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Wu Kezhi has been investigating the anonymous letter for the past few days, asking many friends for help, but he hasn't found any clues.

The letter seemed to appear out of thin air, without any origin or trace.

Lin Yuming noticed that Wu Kezhi was secretly making phone calls every day, and his complexion was getting worse and worse. He was extremely anxious.

On one occasion, Sun Yiqiu looked at Lin Yuming and asked in a low voice, "Manager Lin, is President Wu in some kind of trouble?"

Lin Yuming sighed: "You can go home now, don't ask anymore."

"..."

After Sun Yiqiu left, Lin Yuming couldn't help but approach Wu Kezhi and ask, "Boss, what exactly happened? Tell us, and we'll all work together to figure it out."

Wu Kezhi didn't even look up: "It's alright, I can handle it myself. You guys just need to focus on your current projects."

“But these past few days…” Lin Yuming wanted to say more.

“I told you, it’s nothing,” Wu Kezhi interrupted him. “Go home after get off work.”

Lin Yuming returned to his workstation, seething with anger.

Having followed Wu Kezhi for so many years, I know him too well. The more stubborn he is, the more serious the matter must be.

……

The next day, Wu Kezhi decided to go to Rihuan Bio in person to take a look.

After thinking about it for a long time, he thought that it would be great if the project was done well, but if there were any problems, he didn't want to involve Lin Yuming and Sun Yiqiu.

But to protect them, we need to find out the truth as soon as possible.

Seeing that Wu Kezhi was about to go out alone again, Lin Yuming couldn't help but say, "Boss, we're in the same group. Can't we face things together? What's the point of keeping this from us?"

"I'm not hiding it from you, I just don't want you to get involved," Wu Kezhi said seriously. "This project is very complicated, don't touch it."

"But we're already involved!" Lin Yuming raised his voice. "The whole team knows our Group Four is working on the project. Do you think we can just hide now?"

Wu Kezhi didn't say anything, and turned to leave.

Lin Yuming stomped his feet in anger.

Just then, Gao Sicong came over looking for Sun Yiqiu and saw the situation. "Yiqiu, what's wrong?"

Sun Yiqiu whispered, "Manager Wu won't let us participate in the project, and Manager Lin is angry."

Gao Sicong thought for a moment and said, "Generally, when a leader excludes a subordinate from a project, it's either because they don't trust them or because the project is too risky. Yi Qiu, when did this start?"

Sun Yiqiu recalled for a moment: "It seems... it was the day I renewed my contract."

"Contract renewal?" Gao Sicong's eyes darted around. "That might not be a coincidence. The only person in the whole company who could keep you is General Manager Qu. He kept you, and General Manager Wu took on the project... these two things might be related."

These words enlightened Sun Yiqiu and Lin Yuming. They exchanged a glance and began to guess what was going on.

At that moment, the front desk delivered a package containing information about Rihuan Bio.

The recipient was Wu Kezhi, but he wasn't there, so Lin Yuming accepted the package on his behalf.

“It seems that this is what President Wu is investigating.” Lin Yuming flipped through the thick stack of documents. “Yi Qiu, we can’t just sit here and wait. President Wu doesn’t want us to take risks, but we can’t let him shoulder the burden alone.”

"Manager Lin, you mean..."

“We’ll investigate too,” Lin Yuming said resolutely. “While General Manager Wu investigates outside, we’ll investigate within the company. More people means more strength.”

"Okay, Manager Lin, I'll do as you say."

……

Wu Kezhi spent the whole day at Rihuan Bio, meeting with several managers, looking at the production line, and reviewing some documents.

But everyone gave the same answer: there was nothing wrong with the company, there was nothing wrong with the product, and the listing process was normal.

But the more this was the case, the more Wu Kezhi felt something was wrong.

It's so perfect, it's like it was rehearsed.

He suspects that the person who wrote the anonymous letter may not be a current employee of Nippon Circulation, but rather someone who left the company previously.

When he returned to the company that evening, he was a little surprised to see Sun Yiqiu and Lin Yuming still working overtime: "Why haven't you left yet?"

"We're leaving right away." The two quickly shut down their computers and hurriedly left.

Wu Kezhi felt that they were acting strangely, but he didn't think much of it.

Then he called Ding Libo: "Old Ding, do me a favor and ask if any technical supervisors, preferably PhDs, have left Rihuan in the last six months."

Ding Libo quickly called back: "I asked, and they said yes, but the list of departing employees was moved last night."

"Who transferred him?"

"They said they were from...your company."

Wu Kezhi was taken aback. Their company? Besides him, who else was investigating?

……

The next morning, Sun Yiqiu and Lin Yuming took the initiative to find Wu Kezhi.

"Boss, we've found it." Lin Yuming said with a hint of pride, "The person who wrote the anonymous letter is very likely Dr. Li, the technical director who left Rihuan six months ago."

Wu Kezhi asked in surprise, "How did you find out?"

“We met with him yesterday as investors,” Sun Yiqiu said. “We subtly inquired about the reasons for his resignation. This is a recording.”

Lin Yuming took out his phone and pressed play.

In the recording, Dr. Li's voice was very excited:
“Jihuan promised me that the non-compete agreement would be terminated if I left the company. But as soon as I left, they pulled out the contract and said that I couldn’t work in the related industry for five years! I’ve been hitting walls everywhere I look for a job for the past six months, and they’re the ones pulling the strings behind the scenes!”

When the recording reached a crucial part, Lin Yuming paused it: "We can only listen to the rest of the recording after we've joined the project."

Wu Kezhi laughed angrily: "You want to negotiate with me?"

“Boss, we’re not trying to blackmail you,” Sun Yiqiu said earnestly. “We just want to help. We all know this project is risky. But we’re in the same team, and we’ll face it together.”

Wu Kezhi looked at them, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Finally, he nodded: "Okay, let's do it together."

Lin Yuming then continued playing the recording.

Dr. Li became increasingly agitated as he spoke, but when Lin Yuming asked him to withdraw the anonymous letter and promised to have Rihuan terminate its non-compete agreement, Dr. Li refused.

"I don't believe them! Those people from Rihuan never keep their word!" Dr. Li said and left.

Although the conversation broke down, at least they found the person.

Having investigated this far, Lin Yuming became worried. "Boss, there's clearly something wrong with Rihuan! Dr. Li's words, though extreme, aren't baseless. Should we continue with this project?"

“It’s not a question of whether we should do it or not,” Wu Kezhi shook his head. “It’s a must. President Qu has already set his sights on it, and we have no choice but to do it.”

As they were talking, Li Shensi called Wu Kezhi and asked him to go to President Qu's office.

When Qu Zhonghui met Wu Kezhi, he got straight to the point: "Mr. Wu, I heard you found the person who wrote the anonymous letter?"

Wu Kezhi's heart sank; the news had spread incredibly fast.

“Yes, a former technical supervisor,” he said truthfully.

“I don’t care who he is,” Qu Zhonghui said. “The listing review meeting is next week, and you have to get this sorted out before then. I don’t care about the process, I only care about the result. The anonymous letter cannot affect Rihuan Bio’s listing.”

This is very clear: use any means necessary to shut Dr. Li up.

Wu Kezhi emerged from his office, his heart heavy.

Li Shensi waited for him in the corridor and patted him on the shoulder: "President Wu, this project is very complicated now. You should think it through carefully."

"..." Wu Kezhi naturally understood the meaning behind Li Shensi's words.

But the project had become a swamp, and it was almost impossible for him to get out.

Wu Kezhi, Lin Yuming, and Sun Yiqiu were all on the edge of the swamp.

……

The next day, Wu Kezhi arranged to meet Dr. Li at a coffee shop.

Dr. Li was calmer than last time, but the resentment in her eyes hadn't disappeared.

This time he brought a document, which was the record of an internal meeting of Nippon Ring.

“These are the minutes of the seven meetings the company held with me before I was fired,” Dr. Li said. “But they only kept the last one; the others are ‘lost.’ The conclusion of the last meeting was that I was ‘incompetent and unable to perform my duties.’”

Wu Kezhi flipped through the thin record: "So you two fell out because of technical differences?"

“It’s not just a disagreement,” Dr. Li said with a wry smile. “The cell regeneration agent project they wanted me to sign off on was technically immature. I told them at the time that it would take at least three more years to bring it to market. But they couldn’t wait and insisted that I sign off on the product’s quality. When I refused, they held meetings, once or twice, twice or three times… By the seventh meeting, they fired me.”

He leaned forward and lowered his voice, "Mr. Wu, I can guarantee that Rihuan hasn't broken through that technological bottleneck to this day. Their products definitely have problems." "Do you have evidence?" Wu Kezhi asked.

"Evidence?" Dr. Li shook his head. "If I had evidence, I would have reported it long ago. But I know they fabricated data and created fake reports. That product doesn't live up to its advertised claims at all."

……

At the same time, Sun Yiqiu and Lin Yuming were at Cha Rihuan's partner hospital.

They discovered that while Rihuan claimed to have partnered with over a dozen top-tier hospitals, their actual visits revealed that these hospitals were not using their products on a large scale at all.

Some hospitals have never even heard of the Sun Ring.

“The market data is fabricated,” Lin Yuming said. “Moreover, I asked a friend about the medical institution they are cooperating with overseas, and they said it is still in the ‘initial contact stage’ and there is no substantial cooperation at all.”

Sun Yiqiu frowned: "Then their revenue... is it fake?"

“It’s highly likely,” Lin Yuming sighed. “Rihuan’s revenue has grown so rapidly over the past three years. If the products really can’t be sold, where will the money come from? They can only be falsifying accounts.”

The two reported their findings to Wu Kezhi.

After listening, Wu Kezhi fell silent.

It will take a few more days for them to obtain conclusive evidence overseas, but the listing review meeting is scheduled for next week.

It can be said that time is of the essence.

“What should we do if there’s really a problem with this project?” Sun Yiqiu asked.

“If there really is a problem, I will send the project back to the company,” Wu Kezhi said firmly.

Lin Yuming smiled wryly: "Then our Group Four is going to offend everyone again."

Just then, Wu Kezhi's phone rang.

He answered the phone, listened for a few words, his expression changed, and he hurriedly left.

……

That evening, Qu Zhonghui suddenly invited Sun Yiqiu to dinner.

Sun Yiqiu was flattered, but something felt off. Why would President Qu invite such a minor character like him alone?

At the dinner table, Qu Zhonghui said amiably, "Xiao Sun! I was pleasantly surprised by your performance in Group Four. You're down-to-earth, eager to learn, and have potential. The company is keeping you because we value your future."

Sun Yiqiu said reservedly, "Thank you, President Qu. I will continue to work hard."

"How's your follow-up on the Rihuan project going?" Qu Zhonghui suddenly asked.

"I...I just assisted, Mr. Wu was mainly in charge."

"Yes, Mr. Wu is very capable. You should learn from him." Qu Zhonghui paused. "By the way, what are your career plans for the future?"

Sun Yiqiu was taken aback: "Uh? President Qu, I come from an ordinary family and just want to do my job as well as I can."

"Oh..." Qu Zhonghui seemed to understand something, "Then you must be under a lot of pressure in Shanghai, right?"

"It's alright! My mom and I depend on each other for survival, and we're quite happy."

"Work hard, and once Rihuan successfully goes public, I'll apply for a bonus for you."

These words made Sun Yiqiu feel uneasy.

Just as I was wondering how to respond, Wu Kezhi suddenly rushed in.

"President Qu, I'm sorry! I need to speak with Sun Yiqiu." His face was grim as he pulled Sun Yiqiu away.

"Old Wu, what do you mean by this?" Qu Zhonghui's face darkened.

"It's nothing, there's an urgent matter in the team, and I'll do a good job on this project." Wu Kezhi pulled Sun Yiqiu away without looking back.

"..." Sure enough, Qu Zhonghui showed a satisfied expression.

After leaving the restaurant, Sun Yiqiu asked in a low voice, "President Wu, why did President Qu suddenly invite me to dinner?"

"Don't ask, just go home!" Wu Kezhi said urgently.

"But……"

"No buts!" Wu Kezhi interrupted him. "Just do your own thing and don't worry about the rest."

Sun Yiqiu left, completely bewildered.

Wu Kezhi stood by the roadside, lit a cigarette, and felt a jumble of emotions.

……

The next day, Li Shensi suddenly called Sun Yiqiu to his office to play chess.

Sun Yiqiu doesn't know how to play Go, but Li Shensi said it doesn't matter, he's just playing around.

Halfway through the game, Li Shensi suddenly said, "Yi Qiu! Look at this chessboard. Sometimes, to protect one piece of territory, you have to give up another. Life is the same; there are gains and losses."

Sun Yiqiu sensed the hidden meaning in the words, but dared not respond.

“The Rihuan project is like this dead piece on a chessboard.” Li Shensi pointed to a corner. “We know it can’t be saved, but some people still insist on trying to save it. Why? Because this piece is connected to the whole country. If we lose this piece, we may lose the whole game.”

He looked at Sun Yiqiu: "Tell me, in this situation, should we save him or abandon him?"

Sun Yiqiu thought for a moment: "If we can't save him, wouldn't forcing him to be saved result in even greater losses?"

“Yes!” Li Shensi laughed. “But chess players can sometimes be blinded by their obsessions. They think that if they just make one more move, they can survive. In the end, they make more and more moves that lead to their demise.”

Sun Yiqiu seemed to understand but not quite.

At the same time, Wu Kezhi called Lin Yuming to the rooftop.

"Don't investigate the matter of the Sun Ring anymore," he said.

"Why?" Lin Yuming asked, puzzled. "We were about to find out the truth!"

“Because even if we find out the truth, it won’t make a difference.” Wu Kezhi sighed. “President Qu has made it clear that Rihuan must go public. This is the company’s decision, and we can’t change it.”

But there's something wrong with the product!

“Even with problems, we still have to go public.” Wu Kezhi looked at Lin Yuming. “Yuming, let me tell you the truth, Sun Yiqiu was able to stay because Group Four took over the Rihuan project. It’s a deal. If we mess up the project, Yiqiu will have to leave.”

Lin Yuming was stunned. Only then did he understand why Wu Kezhi had kept it from them all along.

"So...you knew all along that there were problems with the project?"

"I had some guesses, but I didn't expect it to be this serious. But it's too late to say anything now. We're already on board, there's no getting off."

……

Sun Yiqiu returned to Group 4 and noticed that something was off.

Lin Yuming kept his head down and didn't speak, while Wu Kezhi's face was gloomy.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's alright." Wu Kezhi stood up. "I'll treat you to dinner tonight to celebrate your successful contract renewal. The Rihuan project... is over, you don't need to follow up anymore."

"It's over?" Sun Yiqiu was stunned. "But we haven't finished investigating..."

"I said it's over, and it's over." Wu Kezhi said firmly, "Go eat."

At the dinner table, Sun Yiqiu thanked Wu Kezhi: "President Wu, thank you for letting me stay. I know it's related to the Rihuan project."

Wu Kezhi didn't say anything, he just drank.

Sun Yiqiu continued, "During the interview, I said my selling point was hard work. Actually... I lied. I said that because I felt hopeless about my life. I couldn't play Go, I couldn't find a job, and I couldn't do anything well."

"But then you said that I gave you a glimmer of hope. It was those words that rekindled my fighting spirit. Mr. Wu, for me, even a little bit of hope is enough. Wherever I go in the future, I will carry that hope with me and keep striving."

Wu Kezhi looked at him, his eyes a little red, and raised his glass: "Yiqiu, remember what you said today. No matter what happens in the future, don't give up hope."

"I will not."

The three clinked glasses.

But everyone knew in their hearts that this meal was not easy to eat.

The project at Rihuan is not finished yet; a storm is still brewing.

And they have been swept into the eye of the storm.

Nobody knows what will happen next.

But one thing is certain: some choices, once made, cannot be reversed.

...(End of chapter)