Chapter 350: Whatever You Want, Take It From Me

Ke Zhongyu has already told Jiang Lai the matter he was suspicious of, and Jiang Lai also knows what Assistant Zhou went to do, so, accordingly, she should know when Assistant Zhou returns.

Assistant Zhou returned to the company at three p. m.; passing colleagues greeted him, "Assistant Zhou is back from a business trip."

"I'm back," Assistant Zhou replied with a smile, then took the elevator to the president's office.

Secretary Guan exclaimed excitedly: "Zhou Zhou, you're back!"

Assistant Zhou: "I'm back; this time the matter is urgent, I didn't bring any specialties."

Secretary Guan: "It's fine, it's fine."

Secretary Cen slightly lifted her chin: "Chief Ke and Dr. Jiang are waiting for you inside; the blinds are all drawn."

The latter sentence is a reminder not to knock too loudly; who knows what the situation inside is like.

Even though everyone thinks nothing will happen—after all, Dr. Jiang is such a proper person that she would never allow Chief Ke to act recklessly—but Chief Ke insists on acting out, and it's not impossible that Dr. Jiang feels reluctant.

If Dr. Jiang didn't like Chief Ke, she certainly wouldn't agree to be together.

Since they have agreed to be together, they must like and care for each other deep down; from the three or four months of interaction, they can both see that Dr. Jiang is soft‑hearted toward those she likes and cares about.

Chief Ke, being shrewd and calculating, knows best how to coax and deceive.

Dr. Jiang is no match.

Assistant Zhou understood implicitly and knocked on the office door a little more softly.

Just one knock.

In less than a minute the door opened, and Assistant Zhou looked up to see Dr. Jiang sitting at Chief Ke's desk, directly opposite the chair.

Assistant Zhou quickly averted his gaze: "Chief Ke, I just remembered I have something else to attend to."

Ke Zhongyu: "Come in."

The door remained open, and he turned to the spots of Secretary Cen and Secretary Guan and said, "Mop."

Secretary Guan immediately got up to fetch a mop; after entering, she stared blankly at Dr. Jiang seated at Chief Ke's desk.

Even though they all saw coffee spilled on the floor and Dr. Jiang's shoes dampened at the feet.

It was indeed an accident.

But that spot really invites a lot of speculation.

Secretary Guan, almost with her head down, finished cleaning the coffee stain, while Assistant Zhou helped collect the broken cup shards.

Ke Zhongyu took a pair of white slippers from the lounge and, in front of the subordinates, nonchalantly helped Jiang Lai take off her shoes and socks and put on the slippers.

Jiang Lai tried to pull her foot back, but her ankle was instantly grasped.

Secretary Guan finished tidying up and left in a hurry.

Jiang Lai got down from the desk, then was pressed onto her own chair by Ke Zhongyu, who stood aside, signaling Assistant Zhou to discuss business.

Jiang Lai sat upright and solemnly.

Assistant Zhou produced some data he had investigated; the situation at the hospital had already been mentioned, so he didn't repeat it.

When he presented his comparison chart, along with the G Province newspaper and the transfer news from that year, he said, "Gu Sen and Zhao Zheng indeed chased each other back then, evenly matched in all respects, but Gu Sen won more popular support and had a deeper family background; in my estimation, the promotion and transfer should have gone to Gu Sen."

"Gu Sen left politics for business because his wife Song Shiwei suffered postpartum depression, was mentally dazed, and the climate of G Province was unsuitable for convalescence."

"Later Zhao Zheng was transferred to the provincial capital; in less than five years he was moved to T Province and promoted, thereafter everything went smoothly, and he became the top leader of T Province."

"In Chief Ke's name I contacted the Xiao family; the person in charge of the Xiao family arranged for me to meet Zhao Zheng, and between the lines Zhao Zheng has continuously kept in touch with the Gu family—not Gu Sen's household but the Gu clan; the Xiao family members also inadvertently revealed that Zhao Zheng's relationship with the Gu family is good."

Ke Zhongyu frowned.

Jiang Lai, unfamiliar with the Gu family, asked, "Are there many members of the Gu family?"

Assistant Zhou looked at Chief Ke.

This Chief Ke knows better.

Ke Zhongyu: "The previous head of the Gu family was Gu Sen's grandfather; the current head is Gu Sen's paternal uncle, a retired cadre, over a hundred years old but not fully withdrawn from managing family affairs. At present the decision‑maker is Gu Sen's elder cousin; had Gu Sen not left politics for business back then, the Gu family's decision‑maker would have been him."

"The Gu family spans five generations; Gu Sen is of the third generation, which had five brothers, with Gu Sen and Gu Hai forming one branch. The fourth generation includes Gu Zhiyan and Gu Yinxue; altogether there are eight siblings, of whom only Gu Yinxue and Gu Jin are girls. The fifth generation consists entirely of children, the oldest already twelve years old."

Jiang Lai's eyes flickered lightly: "So many people after all."

Ke Zhongyu: "Hmm, the only one in business is Gu Sen; the Gu clan's tourism and cultural creative industry currently controls most of B City's tourism and cultural‑creative sector."

"The Gu family's ancestral home is J Province, ancestral residence B City, but only three households stay in B City year‑round: Gu Sen's elder cousin, Gu Sen, and Gu Hai. The others are scattered, yet the decision‑maker can gather them all with a single word."

A very complicated family relationship.

Jiang Lai showed no other expression on her face.

Assistant Zhou continued, "What I heard is that there's no feud between Gu Sen and Zhao Zheng; Zhao Zheng even has a close relationship with the Gu family, so, sorry, Chief Ke, the lead is dead‑ended."

Ke Zhongyu said in a low voice, "Not necessarily."

Jiang Lai and Assistant Zhou unexpectedly looked at him.

Ke Zhongyu: "Since Zhao Zheng's ties with the Gu family are close, it shows the problem we suspect lies in… in …"

The man's voice suddenly paused, and he instinctively looked at Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai calmly replied, "It indicates the problem lies with the Gu family members themselves."

"Let's stop here," she said, looking at Ke Zhongyu with a gentle gaze, "Those conjectures end here; Mr. Gu and Ms. Song have already met with me, so let's stop here."

Whether it's Gu Sen's ambiguity or Song Shiwei's hasty retreat, a choice has already been made.

Jiang Lai could not just go up and tell them, "I suspect I have a blood relation with your Gu family; could we do a paternity test?"

She guessed that, even if she said it, the Gu family would refuse.

The office atmosphere suddenly turned very cold and desolate.

Assistant Zhou silently turned and left, closing the office door behind him.

Jiang Lai met Ke Zhongyu's deep gaze: "Maybe we're overthinking; I have nothing to do with the Gu family."

Ke Zhongyu was at a loss for words for a moment; honestly, he rarely comforts people, especially in this situation, which he had never encountered.

All he knew was to lower his head and kiss Jiang Lai's lips lightly; after parting, he told her, "A Lai, you can have anything from me—love, kinship, friendship; I can give you everything."

Jiang Lai's eyes welled up with tears from what he said: "That's so impressive."

"Mm." Ke Zhongyu suddenly opened the drawer, took out a black card from inside, placed it in Jiang Lai's hand, "I've wanted to give it to you for a while, afraid you'd overthink."

"Anything in the world is illusory, but what you hold in your hand is real, with no limit, won't be reported to me—it's just yours."

Ke Zhongyu pinched her butt: "Just swiping for fun."

The bronze carved key around her neck, Ke Zhongyu said he wore it just for fun; the black card with no limit in her hand, Ke Zhongyu said he used it just for fun; Jiang Lai felt warm inside, and her whole body felt warm.

She casually asked: "What if I use it all up?"

Ke Zhongyu: "Then I'm useless."

Ke Zhongyu: "I hope your spending speed can catch up to my earning speed."