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

Her heart was pounding. She was about to check if there were any more file folders left on the ground when she accidentally stepped on something.

"Click."

She froze abruptly.

Looking down, I saw that an almost transparent fishing line had broken, with a small sensor attached to the end of the line.

not good!

"Woo!"

The alarm suddenly went off, piercing and heart-wrenching, tearing through the deathly silence!

The warehouse was instantly engulfed in hell as several powerful flashlights swept out from the hiding places, accompanied by piercing shouts and hurried footsteps!

"Grab her!!"

Two tall, burly, masked men dressed in black leaped out of the shadows! Their speed and ferocity clearly indicated they were no ordinary thugs!

Xie Yumin's mind went blank, but her body reacted instinctively. She turned and leaped, squeezing through the gap between two shelves to evade her pursuers. The beam of a flashlight whizzed past her back like a blade. She gritted her teeth, suppressing her panic and forcing herself to remain calm.

But the attackers were clearly well-trained; within seconds, they had blocked her escape route. One masked man suddenly grabbed her backpack strap, while another followed closely behind, throwing a punch straight at her temple!

She tried to break free, but was held firmly and was about to be dragged into the beam of light.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two dull thuds almost exploded in her ears!

The man who was holding the backpack fell straight down without any warning, without even uttering a sound; another masked man who was throwing a punch was kicked two meters away from the side by a dark figure, knocking over the stack of boxes!

A deep, clear voice reached her ears: "Go quickly!"

Xie Yumin was pulled up by a hand. When she turned around, she saw a man in plain clothes with a scar on his face.

He moved with the speed of a leopard, his expression was cold and stern, and his eyes flashed with professional killing intent.

While pulling Xie Yumin along, he blocked another enemy who rushed up at him, and kicked him to the ground in a few moves!

The two rushed out of the warehouse's back door. In the darkness, an unlicensed SUV, seemingly waiting for a long time, quietly stopped behind a patch of weeds with its headlights off.

The man pushed open the passenger door, shoved Xie Yumin into the car, and immediately got in from the other side. He slammed on the gas, and the engine roared as it twisted the front of the car into the night.

There were chaotic footsteps and shouts behind them, but under the cover of night and the terrain, the pursuers were ultimately unable to get close.

Inside the car, Xie Yumin was panting heavily, her heart still pounding. She turned to look at the man, her throat suddenly dry.

"Who are you?"

The man didn't answer, but quickly scanned the distance through the rearview mirror. After confirming it was safe, he whispered:

"Miss Xie, the boss asked me to tell you..."

He spoke very quickly, as if reciting a memorized text: "'Be careful of family-oriented elders. Especially... the one who seems the most neutral."

Xie Yumin's pupils contracted sharply, and her whole body stiffened.

“This is not a safe place to stay,” the man continued. “I will take you to a safe place, and you will have to be careful afterward.”

After saying that, he slammed on the brakes and stopped at a dark fork in the road.

Ahead, another unremarkable taxi was parked on the side of the road, the driver wearing a hat and looking straight ahead.

The man gestured for her to change trains: "Let's go. I'll distract them from here."

Xie Yumin got out of the car, glanced back, and seemed about to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

She then got into the taxi, and before the door closed, the man had already driven around quickly and disappeared into the night.

The taxi slowly drove out of the wasteland. She leaned against the back seat, her whole body soaked.

She looked up at the window; the night lay like a thick, heavy blanket pressing down on the world, the starlight dim. Her fingers were still trembling slightly, but the warning echoed in her mind.

"Be careful of the family-oriented elders. Especially that one... the most 'neutral' one."

She bit her lower lip, a chill running down her spine and into her heart.

Gu Hongtao, the old fox who never makes a fuss and always votes "neutral" in the board meeting, the seemingly steady, wise, kind and fair "Second Uncle," is actually the most deeply hidden and most vicious venomous snake in the whole turmoil!

The person who secretly exchanged secrets with Ruolan was him!

She finally understood that the power struggle and bloodline war within the Gu family was no longer a simple matter of black and white.

This is a silent, dark well, every drop of water imbued with scheming and betrayal.

At this moment, the conference room on the top floor of the Gu's Building was filled with directors and core shareholders sitting at the long table.

Everyone's expression was solemn, filled with anxiety, suspicion, and repression, like a pot of soup about to boil, seemingly calm on the surface but turbulent beneath.

Gu Hongtao, sitting to the side of the main seat, maintained a "mature and neutral" demeanor throughout.

He stood tall and straight, his suit was neat, and he tapped the table rhythmically with his knuckles, making a dull "thump, thump, thump" sound.

"Everyone."

He spoke slowly, his voice steady with a hint of sorrow, as if he had no other choice.

"Given the intense public opinion surrounding the group and the need for further investigation into internal accounts and project security, I propose that the board of directors authorize the establishment of a 'special investigation team' led by a third party to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the decision-making process, personnel appointments, and information control procedures of the 'Xinghai' and 'Fenghuang' projects."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, as if every word had been carefully considered. His gaze swept over Chairman Wang, Chairman Li, and others, pausing briefly on the faces of Gu Yinshen's former supporters before quickly moving on.

"This move is not for liquidation, but to prove my innocence." He paused briefly, then tapped his knuckles twice. "It is also to deliver a responsible report to all shareholders and the market."

As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room fell into a brief silence. Chairman Wang looked conflicted, while most of the other directors lowered their heads and remained silent. In the end, most of them slowly nodded and raised their hands in approval.

At that moment, Gu Hongtao lowered his head slightly, seemingly deep in thought. But from an angle unnoticed by anyone, a very subtle, fleeting smile of relaxation appeared at the corner of his mouth—not one of relief, but rather a satisfaction like a chess piece being placed on a board.

Immediately, he regained his somber expression, turned to look at Team Leader Zhang, who had just been appointed as the head of the investigation team, and spoke sincerely, his hands folded as if carrying a heavy object:

"Team Leader Zhang, the task is arduous, you've worked hard. The Gu family needs the calmest and most impartial force right now."

After speaking, he slowly leaned back in his chair, his eyes unfathomable.

That same night, Gu Hongtao returned to the Gu residence from the board meeting. Instead of resting in the master bedroom, he went straight to his private study.

After the study door closed, the heavy curtains were already drawn, blocking out all outside prying eyes. The antique desk lamp emitted a faint yellow light, illuminating only the area directly in front of the desk, while he himself was hidden in the shadows where light and shadow met, like a silent eagle.

His fingers unconsciously caressed an ancient jade thumb ring, an item that once belonged to the head of the Gu family. He sat with his eyes closed for a long time, then finally opened them and called out: