Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Lin Bufan rolled up the used yoga mat and put it back in its place. He then naturally invited her, "Weiwei, are you free later? Would you mind having dinner with me? It's just a way of thanking you, my top coach, for your careful guidance."

Lan Weiwei was just bending over to pick up her water cup when she heard him. She straightened up, smiled, and shook her head, her tone apologetic. "Not today. Thank you, handsome Lin, for your kindness, but I've already made an appointment with my boyfriend. He'll pick me up later and we'll have dinner together."

Boy friend?

Li Wei, or should I say solemn?

Lin Bufan's mind flashed back to Yang Tao's ex-boyfriend, who had absconded with the money and disappeared, and was also Lan Weiwei's current secret partner. A wave of irritation washed over him. Damn! I'd worked so hard, coaxed, lied, and guessed, finally finally getting a hint of romance with Yang Tao, and we haven't even had a chance to warm up yet! And you, Li Wei, not only cheated Yang Tao out of her money and her body, but you even managed to quietly get your hands on her best friend, Lan Weiwei, too?

Is there any justice in this? Is there any law in this? So you're the only one who gets all the good things?!

Lin Bufan was grumbling in his mind, but he tried hard to maintain his composure on the surface. The smile on his lips turned a little playful. He half-seriously teased, "Boyfriend? That's perfect. I don't mind having one more person at dinner. It's always more lively with more people. By the way, let me help you choose the kind of young talent who can capture the heart of our beautiful Weiwei."

Lan Weiwei rolled her eyes at Lin Bufan in annoyance, her tone tinged with a hint of resentment, "I do mind! Do you understand the world of two? Who wants to bring along an oversized light bulb like you? It's too bright, I'm afraid it'll dazzle my boyfriend's eyes."

The two chatted and laughed as they reached the gym entrance. A black sedan was parked on the side of the road. The driver's window was lowered, and a man wearing sunglasses waved at Lan Weiwei. Although he couldn't see the whole thing clearly, Lin Bufan could sense that the man's gaze seemed to linger on him for a brief moment.

Lan Weiwei's face immediately lit up with a bright smile. She quickly walked towards the car, opened the door, and got in the passenger seat. She waved to Lin Bufan through the window, and the car quickly merged into the traffic flow, disappearing at the end of the evening street.

Lin Bufan stood there, touched his chin, and looked at the direction the car left. He felt even more unhappy. What right did he have to look like this?

Looks like he needs to be taught a lesson!

Lin Bufan got into the car, but didn't start it in a hurry. Instead, he took out his cell phone, found the name "Qu Yaoguai" in the address book and dialed it.

The call was answered almost instantly, and a series of coquettish and excited voices immediately burst out from the receiver, speaking at a speed as fast as a Gatling gun: "Ahhh! Handsome Lin! You, such a busy man, actually remembered to call me?! Is the sun rising from the west? I thought you were kidnapped by some alien goblin and taken to outer space! It's been so long and there's not even a word! No reply to green bubbles, no likes on your Moments! Have you forgotten that there is a lively, cute, beautiful goblin like me on Earth who misses you day and night?..."

Qu Xiaoxiao chattered non-stop, as if she wanted to make up for everything she hadn't said to Lin Bufan during this period of time.

Lin Bufan listened to the energetic voice on the other end of the line, his lips curling up unconsciously. He'd originally intended to get straight to business, but hearing Qu Xiaoxiao's familiar boisterousness, he felt it wouldn't be a good idea to ask her to do something right off the bat. So, he decided to chime in with her, saying, "How could I forget you?" and "Who dares to ignore you, Miss Qu?" But once Qu Xiaoxiao had started, she couldn't stop. She rambled on about Lin Bufan's disappearance, gossip about the entertainment industry, and then on to her own recent project, and another ten minutes slipped by.

Lin Bufan had to raise his voice to interrupt her: "Xiao Xiao, can we wait until we have time to listen to your work report? I really have something urgent to do now!"

Qu Xiaoxiao's voice immediately became filled with dissatisfaction and grievance. "Hmph! I knew it! Boss Lin, you're like a spinning top, right? You can't spin unless you pull! When you have nothing to do, you forget who I, Qu Xiaoxiao, am. But when something happens, you call me Xiaoxiao and ask for my help! I'm just your tool, right? You can summon me whenever you want and dismiss me whenever you want! My heart has been deeply hurt. I need comfort and compensation!"

Lin Bufan's head hurt from Qu Xiaoxiao's nagging, and he felt a bit guilty, so he just laughed dryly and decisively skipped the topic, getting straight to the point: "It's really serious business, a matter concerning social harmony and stability! I just stumbled upon a suspected criminal gang trafficking in women!"

"Trafficking women?" Qu Xiaoxiao's voice suddenly changed tone, filled with disbelief and astonishment, and a hint of "keep making it up!" "Lin Bufan, can you change the channel? Your excuse is too... retro, isn't it? Can you find a fresher reason next time, like saving aliens?"

"Who's kidding you!" Lin Bufan's tone became serious, trying to sound believable. "I saw it with my own eyes. That guy was sneaking around and behaving suspiciously! Unfortunately, I was too far away to catch up with their car, so they got away! Now I need you to use the resources at hand to help me check the details of that car."

Without giving Qu Xiaoxiao a chance to interject, Lin Bufan quickly relayed the information: "The license plate number is Beijing A XXXXXX, a black sedan. The owner's registered name might be Li Wei or Zhuang Yan. He's probably an executive working for a company, mainly in Kyoto. I just took a quick glance and the man was probably in his forties, quite sturdy, and looked decent. I didn't expect him to be doing such a thing behind the scenes!"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds, and then Qu Xiaoxiao's merciless complaints came out: "Let me guess... Um... This Li Wei, or Zhuang Yan, does he happen to have a very beautiful wife or girlfriend who even your boss Lin cares about so much?"

Although his thoughts were exposed by Qu Xiaoxiao, Lin Bufan still spoke righteously: "What are you thinking about? Am I that kind of person? This is purely out of a citizen's sense of social responsibility! Upholding justice is everyone's responsibility, understand? Stop talking nonsense, quickly mobilize your connections and means as President Qu, and find out the truth about this guy for me, the sooner the better! The key is what company he works for!"

Qu Xiaoxiao's voice on the other end of the phone was drawn out, her tone full of amusement that seemed to see through everything: "Oh! Social responsibility! All right, all right. Who made me have a boss like you who is so full of justice? Wait, I'll recruit people to uphold justice and investigate how this unfortunate guy abducted and sold the person that your boss, Lin, had his eyes on... ahem, how he engaged in illegal and criminal activities!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Send me the information as soon as you find it!" Lin Bufan was afraid that Qu Xiaoxiao would say something shocking again, so he quickly reminded her and hung up the phone.

Hearing the busy tone on his phone, Lin Bufan breathed a sigh of relief, then found it a little amusing. He shook his head, started the car, and drove away from the gym.

Because Yang Tao, Xu Hongdou, and Huang Yimei all said that they didn't have time to chat about life with Lin Bufan, and Yang Mi and Gao Wen had already left Beijing, Lin Bufan had no choice but to go find his close elder sister Tina to chat about life!

The next morning, Lin Bufan's phone buzzed. He checked it out and saw it was a message from Qu Xiaoxiao. He clicked on the attachment and found it was indeed the investigation materials about "Li Wei/Zhuang Yan".

Li Wei, also known by the pseudonym Zhuang Yan, currently works at a multinational company's Kyoto branch, holding the title of Marketing Director. An investigation revealed suspicions of falsification of his academic credentials and work experience. He is married, with his wife in Beijing, and his home address is clearly listed.

The information was not particularly detailed, and the corruption and bribery mentioned in the play were not investigated, but it was enough for Lin Bufan!

Lin Bufan looked at the screen, a sneer curling up at the corner of his mouth. He had originally planned to have Qu Xiaoxiao arrange for someone to report directly, but then he thought about it. Yang Tao had to go to work today, Xu Hongdou was busy all day, and even Huang Yimei was busy. He was just sitting around doing nothing.

"Okay, then I'll go there myself and stretch my legs." Lin Bufan said to himself, threw his phone on the passenger seat and started the car.

Following the navigation, Lin Bufan quickly arrived at the multinational corporation's office building. The imposing glass-walled building was bustling with the hustle and bustle of professional elites. Lin Bufan parked his car and headed straight for the front desk.

He was wearing a well-tailored dark suit today, and his demeanor was calm and composed, a stark contrast to his usual frivolous self. The receptionist looked up and saw him, a flicker of surprise in her eyes before she smiled professionally, "Hello, sir. How can I help you?"

Lin Bufan handed over a simple business card—it only had the name "Lin Bufan" and a switchboard number printed on it, but it felt premium. "I'm looking for your president. I have some business matters to discuss."

The receptionist took the business card and glanced at it. Although she couldn't tell its specific origin, she didn't dare to neglect it because she saw Lin Bufan's extraordinary demeanor: "Excuse me, do you have an appointment?"

"No. But you tell him that Lin Bufan is here to visit. I think he would be interested in hearing about some information about Mr. Zhuang Yan, a senior executive of your company." Lin Bufan's tone was flat, but with an unquestionable confidence.

The receptionist hesitated for a moment, then picked up the internal phone and called the president's secretary. After a few whispered words, she put the phone down and said, "Mr. Lin, please wait a moment. The president's assistant will be down to meet you shortly."

Soon, a female assistant in a smart suit came over and enthusiastically led Lin Bufan to the exclusive elevator: "Mr. Lin, please come this way, our president is waiting for you."

The elevator went straight to the CEO's office on the top floor. The door opened, and a vigorous, middle-aged man, looking about fifty, was already waiting at the door, a warm yet measured smile on his face. "Mr. Lin! I've heard a lot about you. Your last mecha launch was truly eye-opening! I'm Guo Ming, nice to meet you!" He extended his hand.

Lin Bufan shook hands with him and smiled slightly: "Mr. Guo, you are too polite. I am sorry to bother you with your visit."

"Of course not! It's an honor for our company to have President Lin come to give us guidance! Please come in!" Guo Ming stepped aside and invited Lin Bufan into the spacious and luxurious office. He personally led him to the reception area and asked his assistant to serve him the best coffee.

After a few pleasantries, Guo Ming got to the point: "Mr. Lin just mentioned at the front desk... an employee of our company? I wonder who it is..."

Lin Bufan picked up his coffee cup and blew on it gently, his tone as casual as if he was chatting about the weather: "Oh, it's nothing serious. It's just that there is a director named Zhuang Yan in your company's marketing department, right?"

Guo Ming nodded, his eyes a little more inquiring. "Yes, there is such a person. Director Zhuang...did he do something wrong and offend President Lin?" He muttered to himself, could it be that Zhuang Yan was blind and offended this great Buddha before him? Several companies under Lin Bufan's name were quite influential in the industry, especially in the field of science and technology, and their influence should not be underestimated.

"I wouldn't say it's offensive." Lin Bufan put down his coffee cup, which was still as unpalatable as ever. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of sincerity: "I just happened to hear some rumors about Director Zhuang recently, and I felt it necessary to remind you, Mr. Guo. It is said that... his academic background and past work experience seem to have some... questionable aspects. Moreover, there seem to be some financial ambiguities involved, such as taking advantage of his position to handle certain marketing expenses and project budgets in a less than clean manner..."

Guo Ming's brows immediately furrowed, his expression turning serious. His multinational company was most wary of such misconduct, or even suspected corruption and fraud, among its executives. This not only damaged the company's reputation but could also lead to substantial financial losses and legal risks. Most importantly, having such a subordinate would negatively impact his image as a branch president among the head office executives.

Lin Bufan stopped short of discussing further, but his words were enough to arouse Guo Ming's vigilance. The two of them continued their conversation for a while, discussing industry trends and possible future collaborations.

……

About half an hour later, the office door opened. Guo Ming personally escorted Lin Bufan out, his attitude even more enthusiastic and serious than before. He shook Lin Bufan's hand tightly and spoke sincerely, "Mr. Lin, thank you very much for your visit today and your advice! Don't worry, I will immediately arrange for a rigorous internal investigation of the situation you reported! If the situation is true, our company will have zero tolerance and will deal with it seriously!"

He paused, a smile of anticipation on his face: "At the same time, I am also very much looking forward to the opportunity for us to cooperate in the future."

"Mr. Guo, you are too polite. I believe in your company's ability to handle the matter. We will discuss the cooperation in detail later." Lin Bufan smiled and shook hands with Guo Ming and said goodbye with a calm demeanor.

After leaving the office building, Lin Bufan got into the car but didn't start the car immediately. He glanced at the home address on the information Qu Xiaoxiao sent him, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Next stop, delivering warmth."