Chapter 66: Are you really so certain he has no backup plan?

He Yanxun had not slept all night, busy dealing with the online public opinion.

This time, Shen Zhiwei would never be able to escape.

However, things were rarely as simple as they imagined.

Si Shen had connections at the police station, and someone tipped them off that Shen Zhiwei was now pregnant. Even if she were convicted, she could be released on bail and have her sentence suspended outside of prison.

They would have to wait until she gave birth and passed the lactation period before the conviction could be reinstated.

Therefore, the only thing he could do right now was to nail Shen Zhiwei’s crimes firmly.

He would drag the Xu family down with her and make Shen Zhao pay for what happened to Qiao Xu's father four years ago.

As for Shen Zhiwei, she had better pray that the child in her belly could be born safely.

"It's Si Shen's. Where are you?"

Qiao Xu spoke in a very soft, intermittent voice, as if uttering a complete sentence required a tremendous amount of effort.

He Yanxun understood well enough. "You want to go down there?"

Before Qiao Xu could speak, he gave a flat refusal.

Damn it, he was truly terrified. Not only had they failed to fish anyone up, but they were about to lose another person to the damn river.

"I won't. He Yanxun, I'm just going to take a look. I won't get in the way of their search."

Perhaps remembering Qiao Xu's emotional state from the previous night, He Yanxun suddenly felt his heart soften.

After a while, Qiao Xu boarded the speedboat wearing a life jacket.

The search and rescue team members were all hired by Si Shen and He Yanxun, conducting the search much more thoroughly than the traffic police department's rescue team from the night before.

It wasn't until sunset that someone finally spoke up. "Miss Qiao, we have to change shifts. The river water is freezing cold. You should go ashore. We will notify President Si and President He the very moment there is any news."

Qiao Xu nodded, not wanting to cause them any trouble.

"Could I... could I leave you my phone number?"

The man nodded. After exchanging numbers with Qiao Xu, he led the crew back to shore.

He Yanxun and Si Shen were standing on the riverbank, accompanied by another man.

Xu Shiran!

"Miss Qiao, may I have a word with you?"

Having been battered by the cold wind on the river for seven or eight hours, Qiao Xu's complexion looked even worse than the night before.

He Yanxun cursed under his breath, took off his suit jacket, and prepared to drape it over her shoulders, but he heard her say, "Thank you, no need."

Fine, unappreciative.

Alright, he was a man and wouldn't stoop to arguing with her.

"We aren't close, and there's nothing to talk about."

Qiao Xu thanked Si Shen for his financial and physical support.

"Xiao An was just like my own younger brother. Qiao Xu, there is no need to say thank you anymore."

When Qiao Xu tried to leave, she was blocked by Xu Shiran. "He is dead. The shares of the Xu Group, including all the assets under his name, make my mother his legal heir."

"Miss Qiao, Weiwei..." *Slap!*

Xu Shiran's face was knocked to one side, and Qiao Xu's hanging hand was still trembling. "Get lost!"

This was the first time Qiao Xu had completely lost control of her emotions since the accident happened to Xu Xi'an.

With just that single word, her roar came out almost hoarse.

Fearing that Xu Shiran might fly into a rage from embarrassment, He Yanxun quickly pulled Qiao Xu behind him.

"Is President Xu so certain that Ah Xi'an didn't leave any backup plans?"

"Did you really think he was still the same person he was four or five years ago, letting you slaughter him at will?"

Qiao Xu had put all her strength into that slap. Her palm was red and swollen, while the corner of Xu Shiran's mouth was stained with blood.

"Xu Shiran, I used to just think you were pitiful, falling in love with a damaged piece of trash like Shen Zhiwei."

"Now, it seems you aren't pitiful at all."

"Sleeping with the same woman as another man, yet President Xu swallows it down with relish—perhaps you enjoy fighting over leftovers because they smell better."

"You—" Stung right where it hurt, Xu Shiran clenched his fists and swung a punch toward He Yanxun's face.

The punch was intercepted mid-swing by someone else. "For President Xu to strike one of my people right in front of me means you have no regard for the Si family, nor for me, Si Shen."

The Si family was a prominent elite family in the capital, and Si Shen was the fifth young master of the capital's Si family—this was hardly a secret in business circles.

However, the fact that he was gay came as a surprise to Xu Shiran.

He sneered. "I never expected the fifth young master of the capital's top elite Si family to actually swing that way."

"I imagine the elders of the Si family don't know about this yet."

Si Shen released his grip, took a square silk handkerchief from his suit pocket, wiped his hand, and tossed it away. "Unlike you, I don't rely on leeching off my family to climb to the top."

"President Xu, I happen to have germophobia and detest filth. You'd better keep your hands off my people."

As the group prepared to leave, Xu Shiran called out coldly, "Qiao Xu, I have evidence that Shen Zhao tampered with your father's medical treatments. I can give it to you, but you must testify in court that Xu Xi'an's death had nothing to do with Weiwei."

He Yanxun looked back and let out a mocking laugh. "As if anyone cares about your evidence."

"Xu Shiran, stop assuming everyone else in the world is a useless piece of trash like you."

Because of Shen Zhiwei's pregnancy, even with the power of his family, Si Shen could only detain her for three days.

Qiao Xu was at work when she received the news.

The more normal she appeared on the outside, the more worried everyone else became.

With no chief executive currently managing Xuxing, Song Jia, the CEO's executive assistant, was spinning around in a frenzy every day.

Yet Qiao Xu orderly helped him finish more than half of his workload.

Song Jia couldn't help sighing inwardly. No wonder JOy had mentioned several times over in Los Angeles that Qiao Xu was wasting her talents here.

"Sister Qiao, are you doing okay?"

The makeup on Qiao Xu's face was much heavier than usual, and even the shade of her lipstick was deeper than before.

"I'm doing great."

"Xiao Song, please follow up closely on the many contracts signed because of President Xu. If you get overwhelmed, let me know as much as you can; I can handle them."

Song Jia's heart twisted into a knot. Having worked by Xu Xi'an's side for four years, how could he not understand what was going on in Qiao Xu's mind right now?

She wanted to keep herself constantly busy so that the pain wouldn't hurt quite so much, didn't she?

"Alright, Sister Qiao."

Qiao Xu simply felt that although she couldn't help Xu Xi'an take back what rightfully belonged to him from the Xu family...

He Yanxun had said that Xu Xi'an was one of Xuxing's original founders. Therefore, she would definitely help him guard the things he had poured four years of hard work into.

Perhaps one day, he would return.

On the tenth day after Xu Xi'an's disappearance, a new CEO was parachuted into Xuxing, reportedly transferred directly from Los Angeles.

Qiao Xu and Song Jia stood inside the CEO's office.

Watching someone else sit in his chair, Qiao Xu felt a twinge of discomfort in her chest.

She took a step forward, her expression completely blank. "Director Cheng, due to personal reasons, I am formally submitting an application for a transfer."

He had once said that she could only be his little assistant.

Therefore, Qiao Xu decided to return to her post as the CEO's secretary.

Cheng Junyi was Song Jia's cousin—the very person Xu Xi'an had originally intended to transfer back to the domestic branch—so he naturally knew Qiao Xu's identity.

He pulled a blue envelope from his desk drawer and handed it to Qiao Xu.

"This is something JOy entrusted me to pass on to you. We all know about what happened to President Xu. Please accept my condolences."

Qiao Xu pressed her lips together, her eyes reddened as she accepted it and murmured a thank you.

"JOy met with you in Los Angeles before. He hopes you will consider transferring to the headquarters."

Qiao Xu nodded. "Thank you, Director Cheng. I will get in touch with JOy."

Cheng Junyi said, "I have approved your transfer request, and your salary will remain unchanged. Qiao Xu, you can take some time off; the company will approve your leave."

"There's no need, Director Cheng. I'm doing fine right now. Thank you for your concern. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."