Chapter 532: The Collaboration with Xinrui
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The caller was Jiang Man, also a member of the lab and Zhao Min’s roommate.
“Yesterday, you called her, and she said she was going back to the company to do an experiment. But this morning, I woke up and found she hadn’t returned. I tried calling her, but her phone was off. She never turns off her phone. I… I’m worried something happened to her,” Jiang Man said anxiously.
Song Fan remembered Jiang Man as a quiet girl who usually kept to herself in the lab. In the days Song Fan had been there, Jiang Man had spoken less than ten sentences to her. Now, her sudden outburst of words showed her genuine concern.
Song Fan checked the time; it was almost six o’clock. Zhao Min should have returned home hours ago if she had finished her experiment by eleven last night.
“Jiang Man, don’t worry. I’ll head to the company right now. Maybe she’s still in the lab,” Song Fan reassured her, although she knew the chances were slim.
Because many experiments in the lab ran 24 hours, everyone’s phone was linked to the corresponding monitoring system. If a problem arose, they needed to respond promptly, so turning off phones was not an option. Something must have happened.
As Song Fan finished dressing and prepared to leave, Gu Chen’s door opened. “Where are you going so early?”
After a night of rest, Gu Chen looked much better, his complexion rosy.
Song Fan walked over, checked his pulse to ensure he was fine, then said, “Zhao Min might be in trouble. I asked her to go to the lab yesterday to make your antidote, but she hasn’t returned to her dormitory. I’m going to the company to check.”
“I’ll go with you,” Gu Chen said, already grabbing his coat from the rack.
“No, you stay home and rest. I can handle it,” Song Fan insisted, not wanting him to get involved, but Gu Chen was adamant.
“What if you need to check the surveillance or use personnel? After all, you’re not officially Mrs. Gu yet,” he teased with a smirk.
Song Fan rolled her eyes dramatically and headed downstairs, noting that Gu Chen’s skin seemed thicker than a city wall.
They rushed to the lab, where they found Zhao Min absent, but the lab had been tidied up, indicating she had finished her work before leaving.
Gu Chen went to the security department. The surveillance showed Zhao Min leaving the company alone at midnight, without any signs of distress.
Song Fan repeatedly watched the footage, paying particular attention to a van that seemed suspicious. The street in front of the Gu Corporation was a no-parking zone, yet a van had been parked there. When Zhao Min left, the van also started moving.
However, the van drove out of the camera’s range, and she couldn’t see what happened next.
Not wanting to waste time, Song Fan quickly accessed her computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she hacked into nearby company surveillance systems to track Zhao Min’s movements.
Gu Chen, meanwhile, was on his phone, instructing his subordinates to help find Zhao Min. He watched Song Fan’s focused expression, realizing there were many facets to her he didn’t know.
Jiang Man arrived at the lab, her breath labored from running. “Miss Song, any news about Zhao Min? I called a few of her friends, but no one knows where she is.”
Despite her breathlessness, Jiang Man quickly continued, “I remember she mentioned someone from Xinrui approached her. After Wu Yong’s incident, Xinrui tried to recruit her. Do you think they might have…”
Though she couldn’t finish her sentence due to severe coughing, Song Fan understood. Clearly, Zhao Min had refused Xinrui’s offer, and Jiang Man feared they might have kidnapped her.
At that moment, Gu Hai entered the lab, surprised to see Gu Chen there.
He quickly masked his surprise with a smile. “Gu Chen, perfect timing. I have a major collaboration to discuss with you!”
Gu Chen merely stared, not responding. If it were truly a significant collaboration, why bring it to the lab instead of discussing it in the office? But he didn’t expose Gu Hai, instead indicating with a look for him to continue.
Although dissatisfied with Gu Chen’s attitude, Gu Hai’s excitement about the potential collaboration kept him cheerful. “You know, Gu Zhuo is about to get engaged to Xu Wen. Our families will soon be united, and the Xu Family has invested in Xinrui. They want to collaborate with us.”
“Xinrui again?” Jiang Man’s eyes widened. She fell silent, casting a panicked look at Song Fan.
Song Fan remained composed. “Is Xinrui interested in acquiring the formula for Gu Corporation’s old anti-tumor drug?”