Zhǐ Ruò replayed Lì Chen's distraught expression in her mind, the image flickering amidst the chaos of her crumbling trust. His confession, delivered with such raw vulnerability, warred with the cold, hard evidence of the photograph. The opulent silence of her apartment, once a haven, now felt like a suffocating prison of doubt. She longed to believe him, to brush aside the nagging suspicion that he was still entangled in a life she could never understand, let alone condone.
The phone shattered the silence. It was an unknown number. Hesitantly, she answered. A voice, raspy and low, slithered through the speaker. "Zhǐ Ruò, isn't it? Bai Song sends his regards. He's… disappointed you haven't been returning his calls."
Zhǐ Ruò's blood ran cold. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice trembling despite her best efforts.
"Bai Song believes you have something that belongs to him," the voice chuckled, a dry, humorless sound that sent shivers down her spine. "And he has something that belongs to you. A secret, shall we say? One that your dear family would prefer remained buried."
"What secret?" Zhǐ Ruò asked, her mind racing. The family had secrets, she knew. Every powerful family did. But what could Bai Song possibly know that was damaging enough to warrant this?
"Let's just say it involves your esteemed grandfather, Hé Qīng, and a certain… indiscretion from his past. A rather expensive indiscretion, involving a young woman and a considerable sum of money that mysteriously disappeared." The voice paused, allowing the words to sink in. "A sum, I might add, that could raise some rather uncomfortable questions about the legitimacy of your family's initial fortune."
Zhǐ Ruò felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Her grandfather, a man she had always revered, a pillar of the community, implicated in a scandal that could unravel everything her family had built. "What do you want in exchange for your silence?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Bai Song wants control of the subsidiary you're currently managing," the voice said, his tone hardening. "He wants it back, and he wants it now. Sign the papers transferring ownership, and the secret remains buried. Refuse, and… well, let's just say the media will have a field day."
The line went dead. Zhǐ Ruò sank into a chair, her legs suddenly weak. She felt trapped, suffocated by the weight of her family's past and the threat of Bai Song's vengeance. He was like a venomous snake, slithering out of the shadows to strike at her most vulnerable point.
She looked around her apartment, the expensive furniture and designer artwork now mocking symbols of her gilded cage. She had thought she was in control, that she could manipulate events to her advantage. But she had underestimated Bai Song's desperation, his willingness to stoop to any level to regain his power.
She had to protect her family, to prevent this secret from destroying everything they had worked for. But she couldn't give Bai Song what he wanted. The subsidiary was her chance to prove herself, to enact meaningful change within the company. Surrendering it to him would be a betrayal of her principles, a confirmation that corruption always wins.
She thought of her father, Hé Cháng, his face etched with worry and distrust. She had to tell him, to confide in him about Bai Song's threat. But she feared his reaction, his potential anger and disappointment. He might see her as a liability, a threat to the family's stability.
And then there was Lì Chen. The photograph, the secret meetings, still haunted her. Could she trust him? Could she confide in him about this new threat, or was he part of the conspiracy?
She decided to call Lì Chen, despite the lingering doubts. She needed his advice, his perspective. If he truly loved her, he would help her. If not… well, she would know the truth.
His phone rang unanswered. Again and again, she tried, her anxiety mounting with each unanswered ring. Where was he? What was he doing?
Driven by a desperate need to act, to regain some semblance of control, Zhǐ Ruò decided to investigate the subsidiary Bai Song wanted. She spent the next few hours poring over financial records, scrutinizing contracts, searching for any clues that might explain his sudden interest. The subsidiary was a small, struggling tech company, barely profitable. Why was Bai Song so desperate to regain control?
As she dug deeper, she uncovered a series of hidden transactions, shell corporations, and offshore accounts. It became clear that the subsidiary was not what it seemed. It was a front, a vehicle for laundering money and concealing illicit activities. Bai Song wasn't interested in the company itself; he was interested in the network it provided.
Zhǐ Ruò realized that she had stumbled upon something far bigger than she had initially imagined. Bai Song's blackmail attempt was not just about protecting a family secret; it was about protecting a vast criminal enterprise.
The knowledge fueled her resolve. She would not be intimidated. She would not be blackmailed. She would fight back, not just for her family, but for the city, for everyone who had been victimized by Bai Song's greed.
She contacted a private investigator, a discreet and ruthless individual known for his ability to uncover hidden truths. She tasked him with investigating her grandfather's past, to uncover the details of the alleged indiscretion and to determine if there was any truth to Bai Song's claims. She also instructed him to track Bai Song's movements, to anticipate his next move.
Zhǐ Ruò knew that she was walking a dangerous path, that she was playing a game with high stakes. But she was no longer the naive, sheltered heiress she had once been. She was a woman with a purpose, a woman who was determined to protect her loved ones and to bring down the corrupt forces that threatened to destroy them. She would use her intelligence, her resources, and her newfound ruthlessness to win this game, no matter the cost. She would become Bai Song's worst nightmare. But first, she needed to find Lì Chen.