Sheng Chenjin glanced at the bewildered Bai Feng and closed his eyes, disappointed.
Bai Feng had been so perceptive just moments ago.
He sighed silently, then let it go.
Sheng Chenjin looked at his watch. It was half past ten, not that late in the adult world.
He got back into the car without another word. Bai Feng rubbed his head and trotted after him to drive.
"Back to the company."
Sheng Chenjin massaged his temples, feeling a pang of regret.
He had hoped to try his luck this time and gauge Yan Hao's capabilities. But Shi XinXin had brought back another man, calling him "A Yu" intimately, which completely disrupted his plans.
Still, Sheng Chenjin had to admit, Shi XinXin's cooking was truly delicious. No wonder those men lingered at her place.
...
As soon as Sheng Chenjin left, the atmosphere in the house changed.
Yang Xi was easy to get along with, and Yan Hao, Feng Yu, and Shi XinXin already knew each other.
Thus began the catch-up session.
Yang Xi watched the three of them sit down solemnly by the coffee table. She spoke awkwardly, "You guys chat, I'll go with the kids."
With that, she practically fled to the children's room and closed the door.
"Sister, Senior Brother, speak,"
Feng Yu said first, seeing the two looking hesitant to start.
But Yan Hao and Feng Yu both turned to Shi XinXin.
"Looking at me? A Yu, is there something you want to ask?"
Feng Yu was surprised Shi XinXin had noticed so quickly.
"These three children..." Feng Yu ventured cautiously.
"Yes, I bore them. Their biological father is Sheng Chenjin."
Although Feng Yu had suspected it, he was still taken aback by how nonchalantly Shi XinXin revealed the truth.
"Then you still..." Feng Yu didn't know how to continue. It was clear Shi XinXin didn't have much of a relationship with Sheng Chenjin now.
"He gave me a seed. Years have passed, and it's not easy to harvest the fruit. Whether he earns the children's affection through his own efforts, or if he doesn't plan to acknowledge these children, I don't care about that."
Shi XinXin's expression remained unchanged. The children were grown, and her mindset had naturally stabilized.
Listening to Shi XinXin's description, Feng Yu, with his sharp mind, understood her meaning.
"Sister, you can't let your guard down so easily. Senior Brother just arrived, right? I've also just recovered my memory. I need to properly vet things for you."
Feng Yu analyzed earnestly, appearing to have Shi XinXin's best interests at heart.
Shi XinXin was somewhat touched and nodded obediently.
"Alright. Tell me about your situation. Your Senior Brother probably has many questions."
Shi XinXin teased with a smile, looking at Yan Hao's serious, thoughtful expression.
Feng Yu also turned his gaze to Yan Hao.
"Wait, XinXin, I know about the children, but what about your amnesia?"
Yan Hao seized on the key point.
"This is a long story. After I disappeared, I lost my memory and was found by adoptive parents who recognized me," Feng Yu began, lost in thought.
"Later, they were being pursued. I was saved by Zhu Guo, the leader of the Qing Jiao sect in Hai City. He saw my talent and chose to train me, making me his subordinate."
"I worked my way up to his assistant, privy to most of his secrets. But he was capricious and prone to violence, so I was inevitably used as a tool for his outbursts."
"He always believed my adoptive parents, who were being chased, were my biological parents, and he boasts about it."
"Recently, Zhu Guo received a mission from someone unknown and moved to Yun City to deal with my sister. However, all signs indicate he's only targeting my sister's business and doesn't intend to harm her personally." At this point, Feng Yu was still puzzled.
"And then today, while I was carrying out a mission at my sister's company, my past memories unexpectedly returned."
As Feng Yu recounted it, the experience felt quite fantastical, and Yan Hao listened in astonishment.
"It's good that your memories have returned. Qing Jiao is a clandestine underground organization. Staying there long-term poses a risk to your life,"
Yan Hao said, his eyes flashing with a peculiar light.
"You don't need to act. This matter will be handled by the authorities," Shi XinXin said, as if sensing Yan Hao's intentions.
"A Yu, you know many of Zhu Guo and Qing Jiao's secrets. Compile them quickly. Once I find the person who instructed him to use such underhanded tactics against me, we'll take them all down!"
Shi XinXin's eyes darkened.
She considered herself a law-abiding citizen and could not have offended any underground organizations.
There could only be one possibility, as she had suspected before: with the discovery of the technology left by her parents, the Saint Relic must also be making a move. She found it hard to believe Zhu Guo had no connection to them.
"Let's get some rest. You'll be busy with the bidding conference in a few days," Shi XinXin said, not wanting to discuss further for now, preferring to resolve the immediate issues first.
They all retired to their rooms to rest, the conversation concluded.
The crescent moon hung high, quietly hidden among the branches. The dim light of the night sky illuminated the dark corners.
...
For the next few days, Shi XinXin lived a packed schedule. Clearly, Zhu Guo, validated by Feng Yu, had stopped tampering with the company.
She had also informed Yang Yue. At the upcoming bidding conference, Yang Yue and Feng Yu would participate as her assistants.
As for Yan Hao, she didn't need to worry about him.
Feng Yu had also been busy, as Shi XinXin had instructed, compiling the records of Zhu Guo's criminal activities over the years.
Amidst their intense and fulfilling work, the bidding conference arrived as scheduled.
Extensive publicity had been conducted online and within the industry.
It was rumored that the judges for this bid were renowned business magnates and designers from home and abroad, attracting many well-known companies in the country to compete.
For projects like jewelry, any company with a complete industrial chain would participate.
For CL to stand out would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
It was no wonder even Sheng Shi Group, a company primarily focused on technology, was bidding.
Shi XinXin's group, along with Sheng Shi, arrived at the Yun City venue separately.
The Yun City organizers had invested significant manpower and resources to prepare for the quadrennial bidding conference.
The grand and luxurious reception hall served as a venue for businessmen to network, not to mention the even grander exhibition and bidding hall further inside.
Sheng Shi Group, as the premier company in Yun City, was naturally arranged in the front row, closest to the panel of judges.
Given the considerable number of bidding companies, the seats in the bidding hall were divided into five categories.
Shi XinXin, leading her two "assistants," along with Sheng Chenjin's assistant Bai Feng, taking advantage of Sheng Shi Group's president Sheng Chenjin, made their way to the center front row as a group of five.