CHAPTER 602: CHAPTER 519 DESPICABLE

Inside the elevator, Leng Mochen silently watched the constantly changing numbers. Four robust bodyguards stood protectively around him, while Manager Tang and the three staff members behind him remained silent—the president’s imposing aura was simply overwhelming.

Finally, with a "ding," the elevator reached the first floor.

Several of them felt a sense of relief. Exiting the elevator, they saw the bustling foot traffic in the mall, with some viewers uninterested in the performance wandering around inside instead.

After just a few steps forward, they encountered Zheng Qian emerging from a corner. She wore a gold backless mini dress, her hair styled in an elegant updo. A crowd surrounded her, and as soon as Qin Xin, standing beside her, spotted Leng Mochen, her gaze flickered, and she retreated a few steps in unease.

Leng Mochen’s glance swept briefly over them, landing directly on Qin Xin. He had long anticipated such an encounter.

Among the surrounding crowd, someone recognized Zheng Qian and excitedly raised their phone to snap pictures. Others gathered around, eager for autographs.

The staff nearby quickly intervened: "Sorry! Please step aside; we’re heading to the ribbon-cutting ceremony! Photos can be taken afterward!"

Some, disappointed, stopped following, but others persistently stayed on their heels.

Zheng Qian’s eyes gleamed as she looked at Leng Mochen, wishing she could speak with him properly here and now.

But with so many onlookers, she chose to maintain her composure and greeted him reservedly: "President Leng! Hello!"

"Hmm." Leng Mochen responded indifferently with a simple sound.

He harbored absolutely no fondness for such female celebrities. Everyone mingling in the industry knew the reality—be they A-list or struggling actresses, if they lacked the backing of a powerful family, they relied on unspoken rules to make a name for themselves, to reach the top.

Many began right from school, seeking wealthy heirs or sugar daddies, climbing their way into fame by "companionship," from photographers to directors and producers.

Once they attained fame, they would repackage their public image, spend money on media write-ups to cleanse their reputations, though underneath, things were just as sordid.

Zheng Qian noticed Leng Mochen’s cold, disdainful gaze and looked pitifully aggrieved. Qin Xin checked the time and nudged her from behind, whispering, "Keep your composure."

This was not the time for childish antics.

Leng Mochen directly led his group towards Gate 1 with large strides. Zheng Qian stomped her foot in frustration and followed, a flash of unwillingness crossing her face as the people behind eagerly trailed after them.

Qin Xin stared at Leng Mochen’s departing figure with a complicated expression, increasingly feeling that he resembled the man from her dreams.

The performances on the stage continuously roused the atmosphere, heightening the excitement of the venue.

When Zheng Qian took the stage, the cheers below reached a fever pitch. Without question, she had a high level of domestic fame, having starred in several highly popular TV dramas.

Camera flashes from the major media outlets went off incessantly as she waved warmly to interact with the audience.

Once the leaders who were cutting the ribbon arrived, they each made brief speeches on stage. Following that, the host announced the commencement of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The leaders and Leng Mochen took hold of gold scissors. The moment they snipped the red ribbon with a distinct "click," chaos erupted. Someone in the crowd suddenly hurled large amounts of red hundred-yuan bills into the air.

"Oh my god! Money!"

"Quick, pick it up!"

"Someone’s throwing cash from over there!"

"..."

The scene instantly descended into chaos. Some people stooped to grab the money, while others darted toward the flying bills and tripped in the mayhem.

"Oh no! My hand!"

"Help!"

"That’s mine!"

The disorder escalated into bedlam while plainclothes security personnel in the crowd scrambled to intervene and search for the perpetrator.

Zheng Qian instinctively threw herself toward Leng Mochen, shrieking in terror, "President Leng! I’m so scared!"

Disgusted, Leng Mochen shoved her aside, his cold gaze fixing on her. "Get out of the way!"

Despite his swift reaction, a paparazzo wearing glasses managed to capture this scene from below.

The chaos was palpable, while Leng Mochen’s sharp eyes remained locked in the direction of the disturbance. His brows knitted tightly—he had anticipated that the other side would strike with an unexpected move.

His bodyguards behind him were relaying orders over their walkie-talkies, directing personnel to apprehend the culprit.

Blending into the crowd, Heizi was already taking the lead with his team to secure the people while sealing off major exits.

The surrounding leaders wore severe expressions, nervously calling for calm and urging people not to trample or fight over the money.

The host acted swiftly, announcing into the microphone, "It’s counterfeit money! Fake bills!"

Some within the crowd, hearing that it was counterfeit cash, hesitated, scrutinizing the bills before stopping, while a handful stubbornly continued their frantic attempts to collect the money.

Fortunately, there were enough undercover security personnel present that day, and Mo Si had contingencies in place. The situation was quickly brought under control.

Zheng Qian, shaken but unharmed, patted her chest in relief and cast a frail, hopeful glance toward the grim-faced Leng Mochen. "President Leng, that was truly terrifying!"

Leng Mochen raised his head and cast her a frosty glance, offering no reply.

Instead, he turned his gaze toward Qin Xin, who stood on the edge of the stage with a somewhat anxious and bewildered expression.

Could it be that she, too, knew nothing about this situation? Was this not Nie Xiuwei’s handiwork?

In the end, the ribbon-cutting ceremony, despite the chaos, was managed without major issues or significant repercussions.

The crowd at the scene included only two minor injuries. Mo Si promptly sent them to the hospital.

The attending leaders were particularly upset, immediately convening a meeting to classify the incident as a severely disruptive breach of public order.

Thankfully, no major casualties occurred that day; otherwise, the fallout would have been catastrophic, and no one would have escaped accountability.

The Leng Family’s group stood up, their tense expressions easing considerably. They were just as relieved—had there been any fatalities today, the external impact would have been disastrous. After all, no one wanted a tragic incident marring an auspicious opening event.

The man who threw the money was eventually apprehended. To their disappointment, it turned out the perpetrator was a mentally ill individual, and they couldn’t extract any useful information from him.

However, surveillance footage revealed that a man dressed in a security guard uniform had brought him to the scene.

Liu Xiaole from the human resources department was immediately summoned to help identify the individual.

Regrettably, they ultimately failed to locate the man whose silhouette matched the one in the video.

Upon investigation, it was confirmed that everyone on Mo Si’s security team had solid alibis.

The inquiry reached an impasse, but Heizi remained undeterred. He pieced together the available clues and continued his pursuit.

As long as anyone had interacted with the mentally ill individual, Heizi was certain there would be some traceable evidence.

Leng Mochen convened in the office with Xu Er and Long Wu, repeatedly deliberating over the mastermind behind this incident.

"Both Nie Xiuwei and Han Mingzhe are suspects in this matter!" Long Wu said, extinguishing the cigarette in his hand.

He had been lurking in the shadows but failed to detect this setup in time, leaving him furious.

Through Wang Si and that woman, they uncovered a man named Mingda pulling strings in the background.

It wasn’t long before they discovered that Han Mingzhe and Liu Mingda were close friends.

Many details became clearer—Han Mingzhe’s previous divorce and career setbacks indeed bore traces of Long Wu’s involvement.

Now, using such a tactic, it was evident he was seeking revenge!

Long Wu blamed himself for not cutting off Han Mingzhe more ruthlessly back then. If he had, Han Mingzhe wouldn’t still have the opportunity to cause trouble.

Xu Er was equally disheartened. After so much preparation, they had still allowed someone to exploit a loophole so easily.

"Isn’t Heizi investigating? Have him look into those two as well! Such despicable behavior!"

Leng Mochen tapped his fingers on the desk, his expression dark. The perpetrator had indeed made an excellent strategic move.

By using a mentally ill person as an expendable pawn, they had almost ruined his grand opening. If not for their prompt response, the densely packed crowd could have led to a tragic stampede with fatalities.

Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this tactic seemed overly crude and simplistic. Could it be that something else was brewing in secret?

"Do you have the slightest sense that this matter might not have been orchestrated by Nie Xiuwei or Han Mingzhe?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)