"Look," Yu Feibai stammered, genuinely astonished, handing the file to Wang Guan before shaking his head vigorously. "I don't believe it. This has to be one of Mr. Zhu Da's schemes."

"Huh? How could that be..." At first glance, Wang Guan had a similar reaction—a look of pure shock, his eyes brimming with doubt.

"There's something wrong. Absolutely something wrong," Yu Feibai insisted solemnly. "He must have foreseen this day and prepared a contingency plan long ago."

"Hmm, it's not entirely impossible," Wang Guan nodded slightly, his expression growing thoughtful.

"It's definitely the case," Yu Feibai grumbled. "Didn't you see him when we were in Taiwan?"

"I did," Wang Guan admitted. "Saw him from a distance, but..."

"But, Meng Jian was impersonating Mr. Zhu Da back then, and he did it remarkably well. So I couldn't tell if the switch happened midway, or if Meng Jian was the one all along." As he spoke, Wang Guan frowned. "If Meng Jian was pulling the wool over our eyes from the start, that would make more sense. Given the short timeframe, Mr. Zhu Da couldn't possibly have known he was being followed and then arranged for Meng Jian to substitute for him. If he knew his trail was compromised, he could have just fled immediately; there was no need for such complication..."

"That has merit." Hearing this, Yu Feibai nodded, then shook his head again. "But I still don't buy it."

"It's not just you; I have my doubts too," Wang Guan managed a wry smile. "Chasing this for over a year only to get this answer—it feels absurd."

"It's not just absurd; it's downright ridiculous," Yu Feibai scoffed. "I think this is just a trick by Mr. Zhu Da, thinking he can pull the wool over our eyes. He underestimates us far too much."

"Trick or not, we definitely need to get to the bottom of this," Wang Guan pondered. "According to the file, the person currently in charge at the kiln factory is Yao Yuan's daughter, Yao Jing. I wonder if she's currently at the village."

"We'll find out soon enough." One had to admit, Yu Feibai possessed a quick wit. He immediately pulled out his phone. He dialed the dedicated line listed for the kiln factory and began speaking with the manager of the sales department. While on the call, Yu Feibai adopted an air of arrogance, loudly discussing deals in the hundreds of thousands, asserting that the sales manager couldn't make the final call. He demanded to speak to someone with actual authority. Whether by being deliberately obtuse or using subtle prodding, after a good seven or eight minutes of stalling, Yu Feibai abruptly cut in, then flashed a broad smile. "We got lucky. Based on what this person implied, Yao Jing really is at the facility."

"If that's the case, what's your plan?" Wang Guan hesitated. "Just storm in there? We don't have a suitable pretext." After all, this was a civilized modern society; there was no concept of collective punishment. Even if their suspicions were correct—that Yao Yuan was Mr. Zhu Da—if Mr. Zhu Da committed a crime, his daughter couldn't be implicated, regardless of her knowledge.

"Don't we have the perfect pretext right here? We'll say we're here to discuss business..." At the same time, Yu Feibai clenched his fists. "I can't let this go. If I don't confront her face-to-face, I won't sleep a wink."

"Face to face, right on!" Wang Guan considered it and nodded. "Getting straight to the point might actually be a good idea."

"Exactly. If we want the truth, we just ask her directly," Yu Feibai cracked his knuckles until they popped. "We can't swing our weight around overseas, but domestically, this is our turf. Are we afraid a cooked duck will fly away?"

"Agreed," Wang Guan affirmed. "Make a quick call to Old Man Qian to update him, and tomorrow we go over there and get a clear answer." With the decision made, Yu Feibai immediately phoned, explaining the situation. Old Man Qian, though surprised, agreed with their decision and even offered support.

The next morning, the support Old Man Qian mentioned turned out to be the elder himself, rushing over early in the day. Seeing this, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai were naturally astonished and hurried out to greet him.

After helping Old Man Qian settle into a seat in the hotel lounge, Yu Feibai expressed a slight reproach. "Elder Qian, we could have handled this. Why did you have to travel a thousand miles to come here?"

"I had to come," Old Man Qian smiled gently. "After hearing what you uncovered, I couldn't sleep all night, so I just decided to come over. After investigating for so long, this matter deserves a conclusion."

Wang Guan, reading the subtle cues, inquired softly, "Elder Qian, did you uncover some new leads as well?"

"A few, yes, but we'll need that young lady to clarify the rest." With a wave of his hand, Old Man Qian said, "Let's go pay her a visit."

With that command, no one argued. Guided by Wang Guan and Yu Feibai, the group slowly made their way into the village. Old Man Qian was very deliberate with his language; he said 'visit,' which, in ancient times, would have required sending a calling card first. In the present, it simply meant showing up to request an audience.

The person who greeted them was a supervisor type. Recognizing the distinguished air of Old Man Qian and his companions, he didn't dare slight them and quickly ran off to report their arrival. While waiting, Yu Feibai couldn't help but mutter quietly, "Will our grand entrance scare her off?"

"Should I call men to lock down the entire village?" Yu Feibai suggested in a low voice—and he wasn't joking; locking down a village would be no difficulty for him if he chose to.

"Don't talk nonsense," Old Man Qian shook his head slightly, completely composed. "She will see us."

"Why are you so certain, Elder?" Yu Feibai remained uneasy. His intense concern for the matter was precisely what made him so anxious about potential failure.

"If she truly intended to hide, she wouldn't still be here," Old Man Qian stated calmly. "The moment she lost contact with Meng Jian, she should have sought another hiding place. Anywhere else would have been better than staying in the country. But since she hasn't left, it suggests either she is unaware of something, or she doesn't fear our investigation."

"That actually makes sense," Yu Feibai mused, nodding. "If it were me, I'd probably have fled to the other side of the globe by now. The farther away, the better, and I certainly wouldn't show my face until the heat had completely died down..."

As they were speaking, the supervisor reappeared, smiling broadly, and invited the group inside.

"She really agreed to see us?" Even with his prior expectation, Yu Feibai was slightly astonished to receive confirmation.

"Stop fussing and follow," Wang Guan said softly, gently supporting Old Man Qian as they proceeded into the interior of the kiln factory.

As they walked down a corridor, they passed by several workshops. Inside, workers collaborated in assembly-line fashion: some pounding clay, others shaping porcelain on the wheel, some applying glaze spray, and naturally, others painting the designs. Every step was orderly, brimming with vitality. One could gauge the condition and morale of a factory by observing the workers. If everyone looked listless, the factory, no matter how profitable, was likely built on severe exploitation. But if smiles were abundant, even if the operation was small or faced fierce external competition, the internal stability and loyalty of the workforce suggested high competitiveness.

"If they realize we aren't here to discuss business but to cause trouble, will they instantly turn hostile and tear us apart on the spot?" Yu Feibai's imagination was vividly active. He glanced at the workers and whispered, "Just in case, should I call for more backup?"

"Stop being paranoid," Wang Guan smiled, reminding him, "We're here."

At that moment, led by the supervisor, everyone arrived before a rather elegant small building located within the factory grounds. Wang Guan and the others paid little attention to the building's refined decoration; they walked directly into the main hall. Inside the reception room sat a young girl, perhaps seventeen or eighteen years old. Her fair, delicate features still held a trace of youthful innocence, yet upon seeing Wang Guan and the others enter, she remained remarkably calm, even exhibiting an air of expectation.

"Please, have a seat," Yao Jing stood up, gesturing for the supervisor to leave before personally pouring tea and water for the guests. This action greatly surprised Wang Guan and Yu Feibai; it was quite unexpected. Old Man Qian, however, maintained his composed demeanor, nodding his thanks with a smile before taking a sip of his tea.

Yet, after drinking the tea, nobody spoke. The atmosphere in the room grew somewhat strange. After a long silence, Old Man Qian finally spoke softly, asking, "Young lady, do you know a person named He Wei?"

"I don't know him," Yao Jing gently shook her head, then added a pivot: "But my father mentioned him..."

"Mentioned what?" Yu Feibai couldn't resist urging her on when she trailed off.

Perhaps it was counterproductive, but Yao Jing didn't elaborate. Instead, she countered, "Elder, since you ask about him, does that mean you know something about the situation?"

"Your father is Yao Yuan, correct?" Old Man Qian did not rush to answer, posing another question.

"That's right, my father is Yao Yuan." At this, a hint of vulnerability appeared in Yao Jing's eyes. "Since you found your way here, the information must have come from my cousin. How is he doing now?"

"He's fine, eating well and gaining weight, I hear..." Yu Feibai offered a vague reply, then could no longer suppress the confusion churning within him, asking hesitantly, "Is your father... truly deceased?" The file stated that Yao Yuan had passed away three years ago. Seeing this information the previous night had nearly terrified Yu Feibai half to death. If Yao Yuan was dead, who was the Mr. Zhu Da currently active? Was it a resurrection? Or perhaps merely a faked death... It was these questions that compelled them to come here immediately for clarification.

Simultaneously, upon hearing this question, Yao Jing's expression shifted, darkening slightly. A subtle shade of sorrow flickered in her beautiful eyes, suggesting she had stumbled upon a painful memory. However, Yu Feibai remained unmoved, determined to extract the answer from her lips... 〖Novel Network :: Fast Updates :: No Pop-ups :: Pure Text :: www.〗RT