185: Chapter 186 The "Devil's" Pact on the Eve of the Trial!
The night sky pressed heavily upon the headquarters of Tianhua Pharmaceutical Group. The lights in the chairman's office on the top floor were still on. Wang Tianhua stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, clutching an extinguished cigar in his hand, his knuckles turning white.
The glass reflected his face full of anxiety. Tomorrow was the first trial of Li Yong's case. Just now, an old friend had secretly sent a message saying that Singularity had not only hired Wang Jingdong but had also teamed up with the country's top experts in evidence science. Even the state media had sent people to monitor the trial; it seemed they were intent on making a big scene.
"A tech guy—why must he insist on wading into the murky waters of medicine?" Wang Tianhua cursed under his breath, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the window.
He thought back to his rise to success: from being assigned to the procurement department of Jiangzhou Second Pharmaceutical Factory after graduating from university, winning the factory director's favor through his steady and hard work, marrying the director's daughter, to seizing the opportunity during the factory's restructuring to turn the state-owned plant into the private Tianhua Pharmaceutical. He then connected with Polaris Investment, secured domestic authorization for foreign anti-cancer drugs, and step by step, built Tianhua into a group worth tens of billions.
In his eyes, industry barriers should be like iron walls. Tech companies should honestly stick to making software and chips; the affairs of the pharmaceutical industry were not for outsiders to meddle in.
But Zhang Fan refused to follow the rules. Not only did he develop medical ai, but he also protected an unlicensed folk doctor and even went as far as to mobilize the resources of the entire Qidian Alliance to go against him, an "old hand in medicine."
"Could he really be after that anti-cancer formula?" Wang Tianhua frowned deeply, the unease in his heart growing heavier.
His old friend said that Singularity's Technology Department had already uncovered the connection between Tianhua and Qiming Capital, and had even obtained the transaction records of the "kickbacks" he gave to Polaris Investment last year.
If these were exposed during the trial, let alone taking down Li Yong, he himself would be finished.
As he paced anxiously, a black satellite phone on his desk suddenly vibrated. This phone had been given to him last year by someone from Qiming Capital, who said it could "contact big figures at critical moments." He had never taken it seriously, but now, a string of undisplayable numbers pulsed on the screen, carrying an eerie sense of strangeness.
Wang Tianhua hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer key. An electronically processed voice came through the receiver, indistinguishable as male or female, cold as a machine: "Chairman Wang, it seems you aren't sleeping very well tonight."
"Who are you?" Wang Tianhua gripped the phone warily and looked around. The office's soundproofing was top-notch; no one could eavesdrop.
"Who I am isn't important. What matters is that I can help you." The other party's voice had no fluctuation. "For the trial of Li Yong's case, Singularity has hired Wang Jingdong and teamed up with evidence experts. Those forged medical records in your hands won't survive the first round of cross-examination, right?"
Wang Tianhua's heart sank abruptly—the other party actually knew he had forged evidence and was aware of Singularity's moves; they were clearly no ordinary person. He suppressed his panic and asked tentatively, "What do you want? How much money?"
"Money?" The other party sneered, their tone full of disdain. "What we want isn't money. I represent the Tianming Group. We quite admire Chairman Wang's 'boldness'—using any resource necessary to obtain the anti-cancer formula. We highly approve of such determination."
"Tianming Group?" Wang Tianhua's pupils constricted. He had only heard this name during internal meetings at Qiming Capital. It was said to be a multinational organization spanning technology, medicine, and finance, with ruthless methods; even Polaris Investment had to follow their orders. He hadn't expected that he would be contacted directly by the Tianming Group.
"We can help you." The voice remained cold yet carried an undeniable temptation. "First, we will provide you with an 'irrefutable' chain of evidence—including transaction records of Li Yong's 'illegal sale of herbal medicine' (we will forge the bank statements), court testimony from three 'real patients' (professional actors who have undergone communication training), and a 'herbal ingredient test report' from the Provincial Drug Administration proving his medicine contains 'prohibited ingredients'."
"Second, we will send a legal consultant to the court before the trial tomorrow. He has won 17 'ironclad cases' and not even Wang Jingdong is his match. He can ensure Li Yong is convicted of 'serious illegal medical practice' and sentenced to at least five years in prison."
Wang Tianhua's breathing instantly quickened—five years in prison would be enough for him to force Li Yong to hand over the formula, and enough to completely eliminate the "unstable elements" within the Tianhua Group. However, he also knew there was no such thing as a free lunch; the Tianming Group wouldn't help him for nothing.
"And the conditions?" His voice trembled, already having a premonition.
"It's simple." The other party's tone finally had a hint of fluctuation, carrying the arrogance of someone in total control. "After the trial ends, you must hand over the anti-cancer formula obtained from Li Yong to us in its entirety—including all the improvement plans you've already researched and Li Yong's original manuscripts. Additionally, Tianhua Group must open all production lines for free to cooperate with us in the mass production of the anti-cancer drug. We will take seventy percent of the profit, and you will take thirty."
Wang Tianhua's fingers gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white. A seventy percent profit share practically turned Tianhua Group into a "foundry" for Tianming. But thinking of the scene after Li Yong's imprisonment and the thought of being able to completely control the anti-cancer drug market, he gritted his teeth—cooperating with the Tianming Group would at least preserve his status. If he lost the trial, not only would his reputation be ruined, but Tianhua Group would also be swallowed by Singularity.
"Fine! I agree!" He hardly hesitated, his voice filled with the determination of someone burning their bridges. "I will do as you say. As soon as the trial is over, I will hand the formula over to you!"
"A wise choice." The other party's voice sounded a bit more satisfied. "The encrypted file has been sent to your computer. The extraction password is 'Tianming'. Remember, don't play any tricks—our people are everywhere."
The phone hung up with a click. Wang Tianhua immediately rushed to his computer, and as expected, an encrypted file popped up in the bottom right corner of the screen. He typed the word "Tianming," and after the file was extracted, it was filled with dense documents and videos—forged bank statements, actor profiles, scanned copies of test reports, and the resume of that legal consultant. The man in the photo wore gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze as sharp as a blade, and the words "17 victories" on his resume were particularly striking.
Looking at this "perfect" evidence, a sinister smile gradually curled onto the corners of Wang Tianhua's mouth. His previous anxiety and unease were instantly replaced by ecstasy—with the support of the Tianming Group, let alone Wang Jingdong, even the entire legal world couldn't stop him! Li Yong, Zhang Fan, you think you can win just by relying on lawyers and evidence? Just wait; at tomorrow's trial, I'll show you what it means to say "Tianming's will cannot be defied"!
He picked up his phone and dialed the number of the Legal Director, Zhou Ming, his tone full of triumph: "Zhou Ming, there's no need to fear tomorrow's trial! I've found a 'big figure' to help. We have both the evidence and the lawyer; I guarantee Li Yong won't be able to escape! Come to the company right now. We'll check the evidence one more time to ensure nothing goes wrong!"
After hanging up, Wang Tianhua walked to the wine cabinet, poured a glass of top-tier red wine, and downed it in one go. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, making his whole body flush with heat—he felt as though he had signed a contract with the devil; though he had paid a price, he had gained the power of certain victory. Tomorrow's trial would be the most glorious moment of his life, and the end for Zhang Fan and Li Yong.
Meanwhile, at Singularity Technology headquarters, Zhang Fan and Wang Jingdong were at a computer, analyzing the evidence Wang Tianhua might present. On the screen, Li Yong's medical records, video testimonies from villagers, and Xiaoya's confession recording were neatly arranged in folders. Wang Jingdong pointed at a document, his tone grave: "I always feel that Wang Tianhua won't give up so easily. He must have a trump card up his sleeve. We need to prepare another emergency plan."
Zhang Fan nodded, a sudden flicker of unease crossing his heart—the system hadn't popped up any new warnings, yet he felt as though a pair of eyes were watching them from the shadows, an existence even more terrifying than Wang Tianhua. He picked up his phone and dialed Liu Ruyan's number: "Have the Technology Department check Wang Tianhua's communication records again, especially any satellite phones with undisplayable numbers. We must find the person behind him!"
The night grew darker as a secret war surrounding the trial quietly began. Wang Tianhua thought he had obtained the help of a "devil," unaware that he had long since become a pawn of the Tianming Group. Tomorrow's trial was not just a battle for Li Yong's innocence, but also a crucial engagement in their fight against the Tianming Group.