The Golden Wind Hotel, Shanghai.
Sun Zheng returned, dusty from his journey, and was greeted by a welcoming party of disciples from the Medicine Sect.
"Patriarch, you've finally returned."
Sun He hurried to Sun Zheng's car, opened the door for him, and greeted him respectfully.
Upon Sun Zheng's return, Sun He breathed a sigh of relief.
With the Sun family in crisis and the auction postponed, the celebrities in the hotel had grown impatient. The morale of the Medicine Sect, which had finally been stabilized, began to waver again.
During the half hour that Sun He struggled to maintain the situation, many Medicine Sect disciples had already secretly fled, and some prominent families had begun to target the Sun family, seeking to seize their assets.
When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when a wall collapses, everyone pushes.
The Sun family was now like a collapsing building!
Sun He was on the verge of collapse. Sun Zheng's return was like sending charcoal in the snow!
Sun Zheng was still angry about the matter with Qing Mu. His face was extremely grim as he asked Sun He in a deep voice, "What is the current situation?"
Seeing the unusual expression on Sun Zheng's face, Sun He's heart skipped a beat. He said cautiously, "Mr. Kong and Miss Ye have both arrived, and the two parties have reached a cooperation. Everything is proceeding smoothly."
"However, there are significant problems within the Medicine Sect. The Dragon Department has dispatched troops to extinguish the fires, but there is still no news from the Ancestor."
"Still no news from the Ancestor?"
Upon hearing Sun He's words, Sun Zheng frowned slightly, a hint of worry flashing in the depths of his eyes. He then regained his composure and said, "The Ancestor is likely still in secluded cultivation, unaware of what has happened outside. The fires there cannot harm the Ancestor."
Sun Zheng bowed slightly, "As the Patriarch says, the guests are getting impatient. We should go inside first."
"I want to see Mr. Kong first!" Sun Zheng said, striding into the Golden Wind Hotel.
...
In the banquet hall, at the front row seats.
Ye Ling and the other two were led to the front row seats by Zhang Mingye. Beside Ye Ling was Ye Yi.
The atmosphere in the banquet hall was completely different from before.
The disciples of the Medicine Sect were subdued, while the guests whispered amongst themselves, with ninety percent of their discussions revolving around the Sun family manor.
This auction had lost its original flavor.
At this moment, Ye Yi sat down next to Ye Ling and asked with a smile, "Mr. Kong, have you rested well?"
"Yes, quite well," Ye Ling replied with a light chuckle. "I slept soundly. However, while I was resting, I heard that the Sun family seemed to have encountered some unfortunate events."
Ye Yi raised an eyebrow. "Does Mr. Kong not know what happened to the Sun family?"
Ye Ling said, "I know some parts, but I'm not very clear about what exactly happened to the Sun family. I only know that there was a fire, but the cause is unknown."
"Miss Ye, you are affiliated with the Red Dust Pavilion. Such a major event has occurred right under your noses, and you haven't investigated it yet?"
Ye Yi said, "We have investigated some things. Does Mr. Kong happen to be very interested in this matter?"
"Sun Bugui is my friend, after all. Naturally, I am concerned. If it's possible, I would ask Miss Ye to enlighten me."
"Alright," Ye Yi smiled. "From our current investigation, the attacker of the Sun family was a Qilin, but its motive is still unknown."
"Qilin? Then where is my friend Sun Bugui now?" Ye Ling asked, feigning anxiety.
Ye Yi shook her head. "His whereabouts are currently unknown. Our Red Dust Pavilion is still tracking the Qilin's movements, but judging by the extent of the destruction at the Sun family manor, Sun Bugui is likely beyond saving."
Ye Ling sighed deeply, a look of sorrow appearing in her eyes. "That is truly a pity... I didn't even get to see him one last time."
"Please accept my condolences, Mr. Kong."
"Mm..."
Feng Ke and Du Yameng, standing by, watched Ye Ling and Ye Yi chat idly and secretly marveled at Ye Ling's acting skills.
The culprit behind the destruction of the Sun family was none other than Ye Ling, yet he now acted as if he knew nothing, inquiring about every detail from Ye Yi, as if he were genuinely concerned about Sun Bugui's safety.
"Fake," Feng Ke muttered under her breath.
At this moment, Zhang Mingye hurried over and respectfully said to Ye Ling, "Mr. Kong, the Patriarch requests your presence backstage for a private discussion. He has important matters he wishes to consult you about."
"Important matters?" Ye Yi interjected from the side. "May I listen in?"
Zhang Mingye gave a wry smile. "Miss Ye... the Patriarch said that only Mr. Kong can come."
Ye Yi did not insist on Zhang Mingye's refusal. She narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Alright, then I won't disturb you."
With that, Ye Yi leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest.
Zhang Mingye felt immense pressure from Ye Yi and dared not speak loudly. He could only look at Ye Ling with a wry smile and gesture for him to proceed.
Both Ye Ling and Ye Yi were individuals whose status and position Zhang Mingye could not afford to offend. The longer he stayed there, the more tormented he felt!
Seeing Zhang Mingye's current state, a hint of amusement flashed in Ye Ling's eyes. He stood up and said, "Lead the way."
Zhang Mingye, relieved, quickly said, "Mr. Kong, please follow me."
As Zhang Mingye led Ye Ling backstage, Ye Yi, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them again.
She glanced at Feng Ke and Du Yameng, who were still seated beside her, then said nothing and stood up to leave.
Feng Ke watched Ye Yi's retreating back and whispered to Du Yameng, "Did she discover something? I have a feeling her gaze towards us just now was a bit off."
Du Yameng replied, "They just reached a cooperation with Ye Ling, and the person who could prove Kong Xuhan's identity is also missing. It's normal for them to be suspicious."
"However, judging by Ye Ling's performance just now, Ye Yi is only suspicious, with no evidence. As long as we don't slip up, there won't be any problems."
Feng Ke continued to ask, "What should we do now?"
Du Yameng advised, "It's best not to act rashly... Although I don't know how strong the Red Dust Pavilion is, judging by the Sun family's attitude towards Ye Yi, the Red Dust Pavilion is not someone we can afford to provoke."
"By doing nothing, we are providing the best help to Ye Ling."
"Sister Du, how do you know everything? There are so many twists and turns here, I can't understand it. It's too complicated."
Feng Ke scratched her head, truly unsure of how to handle the situation.
All she could see was Ye Ling impersonating Kong Xuhan, successfully deceiving the Red Dust Pavilion and the Sun family. She couldn't perceive the complex power struggles happening behind the scenes.
Du Yameng smiled and gently rubbed Feng Ke's head. "I am, after all, the successor of the Du family. The complexities of the business world are similar to this matter, so I can see through it."
"However, knowing is one thing, and being able to do it is another. Master Ye can impersonate Kong Xuhan with a straight face while simultaneously handling all unstable factors... With just this ability, even if Master Ye entered the business world, he would become a magnate!"
Feng Ke exclaimed, "He's that amazing?"
"Of course!" Du Yameng praised, her eyes beginning to sparkle with admiration for Ye Ling.
As a woman, she had long been captivated by Ye Ling's charm!