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After the banquet, Zhang Zhaolin, Zhang Xin, Tao Gongjin, and Sun Puyi returned to the podium to continue their discussion.
Sun Puyi said, "Commander, we can complete this project independently without Zhou Junsheng's involvement. We will send our own pharmacists to Europe to learn their techniques. However, the last pharmacist we sent was assassinated by the Thorned Rose before he even left Shanghai."
Tao Gongjin added, "The biggest threat to the project right now is not a technical issue but the Thorned Rose. They have repeatedly robbed original medicines and hunted down pharmacists, severely affecting the research progress of the biological project."
Zhang Zhaolin replied, "I have already instructed the police department to expedite this matter." Just then, he saw the sheriff and Tao Ziwen approaching and smiled, "Tao Ziwen has arrived; it's time for us to change the topic!"
Zhang Zhaolin, Tao Gongjin, and Sun Puyi nodded in agreement. Zhang Xin leaned against Zhang Zhaolin's embrace, feeling a bit shy. Clearly, this topic was closely related to her.
The sheriff took a seat and asked, "Commander, you all seem so happy; is there some good news?"
Zhang Zhaolin nodded, "Yes!"
He looked at Tao Ziwen.
Tao Ziwen quickly greeted Zhang Zhaolin, "Hello, Commander!"
Zhang Zhaolin nodded and said, "Nephew, you are truly a remarkable young man; no wonder my daughter Xin'er fell for you at first sight."
Tao Ziwen immediately understood Zhang Zhaolin's implication: "Commander, I just met Zhang Xin today."
"Exactly! So in the future, you should spend more time with my daughter! If you two are compatible, wouldn't that fulfill our wishes as elders?"
"Um..." Tao Ziwen glanced at Zhang Xin. She looked like a charming girl, hugging Zhang Zhaolin's neck and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek: "Daddy, you're the best at pampering your daughter!"
Zhang Xin's words made everyone laugh again, but Tao Ziwen couldn't feel any joy.
Tao Gongjin pulled Tao Ziwen aside: "Ziwen, why don't you thank the Commander?"
"Dad!" Tao Ziwen protested strongly.
Seeing Tao Ziwen's resistance, Zhang Xin's older sister immediately became annoyed. She looked at Tao Ziwen with a playful expression and asked, "Tao Ziwen, do you not like me?"
Tao Ziwen remained silent.
The Sheriff quickly tried to mediate: "Supreme Commander, Tao Gongjin, how about this? Let's have Zhang Jie and Tao Ziwen spend some time together first. Once they get to know each other better, we can discuss their marriage. What do you think..."
Tao Gongjin looked quite displeased.
Zhang Zhaolin glanced around the room: "I think this idea is worth considering. Zhang Xin, what do you think?"
Before Zhang Xin could respond, Tao Ziwen stood up and walked away.
Tao Gongjin shouted after Tao Ziwen: "Tao Ziwen, come back here!"
Tao Ziwen left the banquet hall without looking back.
Zhang Xin shook Zhang Zhaolin's arm playfully: "Daddy, look!"
Zhang Zhaolin affectionately replied: "What good will that do? He is your crush; if you want him to be with you, you'll have to figure it out yourself!"
Tao Gongjin sat down, feeling apologetic: "Supreme Commander, this is all my failure in raising my child!"
"It's alright, it's alright! They're just kids; let them handle their own matters. Times have changed, and we parents can't dictate their lives! Come on, let's drink!"
Zhang Zhaolin raised his glass and clinked it with everyone else's.
Zhang Xin also drank a glass of wine. She lowered her head in thought and suddenly smiled dreamily.
As night fell, Cheng Shuhua insisted on completing her chanting and meditation practice, with the Cheng Sisters standing behind her.
"I saw Dad," Cheng Yuyao suddenly said.
Cheng Shuhua's expression tightened: "Did you meet him?"
"No." Cheng Yuyao paused for a moment. "I overheard Zhang Zhaolin and Tao Gongjin discussing wanting Dad to restart the Biological Experiment project."
Cheng Shuhua asked again, "Did your dad agree?"
"No. My dad is firmly against this project. However, Zhang Zhaolin and Tao Gongjin are already working on it."
"I know that," Cheng Shuhua said as she stood up from in front of the Altar.
Cheng Yuyao supported Mother and said, "My dad is a good person. Even if we recognize each other, he will protect us!"
"If he had the ability to protect you, I would have let you recognize each other long ago," Cheng Shuhua replied, sitting on a nearby chair. "Seven years ago, Tao Gongjin's pharmaceutical factory was just a workshop attached to our Cheng Family business association. Now, Dow Pharmaceuticals occupies half of the pharmaceutical industry in Shanghai, and behind him is the powerful Warlord Zhang Zhaolin. Do you still think your dad can protect us?"
At this moment, Cheng Yuwan analyzed, "Mom, with our own abilities, self-protection is completely not a problem. If we recognize Dad, maybe we can even help him come up with ideas to revive our pharmaceutical factory!"
Cheng Shuhua sighed and said, "You're thinking too naively!"
The next morning, when Tao Ziwen arrived at the police station for work, his colleagues in the lobby looked at him with strange expressions, making him feel uncomfortable.
A colleague came down the stairs with a mischievous smile and greeted him, "Good morning!"
"Good morning!"
As Tao Ziwen walked up the stairs in confusion, he heard his colleagues in the lobby gossiping behind him. He hurried back to check, and the chatter abruptly stopped; everyone was staring at him.
Tao Ziwen was surprised, "So many people are looking at me and gossiping about me. Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing today?" He then found a mirror in the police station corridor and carefully examined his appearance. "No problem! No issues on my back! Shoulders are fine! Why is everyone looking at me like that... Could it be my butt?"
He turned to look at his reflection while sticking out his butt.
"My butt looks fine too!"
At that moment, Wang Zhiyuan came out of the office. Upon seeing Tao Ziwen, Wang Zhiyuan looked at him strangely like the others and seemed to want to laugh.
Tao Ziwen asked, "Why are you looking at me? Is there something wrong with me?"
"No! No! You're perfectly fine! Really good!" Wang Zhiyuan chuckled as he walked away.
"Something must be wrong!" Tao Ziwen continued to look in the mirror. Just at that moment, the extravagantly made-up and flamboyantly dressed Zhang Xin walked out of Tao Ziwen's office. "Ziwen Ge!"
Tao Ziwen, who was twisting in front of the mirror, was stunned upon seeing Zhang Xin, instantly freezing in place.
"Oh, so that's where the problem lies!"
Tao Ziwen was working and reviewing case files, while Zhang Xin deliberately sat on the desk, pushing out her chest. "Ziwen Ge, I specially wore this outfit for you today. Do you think it looks good?"
Tao Ziwen held back a nosebleed and moved back while supporting himself on the desk. "It looks good! It looks good!"
Tao Ziwen was weighing the darts for "Thorned Rose." He was carefully checking the weight when Zhang Xin's large face suddenly appeared behind him.
"Ziwen Ge, I specially did my makeup for you today. Do you think it looks good?"
Looking at Zhang Xin's pig-blood-red lips, Tao Ziwen felt nauseous and suddenly clutched his chest, mumbling with something in his mouth, "It looks good! It looks good!"
Tao Ziwen put up another missing child poster on the wall covered with photos of missing children and a map filled with crosses. Zhang Xin, with her arms wide open, blocked the entire map. "Ziwen Ge, since I look so good today, why don't you take a break from work and come out to play with me?"
The alluring Zhang Xin winked at Tao Ziwen, who turned his head and banged it against the wall repeatedly.
Tao Ziwen found Wang Zhiyuan and grabbed his hands. "You have to help me! Think of a way to get her out of here!"
Wang Zhiyuan looked troubled. "But she's the Supreme Commander's daughter! Besides, it was you who danced with her last night, not me!"
"Then you have to help me!"
Wang Zhiyuan showed a pained expression. "It's not that I don't want to help you! If I help you, I'll offend the Supreme Commander's daughter. If I offend her, the Supreme Commander will come after me. If he does that, I might lose my job!"
Tao Ziwen was nearly in tears. "What am I supposed to do? I need to work; I need to investigate!"
"Investigate? I'll help you with that!"
Hearing a voice from behind them, both Tao Ziwen and Wang Zhiyuan jumped in fright and turned around—Zhang Xin had somehow appeared behind them without them noticing.
Zhang Xin sat at the desk, while Tao Ziwen placed a large stack of files on the desk and said, "If you want to help me investigate the case, you need to read through these files first!"
Zhang Xin clapped her hands and replied, "Sure, sure!"
She used the files as a pillow and soon fell asleep at the desk. Tao Ziwen tiptoed out of the office and found Wang Zhiyuan, lowering his voice. "Brother Wang, I'm stepping out for a bit. Zhang Xin finally fell asleep, so please don't wake her up!"
Wang Zhiyuan also kept his voice down. "Ziwen, what if she wakes up while you're gone?"
"Don't worry, Brother Wang. By the time she wakes up, I’ll be long gone!"
"If she can't find you, she can still find me!"
"Aren't we good friends?"
"Yes, but..."
"Aren't we good brothers?"
"Yes, but..."
"Since we're good friends and brothers, you wouldn't mind helping me with this one favor, would you?"
"I would, but what if..."
"Then I’m counting on you!"
Tao Ziwen turned and left.
Wang Zhiyuan felt a bit anxious and raised his voice slightly. "If..."
Tao Ziwen quickly turned back, placing a finger on his lips. "Shh."
Wang Zhiyuan quieted down and peeked into Tao Ziwen's office at Zhang Xin. She was still sound asleep. Wang Zhiyuan sighed in relief, but when he looked back at Tao Ziwen, he realized that Tao Ziwen had already disappeared.
Wang Zhiyuan was at a loss.
Tao Ziwen exited the police station, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the Cheng Sisters' café.
At the café entrance, Tao Ziwen got out of the taxi, adjusted his clothes, put on his hat properly, and approached the door. He cleared his throat and tightened his tie in front of the glass door before nervously pushing it open.
The soothing Western music helped Tao Ziwen relax as he stepped inside. He walked slowly toward the bar.
Cheng Yuwan, who was serving customers at the bar, saw Tao Ziwen and turned her head away in disgust.
Tao Ziwen reached the counter and called out, "Wan'er! Wan'er!"
Cheng Yuwan feigned anger, "Who is your Wan'er?"
Tao Ziwen replied anxiously, "Wan'er, stop messing around! You know I'm here to find you!"
"What do you want with me?"
"I’m worried you might misunderstand what happened last night!"
"I didn’t misunderstand! You danced quite well with that girl last night!"
"I have nothing going on with her!"
"You have nothing going on with me either!"
Tao Ziwen was taken aback. However, he remained at the bar. There was something he wanted to say right then, and in fact, Cheng Yuwan was also waiting for that crucial sentence.
Tao Ziwen prepared himself mentally: "I... actually like..."
But just then, Zhang Xin suddenly entered the café and shouted at Tao Ziwen, "Ziwen Ge, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be investigating a case?"
Hearing Zhang Xin's voice made Tao Ziwen's head spin. But he had to control his emotions: "Oh, I just wanted to come out for a cup of coffee!"
Zhang Xin walked over to Tao Ziwen and said, "Why didn't you invite me for coffee? Looking at the case files is so tiring. I finally understand how hard it is for you as a police officer! Don't worry, as long as we are good, I will definitely make sure you don't have to work so hard anymore! I will ask my dad to promote you!"
Zhang Xin approached the bar counter, and Tao Ziwen quickly stepped aside to give her space.
Cheng Yuwan asked Tao Ziwen and Zhang Xin with annoyance, "What would you two like to order?"
Zhang Xin replied, "Do you have whiskey? I want to drink with Ziwen Ge!"
Cheng Yuwan deliberately responded, "This is a café, not a bar. We don't have whiskey!"
"Ziwen Ge, how about we switch to another place?" Zhang Xin said as she linked her arm with Tao Ziwen's playfully.
"Sure, sure!"
With a wry smile, Tao Ziwen was led out of the café by Zhang Xin. He turned back to Cheng Yuwan for help, but she looked at him with a resigned expression and couldn't help but laugh.
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