dognovel Chapter 494 The Storm Spreads
Chapter 494 The Storm Spreads
Late at night at the Lin Group headquarters.
Lin Chuyue sat in her office, a news report about Li's mother's car accident spread out before her—old stories she had never delved into before, now, guided by Gu Yanchuan's words, were gradually taking shape like pieces of a puzzle. The news report stated "loss of control and plunge off a cliff in a rainstorm" and "driver error," but according to the information Li Zhanchuan had just provided—
The driver had been transferred a week before the accident. The person driving that day was a bodyguard who was temporarily seconded, and that bodyguard committed suicide three days after the incident.
This is no coincidence.
Lin Chuyue knew that Gu Yanchuan brought this up not just to sow discord. He genuinely possessed knowledge that neither she nor Li Zhanchuan had yet.
She dialed Li Zhanchuan's number: "Where are you now?"
"The villa is waiting for you to come back," Li Zhanchuan said in a low voice.
Lin Chuyue hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke her mind: "Zhan Chuan, I want to investigate this matter myself."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone: "I'll be with you."
……
The next morning, the two rushed to the Public Security Archives near the Li family's old residence and, using their identities and connections, retrieved the internal files of the accident from that year.
The staff member glanced at them and hesitated before saying, "This case was an unnatural car accident death back then. The files have indeed been archived, but... some parts have been sealed. We need to apply for Level 2 confidential access."
Li Zhanchuan's face darkened: "Who is responsible for sealing this?"
“Mr. Li Zhenting,” the staff member replied in a low voice.
Lin Chuyue's expression changed drastically. Li Zhanchuan's father was also the head of the Li family back then. He had indeed participated in the blockade back then.
As they left the archives, Lin Chuyue asked, "Whom did your father seal the files to protect? Or... to cover up the truth?"
Li Zhanchuan didn't speak, but a murderous intent quietly surfaced in his eyes.
“My mother shouldn’t have died.” He said it softly, but it was as if years of suppressed anger had finally erupted. “Before she died, she gave a document to her close friend. And that close friend… was Shen Fang.”
Lin Chuyue's expression changed drastically: "Shen Fang?"
Li Zhanchuan nodded: "They studied in England together when they were young and were very close friends. But their relationship broke down later, and it was rumored that it was due to business disagreements."
"Your mother trusted the wrong person." Lin Chuyue slowly uttered these words, her heart filled with indescribable feelings.
Shen Fang, how many bombs did she plant before she died?
Meanwhile, in the Lin Group's senior management meeting room, another hidden danger was brewing.
After Vice President Liu Yan was investigated, Qiu Wangsheng suddenly proposed a motion to the board of directors to convene a "meeting on balancing powers and responsibilities," arguing that "the company's governance structure is too centralized and the president has too much authority."
The meeting came unexpectedly, but Lin Chuyue was not alarmed. She knew that this was the beginning of the unfolding of Gu Yanchuan's plan.
To her surprise, Lin Zhengguo actually attended the meeting.
He appeared before the crowd, his voice as warm as ever: "The board's governance structure does indeed need to be optimized, and I agree to convene a meeting to balance powers and responsibilities."
Lin Chuyue looked at her father, her throat dry. She had thought countless times about which side Lin Zhengguo would stand on in this storm, but now, he was on the opposite side.
After the meeting ended, Lin Zhengguo called her aside to the end of the corridor.
“Chuyue, the company is not a battlefield for one person.” Lin Zhengguo looked at her and said in a steady tone, “You’ve been too assertive lately, it’s time to tone it down.”
Lin Chuyue sneered: "Take it easy? In your eyes, I'm too much like a qualified leader now, so you want to sideline me again, is that it?"
“You’ve misunderstood,” Lin Zhengguo frowned. “I just don’t want you to follow the same path I’ve taken.”
"I will investigate everything you've done, one by one." Lin Chuyue's eyes were cold and sharp. "Do you think you can still cover up the truth like before?"
Lin Zhengguo remained silent for a long time: "You are now the president of Lin's Group. Don't let personal emotions affect your judgment."
Lin Chuyue looked at him, a hint of sadness in her eyes: "You are not qualified to educate me."
She turned and left, her steps resolute. The rift between father and daughter had finally been completely torn open.
Meanwhile, Gu Yanchuan finally brought the "key witness" back to China—Ruan Mingyuan, the private financial advisor hired by Lin's mother back then. This man had been a joint agent for Lin Zhengguo and Shen Fang and knew a great deal about the secret transactions between the Lin and Gu families.
"Are you sure... you want to expose this?" Ruan Mingyuan asked in the car.
“She’s left me with no way out.” Gu Yanchuan said expressionlessly, “I want her to watch as the people she trusts betray her one by one.”
"Including her father?"
“Especially him.”
……
The night was as dark as ink. Lin Chuyue sat in her office when she received an anonymously mailed USB drive. She cautiously played it—the screen contained a recording of a meeting from years ago:
Shen Fang: "Lin Zhengguo, if you don't cooperate, I'll expose the loopholes in that investment. You'll not only be ruined, but you'll also go to jail."
Lin Zhengguo: "What...what exactly do you want me to do?"
Shen Fang: "It's very simple, transfer Lin Chuyue away from the core department. I want her to completely lose power within the company."
Lin Zhengguo: "Chuyue...she is my daughter."
Shen Fang sneered: "You only remember you're her father now?"
The recording ends here.
Lin Chuyue's heart felt as if it were nailed shut by countless nails—she finally heard her father's voice, and heard him send her into the fire to save himself. And that arrangement led to her death in a sea of fire in her previous life.
She slowly turned off the player, remained silent for a long time, and then picked up her phone to make a call.
"Mr. Lin, it's so late..." On the other end of the phone was Lin's legal counsel.
"Prepare the materials for legal action," Lin Chuyue said in a low, hoarse voice, "including those against Lin Zhengguo."
Are you... sure?
"I don't want to hesitate any longer." She closed her eyes. "What needs to be settled, what needs to be faced, none of it can escape."
At the same time, Gu Yanchuan posted a Weibo post—with a picture of the remains of Li's mother at the scene of the accident, and a short, cold caption:
"Some truths can be hidden for a while, but not forever."
The Weibo post immediately impacted the stock prices of both the Lin and Li families, sparking an online uproar.
That night, the storm truly arrived.
Lin Chuyue, at the center of the storm, finally set aside her last shred of tenderness and prepared to fight back.
——To be continued.