At thirty, I started my comeback from the intelligence system.

Chen Geng rubbed his throbbing temples; the streetlights outside the window were already on.

He tried calling Yang Yongchao to inquire about the express delivery, but the line was busy.

No one heard.

A sense of unease swept through Chen Geng's heart.

He called Zhang Jiaxiao again, and on the other end of the phone came the barely suppressed joy of his brother and the background noise of the mall, clearly indicating that he was having a sweet date with Lin Xiaoxiao.

Chen Geng smiled and offered his blessings before hanging up the phone.

Looks like I'll just have to find a random restaurant tonight.

Stepping out of the office building, a gentle evening breeze caressed my face.

Chen Geng had only taken a few steps when the strange feeling of being watched crept up his spine. He remained calm and walked towards a busy commercial street not far away.

Using the reflective surfaces of the glass windows of the shops along the street, he quickly identified two targets.

One was a tall, thin man wearing a gray jacket and a baseball cap; the other was a middle-aged man wearing a blue work jacket and carrying a tool bag.

Two groups of people?

Chen Geng's mind raced, and he made a decision in an instant.

The man in the gray jacket, with his shady manner and unprofessional following, seemed like someone from the underworld. The man in the blue overalls, on the other hand, was well-trained and hard to judge. The police wouldn't be watching him like this; was he a private investigator?

Who is it?

He decided to cause some trouble for these two groups of "tails," so he quickly walked into a supermarket on the side of the road.

He casually pushed a shopping cart into the narrow shelf area where toilet paper was on sale in the supermarket, then used the display to block his view, quickly went around to the other side, abandoned the cart, and headed towards the employee passage.

The man in the gray jacket was indeed fooled and hurriedly chased after them, only to look around blankly at the entrance of the passage.

This scene caught the attention of the man in blue overalls guarding the supermarket entrance, immediately raising his guard.

Seeing the man in the gray jacket heading straight for the employee entrance, he assumed he had spotted his target or was meeting up with an accomplice, and quickly followed.

Behind the supermarket, in the back alley, behind the refrigeration unit. Chen Geng listened intently, holding his breath.

The man in the gray jacket looked around, but couldn't find Chen Geng. He cursed under his breath, "Damn it, lost him?"

The man in blue overalls appeared quietly behind him and coldly demanded, "Who are you looking for?"

"None of your business!" The man in the gray jacket turned his head and was startled.

"You were following that person at the supermarket. Tell me, who sent you?" The man in blue overalls took a step closer, his demeanor intimidating.

"I can be with whoever I want! It's none of your business! We were the ones who targeted that kid first!"

The man in the gray jacket was intimidated by the imposing manner and spoke recklessly.

"You?" The man in blue overalls asked sharply. "Explain yourself!"

The man in the gray jacket panicked even more and turned to run, but the man in the blue overalls grabbed his shoulder.

The two immediately started pushing and shoving each other in the back alley, shouting and cursing under their breath, making a huge fuss.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Geng quietly slipped out from the other side and quickly disappeared into the crowd on the pedestrian street.

He only took a detour back to get his car after confirming it was safe.

On the way, he tried to contact Yang Yongchao again, but still received no response.

Anxiety hung in the air like a dark cloud.

Inside a luxurious private room on the 8th floor of the Royal Palace Nightclub.

In stark contrast to the bustling pedestrian street, this is another world of extravagance and rampant desire.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a dazzling view of the river, while inside the private room, the lighting is dim, and the smoke from expensive cigars and the aroma of fine wines mingle.

Lu Shiming leaned back lazily on the leather sofa, his slender fingers toying with a crystal glass. His gaze, tinged with amusement, fell on Su Qingqing beside him, who was trying to put on a charming smile, yet couldn't hide a hint of nervousness and ingratiation.

Today she was dressed in a Balenciaga gown, with exquisite makeup, deliberately imitating a certain "socialite" style, but under Lu Shiming's scrutinizing gaze, she always seemed a little awkward and overdoing it.

Zhou Peng sat a little further away, his fat face plastered with a fawning smile, carefully keeping up the conversation, but his eyes would occasionally drift towards Lu Shiming, observing his expression.

He wasn't as calm inside as he appeared on the surface.

As for Liang Dan, there should have been a "result" by now, but so far, apart from being suspended from her duties for investigation, there seems to be no further movement. On the contrary, there are faint rumors within the group that Liang Dan is going to "turn things around".

This gave him a vague sense of foreboding.

Damn it, could Liang Dan really have a backup plan?

With such compelling evidence, why has it taken so long to file a complaint?

Young Master Lu clearly said that he would definitely be able to shut her down this time, and the vacant spot... Young Master Lu even hinted that he would consider me.

Could something have changed?

No, impossible. What kind of background does Young Master Lu have?

His uncle is District Chief Lu!

Can Liang Dan's outdated connections compare to the Lu family?

Now all I can do is cling to Young Master Lu. As long as he's happy and keeps his promises, even if... even if there are some setbacks with Liang Dan, Young Master Lu can still protect me.

My wife at home is useless now. My father-in-law's shares in Hanfeng were cashed out and taken abroad by my brother-in-law as soon as he died. Who even recognizes me, Zhou Peng, as a live-in son-in-law now?

Hmph, once I've climbed onto the Lu family's coattails and gained a foothold, the first thing I'll do is kick that haggard old woman to the curb!

Just then, Su Qingqing's phone, which was in her diamond-encrusted handbag, vibrated and lit up, displaying "Detective Wang".

She stiffened slightly, glanced at Lu Shiming who was whispering something to Zhou Peng, and seeing that he didn't seem to be paying attention, she quickly picked up her phone to hang up.

Lu Shiming, however, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, and asked calmly, "What is it?"

"N-nothing, just a trivial phone call..." Su Qingqing quickly explained, her smile somewhat stiff.

"Take it." Lu Shiming's tone was casual, yet carried an unquestionable air.

Su Qingqing had no choice but to answer the call, pressing the phone tightly to her ear and lowering her voice to make her tone sound cold and businesslike.

"Hey? What is it?... Hmm, I know. It's fine if you lose them, but you can't even handle such a small thing!... Alright, we'll talk about it later, I don't have time right now."

She hung up quickly, forcing an even sweeter smile at Lu Shiming: "Someone trying to sell insurance, so annoying."

After Niu Dan tipped her off last time, she encouraged her to hire a private investigator to investigate Chen Geng, but unfortunately, no good news came back.

Lu Shiming smiled noncommittally, a smile so unfathomable that it sent chills down Su Qingqing's spine.

He naturally didn't believe any of the insurance sales pitches' nonsense, but he was too lazy to expose them.

This woman is somewhat clever, but mostly driven by foolish ambition and vanity. She's fine to play around with, but don't take her seriously.

What interested him was the fresh feeling she exuded, a blend of mature womanly charm and... the "sincerity" Zhou Peng had "offered."

"Young Master Lu, look at that big project in Luohu District that we talked about before..." Zhou Peng cautiously brought up the subject.

Lu Shiming glanced at him, then slowly sipped his drink: "What's the rush? When it's time to tell you, you'll know. Focus on your own business. As for Liang Dan... we'll have results soon."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an air of confidence that he was in control of everything.

Zhou Peng hurriedly nodded and bowed, "Yes, yes, Young Master Lu is so resourceful. I was too hasty. I will follow Young Master Lu's arrangements!"

Lu Shiming ignored him and turned his gaze back to Su Qingqing. His fingers lightly traced her bare shoulder, causing her to tremble.

"The owner here, Lu Jiahao, is my cousin... If you want to come visit in the future, just mention my name."