Chapter 314: Sunday’s Quiet Pursuits

Sunday.

As dawn barely broke, Xu Chen dropped Xie Bingran off at the training base’s main gate.

Morning practice was starting early, and Bing Ge had to sneak back to the dormitory.

She shot Xu Chen a resentful look, her big, watery eyes full of hurt.

Xu Chen squeezed her soft hand with his left and her soft cheek with his right.

“Go back and get some more sleep,” Xie Bingran whispered.

“Okay,” Xu Chen replied.

In the end, they had to part ways.

Gathering her courage, Xie Bingran stuffed her hands into her pockets and slipped back into her ‘Bing Ge’ cool demeanor.

……

Xu Chen watched her slip through the side door like a cat and vanish from sight, feeling a pang of reluctance.

He hailed a taxi:

“Chifeng Road, Tonghai University south gate.”

……

……

An hour and a half later, Xu Chen returned to school.

He grabbed some breakfast at the cafeteria, then headed straight to the Tonghai Creative Design Building.

On the weekend, Sun Aimi wasn’t at the company.

Stepping into the office, he saw two cute little green plants on the reception desk.

Xu Chen recognized them as a pair of small fortune trees.

No doubt, Teacher Aimi had put them there.

He walked over to Sun Aimi’s desk and glanced around—adorable animal figurines and some cute succulent plants sat there.

It all matched Teacher Aimi’s plump, youthful vibe.

Xu Chen smiled and returned to his office.

Next to his desk’s lucky cat, a small fortune tree had been placed.

Teacher Aimi was just so cute and thoughtful.

……

Xu Chen relaxed with some fruit while browsing the web.

He surfed through major portals and Tianya forums, and soon spotted more news and posts about Bing Ge.

The September 18th competition was nearly a month old, but the buzz lingered.

Even Sohu’s sports section had dedicated a small feature to Xie Bingran, compiling all the news and reports.

The header photo was from the recent Osaka event, showing Bing Ge dominating the Japanese competitors as she crossed the finish line.

One article in the feature was already discussing and hyping up the year-end Asian Games.

On Tianya, Xu Chen spotted that user ‘Cang Hai Ri Yue’ again—a clear die-hard fan of Xie Bingran, who kept collecting her news and race photos.

Among the likes and comments, Xu Chen noticed a familiar ID……

“Jiang Zhe Little Prince”.

Could this be Qian Xin himself?!

Xu Chen scrolled through ‘Jiang Zhe Little Prince’s comments in the thread, his brows furrowing in a strange expression.

This user was clearly obsessed with Bing Ge, calling her ‘hubby’ at every turn.

It seemed even more intense than Huang Hao’s admiration for Bai Miao.

If this was really Qian Xin, it was downright weird.

Xu Chen actually liked his flashy, outgoing roommate Qian Xin.

He was cheerful and straightforward, a real live wire.

If Qian Xin found out how close Xu Chen was with his idol Bing Ge, it might shatter him.

Xu Chen frowned, telling himself he was overthinking it.

After all, Qian Xin had been head over heels for the pure scholar Min Siyang, ready to chase her……

But it wasn’t long before he switched to liking Bing Ge after her competition.

He’d probably move on soon enough.

……

……

Half an hour later, Xu Chen put together a simple document.

It listed contact info for various media and journalists, mostly email addresses.

It included reporters from Sohu, Sina, and other portals covering economics and law, plus some from the Southern media group.

Xu Chen compiled this for An Jin Xiong and Chen Jinru’s situation.

A week had passed, and the report hadn’t shown clear progress yet.

Xu Chen had deliberately searched economic news, especially stuff involving Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, Jiaduobao, and Wang Laoshun, but saw no signs of exposure.

So, spreading the info to the media through ‘Wen Cha Zhu Jiu’ was another way to go.

You can’t keep a secret forever, but it might take time to blow up.

Xu Chen figured he’d fan the flames from outside.

……

He opened Sohu blog and checked ‘Wen Cha Zhu Jiu’s private messages.

Clicking his profile brought up an unread message.

[There’s movement! Li Guangmin is really under investigation!]

Li Guangmin was Guangzhou Pharmaceutical’s general manager, the one who had private dealings with Chen Jinru over the Wang Laoshun authorization extension.

Xu Chen replied: [Really? That’s great news!]

Wen Cha Zhu Jiu: [It’s true. I heard from an old colleague inside that Li Guangmin hasn’t been to work for a few days.

Now there’s clear internal word that he’s been taken in for investigation……

Several departments in the company are cooperating, and investigation teams have moved in!]

[That’s fantastic. Your persistent reporting finally paid off.]

[And I have to thank you sincerely! Without you teaching me how to report, we wouldn’t have seen progress this fast.

I reported internally for over half a year, even lost my job, and got nowhere……]

As Xu Chen thought about how to probe further, ‘Wen Cha Zhu Jiu’ sent another link.

[Check this announcement. It’s worded vaguely, but you’ll get it.]

Xu Chen clicked and saw a semi-public investigation notice from some department.

It mentioned entering a certain enterprise to investigate certain leaders on certain issues.

And it directly referenced the authorization issue for a certain herbal tea brand’s red can product……

Though it didn’t name names or brands, anyone piecing it together could spot Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, Jiaduobao, and Wang Laoshun.

This semi-public notice confirmed the scandal had broken.

So, the fuse Xu Chen anticipated was lit.

What a relief.

It might still be in the investigation phase, or they weren’t ready to go public, so it was all hush-hush for now.

Xu Chen pondered how to push it forward and messaged back:

[So, this is pretty much set in stone. Unless your big boss has some major backer, he’s done for!]

Wen Cha Zhu Jiu quickly replied:

[A backer? Well, that’s hard to say……

He’s so bold, he might have one protecting him!]

[No way? For clear illegal acts, who could pull strings like that?]

Wen Cha Zhu Jiu paused before responding:

[You don’t know the situation, it’s pretty complicated……

If someone wants to protect him, do you have any other ideas?]

Xu Chen couldn’t help but smile and typed:

[There are other ways. Expose it to the media, turn it into a public scandal, and no one can cover it up.

From what you’ve listed in your blog, these are serious issues.

Especially that herbal tea thing in the link—sounds like a big deal with hefty fees.]

Wen Cha Zhu Jiu: [That’s Wang Laoshun Herbal Tea……

Would the media care about something like this in a company?

Would they think it’s too minor?]

[Wang Laoshun? That’s huge! They’re advertising nationwide, all over CCTV selling herbal tea!

If a brand that big has issues, the media will jump on it!]

Wen Cha Zhu Jiu: [You’re right!

But…… how do I contact the media?

Do you have any connections?]

[Media reporters have public emails and contacts. If you need them, I can send a few your way!]

Wen Cha Zhu Jiu: [That would be amazing! You’re my lifesaver!]

[No problem. I’ll send some later!

Just send your reporting materials straight to the journalists’ emails.

You’ve already posted it all on your blog, so it’s out there.]

Wen Cha Zhu Jiu: [Great! I’m so grateful to you!]

……

Xu Chen didn’t rush to send the media contacts; it might look too prepared.

He leisurely ate some fruit, browsed the web, and killed time until noon before sending the pre-gathered list via private message to ‘Wen Cha Zhu Jiu’.

[I’ll send the reporting materials to these media outlets today!]

Xu Chen added:

[Some media might want to interview you, so keep your real identity hidden.

Have them use a pseudonym in the articles—don’t reveal your name!]

[Got it, thanks for the heads-up……]

‘Wen Cha Zhu Jiu’ thanked this stranger profusely again.

Little did he know, Xu Chen was silently thanking him too.

Xu Chen’s plans had luckily crossed paths with ‘Wen Cha Zhu Jiu’, who could help light that fuse.

Xu Chen just needed to stay hidden behind the screen, keeping out of trouble.

……

……

That evening, Xu Chen headed to Shanghai Foreign Languages University, a couple of streets away.

He met up with ‘Miss Wu’ Wu Feifei for a meal.

Wu Feifei’s family ties affected Xu’s family business, so maintaining this key connection was essential.

Especially with Chenfeng Technology about to launch its first electric vehicle, her and her father’s link was crucial.

During the National Day holiday, Xu Zhiquan had mentioned to Xu Chen that Wu Yongming was a rising star in the system, with a bright future.

That made this connection even more vital.

Plus, Wu Feifei had visited Xu Chen at Tonghai University before, so it was give and take.

Wu Feifei was outgoing, genuine, and frank—great as a friend.

Since ‘Miss Wu’ already knew about Xu Chen and Xie Bingran’s closeness, and she clearly admired Bing Ge, their interactions felt easy.

……

Xu Chen suggested eating at Shanghai Foreign Languages’ cafeteria, but Wu Feifei insisted on going outside.

“Our school cafeteria can’t compare to Tonghai University’s—don’t want you disappointed.”

Xu Chen chuckled and went along with her plan.

Wu Feifei picked a cozy Jiang Zhe-style restaurant and ordered a few refined dishes.

Squirrel fish, braised pork, a cold appetizer, and some greens.

Xu Chen took a bite of the crispy golden squirrel fish and praised,

“This place has great food!”

Wu Feifei smiled: “I’ve tried most spots near school; this one’s decent!”

Xu Chen helped himself to another big piece, enjoying it thoroughly.

“Have you gone to see Bing Ge?” Wu Feifei asked with a smile.

Xu Chen: “I saw her yesterday!

Bing Ge’s a sports star now, prepping for the Asian Games, so scheduling’s tough.”

Wu Feifei thought for a moment: “The Asian Games are in Qatar, right?”

Xu Chen: “Yeah, on the Persian Gulf.”

Wu Feifei just smiled without saying more.

Xu Chen gave a helpless look and said:

“If you’re thinking of going yourself, just let me know.

I’ll probably bring Fei Jie along, and maybe others from the brand side—you can join us.”

Wu Feifei lit up: “Fei Jie’s going too?”

Back in Osaka, Wu Feifei had mostly hung out with Nie Fei.

Clearly, they had hit it off.

Xu Chen: “I haven’t discussed it with her yet, but her company works with Xie Bingran, so she’ll likely go.”

In truth, Xu Chen figured by then, Ran Bing Sports would be up and running, and Nie Fei would have joined.

For the Asian Games in Doha, she’d definitely be there.

Wu Feifei beamed: “Then I’ll get my visa sorted. Just tell me the travel plans when they’re set.”

Xu Chen: “Sure, I’ll let you know once I book it!”

Wu Feifei: “Thanks, little President Xu!”

Xu Chen suddenly remembered something and teased:

“Last time you flew to Osaka alone, Jiao Tianbo was really worried.

He asked me to tell you that for dangerous stuff like that, you can ask him……”

Wu Feifei gave an awkward smile and murmured:

“Jiao’s a nice guy, but I…… just want to avoid him.”

Xu Chen: “……”

If that got back to the ‘scholar bro’, he’d be mortified.

Xu Chen thought more—if Jiao Tianbo knew he was dining alone with Wu Feifei, he’d probably rush over demanding answers.

Scary……

He recalled another thing:

“Back at White Cloud Mountain, that group photo in your camera……

You still have the originals, right? Send me one!”

Wu Feifei flashed a mischievous grin:

“You’re just after the one with you and Bing Ge!”

Xu Chen just ‘hehe’ laughed.

Wu Feifei: “I already sent it to Bing Ge. I’ll forward it to you now.”

Xu Chen: “Great, thanks, Miss Wu!”