Chapter 1 Two Days Later

Two days later, Lin Yang was driving home on a rainy night after work when his car scraped against a luxury car that changed lanes.

He cursed under his breath in the car, got out to check the scratches on his own vehicle, thinking that the other party was fully responsible and that he was in the right. Although he drove a cheap little car worth less than 100,000, he still puffed out his chest, wanting to put on a show of strength and get more money from the other driver.

The driver's side window of the other car rolled down, revealing a high-and-mighty, mature woman's face. She glanced at Lin Yang and the three scratches on his car, and said directly, "Is three thousand enough?"

Lin Yang had originally wanted to ask for a thousand, but he didn't expect the other party to offer three times his expected amount right off the bat, which completely threw him off.

He put on a magnanimous act, "Seeing as you're a female driver, I won't haggle with you. Three thousand it is, then."

The other party didn't waste time arguing with him. "I'll add you."

Lin Yang quickly took out his phone to let her scan his WeChat QR code. After she added him, he glanced at the mature woman's WeChat profile picture, and she had already transferred the money to him.

Lin Yang looked at the other party's luxury car worth over two million, and then at the woman in the car who transferred several thousand yuan as easily as if it were a few dozen. He thought to himself that this rich woman was really beautiful and wealthy. Someone like that would only say a few words to him if he scratched her car. Normally, she probably wouldn't even give someone like him a second glance.

He blurted out "Thank you" without thinking. The woman glanced at him. It was drizzling outside, and Lin Yang was wearing a shirt and dress pants. The rain made his shirt cling to his skin, revealing his muscular chest and a reasonably attractive physique.

Seeing the rich woman sizing him up, Lin Yang involuntarily straightened his back and subtly sucked in his stomach to make himself look more imposing.

The woman tugged at the corner of her mouth and said lightly, "If it's not enough, let me know."

"Huh?" Before Lin Yang could react, the woman's window had already gone up.

Watching the car disappear into the night, Lin Yang looked at the scratches on his car and finally realized that the rich woman was talking about the money to repair the car. Heavens, were all rich people these days so foolishly generous?

He couldn't help but click on the rich woman's WeChat profile. Her Moments were full of high-end investment and acquisition information. Thinking about the slightly ambiguous look the rich woman had given him, adults only needed one look to understand what was going on. He secretly rejoiced, thinking that he was about to have some romantic luck.

When he got home, he took the initiative and sent a WeChat message to the rich woman: Hello, I took the car to get the paint touched up. It only cost two thousand yuan. You gave me a thousand extra, so I'll return it to you.

Lin Yang had thought it through very clearly. If he wanted to hook a rich woman, he had to first establish an image of being not greedy for money. In his opinion, earning less of the rich woman's money was the same as not being greedy for money. Using the rich woman's money to hook the rich woman—perfect.

However, he waited all night, and she didn't respond to him.

Just when he thought that his interaction with the rich woman would only amount to those three thousand yuan, the third day, at around nine o'clock in the evening, the rich woman sent him a WeChat message: I drank too much at the Swan Hotel. Come pick me up.

Lin Yang instantly sprang up from the sofa, read the message seven or eight times in a row, and replied with trembling hands in excitement: On my way.

When he sped to the Swan Hotel and entered the private room the rich woman had mentioned, the dinner party had already broken up. The waiter was standing next to the rich woman with the bill, waiting for her to sign it. Lin Yang glanced at the prices and was shocked: Good heavens, one meal cost half a year of his salary.

The rich woman had drunk quite a bit, but she didn't let him support her. She only tossed him the keys to her luxury car and told him to take her to the hotel.

The hotel? Lin Yang only felt that the opportunity had come too quickly, almost making him laugh out loud. But the rich woman didn't lean on him due to the alcohol. Instead, she staggered to the back seat by herself, completely treating him like a driver.

Lin Yang thought that the rich woman was probably just feeling shy. When he brought her to the hotel and swiped the card to open the hotel room door, he hesitated, wondering if he should be more proactive. Then, he saw the rich woman take out a few bills from her purse and give them to him, telling him to take a taxi home himself.

Lin Yang, who had been fantasizing about good things, was completely dumbfounded. He thought he would have a chance tonight. After all, the look in the rich woman's eyes when she stood at the door was definitely not innocent. He didn't expect that she would just turn around and send him away.

Lin Yang was unwilling, but after all, she was a big fish, so it was normal for her to be difficult to catch. The more she was like this, the more obsessed he became. There was plenty of time ahead. He didn't believe he couldn't conquer her.

The next day at the law firm, Qingzi was taking a lunch break when her phone alerted her to a new email in her inbox.

She clicked on it. The sender's name was just the letter B: Find a way to photograph Wu Peng and Jia Wenjun's WeChat records. Get me the information by tomorrow night and delete the email after reading it.

The person who sent her the email was Bai Ma Shan, a relative who was somewhat related to her. But that relationship alone wouldn't be enough to get her to help him find out information. The first time he came to ask her about Jia Wenjun's case, he just asked her a couple of questions and then gave her two thousand yuan to buy something nice. From then on, he would ask her about the case from time to time.

Qingzi knew that it was inappropriate to disclose information about the case, but after she bought the first bag she had been longing for, she couldn't stop herself. Ever since she had this "extra income," she had finally been able to wear brand-name clothes and carry designer bags like those famous, high-earning female lawyers at the firm. She even felt more confident when she spoke to them.

She had also asked Bai Ma Shan why he was asking about this matter. He said that he was also on this boat and that many of the victims on the boat, including himself, hoped that Jia Wenjun would be severely punished, so he wanted to understand the situation.

Qingzi felt that Jia Wenjun was a criminal suspect and that it was only right for such a person to be punished, so she didn't feel too much guilt when she did this.

She used various conveniences at the law firm to pass on first-hand information that she had gathered from Lawyer Liu and Wu Peng to Bai Ma Shan. At the same time, she also received a lot of financial benefits from Bai Ma Shan.

But this time, Bai Ma Shan's request was a bit difficult. If she was discovered, it wouldn't be as easy to get away with as before. But with high risk came high reward. She had her eye on a new bag from a luxury brand that had just been released these past two days and she wanted to get it.

If she relied solely on her salary as a receptionist, she would have to not eat or drink for a year to be able to buy it. But as long as she helped Bai Ma Shan with this task, she believed that she would soon be able to carry that bag on her shoulder.

So even if this matter was difficult, Qingzi would find a way to make it happen.

She first stood up and glanced in the direction of Wu Peng's desk. There weren't many people in the law firm at lunchtime. The colleagues in the office were all resting. Wu Peng was lying on his desk, seemingly asleep. He had been running back and forth between the law firm and the hospital recently and was exhausted. Maybe now would be a good opportunity to try.

Qingzi pretended to go to the water dispenser to get a drink and walked past Wu Peng's desk to observe him more closely. She found that Wu Peng's phone was right next to the documents on the desk.

Looking around, the surrounding colleagues were either doing their own work or browsing Taobao on their phones. No one was paying attention to her.

Qingzi bent down to get water. From this angle, she could see Wu Peng's face clearly.

At this moment, Wu Peng was indeed asleep. He had been taking turns with Jia Wenjun to watch over Zhao Di whenever he had free time during this period, which was making it hard for him to keep going. He finally managed to get a short nap after lunch, and he didn't care about being comfortable. He just lay down on the desk and fell asleep immediately.

Qingzi finished getting water, looked left and right, and slowly walked over. When she passed Wu Peng, she swiped his phone from the desk.