Chapter 239: Sudden Realization
Actually, the Liang family had never been able to determine Mo Shicheng’s purpose in introducing Lian Yingying.
After Lian Yingying’s family recognition, she was well-behaved, diligently served Mo Shicheng by her bedside daily, and called every day to check on Lin Xianzi, never prying.
As if unaware of the surging undercurrents, she was merely a front.
Used to attract attention and also to remind Mo Shifu.
His only son was about to be imprisoned; he shouldn’t abandon his son just because the first wife had a child.
Feng Shien suddenly felt a trace of guilt.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have handed Liancheng’s photo to Lin Lanfeng.
She was already mired in trouble, and the deadly schemes of the Mo family were full of danger.
Their meeting was at the wrong time, and he was certainly not her salvation.
Liancheng’s blood was drawn, and Feng Shien personally collected it into a password-protected box, also gathering hair and other samples.
Liancheng saw him off to the parking lot, “If the results are confirmed, will Ms. Lin cooperate with Liang Zhengping?”
Feng Shien opened the co-pilot door and placed the box inside.
“Very likely. On one hand, Liang Zhengping’s terms are advantageous to Ms. Lin; the Liang family is wealthy, and their partner in Singapore is the Huang family. The Huang family has extensive connections in political circles, and their mutual protection of money and power provides a buffer for Far East Pharmaceutical’s issues.”
“On the other hand, Liang Zhengping revealed some of your experiences in Iceland to Mr. Lin. Mr. Lin heard that it was half-true and half-false, but it had a great impact on Ms. Lin. Regarding Hong Kong, she believed that although Mr. Liang restricted your freedom, he cherished and protected you. If your freedom was merely limited, Ms. Lin would have endured it, but if not, Ms. Lin would certainly have rescued you.”
Liancheng half-closed her eyelids.
So Liang Zhengping instigated reporters to break the news, intending to gain trust.
But in Iceland, Liang Zhengping’s failed attempt to kill her meant that if the entire incident came to light, he would be even less able to cooperate.
What was the point of all this trouble? Or did he have other assurances that Lin Xianzi would certainly not find out what happened in Iceland?
“Feng Shien, can you give me Ms. Lin’s private contact information?”
“Shi En,” Feng Shien corrected, taking out his mobile phone, “I’ll send it to you.”
……………………
Zhou Dazhi accepted bribes, colluded with others, maliciously framed the Liang family, incited public opinion behind the scenes, and led online bullying. The Public Security Bureau lawfully arrested him.
After the morning announcement, public opinion online reversed.
Liang Chaosu held more than a dozen executive meetings of various sizes, dealt with directors, and took congratulatory phone calls from the provincial and municipal levels.
He walked out of the office and instructed Zhang An to drive, “To the police station.”
According to the plan, Zhou Dazhi had leverage, and Gu Xingyuan knew that he would next produce evidence that Liang Zhengping was the mastermind behind the plot to harm someone.
“How soon are you coming back? I can’t do without you for a single moment right now.”
“I’m not coming back.”
Liang Chaosu dialed Liancheng’s number, but she repeatedly hung up. On the fourth attempt, the voice prompt indicated she was on another call.
It was like she had blocked him.
Gu Xingyuan didn’t notice his expression, “That won’t do. If you’re going to see your wife, I advise you to wait patiently. The press conference incident, the shock it caused; Xiao Rou and I are in love, and she still refuses to see me. Liancheng probably wants to see you the least right now. Trying to force yourself on her will only lead to dislike and hatred, which is of no benefit.”
Liang Chaosu tightened his grip.
The office was a temporary structure on the construction site. Outside, dark clouds hung low, and inside, it was dim. He didn’t know if he had heard, and left in silence.
After descending the mountain, the traffic flow in the urban area had significantly decreased by more than half.
The previous online storm, fueled by constant instigation, had made almost everyone in the Liang family a target, turning them into public enemies. News portals, newspapers, and self-media swarmed in, and there were even citizens who spontaneously organized to condemn them. Yesterday’s Liang family press conference was packed, and the winding mountain road was completely jammed.
Zhang An was just a driver and was unaware of the struggle between the father and son.
In terms of results, the dispersal of the agitated crowd signified Liang Zhengping’s crushing defeat, and his capable assistant Zhou Dazhi had also been removed.
However, the final revelation indicated that he harbored further ill intentions. With Liang Chaosu’s astuteness and wisdom, he wouldn’t fail to see it, but he didn’t know how he planned to achieve it.
Upon entering the police station, Zhou Dazhi was in the interrogation room.
The provincial bureau chief was also present and personally led the way, “Your company has provided complete evidence. The confession is a necessary process. Of course, the law has changed now; even if the suspect consistently denies guilt, we can still file a public prosecution if the evidence is self-consistent.”
Liang Chaosu shook his hand, “The recent incident in Qingxi Valley has caused trouble for the government.”
The bureau chief laughed and waved his hand, “Not trouble at all. From the perspective of anti-corruption and integrity, the Liang family’s actions have uncovered a big tiger this time, which has even shaken the central government. If you hadn’t informed the old provincial governor in advance, many comrades would have been deceived and become pawns of the big tiger, leading to endless harm.”
“Furthermore, from the perspective of controlling online public opinion, we have exposed many shortcomings. Today it was you; if it were someone else…”
The bureau chief shook his head and placed his hand on Liang Chaosu’s back, “You have a steady hand; the Liang family is a good enterprise.”
Liang Chaosu chuckled, “Ultimately, it caused a lot of turmoil. The Liang family has already donated a sum of money to the government through a Qi Province charity organization for provincial construction and development.”
The government has regulations; companies cannot directly transfer funds to the government, but they can make charitable donations through charity organizations, generally used for aiding mountainous areas or poverty alleviation infrastructure.
The bureau chief did not refuse.
After seeing off the bureau chief, Liang Chaosu stepped into the interrogation room.
The person taking the statement warned him about the excuse of smoking and stepped aside. In the middle of the square room, Zhou Dazhi sat in the only beam of light, which illuminated his fatigue to the extreme. His only reaction was to glance at the man and then lower his head again.
Complete silence throughout.
Liang Chaosu pulled over a chair and sat opposite him, “Before the press conference, I had someone leak that Liu Li Village was discovered to have tampered with things. He knew you wouldn’t hold back; one or two times, and he carelessly abandoned you.”
Zhou Dazhi remained silent.
Liang Chaosu’s expression was also unreadable as he let him be silent for a moment and then asked, “Do you smoke?”
Zhou Dazhi reacted and glanced at him again, “Isn’t it prohibited for others to smoke in front of you?”
“Yesterday Liancheng went to the provincial capital, it’s fine.”
Liang Chaosu stood up, opened the door, and instructed Zhang An to buy two packs of Liqun. When he handed them to Zhou Dazhi, he didn’t take them and sneered dismissively.
“A dignified chairman, who has tamed himself and fears the smell of smoke, is now asking someone to smoke a ten-yuan cigarette? Can you present that?”
“Seventeen years ago it was ten yuan, now it’s eighteen. Back then, this cigarette was cheap, but it was peaceful and reassuring, and had a special flavor.” Liang Chaosu was not angered. He tore open the cigarette pack, “Secretary Zhou, would you like one?”
Zhou Dazhi’s eye muscles twitched, staring at Liang Chaosu.
His eyes had the same deep sockets as Liang Zhengping’s, but his eyes were sharper, brighter, and more aggressive.
The ability to pinpoint seventeen years accurately indicated that he had scrutinized his entire career, understanding when he began to take the blame for Liang Zhengping and how much he had diligently shouldered.
Zhou Dazhi knew that with all those incidents accumulated, it was no longer a matter of taking the blame and serving ten years, then coming out as a hero.
After a long period of deathly silence, he took it without a word.
The cigarettes were cheap, and the boss was also stingy, unwilling to give an extra lighter.
Zhang An also felt that a plastic lighter was not up to par and specifically gave him his collected matches, gold base with silver dragons, luxurious and stylish.
Liang Chaosu didn’t mind, but he was too lazy to have him make another trip. The moment the match was struck, the orange-red flame shot up, engulfing the wooden stem in a breath, leaving only a wisp of green smoke curling upwards.
Zhou Dazhi took a big puff. The bitterness and acridity of the cheap cigarette, which he hadn’t tasted in a long time, went into his heart and lungs, choking him and making him cough.
“I have a question.”
Liang Chaosu looked at him through the smoke, his gaze profoundly penetrating.
“I understand his methods and your tactics. The Liang family has always archived projects; data can be manipulated to look beautiful, but details cannot be falsified. Where the writing is artful, there lies the problem.”
Zhou Dazhi suddenly realized, his teeth sensing a chill.
“So you began planning after returning to the country. Having Liancheng infiltrate the Liang family to investigate projects was to conceal your manipulation of the data, lest I become vigilant?”
Liang Chaosu, unaccustomed to smoking for a long time, coughed from the smoke and pulled his stool to sit in the shadows.
His entire outline was blurred, dim, and unfathomable.
“She has a clear sense of right and wrong, is consistent, and has the most persistence. I will pay for whatever crime I commit; she disdains fabrication and framing.”
