"It's not that we don't want to tell her, it's that we'll wait until she finishes her work so we can face it together." Zhou Qishen rarely asked for a favor, "You absolutely have to help with this."
The teapot on the charcoal stove had evaporated, bubbling and hissing. Gu Heping grew increasingly irritated, yelling, "What the hell is going on?!"
Zhou Qishen's prediction was remarkably accurate. The following morning, he was taken by the police to a branch office in Xicheng District to assist with the investigation. After a very brief questioning, the police informed him that Zhuang Qiu had provided conclusive evidence and a medical examination certificate, which were all compliant and legal, and that they intended to prosecute him for intentional assault.
Almost simultaneously, Qi Yuming's legal team took over the case immediately, with Qi Yuming himself serving as Zhou Qishen's defense lawyer, and conducted investigations and collected evidence.
Zhou Qishen lived in the east of the city, but was summoned to the west. Zhuang Qiu's true intentions were obvious to everyone; his power base was in the west, and he was determined to make things difficult for Zhou Qishen.
Friday, two days after the incident.
Meng Weixi returned to Beijing. The driver was waiting at the airport. As soon as he got in the car, Guan Qian, who was sitting in the passenger seat, immediately reported: "President Meng, Zhou Qishen may really be in some trouble this time."
Meng Weixi's eyes were cold, and the chill on his shoulders had not yet dissipated.
"Zhuang Qiu and he have been at odds for a long time, with years of grudges and resentment. In recent years, Zhou Qishen has been all-powerful and successful, and Zhuang Qiu has been powerless against him. He finally managed to seize this handle. I've inquired, and Zhuang Qiu has connections within the bureau. Zhou Qishen's side is no pushover either; his lawyer is Qi Yuming." Guan Qian succinctly got to the point, continuing, "But from the very beginning, Zhou Qishen was at a disadvantage. It's a war of attrition; Zhuang Qiu wants to wear him down."
Meng Weixi remained silent for a long time, sitting upright, looking thoughtful.
He heard the news from Beijing while he was in Qinghai. He had also noticed Zhao Xiyin; she seemed normal and likely unaware of the situation. As for Zhuang Qiu's intentions, Meng Weixi could guess them perfectly well. He wouldn't really want to do anything to Zhou Qishen. In terms of strength, Zhuang Qiu was not on the same level as him; a mutually destructive outcome would severely damage Zhuang Qiu himself.
It was purely to annoy him, to set Zhou Qishen up and vent his anger.
After Guan Qian finished his report, he waited for Meng Weixi to speak.
Originally, it was thought that given the love-hate relationship between these two ancestors, Meng Weixi should have lent Zhuang Qiu a hand to make Zhou Qishen thoroughly unhappy. However, during the forty minutes the car drove to the company, he did not utter a single word.
Just before getting out of the car, he suddenly said, "Contact Qi Yuming, I want to see Attorney Qi."
——
That afternoon, at a detention center in Xicheng District.
Gu Heping and Lao Cheng were finally able to meet Zhou Qishen.
It wasn't that they couldn't see each other before, but Zhou Qishen had always refused to see them. Gu Heping immediately launched into a string of fluent Beijing curses, "You think you're so great! You think you're so capable, huh! You won't even see me or send me a message, what, do you want to ascend to heaven or really want to be sentenced to ten or eight years in prison on Pingdingshan!"
Zhou Qishen was amused by his words, his eyebrows arched, and he seemed quite pleased with himself.
Old Cheng looked at him; he hadn't changed out of his uniform and was still wearing his own clothes. Zhou Qishen must have been informed beforehand; apart from being a bit thinner, he still looked handsome, without a trace of dejection or listlessness.
Old Cheng tossed him a cigarette. "Here, have a smoke. Everything's arranged, and the surveillance cameras are off."
Zhou Qishen only asked about the smell of cigarette smoke before putting it down. He first looked at Gu Heping and said, "I have my reasons for not seeing you."
"What are you going to think about!" Gu Heping was furious. "What do I need you to think about? Isn't it just that you don't want to drag us down or cause us trouble? Zhou Qishen, have we spoiled you too much and pampered you too much? Have we been brothers for over ten years for nothing?"
Zhou Qishen smiled without saying a word, his expression slightly moved.
"What the hell are you laughing at!" Gu Heping wanted nothing more than to kick him to death. "I'll beat the crap out of you!"
Old Cheng, annoyed by his noise, picked at his ear. "Can you be quiet? You're shaking my earwax out." Then his gaze fell on Zhou Qishen. "Nobody's giving you a hard time, is he?"
"What's so difficult about that?" Gu Heping said. "Look at his complexion, his skin is even better than before."
Zhou Qishen laughed out loud, looking spirited, relaxed, and completely unaffected.
He paused, then said, "At most a week."
Old Cheng asked seriously, "Are you confident?"
“Hmm.” Zhou Qishen said calmly, “I had Xu Jin contact several major companies that do business with Zhuangqiu. All of Zhuangqiu’s current supply chains and channels are being renegotiated by Jingmao. If the supply is cut off, he won’t be able to hold on for long.”
Gu Heping understood immediately. "He has a bridge steel project that's still waiting for approval. Don't worry, he won't get it approved."
Old Cheng stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette and said calmly, "The photos of Zhuang Qiu messing around at the club will be sent to Old Master Zhuang in a few days. Since he likes to cause trouble so much, he should take care of things at home."
Zhou Qishen didn't react much; his composure, confident of victory, wasn't enough to distract him. He simply asked, "What about Xiaoxi?"
"Don't worry, I've sent people to Qinghai to protect her secretly. She's filming every morning and evening these days, so she has a lot of work to do and no time for anything else." Old Cheng is a reliable person, and he knew this was the thing he cared about most.
Gu Heping warned, "She'll be back in Beijing in three days. Can you get out before she gets back? I'm not kidding. She can still keep it a secret while she's in Qinghai. But once she's back in Beijing, where the hell am I supposed to cover for you?"
Zhou Qishen thought for a moment and said, "They can get out."
He smiled again, "From now on, whatever Xiaoxi does, please help her out. She's a good girl, and she won't cause any trouble. As for the spare key to Fan Yue's apartment, I'll have Secretary Xu send you one another day. Keep it on hand, just in case there's an emergency."
Gu Heping and Lao Cheng exchanged a puzzled look.
"Heping, regarding the high-speed rail bearing project that you and Jingmao jointly undertook, if Secretary Xu has any matters to consult in the future, please take extra care if I am not around." Zhou Qishen instructed meticulously. "Old Cheng, about the sea-view apartment I bought in Shenzhen before the New Year, please keep an eye on it for me when you have time. I have already instructed Attorney Qi to complete the transfer of ownership once all the formalities are in place."
Zhou Qishen finished speaking slowly and deliberately, then leaned back in his chair, relaxing his back a bit.
Old Cheng scoffed, refusing to buy it, "You're not going out any longer, don't be in such a hurry to wash your hands of the business."
Zhou Qishen's smile deepened, and he slightly raised his chin, his expression ambiguous as to whether he was being genuine or not. "Isn't this just in case?"
Gu Heping spat, "If it's just a fart, can't you say something auspicious!"
This gathering was not easy, and they couldn't stay long. Ten minutes later, Lao Cheng and the others left.
Gu Heping drove, and after getting in the car, neither of them started the car nor urged it to move. The car windows were closed, and the interior was quiet except for the faint scent of marine essential oils.
Old Cheng spoke first, "Don't you think what Brother Zhou just said sounds a bit like...?"
Gu Heping replied, "To entrust the orphan."
——