Chapter 828

Who is the person in this photo?

Who? What are you looking at? Take the contract and transaction data—we’re going back!

Old Liu opened the envelope, glanced at it for a few seconds, quickly slipped the photo back inside, and led everyone out of the financial company back to the hotel.

Old Liu now deeply regretted opening the small envelope on-site, causing such an intimate photo to be exposed in public.

Just thinking about how those few people had tiptoed, stretched their necks, and stared with wide, gleaming eyes made it clear how impossible it would be to keep this quiet.

If this got out after we returned, Old Liu—the one who handled it—would be stained with scandal, and superiors would surely doubt his competence.

[If you can’t even handle such a small matter, how can you be entrusted with greater responsibilities?]

Of course, Old Liu believed the person most regretful right now wasn’t him, but Gu Jianqi.

Gu Jianqi should now understand what it means to die beneath a peony blossom—still elegant even as a ghost—because after such pleasure, he truly wanted to die!

But after everyone got in the car, Gu Jianqi frowned and said: “This is a trap—a vile capitalist scheme targeting our red nation. They’re using this filthy method to steal Guo Huai’s money.”

[You think this is a classic seduction scam?]

Everyone in the car rolled their eyes. If you hadn’t handed over the money, how could they possibly steal it? And if they wanted to steal Guo Huai’s money, why are you in the photo too?

Old Liu glanced at Gu Jianqi and said coldly: “Everyone be quiet. We’ll hold a meeting as soon as we get back.”

Gu Jianqi looked at Old Liu, understood he was being told to shut up, and closed his eyes to rest.

Li Ye couldn’t help but secretly admire him—people who’d weathered storms had such composure. If he’d been publicly humiliated like that, he’d never be this calm.

But when everyone returned to the hotel, Gu Jianqi finally lost his composure.

Because Japanese police had delivered the latest case information.

“We questioned everyone who was on the rooftop that day. None of them saw the deceased, Guo Huai.”

“Additionally, we found fiber fragments from the deceased’s clothing on the bathroom window ledge on the twenty-seventh floor.”

“Therefore, we believe the deceased fell from the twenty-seventh-floor bathroom, contradicting Gu Jianqi’s account.”

“.”

Gu Jianqi stared blankly for a long time, then muttered: “I saw someone fall, so I went up to the rooftop. By then, Guo Huai was already gone—I assumed he’d slipped and fallen from the rooftop.”

The Japanese officer’s eyes flickered: “Slipped and fell? Mr. Gu, are you certain the deceased fell accidentally, not intentionally?”

Gu Jianqi hurriedly replied: “I’m not certain—I didn’t see anything.”

The Japanese officer said meaningfully: “Understood. We’ll continue our investigation. We also hope you communicate promptly with Mitsubishi and resolve the case quickly.”

The Japanese officials left soon after, giving the impression of irresponsibility—but everyone vaguely understood they didn’t want to get involved.

Right now, both sides are on friendly terms. This kind of mess is best buried—make it small, then smaller. You sort it out yourselves; we’ll quietly close the case.

After the Japanese police left, Old Liu ordered the key personnel to gather in Room 501 for a meeting, while everyone else returned to their rooms and stayed put.

The meeting focused on two points: first, why exactly Guo Secretary fell from the building; second, whether the two million eight hundred thousand loss could be recovered.

Xiao Jinggang glanced at Li Ye and said: “According to Vice Factory Director Li’s explanation, if Guo Huai slipped and fell at Mitsubishi, then Mitsubishi bears responsibility—we might…”

“Xiao, just shut up!”

Ma Zhao interrupted him sharply: “Why did they come to tell us Guo Huai fell from the twenty-seventh-floor bathroom? Don’t you know how high those bathroom windows are?

Don’t just shift blame when problems arise. Who invited Gu Jianqi and Guo Huai onto the inspection team? Were they here to inspect—or to chase pleasure and make big money?”

“Since arriving in Japan, you’ve done little real work but caused a huge scandal—and now you want Mitsubishi to take responsibility? Aren’t you ashamed?”

Xiao Jinggang’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth: “Ma Zhao, I’m only thinking of the bigger picture. Don’t attack me personally.”

“Personal attack?”

Ma Zhao dropped all pretense, disgusted: “I’ll tell you this—we’ve already paid a fifty-thousand-dollar contract deposit.

If Mitsubishi thinks we’re despicable scoundrels who’ve ruined our project import plan, I’ll report you when we return—I’ll see you jailed. Who knows if you’re involved in this?”

“You—”

Xiao Jinggang’s face turned purple. He hadn’t expected Ma Zhao to humiliate him so openly in front of Old Liu and Old Sun, making them look like fools to outsiders.

“Enough. Stop arguing.”

Old Liu waved his hand to silence Xiao Jinggang and Ma Zhao, then said: “We still need to communicate with Mitsubishi. The project import matters—but so does our external image.”

Li Ye glanced at Old Liu, wondering what two-sided solution he could possibly devise.

Saying he slipped and fell? Mitsubishi would never accept that. Saying he lost money and committed suicide? That would damage both our reputation and Japan’s.

How could a civilized, developed country have people jumping off buildings every few days?

“Now let’s discuss the second issue: Was Guo Huai’s two million eight hundred thousand stolen?”

Old Liu turned to Li Ye: “Comrade Li Ye, you’re better with economic matters, and you have contacts in Japan. Can you ask around, see if we can sue them for fraud through court and recover our losses?”

Li Ye slowly shook his head: “I really don’t specialize in this. Japan’s commercial laws are complex—you should hire a professional business lawyer.”

This isn’t back home—you can’t just say “fraud” and expect it to stick.

Don’t ask me. I’m not good at anything. If I were good at something, I’d have to do the work—and take the blame.

Seeing Li Ye refuse to engage, Old Liu had no choice. Old Sun and Sister Zhang clearly favored Li Ye. From years of experience, Old Liu knew this Li Ye was no ordinary man.

So he kept discussing with others. Though no two-sided consensus was reached, Li Ye sensed Guo Huai would likely be declared “dead of illness.”

How a man with seven orifices bleeding from a fall could die of illness? That would require mutual friendly negotiation—and approval from above.

As for the two million eight hundred thousand, higher-ups would need to bring in specialists to study Guo Huai’s signed contract and transaction records—recover whatever they could.

“Then that’s settled. We’ll report to superiors quickly, and the Foreign Trade Bureau will also push Mitsubishi for a resolution.”

“Tap-tap-tap~”

Old Liu was just about to adjourn the meeting when someone urgently knocked on the door.

Then the person entered and said: “Gu Jianqi just tried to escape out the window. Our perimeter personnel caught him.”

“.”

Li Ye stared at Old Liu in shock, suddenly filled with deep awe for this perpetually smiling man.

It was still broad daylight! Old Liu had already stationed personnel around the hotel—was he an investigator or a spy?

Old Liu’s face darkened as he declared the meeting over and headed to “talk” with Gu Jianqi. He believed this failed escape attempt would yield major progress.

But Li Ye murmured behind him: “Gu Jianqi’s nearly sixty—he still wants to stay overseas and start over. But Secretary Han was so young. Why did he choose suicide? Isn’t that strange?”

“.”

Old Liu suddenly turned back, staring at Li Ye for a long moment. Li Ye met his gaze calmly—as if he’d just spoken casually.

But Old Liu’s expression grew even darker.

Ma Zhao had already said the bathroom window on the twenty-seventh floor was very high, with fabric fibers left behind from friction.

So—did Guo Huai climb up there himself? Or was he “helped” up?