Listening to the policeman's words, Xu Teng pouted and turned his head away, seemingly unwilling to reveal the mastermind behind the plot.
What was the big deal about going to jail? He'd heard that prisons provided food and accommodation. He wouldn't have to worry about debt anymore, and he'd even welcome a leisurely place to stay.
Seeing Xu Teng's nonchalant demeanor, Chen Lishu didn't rush. Instead, she looked at the group of people in the room. Many of them were actors she had hired. With a glance, she signaled to them that it was time to act.
Immediately, the quiet conference room was filled with hushed whispers:
"Why would a young, able-bodied man resort to such methods to scam money, and incur so much debt? His life will be ruined if he goes to prison. He won't be able to repay his gambling debts. I've heard there are many underworld figures inside, and if you can't repay, you have to pay with your body!"
"Exactly. I heard people in prison are often beaten half to death. I think Xu Teng, with his reckless and oblivious personality, will suffer greatly once he's inside!"
"The most crucial thing is, he offended many people he shouldn't have. Do you think these people will let him off easily? He might not even know how he dies in there. After all, in time, who will remember him?"
"Right. If I were the mastermind, I wouldn't feel safe leaving such a dangerous ticking bomb like Xu Teng alive in the world! Wouldn't I have to use my influence to deal with this dangerous existence?"
"..."
These whispers were faint, but the office was small, enough for Xu Teng to hear them clearly.
He, who had been stubborn moments ago, suddenly came to his senses. He knew too many secrets about Yang Lili and Qin Lan. If the plan failed, would they really let him live? Yang Lili was a ruthless person; if he obstructed her interests, she might very well find a way to get rid of him. Wasn't Wang Yuhua's incident caused by her murderous intent?
Thinking of this, Xu Teng shivered involuntarily. Only by sending Yang Lili and Qin Lan to prison, making them too preoccupied to deal with him, could he ensure his own safety for a while.
With this thought, Xu Teng clenched his fists tightly and then looked up, saying, "If I confess, will I really get a reduced sentence? You're not trying to trick me, are you?"
The police officer puffed out his chest and said with a serious expression, "In front of so many people, would I have any reason to lie to you? You just need to honestly tell us who instructed you to do this."
Outside the conference room, Yang Lili, seeing Xu Teng's determined stance, felt a surge of emotion. It was impossible to stop him now. The thought that all her scheming had backfired, leaving her in this predicament, made her vision black out. She wished she could just collapse unconscious and avoid dealing with this mess.
Facing the temptation of a reduced sentence, Xu Teng couldn't hold back any longer. He confessed everything about his dealings with Yang Lili, saying, "If you don't believe me, you can investigate my account transactions. The remittances came from Yang Lili and Chen Lishu."
At this revelation, Yang Lili finally couldn't bear the blow. She closed her eyes and fainted.
The subsequent matters were all handled by the police. After investigation, it was confirmed, just as Xu Teng had said, that there were successive deposits in his account, all originating from Yang Lili.
Yang Lili was a highly regarded director at Xinxin Group, so they naturally wouldn't let her go to prison easily. As soon as the incident occurred, the public relations department published a lengthy statement, claiming that Yang Lili was also deceived by Xu Teng. The statement alleged that Xu Teng had painted a dire picture of his own situation, and that Yang Lili, in her compassion, had agreed to stage the scene with hired thugs without fully considering the consequences; her intentions were not malicious.
As for the matter of inciting Xu Teng to murder Wang Yuhua, Yang Lili's company vehemently denied it. Coupled with Yang Lili's recent involvement in charitable projects, which had garnered her a good reputation, people were inclined to believe her denial of the attempted murder.
----
Gu Residence.
When Su Nian learned of the outcome, she grumbled indignantly, crossing her arms and slumping heavily onto the sofa. She muttered, "Madam, isn't this result too lenient?! I thought Xinxin Group would suffer a severe blow, but all they got was a mild warning."
"Yang Lili's reputation has already been damaged. With just a minor incident, she can be made to pay the appropriate price. We don't need to rush her. The main concern is Qin Lan. So many days have passed; I imagine the acquisition of the sausages should be nearly complete. It's time for us to release the evidence we've gathered," Chen Lishu narrowed her eyes, a confident smile gracing her lips.
Su Nian's efficiency was remarkable. Within just one morning, she exposed Qin Lan's collusion with Brother Hu to kidnap women and her hiring people to contaminate Chen Lishu's sausage factory with ants.
Since Qin Lan no longer had a powerful backer, her company suffered significant repercussions after this incident. Her financial chain was broken, her stock plummeted, and Qin Lan might even face imprisonment.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Chen Lishu went to Qin Group. Led by the receptionist, she arrived at the president's office. Pushing the door open, she saw Qin Lan slumped on the office chair. Qin Lan didn't react even when Chen Lishu entered, only asking in a low voice, "Did you design all this? Are you holding a grudge because I helped Qin Yue target you, and deliberately orchestrated this?"
Chen Lishu raised an eyebrow. How could she not sense something was amiss? She immediately picked up on the subtle shift in tone. This trick, which she herself had used extensively, was unlikely to fool Qin Lan.
Chen Lishu smiled and retorted, "Are you implying that Miss Qin has done something wrong to me? If that's the case, I must say the Qin family is quite unreasonable. I am the victim here, yet you perpetrators are clamoring for revenge! I haven't dwelled on what Miss Qin did to me, so Mr. Qin doesn't need to be so persistent. My purpose in coming here today is not to pursue accountability. I have a bad memory and tend not to dwell on things. My main purpose is to discuss the acquisition of the sausages! Given Qin Lan's current reputation, I doubt these sausages can be sold. I would like to purchase all your company's sausages at the previous price, which would also help alleviate Mr. Qin's pressure."