Chen Jun was taken aback, completely surprised by Tao Fengche’s request.

What’s there to see in an abandoned factory? Isn’t it just a pile of scrap metal?

If the raw materials haven’t been cleaned up, there might even be rats.

He couldn’t quite understand this young master’s thinking, but since it was just a simple request, there was no need to offend Tao Fengche over it. So, he smiled and nodded, “Of course, no problem. But the place has been in disrepair for years, and to prevent anyone from sneaking in and getting hurt, the doors have been locked.”

“The key isn’t with me. I’ll have to call security to bring it over.”

“Thank you,” Tao Fengche nodded.

“Not at all,” Chen Jun waved his hand with a low posture, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “Xiao Ma, come over to the Chinese medicine factory, and bring the key. I need to unlock the door.”

He quickly hung up the phone, turned to Tao Fengche, and said, “The security will come by motorcycle, they’ll be here in about ten minutes. Shall we move the car under the shade to wait?”

“Sure,” Tao Fengche nodded.

…Things seemed to be going too smoothly. Could it be that he was overreacting and it really was just an abandoned factory, and the overgrown weeds were just his imagination?

A thought suddenly popped into Tao Fengche’s mind, but he quickly suppressed it.

Until he saw the site, everything was just a 50-50 chance.

It’s like Schrödinger’s cat; before opening the box, no one knows whether the cat inside is dead or alive, just as no one knows the exact situation inside the factory.

…Though someone might know if Chen Jun was lying.

A slight ripple passed through Tao Fengche’s heart. He lowered his head nonchalantly, pretending to be an ordinary high school student—restlessly swiping through social media out of boredom due to the long wait.

The waiting was quite unbearable. Chen Jun started chatting with Director Wang, trying to find out the purpose of their inspection; the “researchers” began talking about work with the lab’s staff; Tao Fengche liked the latest food post from Wang Yuan.

Just then, a sudden phone ringtone rang out.

This sound was distinctive, not one of the default phone tones, and it piqued Tao Fengche’s curiosity as he looked up to see Chen Jun shudder slightly.

From Tao Fengche’s vantage point, he could only see Chen Jun’s back, but when he discreetly glanced at the rearview mirror, he noticed that Chen Jun looked as if he was facing a great abyss, much more nervous than when he first saw him at the gate.

But this was the Tao family’s production base. Chen Jun wasn’t afraid of meeting him, the heir, so who could be calling to make him so fearful?

Tao Fengche soon found out.

“President Liu..”

He heard Chen Jun say.

Whatever “President Liu.” said, within a few short words, large beads of sweat began to form on Chen Jun’s forehead. He repeatedly agreed, his tone submissive, a far cry from the confident manner he had when presenting his work achievements earlier.

Tao Fengche narrowed his eyes slightly, taking note of Chen Jun’s unusual reaction.

In less than a minute, Chen Jun hung up the phone. He hesitated, his expression extremely troubled, and finally, after some difficulty, he spoke up.

“Young Master Tao, here’s the situation.” Chen Jun swallowed nervously, unconsciously reaching up to tug at his hair, making the already sparse patch on his head look even more pitiful.

Tao Fengche: “…”

Wait, it seems he’s discovered one of the reasons for Chen Jun’s baldness.

Unaware of what Tao Fengche was thinking, or why he was looking at him so meaningfully, Chen Jun braced himself and continued, “President Liu., the person in charge of our base, rushed back from out of town. He said he’d like to invite you to lunch. How about we go eat first…?”

He looked extremely terrified, wiping sweat from his brow several times after tugging at his hair, not even realizing he had accidentally revealed Tao Fengche’s identity.

Fortunately, Tao Fengche didn’t mind; his attention had already shifted to this “President Liu..”

Before this, he had never interacted with the people from the production base, and Director Wang, who worked in the research institute for years, had little contact with them either. To both of them, this “President Liu.” was somewhat unfamiliar.

But from Chen Jun’s reaction, it was clear that “President Liu.” was a person with a strong desire for control and great authority.

…Perhaps even Chen Jun hadn’t realized how much he feared President Liu. deep down.

A thought crossed Tao Fengche’s mind, and he nodded in agreement with the proposal.

If there was nothing wrong with the factory, seeing it in the afternoon wouldn’t be an issue. But if there was a problem…even if he refused this time, they would eventually find another excuse to stop him.

Seeing Tao Fengche remain calm, not showing any signs of anger, Chen Jun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. President Liu. was already close to the cafeteria, and he was indeed worried that this young master would insist on visiting the abandoned factory, leaving President Liu. waiting in the cafeteria…

Then he’d be in real trouble.

Chen Jun wiped the sweat off his face, made a call to inform the security not to come, and then instructed the sightseeing car driver to turn around and head towards the cafeteria.

Since he had carelessly let the secret slip, and Tao Fengche didn’t seem to be upset, Chen Jun boldly began addressing him as “Young Master Tao.”

Just then, Director Wang took out his phone and started replying to messages, leaving Chen Jun without a conversation partner, causing the atmosphere in the car to suddenly become tense. To lighten the mood, Chen Jun began talking more, racking his brain to introduce the various basic facilities of the base.

Tao Fengche was distracted, his attention fully focused on observing the buildings they passed, only occasionally nodding or responding with a hum, his attitude indifferent. Yet Chen Jun took this as encouragement and continued to talk endlessly.

Amidst this background noise, Tao Fengche suddenly caught sight of a few fleeting red lights near the abandoned factory, which reappeared five seconds later. Under the intense sunlight, they were nearly impossible to notice unless you were specifically looking for them.

They were surveillance cameras in operation. Tao Fengche slightly turned his head and exchanged a knowing glance with the bodyguard beside him.

At that moment, Chen Jun happened to be talking about the base’s security. He proudly mentioned that all the security personnel at the base were professionally trained, including several veterans, all armed, and as a result, there had never been a theft or similar incident at the base.

Outwardly, Tao Fengche cooperatively nodded, but internally, his doubts grew.

—Setting aside other issues, did a regular production base, not even a top-ranked one within the Tao family’s industries, really need such tight security measures?

…

Lunch was served at the base’s cafeteria.

While they were still on the road, Chen Jun, worried that Tao Fengche and his group would find the cafeteria too simple, had already explained that the second floor of the cafeteria offered stir-fry dishes and private rooms. The chefs were specially recruited from high-end restaurants, and their skills were excellent.

“Previously, when Manager Yang and his team came for an inspection, they were also arranged to have their meal here. He even praised the food for being authentic. Young Master Tao, you should give it a try today.”

His tone was very humble, which made Director Wang feel a bit uncomfortable. After putting away his phone, he exchanged a few words. Tao Fengche smiled slightly in response, indicating that he didn’t mind.

The sightseeing car slowly stopped at the entrance of the cafeteria, where a dark gray Range Rover was parked nearby. Tao Fengche’s gaze lingered on its custom tires for a moment, making a mental note, and then he walked straight into the cafeteria.

As soon as he stepped onto the staircase, Tao Fengche noticed a tall figure at the second-floor landing.

It was a middle-aged alpha with a classic square face, a strong build, and a straight posture. His piercing eyes exuded a natural air of authority, the kind that comes from holding a position of power for a long time.

This man had broad shoulders and a muscular build that didn’t look like it came from just working out at the gym. Tao Fengche’s thoughts raced as he caught a glimpse of Chen Jun, who seemed to want to make an introduction. This gave Tao Fengche a hint about the man’s identity.

And as expected, Tao Fengche’s guess was right.

Before Chen Jun could even speak, the middle-aged alpha approached directly, extending a large, fan-like hand to Tao Fengche, and introduced himself: “This must be Young Master Tao, right? Ah, truly a hero in the making! We met once when you were little, back then…”

He gestured to a spot just below his thigh, “You were only this tall, and now look at you. My surname is Liu, Liu Tianlei. Just call me Mr. Liu.”

So this was the legendary President Liu!

Chen Jun had previously mentioned that he was over fifty years old, but seeing him in person now, apart from some graying hair at his temples, he didn’t look his age at all, appearing more like someone in his early forties.

Tao Fengche was surprised and caught a bit off guard.

This time, he was here as an intern researcher. At the previous two bases he visited, even if they knew his true identity, they would greet Director Wang first before turning to him. But Liu Tianlei didn’t bother with that and just left Director Wang aside.

People who spend most of their lives in a research lab often lack social finesse, and Director Wang’s face immediately darkened.

Tao Fengche pretended not to notice and extended his hand, “Hello, Mr. Liu.”

“Oh, dear!” Liu Tianlei shook Tao Fengche’s hand with both of his, then, as if just noticing Director Wang, extended a hand to him as well, “Director Wang, how are you? It must have been a tiring journey to this remote place.”

Director Wang responded with a curt nod, his face stern. Liu Tianlei, whether he noticed or not, didn’t seem to care and continued to lead the group into a private room.

As soon as they were seated, Liu Tianlei instructed Chen Jun to hurry the food along. Tao Fengche discreetly observed him, but unexpectedly, Liu Tianlei suddenly turned his head and asked, “Young Master Tao, why do you keep looking at me?”

Tao Fengche was momentarily stunned, his breath caught!

How did he notice his gaze?

Who exactly is this Liu Tianlei?!

Oblivious, Liu Tianlei pointed to the left side of his temple, “Young Master Tao, were you scared by this?”

Where he pointed, there was an old scar over five centimeters long, running from the side of his forehead through his temple, all the way to the corner of his eye, making his face look particularly fierce.”