Chapter 6: The One Behind Bai Lian

The Lu Group’s press release quickly set off a wave of controversy.

Some partners demanded an explanation from the Lin Group. Some investors began to worry that the Haifeng project would stall. The Lu Group’s stock came under selling pressure as the market noticed the instability in its business.

But Lin Qian didn’t rush to release every document she had.

She knew that an uncontrolled counterattack could drag the Lin Group into a long media war that would affect even employees who had nothing to do with it.

Instead, she held a working session with the partners directly.

There, she laid out clearly which items were under review, which contractual obligations were still being honored, and which decisions had not yet been made.

“We are not declaring the project a failure,” she said. “We’re only asking every party to justify their costs, their ability to deliver, and the validity of their payments before we release any more money.”

One partner asked:

“Do you have proof the Lu Group did anything wrong on purpose?”

“At this point, we haven’t reached any such conclusion. The irregular costs are being independently verified. If there are violations, we’ll handle them according to the contract and the law.”

Her frank answer changed many people’s attitudes.

They realized Lin Qian wasn’t planning to use her family’s power to strangle the Lu Group. She was trying to protect the project from risks no one had yet brought under control.

Meanwhile, Bai Lian made another mistake.

She posted a short video hinting that Song Ning was deliberately slandering her for fame.

Song Ning had never wanted to appear in public, but after talking with her lawyer, she decided to release information about when she made the drawings and how she had submitted her portfolio to the consulting firm.

She didn’t attack Bai Lian.

She only put out documents that could be verified and stated that she would protect her rights through legal channels.

That turned the story around.

Instead of a fight between two women, the public began asking where the design had come from and what responsibility the consulting firm bore.

Bai Lian ran to Lu Xi in a panic.

“You have to help me! If they keep investigating, everything will come out!”

Lu Xi looked at her coldly.

“What else are you hiding from me?”

Bai Lian burst into tears.

“I just wanted a chance in the design world. I worked so hard…”

“I asked what else you’re hiding from me!”

She fell silent.

Lu Xi understood that if he couldn’t get the situation under control, he could lose both the project and his chance to raise capital.

He decided to call someone he rarely contacted directly.

“Uncle Chen, I need you to help me with something.”

The other end was silent for a few seconds.

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want to know what documents Lin Qian has.”

The man called Uncle Chen didn’t answer right away.

In the end, he only said:

“Don’t underestimate her. And don’t let Gu Yichuan get in too deep.”

The call ended.

Lu Xi stared at his phone screen, full of doubt.

He had always thought Bai Lian was just a girl with a bit of cunning. But the problems around her were getting more and more complicated.

At the same moment, at the Gu Group, Gu Yichuan’s assistant set a file on his desk.

“Mr. Gu, we’ve found a link between the design consulting firm and an intermediary company that was involved in the Haifeng project.”

“Connected to the Lu Group?”

“There are transactions between the parties, but not enough to conclude they worked together to do anything wrong. More notably, this intermediary company once worked with a business connected to Chen Kaiming.”

Gu Yichuan looked up.

“Chen Kaiming?”

“Yes. Three years ago, he took part in negotiations to buy shares in the Lin Group.”

Gu Yichuan closed the file.

A dispute that seemed to have started from a love triangle might be hiding a much bigger plan.

If Chen Kaiming really was behind it, the target might not be just the Haifeng project.

It might be control of the Lin Group.