phone.

"Sun Atao's three million yuan fixed deposit matures tomorrow, and she wants to buy insurance from me!"

"Great!" Xue Xiaozhou slapped the table. "It'll fill the gap left by Li Fendou's deal."

Suning, however, seemed to be deep in thought.

"Sun Atao...is she the old lady at the junkyard you mentioned?"

Hu Manli nodded; she had shown Su Ning all the documents in her hand.

"Yes! That's her. She saved up her retirement money by collecting recyclables after her husband passed away, and she's very careful with it."

“I’ll go with you tomorrow,” Su Ning suddenly decided.

"Huh?" Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou looked at him in surprise at the same time.

“We need to pay more attention to these long-term clients at critical moments,” Su Ning explained, while looking at Hu Manli, “Prepare her information, and we’ll study it carefully.”

"it is good."

Hu Manli quickly took out a thick notebook from her bag and turned to the marked page.

"Sun Atao, 65 years old, lives alone and has a daughter who is married and lives in another city. She is frugal to the point of being stingy, but extremely generous to her daughter."

The next morning, the three drove to a scrap metal recycling station in the suburbs.

The yard was piled with all sorts of waste, but everything was neatly sorted.

A petite old woman was tidying up cardboard when she saw them and immediately smiled.

"Little Hu is here!" Sun Atao greeted them, wiping her hands with her apron and looking at Su Ning and Xue Xiaozhou with curiosity.

"Aunt Sun, this is our company's Director Su and Manager Xue," Hu Manli introduced them warmly, handing over a box of pastries, "Your favorite Xinghualou mung bean cakes."

"Oh dear, why spend this money?" Sun Atao said, but happily accepted the snacks. "Come, come, let's go inside and talk."

The simple bungalow was kept spotless.

Sun Atao was busy pouring tea, and Hu Manli, familiar with the process, took out a few cups from the cabinet to help her.

"Aunt Sun, I heard your deposit certificate is maturing today?" Hu Manli got to the point.

Sun Atao nodded, took out an iron box from under the bed, and carefully took out the passbook.

"Three million, five-year fixed deposit, maturing today."

Hu Manli took the passbook, looked at it, and began to introduce the insurance plan they had prepared.

However, when the expected returns were mentioned, Sun Atao frowned.

“This interest rate… is lower than the bank’s.” She looked at Hu Manli suspiciously.

Just as Hu Manli was about to explain, Su Ning gently interjected, "Aunt Sun, bank wealth management products seem to offer high returns, but they also carry significant risks. Just like in business, there are gains and losses."

He leaned forward, his voice sincere: "Insurance is different; it can give you a stable return, and more importantly..."

He paused meaningfully, then said, "You can arrange how the money is used according to your wishes."

Sun Atao's eyes lit up slightly, but quickly dimmed again.

“My daughter married poorly; her husband plays mahjong all day… I’m afraid of the money…”

Hu Manli keenly noticed the old man's worries.

“Aunt Sun, we can design special terms to ensure that this money is mainly used for your daughter’s living expenses, while limiting your son-in-law’s control over it.”

"Really? Can it really be like this?" Sun Atao excitedly grabbed Hu Manli's hand.

“Of course,” Su Ning continued, “This will become a legally binding contract, which will protect your daughter’s rights without directly affecting their marital relationship.”

Over the next two hours, the three patiently answered every question Sun Atao had, and meticulously designed an insurance plan for her that would both preserve the value of the funds and prevent her son-in-law from misusing them.

When Sun Atao finally signed her name on the contract, Hu Manli quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

As they left the junkyard, all three wore satisfied smiles.

"Well done." Su Ning patted Hu Manli on the shoulder. "Especially the part where you discovered her worries about her son-in-law, that was crucial."

Hu Manli proudly raised her chin.

"Of course, I followed her for more than half a year."

Xue Xiaozhou looked at the two of them and suddenly said, "Have you noticed that Sun Atao and Li Fendou actually look a bit alike..."

"Huh?" Hu Manli looked incredulous. "One is a big boss, and the other is an old lady who collects recyclables. How are they alike?"

“They all acted out of love and concern for their children,” Su Ning said thoughtfully. “They just expressed it in different ways.”

...(End of chapter)