Chapter Sixty-Five: Hidden Dangers Within the Company

Chapter Sixty-Five: Company Threats

“The duel is scheduled for the afternoon, right? Will you be going alone?” Xu Tianming asked.

“Yes, I alone am more than enough. When the time comes, I’ll reveal my strength, suppress his momentum, and he’s bound to lose.” Master Yan stroked his chin, overflowing with confidence, clearly dismissing Shen An as beneath his notice.

Chu Tianming frowned slightly but said nothing.

Elsewhere, after his conversation with Master Yan, Chu Tianming arranged to meet someone else.

“That old man is far too self-assured. Have your people been positioned?”

Xu Tianming hadn’t wanted to trouble them, but after meeting Master Yan, he was sorely disappointed. Arrogant and conceited, with his temperament, there was no way he could be a match for Shen An.

“They’ve been waiting for some time. I believe you’ll need them,” a hoarse voice answered from behind a golden mask.

“Good. No matter what, Shen An must die. Only then can we put the next person in power, and only then can we take over the Chen family’s mess.”

“What, you’re not planning to use those people hidden in the company yet?” the masked man sneered, his tone chilling.

“It’s not time for that. Those people aren’t for dealing with Shen An. If they’re exposed, it’ll ruin the plan. You need to speed up your recruitment. We don’t have enough candidates yet—I need more robust subjects for experimentation.”

“Don’t worry, I’m already making arrangements. Leave it to me.”

The man in the golden mask was clearly displeased with his tone. Their conversation didn’t last long before they each went their separate ways.

Shen An studied the shared documents, his brow deeply furrowed.

“The internal problems in the Chen family are truly severe.”

These documents had been provided by Bai Weiwei. While investigating Zhicheng Pharmaceuticals, Old Ji had suddenly sent her the files. After reading them, Bai Weiwei hurried back and printed them out for Shen An.

Not only did they share information on the Awakened, but they also included details on current company personnel.

“These employees were recruited in different batches—some applied, others were internally recommended. On the surface, their backgrounds seem clean. But despite working in separate departments, they often appear in the same place.”

“The City Hospital.”

“They all share one thing in common: frequent visits to the City Hospital. And that hospital, once owned by Zhicheng Pharmaceuticals, is now under the Sun family—a private institution.”

“Zhicheng Pharmaceuticals. The Sun family.”

Shen An closed the file, deep in thought.

He hadn’t expected Future Corporation to be so riddled with holes, with spies everywhere. He wondered how the Chen family had managed things before—or perhaps they’d always known. Maybe the Chen family had been working for them all along.

With that thought, a flash of insight struck Shen An.

“When did Chen Hailong’s fortune begin to rise?”

The sudden question left Mu Linqiu confused. Bai Weiwei, beside him, frowned as well.

Though she wasn’t sure why Shen An was asking, Bai Weiwei thought for a moment and replied, “It’s said the Chen family’s rise was tied to a particular event—they discovered a formula that could slow the progression of cancer.”

“Oh?” Shen An was surprised. “I didn’t expect that old man to have such a story.”

“There’s something strange about it,” Bai Weiwei continued, recalling many secrets as Shen An asked about Chen Hailong’s past. “Chen Hailong worked at Zhicheng Pharmaceuticals for many years before leaving. Only then did he develop the anti-cancer drug and found the Chen family.”

“I’ve heard of Zhicheng Pharmaceuticals. They’ve been around for many years—established long ago,” Mu Linqiu added.

Shen An nodded at his two assistants’ words.

He felt he was grasping the heart of the matter. The Chen family’s ties to Zhicheng Pharmaceuticals, and so many current company employees with links to it…

“We’ll need to prepare,” Shen An decided. “Don’t speak of this to anyone. Also, look into the people listed in these files, but be discreet—don’t let anyone notice.”

With that, Shen An checked the time.

“Let’s go. Master Yan has likely already set out. It’s time for our appointment.”

…

One of Future Group’s subsidiaries.

He Zhouzhou had just passed her interview and was now undergoing orientation.

“You’re now one of our employees. Our company is a major enterprise—very different from what you’re used to.” Her supervisor, who was responsible for her training, spoke at length. “I’ve heard of you—you were just a small-time livestreamer. Don’t be arrogant here. Important figures come and go every day. You need to learn to read people’s moods.”

After a good ten minutes of nagging, He Zhouzhou finally felt relieved.

She’d only just joined and was still an intern, so there wasn’t much she could do yet. She’d thought her management degree would make getting into the company easy. Now she realized that wasn’t the case—sometimes her field wasn’t relevant, and they cared a lot about qualifications and past work experience.

He Zhouzhou had only ever live-streamed; she had no other work experience.

Still, she’d made it into the company. She’d start from scratch and gain experience little by little.

Full of energy, He Zhouzhou awaited her assignments.

The supervisor finished giving instructions and took a phone call. Afterward, she rushed back in a flurry.

“Big news, everyone! Put aside your work—the chairman is coming. Get everything cleaned up, fast…”

A string of orders followed, and everyone hurried to tidy up.

Even He Zhouzhou wasn’t spared, busily cleaning along with the others.

She’d never imagined that her first day at work would be spent cleaning.

Luckily, she wasn’t spoiled—she’d always done chores at home, so she worked quickly and efficiently.

The supervisor saw this and nodded approvingly, her opinion of the new employee rising several notches.

The duel was to take place in a plaza adjacent to their branch office. That was why, when the supervisor got the call, she assumed Shen An was coming for an inspection.

She wasn’t entirely wrong—after dealing with business nearby, Shen An might well stop by the company. Better to be tired than to give the boss a reason to complain.

Shen An arrived at the plaza with Mu Linqiu and the others.

Master Yan was already there, surrounded by a crowd.

Looking over the group, Shen An recognized several people who had watched his battle with the Chen family.

Apparently, these people enjoyed a good spectacle.

Who had spread word of the duel? Shen An didn’t concern himself with it—these were all well-connected people, and finding out wouldn’t be hard. He let the thought go.

“Shen An, after today, you and your Future Group will cease to exist.”

Master Yan stepped forward, already planning how to suppress Shen An’s momentum.

All he needed was to show off a little—once Shen An saw his swordsmanship, he’d surely be terrified.

Master Yan could already picture the look of fear on Shen An’s face.