Chapter 555: Also Going In

The morning mist gradually dispersed, and the sky was as blue as a mirror.

Sunlight shone on the English logo, reflecting a pale red light and shadow on the wall.

With a "ding," the elevator reached the fourth floor, and a pair of straight, long legs in high heels stepped out of the cabin.

The secretary walked quickly and opened the office door.

A nameplate was affixed to the glass: Assistant President.

After entering the door and putting down her bag, the secretary took the suit, hung it in the wardrobe, and reported the recent itinerary to Sun Rui.

"General Manager Sun, the flight to Beijing has been booked. At eight-thirty tomorrow morning, you will head to the airport together with Legal Director Yao of the Legal Department and Lawyer Feng of Huying Law Firm."

"The plane takes off at ten-thirty and lands at one o'clock. General Manager Wu of the Beijing Branch will personally go to the airport to pick you up. The hotel is booked at the Hilton, three king rooms..."

"After a short rest, at five-thirty, you will host Deputy Consul Wang Duan of the United States in Beijing at the hotel's Chinese restaurant... At that time, President Smith will attend..."

"The next day, you will meet with Vice President Liu together with President Smith and Deputy Consul Wang Duan..."

"Right, President Smith is going with us!" Sun Rui frowned. "But what about his flight ticket and hotel? Why weren't they booked?" "It was the President's Office that notified us of the cancellation!" The secretary looked at the schedule. "The President changed his itinerary at the last minute and took the seven o'clock flight yesterday morning, so the President arrived in Beijing yesterday!"

Sun Rui was startled: The President changed his itinerary at the last minute, and she, his Assistant President, actually didn't know?

The key was, why was it so urgent?

Seven o'clock is the first flight; one must arrive at the airport by at least six. Even without traffic, one must depart by five. At the very latest, one must wake up at four-thirty. And the night before last, when she and Smith parted ways, it was nearly one o'clock. At that time, Smith didn't even mention going to Beijing?

Furthermore, Smith didn't come to the company all day yesterday, and she didn't know that either?

Something must have happened.

Just as she was speculating, two "knock-knock" sounds rang out from outside, and immediately, the door was pushed open.

Seeing who it was, Sun Rui stood up: "Legal Director Yao!"

The woman nodded: "General Manager Sun, Lawyer Feng of Huying Law Firm notified us that tomorrow's itinerary is canceled!"

Sun Rui was stunned: "Why?"

"They received a notice at the last minute: Vice President Liu refused the meeting on Wednesday!"

"Impossible!" Sun Rui stood up abruptly. "He doesn't want to come out anymore?"

Legal Director Yao shook her head: "They don't know the specifics either, only that it was notified by the President personally!"

The President, notified personally?

She understood: It must be that Smith received news at the last minute that Liu Anhua had canceled the meeting. So he changed his itinerary overnight and flew to Beijing at the first opportunity to verify it.

But why, why would Liu Anhua refuse to meet with the consul?

If the consulate mediates, even if Liu Anhua's charges are confirmed, he would serve at most three years in prison. If handled well, one to one and a half years, or even a suspended sentence, is not impossible.

If diplomatic channels are not used, he will be sentenced to at least five to seven years. Therefore, it is impossible for Liu Anhua to cancel the meeting.

But since Smith personally notified the law firm, he must have verified it: it is one hundred percent Liu Anhua's own wish.

It's contradictory; it doesn't make sense.

The Legal Director offered an idea: "Assistant President Sun, why don't you ask the President for instructions?"

Sun Rui's eyes lit up: That's right, she is the Assistant President and can verify it directly with Smith.

She took out her phone and hurriedly dialed. After three rings, the call was answered.

It was a bit noisy; a chaotic electronic sound came from the receiver, as if he were at the airport.

Smith spoke in English: "Assistant Sun, what is it?"

His voice was very cold, without a hint of emotion.

Sun Rui's heart skipped a beat: Smith rarely spoke to her in such a blunt tone.

No, to be precise, he never had, not even when outsiders were present.

Sun Rui composed her emotions and said cautiously: "President, Legal Director Yao notified me: Huying Law Firm canceled tomorrow's itinerary and canceled the meeting with the consul to see Vice President Liu on Wednesday... Lawyer Feng claimed it was notified by you personally;..."

"Yes, I notified them!" Smith replied. "I have already gotten off the plane and will be back soon. You wait for me at the company; I have something to notify you about!"

Sun Rui was startled again: It is only a little past nine now; Smith must have taken the first flight.

But why is it still so urgent, and what is he going to notify them about?

The key is, why won't Liu Anhua see the consul and the lawyer?

Just as she was surprised and suspicious, Smith's voice came again: "Assistant Sun, on the 28th of last month, the party involved in Vice President Liu's case came to the company to seek a settlement. Why didn't you notify me?"

Sun Rui thought for a long time: The 28th of last month, two weeks ago?

The party involved in Vice President Liu's case, that young man surnamed Lin?

She, it seems she didn't see him...

Sun Rui opened her mouth, not knowing how to explain.

She indeed didn't notify Smith, but the procuratorate had not yet filed a public prosecution, it hadn't reached the pre-trial stage, and there had been no notice of mediation.

Furthermore, the foreign affairs procedures hadn't even entered the process yet; the consulate and the lawyers hadn't even seen Vice President Liu, so why talk to them? Including the legal department and the lawyers, they all suggested: if there is a possibility of non-prosecution, it wouldn't be too late to talk then.

Sun Rui organized her thoughts and explained quickly.

But the response she got was a "Fuck!"

"Assistant President Sun, I am not asking 'why you didn't accept the settlement,' but why you didn't notify me... I am the President of Saishi Company, and you are the Assistant President!"

Sun Rui was speechless and had no reply.

Because she couldn't refute it: the legal department and the lawyers only made suggestions, and the one who made the final decision was Smith.

The legal department and the lawyers did not advise her: you, as the Assistant President, can choose not to report to the President.

But she felt that this was unimportant.

Even for negotiations, shouldn't one wait for the consulate to intervene and see Vice President Liu first?

What if there's no need to talk at all?

Sun Rui racked her brains, trying hard to think of an excuse, while the sound of furious cursing came from the phone: "Fuck... Shit..."

Following that was a long string of profanities, then suddenly, with a "clack," a "beep-beep" busy signal came from the phone.

Sun Rui's face turned pale: Smith, did he just slam the phone down?

She had started as a secretary in the President's office, and for seven full years, she had never seen Smith lose his composure like this, let alone fly into such a rage. Not even when the two of them were caught in bed by the Police...

So, why?

Lin Sicheng—Liu Anhua—Smith...

These three seemed to have formed a line: because that young man did not get to see Smith, was that why Liu Anhua canceled the meeting with the consul and the Lawyer?

But how could that be?

Let alone a newly established small Center with a registered capital of twenty million, even the boss of a Fortune 500 company wouldn't have that kind of power. And it didn't make sense: it couldn't be that Liu Anhua wanted to go to jail, and the longer he stayed, the better?

Her mind was a tangled mess, and Sun Rui couldn't find any leads.

But she had a premonition: this was likely going to end badly.

She couldn't possibly put on sexy lingerie and act coquettishly toward Smith, could she?

This was the company, and she hadn't lost her mind yet...

Taking a deep breath, Sun Rui forced out a smile: "Legal Director Yao, the President will be here soon. The President requires us to provide an explanation: why the mediation request from the plaintiff in Vice President Liu's case was not agreed to..."

Legal Director Yao's mouth twitched: This bitch.

Smith's voice was so loud, did she think she couldn't hear it?

What he asked was: as the Assistant to the President, why didn't she report to him, the President...

Cursing inwardly, Legal Director Yao nodded: "Fine, after the President arrives, Assistant Sun, you notify me..."

After saying this, she turned and walked away.

Sun Rui was stunned for a moment, and by the time she came to her senses, the Legal Director had already left the office.

She hurriedly chased after her: "Legal Director Yao, shouldn't we discuss this?"

Discuss my ass?

If you want me to take the fall for you, keep dreaming.

As long as it wasn't Smith calling personally, she wouldn't even step out of her office door today...

Legal Director Yao didn't stop: "No need!"

Watching her back, Sun Rui's face flickered between pale and dark: This vixen...

But what to do?

After thinking for a good while, Sun Rui gritted her teeth: "Xiao Xu, I remember, that day it was you and Xiao Jiang from the legal department who received them!"

The secretary was trembling with fear: "Yes, Assistant Sun!"

"Go to the legal department and call Xiao Jiang over, quickly!"

"Yes, Assistant Sun!"

The secretary left the Assistant to the President's office, and before long, the two returned together.

If Lin Sicheng were here, he would recognize them at a glance as the two who received him when he first came to Saishi Company.

One was an assistant to the president's secretary, the other a legal specialist.

"Xiao Xu, Xiao Jiang, try to recall carefully, when that young man came to the company, what did he say and what did he do?"

The two exchanged a glance: They probably didn't need to recall, right?

Because their impression was very deep: that young man was very handsome and had a good temper; even after suffering such humiliation, he wasn't angry at all. Although they spent quite a while there, the process was very simple, and they remembered it clearly:

Assistant Sun had instructed to leave them hanging for a while and then find some excuse to dismiss them. So after they arrived, they had the receptionist lead them to the Reception Room and then paid them no more mind.

They must have sat there for over half an hour before the two of them appeared, claiming that Assistant Sun had something urgent to attend to and couldn't make it today.

They even hinted to him: no matter how many times they came, Assistant Sun would not see them.

It seemed they didn't even pour them a cup of tea; they had ground the coffee themselves.

But that young man kept a smile on his face the whole time...

The two dared not hide anything and told the whole story.

Sun Rui's face turned black: she had said to leave them hanging for a while, but she had never said not to even pour them a cup of tea?

And she certainly never said: no matter how many times they came, she would not see them.

Wasn't this offending people to the point of no return?

If it really were a small company, offending them would be fine, but the problem was, it didn't seem to be?

Sun Rui was so angry her liver ached, and she wanted to curse someone out.

But what good would that do?

Smith would be back soon, and given how he was about to explode with rage, whether she could keep this job was a question.

An annual salary of two hundred thousand just to be a vase and occasionally sleep with a foreigner... searching all of China, where could she find a job so easy and high-paying?

No, she had to think of a way...

Just as she was racking her brains, footsteps came from outside the door, accompanied by the receptionist's voice: "Officers, our President is really not in the company, and the Vice President is not here either!"

"We are just here to deliver two notices, finding someone in charge will do!"

"Hmm, the door to this office is open, this should be a company leader too!"

"This is the Assistant to the President's office!"

"The Assistant to the President will do!"

As they spoke, they arrived at the door—two men and two women, all four wearing police caps.

Sun Rui was stunned for a moment and hurriedly went to greet them.

Smith was still on his way to the company, Vice President Liu was in a detention center in Beijing, and the other Vice President had gone to Shenzhen. Now, in terms of administrative affairs in the company, she and the Legal Director held the highest rank.

"Xiao Jiang, go call Legal Director Yao!"

After quickly giving an instruction, Sun Rui wore a smile on her face: "Officers, I am the Assistant President of Saishi Company, my surname is Sun!" "Assistant President Sun, is President Smith not here?"

"He is not, he is away on a business trip!"

The Police did not ask where Smith had gone, but instead took out a Police Certificate to show them, and then produced a document:

"Assistant President Sun, we are officers from the Exit-Entry Administration of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and this is our colleague from the Foreign Affairs Division. Please sign for this document on his behalf!" Sign what?

Sun Rui peered at it carefully, her pupils shrinking violently: "Notice of Restriction on Exit".

Name: Smith...

Nationality: United States...

Passport Number:...

She looked it over again, including the name, the passport number, and the official seal below... That's right, it was indeed Smith.

Sun Rui's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

Because there was more than one document; there was also another: "Notice of Case Filing".

It's over...

Even if Sun Rui didn't understand much, she knew what these documents were for:

A foreign Executive is suspected of committing a crime and needs to cooperate with the Public Security department for an investigation.

Moreover, three conditions must be met: the Police have already obtained sufficient evidence, a criminal case has been filed, and the consular institution has been notified.

Furthermore, the legal basis for the restriction on exit and the charges involved have been provided.

The next step would be to issue a written summons to Smith.

In other words, Smith is about to go in too...

The more Sun Rui thought about it, the more panicked she became; she held a pen in her hand, but it wouldn't stop trembling.

The female Police officer took out an inkpad: "General Manager Sun, a thumbprint will also do; press it here..."

Sun Rui steeled herself and dropped the pen: "I won't sign!"

As if they had expected this, the few Police officers were not the least bit surprised; they simply pointed to the body-worn cameras on their shoulders: "Assistant President Sun, it doesn't matter if you don't sign. Remember to pass it on when President Smith returns!"

After saying this, the group turned and left.

Sun Rui stared straight at the two documents, as if she had frozen in place.

Having entered at some unknown moment, the Legal Director picked up the documents and read them from beginning to end, then from end to beginning.

At the same time, her face grew paler and paler.

"Did Liu Anhua confess everything?"

Sun Rui nodded like a puppet.

One look at the "Notice of Case Filing" at the back was enough to know: if Liu Anhua hadn't confessed, why would it be stamped with the seal of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau? But why, why did Liu Anhua go crazy?

If he had only admitted to that one incident, it would be two or three years at most; having confessed everything, ten years wouldn't even cover it...

The problem is, what do they do now?

The two of them—one being the Assistant President and mistress, the other the Legal Director and long-time mistress—knew a thing or two about what Smith and Liu Anhua had done. Moreover, they had participated in a portion of it.

Therefore, if Smith goes in, the two of them will have to follow...