The film and television city starts from the courtyard

Abao rushed to the foreign trade company, only to learn from Meiping that Wang Mingzhu had been taken to the sixth floor.

"To the sixth floor?"

"The Organization Department!"

Abao asked, "What are you going to the Organization Department for?"

"I don't know either, I..."

Before Mei Ping could finish speaking, A Bao went straight to the tea room, found Jin Hua, closed the door, and asked, "Section Chief Jin!"

"Mr. Bao, you came without telling me."

Ah Bao said, "I have something urgent I need your help with. It's like this, I have a misunderstanding with Miss Wang, and I haven't had time to explain it to her. If she's going to resign, please be sure to hold off for a while."

Jin Hua glanced at A Bao and said, "You're too late. Xiao Wang's issue isn't whether she should resign or not. You should go back first; she won't be back anytime soon. I'll let you know when there's clear information about things within the company. Just one more thing: you two should avoid contact lately."

Abao was completely confused when he heard this, not understanding what Jinhua meant by saying this.

Wang Mingzhu was taken away for investigation, with the focus being on the pearl earrings she received from A Bao. Wang Mingzhu hadn't expected that Zhao Shucheng's earlier warning had come true, and she could only state clearly that she had bought the pearl earrings herself.

However, the price differed from what the investigation revealed. Wang Mingzhu knew the earrings were actually worth no more than 500 yuan, but Ling Hong quoted 26,000 yuan.

Uncle also received the news and told Abao to call Lingzi and tell her not to talk nonsense.

Lingzi was surprised that the earrings had caused a problem, so she quickly went to find Linghong, hoping that she wouldn't make a mistake about the price. However, the foreign trade company had already found Linghong first, and Linghong had told Abao the price of 26,000 yuan.

Lingzi was stunned when she heard this. She never expected that she only wanted to make a little profit, but she ended up harming Wang Mingzhu.

Ah Bao had no choice but to go to Jin Hua to explain about the earring, but Uncle stopped Ah Bao and told him not to cause any more trouble.

Because Wang Mingzhu couldn't explain the earring incident clearly, she was suspended and sent to a better job. She couldn't get promoted and was instead transferred from the textile department to a third-party factory under the foreign trade corporation.

Wang Mingzhu was naturally indignant. She had already paid the money, but she had lost her beloved job and didn't even know when she would be able to return to No. 27.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She remembered that when she wanted to hand over the pearl earrings, Mei Ping persuaded her that it was A Bao's gift and that she should just pay for them.

Mei Ping pretended to be a good person and offered to help Wang Mingzhu pack her things, but Wang Mingzhu angrily retorted:

"Don't come any closer. I've always considered you a friend, but you've been plotting against me all along."

Mei Ping said, "I thought Mr. Bao was interested in you, that's why I said that. How was I supposed to know that you had a one-sided crush on Mr. Bao?"

"What did you say?" Wang Mingzhu was so angry that she was about to chase after Mei Ping to hit her, but Jin Hua stopped her and shouted, "This is an office, if you want to argue, go outside!"

"Master, I'm innocent!"

Jin Hua looked at Wang Mingzhu without saying a word.

Unable to prove her innocence, Wang Mingzhu could only leave No. 27 in a huff.

Ah Bao called the foreign trade headquarters looking for Wang Mingzhu, only to find out that Wang Mingzhu hadn't gone to work or seen her girlfriends. Ah Bao guessed that Wang Mingzhu must have gone to eat pork ribs and rice cakes.

Uncle, however, reminded Ah Bao that it was best for him not to meet with Wang Mingzhu at this time, otherwise it would only make things worse and harm Wang Mingzhu. If Ah Bao could find Ling Hong's purchase invoice to prove that the pearl earring wasn't worth that much money, then he could help Wang Mingzhu.

Ah Bao called the rice cake shop and reassured Wang Mingzhu not to worry, assuring her that he would definitely help her prove her innocence.

He went to Linghong to ask for the purchase invoice, but Linghong claimed that she had already thrown it away, and that she had done so on Lingzi's advice. The gold and silver jewelry she sold was very cheap, but she always sold it as high-end luxury goods. Lingzi had long warned him not to keep the purchase invoice to avoid customers coming to his door and causing trouble.

Lingzi retorted angrily, "Since when have you ever listened to me like this?"

What else could Abao say but that he had to see the purchase order tomorrow, regardless of anything else?

Zhao Shucheng only learned of Wang Mingzhu's accident when he was contacting the supermarket's suppliers.

I never expected that she would actually get into trouble because of a pair of pearl earrings. It can only be said that it was fate. After all, I had reminded her long ago that she should either hand over the item or buy an identical one and hand it over, but it seems that Wang Mingzhu did neither.

He doesn't have a good way to help Wang Mingzhu right now. After all, the best solution to her problem is to prove that the earrings are worthless, or even that Wang Mingzhu has already bought them.

Even so, Wang Mingzhu won't be able to return to No. 27 on the Bund anytime soon. After all, although the pearl earrings aren't worth much, Ling Hong advertised such a high price, while Wang Mingzhu herself only spent five hundred yuan, suggesting a possible exchange of benefits.

Linghong hadn't actually thrown away the purchase order; she was just unsure whether she should take it out. After all, the earrings she bought only cost two hundred yuan, but she had sold them to Lingzi for two thousand six hundred. If she handed them over, she would definitely offend Lingzi. But if she didn't give them to Abao, she would not only offend Abao, but she would also feel guilty.

Left with no other option, she went to Teacher Ge, hoping he could give her some advice. Teacher Ge was also taken aback by Lingzi's ruthlessness and was somewhat dumbfounded. Not wanting to get involved, he pretended not to hear or see anything.

Wang Mingzhu didn't want to tell her family about what happened, so her uncle advised her to write a self-criticism as soon as possible and gave her many templates for self-criticisms, asking her to write one on the spot.

Wang Mingzhu didn't actually think she had done anything wrong, since she had bought the earrings herself and hadn't violated any rules.

Zhao Shucheng also called Wang Mingzhu to arrange a meeting.

Wang Mingzhu never expected that Zhao Shucheng would still dare to contact her at this time, especially since other people were now avoiding her like the plague.

Zhao Shucheng chuckled and said, "That's because those people needed Miss Wang's help before, and now they're cooperating with Number Twenty-Seven, so naturally they don't dare to approach her. I'm different. I'm not in the foreign trade industry now; I'm just Miss Wang's friend, so naturally I'm not afraid of being seen or said anything by others." As he spoke, Zhao Shucheng glanced at the letter of apology Wang Mingzhu had placed to the side and said with a smile, "What, Miss Wang, are you writing a letter of apology?"

"Yes, but I don't think I'm really wrong."

Zhao Shucheng said, "I don't care what you think, I care what I think! Whether you've made a mistake or not isn't based on your personal feelings, but on the rules of your Number Twenty-Seven."

"These pearl earrings may have a different meaning for you, but you can't explain their true price or whether you actually bought them. That's what the Organization Department is questioning. What you need to do now is not to explain the earrings, but to truly recognize your mistake through this incident. You must hand over any gifts from clients, no matter if they are worth millions or worthless. You must not accept a single item."

Wang Mingzhu looked at Zhao Shucheng and said, "You seem to know a lot about this?"

"I wouldn't say I understand it very well, I've just studied the law. Many people say that the ways to make big money are all written in the criminal law, so you naturally have to know how to avoid them in business."

Zhao Shucheng looked around and said, "You're planning to write here? You should know that such a noisy environment is not conducive to your concentration, and you definitely won't be able to write anything profound in your reflection."

"Then what do you suggest we do? I don't dare tell my parents about this at all. If they find out, they'll definitely be worried and angry."

Zhao Shucheng said with a smile, "Of course, we'll go somewhere else. You haven't been to my new house yet, have you? It's on Fuxing Road, a three-story old villa. I can lend you a study there."

"Isn't this inconvenient? I'm still in the review stage. If we make contact, then..."

Zhao Shucheng said with a smile, "But do I have any business dealings with your Number 27? If not, what difference does it make even if they find out?"

Wang Mingzhu suddenly realized that Zhao Shucheng's words made sense, especially since she really couldn't write anything here. After all, she often smelled the aroma of pork ribs and rice cakes here, which brought back memories of Ah Bao, making it impossible for her to calm down and reflect on her mistakes.

Wang Mingzhu followed Zhao Shucheng to the old house, but heard guitar music coming from upstairs. She looked at Zhao Shucheng curiously and asked, "Are there other people in your family?"

Zhao Shucheng said with a smile, "A friend of mine is staying here for a while, just like you. Come to think of it, you know him!"

Wang Mingzhu was a little curious after hearing this, since she didn't remember anyone she knew who could play the guitar, or who was so close to Zhao Shucheng that they could stay at his place.

When she entered the living room, she saw Vivian playing the guitar.

Vivian was surprised that not only Zhao Shucheng had returned, but he had also brought Wang Mingzhu with him. She greeted him somewhat awkwardly, "Miss Wang, hello!"

“Miss Zhou, what’s wrong with you…” Wang Mingzhu looked at Vivian in surprise, then at Zhao Shucheng, and said, “Could it be that you two…”

"It's not what you think. Vivian recently broke up with her boyfriend, so she's staying here to clear her head. I just bought this house, and it's quite private, so Vivian is staying here for a while."

"You don't need to explain, I understand!"

Wang Mingzhu smiled. She didn't believe Zhao Shucheng was simply lending Vivian the money; on the contrary, she thought he had ulterior motives. Vivian had just broken up with her boyfriend, and Zhao Shucheng was both asking her to stay and attending to her every need—wasn't he just trying to take advantage of her vulnerability?
Of course, she had to admit that Vivian was very beautiful, and Zhao Shucheng and she looked like a perfect couple.

"Ms. Zhou, I'm sorry to bother you for a while, but I'll be leaving soon!"

Zhao Shucheng said, "Vivian, Miss Wang needs to use the study to write something. I'll take her there first and explain to you later."

Vivian nodded and said, "Okay, you take Miss Wang to get busy first, I'm not in a hurry."

After Wang Mingzhu entered the study, she smiled and looked at Zhao Shucheng, saying, "I didn't expect this, Mr. Zhao, that you've been keeping a mistress hidden away. But you didn't let a word out. Such big news about Miss Zhou in Shanghai, and no one outside knows about it?"

Zhao Shucheng said with a smile, "It's not that everyone doesn't know, it's just that the media has been suppressed. As for those who saw Vivian, some recognized her, while others just thought she looked similar. After all, who would have thought that Vivian would be shopping so simply, and even appear right next to them?"

"You're right."

Zhao Shucheng said, "Alright, write your self-criticism first. The key is to recognize your mistakes, show your remorse, and not do evil because it is insignificant, nor neglect good because it is insignificant."

Just as Zhao Shucheng was discussing the contents of the self-criticism with Wang Mingzhu, Li Li's side also welcomed new guests. Qiang Mujie arrived in Shanghai from Shenzhen, and the main force of the Shenzhen gang would also be arriving soon.

Li Li had actually been waiting for a long time, and even specially arranged for a waiter who didn't speak Cantonese, just to make it easier for them to talk business.

Qiang Mujie arrived in Shanghai ahead of the main group not only to pave the way, but also because he hoped Li Li could help him find someone.

Li Li had initially agreed with great confidence, but when she heard the name, she was clearly stunned.

She really didn't expect that the person Qiang Mujie was looking for was actually Lingzi from Tokyo, and Lingzi who had a deep relationship with Abao.

She was actually a little curious about the relationship between Lingzi and Qiang Mujie, but when she thought that Lingzi had returned from Japan and that Qiang Mujie had been an international student there, and that Abao had also been there, she immediately imagined a melodramatic soap opera that would last for dozens of episodes.

After Zhao Shucheng came out of the study, Vivian looked curiously at Wang Mingzhu, who was still deep in thought, and asked, "Mr. Zhao, is Miss Wang having some trouble?"

Zhao Shucheng asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. I was thinking that Miss Wang hadn't had a glass of water since she arrived, so I wanted to bring you some tea. I overheard your conversation by accident. She's going to write a self-criticism."

Zhao Shucheng nodded and said, "That's right. She accepted a gift from a client. Although she bought it with her own money, the price was different from what the merchant quoted, so she needs to explain things clearly. After all, you have an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) there, so it should be easy for you to understand, right?"

"I understand, but is Ms. Wang really alright?"

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "Of course, no problem. She just can't explain why the prices differed so much. Actually, the shop owner was just being dishonest and inflating prices. This matter will be clarified sooner or later, but before that, Ms. Wang may have to leave her previous job and suffer a bit."

Vivian nodded, seemingly understanding, and said, "I see. So, Miss Wang, will you be staying here for the next while? Or should I prepare a guest room?" (End of Chapter)