“Xinyu, I’m sorry for leaving you here to wait for so long. My boyfriend just kept talking on the phone and wouldn’t stop.”

Bai Xinyu was startled by Zhou Yue’s voice coming from behind her. She hurriedly stood up and instinctively used her body to block the surveillance video.

“Xinyu? What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing.”

“You don’t look good. Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, it’s just that I might have had too many cold drinks at the banquet earlier. My stomach was a bit upset, but I’m fine now.” Bai Xinyu said with a strained smile. While Zhou Yue wasn’t paying attention, she discreetly reached behind her, pulled the hard drive out of the main unit, and slipped it into her bag.

Bai Xinyu didn’t know why she was doing this. All she had in her mind was that Senior Gu was perfect, and she absolutely couldn’t let anyone see the video which might affect his reputation. Not even her best friend.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, really, I’m fine.”

“That’s good. Your expression just now scared me.” Zhou Yue said. “By the way, how’s the surveillance check going? How much longer will it take? Let’s watch it together.”

“No need! I mean, I’ve already reviewed the surveillance footage. I didn’t see anyone.”

“See? I told you Assistant Wang was making a big deal out of nothing.” Zhou Yue shrugged, not doubting Bai Xinyu’s words at all.

“Then let’s send a message to Assistant Wang and call it a day.”

“Hmm, yes…… that-, I’ll send the message.”

Bai Xinyu’s request made Zhou Yue hesitate for a moment. Xin Yu had never tried to take credit for work before, why this time……

“Alright, alright, I’ll let you have this chance since you’re my best friend. But when you report to Assistant Wang, make sure to mention my name as well.”

“Mmm.”

“Let’s go, let’s go. Send the message while we walk. Oh, by the way, I told my boyfriend that I’m staying at your place tonight. If he asks, you have to cover for me, okay? Xinyu? Xinyu? You look spaced out. What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” Bai Xinyu replied with a strained smile.

Although she trusted Senior Gu, she couldn’t stop thinking about the woman in the surveillance footage.

Who is she? What right did she have to enter Senior Gu’s room?

———pr

Meanwhile, in the VIP ward at the hospital, the woman in question sneezed several times in a row.

She was already in pins and needles here. Who could be so despicable as to keep talking about her? Could it be they wanted to kill her off and take over her inheritance?

Su Mei felt a chill in her heart, her eyes darting between the door and the inside of the room.

The body of Gu Hongguang lay there.

Initially, Su Mei thought she could just come to the hospital, sign a death confirmation as a family member, and leave, or perhaps retrieve Gu Hongguang.

But to her surprise, hospital staff informed her that Gu Hongguang’s body couldn’t be moved in the meantime. Further arrangements would have to wait for CEO Gu’s confirmation and handling.

Su Mei had been waiting there for almost 10 minutes, unsure of when Gu Yancheng would arrive.

Rather than staying with the body, Su Mei was actually more afraid of meeting the male protagonist.

As if in response to Su Mei’s inner ‘call’, rhythmic footsteps suddenly approached from outside the door, growing closer and closer.

The male protagonist was there?

As the door swung open, Su Mei quickly lowered her head, shrinking in the corner of her chair, trying to minimize her presence.

Until a pair of highly polished leather shoes halted in front of Su Mei.

“Ms. Su.”

Huh? This voice didn’t seem like it was from the male protagonist.

Su Mei lifted her head and saw Wang Qin in front of her.

“Who are you?” This person seemed vaguely familiar to Su Mei, but she couldn’t recall who he was.

“I’m CEO Gu’s assistant, Wang Qin. We met a year ago in Gu Group’s company lobby.” Wang Qin introduced himself indifferently yet still polite.

As Su Mei was following Gu Hongguang, she thought she could flaunt her status as ‘Mrs. Gu’ and assert herself arrogantly in the Gu Group. Unfortunately, despite her grand entrance, she couldn’t even get past the company building’s lobby.

After hitting a few walls, Su Mei had to settle for consolidating her status as ‘Mrs. Gu’ in places like hotels and malls under the Gu Group’s umbrella. She also attended some less formal dinners and gatherings.

At that time, it was Wang Qin who intercepted Su Mei at the Gu Group’s company building.

“Ah, You’re Assistant Wang?! Hello, hello.” Su Mei quickly stood up and greeted Wang Qin in a very friendly manner, stopping just short of giving him a 90-degree bow as she would to a superior.

The other Su Mei’s dislike for Wang Qin was irrelevant to her. In the novel, Assistant Wang was akin to the right-hand man of the male protagonist, with a status and position comparable to that of Li Lianying^[1]imperial eunuch who lived in the late Qing dynasty beside Empress Dowager Cixi!

This important character wasn’t someone she, a small cannon fodder, could afford to provoke.

As for Wang Qin, Su Mei’s sudden ‘friendliness’ startled him greatly.

What on earth was going on here?

Even though the other party still dressed as extravagantly as before, as if luxury cost nothing, the woman in front of him, smiling warmly, seemed so different from the image of the troublesome, tantrum-throwing person he remembered.

Wang Qin couldn’t even help but feel a hint of flattery in Su Mei’s friendly attitude.

“Uh, Ms— Mrs. Gu, you’re too polite.”

They hadn’t met many times but the other party had never been this friendly!

Moreover, Wang Qin had no favorable impression of girls who married old men for money.

But since she was being so polite, if he responded with a cold face, wouldn’t it make him, a grown man, less graceful than a young girl?

“Sorry for the wait.”           

“No, no, I haven’t been here long either.” Su Mei waved her hand and glanced nervously behind Wang Qin.

“Is there something wrong, Ms— Mrs. Gu?”

“Nothing much, just wondering if Gu— err, if your CEO Gu hasn’t arrived yet?”

“The CEO has an important meeting, so Old Mr. Gu’s hospital matters and arrangements will be handled by me.”

Who has a meeting at midnight?

Su Mei rolled her eyes inwardly.

She didn’t believe Wang Qin’s excuse at all, but upon hearing that the male protagonist wasn’t coming, Su Mei was still pleased. She even added a bit of genuine friendliness in her gaze towards Wang Qin.

“Thank you for your hard work, Assistant Wang.”

“It’s my duty. I’ve already arranged for someone to handle the death certificate at the hospital. Mrs. Gu, if you still want to see Old Mr. Gu or have something to say to him, you can go in now.”

“No, it’s alright. I’ve already seen him earlier. I won’t delay you from your work.” Damn, what could she possibly have to say to a dead person? What if she saw his ghost? Besides, she and Gu Hongguang were complete strangers who had never even met before.

“Um, my driver is still waiting downstairs. I mean, I don’t understand any of these matters, so I won’t bother you here. I’ll take my leave.”

“Please go ahead. Regarding other matters, I’ll contact you later.”

“Okay, no problem.”

Other matters…… It must be about dividing the inheritance, right? Why does she feel a bit excited about it?

———pr

After Su Mei left, Wang Qin immediately arranged for Gu Hongguang’s body to be transferred to a top-level morgue and ensured complete confidentiality of the matter.

The news of the former CEO Gu’s passing would be released once Gu Group’s stock index fell to the default value.

After leaving the hospital, Wang Qin immediately rushed back to the company.

“CEO, everything there has been taken care of.”

“Okay.” Gu Yancheng responded from behind his desk. “Adjust the plan. Instead of a week, once Gu Group’s stocks open with a negative value below 6% for two consecutive days, cease intervention and release the news of Gu Hongguang’s passing.”

“Yes, CEO.”

It has to be said, the timing of Old Mr. Gu’s passing was indeed quite convenient. Not only did it align with their plan, but it also provided a reasonable justification for the sharp decline in Gu Group’s stocks. When the time comes, even if those old shareholders came forward, they wouldn’t be able to find any fault.

Perhaps it’s fate.

“Also, I ran into Mrs— Ms. Su at the hospital. Rest assured, CEO, I’ve already arranged for people around Ms. Su to monitor all her communication channels and social media accounts. There won’t be any news about Old Mr. Gu coming from her.”

“What else is there?” Seeing Wang Qin hesitate, Gu Yancheng asked.

“It’s nothing, just that Ms. Su……”

“She’s throwing a tantrum?”

He didn’t even regard Gu Hongguang highly, let alone an 18^th-line starlet who married an elderly person.

Causing a scene and making a fuss outside the company was one of the few impressions Gu Yancheng had of Su Mei.

“No, Ms. Su was very…… extremely friendly towards me.”

“Oh?” Gu Yancheng raised an eyebrow.

“I think there’s something off.” Wang Qin voiced his concern. “Ms. Su and I haven’t had pleasant encounters in the past. Today, especially with the news of Old Mr. Gu’s passing, she shouldn’t be polite to me unless……”

“Unless there are two possibilities, either she’s very magnanimous, or that woman is too skilled at pretending.”

Just then, Ji Zixiao walked in leisurely with a glass of wine in hand.

“I guess it’s the latter. What do you think, Gu Yancheng?”

“Is there a difference?”

“Haha, I almost forgot. In your eyes, there’s no difference between woman A and E, just as there’s no difference between a big and a small ant.”

“But don’t blame me for not reminding you. Sometimes don’t underestimate the determination of ants. Today I—”

“You what?”

“Hehe, nothing, I just wanted to say that I suffered a loss at the hands of a woman at your banquet today. I didn’t manage to make an appointment and lost a personal business card in vain.”

“Heh, you think I’m as dumb as you?”

“Gu Yancheng! Do you want to fight?!”

“Since you still have the energy to fight, good. I’ve sorted these documents out. Before 6 AM tomorrow, I want to see all the equity information held by these individuals.”

“Hey, hey, hey! This is exploitation! 6 hours?! Are you not going to let me sleep?!” Damn it, this Gu the exploiter (Zhou the exploiter; archetypal character in a short story; from 《The Cock Crows at Midnight》), he would never tell him who he met when he got on the elevator earlier even if he died.