After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

He took a sip of tea and said in a flat tone, "Who is Jiang Yan? She won't do anything without a reason."

For her to bring this up, this young man surnamed Gong either truly possesses abilities that she finds appealing, or... he has other connections.

He put down his cup. "Those who have worked their way up from the bottom can be a sharp knife if used properly. It's much better than using someone like Zhao Siyan, who's more trouble than he's worth."

Old Ma nodded repeatedly: "Zhou Ke is wise. Then... should we go easy on Master Gong a little in the future?"

"The standards for this card must still be met, and the necessary procedures must be followed without skipping a single step," Zhou Guopeng said slowly and deliberately.

"But if he can really handle things well and avoid trouble, and when it's appropriate to make things convenient... you can decide for yourselves."

This was tacit approval. Old Ma and Little Qin exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly.

Zhou Guopeng put down his teacup and suddenly asked, "What has Yu Lili been busy with lately?"

Both Lao Ma and Xiao Qin were taken aback.

Yu Lili? Why was she suddenly brought up?

Old Ma reacted quickly and replied immediately:

"Manager Yu has been very busy lately, running around delivering samples and making connections."

By the way, she came to see you a few days ago, but you weren't home, so she chatted with us for a while instead.

Xiao Qin quickly added, "Manager Yu is a very capable person. It's not easy for a woman to run a building materials business so successfully."

Besides, isn't she related to Gong Yuelong? His ex-sister-in-law?

Zhou Guopeng looked at Xiao Qin with a half-smile: "You seem to know quite a lot."

Xiao Qin's heart tightened, and he quickly explained:

"I heard it from my subordinates. They said that Yu Lili used to be Gong Yuelong's sister-in-law. Later, Gong Yuelong went bankrupt and got divorced, and the two lost contact."

Yu Lili now runs her own company, and it's doing quite well.

Old Ma glanced at Xiao Qin and sneered inwardly: Knowing so much, he must have received a lot of benefits from Yu Lili.

He quickly interjected, trying to steer the conversation back to Gong Yuelong:

"Zhou Ke, although Yu Lili is capable, she is, after all, a woman. In the field of engineering, she is probably not as good as someone like Gong Yuelong, who has worked his way up from the bottom on construction sites."

Moreover, I heard that her company's qualifications are not very good...

Xiao Qin immediately retorted, "Brother Ma, you can't say that. Manager Yu's company has all the necessary qualifications, and she's meticulous in her work. The tasks assigned to her have never gone wrong."

Unlike some contractors who are clumsy and prone to causing trouble.

Old Ma glared at Xiao Qin, his smile forced and insincere.

"Xiao Qin, are you speaking up for Yu Lili so vehemently because you received some benefits from her?"

Xiao Qin's expression changed, and he hurriedly looked at Zhou Guopeng:

"Zhou Ke, I didn't! I'm just stating the facts! Brother Ma, you can't make baseless accusations!"

Zhou Guopeng watched the two arguing, his face remaining expressionless, but his eyes turned cold.

He slowly stood up and walked to Xiao Qin.

Xiao Qin felt uneasy under Zhou Guopeng's gaze, and the smile on his face froze.

Zhou Guopeng suddenly raised his hand and slapped Xiao Qin across the face!

"Snapped!"

Xiao Qin's face immediately became red and swollen, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He covered his face, looking at Zhou Guopeng in horror, but dared not speak.

Old Ma was so frightened that he trembled all over, lowered his head, and dared not look again.

Zhou Guopeng shook his hand, looked coldly at Xiao Qin, and said in a flat voice, "Did I tell you to speak?"

Xiao Qin's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down, stammering, "Zhou... Zhou Ke, I was wrong..."

Zhou Guopeng walked back to his desk, sat down, picked up his teacup again, blew on the foam, as if nothing had happened.

He took a sip of tea before slowly saying:

"If Yu Lili wants to take on jobs, that's fine. Lao Ma, go tell her to prepare a copy of the company's qualifications, project cases, and financial statements for the last three years, and send them over."

Old Ma covered his face and nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, Chief Zhou, I'll take care of it right away."

Zhou Guopeng then looked at Xiao Qin: "You, cooperate well with Lao Ma's work, and be serious."

Xiao Qin quickly replied, "Okay, Zhou Ke, I've got it."

Feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, the two turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Zhou Guopeng called out to them.

The two of them froze, slowly turned around, and forced smiles that looked more like cries.

Zhou Guopeng looked at them and said calmly:

"From now on, don't say things you shouldn't say, and don't reach out with hands you shouldn't reach out with."

"When working under me, keep your eyes open and your mind clear. Understand?"

"Understood, understood!" The two nodded vigorously.

"Go out." Zhou Guopeng waved his hand.

In the office, Zhou Guopeng leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and gently rubbed his temples with his fingers.

Yu Lili... Gong Yuelong's former sister-in-law... Interesting.

He suddenly remembered that Yu Lili seemed to have also looked for Jiang Yan.

This woman is no ordinary person.

……

Gong Yuelong's former sister-in-law, Yu Lili, was on the treadmill, her chest rising and falling with each step, her tight vest soaked with sweat.

The phone rang; it was Xiao Qin calling. He answered, slightly out of breath:

"Qin Ke, it's rare for you to reach out to me first. Is something the matter?"

Xiao Qin's voice was muffled: "Manager Yu, it's nothing serious... it's just that their demands have been so high lately, and if anything doesn't meet their expectations... sigh, it's tough being here."

Yu Lili's eyes flickered slightly.

When Xiao Qin used to complain, he would always mention things that Zhou Ke had instructed him to do, subtly showing off his closeness to the core of power.

Today, however, he didn't mention who or what happened, which is unusual in itself.

Her voice softened a bit, "Section Chief Zhou must be quite busy lately, right? I heard he's keeping a close eye on things. Your position is crucial, so it's normal for him to rely on you a lot and be demanding of you."

These words sound comforting, but they are actually a hook.

If Xiao Qin is still trusted, he will naturally say, "Yes, Zhou Ke has been keeping a close eye on things lately, about that XX matter..." to emphasize his own importance.

There was a pause of more than a second on the other end of the phone. Xiao Qin chuckled and mumbled, "The leaders are all busy... we're just destined to be workaholics."

Yu Lili sneered inwardly.

I understand. It's not that he's being demanding; it's that he's no longer being required to do anything, and he might even be deliberately ignored or given awkward tasks, which is why he feels so frustrated but doesn't dare to say it outright.

The fact that he only dared to speak vaguely when complaining shows that his influence with Zhou Guopeng had diminished to the point that he no longer had the confidence to complain about specific matters.

"Yes, it's not easy for anyone." Her tone remained gentle. "Qin Ke, you should also take care of yourself. As for work, take it slow."

Xiao Qin said, "Manager Yu, are you free tonight? I know a newly opened restaurant..."

"What bad luck," Yu Lili interrupted him, "I have an appointment tonight to discuss an important document list, and I can't cancel. Maybe next time, Qin Ke, next time for sure."

Before Xiao Qin could say anything more, she ended the call with a simple, "Then you go ahead and do your thing."

After putting down her phone, Yu Lili's smile vanished.

Xiao Qin is already in debt.

Zhou Guopeng's reprimand served as a wake-up call for her: if the value is not solid, it can be discarded at any time.

She wiped away her sweat, her eyes cold and indifferent.

I've recently heard that my ex-brother-in-law, Gong Yuelong, seems to be gaining some fame in the labor market.

It's not just about fists anymore; it seems like he's connected with some kind of network, and the jobs he gets are all different now.

Zhou Guopeng's subtle difference in attitude towards himself and Gong Yuelong today... Could it be related to him?

She increased the treadmill speed and incline and started running again.

My ex-brother-in-law... actually helped him climb out of the mire?

So, what about the things I have in my hands, about my sister, about the past... should I keep them tightly guarded, or should I change my approach?