As soon as Lin Wan entered the apartment, she saw him—Chen Jin, sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed, staring at the door with a gaze that could pierce through anything. He looked like an emperor awaiting the submission of his subjects. Lin Wan couldn't help but imagine that she should perhaps kneel, shout three times, "Long live the Emperor," and then, with tears in her eyes, beg, "Please, Your Majesty, spare this humble servant, I will never dare again."
At the thought of this, she couldn't help but chuckle. She didn't even care whether it would provoke him anymore; she was now like a dead pig that was no longer afraid of boiling water. So, she casually changed her shoes and nonchalantly asked, "Are you waiting for me?"
Chen Jin had waited for nearly an hour, and finally, this damn woman appeared. To his disbelief, she was actually laughing, completely unfazed. He started to wonder if she was out of her mind. Hearing her question, he paused. Waiting for her? What right did she have to make him wait? But, as he sat there, eyelids growing heavy, there was something about seeing her standing in front of him that made him feel a bit relieved.
He paused for a moment, then snorted, "Yeah, I wanted to see if you were still alive."
Lin Wan shot back without hesitation, "With someone like you still alive, I naturally can't afford to die early."
Chen Jin snorted again, "That's not certain. Your 'time' is coming soon." With that, he stood up, took a few large steps, and marched toward the bedroom, walking ahead of her.
Lin Wan stumbled slightly as he pushed her, gritting her teeth in frustration. She thought to herself, Why doesn't this place have a guest room?
The next two days, Lin Wan spent in a state of anxiety. Chen Jin clearly intended to settle the score. Since that night, the two of them had barely exchanged any words. Aside from their physical encounters, there was nothing else between them. Now, Chen Jin had stopped touching her, and so, every night, they would sleep in the same bed, merely hearing each other's breathing, but nothing more.
On the third morning, Lin Wan finally received the long-awaited message from her good friend, and the heavy weight that had been hanging in her chest was finally lightened. As soon as she returned to her seat, she received a message from Xiao Xie: "Come quick, the Zhicheng incident has a new development..." She attached a link.
Xiao Xie had been busy recently looking for apartments as she planned her wedding, and she didn't miss any industry news. Lately, she had been following the Zhicheng case closely, even speculating whether the murder case could lower the property prices for Zhicheng. If that happened, it would be a good thing. Lin Wan scolded her for lacking compassion, to which Xiao Xie innocently replied, "Well, the dead can't come back, so why not help the living get some benefits?"
Lin Wan didn't click the link immediately. Instead, she closed her eyes, rubbing her temples as she replayed the events of the past few days in her mind. The Zhicheng case had caused a huge stir, and government departments had already begun investigating. The online media had been full of extensive reports, and nearly every mention of "Zhicheng" was followed by "bloodshed." Netizens were fiercely condemning the company, accusing them of valuing money over human lives. Some even named Chen Jin, calling him a heartless businessman, predicting that he would eventually face retribution. In response, Zhicheng only issued a low-key statement, saying the matter was still under investigation, and they would provide answers to everyone.
Lin Wan didn't know how much of an impact this incident had on Chen Jin. He was deeply rooted and powerful. No matter how big the scandal, there would always be someone covering for him. The only thing she could be sure of was that she wouldn't have it easy. Based on the way he had acted that day, it seemed that even if she were torn apart a thousand times, it wouldn't satisfy him. But she didn't regret it—not even a little. If she had to choose again, she would still make the same choice.
Lin Wan clicked on the link, and she froze. "Zhicheng held a press conference today, calling the incident a malicious fabrication by certain individuals..." The report provided conclusive evidence that the demolition crew involved had no connection to Zhicheng; they were a group of thugs hired by someone else.
The most shocking part was that a photo of the family, who had been thought to be "dead," was now shown, taken in the hospital. Thanks to careful medical treatment, they were all out of danger. The child, whose head had been bandaged, even gave a peace sign to the camera. It turned out that the injured family had been hidden away in an abandoned factory on the outskirts, left to fend for themselves. They were later found and brought to the best hospital, receiving the best care—all of which was provided by Zhicheng.
Chen Jin stated in the interview that it was Zhicheng's responsibility to care for the family because they had been targeted by malicious forces. They were innocent victims in the entire scheme. Therefore, Zhicheng not only ensured their physical recovery but also promised to find the real culprits and bring them to justice. Additionally, they promised to gift the family a fully furnished house as compensation for their emotional distress. The response from the public was overwhelming. Just hours ago, Zhicheng had been universally condemned as an immoral company, but now, it is hailed as a great benefactor. The injured middle-aged man kept praising Chen Jin in interviews, saying he was a great person, and the child even said he wanted to become as successful as Uncle Chen when he grew up.
As for the "malicious person," Zhicheng didn't provide many details but did release the suspect's name. Soon after, online users conducted a "human flesh search" and discovered that the lead thug was the brother-in-law of a mid-level leader at Chaohui Real Estate, which was owned by Tan Xizhe. This sparked a new wave of discussions about infighting among real estate giants and the suffering of ordinary people. Chen Jin quickly responded, saying he and Tan Xizhe had been friends for years. He trusted Tan Xizhe's character and believed that any mistakes made were due to his subordinates, and he promised to fully investigate the matter and give the public an explanation.