Chapter 2674: South City Tonight Has Rain 36

Xie Shao's recent situation could be described as going from bad to worse. Pressured step by step by Jin Chen, he had reached the brink of disaster—facing imprisonment. With nowhere to turn, he regretted bitterly, hating that he had ever provoked this calamity.

Xie Shao used every connection he could think of, begging all the elders who once had some ties with Xie Qiu Dong. But as soon as they heard the other side was determined to send him to prison, with solid evidence, everyone avoided him, unwilling to get involved.

Left with no choice, Xie Shao swallowed his pride and went to the Lead Wood Office.

He knew only a few days remained.

If he couldn't persuade Xie Linzhou to get Jin Chen to pull some strings, then if he really went to prison, even if he got out someday, he'd be finished in this industry—his reputation ruined, with no chance of recovery.

The Lead Wood Office—Xie Shao hadn't set foot there in ages; the front desk had a new staff member who didn't know him, but among the coming-and-going clerks were a few familiar faces, looking at him with surprise or contempt.

But Xie Shao no longer cared about face; he just wanted to see Xie Linzhou.

After arguing with the front desk for a while, nearly coming to blows, Xie Linzhou finally appeared.

"What do you want?" Xie Linzhou said, his eyes cold.

Looking at Xie Linzhou, then at his own disheveled, wretched state, Xie Shao felt his presence shrink dramatically.

He clenched his fists, forcing himself to bow his head.

"I came to ask for your help… Xie Linzhou, how do I put it… we were once like brothers; you can't just watch me go to prison. Jin Chen isn't that fond of you, is he? Go talk to him! Beg him for mercy!"

Xie Shao nervously swallowed, trying to excuse his past actions.

"I… I was only pushed too hard by my dad! You know, he had high expectations for me… Actually, we were both forced by him; between us… there's no real deep hatred, right?"

Xie Linzhou's expression didn't flicker. "You stole my inspiration, took my design results, and repeatedly tried to push me out of this industry—now it doesn't count?"

More and more furtive onlookers gathered, their pointing whispers stabbing Xie Shao's nerves like needles.

His palms were about to bleed from being clenched; he endured the humiliation and squeezed out a voice from between his teeth: "I… I can apologize… okay? Those… those I just borrowed a bit…"

"But I can't help it! I don't have your talent! I just don't want to disappoint my father or lose face for the Xie family—I had to do this! You can understand me, right? You must understand my situation!"

Xie Linzhou couldn't believe he'd heard such absurd, shameless words; he couldn't even be bothered to mock, looking at Xie Shao with near‑pity.

"Xie Shao, by now you shouldn't still think yourself innocent; truly innocent people don't face legal punishment."

Xie Linzhou watched Xie Shao's face darken further, finally twitching the corner of his mouth—but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Besides, I've never understood you, nor Xie Qiu Dong."

His tone was light, yet each word cut like a knife: "For example, right now I really can't figure out—are you trying to get yourself insulted in person before you go to prison?"

Xie Shao: "……"

"Xie Linzhou!" Xie Shao finally snapped, lifting his head, eyes bloodshot: "Do you really want to watch me go to prison? We're brothers! If I'm locked up, your reputation will stink too—what will people think of you?"

Xie Linzhou seemed to hear something utterly ridiculous and gave a faint shake of his head.

"I'm glad to see you finally getting the punishment you deserve for what you've done. As for my reputation…" He raised a brow slightly, voice firm: "I don't think this insignificant status could affect me at all."

The elevator doors opened.

The security guard summoned by the front desk rushed over, blocking Xie Shao, who had reached his breaking point and lunged forward.

Xie Linzhou coldly watched Xie Shao, his face twisted, spewing vulgar abuse—yet like a stray dog, he was firmly seized by the guards and dragged toward the elevator.

Watching the elevator doors close, shutting out the unbearable curses, Xie Linzhou stood where he was and exhaled softly.

The resentment and grievance pent up in his heart also dissipated like smoke.

He still despised Xie Shao as a person and everything he had done.

But from now on, this person and these matters would no longer affect his emotions or steer his life.

Xie Shao doesn't deserve it.

Downstairs, the elevator doors opened again.

The two guards escorting Xie Shao ran into Jin Chen, who was about to press the elevator button to go up.

As soon as Xie Shao saw Jin Chen, he struggled harder, his voice hoarse as he shouted: "Jin Chen! You treacherous, ungrateful wretch!"

"I hired you, I paid you! You dare help Xie Linzhou against me! Now you want to throw me in jail—are you Xie Linzhou's dog?!"

The two guards glanced nervously at the calm‑faced Jin Chen.

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at the frenzied Xie Shao.

"You guess," he said leisurely, "why I'm here."

Xie Shao blinked, failing to grasp the deeper meaning.

Before he could react, out of the corner of his eye he saw a uniformed figure rushing toward the building's glass doors.

Xie Shao's pupils contracted; instinctively he tried to break free and flee.

"Don't move!" the two guards, already prepared, exerted greater force to pin him down.

"Police! Here! Quick!" the guard shouted loudly.

Hearing that this person was headed for prison, they dared not relax in the slightest.

Jin Chen lost interest in the farce and stepped into another arriving elevator.

As the elevator doors slowly closed, he glanced through the narrowing gap at Xie Shao outside—turned back in despair and fury, staring him down—and gave a cold, amused smile.

——

17th floor, Lead Wood Office.

Jin Chen greeted the front‑desk girl and walked in, familiar with the place.

"Jin‑ge!" Fang Ming, busy, looked up and saw him, instantly smiling: "Perfect timing—we're having a team dinner tonight; we were just saying to remind the boss to call you."

Jin Chen brought along some afternoon snacks on the way, handing them to Fang Ming: "I brought something to eat—share it around to tide us over."

"Sure thing! Thanks, Jin‑ge!" Fang Ming happily took them.

"Where's Linzhou?" Jin Chen asked.

An Yu, who was checking data, lifted her head with a mouthful of mini cake: "In the meeting room—our team's Ning Xu Ming has returned from Milan and is reporting to the boss on the project's final progress and finances."

She swallowed the cake contentedly, feeling the sugar reboot her brain: "Wow, Jin‑ge, you're so thoughtful!"

Ling Gun Gun, nibbling chocolate contentedly, heard An Yu's words, stopped chewing, and quickly flipped through the original plot line of this world.

【Host! That person named Ning Xuming, in the original plot, secretly loved the Main God, right?】

Secret love…

Jin Chen's eyes flickered slightly, but his face gave nothing away.

He took a cup of black coffee, gazing meaningfully at the tightly closed meeting room door.

After a while, the meeting room door opened from inside.

Xie Linzhou and Ning Xuming came out one after the other, both wearing relaxed smiles.

The Milan project was going very well, and the final payment settlement went smoothly.

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -15, total 5!】

"You're here." Xie Linzhou indicated the team members could get ready to leave work, seeing Jin Chen, his gaze softened, "Let's go together for the team dinner tonight."

"Alright." Jin Chen agreed, put down his coffee cup, and stood up.

He then looked toward Ning Xuming, extended his hand proactively, "Hello, Jin Chen."

Ning Xuming was seeing Xie Linzhou's rumored boyfriend for the first time, and couldn't help but give him a few more glances.

He extended his hand to shake Jin Chen's, politely saying, "Hello, Ning Xuming, even back when I was in Milan, I often heard Linzhou mention you."

Jin Chen's eyes and brows softened with a hint of a smile, he nodded slightly in response.

Xie Linzhou imperceptibly raised his brow, his gaze lingering on their joined hands for a moment,

He felt a slight surprise; Jin Chen had never shaken hands so formally with him or the other teammates before.