A similar drama to the one unfolding at Gu Corporation was also happening at Zhou Corporation—except this one was even more severe.
After news of Wang Cheng’s success at the bidding conference returned to the company, Zhou Shichang personally attended the executive meeting to praise him. In front of everyone, he openly announced that the project would continue to be handled by Wang Cheng, while Zhao Jiansheng, who had been serving as his deputy, was removed from the project entirely.
Zhao Jiansheng was dissatisfied with the result. He already knew Wang Cheng’s claim during the bidding conference—that Plot No. 12 would be reclaimed by the government—had been false. So, in front of all the executives, he deliberately raised the issue, demanding Wang Cheng provide an explanation. Since the information was fake, Plot No. 12 was obviously better than Plot No. 6. Yet Wang Cheng still chose Plot No. 6, which clearly did not maximize the company’s benefits.
“Since Manager Zhao has questions, let Zhou Cheng explain himself,” Feng Yifan said.
Wang Cheng stood up. “That’s right. The claim that the government would reclaim the land was false. I deliberately spread that rumor in order to mislead our competitors and intentionally allowed Hengyu to hear the news.”
“But now Plot No. 12 has already fallen into Hengyu’s hands. Your so-called misdirection clearly had no effect at all. How do you explain that?” Zhao Jiansheng pressed aggressively.
By now he already knew Wang Cheng had likely set this trap specifically for him. However, after analyzing the situation with Zhou Lin, they were convinced they had left behind no evidence. Wang Cheng should not have been able to uncover anything substantial.
Wang Cheng did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked toward the executives around the room. “When everyone here first heard the rumor that the government would reclaim the land, what was your first reaction?”
“Naturally, that it was fake,” Feng Yifan answered.
The other executives nodded in agreement.
“Exactly,” Wang Cheng said. “Hengyu and Zhou Corporation have always been fierce rivals. During the land bidding, Hengyu definitely intended to snatch away the plots Zhou Corporation had set its sights on. But everyone here should remember—our internal mole still hasn’t been identified. So I concluded that Hengyu must have contacted the mole again this time.”
One of the executives frowned. “How can you be so certain Hengyu contacted the mole again?”
“Simple,” Wang Cheng replied. “Because Hengyu’s bids for Plot No. 2 and Plot No. 12 were both exactly five million yuan higher than the estimated prices calculated by our company. One coincidence can still be called luck. But if it happens twice, then suspicion becomes unavoidable. The reason I raised the bidding price for Plot No. 2 by another twenty million was precisely because of this. Of course, words alone prove nothing. I also have evidence. Everyone, please look at the screen.”
At that moment, a video appeared on the large screen behind everyone.
The footage was short. It clearly showed Li Qiang dismissing his coworkers before sneaking into Wang Cheng’s office and stealing the documents.
After the video finished playing, the entire room erupted in shock and anger.
On the surface, Zhao Jiansheng looked furious as well, but internally panic had already begun rising. They had clearly sabotaged the surveillance cameras beforehand, so why did this footage still exist? In his flustered state, he failed to notice Wang Cheng quietly watching him.
“Manager Zhou,” one of the executives asked, “since you already knew someone had stolen the documents, why didn’t you reveal it immediately? Why wait until after the bidding conference ended?”
“The employee who stole the documents is named Li Qiang. He was obviously just an accomplice. The real mole was still hiding behind the scenes. If I exposed the theft immediately, it would only alert the enemy. Once the mole retreated back into their shell, uncovering them again would become extremely difficult,” Wang Cheng explained.
“Then do you already know who the mole is?”
“Everyone, don’t rush. Let me explain step by step.”
As Wang Cheng spoke, his gaze drifted toward Zhao Jiansheng. Zhao Jiansheng happened to look up at that exact moment and accidentally met Wang Cheng’s eyes, causing his heart to skip violently.
“The reason I claimed Plot No. 12 had issues was specifically to lure out the mole,” Wang Cheng continued. “Everyone knows the company originally selected three plots of land. Among them, Plot No. 2 and Plot No. 12 clearly had the greatest potential value. Under normal circumstances, the company would definitely have chosen those two plots. Hengyu would think the same. Unfortunately for them, I received insider information confirming that Plot No. 12 truly did have problems—just not the reason I publicly stated. Its value had already dropped significantly below the original estimate. But if I suddenly changed our strategy directly, Hengyu would immediately become suspicious. So I deliberately used that ridiculous excuse in order to attract Hengyu’s attention.”
A spark flashed through Feng Yifan’s mind. “You mean you intentionally gave a flawed explanation, allowing the mole to pass the information to Ji Tianyu. Ji Tianyu then became suspicious and assumed you were deliberately tricking them into targeting Plot No. 6, while secretly still planning to bid on Plot No. 12?”
“Exactly,” Wang Cheng said cheerfully. “Plot No. 12 was originally excellent land. However, I later received news that the government planned to build a chemical factory near that area in the future. Once that happens, the land’s value would no longer be worth the original five hundred million estimate. So I deliberately lured Hengyu Group into bidding for Plot No. 12 instead.”
“Hahaha! You really are impressive,” Feng Yifan burst into laughter. “Even Ji Tianyu got fooled by you. Once he learns the truth, who knows how much he’ll regret it.”
The other executives also laughed knowingly and echoed several compliments.
“Young Master Zhou really is talented. Bringing him back was absolutely the right decision.”
“I heard Ji Tianyu threw a huge tantrum after returning. Looks like he already realized he got played by Young Master Zhou. Truly satisfying!”
Everyone felt immensely relieved and proud. Zhou Corporation had previously suffered major losses due to Hengyu Group’s underhanded tactics. Several times when they encountered Hengyu executives, they were mocked openly. They had long wanted revenge but never had the opportunity. Now that Wang Cheng had finally turned the tables on Hengyu, nobody cared anymore that he had acted independently.
Zhou Shichang also nodded approvingly at Wang Cheng. After the room gradually quieted down, he finally spoke. “Enough. Back to the main matter. Only four people knew about this situation: you, Assistant Liu, Manager Zhao, and Aimoer’s president. Since you claim the mole passed this information to Hengyu… who exactly is this mole?”
The meeting room instantly fell silent again.
“Manager Zhou and Aimoer’s president obviously wouldn’t leak confidential information. That leaves only…”
“Manager Wang, what exactly are you implying?” Zhao Jiansheng slammed the table and stood up angrily, glaring at Wang Yuesheng, who had just spoken. “You’re saying Zhou Cheng and Aimoer’s president are impossible suspects, so are you hinting that I’m the mole?”
Wang Yuesheng stared at Zhao Jiansheng’s furious expression and replied with a fake smile. “Why are you getting so worked up? I hadn’t even finished speaking yet, and you already jumped up yourself. There’s an old saying: if you haven’t done anything shameful during the day, you won’t fear ghosts knocking at your door at midnight. Could it be you’re feeling guilty?”
“What do I have to feel guilty about? If you’re accusing me of being the mole, then show evidence! Otherwise this is slander!”
Though Zhao Jiansheng was panicking internally, Wang Cheng still had not presented any evidence directly linking him to the crime. That gave him enough confidence to continue resisting.
“Enough. Stop arguing,” Feng Yifan interrupted. “As for who the mole is, I believe Manager Zhou already has an answer prepared. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
Everyone’s attention immediately returned to Wang Cheng.
Wang Cheng had indeed come prepared. Otherwise he would never have brought the matter up during the meeting.
“President Feng truly remains calm,” Wang Cheng said with a smile. “The reason I intentionally allowed the documents to be copied was precisely to prepare for this situation. After Li Qiang stole the files, he obviously had to deliver them to whoever instructed him. So I arranged for someone to follow him. However, the other party’s caution exceeded even my expectations.”
“Did something unexpected happen?” someone asked.
Wang Cheng nodded. “Exactly. After stealing the files, Li Qiang never passed them to the mole directly. The person behind everything instructed him to hand the files directly to Hengyu’s people.”
Originally, Wang Cheng had deliberately avoided storing the documents in the computer system specifically to identify the person directing Li Qiang. Unfortunately, the mastermind had already anticipated this possibility. They had no choice but to investigate through another lead instead.
A trace of smugness flashed through Zhao Jiansheng’s eyes. “But it’s also possible Hengyu directly bribed Li Qiang.”
“That’s impossible,” Wang Cheng replied calmly. “Without help from an insider, Li Qiang would never have been able to obtain the files. I investigated him thoroughly. Although he’s skilled with computers, he knows nothing about lockpicking. Clearly, he only learned enough temporarily to carry out the task. Furthermore, the office surveillance cameras were sabotaged in advance. That alone proves someone in the company with a fairly high position was assisting him.”
“But if Li Qiang handed the documents directly to Hengyu’s people, then doesn’t that mean the trail is dead?” Feng Yifan asked.
“That lead may be dead,” Wang Cheng said, “but other leads are still alive. Li Qiang has already been detained by my people. As for the person who sabotaged the surveillance system—they are the exact same group responsible for stealing the company’s confidential documents last time.”
“Who sabotaged the cameras?”
“A security guard abusing his authority. His name is Liu Dahui. He has worked at the company as a guard for eight years. In the past, he had a criminal record. The night the company documents disappeared last time, he was also the guard on duty. And the person who recommended him for the security position…”
Wang Cheng’s gaze landed squarely on Zhao Jiansheng.
“…was Manager Zhao.”
Manager Zhao’s expression darkened immediately. “That’s right, Liu Dahui was indeed recommended by me. But that doesn’t mean whoever recommended him must automatically be the mole. That’s only your speculation.”
“Correct,” Wang Cheng said with a grin, spreading his hands. “At present, it is still speculation. But it can’t be coincidence that he happened to be on duty both times. So I investigated who arranged the duty roster. I traced it layer by layer… and eventually discovered it was actually arranged by Team Leader Zhou.”
There was only one Team Leader Zhou in the company.
Zhou Lin.
Feng Yifan turned toward Zhao Jiansheng with a smile that was not quite a smile. “Manager Zhao and Team Leader Zhou truly are a loving couple. Just what kind of person is this Liu Dahui, to deserve so much attention from both husband and wife?”
“Chairman, this must be some kind of misunderstanding!” Seeing the situation spiraling further out of control, Zhao Jiansheng hurriedly tried to explain to Zhou Shichang. “Linlin and I have clearly been framed. How could we possibly betray Zhou Corporation? Linlin is your biological daughter! If the company suffers losses, it won’t benefit us at all!”
At that exact moment, Zhou Lin burst into the meeting room despite the attempts of people outside to stop her. She had learned about everything so quickly because Zhao Jiansheng had kept his phone line open.
“Dad…”
Zhou Lin had barely begun speaking when her eyes suddenly met Zhou Shichang’s cold gaze.
The rest of her words instantly became trapped in her throat.
A chill spread through her body.
An ominous feeling rose in her chest.
Then she heard Zhou Shichang’s emotionless voice.
“From today onward, Zhao Jiansheng and Zhou Lin are suspended from all duties.”
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment