109: 109. Compromise
In the evening, Zhu Fang was restless in her luxurious villa. The rich dinner prepared by the nanny remained untouched; she had no appetite at all.
Ever since she learned of Shen Wei's mysterious disappearance and the company falling into chaos, an ominous premonition had risen from the bottom of her heart.
She didn't particularly care whether Shen Wei lived or died, but he knew too many secrets. Once exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Just as she was pacing anxiously, hesitating whether to use her network to thoroughly investigate or even seek help from 'that side', the villa's doorbell rang.
Shen Wei was back.
Zhu Fang immediately rushed downstairs and saw Shen Wei standing at the door, looking distraught, emitting an indescribable stench and... the smell of flour?
His crotch was soaked, making him look utterly disheveled.
She suppressed the disgust and surprise in her heart and sternly demanded, "Where on earth have you been?! Look at the state you're in!"
"I... I almost died today! I almost didn't make it back!"
Shen Wei's voice was hoarse, filled with unprecedented terror and lingering fear. His eyes darted around, not daring to meet Zhu Fang's gaze.
Seeing his appearance, Zhu Fang knew that things had absolutely exceeded her imagination and were extremely serious. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "What exactly happened? Explain it clearly!"
"This... this thing... they told me... to give it to you..." Shen Wei's hand trembled as he handed over a thick document bag, as if it were a hot potato.
Zhu Fang was filled with suspicion. She took the document bag, opened it, and glanced inside, her face instantly turning ashen white!
Inside were all the evidences of her years of illicit profit transfers, money laundering, and even more unsavory dealings conducted through Shen Wei!
Every transaction was recorded clearly!
"You told them about us?" She suddenly looked up, her expression utterly ferocious!
"No! It wasn't me." Shen Wei protested.
The other party had already produced these things before he even had a chance to speak.
Zhu Fang's mind was blank. Just then, her private phone rang; it was an unknown number.
She trembled as she answered, and a calm voice came from the other end:
"Ms. Li, good evening. Regarding your husband's matter, we hope to conclude it here. If you agree, then these items in your hand, along with all backups, will never appear in any place they shouldn't. At the same time, given your position, we might even become... friends, and perhaps cooperate in certain areas in the future."
The voice paused, but the tone carried a chilling coldness: "Of course, if you disagree, or wish to do something else... you know very well what these things mean. We hope you make... a wise choice."
There were no threatening words, yet it was more terrifying than any direct intimidation.
Zhu Fang held the phone, her body trembling slightly.
She glanced at Shen Wei, who looked like a stray dog, and then at the stack of documents in her hand, enough to ruin her forever.
She barely hesitated!
She spoke into the phone, trying to keep her voice steady, but a barely perceptible tremor could still be heard: "I... I understand. This matter... ends here. I will handle it."
Both of them tacitly avoided discussing the lottery and the five hundred million prize money.
Hanging up the phone, Zhu Fang took a deep breath. Her gaze at Shen Wei was now completely cold, filled with a sense of finality.
She unhesitatingly abandoned this useless husband, who had become a huge burden and a scoundrel.
"Go and wash yourself clean!"
She snapped at Shen Wei with disgust, as if chasing away a mangy dog.
"Our partnership is over. Go through with the divorce procedures first thing tomorrow. From now on, mind your mouth and your messy affairs."
Shen Wei looked at his wife's sudden change in attitude, and his last shred of hope was completely shattered, leaving only endless desolation and resignation.
He turned around blankly and walked towards the bathroom, his back hunched, as if he had aged twenty years in an instant.
Zhu Fang watched his retreating figure, clutching the document tightly, her fingernails almost digging into her palm.
It seemed easy for her to clear the prize pool, but behind it, there was an interest chain involved. She couldn't keep all that money; she had to distribute it to certain people.
Now, with five hundred million less, she would have to make up a large portion herself. This time, she had suffered a huge loss.
It was impossible not to be angry, but she compared their strength and thought about how the other party could easily obtain her evidence and subdue Shen Wei so thoroughly. This power was definitely something she couldn't provoke.
To the people above, she was nothing more than a disposable pawn.
Therefore, compromise and silence were her only choices.
The underground order of Jiang City quietly completed its change overnight. Yet, above the surface, all remained calm...
The acquisition of Shen Wei's security company was not Lu Feng's sole arrangement; it was more the result of Yu Tianxiong and Tian Peng weighing the pros and cons and discussing it.
That shell company being entirely absorbed by Tingfeng Security could indeed quickly replenish the company's grassroots framework and manpower, rapidly forming scale and combat effectiveness.
Since Old Yu and Lao Tian both felt they could control it, Lu Feng also nodded in agreement.
It was a good thing for his subordinates to exercise initiative, and it should be encouraged.
Of course, he wasn't going to take in just anyone. Those people would undergo strict screening; only qualified individuals could become peripheral members of Tingfeng Security, formally signing labor contracts with five insurances and one housing fund, and stable salaries far exceeding what they earned from protection fees.
Their work would also transition from illegal activities to legitimate security work. As the company grew, maintenance would indeed be needed, and they could also leverage their local insider knowledge to become the company's eyes and ears, collecting information and monitoring unusual local movements.
Those with outstanding performance could, after strict review and training, be absorbed into the company's core security team.
It must be said that Yu Tianxiong's business acumen and Tian Peng's decisive action worked very well together this time, saving Lu Feng a lot of trouble.
What he provided were merely the fatal incriminating evidences against Shen Wei and Zhu Fang.
"Lao Lu, what book are you reading so intently? Holy cow! 'Leadership and Cognitive Management'?!"
In the dorm, Zhang Wenfa curiously leaned over. When he glimpsed the title of the book in Lu Feng's hand, he was stunned, his expression as exaggerated as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Brother, we just started freshman year! You... isn't this foresight a bit too advanced? You're going to work us to death!"
Lu Feng closed the book, placed it on the table, and smiled faintly: "Just flipping through it, out of curiosity."
"Your curiosity is way too old-fashioned!"
Zhang Wenfa snatched the book, felt dizzy after two pages, and said, "Don't make yourself sound so old. Come on, come on, stop reading. Come out and have some fun with me!"
Lu Feng asked, puzzled: "Where are you going to mess around now?"
Zhang Wenfa's face showed a lewd and excited smile. He lowered his voice and said, "Hehehe... Next door! Jiangcheng Academy of Drama! They're having a freshman welcome party tonight! I finally managed to get Lin Wanqiu and her dorm mates to go watch it with me! Lao Lu, you absolutely have to help me this time! Without you, my ultimate wingman, to highlight my humor and wit, I can't even perform one ten-thousandth of my ability!"
Lu Feng chuckled: "You're still not giving up on Lin Wanqiu? Can't Senior Gao Liang or Senior Zhao Lishan just go with you?"
"Not Lin Wanqiu!"
Zhang Wenfa quickly waved his hand, a rare hint of embarrassment on his face: "Although she's indeed beautiful, I just feel... we don't click. I... ahem, I think Su Yan from their dorm is more to my taste, lively and cute... Also, the seniors are busy with their research projects! For the sake of your brother's lifelong happiness, just help me this one time!! I'll call you godfather if it works out!"
Lu Feng looked at him like this and helplessly said, "Alright, I don't have anything to do tonight anyway."
"Awesome! Godfather is mighty!"
Zhang Wenfa instantly beamed: "And I'm telling you, the Academy of Drama is full of beauties! Every single one is stunning! You can also look around, instead of being like an ascetic monk all the time."