Chapter 48: The Commander-in-Chief's Trump Card

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“Wen Ran is cautious by nature, yet incredibly arrogant. Everything he does must be carried out in secrecy to ensure absolute perfection,” Xu Yuan’s voice echoed down the silent corridor—clear and calm, a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere surrounding them. “He might bribe prison guards or use someone like Song Shiya as a witness, but he would never dare, nor would he stoop, to involve his father or the entire Wen Corporation in such underhanded tactics.”

“What we have to do is tear away the veil of his disguise and force him to lay everything bare.”

Xu Yuan slowly lifted her head, meeting Jiang Yi’s deep, ocean-like eyes. In that silent blackness, she glimpsed a flicker of surprise and, deeper still, an unspoken trust. Word by word, she clearly articulated her audacious plan:

“I need you to go see Wen Zhenghua right now.”

What?!

The plan hit like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, immediately stirring up massive waves. Lin Feifei and Lu Xingyu both inhaled sharply, faces etched with disbelief.

“Junior, are you crazy?” Lu Xingyu was the first to speak, his voice trembling with shock. “Go see Wen Zhenghua now? Isn’t that walking into a trap? That smiling tiger Wen Ran has surely already colluded with his father. They’re probably laughing over red wine at some upscale club, mocking us pathetic insects desperately clawing to survive!”

“No, he hasn’t,” Xu Yuan shook her head firmly, her tear-swollen eyes now shining with all-knowing wisdom. “Senior Lu, you underestimate Wen Ran’s arrogance. In his world, he revels in the thrill of playing his prey like a cat with a mouse. He would never, and does not deign to, share these ‘minor matters’ with his father. Because, in his eyes, people like us are not even worthy opponents to his father, Wen Zhenghua.”

“And it is precisely this arrogance, this disdain, that is our only chance.”

Her gaze shifted to Jiang Yi, her tone growing more solemn and precise. “When you go, you don’t need to negotiate any terms or confront him head-on—that would be a mistake. You only need to play the role of a desperate victim seeking justice.”

“You must tell Wen Zhenghua everything that happened in court today, down to the last detail. Make him understand that his beloved son—the heir he has pinned all hopes on—has, in order to suppress you and under the pretense of business competition, instructed witnesses to commit perjury in a sacred courtroom.”

“You should also ‘kindly’ remind him of how this unscrupulous behavior has attracted massive media attention. Once exposed, it will inflict an enormous and irreversible blow to both him and the Wen Corporation’s meticulously built reputation. A tainted heir is something Wen Zhenghua will never tolerate.”

“Finally,” Xu Yuan’s lips curved into a cold, resolute smile, like a poisoned dagger, “you must ‘casually’ hint that my father’s sudden heart attack and hospitalization are suspicious. You suspect it might be connected to his son’s recent, perhaps overly aggressive, business tactics.”

Jiang Yi’s pupils contracted sharply. He immediately grasped her meaning: “You’re… sending a warning shot?”

“No,” Xu Yuan shook her head slowly, her gaze as sharp as a blade. “I’m handing over a knife.”

“A knife, personally delivered to Wen Zhenghua. Let him use it to ‘discipline’ the son he so proudly cherishes.”

“A business titan like Wen Zhenghua, who values his reputation above all, would never allow Wen Ran to ruin decades of painstakingly cultivated family honor with such dirty deeds. He will surely use his own methods to make Wen Ran immediately cease his actions, and not dare make any moves for a long time.”

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“And what we need is precisely that ‘temporary’ pause,” Xu Yuan’s voice quickened, charged with strength. “We need time to investigate whether my father was truly poisoned; we also need time to refine ‘Deep Sea Echo’ into a sharp weapon for our counterattack!”

...

Silence once again swallowed the corridor.

Lu Xingyu and Lin Feifei were utterly stunned by Xu Yuan’s interlocking, step-by-step, nearly mad plan. They stared at this girl, who moments ago had been sobbing in helpless despair, now cold and ruthless like a queen orchestrating a decisive victory. The stark contrast sent shivers down their spines.

Jiang Yi looked at her intently. For the first time, his usually frosty eyes revealed unabashed admiration and praise, even tinged with a tenderness he hadn’t realized he possessed.

He knew he hadn’t misjudged her.

This seemingly fragile girl harbored a madness and resilience that could rival his own. It was strength forged from thorns and mud, a flame capable of igniting the entire darkness.

“Good.”

He said only one word. No further questions, no hesitation. That single word was as weighty as a mountain, more reassuring than any grand promise.

“Fantastic! Then we split up!” Lin Feifei was the first to recover, her previous worries replaced by unprecedented excitement and fighting spirit. “I’ll call my brother right now. That woman’s name is Song Shiya, right? I’ll have him dig up every dirty secret she’s ever had, from her ancestors down to every shameful thing she’s done since childhood!”

“I’m going too!” Lu Xingyu was already rubbing his hands together, shaking off his gloom. “I’m heading home—no, the internet café! Their equipment’s better! I swear by dawn, I’ll list every person my uncle has met this past week, every meal he’s eaten, down to every grain of rice!”

Like two loaded bullets, the pair stormed out of the hospital with unstoppable momentum.

In an instant, only Xu Yuan and Jiang Yi remained in the long corridor.

“Aren’t you afraid?” Xu Yuan looked at him, her voice involuntarily softening.

After all, Wen Zhenghua was a titan who dominated the commercial map of Binhai City. Jiang Yi’s mission was akin to walking alone into a dragon’s den.

“Afraid of what?” Jiang Yi’s face remained calm, as if he were about to meet an ordinary passerby rather than a business magnate. He even raised an eyebrow and replied, “Afraid he’ll eat me?”

Seeing him like this, Xu Yuan suddenly smiled. Tears still stained her cheeks, but her smile shone like the stars.

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Yes, he was Jiang Yi.

The man who had spent ten years alone, fighting against the world’s malice in an abyss. How could he fear someone like Wen Zhenghua?

She took a White Rabbit milk candy from her pocket and carefully placed it into his palm. The warm contact startled them both for a moment.

The gesture was exactly the same as that stormy night ten years ago.

“This is for you,” she said, her eyes sparkling as if filled with the starlight of the entire night sky. “To keep your strength up.”

Jiang Yi lowered his gaze to the familiar candy in his palm. That heart, long hardened like iron and frozen for ten years, was suddenly struck by a fierce, overwhelming tenderness.

He clenched his hand tightly, as if to embed that warmth—and the tiny candy—deep into his flesh and blood.

“Let’s go.”

He nearly dropped the words in a rush, then turned and strode resolutely into the heavy night.

His silhouette was determined and unwavering, like a general about to head into battle, carrying her trust and his mission.

Xu Yuan stood still, watching his figure fade into the darkness until it disappeared completely. Then she slowly turned back to the cold ICU glass door that separated life and death.

Dad, can you see now?

I am no longer fighting alone.

I have my general.

And our war has only just begun.