In the chairman's office of Rongguang, Zhang Qian was scrolling through web pages, laughing without any regard for his image. "This Wang Chen speaks as if it were all true. If we hadn't been prepared, we might really have fallen into her trap."
"We definitely would have fallen," Zhao Zhi, holding a laptop, frowned as he watched. "I didn't expect Liu Hao's plan to be this—not competing with us for business, but directly setting a trap to bring us down. Ronghua wasn't enough; he wants Rongguang too... If the materials Wang Chen took were real, if... Fortunately." Fortunately, Liang Zhou had sensed something early and made preparations; otherwise, they would have surely suffered a silent loss this time.
Liu Hao's plan was quite thorough: first releasing information online, then reporting the company with "evidence," and finally having Wang Chen hold a high-profile press conference to solidify the rumors of Liang Zhou's crimes, guiding public opinion and leaving Rongguang no time to react or catch its breath. The main thing...
"Any signal from the tracker yet?" He turned to look at He Long.
He Long's face was stern, his aura fierce. "No. Young Master Shulin hasn't activated it yet. It seems the people who kidnapped him are still moving him." Although they had guessed that Liang Zixiu might target Yu Shulin, now that he was really taken... He Long was determined to kill Liang Zixiu.
"Don't overthink it," Zhao Zhi sighed inwardly and advised. "Although we let Xiao Yu take a risk this time... he won't really be in any danger... Liang Zhou won't allow Xiao Yu to be in danger either."
He Long's frown deepened.
Zhao Zhi turned back, looked at his computer, and rubbed his forehead. Xiao Yu must return safely.
At 11:30 AM, He Long's pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the computer screen. His back straightened instantly. "The tracker is active," he said quickly.
Everyone turned to look at him.
He tapped on the keyboard a few times, and his tense expression relaxed. "It's in the eastern suburbs. There's an area of greenhouse flower nurseries there—easy to hide someone. Young Master Shulin's signal is green, very safe."
Zhao Zhi and Zhang Qian breathed sighs of relief.
At 11:40 AM, the office landline rang.
Zhao Zhi glanced at the other two, walked over, put the call on speakerphone, and answered.
After a burst of static, Liang Zixiu's gloomy voice came through. "Gentlemen of Rongguang, was this morning's news exciting?"
"Liang Zixiu, what is your purpose?" Zhao Zhi asked in a low voice, glancing at the others in the office.
“Heh, it’s Zhao Zhi. Right, Liang Zhou should still be at the police station being investigated. Hah, he’s finally having his day,” Liang Zixiu laughed neurotically for a moment, his tone growing even more somber. “My purpose is simple. I want Liang Zhou to admit he’s using Rongguang to launder money. I want him to admit his ambiguous relationship with Wang Chen. And I want him to voluntarily plead guilty and go to prison! Before going to prison, it would be best if he transferred all his Rongguang shares to my name. How about it? My demands are simple, right?”
"Impossible," Zhao Zhi flatly refused.
"It's possible," Liang Zixiu chuckled, his tone confident. "You tell Liang Zhou that his precious little brother is now in my hands. Hearing this news, he will agree to my demands."
Zhao Zhi glanced at Zhang Qian and He Long, deliberately making his tone lighter. "Don't talk nonsense. Xiao Yu is at school studying properly. Your lie is too poorly crafted."
"A lie?" Liang Zixiu retorted, as if provoked by his casual tone of doubt, his voice suddenly rising. "Fine! Listen carefully, and see if I'm lying!"
Then came the sound of faint footsteps and shouts, very jarring.
"Hey! Kid, say hello to your dear brother Zhao Zhi."
He Long's expression changed, his fists clenching.
After a slight cough, Yu Shulin's voice came through clearly. "Brother Zhao, I didn't sleep well last night. I'm very hungry now. Also, I think I'm about to have a pollen allergy reaction."
"Shut up! Who said you could talk so much!"
More shouts followed, and then Liang Zixiu's voice returned, tinged with annoyance. "Hear that? I want to see the news of Liang Zhou's confession today, along with the share transfer agreement. I won't wait!"
Click. The call was hung up.
Zhang Qian was puzzled. "Xiao Yu has a pollen allergy? I've never heard of that..."
Zhao Zhi gave him a disdainful look, tossed the voice recorder in his hand, and looked at He Long. "Prepare to report this to the police. Let's see what excuse they use not to accept the case this time."
Contrary to external speculation, Liang Zhou was not being interrogated or locked up at the police station. He was sitting comfortably in the director's office, drinking tea, glancing at his watch, then at the balding director, not speaking.
The director, sweating under his gaze, swallowed and flipped through the documents on his desk again, tentatively opening his mouth. "Ahem, Mr. Liang, perhaps there's some misunderstanding between us..."
Liang Zhou narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly. "With such a big commotion outside, how could it be a misunderstanding? Director Wang, some of the people under you... are very problematic."
Director Wang wiped his cold sweat, inwardly cursing his unreliable subordinates.
The office door was knocked on and then opened. He Long strode in, nodded at Liang Zhou who looked over, and directly placed the opened voice recorder on the coffee table.
The recording was short and soon finished. Upon hearing Yu Shulin's voice, Liang Zhou's feigned calmness instantly shattered. He sat up straight, staring intently at the voice recorder, and asked in a low voice, "The tracker?"
"Activated after eleven. Green signal. Young Master Shulin is temporarily safe."
Liang Zhou's tense heartstrings relaxed slightly.
He Long turned off the voice recorder, looked up at Director Wang who was sweating profusely, and said with rare sarcasm in his tone, "As you just heard, our young master has been kidnapped by Liang Zixiu. It's not some nonsense about running away from home or throwing a tantrum. Director Wang, I want to file a report."
Liang Zhou stood up, picked up the recording pen, walked to the director's desk, looked down at him, and slammed the recording pen onto the stack of materials on the desk. "Wang Chen's slander and false accusation, Liang Zixiu's kidnapping and extortion... Director, will you accept my report?"
“Yes, yes,” the director, whose brain had nearly frozen after being stared at all morning, hurriedly nodded upon finally hearing a request. “I’ll have someone handle it immediately.”
"What about your problematic subordinates?"
"They will be dealt with immediately. I guarantee you a satisfactory answer."
"Very good." Liang Zhou withdrew his hand and turned to leave. "He Long, let's go pick up Shulin."
He Long quickly stood up. Once outside the door, he paused and asked, "Boss, I don't think I told you the tracker's location yet."
"The eastern suburban flower nurseries."
"How did you know..."
Shulin helps Uncle He tidy the garden every weekend, but he has never had pollen allergy. Also, Liang Zixiu once rented out a section of flower nurseries in the eastern suburbs to curry favor with a certain celebrity. Few people know about it, but that doesn't mean no one does.
"..."
"Any problem?"
"No. The car is ready, waiting outside."
"Good."
After the two men left, Director Wang finally let out a sigh of relief. He wiped his sweat, roughly grabbed the internal line phone, and started dialing. As soon as the call connected, he began roaring: "What are you people doing?! Someone sends over a fake document, and you just go storming into their company and even bring their boss back here! Couldn't you verify the authenticity of the documents first? Who gave you the order to arrest anyone? And who was it that refused to accept the kidnapping case? Get him to my office, now! Recall everyone sent to investigate Rong Guang immediately, hurry up! Where's the Deputy Director? I need to have a serious talk with him! Also, there's a kidnapping case here—get the person in charge over here, and tell them to handle it personally! If they don't bring the person back safe and sound, you'll all be in trouble!"
After hanging up, he stared at the documents and the voice recorder on his desk, massaging his temples with a headache. Everyone in the entertainment industry makes sure to maintain good relations with the relevant authorities. As an established entertainment company, Rong Guang had always been meticulous in this regard. Had that Deputy Director lost his mind, going behind his back to pull such a stupid stunt? Utterly foolish!
Netizens had been buzzing all morning about the news of Rong Guang's money laundering. But after lunch, with one refresh of the webpage, the world had changed.
First, the police issued a high-profile statement clarifying that the money laundering allegations against Rong Guang were malicious slander. Furthermore, after an audit by professionals, Rong Guang's accounts were found to be completely clean.
Immediately after, Zhao Zhi, the current Chairman of Rong Guang who had been absent since the incident erupted, stepped forward and personally held a press conference, refuting everything Wang Chen had said that morning.
Firstly, my boss has absolutely no relationship with Wang Chen whatsoever. Secondly, our company is completely above board; all investments are legitimate, and there is no money laundering situation. Thirdly, Wang Chen is suspected of stealing company secrets and of slandering and defaming our movie star. She should pack her bags and prepare for prison.
The reversal was simply staggering, leaving the reporters somewhat dumbfounded.
After digesting this a bit, a reporter asked, setting aside Wang Chen's nonsense for a moment—they hadn't really believed Liang Zhou would be interested in a woman like Wang Chen anyway—but what about the documents Wang Chen had released? So, where exactly did Rong Guang get so much money to open branch companies, build cinemas, invest in films, and run talent shows?
Zhao Zhi smiled calmly and invited the spokesperson for Zhouyun Group to the stage.
The reporters exchanged glances. The spokesperson for the Zhou family business... Did that mean Liang Zhou had secured investment from the Zhou family? An uncle spending money on his nephew—that certainly wasn't something to question. But such a large sum... this uncle was truly generous.
The spokesperson smiled and stated, "Qingchi International, a branch of Zhouyun Group, was established by Liang Zhou's mother, Zhou Qingya, during her lifetime. It has now been handed over to Mr. Liang Zhou for management."
In other words, the money Liang Zhou used to restructure the company wasn't from his uncle—it was his own!
Qingchi International... The reporters were stunned.
Are you kidding me? That Qingchi International, the most profitable part of the Zhou family empire, was actually an inheritance left to Liang Zhou by his mother? That company specializes in real estate and the hotel industry. After all these years of development, the amount of money it has raked in is simply uncountable!
No wonder Liang Zhou dared to be so bold and spend so lavishly in restructuring and developing the company after taking over Rong Guang. The man has money—he can afford to be capricious!
What more was there to say? Someone who owns two such profitable companies, would he need to launder money? Besides, money laundering requires 'black money'—so where is the illicit money, and where is it being laundered from?
No idea...
So the whole morning's drama was just a farce; everything Wang Chen said was false!
And that whole 'Liang Zhou's girlfriend' identity? Looking at it now, it's patently fake! The previously uncovered information—all about Wang Chen throwing herself at Liang Zhou on set only to be ignored—that was the truth! That Wang Chen really could spin a tale!
Seeing the reporters all stunned, Zhao Zhi exchanged a glance with the Zhouyun spokesperson, smiled slightly, and left the stage.
The press conference ended. The reporters, as if waking from a dream, looked at the empty stage, then at the voice recorders in their hands, rubbed their faces, and began frantically rushing towards Rong Hua! Huge scoop! Huge scoop! Wang Chen had spilled so much false information in the morning; someone must be behind it. They decisively decided to go interview her again now! The public loves a good public opinion battle and a good slap-in-the-face reversal!
In the Chairman's office at Rong Hua, Wang Chen, having heard the news, was frantic with anxiety. She hadn't expected things to deteriorate so quickly.
Her phone rang. She picked it up, looked at the screen, and her face changed dramatically. She answered cautiously, "Hello..."
"Is this the absolutely genuine confidential information you guaranteed with such conviction? Exposed in half a day. And also, why didn't you mention even once that Liang Zhou had already taken over Qingchi?"
"M-Mr. Liu..." She bit her lip, feeling both wronged and afraid. "I didn't know... there wasn't a single whisper about it before... The documents were leaked by a subordinate Liang Zhou trusts deeply. I don't understand how there could be a problem."
"Forget it. I shouldn't have placed too much hope in goods brought out by Liang Zixiu. Go turn yourself in."
The voice on the other end of the phone was gentle, but the tone was utterly cold. A look of panic appeared on Wang Chen's face. She trembled, "No, no... Mr. Liu, we don't necessarily have to lose. There's still Zixiu. Zixiu has captured Yu Shulin. Liang Zhou values this younger brother very much; he'll compromise—"
"Foolish!" The other party cut her off, sneering, "If they weren't confident in ensuring Yu Shulin's safety, how could Zhao Zhi so boldly refute this morning's events? Please, use your brain when dealing with matters."
Beep—
The call was disconnected.
Wang Chen stared blankly at her phone, then suddenly buried her head and began sobbing "Wuwu..." Everything had been going so smoothly. She was about to become a real director of Rong Hua. Once Zixiu got Rong Guang, she would become the boss's wife of Rong Guang. All those people who had looked down on her and mocked her before would come crawling to her!
So how did things end up like this?
A knock suddenly sounded at the door. She curled herself up tighter.
No, she didn't want to go to prison!
No!
Yu Shulin was very compliant as he was taken away. Arriving at the mall parking lot, the two men searched him, took all his belongings, pushed him into a dilapidated minivan, and tied him up.
The van drove smoothly. He sat in the back seat, hands and legs bound, eyes covered with a ragged cloth, feeling somewhat drowsy.
I wonder how things are going on Brother's end... It must have been months since Wang Chen got the documents. To only act now... What exactly is Liang Zixiu plotting...
The two kidnappers, probably because he was being so obedient, started chatting casually after tossing him into the back seat. Chatting wasn't enough; they even turned on the radio to listen to music. It happened to be a sentimental radio station, playing slow, soothing love songs non-stop along the way, making one very sleepy.
So boring... He yawned, moved his hands, and felt his plain-looking belt. He thought for a moment, then moved his hand away.
About another hour passed. The van still hadn't stopped, and that awful radio program still hadn't ended.
"Hey..." He finally couldn't take it anymore and spoke up. "Where are you planning to take me? We've been driving for a long time."
The conversation between the two kidnappers stopped instantly. Then, the fiercer one spoke: "You've got some nerve, kid. You're a hostage now. Keep quiet. Aren't you afraid we'll kill you?"
"I am," he nodded, his voice low. "But you kidnapped me for money. My brother is very rich; he'll definitely pay to save me. If you kill me, you won't get a single cent." As if I'm scared. These two are just small fry. I haven't even met the real mastermind, Liang Zixiu yet. There's no way I'd be killed off so easily.
The two men praised him for being sensible, then fed him a sleeping pill.
Yu Shulin: "..."
When he woke up, daylight was already bright. He found himself locked in a monotonous room, together with Liang Zixiu. The difference was, Liang Zixiu was the kidnapper sitting on the sofa playing with a laptop, while he was the pitiful hostage lying on the floor with his hands and legs tied.
He sat up, leaning against the wall, and spoke calmly, "Liang Zixiu, I need to use the bathroom."
Liang Zixiu whipped his head around to look at him, grinning coldly. "Awake?"
Yu Shulin was startled by his uniquely horrifying appearance. After a pause, he decided to kindly show some concern. "How long has it been since you last shaved or got a haircut?"
Liang Zixiu didn't answer, just stared at him gloomily. Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh, moved closer, untied Yu Shulin's bound hands, pulled them to the front and retied them, yanked him to his feet, and pointed to the bathroom in the room. "Go take care of it yourself."
"What about the rope on my legs?" He pointed to his bound ankles.
Liang Zixiu sneered, "Hop there." After saying that, he turned around, sat back on the sofa, and continued typing away on his laptop.
Forget it. At least I can still undo my own belt. Be content with that. Yu Shulin comforted himself, then hopped to the bathroom, undid his belt, relieved himself, fastened his belt again, felt for the locator hidden inside the belt buckle and turned it on, washed his hands, and hopped back out.
Seeing him come out, Liang Zixiu walked over, tied his hands behind his back again, pushed him onto the floor, and said fiercely, "Stay put. Once your brother does as I say, I'll naturally let you go."
"Okay," he nodded obediently, scooted over to lean against the corner of the wall, and hung his head to look at the floor.
Liang Zixiu frowned, turned, and sat back in front of the computer.
The clock on the wall ticked away. Ten seconds later, an inconspicuous small light on his belt flashed. Yu Shulin curled the corner of his mouth, looked up, closed his eyes, and leaned against the wall.
Liang Zhou held the laptop, intently watching the address displayed by the locator.
The police officer in charge of the case had a serious expression. "Mr. Liang, rest assured, we will definitely rescue your brother safely."
No response.
The officer felt a bit awkward and stopped talking, continuing to drive quietly.
He Long, sitting in the back seat, hung up the phone and said with a frown, "Although the structure of that greenhouse in the suburbs is complex, with the locator, pinpointing their location shouldn't be hard. But..."
"Speak." Liang Zhou was still looking down at the laptop on his lap, his face grim.
"But Liu Hao is pulling the strings behind this incident. From what I know, the Liu family keeps a group of skilled bodyguards. If Liang Zixiu has bodyguards protecting him..." He Long spoke hesitantly.
Liang Zhou finally turned his head to look at He Long. "You've been watching too much TV. His family keeps bodyguards to ensure the safety of their coal mines and family members, not for committing crimes."
"But what if..."
"There are no what-ifs." He turned his head, looking back at the computer screen. "No matter how wealthy and powerful Liu Hao is, he wouldn't dare get involved in anything illegal. He's very cautious by nature. This plan has already failed. Wang Chen and Liang Zixiu are both pawns to be discarded. He won't care about what happens next; he'll only try to distance himself from it."
He Long frowned. "Distance himself?"
"He won't get his wish."
He Long fell silent.
Liang Zhou turned his head to look at the officer sitting beside him. "Can you drive faster? The Rongguang press conference is about to start. We must get there before Liang Zixiu finds out the contents of the conference."
"O-okay." The officer nodded and began to accelerate.
Victory was within sight. Liang Zixiu felt both excited and anxious. After making the threatening call to Rongguang, he crouched back on the sofa, constantly refreshing web pages reporting on Rongguang's scandal, his eyes shining brightly, his mood abnormally agitated.
"You know what? Your brother is already in jail now. He's in jail, hahaha, aren't you happy?" The room was quiet, making Liang Zixiu's neurotic voice seem amplified, sounding somewhat eerie.
Yu Shulin looked at him and shook his head. "I'm not happy."
"But I am." Liang Zixiu gripped the mouse tightly and continued on his own, "That damned old man is already retired at home. My heartless mother ran off abroad, out of reach for now, but she should wait. Once I get control of Rongguang and Ronghua, none of them will escape."
Yu Shulin didn't respond, turning his gaze to the only window in the room. The curtains were drawn, weak light filtering through the gaps into the room, vaguely revealing patches of color outside. A wisp of wind slipped through the crack, carrying a complex fragrance. He sniffed hard and lowered his eyes. I wonder when brother will arrive.
Liang Zixiu didn't care if he responded or not, just kept talking on his own. He talked about his past glory, his resentment from the engagement banquet, and finally started talking about his beautiful fantasies for the future. Then, he suddenly erupted, plopping down onto the floor and viciously clutching the carpet. "What father, mother, it's all fake! Dad is a selfish bastard! Mother is a stranger with no blood relation! Sister? Haha, sister is a Barbie doll who only knows how to dress up! They're all disgusting, they all deserve to die! What does it matter if I do as he demands? What does it matter if I try hard to please her? What they love most is still themselves! Who told me to be a hateful illegitimate child? They all deserve to die!"
"Once they're dead, once I crush Liang Zhou and get the company, I can rightfully marry Yufen. Only Yufen truly loves me. She's the best. Then I can be happy." He turned to look at Yu Shulin, his gaze eerily bright, his expression twisted. "Then I'll be happier than you. We're both illegitimate children. How come you get to live better than me? I'll be happier than you! As long as I'm with Yufen, as long as Yufen keeps loving me..." As he spoke, the focus in his eyes gradually began to blur.
Yu Shulin watched his twisted expression, listened to his delirious words, and frowned. This person seems a bit off. His mental state is too...
