When Chen Jin saw Lin Wan again in the hospital's break room, he couldn't help but feel a slight surprise. Just moments ago, this woman—this girl—had been crying uncontrollably, a broken mess. Now, she stood in front of him, her face taut and her posture straight, exuding the energy of someone ready to confront and seek justice. It was an unsettling sight, though that discomfort passed quickly. After years in the business world, Chen Jin had seen all kinds of people. Compared to the shrewd, calculating individuals he faced regularly, this young woman seemed too inexperienced.
The room was empty except for the two of them. Chen Jin casually glanced at Lin Wan, then leisurely walked to the sofa and sat down, as if receiving an ordinary guest. He didn't seem to bear any guilt or recognition of himself as the "wrongdoer" or "accomplice."
"Miss Lin, I hear you want to meet with me?" Chen Jin asked, his voice calm. He could hear the heavy breathing at the other end, which made him smile inwardly. She was still just a naive girl, trying to appear tough and intimidating.
Lin Wan took two steps back and sat down. She knew that when it came to negotiations, one had to adopt the right stance. From the first moment she laid eyes on this man, she had sensed that he was no ordinary person. His presence exuded power—strong, dangerous, and oppressive. That was the first impression he gave her. On top of that, his background seemed anything but simple. Facing him would be like an egg trying to crash into a rock—completely disproportionate in strength. But now, she was the egg, with nothing left to lose, and nothing to fear.
"Did you arrange all of this?" Lin Wan's voice was hoarse, a result of hours of crying.
"I don't quite understand what you mean," Chen Jin furrowed his brow.
"Hmph," Lin Wan sneered, staring directly at him. "Mr. Chen, don't get too cocky. Even if my father and mother were temporarily deceived by you, I won't give up. Debts must be paid, and lives must be avenged." The last four words were uttered through gritted teeth.
Chen Jin continued to observe her carefully. She still wore the same bloodstained white dress, and her feet were clad in the same white canvas shoes that had kicked him earlier—covered with bloodstains. Despite her attire being covered in blood, she didn't look as disheveled as one might expect; instead, there was a tragic and poignant aura about her.
His gaze moved upwards, noticing that her previously messy hair had been tidied, though her face was still pale, with no trace of tears. Only her swollen eyes revealed what she had just endured. This time, his gaze didn't linger on her lips, but rather on her eyes. The look on them was strong, sharp, and filled with hatred. If eyes could shoot fire, he thought, his would already be reduced to ashes.
She was strong, formidable. Whereas before, he had seen her as just an angry, blustering girl, now he had to pay attention. Few people, especially young women, could maintain their composure and look him in the eye like that. Perhaps it was the power of grief. But this power, however strong, was no match for him. Who was he? Chen Jin, the "Chen Yanluo" of the business world—a nickname that, though unflattering, perfectly described his cold heart, ruthless methods, and remarkable business acumen.
Hearing her harsh words, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes, and he spoke in a relaxed tone, "Miss Lin, perhaps you haven't seen the results of the investigation. This accident wasn't quite as you imagined. Please watch your language."
Lin Wan's anger flared. She stood up abruptly, taking several quick steps toward him. She felt a burning desire to tear away the mask of hypocrisy that this bastard was wearing, to expose the blackness of his heart. No, she suspected he didn't have a heart at all. Initially, she had viewed him as just the representative of the killer, but now, she realized he was the true villain—one who twisted the truth and treated human life with disdain.
She had just seen the so-called investigation report, and it was a complete distortion of the facts. If it weren't for the police officers' uniforms and their conduct, she would have thought they had hired actors to deceive them. Words like "The blood alcohol content was within the legal limit," "No conclusive evidence that the driver violated any traffic laws," "Brake failure," and "No surveillance footage of the road section" were used to justify the conclusion that it was just an ordinary car accident with shared responsibility. In short, it was their bad luck that their domestic car, with poor quality brakes, suddenly failed, while they dared to challenge an imported luxury car. The result? The car was ruined, but the other party was just mildly injured, while they… had lost a life.
It was all written in black and white, "rational" and "well-supported." If she hadn't been there, maybe she would have believed it, but she was. And she immediately realized that this was a carefully constructed lie. In just one night, no, in just a few hours, while she wept over her lover's cold body, they were preparing their perfect lie. By the time her elderly parents arrived, weary from their journey, they had already spun a tight web to cover up the truth.
She found it absurd—how could something like this happen? Wasn't this supposed to be a society based on the rule of law? She looked at the glaring police badges and epaulets on those people's uniforms and wanted to say, "Aren't you supposed to be public servants? Why are you acting like this?" What shocked her even more was that Mr. and Mrs. Wang had believed them. They had accepted this absurd excuse, passively accepting this tragedy as their fate.
She had fought with those people, but all she received in return were pitying looks. They looked at her as if she were insane, as if everything she said was nonsense. Even Mrs. Wang had said, Wan, you're too tired. You need to rest. Wang turned away, refusing to look at her, as if she were beyond saving.