Chen Yan remained in the Capital for three full days.
During that time, he met with numerous people and carefully verified a large amount of intelligence.
Although the information Uncle Li had given him was already extremely detailed, there were still certain things he needed to confirm personally.
One afternoon, he drove to the location of the old Chen Family estate.
The grand villa that had once symbolized the family’s glory had long since been sold off and transformed into a luxury private club. Expensive sports cars now filled the driveway.
Chen Yan stood quietly across the street, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar gates.
Back then, two large scholar trees had stood at the entrance. During summer, he would run beneath them catching cicadas as a child.
Now, the trees were gone.
In their place stood neatly trimmed evergreen hedges.
He remained there silently for a long time before finally turning away.
Afterward, he drove to his father’s grave.
The cemetery lay deep within the western mountains outside the Capital, hidden in a quiet and remote location.
After his father’s death, almost everyone who had once surrounded the Chen Family had immediately distanced themselves. In the end, it was Uncle Li who personally arranged the burial site.
Chen Yan climbed the mountain path alone.
After more than half an hour, he finally arrived before a small stone grave marker.
The tombstone was simple and unadorned.
Only a few words were carved into it:
The Grave of Chen Zhengyuan.
The space for the person who erected the monument had been left blank.
Chen Yan stood there silently for a long time.
Cold mountain wind swept through the forest.
Slowly crouching down, he reached out and gently touched the engraved name on the stone.
“Dad, I’m back.”
His voice was quiet, almost afraid to disturb the stillness around him.
“In these past ten years, I never came to visit you. I’m sorry.”
“But I never forgot.”
“I never forgot your death. Or Mom’s.”
“I remembered it every single day.”
He slowly straightened and looked quietly at the tombstone.
“The Zhou Family is still operating in the shadows. And now, they’ve crossed paths with me again.”
“This time… I won’t run anymore.”
Chen Yan took a photograph from his coat pocket and carefully placed it before the grave.
It was a picture of Su Qingyuan.
In the photo, she stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, sunlight shining across her face as she smiled faintly.
Her eyes were bright and beautiful.
“Dad,” Chen Yan said softly, “her name is Su Qingyuan. She’s the person I care about.”
“When everything is over, I’ll bring her here to see you.”
He stayed there quietly until sunset painted the mountains gold before finally turning to leave.
Halfway down the mountain, his phone vibrated.
It was a message from Su Qingyuan.
【How are things going on your side?】
Looking at the message, a faint smile appeared on Chen Yan’s face.
【Almost finished. How about you?】
Her reply came quickly.
【The vice presidents in the company have started causing trouble internally. After hearing about the supply chain crisis, they’re trying to use this opportunity to seize power.】
Chen Yan’s gaze darkened slightly.
【Do you need me to do anything?】
A few seconds later:
【No need. I can handle it myself.】
Chen Yan chuckled quietly at the response.
He knew very well how capable Su Qingyuan was.
Even so, he still typed another message instinctively.
【Don’t overwork yourself. Eat on time.】
After a short pause, her reply appeared.
【Understood.】
Just one word.
Yet Chen Yan stared at it for quite a while.
On the fourth day, Chen Yan finally met the person he had been searching for.
Zhou Mingyuan.
Back when the Chen Family was still thriving, Zhou Mingyuan had served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. After the Chen Family collapsed, he had become the very first person to publicly accuse Chen Zhengyuan of financial fraud.
Now, according to Chen Yan’s investigation, Zhou Mingyuan had already joined the Zhou Family and risen to the position of Vice President of Finance. His wealth had grown enormously over the years.
Chen Yan waited outside Zhou Mingyuan’s private villa the entire afternoon.
As evening fell, a luxury sedan finally entered the driveway.
The moment Zhou Mingyuan stepped out of the car and saw Chen Yan standing there, his entire body froze.
For three full seconds, he could not move.
Then all the color drained from his face.
“You…”
“Uncle Zhou,” Chen Yan greeted calmly, “it’s been a long time.”
Zhou Mingyuan’s lips trembled violently.
“Xiao… Xiao Yan?”
Chen Yan nodded once.
Zhou Mingyuan instinctively stumbled backward until his back slammed against the car door.
“How are you still…”
“Still alive?” Chen Yan finished for him calmly. “Did my survival disappoint you?”
Zhou Mingyuan’s face turned deathly pale.
“What… what do you want?”
Chen Yan looked at him quietly.
“Nothing complicated. I just want answers.”
Zhou Mingyuan swallowed hard.
“What answers?”
“Back then,” Chen Yan said coldly, “who ordered you to betray my father?”
Zhou Mingyuan’s pupils shrank instantly.
“I… I don’t know what you mean.”
Chen Yan took a slow step forward.
Zhou Mingyuan wanted to retreat again, but the car behind him blocked his escape.
“Uncle Zhou,” Chen Yan said evenly, “how did my father treat you?”
Zhou Mingyuan opened his mouth but could not speak.
“You worked for the Chen Family for fifteen years. My father personally promoted you from a junior accountant to Chief Financial Officer. Your salary was the highest in the industry.”
“When your son studied abroad, my father paid for everything.”
“When your mother was hospitalized, he personally visited her.”
“You called him Brother Chen.”
“I called you Uncle Zhou.”
“Every holiday, my mother personally made dumplings for you.”
Chen Yan’s voice remained frighteningly calm.
“And yet the moment he encountered trouble, you were the first to stand up and accuse him of fraud.”
“The evidence used against him came from you, didn’t it?”
Zhou Mingyuan lowered his head deeply into the shadows.
“Tell me one thing,” Chen Yan continued. “Did you betray him willingly… or were you forced?”
Silence filled the driveway.
After a long time, Zhou Mingyuan slowly raised his head.
His eyes were already red.
“Xiao Yan…” His voice trembled badly. “I’m sorry to your father.”
Chen Yan remained silent.
“But I had no choice,” Zhou Mingyuan said painfully. “They kidnapped my son. If I refused to cooperate, they would’ve killed him.”
Chen Yan stared at him steadily.
“Who?”
Zhou Mingyuan hesitated.
“Uncle Zhou,” Chen Yan said quietly, “my father treated you like family. Is this really how you chose to repay him?”
Zhou Mingyuan’s entire body shook violently.
Finally, after struggling for a long time, he spoke the name.
“Zhou Jianguo.”
Chen Yan’s eyes instantly turned cold.
Zhou Jianguo.
The current head of the Zhou Family.
And the man his father had trusted the most.
“So it really was him.”
Zhou Mingyuan nodded frantically.
“He planned everything from the beginning. The Zhou Family wanted to swallow the Chen Family whole. Your father trusted him too much.”
“He used that trust to create the debt trap, then arranged for anonymous reports to expose the fake accounts.”
“The evidence used against your father was forged by Zhou Jianguo’s people. I only altered the numbers according to his instructions.”
His voice gradually broke apart.
“I know I betrayed your father. For ten years, I haven’t slept peacefully for a single night. Every time I close my eyes, I see him standing in front of me.”
He looked desperately at Chen Yan.
“Xiao Yan, you can hate me. But you need to understand, Zhou Jianguo is far more terrifying than you think. You can’t fight him alone.”
Chen Yan looked at him calmly.
“Who told you I’m alone?”
Zhou Mingyuan froze.
Chen Yan turned and began walking away.
After several steps, he suddenly stopped.
“Uncle Zhou,” he said quietly without turning around, “my father knew about your son.”
Zhou Mingyuan went completely rigid.
“He once told me that if someone ever used your son to threaten you, then you should cooperate without hesitation. He said he would protect your family himself.”
Zhou Mingyuan’s body shook violently.
As Chen Yan disappeared into the darkness, the middle-aged man slowly collapsed to the ground, covering his face as suppressed sobs finally burst out.
Chen Yan continued walking through the cold night.
Those words had indeed been spoken by his father.
It happened one month before the Chen Family collapsed.
At the time, Chen Yan had been too young to understand.
But now he finally did.
His father had known about the trap long before it closed around him.
Yet he chose not to resist.
Because even at the very end, he still wanted to protect the people around him.
Chen Yan slowly raised his eyes toward the dark night sky.
No stars could be seen through the heavy clouds.
In his mind appeared the image of his father, always smiling warmly and gently.
That man had ultimately sacrificed himself to protect everyone else.
“Dad,” Chen Yan murmured softly, “you protected them back then.”
“Now it’s my turn to protect the person I want to protect.”
On the fifth day, Chen Yan prepared to leave the Capital.
Before departing, he met with Uncle Li one final time.
Uncle Li handed him another thick confidential file containing every illegal transaction tied to Zhou Jianguo.
“Be careful,” the old man warned gravely. “Zhou Jianguo is ruthless. Once he confirms your whereabouts, he’ll use every method possible to eliminate you.”
Chen Yan nodded calmly.
“I know.”
Uncle Li sighed helplessly.
“You really are exactly like your father. Once you decide on something, nobody can stop you.”
Chen Yan smiled faintly.
“It runs in the family.”
Uncle Li finally laughed.
“If anything happens, contact me immediately.”
Chen Yan walked toward the door, then suddenly stopped.
“Uncle Li.”
“Hm?”
“Thank you.”
The old man looked confused.
“For what?”
“For arranging my father’s burial,” Chen Yan said sincerely. “And for protecting his secret all these years.”
Uncle Li fell silent.
Finally, he spoke softly.
“He was my brother. As long as I’m alive, I won’t let his death go unanswered.”
Chen Yan nodded once before leaving.
By the time his car entered the expressway, night had already fallen again.
He sent Su Qingyuan a short message.
【I’ll arrive tomorrow.】
This time, her reply came almost instantly.
【Understood. I’ll personally cook for you when you return.】
Chen Yan stared at the message and laughed quietly.
Cook for him?
He immediately remembered the mountain of dirty dishes she once left in the sink, the expired milk filling the refrigerator, and the burnt dumplings she had attempted to make before.
Smiling helplessly, he sent another reply.
【Leave the cooking to me.】
A few seconds later, Su Qingyuan replied with a single word.
【Hmph.】
Chen Yan stared at the message for a long moment, the smile in his eyes growing warmer.