Changing out of his formal attire, Xiao Lin stood in the hallway on the third floor with something in his hand. After being pulled into a drinking session by Xia Yusheng, he felt a little dizzy. He was waiting for Hua Qingyi. Alas, Secretary Luo's actions were astonishingly swift; he just stepped out of 'Sakura Snow Hall' and received a call from Elder Hua. It seemed that the other side was also quite anxious. The Wang family hadn't made any significant moves recently, likely wishing to avoid creating a commotion at this critical juncture. The Xia Family's land case could be reopened for investigation. Corruption and bribery were too common; relying solely on these was insufficient.

Supporting his dizzy head, he loosened his collar. Sake was delicious but best not consumed in excess. The alcohol's effects dissipated quickly but could still be bothersome for a while. A petite silhouette passed before his eyes, prompting Xiao Lin to lift his head suddenly. The figure had already entered a shop on his left-hand side.

"Niu Niu?" Xiao Lin, uncertain, followed her into the store. What was she doing here at this time?

In front of the counter, a small figure took a handmade item from her backpack and handed it to the staff, watching as those cute dolls were turned over in the hands of the girls, while she ignored him as a customer. Even in large enterprises, there would be occasional oversights, and whether or not to adhere to principles still relied on individual awareness.

He deliberately coughed twice, finally drawing someone to come over and inquire. He wandered to the counter, picked up one of the dolls and played with it, "Do you sell these here?"

"If big brother wants to buy, I can make you another one; these have already been claimed by the sisters." A cute voice sounded behind Xiao Lin.

"Oh, how much does it cost to make one?" Xiao Lin did not turn around but fixed his gaze on the staff.

"The small ones are 25 each, the larger ones are more expensive." A staff member awkwardly glanced at Xiao Lin and hurriedly ran to the little girl, stuffing money into her small bag.

"Niu Niu, go home for now; the sisters need to work."

"Okay!" Niu Niu nodded, sensibly reorganizing the money before placing it back into her backpack, "Sorry, big brother, for disturbing you." She bowed to Xiao Lin's back and ran out.

"Does this child come here often?" Xiao Lin asked one of the staff members.

"The dolls she makes are beautiful; people here often ask her to buy them, saying their mother needs a kidney transplant and their family lacks money."

After returning the doll to them, Xiao Lin left the store with his bag. Niu Niu's silhouette was no longer visible in the corridor on the third floor. Hua Qingyi was approaching from afar, still looking around for him.

"Did you just see a little girl about this tall?" Xiao Lin gestured to his thigh.

"No, what's up?" Hua Qingyi looked at Xiao Lin, puzzled.

"Nothing, just ran into Niu Niu."

"Oh, from the family that Young Master Qu got into an accident with."

"Yes! Let's go."

Elder Hua was surprisingly interested in having tea on East Street. Hua Qingyi parked the car at the tea house's entrance.

"I won't go in."

"It'll be more interesting together."

Upon entering the tea house, the aroma of tea greeted them. This place felt like a secluded escape from the world, slow and tranquil. No wonder people said, tea is a way, a place for self-cultivation. Xiao Lin quite liked this kind of environment, but not Hua Qingyi. He preferred mingling in bars rather than visiting such places for the elderly.

In a small courtyard labeled with Dongqing, Hua Muyun sat in a pavilion, facing a pond. The flow of water from the artificial mountain cycled into the small pond, and the splashing water caused ripples in the pool. It was a quite slow-paced scene, albeit a bit cold.

"You've arrived!" Secretary Luo took their coats, starting a charcoal fire in the house. Here, everything was old-fashioned and self-sustained, everything had to be done personally, otherwise you would just end up cold: "The elder has been waiting for a long time."

"Alright!" Just as Xiao Lin was about to enter, Secretary Luo stopped him.

"Wait a moment; he is taking a nap. He barely rested last night."

"We'll just wait outside." Xiao Lin casually found a place to sit down. The warmth from the charcoal fire made the room very cozy. Hua Qingyi paced around restlessly, the stillness here made him restless.

"Sit down and have a cup of tea to nourish your mind."

"I'd rather have coffee." Hua Qingyi unconsciously responded. He always grew restless with excessively quiet things, which was diametrically opposed to his personality. Outwardly, Hua Qingyi appeared to be a frenetic and frivolous person, but in reality, his calmness was his true nature.

Xiao Lin smiled lightly at him. A porcelain cup in his hand was easy to break with a squeeze; he drank slowly, savoring the sweetness that arose as the slightly bitter camellia entered his throat, his favorite part of the process. Coffee had a similar process, but compared to tea, coffee was much more intense.

"There's no problem on Xia Yusheng's side, and the Xia Family will be supported to get on track. If one wants to advance, one must still look at Uncle Hua's side. However, the Wang family, I must drag them into the water this time."

Secretary Luo had been standing by the side, slightly frowning at Xiao Lin's words.

"Brother Luo, say what you want."

"Currently, there is no evidence to prove that the Wang family has violated the law. Wang Zhanting has been actively cooperating with the organization department, so..."

"Brother Luo, do you remember last year's Xia Family land purchase?"

Wang Zhanting was an old fox, and during this crucial period, he maintained his work diligently. As long as there was no big disturbance, his reappointment might not be a problem. The leadership team would not change unless there was a significant issue.

"There was such a thing, but it was rejected due to entanglements with city construction." Secretary Luo recalled for a moment.

"What was the market price of that land at the time?"

"1.5 billion."

"The Xia Family spent 3 billion to purchase it." Xiao Lin raised his brows. The sale of state land relied on bidding, and the Xia Family spent twice the market price, which in itself conflicted with the land sale.

"Is the person who was in charge of this matter still in position now?"

"They have been transferred to a regional position." Secretary Luo was someone close to Hua Muyun and often represented the Hua Family. Matters not considered serious would not reach his level of attention from below.

"As expected," matching what he anticipated, fortunately, the person was still alive.

"Zhang Teng has already surfaced. I believe following this lead will soon yield new discoveries. Then I'd like Brother Luo's assistance in collecting some information on the land case for me."

"That's not a problem." Secretary Luo agreed readily, "May I ask one more thing, will Young Master Xiao's actions this time involve others?" (To be continued. If you like this work, please consider voting for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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