9:00 PM that night.

On social media, while the topic of denouncing Li Na was still causing a huge uproar...

Liu Yingmei posted on his verified Weibo account, stating that both parties involved had reached a settlement, and attached the key contents of the agreement.

He thanked netizens for their concern regarding this matter and wished for every elderly person to have someone to rely on and be cared for.

Chen Cheng looked at his Weibo and let out a cold laugh.

He lowered his head, staring blankly at the message sent by Karen.

He never expected that the main force fishing in troubled waters behind the scenes was Yuanzhou Trust.

Yes, Xie Zhiyuan's Yuanzhou Trust.

There were also shadows of Lin Qizheng and Li Xun.

After a long while, a playful smile curled at the corners of Chen Cheng's mouth. "If I don't hit these people until it hurts, they won't learn their lesson."

With Li Xun's shadow involved, it meant that Lucy's identity had indeed been exposed.

This might also be related to Lucy serving as the CFO of Company Name.

Company Name's acquisition of Company Name was considered major news in the industry this year.

Coupled with Chen Cheng appearing on the cover of Time Magazine, the level of attention spiked instantly.

Li Xun and Li Qixing, father and son, are both industry insiders; it was easy for them to notice the news of Lucy becoming the CFO of Company Name.

One recognized Lucy's face, while the other's crush had changed her name.

Chen Cheng glanced at Lucy, who was showering behind the frosted glass partition in the bathroom.

Regarding Li Na's matter, it had caused a huge stir within the company; it would be hard for Lucy not to pay attention.

She had sent Chen Cheng a message in the afternoon, asking to meet tonight.

Now, Zou Yu had taken Li Na home, so Chen Cheng came over.

As for calls from others, Chen Cheng pushed them off whenever he could.

Mainly those from Guan Juer and Qiao Jingjing.

Chen Cheng withdrew his gaze and replied to Karen's message.

【The wind is rising.】

【Let Young Master Lin go bankrupt.】

【Investigate all of Li Xun's past assistants. Pay special attention to those who left under abnormal circumstances; if there are any special cases, establish contact.】

【This man likes to use unspoken rules on female subordinates and has a pile of dirty laundry. Find him a permanent 'iron rice bowl' (prison).】

"Yuanzhou Trust."

Putting down his phone, Chen Cheng gave a soft snort.

He hadn't expected that even though Xie Zhiyuan was already behind bars, Yuanzhou Trust would actually pop up to cause him trouble.

Chen Cheng switched to another green bubble and took a look.

He frowned; this woman hadn't sent him a message for a while.

Instantly, Chen Cheng's eyes widened. "Holy crap, it couldn't have been done by this stupid woman, could it?"

...

The next day.

The news of the settlement between Li Na and her father was still on the local trending search list.

Office workers on the subway were yawning while tirelessly consuming the gossip.

Another short essay about the past entanglements between Li Na and her father air-dropped into the top ten of the main trending list.

Immediately after, a large number of marketing accounts followed suit by reposting, some even including a voting topic: 【A father who abandoned his wife and daughter—would you support him?】

Clearly, this was arranged by Chen Cheng to clear Li Na's name.

The topic was very provocative, intentionally stirring up both pros and cons.

It was beneficial to Li Na; her previous actions would gain the understanding of most people.

Of course, Li Na might not actually need anyone's understanding, but she would no longer be pointed at and gossiped about.

The downside was that the finger-pointing hadn't disappeared; it had just shifted.

Today, Li Weizheng, who was happily preparing to move into the nursing home...

As public opinion fermented, he slowly began to feel the taste of being pointed at by others.

This was his punishment.

Fortunately, the circle of the nursing home was actually quite small; he would eventually get used to it.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong.

Half an hour after the stock exchange opened, someone suddenly shorted Zhilin Group with 100 million HKD.

At the same time, news spread in the market that suppliers were collectively and publicly demanding debts from Zhilin Group.

News of the eldest son of Zhilin Group's investment failure also hit the front pages of the financial section.

In an instant, the already jittery Zhilin stock was hammered into a giant hole.

At noon, in a vintage-decorated cafe downstairs from the building where an entertainment company was located.

Chen Cheng, wearing square sunglasses, sat in a chair in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass, leisurely drinking coffee while watching the buzzing news.

The 100 million was borrowed from an Investment Bank.

Once used, it had to be returned.

If he lost, he would have to use the us dollar in his hands to settle the debt.

For the sake of Zhilin Group, he had specifically halted a trading target in Japan.

He left the opportunity for Zhilin Group.

He wondered if Young Master Lin would like it.

Chen Cheng didn't know yet that the seat he was currently in was the very spot where Lin Qizheng often sat to secretly watch Zou Yu pass by.

"6.63," Chen Cheng muttered, a wicked smile hanging on his lips.

That would be Zhilin Group's stock price at this time tomorrow.

Currently, Zhilin's stock price was still 8.57, with today's opening price at 9.57.

Chen Cheng's average opening price was 9.24, with a floating profit of 7 percent. By this time tomorrow, his floating profit would be 28%.

Since Lin Qizheng liked looking for trouble, Chen Cheng naturally didn't mind playing along with him.

Zhilin Group's nearly 30 billion market cap was enough for Chen Cheng to play with for a while.

He wondered how much of the Zhilin Group pie would be left by the time Chen Cheng was done playing.

Chen Cheng modified the parameters of the quantitative program; for a long time to come, he would use his 'cheats' to play with Zhilin Group.

"Tight cash flow, combined with a double hit on stocks and bonds—let's see how you break this deadlock."

Chen Cheng gave a soft snort and exited the K-line interface.

Gao Yue: 【The registration for the Starlight related trademarks has been completed.】

Chen Cheng replied, 【Good, thanks for the hard work.】

Closing the tablet, Chen Cheng raised his hand to check his wristwatch.

"The time is about right~"

Noon, 12:30 PM.

The account of Qiao Jingjing's studio issued a statement right on time, proposing to terminate her contract with an entertainment company.

Qiao Jingjing's own verified account also reposted the statement, adding the text "Grateful for the encounter."

The hashtag "#Qiao Jingjing Terminates Contract" quickly dominated the front pages of major social platforms.

Qiao Jingjing's fans were completely stunned.

One by one, they began to scout for information in various social groups.

"Hey, doesn't Jingjing still have four or five years left on her contract? Why is she terminating it early?"

"Ah, I'm crying my eyes out. Jingjing terminating her contract is practically a 'once-in-a-lifetime' event."

"Don't cry, person above. For an early termination, the liquidated damages will be astronomical."

"I checked; last year Jingjing contributed 180 million in revenue to an entertainment company. I don't know how the liquidated damages are stipulated in the contract. Regardless, if it's based on annual income, Jingjing is going to be ruined by the payout."

"Yeah, if she really has to pay it all, it's estimated that everything Jingjing has earned since her debut won't even be enough."

"Hiss~ Capitalists really have it easy. If she doesn't terminate, they rely on Jingjing alone to support the company without giving her resources; if she does, they can still make a fortune from her liquidated damages."

...

Clearly, her fans had long been unhappy with the blood-sucking profit-sharing contract between Qiao Jingjing and an entertainment company.

While the internet was in an uproar, the meeting room upstairs was also turbulent.

Yet the instigator was sitting in front of a restaurant's floor-to-ceiling window, leisurely watching the heavy traffic outside.

In the Company Name office, Li Na looked at the gossip spreading in the company group. A stream of clear tears escaped her eyes.

She was well aware of the relationship between Qiao Jingjing and Chen Cheng.

She took out her phone and called Chen Cheng.

"Thank you~"

"If you're going to thank me, don't just use your mouth," Chen Cheng teased before hanging up immediately.

Hearing Chen Cheng's teasing, Li Na burst into a bright, dashing laugh.

Just a moment ago, she was only guessing, but now she was certain that Qiao Jingjing's contract termination at this time was also part of the PR strategy.

Once Qiao Jingjing's statement was out, this matter would likely dominate the headlines for the coming week.

No one would remember Li Na, who was being universally condemned just yesterday.

Li Na muttered, "Zou Yu was right, 'A man's charm depends on his ability to solve problems.'"