He Chuan Zhou almost didn't react. After thinking for a while, he frowned and said, "Did you help him contact Tao Ruiming?"
Zheng Xianwen's lips tightened, a silent confirmation.
Brother Huang couldn't sit still, shifting in his seat with surprise. "Wow, you really pulled off something impressive there."
He raised his voice, turning his ear towards Zheng Xianwen. "Say it again, what exactly are you planning? This is revenge, not gratitude, right?"
Zheng Xianwen considered his words, then explained, "Han Songshan wants to be the wolf in the business world, but there's no absolute top predator in the market. He covets Guangyi, but many others covet him as well."
This was the last lesson Han Songshan had taught him, and it was also his final gift to his former mentor.
"They've invested most of their liquid assets in acquiring Guangyi's shares. If Guangyi's stock price plummets or their company faces a business crisis leading to a cash flow breakdown, his acquisition plan would fail halfway. Worse, it could even drag his company down in a short period."
Zheng Xianwen hadn't attended university and didn't know much about finance. To make this happen, he consulted professionals and bought several related books to study from scratch.
After learning, he confirmed that finance wasn't his strong suit. He could only grasp the basics, so he took his recorded evidence to find partners.
He recorded Han Songshan's plan to frame Tao Ruiming, guide the release of slanderous videos, and use public opinion to disrupt Guangyi's normal operations. He had videos and audio recordings.
Additionally, he had some evidence he had quietly left behind years ago.
Although he was not smart, he wasn't entirely foolish. After years of navigating social relationships, he could see through some of Han Songshan's tricks.
On the contrary, Han Songshan had been comfortable for too long, his pride dulling his vigilance and sharpness.
"There are many people who want to oppose Han Songshan. Over the years, he has presented himself as impeccably dressed, but behind the scenes, he has used every dirty and underhanded trick in the book." Zheng Xianwen said, "I contacted his rival company in City D directly, showed them my evidence, and they said it was feasible. As long as I can guarantee the authenticity of the documents, they can strike together at the right time. As a top local company in City A, Guangyi is likely to receive government support to prevent its downfall. After all, Guangyi started with real industry and has a strong foundation.
Han Songshan had no affection for him, but Zheng Xianwen no longer needed it.
As he worked on these plans, he felt like a madman with clarity, hoping to tear off Han Songshan's mask, witness his downfall, and shatter his pride, forcing him to kneel at Zheng Jinmei's grave in repentance.
Even if he knew these chances were slim.
"I contacted him and told him Tao Ruiming is a fool, ignorant and easily influenced, yet close to his sister and still resentful over the sexual assault case. Now that Tao Xianyong is dead and Tao Siyue is preoccupied, we could use Tao Ruiming to strike at Guangyi. Amplify Tao Xianyong's case to make more people see his true nature. This idea was exactly what Han Songshan wanted."
Zheng Xianwen slowed his speech, his gaze shifting towards He Chuan Zhou.
The appearance of Tao Ruiming, regardless of the real reason behind it, undeniably pushed He Xu into the public spotlight again.
He hesitated, and He Chuan Zhou, sitting opposite him, showed no special reaction. She merely flicked her right hand, signaling him to continue.
Zheng Xianwen went on, "Han Songshan is very simple. Once he saw I could be useful, or rather, that I wasn't as stupid as he thought, he started treating me with respect."
Han Songshan probably couldn't imagine that the obedient and smiling person after prison would become so deep and calculating.
People often become ugly in the face of benefits, only few can remain noble. Zheng Xianwen could overlook his mother's death, still flattering Han Songshan, which lowered the latter's guard.
"It went smoothly." Zheng Xianwen pulled at the corners of his mouth, but he didn't seem happy. "As a reward, he gave me 20,000 yuan to buy some new clothes."
Han Songshan's rewards always felt like whimsical tips, more like dismissing a pet than caring for someone. It was a kind of teasing, like playing with a cat or dog.
Zheng Xianwen arranged three meetings before finally setting the date with him on the 16th in the suburbs.
On that day, Zheng Xianwen suddenly had a malicious idea. Although they were scheduled to meet in the evening, he kept delaying with random excuses after Han Songshan arrived. By 9 PM, strong winds began to blow in the south district, and the air grew heavy. Han Songshan called to say he was leaving, so Zheng Xianwen finally went to the meeting.
Zheng Xianwen didn't know why he brought the knife, but it was like an irresistible urge. Before leaving, he detoured to the kitchen and tucked it into his waistband.
Maybe he anticipated the meeting wouldn't go well, or perhaps he had always harbored such a mad thought.
As he bent down to put on his shoes, he told himself calmly that if Han Songshan showed any remorse, he wouldn't act.
Han Songshan, fearing being seen, chose a desolate street far from residential areas. After waiting for hours and becoming bored, he wandered far up the street.
By the time Zheng Xianwen followed the GPS to find him, Han Songshan was already resting with weak legs by the riverbank. Hearing footsteps, he used his phone's flashlight to scan the approaching figure, complaining before seeing the face, "Why meet in such a godforsaken place? Hasn't that demolition site ahead been rebuilt? City A's municipal progress is still so stagnant."
Zheng Xianwen realized that Han Songshan was even more talkative than Zheng Jinmei.
Han Songshan waved a hand in the air, annoyed by the surrounding mosquitoes, yet smiled at Zheng Xianwen. "You can rent a better place in the city center. If this acquisition goes well, I can buy you a place, so you won't have to live in such a dirty area anymore."
Zheng Xianwen kept a distance of one and a half meters. Without lifting the flashlight, they couldn't see each other's faces. He thought this distance was perfect, allowing him to hide his cold smile.
He responded, "My mom died around here."
"At home, right?" Han Songshan lowered his head, checking mosquito bites on his arm, and said casually, "That's why you should move. It's too unlucky."
Zheng Xianwen's face darkened instantly, finding the words too harsh.
Han Songshan, like an intruding thief, had robbed Zheng Jinmei of everything, leading to her miserable death, and now summed up her demise with the word "unlucky."
Zheng Xianwen stepped closer, his voice low, "Who are you calling unlucky?"
"What?" Han Songshan didn't hear clearly, glanced at Zheng Xianwen, and continued, "Why did you want to meet here? Next time, let's meet at a hotel. If it's inconvenient for you to go out, I can buy you a new car."
Elated by the smooth progress of his plan, Han Songshan became generous and talkative, but still with his usual condescension. "Xianwen, you should make a fresh start. Don't get discouraged, even prison can be a form of tempering. I think you've matured a lot. Maybe that's a good thing.
Zheng Xianwen's face twisted with rage for a moment but quickly returned to normal. He used the light to illuminate his face from below, creating an eerie, ghostly effect. Speaking gently, with a hint of pleading, he said, "I left a photo of my mom at home. Can you pay your respects to her?"
Han Songshan was startled by the sudden change in Zheng Xianwen's appearance. The way the light cast shadows on his face made his smile look hauntingly sinister. Regaining his composure, Han Songshan understood his request but responded dismissively, "Me, pay respects to her? Why?"
He grabbed Zheng Xianwen's arm, intending to lead him away, all the while talking nonchalantly, "Your mom always liked to make things difficult for herself. Don’t take it too seriously. She was a bit off sometimes. After all, being poor all her life, she became hysterical whenever she saw people. I always thought she should see a psychiatrist. But with her kind of life, being clear-headed might not have been a good thing."
Zheng Xianwen stopped in his tracks.
Han Songshan pulled again but couldn’t move him. He turned around, ready to tell him to stop making such absurd requests. But before he could finish forming the words, Zheng Xianwen's knife had already plunged straight into his chest.
Han Songshan’s facial expression shattered, his eyes widening in shock. He couldn’t react physically, even as he felt the blood rushing from his entire body to his heart, the pain lagging behind before erupting in waves.
Every word from Han Songshan had felt like it was poking at Zheng Xianwen’s nerves. Only when the knife pierced into Han Songshan did the roaring in Zheng Xianwen's head quiet down.
With a blank expression, Zheng Xianwen pulled out the knife. Seeing Han Songshan reach to grab the weapon, he instinctively stabbed again, though with less force this time, withdrawing quickly upon meeting resistance.
He watched as Han Songshan staggered backward, clutching his wound, cursing weakly. Zheng Xianwen lowered his gaze to his own hand.
In the dim light, the blood didn’t look as bright red, but the sensation of warm liquid enveloping his hand lingered, like molten iron being poured over him, burning its way from his fingertips to his heart.
His fingers began to tremble, his entire body shaking. Every cell in his brain was frantically processing the same information, yet he couldn’t make his mind function normally.
It wasn’t until Han Songshan screamed hoarsely, "You betrayed me! You want to kill me?" that Zheng Xianwen snapped back to reality.