Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Zhou Zhiheng had never imagined, not even in his dreams, that Nan Mu would make such a request.

He could not even understand why Nan Mu was so certain his son had surveillance footage from the “Wisdom” cruise ship.

In fact, it was not just him. Qiu Ziyu did not understand either. Why would Nan Mu know Lin’an Weishi had the cruise ship’s surveillance footage? At the very least, he was certain Nan Mu had not known before today. Otherwise, he would have had someone find a way to get it long ago.

“Huangfu Junsheng is the founder of Wisdom Biotechnology, and Wisdom Biotechnology is a major shareholder of Hongyun Pharmaceutical. Since Zhou Zhiheng could have his son do business with Hongyun Pharmaceutical, why would he let Hongyun Pharmaceutical’s major shareholder slip by?”

Qiu Ziyu was genuinely impressed. He had not even known there were such hidden ties behind these companies. He could not help applauding. “Amazing, amazing. But… are you sure Zhou Zhiheng will hand it over? Since Huangfu Junsheng is withholding the footage even from us police, someone must have already warned them, right?”

Nan Mu kept his gaze straight ahead, the corner of his lips curving in a smile. His tone was casual, yet carried an unquestionable certainty. “All for a mere extension on a rectification deadline, they had to make the general manager of Hongyun Pharmaceutical go beg someone they had no prior relationship with at all. If you say there’s nothing fishy going on there, even a monkey wouldn’t believe it.”

Fishy? What was fishy?

Qiu Ziyu reasonably suspected Nan Mu was making a veiled jab at him and calling him a monkey, but he had no proof.

Qiu Ziyu frowned. “Then why did you agree?”

“Precisely because something’s fishy, we can see where Zhou Zhiheng stands in Hongyun Pharmaceutical… Although he’s part of Hongyun Pharmaceutical’s core management team, he should be in a state of being pushed out. Otherwise, why would they need him to handle such a thankless task? Zhou Zhiheng is unwilling to accept that, but he can’t do anything about it. In that kind of situation, he’ll definitely keep looking for ways to add weight to his own side of the scale.” Nan Mu raised a brow and glanced at Qiu Ziyu. “Huangfu Junsheng giving instructions is one thing, but guess what? Would he secretly make a backup copy?”

The answer hardly required any thought. Qiu Ziyu blurted out, “The more Huangfu Junsheng wants to hide it, the more important the footage is to him. And for Zhou Zhiheng, that means he can use it to keep the other side in check. He definitely has a backup.”

Nan Mu nodded, then reminded him, “I think we may have a new direction for the investigation. You really should look into Hongyun Pharmaceutical’s environmental rectification issue. I don’t think this matter is as simple as him saying they only need more time to make corrections.”

Qiu Ziyu was startled. “You think there’s a problem, yet you still agreed to help him?”

Nan Mu gave a faint, mocking laugh. “When the other party personally delivers leverage to your doorstep, you don’t let it pass you by!”

===

Just as Nan Mu had predicted, Zhou Zhiheng made his decision within two days.

There were a total of forty-eight cameras on the cruise ship. On top of that, the time frame stretched from around five in the afternoon, when people began boarding one after another, all the way until the cruise ship met with disaster. The compressed files alone amounted to several hundred gigabytes. The files were too large and would take a very long time to transfer, so Zhou Zhiheng simply copied the footage onto a new hard drive and delivered it to the hospital in person.

Nan Mu randomly selected two files from the hard drive and confirmed they were both videos. Then, right in front of Zhou Zhiheng, he personally called the director of the Environmental Protection Bureau.

Zhou Zhiheng had only heard before that Nan Mu had good connections with the higher-ups, but he had not expected those connections to be this good. Nan Mu had barely mentioned the matter before the other side agreed. It was far better than the way they had to repeatedly beg people outside, invite them to meals, and flatter them endlessly.

Perhaps because his own matter had been perfectly resolved, Zhou Zhiheng’s tense state immediately relaxed considerably. Even his face showed a more sincere smile. “President Nan, for someone so young… your future truly has no limits. Compared with people like you, I really am old. It’s time for me to retire.”
Nan Mu’s hand, which had been toying with a glass, paused briefly.

Zhou Zhiheng immediately realized how tactless his remark had been. It sounded as if he were treating Nan Mu like a junior. But he couldn’t really be blamed! He might be over a decade older than Nan Mu, but who knew how this man took care of himself-he looked even younger than his own son…

Although he knew the other man outranked him in both position and power, he’d unwittingly slipped into a tone an elder uses with a younger.

Zhou Zhiheng felt he should make amends. “President Nan, you have no idea-the first time I met you, I felt a special connection, as if we’d crossed paths somewhere before.”

Qiu Ziyu had been right there, and upon hearing this, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Once Zhou Zhiheng left, he couldn’t help but grouse, “Looks like corporate life’s no cakewalk. The general manager’s spot really isn’t for just anyone. How does he say such syrupy nonsense without cracking up? Turns out being a cop suits me better-no need to compromise my conscience with flattery.”

Nan Mu’s gaze swept over Qiu Ziyu, surprisingly calm. “How do you know he’s compromising his conscience?”

Qiu Ziyu laughed wryly. “What else am I supposed to think? Don’t tell me you two actually have some destined, dreamlike romance like Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu?”

A faint, amused smile flickered at the corner of Nan Mu’s lips, as if recalling something funny. “He and I… did meet once before.”

“Really? And that guy was just bragging about his photographic memory.” Qiu Ziyu tutted; indeed, a businessman’s mouth was a liar’s tool. “When was this?”

“Ten years ago.”

“Ten years ago?” Qiu Ziyu stared. “Back when you were in grad school? Just one meeting?”

When Nan Mu responded with a “Mm,” Qiu Ziyu’s respect deepened. He had to take back his earlier criticism of Zhou Zhiheng. A single encounter ten years ago-who could possibly recognize someone from that? But leave it to Nan Mu. “You still remember? How on earth did you manage that?”

Qiu Ziyu asked with utter seriousness, looking genuinely eager to learn this “mega-memory” skill, which almost made Nan Mu laugh.

The reason Nan Mu could remember Zhou Zhiheng, of course, was that from his own temporal perspective, that meeting had happened barely ten-odd days ago.

But he paused thoughtfully, a barely perceptible glint of mischief in his eyes. “Nothing to it. Why not interview at his Hongyun Pharmaceutical and find out?”

Qiu Ziyu: “…Interview. What interview?”

Nan Mu: “Ten years ago, I interviewed at their company and got rejected. One of the interviewers was Zhou Zhiheng.”

Qiu Ziyu let out an instinctive “Oh,” but then he shot up from his chair, his voice rising to an almost strangled squawk: “What?! You interviewed at Hongyun Pharmaceutical? And he rejected you?!”

Nan Mu acknowledged it with an indifferent “Mm.”

Qiu Ziyu: “Well, damn…”

This is Nan Mu we’re talking about.

What kind of colossal idiot would have rejected him…

No wonder Hongyun Pharmaceutical never did walk the path of great fortune…

Hah, Qiu Ziyu had finally figured it out. If that “youthful humiliation” had happened to him, he wouldn’t forget the guy’s face either.