Chapter 83: Conspiracy

After Song Hui told Fu Chen about the reporters, the crowd downstairs soon began to disperse. Yet, to be safe, Yu Yunxi still chose to sneak up in the dead of night.

Yu Yunxi relayed, word for word, everything Lin Yu had said to her that day at the restaurant in Hong Kong Island.

“You’re not even surprised?!” Yu Yunxi stared at Song Hui, who seemed lost in thought, as if she had long expected Lin Yu to know about her pregnancy.

Song Hui sat on the soft sofa, her arms wrapped around her knees, a cute pink blanket draped over her, her hands rubbing anxiously.

“With Fu Chen’s means, he should have known by now. If he doesn’t, there’s only one reason: someone is hiding it from him.”

“And the only person daring to keep things from Fu Chen is Lin Yu.”

“Because he likes Lin Yiqing. He wouldn’t let me interfere and ruin Lin Yiqing’s prospects.”

Song Hui explained slowly to Yu Yunxi, who found it rather surprising that Lin Yu was fond of Lin Yiqing; it was curious that such a pair could still be close friends.

Yu Yunxi stretched her legs out on the carpet, looking up at Song Hui. “Then what could Lin Yu want us to help with?”

Song Hui sighed deeply and shook her head. “I don’t know, but I cannot let Fu Chen find out about the pregnancy.”

“But, doesn’t Lin Yu care about Lin Yiqing?”

“If it weren’t absolutely necessary, I doubt Lin Yu would resort to such measures.” Song Hui bit her lip; even if she racked her brain, she simply couldn’t guess what the matter could be.

Seeing Song Hui troubled, Yu Yunxi hesitated for a long time before speaking.

“Have you decided what to do with the baby?” she asked cautiously.

Song Hui instinctively touched her flat stomach, helplessly replying, “I’ve been thinking about it for days. I’ll have to abort it, but I’d like to keep it a little longer.”

“Actually... you could terminate the pregnancy. Then, even if Lin Yu tells Fu Chen, it wouldn’t matter.”

“No. You don’t understand Fu Chen. If he finds out I aborted the baby without telling him, I dread what might happen,” Song Hui said, waving her hands in panic, fear flickering across her face.

Yu Yunxi was at a loss. Neither path was viable, so they could only agree to Lin Yu’s terms.

She lay on the carpet in defeat, staring blankly at the ceiling, muttering, “Then we have no choice but to agree to Lin Yu.”

Song Hui’s eyes darkened. “No, it’s only me—not us.”

“I don’t want you to get involved.”

Yu Yunxi was immediately displeased. She sat up from the carpet, leaning against the sofa, glaring at Song Hui with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“This isn’t just about you. I’m thinking about the magazine too.”

“Yunxi, this isn’t a game. This must be serious. Don’t sacrifice yourself for the magazine,” Song Hui looked at her worriedly, genuinely reluctant to drag anyone else down.

Yu Yunxi looked back at Song Hui, her tone resolute. “When I chose journalism, I never intended to live a simple, ordinary life. When I have the power, I’ll expose society’s darkness.”

“Now that I have such a chance to get close to that world, how could I give it up?”

Song Hui knew she couldn’t persuade Yu Yunxi. Everyone has their own obsession, not easily swayed by others’ words.

“Alright, but if anything happens, you must consult me first,” Song Hui cautioned her uneasily.

“No problem!”

————————————

The next day, Song Hui called Lin Yu to express her intentions.

They agreed to meet at a discreet little teahouse at noon.

“I knew you’d agree,” Lin Yu said smugly, surprised that Song Hui responded so quickly.

Song Hui had no patience for pleasantries and went straight to the point. “Just tell me, what is it?”

Lin Yu poured her a cup of tea, smiling. “No need to rush. We’ll have plenty of chances to meet.”

Song Hui looked at him impatiently, unable to read his intentions. Her irritation rose, and her voice grew sharper.

“Lin Yu, if we’re going to work together, show some sincerity. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“Actually, this is something Fu Chen should be doing himself. But he’s too embarrassed to handle it directly, so he asked me to use special means.”

A shrewd glint flashed in Lin Yu’s eyes, his face full of the cunning of a businessman.

“We need you to monitor the Shen family’s every move—ideally, get some business secrets.”

Song Hui’s pupils contracted rapidly. She asked warily, “What are you planning?”

Lin Yu sipped his tea and smiled. “What else? Of course, to take over the Shen family.”

Song Hui hadn’t expected them to be so ambitious. Even if the Shen family’s status was below that of the Lin and Fu families, they were still influential in South City. It wouldn’t be so easy to swallow them up—such a notion was fanciful.

“So you’re confident you can take them over? Be careful you don’t end up hurting yourselves,” Song Hui said with a hint of disdain.

Lin Yu crossed his legs, giving a wicked smile. “Song Hui, you really don’t understand the Shen family. How could you dare to replace Shen Huaixin so confidently?”

Song Hui had no way to learn about the Shen family back then, and after marrying into the Fu family, investigating her own family was out of the question.

“I would appreciate your guidance, Mr. Lin,” Song Hui replied coldly, expressionless.

Lin Yu laughed twice, replying leisurely, “The Shen family is already a Titanic.”

Song Hui looked at him, puzzled. He continued, “It’s about to hit an iceberg; now it’s just shining in its last glory.”

“The Shen family has been launching new projects year after year, taking bigger and bigger bank loans. They’re already running at a deficit.”

Song Hui hadn’t realized this. During the previous crisis, Fu Chen had invested several hundred million into the Shen family. Surely it shouldn’t sink so easily?

“Fu Chen injected billions before—didn’t that cover the losses?”

Lin Yu scoffed. “Do you think Fu Chen is a fool? He took ten percent of the shares for those billions. He was only making the ship sink faster.”

“The Shen family only dares to throw money into new projects after getting cash flow, but who knows when any of those projects will see a return?”

Song Hui nodded thoughtfully. Suddenly, Lin Yu leaned in and whispered, “Tell me, at such a time, if any project fails, the whole cash flow collapses. What will they do to save themselves?”

Song Hui stared at him in disbelief. “They’ll be acquired, or declare bankruptcy.”