CH 224

Lin Chen didn’t know when he fell asleep or if he had slept at all, but he was awakened by a phone call.

In a daze, he picked up his phone and glanced at it. Outside, the weather was gloomy, casting a hazy blue hue.

Lin Chen didn’t answer the phone right away because he didn’t recognize the number. He checked the time and realized that Xing Conglian, Wang Chao, and Huang Ze still hadn’t returned.

He suddenly became alert and hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button and sitting up in his hospital bed.

“Hello, Mr. Lin… This is Zhan… Zhan… The person you left your number with yesterday.”

Lin Chen quickly pictured the young man’s anxious face and rubbed his eyes, exhaling deeply. “Hello, Mr. Zhan, what can I do for you?”

“I’ve run into a problem, but I don’t know who to talk to. I… I…”

“Is it a problem with your factory’s emulsifier?”

There were noises and voices in the background of the phone call, including footsteps and car honks.

“What happened?”

“I… I checked our factory’s emulsifier last night, and I couldn’t find any impurities. I want to talk to Zhourui’s people about this problem to find out what’s going on and how we can solve it.”

Lin Chen didn’t know why Mr. Zhan called him specifically for this issue, but he patiently replied, “It’s only 7 in the morning. Even if you contact the person in charge now, it’s unlikely that the problem can be solved so quickly. You might have to wait a bit longer.”

“No, no, Mr. Lin, I’ve been calling Zhourui’s Pharmaceutical contacts all night. I even went through my dad’s contact list, but no one told me what’s going on. Some people blocked me after I called them twice. There must be something wrong, right?”

“It could be related to business reasons. It’s hard to say. Also, did you call them in the middle of the night?”

“I… I really don’t know what to do…”

Mr. Xiao Zhan hesitated, and Lin Chen didn’t know how to advise him either. He felt that Mr. Xiao Zhan calling him about this matter was already awkward enough.

Sighing, Lin Chen asked, “So, why did you call me specifically for this matter?”

“It’s like this, Mr. Lin… Today, there’s a promotion event for Zhourui’s Pharmaceutical’s new drug, Nordron. Can you… Can you help me by accompanying me to the event?”

Lin Chen was even more surprised by this request. Although he had called Xing Conglian yesterday to express his interest in attending the event, after everything that happened with Shen Lian and last night, he had almost forgotten about it. So now, Mr. Xiao Zhan’s sudden request caught him off guard. “Why me?”

“I saw what you said at the hospital gate… It was online… I just thought you…”

“You think I’m good at talking and can help you argue?” Lin Chen felt that this reason was too reasonable.

“No, no, I really can’t find anyone. I’m sorry…” Mr. Xiao Zhan’s voice was almost crying. “Although Zhourui is not our biggest customer, I’m really afraid that Zhourui Pharmaceutical will sue us. With Chairman Zhan already like this, I really need to know where the problem is before they will replace us suppliers.”

Xiao Zhan’s tone was servile, but it didn’t make people feel any disgust. Lin Chen sighed deeply, but suddenly thought of something. He felt that at that moment, there seemed to be something that could connect everything together.

Lin Chen raised his voice slightly and said, “Wait, what did you say?”

“Huh?”

“Zhourui Pharmaceutical replaced their suppliers? What happened?”

“I don’t know what happened. Before, I called several uncles and aunts to help us talk to Zhourui Pharmaceutical…”

“And then?”

“One of the uncles specializes in raw materials, and he said they had been replaced by Zhourui a long time ago. We were the last supplier to be replaced.”

Lin Chen’s heart was beating very fast. Although he didn’t know where the problem was as it was understandable to switch suppliers, but if they started replacing suppliers a long time ago, then there must be some unspeakable problems…

“Do you know how to drive?” Lin Chen suddenly asked.

“Huh?”

“Come to the Municipal Hospital and pick me up.”

Lin Chen hung up the phone.

He got up and walked around the ward for two laps, picked up his phone, and dialed Xing Conglian’s number.

“What’s wrong, baby? Are you awake?” Xing Conglian’s tone was overly sweet, and he had never called him those words before*. But Lin Chen suddenly realized that Xing Conglian was probably with Huang Ze now, so he was acting mushy.

*Clarity: He’s calling Lin Chen baby/babe/darling/sweetie/ect. [baobei] (宝贝) which is generally used between couples or children.

“What about Wang Chao?”

“Wang Chao has been helping to adjust vehicle data at the Transportation Department. The files you wanted will be delivered later.”

“What about you?”

“That big idiot Huang Ze and I are conducting surveillance at the bureau.” It seemed Xing Conglian had no scruples towards Inspector Huang’s feelings as he said “idiot” so straightforwardly.

“The information in the Duan Yang beanbag?”

“We found it last night,” Xing Conglian answered decisively.

Lin Chen hesitated for a moment and finally asked, “Wang Chao is still at the Transportation Department, and you’re still conducting surveillance, so Shen Lian…”

“We haven’t caught her yet.”

“How is it possible to have no clues?” Lin Chen asked.

“It seems she planned for this day a long time ago, so she has already prepared her escape route,” Xing Conglian said.

“If she really planned so far ahead, then although the route may be hidden, there should be traces that can be followed. She should have a destination and can’t just escape aimlessly. People like Shen Lian should know that the longer they stay exposed to the sun, the more likely they are to be discovered.”

“Yes, but now the capture of Shen Lian is being carried out in secret. According to your statement, we still have a chance to make her let her guard down and think that we are not targeting her, and then see if there is a chance to trick her into exposing her tail,” Xing Conglian said.

“Understood.” Lin Chen hesitated for a moment, and finally said, “I want to go to the new drug promotion conference of Zhourui Pharmaceutical later.”

The other end of the phone fell silent, with only noisy background sounds. It was apparent that Xing Conglian was presiding over the entire surveillance operation. He considered for a moment and said, “I can’t leave right now, but I’ll arrange for a police officer to accompany you.”

Lin Chen appreciated Captain Xing’s straightforwardness and smiled. He lowered his head and said to the person on the other end of the phone, “No need. He’s the son of a raw material supplier of Zhourui that I met yesterday. He just called me and revealed a situation. Zhourui Pharmaceutical has been gradually replacing suppliers for a long time, so there may be some problems involved, which is why I want to go to the promotion conference and see what’s so special about Nordren that Zhourui has put so much effort into promoting.”

“Okay, be careful.”

“Don’t worry.”

……

Although Mr. Xiao Zhan was soft-spoken, he was highly effective.

After a quick wash downstairs, Lin Chen saw Mr. Xiao Zhan waiting for him in a dusty gray Jetta parked outside the hospital.

“Mr. Lin, my… My car isn’t good. Please don’t hold it against me.”

Lin Chen looked at the dust on the car, which looked exactly like the dust on Xing Conglian’s Jeep, and said, “It’s okay, I’m used to it.”

Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s new drug promotion conference was held at the Hongjing Intercontinental Hotel.

The conference was supposed to start at exactly nine, but half an hour before that, the lobby of the hotel was already bustling.

There were industry elites dressed neatly, as well as elderly residents from nearby neighborhoods who looked quite ordinary.

Some of the elderly people were limping with crutches, but with hopeful eyes, they looked at the guide signs of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s new promotion conference in the lobby. This reminded Lin Chen of the scene when he first met with Duan Yang, who took him to the hospital to see some things.

Mr. Xiao Jan touched him and asked puzzledly, “Mr. Lin, what’s wrong? Let’s go this way.”

Lin Chen looked at Mr. Xiao Jan’s face and felt a sense of unspeakable nostalgia. “Nothing, just thinking about something.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just that suddenly I realized that drugs are a good thing.”

“Of course, drugs are good.” Mr. Xiao Jan became excited when it came to his profession. “If it weren’t for generation after generation of drug research and development, it would be impossible for Chairman Zhan to survive his problems ten years ago. But now, there shouldn’t be any major problem with maintaining his life.”

“Yes.”

They walked and talked, quickly arriving at the promotion hall. To be honest, this was the first time Lin Chen had attended a pharmaceutical enterprise promotion event. The atmosphere was similar to that of a common academic conference, with scholars, doctors smelling of disinfectant, and even some college or graduate students.

However, when they arrived at the entrance, Lin Chen realized one of the most important issues.

Two security personnel were checking invitation letters at the entrance of the promotion event. Lin Chen looked at Mr. Xiao Zhan and then at the entrance.

Mr. Xiao Zhan said in confusion, “Why are we not going in, Mr. Lin?”

Lin Chen asked, “How do we get in?”

“Huh?”

Lin Chen said helplessly, “Did you bring your invitation letter?”

Mr. Xiao Zhan suddenly realized. “Consultant Lin, even if I’m stupid, I won’t forget this!”

“I’m sorry, but please keep your voice down.” Lin Chen shook his head and led him to a corner.

Mr. Xiao Zhan quickly took out the crumpled invitation letter, and Lin Chen noticed a woman standing in the corner of the promotion event, who looked quite domineering.

The woman was wearing professional attire, casually scanning the room, but her eyes were sharp like a hawk’s, indicating that she had extraordinary strength. She was the former head of security and current public relations manager at Zhourui Pharmaceutical, and the troublesome woman that Xing Conglian had encountered before. Even around the entire promotion event, there were seemingly casual security personnel who guarded the entrances and exits, as if they were guarding against something.

Even earlier, when Lin Chen and Mr. Xiao Zhan entered the event, they encountered bag checks and metal detectors.

For a normal pharmaceutical promotion event, this level of security was somewhat intriguing