She abandoned her husband first, then her children, and was ecstatic after the divorce.

Chapter 119 Investigating These Two Companies

“You look too tired. Let’s put this aside for now. I’ve already booked the plane tickets, and we’ll go back to Yuncheng tonight.”

Lin Qingran nodded suddenly, without saying a word.

The terminal at Beijing Airport was bustling with people, and the noise filled the entire space.

Lin Qingran boarded the plane, gazing at the fleeting night scenery outside the car window, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

My actions today will inevitably anger Zhou Lan, and future difficulties will come like a tidal wave.

However, this is a risky move, and it has only just begun; we must persevere.

Lin Qingran had been thinking all the way when she suddenly spoke to Bo Ye.

"Once I arrive in Yuncheng, I won't go back to the manor. I'll transfer at the airport and head straight to Nancheng. There are still some things to finish up there, and I expect things will get busier and busier in the future, so I need to take advantage of this time to get them sorted out as soon as possible."

“Then I’ll go with you,” Bo Ye said.

Lin Qingran gently shook her head and took Bo Ye's hand.

“I’ve been feeling uneasy lately. I’ll feel more at ease if you stay home and take care of things.”

Bo Ye had no choice but to give Lin Qingran a few instructions before leaving. Lin Qingran then went to Nancheng with Xiao Zhou, who had arrived.

The two hurriedly arrived at their hotel, slept for only a few hours, and then got up.

The sunlight in the southern part of the city was a bit dazzling. The sunlight shone on the earth, but because it was the middle of winter, the sunlight did not make people feel warm. Instead, it made the air dry.

Lin Qingran and Xiao Zhou braved the freezing cold to arrive at the government building and retrieved a list of bidders from Nancheng.

The staff quickly brought over a long list, and Lin Qingran and Xiao Zhou took the list back to the hotel and studied it carefully.

"The Fu Group and the Lin Group are not on this list. It seems they have prepared an escape route for themselves and did not participate in the competition under the name of the group."

Lin Qingran looked at the list carefully, her brows furrowing slightly.

Xiao Zhou nodded in agreement, "Both families have always been cautious in their actions. Moreover, the Lin Group has always been controlled by Shen Pei'an. Since Shen Pei'an is going to do shady business, he must prepare the follow-up arrangements in advance."

Lin Qingran and Xiao Zhou exchanged a glance; it seemed this was a huge project.

There are no shortcuts; we can only work our way up step by step.

The two went through each item one by one, and after an afternoon of investigation, Xiao Zhou finally found two suspicious companies.

"President Jiang, take a look at this." Xiao Zhou placed his computer in front of Lin Qingran.

"Both of these companies are medium-sized and also do real estate business, but they both encountered financial crises before participating in the bidding for Nancheng. Given their situation, it would be difficult for them to win new projects, and the Nancheng project is not a project that can help them take a step further."

Xiao Zhou said with a puzzled look on his face.

A hint of doubt flashed in Lin Qingran's eyes as she spoke to Xiao Zhou.

"Send someone to secretly investigate these two companies first... Oh, and get ready, we'll go check out the machinery factory next."

The roar of the machines inside the factory was deafening, and the air was filled with the smell of machine oil.

When Director Zhang saw Lin Qingran arrive again, the muscles on his face twitched slightly, making him appear extremely uncomfortable. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, glistening under the cold, eerie light.

He forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace, stepped forward, and said in a trembling voice.

"President Jiang, what brings you here? You're so busy, what important matter requires your personal visit?"

Lin Qingran's face was as cold as ice, and her eyes stared straight at him like two sharp arrows flashing with cold light.

Without saying a word, she waved her hand, and the several well-trained bodyguards she brought moved as swiftly as cheetahs, instantly subduing Director Zhang.

Then, Lin Qingran, along with the remaining bodyguards, barged straight into Director Zhang's office.

Lin Qingran coldly directed her bodyguards to search through drawers and cabinets, turning documents and miscellaneous items into a mess, with dust flying in the air, causing people to frequently frown.

But after all that effort, they found no obvious clues.

Seeing this, Director Zhang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his face instantly filled with dissatisfaction and grievance.

"President Jiang, what are you doing? Although I was sent by you to guard the factory, what right do you have to suddenly search my office? Do you know how much this insults me? I have worked diligently for the factory, working day and night for its production. I have put in a lot of hard work, even if I haven't made any great contributions! Yet you treat me like this without any explanation. I am truly heartbroken! I have always regarded you as a respectable boss, but now you are trampling on my dignity like this."

Lin Qingran suddenly gave a mocking smile, her eyes sharply fixed on Director Zhang.

"Director Zhang, do you have a son studying abroad?"

Factory Director Zhang immediately broke out in a cold sweat, his eyes darted around, and he stammered.

"Yes...yeah, what's wrong?"

Lin Qingran sneered and took a step forward, pressing closer with each step, each step feeling like it was treading on Director Zhang's heart.

"Your son was kidnapped by those ruthless local thugs a few years ago while he was studying abroad. This is no small matter. You spent a fortune to get him out, and I was kept in the dark about it. I trusted you so much back then, sending you to Nancheng to guard this important factory, treating you like my confidant. But why didn't you come to me when you encountered such a big problem? Do you think I, Jiang Jiuge, am the kind of person who would stand by and watch someone die? Besides, the way you raised the money is strange. You didn't ask relatives and friends for help, nor did you go through normal lending channels. Instead, you suddenly had a huge sum of money overnight. How did that happen? Don't tell me that some kind-hearted person just happened to know about this and gave you this money."

Factory Director Zhang's face turned ashen, his legs buckled, and he almost knelt on the ground.

His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know where to begin.

Lin Qingran quietly looked at Director Zhang, whose expression was strange, her thoughts flashing back to last night.

"President Jiang, you've come here for more than just to get the list, haven't you? Are you planning to give up those plots of land and factories in Nancheng?" Xiao Zhou asked worriedly, looking at Lin Qingran's solemn expression.

Lin Qingran nodded solemnly.

"Now is not the time to worry about profits. Although giving up will cause significant losses to Shenghai Group, as long as we can save the group, losing some profits is nothing. With Zhang Yihong and Fu Jingnian's help, Lin's Group will no longer oppose us, and Shenghai Group's future transformation and development will not be difficult. Therefore, we have no choice but to give up Nancheng."

Xiao Zhou frowned and said worriedly.

“But that would damage your image, since you only recently revealed your identity.”

Lin Qingran sighed helplessly.

“But the group doesn’t belong to me alone. There are many shareholders and managers. If the damage to my reputation can salvage something, then it’s not a big loss.”