Chapter 167: Lin Yuxin Goes Missing

After taking a shower, changing into a fresh set of clothes, and stepping back out from the bathing area, it was already past four o'clock.

Instead of lingering in the leisure area, the two made their way to a small café in the restaurant zone. Before long, Lin Yuxin's colleagues arrived—two women and one man. Hong Chen recognized one of the women; she turned out to be Gao Tianxiong's former secretary, Qiu Susu, who was now the executive president of Linfeng Trading, while the other woman was her assistant, and the man was the business department manager.

Sitting down around a round table, Lin Yuxin introduced Hong Chen to the three of them before they immediately began discussing business. Lacking any interest in the matter, Hong Chen listened in for a bit before picking up his phone and moving over to a window seat by himself.

Half an hour later, the group left the café and headed toward the buffet restaurant. Since the other party had not yet arrived, Hong Chen went to get some drinks, and Qiu Susu volunteered to help.

During the initial introduction, Qiu Susu had merely smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, making no mention of the incident that had occurred at the investment promotion department. Now, with just the two of them, Qiu Susu smiled and said, "Mr. Hong, I really didn't expect you to be President Lin's husband. What a surprise."

Hong Chen smiled slightly. "Congratulations, Secretary Qiu—no, I should address you as President Qiu. Moving from the group president's secretary to the executive president of a branch company is akin to a imperial secretary being dispatched to a provincial post. It shows that President Gao holds you in high regard, and your future is boundlessly bright."

Qiu Susu shook her head and spoke with complete candor, "President Gao certainly showed great discernment in recognizing my talent, and I've always considered myself part of President Gao's inner circle. However, my qualifications are still rather shallow. I served as President Gao's secretary for less than a year in total, which is far from enough to truly be part of the core faction. In terms of rank, a secretary is only equivalent to a project supervisor in a group department, whereas a branch executive president is equivalent to a deputy department director. There is a gap of three levels between them. Under normal circumstances, even with a promotion every year, it would take three years."

It took Hong Chen a little over ten seconds to fill a glass of mango juice, and another ten seconds to digest her words. Then, he said, "You mean your extraordinary promotion wasn't just due to President Gao's appreciation, but also thanks to the support of other top executives in the group?"

Qiu Susu smiled somewhat cryptically. "I should say I had a benefactor helping me along, and that benefactor is you, Mr. Hong."

A strange look flashed across Hong Chen's eyes, and Qiu Susu explained, "After the incident at the investment promotion department that day, Director Xu officially assumed office. Just before closing time that very day, President Gao suddenly called me in for a talk. It was the first time I received praise since joining the company, and then he proposed transferring me to the general management department as deputy director, skipping three levels in a single bound."

She paused, her expression turning slightly solemn. "At the time, it felt like a dream. I suffered from insomnia that night, and finally arrived at a definitive conclusion: my promotion happened because President Gao took you into account, Mr. Hong. You are my benefactor."

"Although human relationships in the modern workplace are fickle and most people deal purely in interests, I, Qiu Susu, still understand the principle that a drop of water received in need should be repaid with a gushing spring. I will never forget your kindness in recognizing my talent, Mr. Hong!"

What is the meaning of this?

Hong Chen's reflex reaction brought up thoughts of unwritten workplace rules, or even an active proposition, but he immediately shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. The hearts of people nowadays are truly different; the young lady had set aside her pride and expressed her sincere gratitude to him in all seriousness, yet here his mind was wandering into all sorts of messy directions...

"Do me a favor," Hong Chen murmured after a moment of reflection. Without denying or confirming her assumption, he said, "If you happen to learn in advance that someone is planning to do something against President Lin, notify me privately."

He added, "I am not referring to business matters."

Qiu Susu understood instantly and nodded in agreement.

Working together, the two of them carried five drinks back to the table. Ten minutes later, Liao Tingrui arrived, accompanied by three other people, all of whom were professionals.

Following that, everyone ate while discussing business. Originally, Lin Yuxin was only supposed to handle business handovers and act as a bridge, but since she no longer needed to resign, she personally participated in the negotiations.

The meal lasted a little over an hour. Aside from Hong Chen, none of the others had their minds on the food. In the end, they basically finalized the order amount and the specific procurement list, agreeing to go to Linfeng Trading tomorrow morning to officially sign the contract.

Once the serious business was concluded, Liao Tingrui and her companions took their leave first. Apart from the initial polite greetings, they had completely ignored Hong Chen from start to finish. Hong Chen also consciously played the role of an invisible man, making no mention of that rather unpleasant dinner the day he worked as Mo Fei's assistant...

After Liao Tingrui and the others left, Qiu Susu and her two companions did not stay long either, joking that they wouldn't disturb President Lin and her husband's private time.

It was past eight o'clock when Hong Chen and Lin Yuxin finally stepped out of the restaurant. Lin Yuxin suddenly suggested going to see a movie, and Hong Chen naturally had no reason to refuse. Thus, the two walked through the leisure area and separated into the men's and women's bathing sections.

Hong Chen took a quick rinse, changed back into the clothes he had worn upon arrival, and sat waiting in the lobby.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes passed. As time ticked away, the frequency of Hong Chen glancing toward the women's bathing area gradually increased. When he had waited for twenty minutes, growing somewhat impatient, he was about to ask a female attendant to go inside and check when four women emerged from the women's bathing section—none other than Jiang Ying and her group.

"Miss Jiang, do me a favor," Hong Chen asked, swallowing his pride as he approached Jiang Ying. "Please go inside and check on my wi—Lin Yuxin. I've been waiting for her for nearly half an hour."

Jiang Ying looked at Hong Chen with an indifferent expression. "You lose your own wife and make me help you find her? You really something else, Hong Chen."

Despite her words, she turned around and re-entered the bathing area, followed by the other two women. Liu Xinyue stayed behind alone, sizing Hong Chen up with a peculiar look. Feeling awkward under her gaze, Hong Chen smiled and said, "Big Miss Liu, it's not like you've never seen me before. I'm hardly a top-tier god-like bachelor on the level of Qi Junyuan, so there's no need to observe me so closely."

Liu Xinyue tossed her head with heroic flair and half-jokingly said, "But you're even more charming than Qi Junyuan."

Hong Chen was choked up by the retort, and Liu Xinyue continued, "Even Jiang Ying, a spoiled heiress who treats men like toys, has actually developed feelings for you... Oh, don't deny it. Others wouldn't dare ask Jiang Ying about it privately, but I actually asked her straight up."

Hong Chen froze, his mouth opening slightly. "What did she say?"

Liu Xinyue said with a straight face, "She didn't admit to it, of course."

Hong Chen almost coughed up blood. He had fallen for it!

Liu Xinyue teased mischievously, "But she treats you differently from other men. Anyone who understands Jiang Ying even a little bit can see that. If you set your mind on pursuing her, you might even have a chance to become the Prince Consort of the Jiang family."

Having fallen for a trick once, Hong Chen refused to fall for a second. He laughed it off. "Big Miss Liu, stop gossiping. I'm a married man. Even if I weren't, compared to being the Prince Consort of the Jiang family, I'd much rather be the Prince Consort of the Liu family."

Liu Xinyue didn't catch on immediately. As her mind turned a few corners and she gradually grasped his meaning, seeing Hong Chen looking at her with a teasing smile, her cheeks suddenly flushed hot. Glaring fiercely, she gritted her teeth and said, "Hong Chen, watch your mouth. Careless words bring disaster."

Seeing her flushed cheeks and looking somewhat like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Hong Chen realized that most young girls, regardless of their status, still had thin skin. He gave an awkward laugh and stopped teasing her.

A few minutes later, Jiang Ying and the other two came out, all shaking their heads. Jiang Ying said, "She's not inside."

Hong Chen said flatly, "Impossible!"

One of the girls said unhappily, "The bathing area is only so big, and there were less than ten people in total inside. Miss Lin isn't a ghost; we would have recognized her at a glance. We even checked the dry and wet steam saunas. If you don't believe us, go in and look for yourself."

With that, she turned sideways and gestured. Hong Chen wasn't impulsive enough to be goaded that easily. He pulled out his phone and called Lin Yuxin, but it was powered off. His brow furrowed deeply. A moment later, an idea struck him. Almost simultaneously, as if reading his mind, Liu Xinyue voiced the thought: "Have the club make an announcement over the PA system."

Hong Chen called over an attendant and made the request, but the attendant told Hong Chen to go to the service desk to register his membership card. Fortunately, with Jiang Ying and the other three present, Liu Xinyue took the initiative to handle it. Within two or three minutes, a loud, clear voice echoed through the broadcast system: "Ms. Lin Yuxin, please proceed to the lobby upon hearing this broadcast. Mr. Hong is waiting for you. If you cannot come immediately, please give Mr. Hong a call."

The broadcast played once every half minute. After five minutes and ten repetitions, Hong Chen's phone still remained silent. His expression grew darker by the minute.

Counting the twenty minutes he had already waited, it had been over half an hour in total, and her phone was turned off. Lin Yuxin had vanished!

Hong Chen suddenly asked, "Who is behind this club?"

Jiang Ying replied, "The primary boss is the Lu family, along with a few minor shareholders."

Without wasting any breath, Hong Chen strode toward a secluded corner and dialed Gao Tianxiong's number. "Call the highest-ranking member of the Lu family you can reach right now..."

After explaining the situation, he gave his orders: "Mobilize the entire group security department and all security personnel from the Paradise nightclubs. Head to the Lu family estate and surround it. Tell the Lu family straight to their face that Lin Yuxin went missing inside the Sands Club, and the Lu family is responsible for finding her. If there was no inside job, Lin Yuxin must still be inside the club. If she was taken away, there must be a mole in the club. If Lin Yuxin suffers even the slightest mishap, the Hongcheng Group and the Lu family will fight to the death!"

After hanging up, he dialed Qi Gang's number. "Notify the person in charge of the Jiang family..."

He instructed that at least fifty people from the Jiang family should be sent to the Lu family estate, and that a call should be placed to the head of the Lu family. After hanging up, he thought for a moment—Qi Gang might not be able to reach the core members of the Jiang family, and the Jiang family might not necessarily give Qi Gang the time of day.

He walked over, pulled Jiang Ying aside alone, briefly explained the situation, and asked her to contact her father. Since her father was the highest person in charge of the Jiang family's pharmaceutical business, he would definitely be able to reach the head of the Lu family. Moreover, the Jiang family needed to dispatch at least fifty people to put pressure on the Lu family's front gates.

Jiang Ying frowned, her slender brows knitting together as she looked at Hong Chen. Thinking she was weighing the pros and cons, Hong Chen said, "If it's inconvenient for you, just give me your father's number, and I'll call him myself."

Jiang Ying snorted. "You two are just in a fake marriage with a three-year contract, yet she's only been missing for a little while and you're this panicked..."

Even at a time like this, she was still getting jealous. Hong Chen felt a headache coming on and blurted out, "If it were you, I would mobilize all my forces just the same. If you suffered the slightest mishap, I'd fight the Lu family to the death!"

Hearing those words, Jiang Ying's furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and she smiled brightly. "A man's words aren't reliable, but I'll remember what you just said."

With that, she took out her phone and walked aside to make the call.

Hong Chen stood there in a daze. What he had just said was merely meant for the emergency at hand; if she took it seriously, it would truly be troublesome.

Jiang Ying finished her call quickly, walked back over to Hong Chen, and said, "My father agreed. He'll call the head of the Lu family. Besides, although my family doesn't dabble much in the entertainment industry, we still hold investments in a few nightclubs. Temporarily pulling together a hundred people is no problem. They'll assemble at the Lu family's gates within twenty minutes. That represents the attitude of the Jiang family."

Hong Chen nodded slowly. "Thank you for your trouble."

He was quite satisfied that the Jiang family could adopt such a resolute stance. All he could do now was wait.

"Qi Junyuan, you'd better hope this has nothing to do with you," Hong Chen lit a cigarette, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. The Hongcheng Group had plenty of enemies, but he himself had few, and Lin Yuxin had even fewer. Although all his surface-level deployments were aimed at forcing the Lu family to hand her over, in truth, the Lu family was far from being the prime suspect for Lin Yuxin's disappearance—they were even less suspicious than the Wang family. The number one suspect was Qi Junyuan...