Chapter 335: Requesting State Security Bureau Intervention in the Investigation

Jiang Lai had never met Song Shiwei and didn't know what she looked like, genuinely thinking she was a leader from B City. She walked over calmly, first greeting the newly appointed leader of the research institute, then looked at the lady sitting composed in her chair.

"Hello, I'm Jiang Lai."

Song Shiwei's gaze fixed the moment Jiang Lai walked in. The strap of the bag resting on her knees was gripped tightly, her pupils slightly dilated.

Only after Jiang Lai's voice fell did Song Shiwei slowly rise, still without a word, her eyes fixed on her face. After a long while, she uttered a single syllable: "You…"

Jiang Lai said politely, "Yes, I'm Jiang Lai."

"Jiang Lai…" Song Shiwei softly murmured her name. The arrogance she had originally intended to use to persuade Jiang Lai to leave Ke Zhongyu vanished the instant she saw her face.

"No, I've found the wrong person."

Song Shiwei left in a hurry.

Her retreating figure could almost be described as fleeing in panic.

Jiang Lai looked at the new leader with a puzzled expression.

The new leader was equally bewildered. The people above had said Mrs. Gu specifically wanted to meet Jiang Lai — Chief Engineer Jiang Lai of the in-house chip R&D, Chief Engineer Jiang Lai of the Three-Region Project. How could she have found the wrong person?

In the entire country, there was only one Jiang Lai with these titles.

The new leader asked, "Do you know who that lady just now was?"

Jiang Lai shook her head.

"Song Shiwei, from the Gu family of B City, wife of the chairman of Gu clan Tourism."

Jiang Lai frowned slightly.

The mother of Gu Zhiyan and Gu Yinxue?

Recalling carefully, Song Nvshi's features did somewhat resemble Gu Zhiyan's.

If she was the mother of those two, then she probably hadn't found the wrong person.

It was just unclear who Song Nvshi had come for.

For Gu Zhiyan's girlfriend?

Or for Gu Yinxue's marriage?

But Song Nvshi's behavior just now was very strange — not only did she deny looking for her, she even seemed startled, grabbing her bag and leaving.

Looking at the figure that had already disappeared, Jiang Lai turned back and asked the leader, "Did she have some work-related matter with me?"

The new leader immediately looked embarrassed. "Not exactly."

Jiang Lai: "Then what?"

The new leader: "The calls came down layer by layer. They didn't say what it was specifically about, just that she wanted to meet you. After assessment, it was specially arranged in a reception room with surveillance cameras, and Song Nvshi had no objections either."

Jiang Lai: "But you didn't ask for my opinion."

The new leader's smile stiffened slightly, his deep gaze fixed on her. "The people above didn't ask for my opinion either. Dr. Jiang, there's always someone higher up. Even when Elder Ji was alive, he couldn't simply refuse to see whoever he didn't want to see."

Jiang Lai gave an "Mm."

She recalled what Ji Lao had once said — with her temperament, she wouldn't go far in academic circles, and was only suited to keep her head down and do research.

All of this stemmed from the fact that she was not yet the person who made the rules.

Then she just needed to reach a position where she could make the rules.

Jiang Lai didn't continue this topic and looked at the new leader. "I'd like the leader to issue me a certificate of identity as key research personnel, and I'd also like the institute to formally notify the local State Security Bureau. Regarding the incident where I was deliberately rammed by an unidentified vehicle at the entrance of Mujiangtai, I suspect it was a threat and retaliation targeting my status as a researcher. Since the perpetrator has repeatedly denied everything, I now wish to request the State Security Bureau to intervene and investigate this matter."

State Security Bureau intervention for investigation and protection required submitting a formal application — it wasn't as though every key research personnel had someone secretly protecting them; this wasn't ancient times with hidden guards for imperial nobility.

The research institute had heard something about Jiang Lai nearly being hit by a car, but the person involved wasn't Jiang Lai — it was President Ke of the Ke Group.

The Ke clan's people had already called the police on the spot, and the police were already investigating the matter, just without evidence.

Besides, anyone with eyes could see that this matter was a private retaliation by Ji Lao's granddaughter, and had little to do with retaliation against Jiang Lai's status as a researcher.

The State Security Bureau would protect key research personnel, but what they protected was their identity and research, not personal affairs.

However, since Jiang Lai knew to leverage her own status and frame the car ramming as a threat and retaliation against her research identity — even if it was only a suspicion — the State Security Bureau would still dispatch someone to intervene and investigate.

As for the new leader of the research institute being able to take office, that was due to Ji Lao's downfall, and Ji Lao's downfall was closely tied to Jiang Lai. The new leader naturally agreed readily and immediately issued the certificate, notifying the local State Security Bureau.

To be safe, Jiang Lai also needed to submit a copy online herself.

With the State Security Bureau's intervention in the investigation, this matter would presumably soon yield evidence, thereby establishing Lin Shutong's guilt.

Ke Zhongyu's injuries couldn't have been suffered for nothing.

Thinking that Ke Zhongyu was still waiting for her outside, Jiang Lai quickly submitted the online application and walked out the research institute's main entrance.

The Cullinan was parked by the roadside.

Ke Zhongyu stood beside the car, the cold wind blowing against his face and hair.

Jiang Lai walked up quickly. "I told you to wait in the car."

"I just saw an acquaintance and got out to say hello." The acquaintance Ke Zhongyu referred to was Song Shiwei.

In truth, sitting in the car, no one could have seen him anyway. Getting out to exchange this greeting wasn't necessary.

But that was Mrs. Gu of the Gu family.

And she had appeared at the research institute.

Just minutes ago, Jiang Lai had walked in, saying someone from B City had come to see her.

Wasn't Song Shiwei exactly the one who came from B City?

However, the moment Ke Zhongyu got out of the car, Song Shiwei had hurriedly gotten into her car and left. She didn't even notice him as she passed by, her brow tightly furrowed, clearly distracted.

Ke Zhongyu continued asking Jiang Lai, "Who did you meet? You came out so quickly."

Jiang Lai took off her own scarf and looped it around Ke Zhongyu's neck. "Let's talk in the car."

A wave of warmth spread from his neck, and a faint, clean herbal fragrance unique to Jiang Lai quickly enveloped Ke Zhongyu. He got into the car.

Jiang Lai fastened her seatbelt and answered Ke Zhongyu's earlier question.

"The person who wanted to see me was Song Nvshi, the mother of Gu Zhiyan and Gu Yinxue."

Ke Zhongyu's gaze suddenly turned sharp; looking ahead as he drove, he asked, "What did she say?"

Jiang Lai shook her head.

Ke Zhongyu glanced at her, worried that she would rather suffer injustice than conceal something from herself.

Jiang Lai said seriously: "She only said she had mistaken the person, then left."

"Mistaken the person?" Ke Zhongyu's low voice carried doubt and disbelief.

Jiang Lai: "That's what she said."

Ke Zhongyu pondered, then after a moment asked her: "A Lai, what was your first impression of Madame Song when you saw her?"

Jiang Lai shook her head: "No."

She looked at Ke Zhongyu's profile: "Why do you ask that?"

Ke Zhongyu: "Your first impression of Uncle Gu was very good."

Jiang Lai was taken aback.

Yes.

Her first impression of Uncle Gu was very good; she found him refined and modest, felt he was a very kind elder, with a natural sense of closeness.

Madame Song is Uncle Gu's wife, but she had no such impression at all.

Her first reaction was not that she was Uncle Gu's wife, but that she was the mother of Gu Zhiyan and Gu Yinxue.

Why was that?

Jiang Lai fell into brief doubt.

"A Lai, there's something I haven't told you because it's been undecided for a while." Ke Zhongyu drove the car to an empty spot by the road and stopped, then, under Jiang Lai's doubtful gaze, he spoke slowly: "You look very much like Uncle Gu did when he was young."