Chapter 576: Illness

"That is all I have to say. I hope Assistant Lin can reflect on this seriously."

Qin Yingxue's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and then she said nothing more.

She turned, pushed open the conference room door, and strode inside.

As the heavy door slowly closed before her eyes, a look of panic appeared on Lin Mu's face, and every word Qin Yingxue had just spoken echoed in her mind.

Just yesterday, she had obtained full management authority over the hillside mansion and private jet, and was still immersed in the joy of her position as the "biological assistant" being as stable as an old dog.

That heart of hers, which had been hanging in the air, had finally completely relaxed.

She even began to feel that her previous wariness and hostility toward Shen Yu had been a bit petty.

As a result, this "Bad Omen Jin" had suddenly popped up and dealt her a heavy blow without any warning.

Although she had always secretly prided herself on being able to call Su Yu and Jin Meixiao "sisters."

Deep down, she knew better than anyone that whether it was real status, family background, or personal skill and ability, there was a world of difference between her and them.

Just as Jin Meixiao had said to the beautician, she was the "Empress."

This statement didn't sound the least bit out of place coming from her, and they had never questioned or refuted it.

Judging from the current situation, it was highly probable that Jin Meixiao was at odds with Su Yu.

Now, because she had grown closer to Su Yu and Mo Xiang Wan, Jin Meixiao clearly had a major issue with her.

She had even specifically sent Qin Yingxue to knock her down a peg, and had been so enthusiastic toward Shen Yu—who knew if, in the future, just as she was in a state of utter confusion, a voice sounded from beside her: "Luna, the Kate Trust delegation has arrived, and there is a very important person among them. Simon is in the reception room; you need to go there as well."

Steven, the company's Director of Investor Relations, was walking quickly toward her.

Lin Mu snapped back to reality, forcibly suppressed the fear and unease in her heart, and squeezed out a stiff smile: "Okay, I'll go over right away."

She took a deep breath and walked quickly forward.

Steven walked beside her, whispering the background of the Kate Trust delegation members.

Soon, in the VIP reception room, Lin Mu saw a team of six.

They were all white, and each one was full of presence. As a world-class top financial institution, the members of the Kate Trust delegation were basically all seasoned industry elites, carrying a powerful, naturally intimidating aura.

After a round of pleasantries, Lin Mu led them toward the large conference room.

After walking just a few steps, she saw an incredibly familiar figure coming toward them.

Tang Song was walking this way with Investment Vice President Wang Jiajun and others.

As their eyes met, Lin Mu's lips curled, and she nearly burst into tears on the spot.

She shouted in her mind: "Tang Song, save me!"

But the words reached her lips and were swallowed back down.

She simply quickened her pace, came to his side, and with an elegant and professional demeanor, introduced both parties, striving to play her role as an assistant well.

She was a smart person; she knew that in this war from the "harem," once she complained to Tang Song and dragged him into the fray to back her up, the nature of things would change.

It would be tantamount to openly declaring war on Jin Meixiao, and she would thoroughly offend that "Empress."

She didn't dare to gamble on whether she could remain safely by his side after that.

In this situation, she, Little Emperor Mu, could only endure it and find a way to seek a glimmer of survival between "Bad Omen Jin" and "Heavenly Emperor Su."

Inside the huge conference room, the atmosphere was solemn and grave.

On one side of the long conference table sat the Rongliu Capital team, and on the other side were the Tang Jin Family Office and the Kate Trust representatives. The main content of the meeting was: a review and final confirmation of the fund establishment process, and a report on internal collaborative preparations.

Shen Yu sat in a lower position, a laptop in front of her, her eyes bright, her posture straight.

There was a flush of excitement on her face.

At this moment, she finally felt that she had achieved a part of her life's ultimate goal.

Located on the 38th floor of the International Financial Center, opposite her were executives from the Tang Jin Family Office and Kate Trust, representing the world's top capital power.

And now, she was sitting here, as a member of the core team, participating in this top-tier closed-door meeting involving a "10-billion-dollar Alpha

Mother Fund."

She didn't know much about Qin Yingxue's background, but the chief representative of Kate Trust, Marcus

Leonard, was a name she knew well.

Among the top five shareholders of the P&G Group, where she had previously worked, was Kate Trust.

And this Mr. Marcus had once visited their company headquarters; at the time, the entire group had received reports and notifications about his visit.

This man was the Managing Director of Kate Trust's Strategic Investment Department, a seasoned top-tier banker, an absolute bigwig.

And at this moment, this bigwig was not at all arrogant or distant as she had imagined; instead, he showed extraordinary enthusiasm and politeness toward Tang Song and Rongliu Capital.

The team he brought included top legal and compliance heads, financial and tax architects, and cross-institutional relationship coordinators—this entire elite team would remain at Rongliu Capital for the time being, forming a special support group, ready to be deployed at any time.

All of this made her feel a sense of unreal, dreamlike dizziness.

"... Based on this, we suggest establishing linked risk control centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York to ensure 24/7 global market monitoring," Marcus's voice continued.

Shen Yu's fingertips flew across the keyboard, clearly recording every key point.

The meeting agenda gradually deepened from macro strategy to execution details.

Rongliu Capital's Investment Vice President Vincent Wong reported in detail on the due diligence progress of the first batch of proposed projects.

Time slipped away in the tense and efficient discussion.

Shen Yu felt that her brain had never operated at such high speed; every piece of information that poured into her ears was like a puzzle piece, slowly constructing a magnificent blueprint she had never seen before.

4:30 PM.

The meeting drew to a close.

Tang Song stood up, his gaze sweeping steadily across the room, and delivered a concluding speech.

As his voice fell, a burst of restrained yet enthusiastic applause erupted in the conference room.

The tense atmosphere finally eased.

Marcus Leonard was the first to stand up, smiling as he extended his hand to Tang Song: "I am very much looking forward to our upcoming cooperation; I believe this will be a pioneering feat that rewrites the industry landscape."

"It certainly will be, Mr. Leonard." Tang Song shook his hand firmly.

Qin Yingxue also stood up and shook hands with Tang Song symbolically.

Her gaze seemed to fall on Shen Yu inadvertently, and she praised her casually: "Tang Zong, your new assistant is very excellent. Just now in the meeting, her supplementary insights on several cross-border M&A cases were very precise. With her here, I believe our follow-up coordination work will be even smoother."

Beside her, Marcus Leonard's eyes flickered; he immediately caught the signal and chimed in: "Yes, Miss Shirley has indeed demonstrated extremely high professional quality; it is impressive."

Shen Yu's expression froze, then she tried hard to display calmness and humility: "President Qin, Mr. Leonard, you are both too kind. I will definitely go all out to ensure that the coordination work is foolproof."

But deep inside, she was already overwhelmed by immense joy, like a volcanic eruption!

The weight of these words was far beyond ordinary pleasantries and praise.

It came from the representative of the Tang Jin Family Office, in front of the chief representative of Kate Trust and all the executives of Rongliu Capital.

She immediately noticed something keenly.

All around, whether it was the headquarters executives of Rongliu Capital or the other representatives from the two major institutions, the looks they cast at her changed subtly in an instant.

There was an extra layer of genuine scrutiny, recognition, and even a hint of respect.

It was precisely these words that allowed her to truly possess her own position and name at this top-tier power table!

Since the early days of her startup, she had encountered too many cold shoulders, sarcasm, criticism, and insults.

For Shen Yu, this respect was hard-won.

Her favor toward Qin Yingxue reached its peak in an instant.

Tang Song wore a gentle and approving smile, his gaze looking toward Shen Yu: "Shirley is indeed a rare talent." Lin Mu stood beside Tang Song, feeling only a chill in her heart, her face deathly pale.

The thing she feared most had happened after all.

She knew Shen Yu's personality best; she would absolutely not let any opportunity slip by.

Now that she had Qin Yingxue's favor, it might even attract the attention of Jin Dongshi.

Would she be squeezed out because of this?

Thinking of this, a fear she had never felt before instantly gripped her heart.

Lin Mu stood there blankly, feeling only cold hands and feet, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

She felt she was facing the greatest crisis of her life.

Mo Xiang Wan's sudden invitation, the enthusiastic closeness of popular stars like Bei Yuwei, the consultant title from the LVMH Group—these seemingly heaven-sent favors, those resources that were within reach, had never been obtained for free.

Heaven have mercy, ever since she, Little Snow, received the "Hermès First Snow," she had always considered herself part of the "Jin Dongshi" faction.

She had her heart set on following the other party to grow bigger and stronger, and creating brilliance together.

Who would have thought that she would accidentally fall into a trap and passively take Su Yu's side.

The key point is... you guys are fighting like gods, and nobody told me in advance!

I am even more wronged than Dou E!

Opposite her, Qin Yingxue's gaze swept over Lin Mu without a trace.

This "exceptionally high-profile" Assistant Lin really did need to be knocked down a peg.

Actually, from the very beginning, she hadn't taken this woman seriously at all. When she first entered her field of vision, she was just a piece of supplementary information while investigating Zhao Yaqian, an insignificant background prop.

Later, when Lin Mu leaped to become the committee assistant for Ju Qing Hui Jin, she finally initiated a detailed background check on her.

The investigation results were lackluster.

A standard "fake socialite," vain, high-profile, with a background so ordinary it was almost barren, and a personality full of unstable factors like eagerness for quick success and a penchant for speculation.

Yet, it was precisely such a person who became Tang Zong's "personal assistant," and even began to take over some of Jin Dongshi's past responsibilities.

Qin Yingxue knew deeply that it was precisely because Jin Dongshi saw through her personality that she tolerated her existence.

She even wanted to "stimulate" her through differential material treatment, making her obediently keep to herself.

But who could have imagined that Lin Mu would actually start mingling with Su Yu and Mo Xiang Wan's people, and recently even took over the operational rights for Tang Zong's Bombardier Global 7500.

Many of her current behaviors were no longer just personal vanity, but had begun to possess the potential risk of representing and influencing Tang Zong's decision-making.

Especially regarding the upcoming Tang Jin Manor.

Since the manor was named "Tang Jin," its mistress could only, and must be, Jin Dongshi.

If she wasn't knocked down a peg now, this Assistant Lin would likely go completely wild, misinterpreting things and thinking she could really enter the inner sanctum.

Coupled with her personality of not knowing her place, once utilized by people on Su Yu's side, it would be very easy to make wrong judgments at critical moments, bringing huge trouble to the entire system.

Immediately, Qin Yingxue's gaze turned to Shen Yu on the other side, and a faint smile curled at the corner of her mouth, imperceptible to others.

It was time to introduce some real opposition for Lin Mu, to let her understand that her position could be replaced at any time.

And this Shen Yu was a very suitable candidate.

Ambitious, capable, and more importantly, she was a "fan" of Jin Dongshi.

And she had a "silly" best friend, Xu Qing.

【What a lucky girl!】

Qin Yingxue couldn't help but sigh in her heart, while simultaneously feeling a surge of jealousy.

Because this opportunity was simply too precious.

The meeting ended, and the crowd dispersed one after another.

Lin Mu returned to her office with somewhat unsteady steps, closed the door, and threw herself heavily into the soft leather chair.

Outside the window was the dazzling Victoria Harbour, but she had no mood to appreciate it at all.

Her mind was full of "Bad Omen Jin" and Qin Yingxue's cold eyes.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

Her phone vibrated on the desk; it was a notification for a new email.

The sender was 【Kate Private Banking Division】.

Lin Mu froze, clicked on the email, and a beautifully formatted, data-detailed PDF file came into view.

It was the monthly statement for her co-branded credit black card.

Exactly one month had passed since this card was activated.

On the statement, every transaction was clearly listed without error; the specific time, location, merchant name, and transaction amount were all clear at a glance, with nothing missed.

What made her heart jump even more was that at the end of the statement, there was an intelligently generated consumption analysis chart.

On the chart, consumption was divided into several major categories: "Business Travel," "Team Building," "Gift Procurement," and—: "Personal Items."

That sector marked in bright red, representing "Personal Items," occupied almost 70% of the entire pie chart.

"Ah!" Lin Mu let out a low cry, subconsciously shivering, feeling a chill down her back.

It was as if a pair of eyes were coldly watching her every move through this statement.

She felt as if red fur was about to grow on her body.

"From now on, I'll never use it recklessly again, okay!" Lin Mu rubbed her hot, delicate face with both hands, feeling both aggrieved and fearful.

She was used to "poor" days; suddenly obtaining such a top-tier artifact with no limit, plus Tang Song was particularly indulgent toward her and almost never interfered.

If she could really resist, she wouldn't be Lin Mu.

Didn't she see the ads on Douyin and Xiaohongshu still being taken!

Thinking of her social media accounts, Lin Mu shivered again.

She opened Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

Video after video, carefully filmed and edited, scrolled across the screen.

Five-star hotel Vlogs, first-class flight experiences, a wall of Hermès unboxings, top-tier socialite-style afternoon tea—.

Her gaze struggled on those videos for a long time.

Finally, she pouted aggrievedly, her eyes drooping.

This content had already caused clear disgust from Jin Dongshi.

If she continued to go her own way, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, Qin Yingxue was right; as Tang Song's assistant, she really couldn't continue to be such a high-profile "wealth-flaunting influencer."

But just give up the accounts she had painstakingly managed?

Those hard-won followers, that traffic that could bring huge satisfaction, and that glamorous vanity—Lin Mu leaned back in her chair, two little people fighting fiercely in her mind.

After a long time, she let out a long breath, as if she had made a certain decision.

Give up? No, pivot!

She, Little Snow, must pull herself together!

Since the current "socialite wealth-flaunting" route was no longer suitable, then change the track! Just take the route of the internet-new-rich investor and financial knowledge-sharing female blogger that had also been very popular online recently!

This identity could satisfy her vanity for an "elite persona" while perfectly fitting her current job at Rongliu Capital.

Perhaps, she could even use this opportunity to really discover some good early-stage investment projects and report them to Tang Song, making him look at her with new eyes!

Moreover, wasn't she studying for an MBA at Imperial College? Weren't these ready-made, top-tier materials and background props?

She could completely abandon those flamboyant "wealth-flaunting" elements and instead increase the professional attributes of a "financial elite."

The current Rongliu Capital was a world-class private equity institution.

Her inadvertent reveal of her background would highlight her identity and status.

This was also a higher-level way of "showing off."

Thinking of this, Lin Mu's heart calmed down a little, but she was still a bit afraid.

"Ding-dong—"

The WeChat notification sound rang, and a message popped up.

【Tang Song: "Luna, help me book a train ticket to Yangcheng for Thursday morning, and a hotel. For the specific itinerary, communicate with Wen Ruan's assistant; it's about the investment matters for Zhi Lian Future that I mentioned to you before."】

【Tang Song: "Wang Dandan, 1322—"】

Lin Mu replied quickly: "Okay, received!"

She immediately dialed Wang Dandan's phone, using a gentle and professional tone to quickly confirm all necessary information.

She created a special task folder named "GZ-231102" in her work memo.

Immediately after, she switched to the travel app and hotel booking system, her fingers flying, quickly locking in the best schedule and room type.

She also gave clear instructions to the black card service team, booking a private car and security.

The whole process was smooth and flowing; in just ten minutes, all core matters had been fully implemented.

She then organized it into a concise itinerary memo and sent it to Tang Song.

Lin Mu, in a state of high tension and combat readiness, was in high spirits, her potential fully stimulated.

Fighting spirit reignited in her eyes.

Chairman's office.

Seeing the memo sent by Lin Mu, Tang Song froze, and replied with a "surprised" emoji.

Little Snow: "(。·- ) Serving Tang Zong!"

The two fought with emojis for a while, and Tang Song put down his phone.

He picked up the magazine on the table, looked at the photo on it, and a smile appeared on his face.

During this time, the big sister hadn't been idle either; her partner cultivation task progress was very smooth.

Not only did she accept an exclusive interview with "Fortune" magazine, but she also obtained a monthly commentary seat in the "Digital Marketing" column.

She could be considered to have made a name for herself in the industry.

The magazine in his hand was one that Wen Ruan had specifically asked her assistant to mail from Yancheng.

It contained the full text of her interview, as well as several photos that were heart-stoppingly beautiful.

It had to be said, nourished by the system props.

Wen Ruan's state was getting better and better.

In the photos, she was full of charm, elegant and alluring, her eyes revealing both the laziness and enchantment of a mature woman, and the confidence and composure of a business elite.

Every smile was like mellow red wine, exuding an intoxicating fragrance.

Looking at the radiant big sister in the photo, Tang Song smiled knowingly.

He would be able to see her in Yangcheng soon.

At that time, while savoring the flavor of Yangcheng, he should also properly reward this increasingly charming big sister.

Her task 【3. Showcasing Talent】, it looked like it would be completed very soon.

He wondered what kind of surprise could be opened from this 【Special Prop Pack *1】.

After carefully flipping through the magazine several times.

Tang Song stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the busy and magnificent city beneath his feet.

His thoughts, however, drifted uncontrollably to another city.

Zhang Yan's figure appeared in his mind.

This deskmate and friend from his junior high days had originally been forgotten in a corner of his memory.

But because of the quiet messages on that dormant QQ account, she became increasingly vivid, profound, and even carried warmth—Tang Song let out a light breath, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Regarding Zhang Yan, to say he had any profound feelings would be unrealistic.

After all, his entire youth, all his heartbeats and pursuits, had almost all been given to Liu Qingning.

But her silent messages for over ten years, and her figure appearing vaguely on the edge of his memory time and again, did indeed give him a great deal of emotion.

It was a shock of being gently watched by time, a purity that spanned long years without seeking a response.

The "Tang Song" in her heart was likely the image she had pieced together and beautified bit by bit in countless lonely days and nights, a phantom completely different from the real him.

However, Zhang Yan was also an introverted, sensitive, and insecure girl.

This was also the reason why he had been hesitating whether to go see her, whether to disturb her.

After a long time.

He picked up his phone and dialed Zheng Qiudong's number.

"Beep, beep, beep—"

"Hello, Old Zheng."

"Mm, not bad, everything is going very smoothly."

"I want you to help me check on someone."

"Zhang Yan, working as a copy editor at a book marketing company in Yangcheng, 26 years old this year, a 2021 graduate of Yancheng Agricultural University, previously worked at Gao Si Education in the Imperial Capital—"

"Mm, okay, bye."

He hung up the phone.

Tang Song shook his phone and shook his head lightly.

Regardless, even if he didn't disturb her, he definitely had to help her.

October 31, 2023, Tuesday.

8:00 PM.

The night in Yangcheng had long since fallen, and it was drizzling outside the window, blending the bustle of the old city with the humid air into a unique tranquility.

"Knock, knock-knock."

A knock on the door sounded abruptly, not light or heavy, carrying a tentative hesitation.

Zhang Yan was stunned; at this time, who could it be?

She came to the door and leaned toward the peephole to look outside.

Under the dim yellow light of the hallway, a familiar yet somewhat blurry figure made her heart tighten.

She hurriedly pulled the door open.

"Mom, why are you here?"

"I—I was passing by here, so I came up to see you."

Zhou Hui stood at the door, holding an umbrella, her body soaked by the rain.

She was carrying a plastic bag containing fruit, her expression somewhat awkward, her eyes carrying undisguisable exhaustion.

She was wearing a coat that was slightly old-fashioned but washed clean, her hair simply twisted into a bun at the back of her head, revealing a somewhat weathered face.

Zhang Yan pursed her lips, didn't ask more, and just silently stepped aside to let her mother in.

"Have you eaten, A-Yan?" Zhou Hui looked at Zhang Yan, a flash of heartache and guilt in her eyes.

"I ate, tomato and egg noodles, how about you?"

"I ate too."

Zhou Hui sat down on the small sofa, placed the fruit bag on the coffee table, and folded her hands somewhat helplessly on her knees.

Orange poked her head out curiously, sizing up this strange visitor, a low purring sound coming from her throat.

Seeing the cat that appeared suddenly, Zhou Hui froze.

Zhang Yan hurriedly picked up the cat and whispered: "This is a stray cat I picked up, her name is Orange."

"Oh, oh." Zhou Hui nodded, didn't say much, and just pushed the fruit bag toward the middle of the coffee table, "I bought some dragon fruit you like."

"Thank you."

The air became quiet, with only the sound of rain outside the window and Orange's light breathing.

Between mother and daughter, a silence filled with both closeness and distance permeated.

Zhang Yan lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking Orange's soft fur, her gaze occasionally stealing a glance at her mother.

Looking at her mother's graying temples and her face crisscrossed with gullies.

Her eyes were a bit red, and she hurriedly lowered her head again, afraid of being seen by her mother.

She had been in Yangcheng for so long, but in fact, the number of times she had met her mother was not many.

One reason was the distance and busy work, and the other was her half-sister, who was very repulsed by her existence.

She could actually understand; her mother had her own new family, and her appearance was, in itself, a trouble for that family.

From the second year of high school, her mother would unfailingly send living expenses every month, making her days much easier, and her treatment at her aunt's house improved accordingly.

When she got into college, her mother even secretly ran to Jingxian and stuffed a thick five thousand yuan into her hand.

Her coming to Yangcheng was, to a large extent, also born from a wish accumulated over many years, wanting to confirm with her own eyes whether her mother was doing well here and whether she was suffering.

The reality was, it was indeed quite hard.

Currently, she was working as a cleaner in an office building, with a salary of around 4000.

Plus the two children from Uncle Chen's side, she had to take care of three children in total; life was tight and particularly tiring.

"Is your work going smoothly recently?" Zhou Hui finally broke the silence, her tone carrying cautious concern.

"It's quite good, the colleagues are all very enthusiastic, and the leaders also value me."

"That's good, that's good—" Zhou Hui nodded and began to show concern intermittently.

Twenty minutes later.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

A violent, irrepressible cough erupted from deep within Zhou Hui's throat.

She hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand, her body trembling violently from the effort, coughing until her face turned red.

Zhang Yan stood up immediately, gently patting her mother's back: "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

She only then noticed that her mother, meeting this time, seemed to have lost too much weight compared to last time, and her whole person had shrunk a size.

"No—it's nothing!" Zhou Hui hurriedly waved her hand, finally stopping the cough with great difficulty, "It's just an old ailment, seasonal bronchitis."

As she spoke, she struggled to stand up, "It's getting late, I—I should go back."

"I'll see you downstairs." Zhang Yan said, reaching for the umbrella.

"No need, no need!" Zhou Hui walked quickly to the door, pulled it open, and then, as if remembering something, turned around.

Under the dim light, she looked at her daughter, opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

She just stepped forward and hugged Zhang Yan clumsily but forcefully.

This hug came so suddenly that Zhang Yan froze, standing there blankly, at a loss.

In her memory, this was the first time her mother had taken the initiative to hug her since she came to Yangcheng.

Her mother's body was very thin; she could feel the contours of her bones through her clothes, but her embrace was surprisingly warm.

Immediately, she felt that her mother's abdomen was vaguely bulging, as if it were swollen.

"Are you sick?" she blurted out, her voice carrying a panic she hadn't even noticed herself.

"No, really nothing, just a bit of bloating recently." Zhou Hui hurriedly let go of her and walked out, carrying her umbrella.

"Bang," the door was closed.

Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment, ran quickly to the balcony, and pulled open the window; the cold rain instantly hit her face.

She leaned on the window, looking at the exit downstairs.

After waiting for a long while, her mother finally came out of the unit entrance.

As she walked, she began to cough violently again.

The old umbrella above her head also shook with her, like a candle flame in the night rain that could go out at any time.

Zhang Yan's eyes instantly turned red, and her vision became blurred. ===== CHAPTER 577 =====