An De was surprised and exclaimed, "General Yi!?"
"He hasn't arrived yet!"
Yi Qingju paused and turned around gracefully, running her fingers through her hair. "You should have told me earlier. You scared me."
An De glanced at her foot with concern and said, "Your foot..."
Yi Qingju waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, it's just a minor sprain. Take me inside to see the new batch of piglets."
To prevent swine fever, the pig farm operated under strict biosecurity measures. The employees had to shower four times a day and were not allowed to eat pork from other farms, all in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease into the pig sheds.
With An De's assistance, Yi Qingju underwent a full-body disinfection and put on protective clothing before entering.
"Cough, let me introduce you all. This is our boss."
"Just call her General Yi."
The workers who were busy with their tasks looked at her with curiosity.
Due to the outbreak of swine fever, many workers were worried that the boss wouldn't be able to pay their wages, so they no longer saw a promising future in this industry. As a result, most of them had left, leaving only a few elderly workers.
The majority of the current workers were recently hired.
Seeing this, everyone obediently greeted, "Hello, General Yi."
Yi Qingju nodded.
While inspecting the isolated piglets, she lowered her voice and asked, "What's going on with Qi's Group?"
An De looked embarrassed.
"It's actually my fault. The factory had been providing breeding pigs to Qi's livestock department, but they refused them after the outbreak of the disease. That day, I went to Qi's Group to ask if they were interested in buying the pig farm from me at a low price."
"But... maybe I acted in haste and hoped that they would help me based on our previous cooperation. It just happened that after you, General Yi, talked to me about the collaboration, Qi's Group called and said they were willing to buy my pig farm."
"But I had already agreed with you, so I couldn't go back on my word. After I refused, they started digging into the identity of the person behind the scenes. I guessed it wouldn't be convenient for you to reveal your identity."
"I didn't expect... they wouldn't give up."
Upon hearing this, Yi Qingju frowned.
Qi's Group was a big company, and if they really wanted to acquire a pig farm, they would have plenty of options. Why were they so fixated on hers?
Could it be that they were not used to being rejected and were now getting angry?
At this point, Yi Qingju hadn't realized how much attention her newly established pig farm had attracted in this world plagued by swine fever. She couldn't escape the sharp business instincts and the focused attention of Qi Weiran.
"Did they say when they would arrive?" Yi Qingju asked.
An De checked the time and replied, "They'll be here at ten o'clock. They said they're coming for a visit."
Yi Qingju sneered.
A visit, my foot. They clearly want to learn from us.
Due to the recent incident at the banquet, Yi Qingju had become a target of public scrutiny. Every time she went out, she had to keep a low profile.
She put on a cap, a mask, and a pair of thick-framed glasses that made her eyes look smaller. She borrowed an ordinary set of clothes from a female worker at the farm.
"I don't believe anyone will recognize me as Yi Qingju like this."
As Yi Qingju made her way to the reception room, an idea suddenly occurred to her.
"An De, did you offend anyone when Sun Jie was in the hospital?"
The question seemed rather peculiar, and An De couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety. He waved his hand dismissively, saying, "That's impossible. We were in the ward the whole time. After our son arrived and my wife finished her IV drip, we left directly."
An De's words were filled with panic.
Yi Qingju smiled and said, "I was just wondering. There was a male nurse in the hospital that day who offended someone by fabricating lies. It just crossed my mind."
An De let out a sigh of relief. He had been frightened by the mention of it.
"But now that you mention it, General Yi, I do remember something. Was he thin and tall, quite handsome?"
Yi Qingju was taken aback. "You know him, An De?"
An De shook his head, opened the door to the reception room, and gestured for Yi Qingju to enter.
"When we were leaving, my son saw a nurse who looked somewhat like you, so I took a second look."
"That male nurse was talking excitedly to that person at the time, so it left a deep impression on me."
Yi Qingju suddenly realized.
[My guess was correct. That male nurse was sent by Yi Bingmei to sow discord.]
[However, she only overheard the conversation between Tuanzi and their child that day. She didn't know about the pig farm. Why would she want to slander An De's family?]
Little Jiji, who was hiding in Yi Qingju's bag, shook its head in confusion. [I don't know either. What is this woman thinking?]
...
Qi's Group lived up to its reputation. They were punctual to the minute. When it was ten o'clock, they arrived without a second's delay.
Yi Qingju breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the two well-dressed men.
Good, they weren't people she knew.
Although the only person she knew was Wan Sui.
"Hello, I am Yan, the head of the breeding department at Qi's Group," said one of the men.
An De's eyes flickered with a moment of confusion.
Where did Director Wei go? Why was there a replacement?
Yi Qingju lowered her voice and shook hands with him. "Hello, I am the owner of Second Brother's pig farm. My surname is Qi."
Upon hearing this surname, both men's expressions visibly changed.
Seeing their astonished looks, Yi Qingju's eyes, hidden behind thick lenses, curved with a smile. "This Qi is not the same as that Qi. I'm just an ordinary person."
Although she said that, the two men began to regard the unremarkable pig farm owner before them with newfound respect.
The corners of Yi Qingju's mouth, hidden behind her mask, curled up.
[No wonder those petty people in TV dramas always like to act tough. It works like a charm.]
[Hello, I am surnamed Qi, name Deceive.]
However, what the two men didn't expect was that this Mr. Qi, faced with unwelcoming visitors, didn't shy away. He generously showed them the preventive measures for preventing swine fever, even taking them to see the pigsties.
Meanwhile, outside the pig farm, a luxurious and understated Elfa business van pulled up.
The car window rolled down, allowing the unmistakable scent of pigs to waft in. Wan Sui turned her head and said with restraint, "Sir, Director Yan went in personally. It's better if you don't go in."
Qi Weiran, who also caught a whiff of that odor, nodded.
About five minutes later, Wan Sui received a call from Director Yan, and his expression visibly changed after hearing the content.
"Sir, Director Yan mentioned something worth investigating."
Qi Weiran cast a glance at Wan Sui.
Wan Sui's expression turned serious. "That behind-the-scenes boss, surname Qi."
Qi Weiran's eyebrows twitched. "The Qi's Group's collateral branches have all been wiped out."
Wan Sui nodded, looking somewhat puzzled. "That's also something I can't figure out. According to Director Yan, this Mr. Qi doesn't shy away from protective technology and generously allowed them to have a thorough visit."
"It seems like..." Wan Sui's eyes behind the lenses grew heavy.
After pondering for a few seconds, Qi Weiran spoke up. "You're right. Overconfidence is a major taboo. There might still be some fish that slipped through the net."
Wan Sui nodded. "I'll investigate this matter promptly."
Qi Weiran closed his eyes, feeling a sense of disgust towards those wolf-like collateral branches of the Qi's Group. His curiosity about the true face of that person faded in an instant.
"Let's go."
Wan Sui asked, "Back to the mountain villa?"
Qi Weiran shook his head, his tone indifferent. "We're going to Feng Yisheng's place."
He wanted to figure out what exactly went wrong with himself.
The driver slowly drove away, and in that split second when the car window slid up, Wan Sui caught a glimpse of something and suddenly froze.
"Sir, look at that car. It seems to be Madam's."
