Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Qiu Ziyu finally understood how Uncle Nan and Auntie had found out that Nan Mu was injured.

He knew it. He had clearly done a pretty good job keeping it under wraps…

The two people who had come with Nan Mu’s parents were both from Hongyun Pharmaceutical. The pharmaceutical company was fairly well-known in City A.

If this had been in the past, Qiu Ziyu definitely wouldn’t have known the company. After all, his work had nothing to do with pharmaceutical businesses, so it would have been perfectly normal for him not to have heard of it.

But recently, Hongyun Pharmaceutical had been repeatedly criticized in the newspapers for environmental issues. Last year, it had been fined for the crime of environmental pollution, and that same year, one of its branch companies had been exposed for discharging wastewater illegally and was ordered to halt production for rectification.

Lately, there had also been a discrepancy between the number of new production facilities Hongyun Pharmaceutical planned to add for its fundraising investment project and what was stated in its environmental impact assessment report. This had severely undermined the quality of its information disclosure, and the new project had to be urgently suspended.

On top of that, with all the recent rumors flying around, everyone was saying the New Environmental Protection Law was about to go into effect.

Hongyun Pharmaceutical, completely overwhelmed, had no choice but to pull every string it could in hopes of solving its current predicament. Who knew which idiot had given them such a terrible idea, but they had actually come looking for Nan Mu.

They first went to Nan Huan Group, but because Nan Mu wasn’t there, they were turned away.

In order to find out Nan Mu’s whereabouts, they spent every day trying to get familiar with the employees at Nan Huan Group. After going through several people, they learned that Nan Mu had attended a cruise banquet a few days ago and had been injured in an accident. So they bought plenty of gifts, prepared flower baskets, and planned to use the opportunity to visit Nan Mu and build a connection.

However, they didn’t know where Nan Mu lived, and even after asking around for a long time, they still couldn’t find out. But they were quite capable in their own way. From an old interview in a business and environmental newspaper, they learned that Nan Mu’s father was a geologist. So they changed direction-and somehow really managed to find out where Nan Mu’s parents lived…

Then they paid them a visit. Who would have thought that Nan Mu’s parents had no idea their son was injured and staying in the hospital? Once both sides explained the situation, how could Uncle Nan and Auntie possibly sit still? They called Xu Yang and got the hospital’s address…

Qiu Ziyu found it almost laughable. “Your company has environmental problems. Instead of hurrying to fix them, what use is there in looking for Nan Mu?”

Nan Huan Group’s environmental protection equipment wasn’t even subject to purchase restrictions. What matter could possibly require them to come all the way to Nan Mu personally?

The person Hongyun Pharmaceutical had sent was their general manager, Zhou Zhiheng. At that moment, his hands were clasped awkwardly in front of him, rubbing together. “We are fixing it, we are. We’re in the middle of rectifying things. It’s just that, time-wise, we might not make it… We heard President Nan has a pretty good relationship with the director of the Environmental Protection Bureau?”

Qiu Ziyu frowned as he listened, and his tone inevitably took on a note of mockery. “If there’s a problem with your environmental protection, then pay whatever fines you should pay and make whatever rectifications you should make. Begging this person and that person is no substitute for properly resolving the environmental issues! Nan Huan Group is a company that makes environmental protection equipment. Your pharmaceutical company has environmental problems, but instead of thinking about buying products from Nan Huan Group and thoroughly cleaning up your act, you’re thinking of asking Nan Mu to put in a good word for you with the director of the Environmental Protection Bureau?! In broad daylight, what kind of pipe dream are you having?”

The smile on Zhou Zhiheng’s face stiffened.

Qiu Ziyu had not minced words at all. Being dressed down like this in front of his own employee made Zhou Zhiheng’s face burn. He wanted to argue, but then he heard Qiu Ziyu call Nan Mu by name, which showed that this man was not President Nan’s subordinate. He was probably not someone they could afford to offend.

After thinking it over, he could only swallow his grievances. Then he remembered the chairman’s instructions before he came, and had no choice but to force himself to smile and apologize. “Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right. Actually, we’ve already realized our mistake… We truly do want to carry out the rectification properly.”

As Zhou Zhiheng spoke, he hurriedly signaled for the employee behind him to take a contract out of the briefcase he was carrying, unfold it, and present it to Qiu Ziyu.
“Please take a look. This is a batch of environmental protection equipment Hongyun Pharmaceutical ordered from Nan Huan Group. The contract has already been signed, and we’re just waiting for Nan Huan Group to come install it… It’s just that, in terms of timing… we really won’t make it. We wouldn’t dare ask for much. We only wanted to ask President Nan for a favor-to put in a word with the director of the Environmental Protection Bureau and give us another ten days or half a month…”

Qiu Ziyu looked over the contract. According to the dates listed, the payment for the equipment should already have been made. It did look as if they genuinely intended to make corrections. He gave the two men a suspicious glance. “I saw in the papers that the Environmental Protection Bureau has issued you rectification notices more than once or twice. Why didn’t you do this earlier? Why drag it out until the fire was at your eyebrows…?”

After being a police officer for so long, once Qiu Ziyu started lecturing someone, even he couldn’t stop himself. It was only when Xu Yang hurried over with documents tucked under his arm that Officer Qiu’s “sermon” was finally interrupted.

“Officer Qiu, have President Nan’s parents arrived…? What are you two doing here?”

The moment Xu Yang received the call from his boss’s mother, he knew something was wrong. Although the two elders both had his number, they might not call him even once in two years…

And whenever they did call, disaster was bound to follow. Sure enough, the first thing she asked was which hospital Nan Mu was staying in and how he was doing.

Xu Yang didn’t dare hide anything. He could only tell her everything honestly, then arrange matters at the company before rushing to the hospital.

As soon as he arrived, he saw Officer Qiu “standing guard” at the door. He already had a rough idea of what had happened, but he still asked with a shred of hope. He never expected to turn his head and see people from Hongyun Pharmaceutical there.

His mind worked quickly, and he understood at once. “Don’t tell me you two were the ones who spilled… who told President Nan’s parents?”

Xu Yang had very nearly said “caused this mess,” but just as the words reached his tongue, he remembered that the other party was still the general manager of Hongyun Pharmaceutical. He forcibly changed his wording.

Zhou Zhiheng also knew the two of them had probably tried to do a good deed and ended up making things worse. For a moment, he was at a loss for words, and the awkwardness was almost unbearable.

Qiu Ziyu knew Nan Mu’s personality. Hongyun Pharmaceutical had been investigated repeatedly over its environmental issues and still refused to correct them; clearly, this was a problem of attitude. When it came to violations of law and discipline, it would already be merciful if Nan Mu didn’t report them. How could he possibly plead on their behalf?

So Qiu Ziyu wanted to reject them outright. Xu Yang also knew what Zhou Zhiheng had come for, but unlike Qiu Ziyu, who was stern, upright, and always straightforward, Xu Yang was used to smoothing things over. He knew full well his boss would never agree, but he also feared that refusing too directly would sour the relationship between Nan Huan Group and Hongyun Pharmaceutical. In the end, he only asked them to wait outside first.

“President Zhou, you know as well as I do that President Nan really took a trip to the gates of hell this time and suffered terribly. He was unconscious these past few days and only woke up yesterday… How about this? I’ll go in first and check on President Nan’s condition. Officer Qiu knows too-President Nan swallowed too much seawater, and his vocal cords are still damaged. He can hardly speak… I’ll go in and communicate with him first, see whether President Nan has the energy for this. After all, he’s a patient. It really wouldn’t be right to delay his recovery, wouldn’t you agree?”

He only woke up yesterday. His voice was hoarse. He could hardly speak…

If Qiu Ziyu hadn’t just come out of the room, he would have been convinced by Xu Yang’s words.

Exactly. Someone who had just brushed past death, only just regained consciousness, and was lying weakly in a hospital bed, unable to even speak-if you had the slightest bit of humanity, how could you possibly have the nerve to ask him for help at a time like this?

Zhou Zhiheng clearly understood the implication in Xu Yang’s words as well, and his heart sank into desolation. But what Xu Yang said was perfectly reasonable. If Zhou Zhiheng said anything more, it would only make their side seem like the unreasonable ones. He could only force a smile and say, “All right. Then I’ll have to trouble you, Special Assistant Xu.”