Chapter 19: Chapter 19: The Battle Between the CEO and the PolicewomanZhang Lu drove a police car to appear outside Chu Mengyao’s villa, where Xu Hu blocked her path.

    Their eyes clashed, emanating an aura of iron-bloodedness that radiated from their bodies, with a force that shook the heart and mind. Both came from special forces, and the inherent threat ingrained in their bones naturally collided, as if comparing strengths.

    A moment later, Xu Hu’s expression shrank as he realized Zhang Lu’s extraordinary nature. At the very least, the sharpness of Zhang Lu’s aura was something he couldn’t match. He was a special forces soldier, who had undertaken various dangerous missions, but he knew he could become even more outstanding, become a top elite, and execute confidential missions for the country. However, he gave up during the selection process, as he preferred to stay by Chu Mengyao’s side. This was the highest mission he had believed in since childhood.

    Zhang Lu glanced at Xu Hu with disdain and said, "The military trained you, yet you’re willing to give up such a promising future to come here as a guard. I don’t know what you’re thinking."

    Zhang Lu had done some research on Xu Hu. Originally, Xu Hu could have achieved greater accomplishments, but unfortunately, he gave it all up for a woman. This made Zhang Lu look down on him immensely.

    Not knowing Zhang Lu, Xu Hu adhered to his responsibility as a bodyguard and responded with a question instead, "What are you doing here? This isn’t a place you can just wander into. If the President doesn’t want to see you, you’d better leave early."

    Xu Hu stood in Zhang Lu’s way. Even the police wouldn’t dare to intrude on Chu Mengyao’s villa.

    "Want to spar a bit? You’re no match for me, so you’d better drop the idea early." Zhang Lu said indifferently. She didn’t want to get tangled up with Xu Hu, knowing someone like Chu Mengyao, a powerful figure in the business world, was not someone she could provoke easily. Therefore, she had already figured out a way to meet Chu Mengyao. Staring at Xu Hu, she said, "Get in touch with your President and tell them I know Zhao Shiyan."

    Zhao Shiyan was one of the few friends of Chu Mengyao. Zhang Lu also understood that breaking in would surely displease Chu Mengyao, making it impossible to meet with her, so she had to find another excuse.

    Xu Hu contacted Chu Mengyao inside the villa, and after Chu Mengyao agreed, he no longer obstructed Zhang Lu.

    "Why on earth is she coming to see the President? If I’m not wrong, she’s from a secret department. Even if it’s to investigate the Poisonous Spider matter, it shouldn’t concern the President." Xu Hu pondered, staring at the figure as it receded into the distance.

    Chu Mengyao opened the door and welcomed Zhang Lu into the villa.

    "Who are you? What’s your business with me?" Chu Mengyao got straight to the point. If Zhang Lu hadn’t mentioned Zhao Shiyan, she wouldn’t even have opened the door. She didn’t care about Zhang Lu’s background or identity, usually wouldn’t meet people like her.

    "I’m not here for you; I’m here for the man behind you." Zhang Lu was straightforward, her eyes burning intensely as they fixed on Ye Fan, disregarding Chu Mengyao, the businesswoman, entirely.

    Zhang Lu’s disdainful demeanor angered Chu Mengyao.

    "If I’m not mistaken, you’re the mysterious man who took care of those thugs like Ah San, suddenly appearing by Chu Mengyao’s side and helping resolve the company’s crisis." Zhang Lu had no evidence, just suspicion.

    Before Ye Fan could respond, Chu Mengyao, displeased, turned cold-faced, "I’m only meeting you because you know Zhao Shiyan; not just any random person gets to scrutinize my friends. As a police officer, your duty is to find the person who subdued the Poisonous Spider hitmen and offer them rewards, not to treat my friends like criminals."

    Zhang Lu was taken aback. She didn’t expect Chu Mengyao to defend a man so strongly and be so assertive, which contradicted what she knew. She had concrete evidence that Ye Fan and Chu Mengyao hadn’t known each other long. Otherwise, based on Chu Mengyao’s words, she would definitely have thought that Chu Mengyao and Ye Fan had been long-term friends.

    "President Chu, please don’t harbor such hostility towards me. I’m just doing my job impartially, not intending to trouble your friend." Zhang Lu slightly softened her stance, not wanting to escalate things with Chu Mengyao without any findings.

    "State your business, and if there’s nothing, please leave." Chu Mengyao said with a tone that kept people at a distance.

    "President Chu, three snipers of the Poisonous Spider have been killed, so you shouldn’t be in any immediate danger. The internal crisis of Chu Group has brought significant trouble to us in law enforcement. I hope you speak politely; otherwise, don’t blame me for being impolite." Zhang Lu, known as the celebrated police belle, had already been courteous enough to Chu Mengyao. She didn’t want a standoff.

    She had always been strong-willed but found herself unable to maintain that with Chu Mengyao, which frustrated her greatly.

    "Punishing wrongdoers is the police’s responsibility. What, should the Chu Group prepare a banner to thank you for your selfless help?" Chu Mengyao said sternly and unequivocally, "You want to be impolite? I’d like to see how you plan to do that."

    "Don’t push your luck. Considering you’re a defenseless woman, I’ve refrained from arguing with you. You provoke me further, and I’ll hit without hesitation." Zhang Lu’s fiery temper flared. Though she remained calm generally, facing Chu Mengyao’s icy presence and sharp retorts left her feeling battered.

    "Hit me? Try moving and see what happens?" Chu Mengyao challenged with displeasure.

    "You..." Zhang Lu pointed at Chu Mengyao, her chest heaving with anger. But she couldn’t bring herself to act. If she did, she felt it would be her greatest failure—letting herself lose composure due to a woman’s provocation was a tremendous humiliation for her. She’d been through gunfire and bullets countless times, yet losing to a businesswoman like this enraged her to no end.

    Ye Fan could tell, the clash between Chu Mengyao and Zhang Lu wasn’t just due to their initial disagreement; both women were locked in a strong-willed battle. Neither would yield, and to lose in intimidation alone seemed to imply losing in beauty as well.

    When Zhang Lu first entered the villa, she didn’t regard Chu Mengyao highly. In her view, Chu Mengyao was just a businesswoman, not worth her attention.

    This dissatisfaction from Chu Mengyao led her to interrupt before Ye Fan even spoke. Her idea was simple: teach a lesson to Zhang Lu, who dared to act grandly in her presence.

    After a round of verbal exchange, Zhang Lu fell completely at a disadvantage, her state of mind in disarray.

    Chu Mengyao emerged victorious, her face remained stern like an iceberg, but the pride in her eyes was evident.

    "Didn’t expect my underestimation of her to cause such trouble for myself. No wonder she’s deemed the top beauty in the circle, truly deserving the title - I was careless." Zhang Lu thought to herself.

    "Trying to best me? You should evaluate your own abilities first." Chu Mengyao muttered in her heart.

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