Chapter 191 - 191: Love Is Love, Desire Is Desire
Gu Ziyu looked puzzled, “Then that must have been a pretty big insect.”
Gu Ci bet that this was definitely the most embarrassing scene her brother had experienced this year.
Gu Ziyu really didn’t understand. He was 18 years old in his previous life, but he was a reclusive, introverted teenager who had no grasp of romance and didn’t interact with people. Matters of love were foreign to him.
He threw himself onto the couch, looking completely drained, “I’m so tired.”
With Gu Ziyu back, Gu Ci refrained from pressing further about the gold matter. That issue was settled, and Pei Qiuying managed to pass through with Dr. North’s gold.
One person affected by this was Chen Liangdong.
“Ziyu, was Chen Liangdong punished?” Jiang Junlin asked.
Gu Ziyu lifted an eyelid, “Big brother, do you want him to be demoted or promoted?”
Jiang Junlin meticulously fastened the top button of his coat, concealing his desires. “I haven’t had any interactions with him. Whether he’s demoted or promoted doesn’t affect me.”
Gu Ziyu took the apple juice that Gu Ci handed him and took a sip. “This situation is quite troublesome. If the whereabouts of the gold remain unknown, it will indeed be complicated. He’s bound to be transferred. But since the gold has appeared, it’s the work of Jidao’s people trying to trick us. This situation can be resolved. If we catch Jidao’s people, it will also implicate a significant number of key figures. It balances out the merits and demerits.”
Jiang Junlin wrapped a scarf around his neck, a slight curve forming at the corner of his lips.
Gu Ziyu suddenly said, “There’s a problem with Pei Qiuying’s batch of gold.” Jiang Junlin’s smile faded, and he raised his head. “What kind of problem?” Gu Ziyu appeared enigmatic. “It’s a state secret, and I can’t disclose it.” Gu Ci remained silent.
Jiang Junlin nodded nonchalantly, “Understood.”
Gu Ziyu held the juice in his hands and reclined on the couch. “If Uncle tells me where the stolen gold is, I’ll exchange it for intelligence with you.”
“Trade secrets cannot be disclosed.”
Gu Ziyu was briefly choked, but he imitated his brother’s tone with a touch of ambiguity, “Understood.”
“That’s settled!”
Gu Ci was still silent.
For the Nth time, she wondered, between her husband, son, and brother, who should she be helping?
“Sweetie, are you hungry?” Gu Ci asked.
Gu Ziyu patted his empty stomach, “I am.”
“I’ll order takeout.” Gu Ci asked Jiang Junlin, “Do you want to join us, big brother?”
Gu Ziyu secretly thought, Mom, do you really need to ask that? Is there any takeout that Uncle can eat?
“No, thank you.” Jiang Junlin got up, picked up his coat, and headed to the door. “I’m heading home. You two enjoy your meal.”
Gu Ci walked Jiang Junlin to the door, feeling uneasy. “Big brother, what’s the issue between you and Black Hawk?”
“There are some matters that I can’t tell you.” Jiang Junlin stood under the moonlight, gently stroking her hair, his voice full of affection. “Just remember that I won’t harm you or Ziyu.”
“I know!” Gu Ci had always believed in him. “Big brother, if your fever doesn’t go down tomorrow, you should visit the hospital.”
“Understood.” Jiang Junlin couldn’t utter the true reason for his fever, but he secretly thought that the next time Ji Chi dared to act recklessly and not wear a condom, he would directly deal with him to spare himself the headache.
Gu Ziyu put down the juice, rubbed his eyes, and asked Gu Ci, “Is the gold in Uncle’s possession?”
“Sweetie, Mom wants to talk to you about something.” Gu Ci sat in front of him. “The matters between you men, you can resolve them yourselves, okay?”
Gu Ziyu widened his eyes, “Mom, 1 am your biological son, right?”
Gu Ci didn’t know what to say.
Gu Ziyu snapped his fingers, “But you’re assuming that. Even if the gold isn’t in Uncle’s hands, he must still know the truth.”
“What’s wrong with Pei Qiuying’s batch of gold?”
Gu Ziyu put on an air of elegance and aloofness, “Matters between men are not convenient to share with women.”
Gu Ci was thrown.
Ji Chi and Lu Zhiyuan were in a video call.
In the video, Lu Zhiyuan was engrossed in reading the investigation report about the gold. He had entrusted this matter entirely to Ji Chi to handle. While the outcome wasn’t what Lu Zhiyuan had hoped for, he understood that it wasn’t entirely Ji Chi’s fault.
“So, you suspect Jiang Junlin?” Lu Zhiyuan raised his head.
Ji Chi tapped his fingers on the table and nodded.
“What’s the reason?”
Ji Chi couldn’t put it into words; it was more of an intuition. He had focused his gaze on one person for a long time, and none of Jiang Junlin’s micro-expressions had escaped his eyes.
Jiang Junlin was an introverted, composed man; it was difficult for others to discern his emotions. However, Ji Chi could always sense his emotional fluctuations from his controlled and expressionless face.
Intuition, however, couldn’t be taken as evidence.
“Recently, Hualan gave me a few projects. While it seems like it’s due to me that the tense relationship between Black Hawk and Hualan has eased, these projects don’t significantly affect Black Hawk’s market share in Asia. All the important projects are under Jiang Junlin’s control. This creates a false impression in the financial sector that we can actually take a piece of the pie from Jidao.” Ji Chi’s face turned cold as he spoke, “He’s pretending to cooperate with me to find out about Third Master’s identity.”
Lu Zhiyuan closed the documents. “That’s strange. The feud between Hualan and Black Hawk started because of Jidao, and there was no personal vendetta. Why would Jiang Junlin want to know my identity?”
“It’s my intuition,” Ji Chi said. “Third Master, my intuition has saved me countless times. I believe in it.”
Lu Zhiyuan had never doubted Ji Chi’s trustworthiness and abilities. “So, that means Jiang Junlin already knows that you’re not Chen Rushi, but my man?”
Ji Chi nodded, “Yes.”
“Pei Qiuying has handed over the gold to the M Country Bank, concluding this matter. For now, don’t keep holding onto it. If Jiang Junlin indeed suspects that you’re my man, you shouldn’t deny it.” Lu Zhiyuan had spent several years in Black Hawk, his focus primarily on the North American market. His understanding of Jiang Junlin was limited to the fact that he was the president of Hualan Bank. “I also want to know what else Jiang Junlin is hiding behind his identity as the president of Hualan Bank.”
“Understood!” Ji Chi said, “Do we need to continue investigating that batch of gold? Since Pei Qiuying has submitted the gold, and it’s a different batch from the missing one, the lost gold is still in City A.”
“No need.” Lu Zhiyuan said calmly, “Set up a seamless trap. Jiang Junlin managed to escape it once. If he did manage to steal the gold, you won’t find any trace. I’ll handle the follow-up of this matter. If you want to take the Asian market away from Jidao, you can’t avoid Jiang Junlin. As long as he stands in Jidao’s way, you’ll be powerless.”
“I understand what to do.” Ji Chi’s eyes glinted with a hint of ruthlessness. After the incident with the gold, the fig leaf that covered the relationship between him and Jiang Junlin had been stripped away.
Love was love, desire was desire.
No matter how intimate and romantic a couple might be, when it came to killing, it was a matter of life and death.
After discussing Black Hawk’s matters with Lu Zhiyuan, he entrusted Ji Chi with another task, “The Lu Corporation’s asset structure is sound, and profits are steadily growing. Help me find a professional manager.”
“Third Master, are you stepping back from managing it?”
“I’m stretched too thin.” Lu Zhiyuan pinched the bridge of his nose. After the memory exchange with Third Young Master, things had become more complicated. Managing Black Hawk’s affairs alone was already intricate, and then there was the matter of the Global Center. Every day, he woke up to a pile of official business, and he had to fight with Third Young Master for control, preventing him from taking over when he was weak.
Yet, he never considered fully seizing control, leaving Third Young Master unconscious. He had always maintained a delicate balance..