Chapter 42 - 1#
“……”
Zhang Aode glanced sideways, and when he saw the masked figure in the wheelchair, a flicker of disbelief crossed his feigned calm face. “Jing, Jing Shun?”
Zhang Mingxuan, hearing his father’s muttered name, shot up from his seat, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
What?
How was this possible?
Just before the press conference started, Yang Wei had video-called him to confirm—
Jing Shun was still tied up!
How could he have crossed half of Macau and appeared at the press conference within half an hour?
Jing Shun stepped forward in his mask, exchanging a glance with Chi Gui on stage.
He tilted his head slightly, revealing the gauze on his neck and the obvious rope burns on his wrists. “Everyone, I was kidnapped by a gang of thugs yesterday. Fortunately, the police rescued me in time, or I might not have made it.”
In reality, the wounds were very shallow, and a simple disinfectant would have sufficed.
However, to make his story more convincing and highlight the danger of the previous night, Jing Shun had asked the nurse to wrap the gauze a few extra times.
As expected, when the guests saw the gauze around his neck, they gasped, their belief in his words skyrocketing.
“……”
Zhang Aode’s unease spread rapidly. By now, how could he not realize what was happening?
Chi Corporation’s seemingly conciliatory reply was fake!
The information Zhang Mingxuan had received from his contact was also fake—it must have been deliberately sent by Chi Gui and Jing Shun under Yang Wei’s name!
Everything was designed to lower his guard, making him think he had victory in hand so they could publicly slap him in the face and catch him in a trap!
In a daze, Zhang Aode felt as if he were back on the cruise ship, being toyed with by this pair of scheming men.
“Zhang Aode.”
Jing Shun called him by name. “Even now, are you still going to be stubborn?”
Zhang Aode took a deep breath but still refused to admit it. “Jing Shun, don’t try to put on a show and slander me here! In front of so many people, if you keep defaming me like this, just wait for the lawyer’s letter!”
Zhang Mingxuan quickly chimed in, “Dad, don’t waste your breath on someone like him. Let’s go!”
Zhang Aode forced himself to stay calm, his mind racing for a way out.
Yang Wei had probably been exposed. He needed to leave Macau as fast as possible before the police came knocking, then find a way to use his connections to smooth things over!
The Zhang family had deep roots and plenty of useful relationships. As long as there wasn’t solid evidence against him in an ordinary case, no one could touch him!
With that thought, Zhang Aode strode swiftly toward the exit.
But before he could leave the press conference hall, the police officers waiting at the door stepped in and blocked the father and son.
“Zhang Aode, Zhang Mingxuan, we have sufficient evidence linking you to last night’s kidnapping in Lian Tang District. You are the masterminds behind it!”
“This is an arrest warrant issued by the bureau. We are now arresting you in accordance with the law!”
“……”
A single stone stirred a thousand waves—the entire hall erupted in uproar.
“Is this… is this really true?”
“The police are here! How could it be fake?”
“The Zhang father and son are absolutely reckless! In today’s society governed by the rule of law, they still dare to do such things?”
“Old Man Zhang was involved in the underworld when he was young. I thought they had cleaned up their act? Turns out it runs in the family—they still think they can get away with anything!”
“I’ve heard that Zhang Corporation has bullied and threatened small companies with dirty tactics before. This probably isn’t their first time.”
“And Chi Corporation behind Chi Gui—do they look like easy prey? This time, they’ve kicked an iron plate!”
Immediately, the guests stopped hiding their curiosity and began gossiping openly.
“……”
Zhang Mingxuan had lived a life of pleasure since childhood—he didn’t have the guts to do anything real!
Even if the kidnapping idea was his, the final decision was Zhang Aode’s!
Hadn’t he said the underworld contacts were reliable?
How had everything been exposed so quickly? And now he was implicated!
Zhang Mingxuan panicked. “Dad? We…”
But as soon as he spoke, Zhang Aode gritted his teeth and stopped him. “Shut up!”
He was also baffled! Yang Wei had always been reliable—how had he fallen so fast this time?
What the father and son didn’t know was:
Yang Wei, the leader, was stubborn and tough, but some of his underlings were weak-willed.
With the Qin Corporation applying pressure, the police had interrogated them through the night, finally getting them to talk.
Now, under his father’s reprimand, Zhang Mingxuan was overwhelmed by panic and confusion, like a headless fly.
All sense of father-son loyalty vanished as he blurted out, trying to clear himself. “What does this have to do with me? Dad! You can’t drag me down with you!”
Zhang Aode was so furious he could vomit blood. He slapped Zhang Mingxuan again. “You ungrateful brat! What nonsense are you spouting!”
Idiot.
Both father and son—idiots!
Jing Shun sneered inwardly, rolling his wheelchair back a good distance to remove himself from the scene.
Zhang Mingxuan’s cheek burned with pain. Gone was the pretence of filial piety; his eyes now held nothing but hatred for his father as he tried to save himself.
“Dad! You’re the one who found those people! I had nothing to do with it!”
“……”
Everyone present could see clearly, and their astonishment grew:
Wow!
Wasn’t that practically an indirect confession?
And they had been so adamantly denying it earlier! Talk about slapping themselves in the face!
Seeing Zhang Mingxuan getting agitated, the lead officer, fearing an incident, directly ordered, “Stop them!”
The other officers immediately pinned the father and son down and handcuffed them. “Calm down! Please cooperate with us! You’ll come to the station for further investigation!”
The financial journalists on site instantly turned into gossip reporters, their cameras flashing wildly at the Zhangs’ faces.
Among them were even media that Zhang Aode himself had brought. They all crowded around, eager to shove their lenses right in their faces.
“……”
Zhang Aode, who had been proud his entire life, was being humiliated like this in public for the first time.
He stared at the handcuffs on his wrists, his face ashen, as indignation and shame seethed inside him. He wished he could find a hole to crawl into!
Seeing the scene spiralling into chaos, Chi Gui on stage tapped the standing microphone twice and asserted control. “Everyone, please be mindful of the occasion and keep it quiet. Unauthorized individuals, stop filming immediately. Cooperate with the police.”
One sentence, like a calming pillar.
The guests snapped back to reality, remembering the purpose of this event.
Wei Di and the staff invited everyone to retake their seats.
Only then did Chi Gui address the Zhangs, who were about to be taken away. “Zhang Aode, I have a saying to return to you—”
“He who sows injustice will reap disaster.”
“……”
Zhang Aode met Chi Gui’s cold, superior gaze and knew it wouldn’t be easy to escape this.
Even without any external force, his legs gave way, and he collapsed straight down!
Why?
How had everything turned like this in just a few minutes?
If he had known that going against Chi Gui and Jing Shun would lead to this outcome, he would never have made those threats in the first place!
Now look—he had truly landed himself in deep trouble!
…
The project press conference continued as scheduled.
Jing Shun was led by Wei Di to a backstage lounge, where he finally took off his mask.
He breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s finally over.”
Wei Di poured some water but his gaze was fixed on Jing Shun’s slender wrist. “Mr. Jing, that wound on your wrist… how…”
Is it that serious?
When they had gone to the hospital yesterday, it was just a slight red mark.
Jing Shun raised his hand, a sly smile on his face. “This?”
He took a tissue, dipped it in the water glass, and wiped at the “wound.” “See it now?”
Wei Di caught on. “Fake?”
“Mm. I asked Yu Zhen to find a trusted makeup artist friend to do it,” Jing Shun admitted without hiding his intent. “If I wanted to make people sympathize with me the moment I appeared, I had to go hard.”
Whether it was the gauze on his neck or the scars on his wrists, acting alone wasn’t enough—he needed external props.
Jing Shun lowered his wrist. “These are just small tricks, far less impressive than Chi Gui making Zhang Aode eat his words on the spot.”
Wei Di replied, “You and Mr. Chi together are the real force.”
Jing Shun smiled.
Wei Di continued, “Mr. Jing, please rest. Mr. Chi specifically told me to handle the media and confirm the footage from everyone present.”
Although Jing Shun had worn a mask when he appeared, it was best to minimize any images that could leak out.
Even if some information about Jing Shun did get out later, Chi Gui would find a way to suppress it and blur Jing Shun’s identity, trying not to let it spread back to the mainland and negatively affect his career as an actor.
Jing Shun nodded but didn’t insist. “Do your best.”
“Yes.”
The press conference lasted a full two hours before ending.
Chi Gui had a nearby restaurant’s private room booked and took Jing Shun there for a meal.
Zhang Yazhi was also invited.
Inside the private room, Jing Shun looked up at the sharp, capable woman. “Ms. Zhang, nice to meet you formally. I saw you were quite busy at the Chi Corporation banquet before, so I didn’t get a chance to greet you.”
Zhang Yazhi smiled back. “Mr. Jing, nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Their hands lightly shook and then released.
Jing Shun was taken aback. “Heard a lot about me?”
“Yes.”
Zhang Yazhi glanced at Chi Gui and laughed. “Chairman Chi told me he has an outstanding partner.”
“……”
Partner?
Hearing this, Jing Shun couldn’t help but look at Chi Gui.
So while he wasn’t looking, Chi Gui had been inserting himself into their role-playing like this?
Chi Gui, feeling a bit guilty under Jing Shun’s stare, changed the subject. “Let’s sit down and eat while we talk.”
Zhang Yazhi tactfully took the seat across from them, keeping the table between them.
Thinking about what happened last night and at the press conference, she took the initiative to say, “Mr. Jing, on behalf of the Zhang family, I want to apologize. I never expected their methods to be so despicable.”
By “they,” she meant the father and son.