Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

In the early hours of the following day, in a secluded private room at a private club.

Zhang Jingyi looked haggard, with a suitcase in front of him.

Sitting opposite him was Secretary Wu, the personal secretary of Vice Mayor Zhou Wenyuan.

"Secretary Wu, this is just a small token of my appreciation." Zhang Jingyi gently pushed the briefcase over. "President Wei just wants to meet Mayor Zhou to report on recent work progress. It will only take about ten minutes."

Secretary Wu didn't even glance at the box; he simply picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Old Zhang, we're all sensible people." Secretary Wu put down his teacup, his tone carrying undisguised distance. "Take this box back. Mayor Zhou is very busy with official duties lately, his schedule is full, he doesn't have time to see President Wei."

Zhang Jingyi's heart skipped a beat, and he said hurriedly, "Secretary Wu, we've known each other for a long time. Back when Mayor Zhou encountered resistance in charge of the old city renovation project, it was the Wei family who stepped in to smooth things over. This little bit of goodwill..."

"You know it was back then?!"

Secretary Wu's expression suddenly changed, and he lowered his voice, angrily rebuking, "Don't you know how big a mess your Wei family has made this time?! That pit in Nanshan... even provincial leaders are paying attention now! Your foolish behavior is practically poisoning Mayor Zhou's mind!"

He stood up, looking down at Zhang Jingyi: "Mayor Zhou asked me to pass on a message to you—be careful. Go through legal procedures if necessary, and stop trying to use underhanded methods, and definitely don't try to drag others down with you!"

Zhang Jingyi turned pale and slumped onto the sofa.

He understood.

This isn't hammering, this is cutting.

In order to protect himself, Zhou Wenyuan has decided to completely sacrifice the Wei family.

After the initial shock, a lawyer's instincts quickly took over his thinking.

He cannot be dragged into the grave.

The Wei family's ship is destined to sink. He must find—or build—a lifeboat before he is tied to the ship, even if it requires using the ship's planks.

……

At the same time, in the top-floor office of the Wei Group.

The curtains were drawn tightly shut, and the room was dark except for the faint blue glow emanating from the screen of a satellite phone on the desk.

Wei Ziang sat in the darkness, waiting for the call to connect with his last hope.

"Sizzle... sizzle..."

After a hiss, the encrypted channel was connected.

"Young Master Wang."

Wei Zi'ang's voice carried a hint of humble pleading, "The things... I've uploaded them to the designated location as requested. They're all the original experimental data and backups left by my father, and... and summaries of all the accounts he kept privately."

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a cold, electronically processed voice.

"received."

That was Young Master Wang, a core member of the "Five Mountains Society" in Lieyang Province.

Wei Zi'ang, as if grasping at a straw, said urgently, "Young Master Wang, the Wei family is in dire straits. Zhou Wenyuan is ready to abandon us. We are entirely dependent on you and the organization to guide us on a path to survival! We can give up most of our assets! Even if we only keep the core assets... or, just let us leave safely!"

"If we're truly driven to a dead end..." Wei Zi'ang gritted his teeth, a hint of madness in his voice, "the people below, and even myself, might do irrational things out of despair, saying things we shouldn't..."

This was a weak threat, but it was his only remaining threat.

A soft laugh came from the other end of the communicator.

"Wei Zi'ang, are you trying to negotiate with me?"

Before Wei Ziang could explain, the voice continued:

"First, the consequences of your or any of your subordinates' 'irrational' actions will be reflected on the people you care about most."

"For example, your mother who is currently recuperating at a medical facility."

"For example, your son who just turned five and attends a private kindergarten in a city overseas."

boom--!

Wei Zi'ang was struck dumb, frozen in his chair.

That was his last weakness, protected by multiple layers of false identities and trust funds.

But in the eyes of the Five Mountains Alliance, it was still as transparent as a blank sheet of paper.

"You...you all..." Wei Zi'ang's lips trembled, all his courage and cunning completely collapsed at this moment.

"Do you want to see them have an 'accident'?" Young Master Wang asked.

"No...no!! Please! Don't touch them!" Wei Zi'ang said, trembling, tears streaming down his face.

"That's right."

Young Master Wang's tone shifted slightly, taking on a hint of almost cruel "compassion."

"Secondly, considering your father's past service, the organization can show you some 'leniency'."

"We can guarantee that the money you secretly transferred overseas will not be recovered and will be given to your son at some point in the future through a legal gift or trust. Your mother will also receive enough money to live comfortably in her old age, in a place where she will not be disturbed."

"The premise is that from now on, all your actions must be 'quiet' and 'cooperative'."

Young Master Wang's voice, like a venomous snake, slithered into Wei Zi'ang's ears: "Do you understand what 'cooperation' means?"

Wei Zi'ang slumped in his chair. Faced with such overwhelming power and intelligence, he had no right to negotiate.

His voice was hollow, like that of a puppet whose soul had been ripped out, "I... what should I do?"

"Accept all the guilt you should admit; keep silent about the things you shouldn't say. The Wei family will take full responsibility for all the blame."

"Within 48 hours, someone will give you specific instructions for the next step, including how to arrange for your mother to go abroad for medical treatment."

"Remember, Wei Zi'ang."

The last words spoken before the communication was cut off completely sealed off Wei Zi'ang's escape route.

"The more compliant you are, the more secure your son's and your mother's future will be. This is the only thing you can do for them in this life."

"Beep—beep—beep—"

The silent echoed in the dark office.

Wei Ziang slowly slid to the ground, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders heaved violently.

That wasn't crying.

That was the nothingness after utter collapse.

He finally understood that in the face of such a true behemoth, his father's so-called "foundation" was nothing more than a garbage bag that could be squeezed dry and discarded at any time by his so-called "backer".

He didn't even have the right to struggle.

For that faint hope held in someone else's hands, he had to personally offer himself up on the altar.

……

Dawn City Police Department, a confidential special interrogation room.

Zhang Jingyi sat at the table, his suit looking somewhat wrinkled, his tie loosened, hanging around his neck like a tight noose.

Opposite him sat Zhao Jianguo, with a cold expression, and Lei Zhen, whose eyes were bloodshot.

Zhang Jingyi: "My family..."