Who wants to be a male model after being reborn? I want to be a male god.

Chapter 422 I miss you so much
After leaving Li Qingyun's office, Xu Wen quickly headed to Hongjing Industrial.

The two sides are very far apart.

Xu Wen returned to Linjiang in the afternoon.

It was already evening when he drove to Hongjing Industrial Park.

While most other places had already closed for the day, this building remained brightly lit, with many people working overtime.

Xu Wen had been to this place so many times that he was already very familiar with it.

No one picked him up, and he didn't need anyone to pick him up.

Xu Wen walked towards the elevator on his own.

The receptionist had seen him so many times and already knew him, so she didn't stop him.

Xu Wen took the elevator to Gu Hong's office.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, a strong smell of smoke hit us.

This didn't happen on the previous visits.

It seems Gu Hong has been having a lot of worries lately and has been smoking a lot.

He was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with his back to the door.

Outside the window is the bustling night view of the riverside.

The brightly lit skyscrapers looked so out of place in the night.

"You're here?" Gu Hong didn't turn around, his voice low and hoarse, as if he hadn't rested in a long time.

Just by looking at his back, you could tell he was extremely tired.

Xu Wen strode into the office and plopped down on the rather incongruous heated kang bed.

“Li Qingyun gave me a USB drive containing evidence of your crimes, but when I went to see him today, he said he never gave it to me.” Xu Wen spoke very quickly.

He didn't hide anything and chose to get straight to the point.

Things have already developed to this point, so there's no need to hide anything anymore.

Upon hearing this, Gu Hong's shoulders twitched slightly, and he slowly turned around.

Xu Wen then saw his face clearly.

With sunken eyes and prominent cheekbones, this once-spirited business tycoon appeared to have aged ten years in just one month.

He held a glass of amber-colored whiskey in his hand, the ice of which had mostly melted.

Xu Wen's words were explosive, but Gu Hong seemed to have no reaction.

"I understand, please have a seat for a while."

Gu Hong walked to his desk and took out a brown paper file folder from the drawer.

He picked up the file folder and threw it on the table on the heated brick bed: "Take a look at this first."

Xu Wen untied the white string on the file folder and pulled out the documents inside.

The top photo is taken at a construction site. In the photo, Gu Hong, Li Qingyun, and another middle-aged man are standing together, with a high-rise building under construction in the background.

Xu Wen narrowed his eyes and quickly recognized the other man.

Xia Hai, Xia Ning's father, is the director of the Linjiang Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau.

The two haven't seen each other for a long time since Xia Ning's incident.

This father truly sacrificed his career and future for his daughter.

"What is this?" Xu Wen asked.

"The school district housing project started a year ago, and last month it was targeted by the central investigation team." Gu Hong took a sip of wine, the ice cubes clinking crisply in the glass.

Upon hearing this, Xu Wen's heart tightened, and the edges of the photo were creased from being pinched.

He remembered what Chen Tianbao had told him before. (From Chapter 361)
The No. 13 Middle School is going to be relocated, and Gu Hong plans to build school district housing next to it.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Tianbao also considered establishing a branch of Huagong Education there.

He called him to inquire whether there were any insider deals.

But Xu Wen is a reborn person, and he knows the future.

The No. 13 Middle School has not been relocated at all, and there are no school district properties in that area.

There was only a desolate, unfinished building there.

After the building was topped out, it was left there unattended, and people went there every day to protest.

He didn't know what scheme Gu Hong was plotting, so he warned Chen Tianbao to be careful.

We'll talk about the branch school later.

Xu Wen never expected that Gu Hong would actually launch such a project.

He quickly flipped through the documents at the back.

Every page of the planning drawings, approval documents, and fund flow statements was stamped with a bright red official seal.

The last page is an internal report, which prominently displays "Preliminary Investigation Report on the Illegal Construction of School District Housing Projects in Linjiang City".

"What does this have to do with me?" Xu Wen looked up, his voice unusually cold.

Gu Hong suddenly laughed, but there was a hint of bitterness in his laughter.

"Xu Wen, don't you understand yet? This project shouldn't have existed in the first place."

He put down his wine glass, walked up to Xu Wen, and looked down at him: "Six months ago, if it weren't for Xia Ning's matter, Xia Hai wouldn't owe me a favor, nor would he have given me the green light in the approval process."

Xu Wen's heart sank upon hearing this.

He had a suspicion when he first saw the photo, and it turned out to be true.

Six months ago, Xia Ning locked him in a rented room for a whole week.

The matter was not over until Gu Xingruo arrived with the police.

Xia Ning was also arrested for illegal detention.

Logically, she should face legal judgment.

But in the end, she was not only released from the detention center, but the case was also decided not to be prosecuted.

Although Xu Wen's "letter of understanding" played a certain role.

But the one who really played a role here was Gu Hong.

He used his power.

From that time on, Gu Hong and Xia Hai got in touch.

Perhaps Gu Hong had worked on this project before his rebirth.

It was only because Xia Hai didn't join that it ultimately became an unfinished project.

"Li Qingyun joined because he needed political achievements, Xia Hai joined because he owed me a favor, and me..."

Gu Hong's voice suddenly lowered: "I know I don't have much time left, so I just want to leave Ruoruo a way out."

The office fell into a deathly silence.

Xu Wen could hear his own heartbeat, each beat heavier than the last.

He stared at the fake smiles of the three people in the photo and suddenly realized that he had inadvertently become a driving force behind this disaster.

His appearance changed things.

“I received information that the central investigation team secretly entered Linjiang last week. They are investigating not only school district housing, but also all of Hongjing’s projects over the years. Li Qingyun and Xia Hai are panicking and starting to pass the buck to each other.” Gu Hong walked back to the window, his back looking unusually lonely.

“The evidence on that USB drive is enough to ruin your and Li Qingyun’s reputations. Someone wants to use me,” Xu Wen analyzed.

“Let’s kill each other.” Gu Hong turned around, his eyes flashing with a weariness and ruthlessness that Xu Wen had never seen before.

"I guess it's someone from the Lin family." (Source: Chapter 332)
"The Lin family?" Xu Wen frowned.

Li Qingyun had told him about these things.

When Gu Honggang first came to Linjiang, he was just a poor young man.

But a few years later, he transformed into the group's president.

The path he walked was the same one that Xu Wen had once walked.

He was just more successful.

Hongjing Industrial originated from the Lin Group, and Gu Hong also killed the eldest daughter of the Lin family and his father-in-law.

“Since you’ve seen the USB drive, you should know that more than ten years ago, I betrayed some people. They’ve waited so long, and finally found an opportunity to take revenge.” Gu Hong’s voice was so soft it was as if he were talking to himself.

Xu Wen suddenly recalled the conversation in Li Qingyun's office.

“Gu Hong has offended too many people over the years,” he asked softly. “Is the evidence on the USB drive genuine?”

“I don’t need to look. I guess most of it is real, but the key parts may have been tampered with.” Gu Hong walked back to his desk and took out a silver USB drive from another drawer, exactly the same as the one Xu Wen had received.

“I also received one, but the content was slightly different, and the evidence pointing to Li Qingyun’s embezzlement was more substantial.”

Xu Wen gasped.

The mastermind behind the scenes not only wanted to sow discord between him and Gu Hong, but was also playing an even more sophisticated trick.

Give different people different evidence, and let them suspect each other.

"Does Ruoruo know about these things?" Xu Wen suddenly asked.

Gu Hong's expression subtly changed, and a hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes.

"She only knew that someone was going to target me, but she didn't know the specific details."

He paused for a moment before slowly saying, "She is safe now."

Xu Wen noticed the hesitation in Gu Hong's voice and his heart clenched: "Is it really safe?"

"Safer than here."

Gu Hong's voice suddenly became firm: "Xu Wen, I need you to remain still, keep that USB drive, but don't make any rash moves. I'll handle the investigation team. As for the Lin family..."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, making him look exceptionally fierce: "I'll handle it."

Xu Wen walked to the window and stood side by side with Gu Hong.

From this vantage point, the entire riverside night view is laid out before you.

The brightly lit streets are like golden veins, supplying the city with vitality and desire.

Even late at night, many people are working frantically.

Beneath this glamorous exterior, undercurrents are surging.

"Why are you telling me all this? You could have continued to hide it from me, or even used me," Xu Wen asked softly.

Gu Hong remained silent for a long time, so long that Xu Wen thought he wouldn't answer.

Finally, this once powerful man sighed, his voice carrying a vulnerability Xu Wen had never heard before: "Because Ruoruo believes in you, and I..."

He turned to look at Xu Wen, his eyes filled with unprecedented sincerity: "I'm starting to believe in you too."

These words were like a key, unlocking a tightly locked door in Xu Wen's heart.

In his mind, Gu Hong was once an omnipotent ruler.

They forced him to hand over the money he had obtained from Gu Xingruo.

But now his image has softened.

Xu Wen suddenly understood Gu Hong's predicament.

This seemingly powerful man is actually besieged on all sides.

The investigation team, the Lin family, Li Qingyun, and even Xia Hai, etc.

Everyone wanted to take a piece of his flesh.

“I will protect the USB drive, but there is one condition,” Xu Wen finally said.

Gu Hong raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

"I need to know Ruoruo's specific situation, not just the perfunctory 'she's safe,' but where she is, how she's living, and whether she has anyone protecting her." Xu Wen's voice left no room for argument.

A hint of surprise flashed in Gu Hong's eyes, which then turned into a complex emotion.

He walked back to his desk, took an envelope from the bottom drawer, and handed it to Xu Wen.

"Sent once a week through special channels."

Xu Wen took the envelope and carefully opened it.

Inside were several photos and a letter.

In the photo, Gu Xingruo is standing in a snowy field, wearing a thick white down jacket, with European-style buildings in the background.

She smiled at the camera, but Xu Wen could immediately see the forced smile.

The letter was very short, containing only a few words:

"I'm fine. It's snowing here, and it's very cold. Please tell Xu Wen that I..."

The words that followed were obscured by ink, and only the characters "想" (think) and "你" (you) could be vaguely discerned.

Xu Wen's fingers gently traced the blackened words, and his chest felt as if it had been struck heavily by something.

It's been three months, and not a day has passed since Gu Xingruo left that he hasn't thought about her.

Now, looking at this deliberately erased longing, he suddenly understood her feelings when she left.

It's not that I don't love you, but that I love you too much, so I have to leave.

“She’s in Switzerland, under special protection, and her identity is kept secret, but Xu Wen…” Gu Hong’s voice interrupted Xu Wen’s thoughts.

His expression turned unusually serious: "If someone finds her through you..."

"I won't let anyone hurt her, including myself," Xu Wen interrupted Gu Hong, his voice low and firm.

The two looked at each other for a long time, and finally Gu Hong nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

He went back to the liquor cabinet and poured himself and Xu Wen each a glass of whiskey.

"To live on." Gu Hong raised his glass.

Xu Wen took the glass, and the ice cubes gently clinked in the amber liquid.

"Respectful Ruoruo".

The burning sensation as the liquor slid down his throat made Xu Wen's thoughts exceptionally clear.

He put down his wine glass and looked directly into Gu Hong's eyes: "What do you plan to do next?"

"Wait, now that the Lin family has made a move, they won't just send two USB drives. They'll leave more clues." Gu Hong's eyes gleamed with the shrewdness of an old fox.

“It’s not just the Lin family who want to make a move; I want to make a move too. Do you remember what happened at Chengyi Hotel?” he continued.

Xu Wen nodded.

He first learned about Gu Hong's past at the Chengyi Hotel.

In a desperate act, Zhang Zhiyuan cursed Gu Hong as a gigolo.

"Not only the Lin family members, but even those who betrayed the Lin family back then, I will not let them go." His tone was very calm, but it was terrifyingly calm.

"It's because I pushed them too hard a while ago and purged too many people, so now they can't sit still anymore."

Xu Wen now understands that his guess at the Chengyi Hotel was correct.

Gu Hong went to great lengths to stage such a show; it couldn't have been just for the sake of training his daughter.

He must have had other motives.

And this goal is exactly the same as what he originally thought.

Xu Wen nodded, then suddenly remembered something.

"Li Qingyun said there are some forces that I cannot contend with. Was he referring to the Lin family?"

"Not only that, the Lin family is just a pawn; there are others behind them." Gu Hong's expression turned grim.

He walked to the bookshelf, took down a thick copy of "Heidi," and pulled out a red USB drive from the back of the book.

"This contains some insurance policies I've collected over the years. If anything happens to me, they will be automatically sent to specific people."

Xu Wen didn't take the USB drive, but instead asked, "Including Ruoruo?"

"Including you, the less Ruoruo knows, the safer she is. And you..." Gu Hong's answer was unexpected.

He looked at Xu Wen meaningfully: "You have the ability to protect her."

These words were like a heavy hammer blow, shattering Xu Wen's last hesitation.

Regardless of what Gu Hong had done in the past, at this moment he was simply a father who wanted to protect his daughter.

Xu Wen, without realizing it, had become part of this plan.

Perhaps this plan began when Gu Hong first invested in Flash City.

Everything he did was for his daughter.

Xu Wen recalled the words Xia Hai had once said to him.

The love of the parents is far-reaching.

It turns out they were the same kind of people.

(End of this chapter)