Chapter 11: 011 Director Chen, Liang Zewen's Peerless Talented Disciple

Bai Lian held her phone and sent a message telling Jiang He not to rush.

She was still wearing her moon-white dress, her brows and eyes clear and elegant, as she recited vocabulary words without any sign of hurry.

Hearing a voice, she looked up: "Waiting for your ancestor."

Whether at school, in the Ren family, or anywhere else, Ren Wanxuan had always been the center of attention, constantly pampered and catered to by everyone.

Even Chen Wei would put on a show of courtesy in front of her.

As for the Ji family, even though she was very polite to Ji Heng, deep down, she still looked down on the Ji family members.

Ren Wanxuan looked at the long dress Bai Lian was wearing—simple and elegant, without any brand labels; it was clearly something Ji Heng had casually made for her.

In her eyes, Bai Lian was truly the most unremarkable person among them.

Even if she wasn't being cautious or timid, she shouldn't be this arrogant.

But she hadn't expected that the person she cared about the least would speak to her so rudely.

The driver in the car couldn't help but take another look at Bai Lian. Ren Wanxuan noticed the boy beside her also looking over, and she was shocked that Bai Lian dared to speak to her like that. "You... what did you say?"

"Can't hear clearly?" Bai Lian was looking at the next word, her tone light and breezy: "Then I can carve it on your tombstone."

The driver wished he could cover his ears, trying his best to pretend he hadn't heard anything.

But Ren Wanxuan, holding onto her status, didn't get out of the car. She just opened the window with a haughty air, so everyone in the car could hear Bai Lian's words.

Even though the driver didn't react, Ren Wanxuan felt that everything about her was being challenged by Bai Lian.

"You..." She was rendered speechless by the retort, her lips trembling with difficulty. With a "whoosh," she rolled up the window and said, almost in a fit of rage, "Drive already!"

The car started.

The boy in the front seat lazily glanced at Bai Lian on the side of the road through the rearview mirror.

That look was as if he were observing a leaf; he withdrew his gaze after only a moment. "Do you know her?"

Ren Wanxuan's voice was laced with coldness: "Who knows where she came from, some relative of the Ji family."

She didn't understand how Bai Lian could be so entitled when she lived in a slum that hadn't been developed yet and was still using well water.

"I see."

Chen Zhu nodded. He wasn't interested and didn't ask further.

The car drove forward for a while, and a black car slowly approached from the opposite direction. Chen Zhu, who had been relaxed, sat up straight. He stared fixedly at the rearview mirror as the black car drove further and further away.

Until it disappeared.

As twilight descended, the black car that had vanished in the rearview mirror seemed to become mysterious.

In the back seat, Ren Wanxuan had also temporarily forgotten about Bai Lian. She gazed in the direction where the black car had disappeared and asked softly, "Are those the people my grandfather mentioned?"

Although she was in her senior year and her focus was on her studies, it didn't mean she wasn't concerned about other matters. She knew about the recent turmoil in Xiangcheng. They had previously assumed the vacant manor behind this area belonged to the public.

Now that people had moved in, several major families in Xiangcheng had received clear instructions not to disturb them.

Chen Zhu only said slowly, "I haven't seen that car model before."

**

It was Ming Dongheng who came to pick up Bai Lian.

Bai Lian recited vocabulary words the whole way. When they reached the manor gate, she saw Jiang He squatting at the entrance, waiting eagerly.

The man in the gray suit waiting in the garden was very surprised to see the idle and languid girl behind Jiang He.

Immediately after—

He saw Jiang He walk to the laboratory next door and skillfully enter the password to go inside.

"Mr. Ming, that is..." The man looked at Ming Dongheng, inquiring about the girl's identity.

He had spent so many years in Jiangjing and had never heard of such a person.

Ming Dongheng only warned: "Don't overstep."

Director Chen felt a chill down his spine. Remembering whose residence this was, he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

He secretly memorized the face of the girl he had caught a glimpse of. Fortunately, that face was stunning enough that he wouldn't forget it if he saw her again.

In the laboratory.

Bai Lian hadn't seen most of the equipment. Jiang He led her to a small table and showed her a miniature perpetual motion machine on it.

A metal bead the size of a soybean slid down from a hole at the top, entered a track, and bounced back again.

The two squatted there, staring at it intently for ten minutes.

"According to the law of conservation of energy," Bai Lian concluded, "this is a fake perpetual motion machine."

As she said this, she flipped the base over and, sure enough, saw a magnet underneath.

Jiang He nodded and then secretly told Bai Lian: "Uncle Ming has always thought it was a perpetual motion machine."

There were many kinds of equipment in the lab. Bai Lian and Jiang He only looked at the vortex ring collider. Jiang He squatted on the side and tried it with Bai Lian several times, constantly adding fluid.

Bai Lian recorded the data every time.

She and Jiang He finally succeeded once. She looked at the numbers on both sides and recorded the data on a piece of paper.

After finishing, Jiang He lay on the table looking at the vortex ring machine: "Why hasn't it broken yet?"

Bai Lian put down the paper, tilted her head to look over, and found it hard to disagree with that.

Outside.

When Jiang Fuli returned, it was already dark.

"Young Master Jiang." Director Chen followed him into the house respectfully.

Jiang Fuli took off his coat, and with a glance, he saw the black backpack, phone, and a rose placed on the sandalwood table.

Ming Dongheng: "Those are Miss Bai's things."

Jiang Fuli gave a calm "Hmm," his extremely long eyelashes drooping to shallowly cover his overly cold eyes: "Are they still in the lab?"

With Bai Lian like that, there should be many people lining up to give her flowers at school.

High school seniors these days don't study properly and go around giving people roses.

How indiscreet.

Young Master Jiang commented politely.

"Tell them to come out and eat," Jiang Fuli ordered, his expression indifferent.

When Bai Lian came out, Jiang Fuli was talking to Director Chen.

Director Chen was clearly a bit reserved, sitting with his legs together and his hands on his knees. "It should be a revenge attack. Here in Xiangcheng..."

He saw Bai Lian walking in from outside and paused, not knowing whether he should continue.

Jiang Fuli tapped his fingers lazily on the table and glanced at him. "Continue."

"Oh," Director Chen quickly said, "I came here to clean up the public security. 'Poison Scorpion' was at the top of my list, but I only arrived today, and he was already targeted for revenge."

Ming Dongheng couldn't help but say with a blank expression: "What a coincidence, wasn't it you who did it?"

"How could that be," Director Chen said excitedly, "If I had that ability, would I still need to be sent down for further training?"

Ming Dongheng had a sudden realization.

Director Chen: "..."

Xiangcheng had always had its difficulties. This time, when Jiang Fuli came to Xiangcheng, Jiangjing decided to properly clean up the city. Director Chen was a relatively outstanding descendant of the Chen family in Jiangjing, and he had fought for the opportunity to come to Xiangcheng among many others.

In ancient times, he would have been a proper imperial envoy holding a golden medallion.

If he could achieve some political success here, he would be promoted upon his return.

However, he had just arrived and was handed a credit on a silver platter.

Director Chen really felt that Xiangcheng was his lucky land.

"No suspects?" Jiang Fuli rolled up his sleeves twice, poured two cups of tea, and pushed them toward Bai Lian and Jiang He.

Jiang He stared at the cup of tea as if it had been poisoned.

Director Chen's expression was serious. "There is one, the owner of 112 Qingshui Street. I have already sent more men to keep an eye on him."

"Are you sure?" Ming Dongheng had an impression of Qingshui Street and expressed doubt. "Could it be that he didn't touch Dawson's cake or provoke the mercenaries or the mafia?"

"I don't know, but I have a top-secret piece of information," Director Chen lowered his voice. "I heard Poison Scorpion took two packs of cigarettes from that owner."

Although he thought it was absurd, a pile of evidence had been listed here in Xiangcheng.

Otherwise, why would he be crippled the night after taking two packs of cigarettes from the owner?

Bai Lian, on the side, held the teacup and took a shallow sip.

Authentic Lao Ban Zhang tea. Her eyes brightened slightly.

Hearing the sound, she put down the teacup, lowered her dark eyes, her jade-like fingers resting on the edge of the sandalwood table, and she echoed Director Chen with a lazy expression: "That person is really bad."

Only then did Director Chen dare to look at her. The young girl didn't look very old. Director Chen softened his voice and comforted her kindly: "It's okay, the bad guy has already received some punishment, don't be afraid."

"That's good." Bai Lian finished her tea.

She picked up her backpack and said goodbye to Jiang Fuli and the others.

Jiang He tugged at her sleeve.

Bai Lian lowered her eyelashes slightly and glanced at him. "I have to go home and eat with my grandfather."

**

In the Ren family, a few streets away.

The Ren family, along with the Chen family and a group of others, were waiting properly.

"President Chen, when will he arrive?" Ren Qian looked at the middle-aged man beside him. Although he was anxious, he remained very polite to this President Chen.

The person called President Chen was Chen Gang, a major GDP contributor in Xiangcheng from the Chen family. He stared at his watch. "He should be here soon."

Just as he was speaking, someone outside reported with pleasant surprise: "Master Chen has arrived!"

Ren Qian and Chen Gang both stood up "with a whoosh" to welcome him at the door.

Ren Wanxuan and Chen Zhu, who were on the side, also stood up and exchanged glances.

"Master Chen," Chen Gang led Ren Qian to welcome him in respectfully, then introduced Ren Qian: "This is the current highest administrator of Xiangcheng, Elder Ren Qian."

If Bai Lian were here, she would recognize this person as the Director Chen she had just met.

Director Chen sat down at the dining table casually. He was about thirty or forty years old, with a stern, unsmiling face. He just rested one hand on the table and looked at Ren Qian: "Elder Ren, I'm sorry for the intrusion this time, please take care of me."

"I wouldn't dare," Ren Qian was also an old fox. He smiled and spoke, his attitude perfectly measured. "It is an honor for our Ren family."

Although he was smiling, Ren Qian was inwardly shocked.

There had long been rumors in Xiangcheng that the Chen family was a branch of the Chen family in Jiangjing, but Ren Qian had been skeptical.

Until recently, a secret order was suddenly issued to Xiangcheng.

Jiangjing was sending a Director Chen to supervise Xiangcheng.

The transfer was sudden, and just when Ren Qian was at a loss, Chen Gang came to him with the news about Director Chen.

"I heard there is an authentic work by Liang Zewen at the auction house?" Director Chen took the wine Ren Qian poured for him and spoke lightly.

This was another task given to Director Chen by the Chen family in Jiangjing.

"That's right, but the auction house issued a notice two days ago," Ren Qian explained. "I heard the handwriting might not be his own."

Director Chen frowned.

Ren Qian's heart skipped a beat. "But it is indeed an authentic work; it seems to be the notes of one of his disciples. The auction house has already found appraisal experts, and it is still being appraised, so the auction has been postponed by five days."

"Really?" Director Chen sat up straight.

"It's still being appraised," Chen Gang quickly added from the side. "I will keep a close eye on this matter."

As everyone knew, the eternal prime minister Liang Zewen had only taken two disciples in his life besides Emperor Jiang Wen...

And those were the heaven-defying geniuses, the Bai siblings.

Emperor Jiang Wen naturally wouldn't use the same handwriting as Grand Secretary Liang.

So if it were someone else, it could only be one of the Bai siblings.

It seems the rumors in the unofficial history were not groundless. The high and unreachable Chen family in Jiangjing had been die-hard fans of the Bai family since ancient times. Most of the items in the Chen family's private museum were things the Bai family members had owned during their lifetimes—

And they had worshipped the ancestral tablets of the entire Bai family for generations.

To the Chen family, this was even more attractive than an authentic work by Liang Zewen!

Ren Qian only exchanged a look with the secretary-general. It was clear that they must find a way to get an invitation to the White Tiger Auction House.

**

Over here.

Ming Dongheng watched the bus wobble away with concern. He kind of wanted to drive behind the bus.

But Bai Lian wouldn't let him.

He had no choice but to wait for her to get on the bus before driving back to the manor.

Jiang Fuli was sitting at the table eating with Jiang He. Both of them spoke very little; they never talked while eating.

Silent and quiet.

Ming Dongheng also sat down to eat slowly.

Jiang Fuli put down his bowl and suddenly remembered something. "Who sent the tea over?"

Everything sent here was selected one by one by Xu Nanjing. Ming Dongheng swallowed a mouthful of rice. "Xu Nanjing."

"Hmm," Jiang Fuli pulled out a disinfectant wipe, lowered his eyes, and carefully wiped his hands clean. His tone was light: "Follow this standard from now on."

Ming Dongheng nodded.

Jiang Fuli stood up and took the documents on the table to the laboratory.

The "dark matter" experiment had a long duration, so he had completely replicated his laboratory from Jiangjing in Xiangcheng, which was why there was a corner for Jiang He's things.

A table less than seventy centimeters high, a twenty-centimeter stool.

Even the experimental equipment was a size smaller.

Jiang Fuli came to the long laboratory table and had just put down his documents when he caught sight of a piece of paper placed not far away.

His laboratory was always neat and clean; this paper must have been left by those two.

He walked over, picked up the paper casually, and saw seven sets of data from top to bottom. He had originally just wanted to see what those two had done, until he saw the fourth set...

He froze.

I'm crazy, what about you guys?

Not sleeping anymore, come on, let's get high together!

(End of chapter)