The richest man's parents were kidnapped, and his adorable son captivated the entire family.

The headline was sensational, and the cover photo featured a blurry yet highly suggestive fragment of a contract, an overseas remittance receipt, a directory of surrogacy agencies, and even a cropped "birth certificate" with the words "year and month" faintly discernible. The comments section was already buzzing:

"My God! President Gu was acting like a loving father before, but he turns out to be this kind of person?"

"Mengmeng was an illegal surrogate?! How could you bear to give your child such a starting point?"

"The Gu family is finished! I'm selling my shares!"

……

In the financial channel studio, the anchor adjusted his headset while rapidly browsing the scrolling information on the screen.

He looked at the camera with a grave expression and spoke rapidly: "Breaking news! Gu Yinshen is suspected of illegal surrogacy, irregular financial activities, and falsifying birth records! This station has just received an 'anonymous whistleblower package' from Ms. Ruolan's legal team, which includes what appears to be internal Gu family documents and overseas transfer records..."

The large background screen then displayed a scan of what it claimed was an "internal server leak," showing strings of encrypted account numbers in large, blood-red text:

Shocking! The truth behind Gu Yinshen's illegal surrogacy has been exposed!

The invited expert slammed his fist on the table, his voice trembling with emotion: "If true, this is not only a moral issue, but could even constitute a crime! This is a challenge to the law and regulation! As the helmsman of a listed company, his collapse of integrity means that the very foundation of the Gu family is being shaken!"

"Look!" the expert exclaimed, pointing to the stock price chart. "Gu's stock price plummeted by 8% within eight minutes of opening today, nearly hitting the daily limit down! Institutions are selling off! This is the market's punishment!"

……

Meanwhile, chaos reigned within the Gu Group.

The public relations command center was on high alert, with more than a dozen employees frantically trying to figure things out in front of their computers. On the large screen, negative keywords were dominating the trending topics list in real time.

Gu Yinshen

The Dark Side of Surrogacy

"Mengmeng is not their biological child."

"Gu's forgery"

The PR director, pale and with dark circles under his eyes, practically screamed into the phone as he read through the entries: "Quick! Activate the emergency statement template! Clarify immediately! Draft it!! Sue them for defamation! Send a lawyer's letter right away!"

"...What?! President Gu is in a board meeting and we can't reach him?! He's not answering his personal phone either?! Are you kidding me?!"

A scream rang out, and the phone fell to the ground with a thud, the words still lingering.

The atmosphere in the office seemed to freeze. Everyone stared at the red curve plunging downwards on the main control screen, like a sharp sword piercing through the Gu family's moat and pointing straight at its most vulnerable heart.

Public opinion, in just ten minutes, completely reversed from the previous day's "true affection between father and daughter" to a moral judgment condemned by the entire nation.

"Gu Yinshen broke the law", "Gu's inside story", and "Gu's family is not qualified to talk about responsibility" have successively appeared in the top three of the trending searches.

At this very moment, the government regulatory hotline was inundated with calls from all sectors of society. Whistleblower letters, emails demanding redress, and calls for investigations surged towards the Gu's Building like a tsunami…

While the outside world was in an uproar over the situation, the old building housing the archives remained as quiet as ever.

Xie Yumin was wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, with the group's approval documents and special access card neatly tucked into the pocket of her jacket.

She stepped onto the last few steps of the corridor, took a moment to catch her breath, and stood before the familiar door to the archives room.

This time, however, a brand-new red-edged seal was affixed to the door, with a gold-stamped seal in the center that read: "Secretly Sealed by the Gu Family Council".

She frowned slightly, suppressing the sudden unease in her heart, stood firmly, took out the approval document from her coat, and handed it to the two burly, indifferent security guards at the door.

“I am Xie Yumin, the person in charge of the Jingyuan revitalization project. I have the group’s official approval document and an access card personally approved by Supervisor Wang. I need to enter the archives to access the historical renovation files of the West Building of Jingyuan for the final draft of the research text.”

Her voice was calm and clear, and her tone was neither humble nor arrogant.

However, one of the security guards only glanced at the thick stack of papers before interrupting her directly: "Ms. Xie, I'm sorry. An hour ago, we received a direct order from Ms. Gu Mingyu of the council: all files in Jingyuan are to be sealed and moved to the family's confidential vault immediately. No one may access them without a warrant from the council."

As he spoke, he pointed to the red seal and gold stamp, his face expressionless.

Xie Yumin's heart seemed to tighten suddenly, and her palms broke out in a cold sweat. But she still tried her best to appear calm: "This is a research project initiated at the group level, and the board of directors has no right to interfere with the group's normal project procedures. You... must have made a mistake?"

Another security guard stepped forward coldly, leaning slightly forward, his tone even harsher: "Ms. Xie, please don't make things difficult for us. An order is an order. Your approval has expired."

His hand rested naturally on the baton at his waist; the gesture, though not hostile, conveyed a clear warning.

Xie Yumin's eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked at the door before her, a door she had passed through countless times, now a cold, insurmountable barrier. She said nothing more, only clenching the approval document in her hand, her knuckles turning white, her nails digging deep into her palm. A moment later, she abruptly turned, her back straight, her steps firm yet exuding a heartbreaking loneliness and stubbornness, and slowly walked away down the corridor.

……

The next morning, sunlight shone on the white tiled floor of the staff sanatorium, and the soft murmur of a waterwheel turning slowly echoed from within the courtyard.

The flower beds beside the artificial hill and flowing water are neatly cleaned, creating a peaceful and tranquil scene.

Xie Yumin stood in front of the reception desk, hastily tugging at her collar. Her gaze swept over the registration form, and her tone was urgent: "Hello, I would like to visit Mr. Gu Fuquan. Uncle Fu. I am Xie Yumin, his former colleague at the group."

The receptionist nurse looked up, a professional smile on her face, typed a few keys, and then replied in a gentle tone, "I'm sorry, Ms. Xie, Mr. Gu is not here."

Xie Yumin was taken aback and leaned forward slightly: "He's not here? Was he discharged from the hospital? Where is he now? I really need to talk to him urgently..."

The nurse maintained her mechanical smile, but her eyes were devoid of any warmth.

"Mr. Gu's condition suddenly deteriorated, requiring more specialized treatment. Last night, his family arranged for him to be transferred to a top-tier nursing home in Switzerland. Due to privacy concerns, we regret that we cannot provide the specific address and information. His family has specifically requested that all visits be declined, hoping that he can rest and recuperate in peace."

Xie Yumin felt as if she had been punched in the chest, her eyes widening slightly: "Switzerland? Last night?"

She instinctively reached for her phone: "Could you give me his contact information? Or his family's phone number? I'll try to get in touch with him..."