Zhao Xi was first incredulous, then pleaded earnestly, "Director He, why are you siding with him? I'm doing this for everyone's benefit. I don't want anyone to be deceived by him!"
Director He retorted impatiently, "You should just shut up. He's already produced evidence. What else can you fault him for?"
Zhao Xi's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Lin Mo, let this matter pass," Director He declared decisively. "However, you must remember not to do anything like this again. Although you haven't betrayed the company, it can easily lead to misunderstandings."
Lin Mo sincerely admitted his mistake, "I know, it was my fault. From now on, even if I receive a hundred such messages, I won't go. I even suspect someone deliberately framed me."
He glanced at Zhao Xi.
Zhao Xi remained composed.
Lin Mo turned to Xiao Yi, "Who gave you this video?"
Xiao Yi, realizing she had misunderstood him, blushed furiously. "I don't know. Someone sent it to my email. I can give you their email address."
"Okay." Lin Mo didn't press her. The girl was merely a pawn used by others. He changed the subject, "As long as everyone believes me, that's all that matters. I'll investigate the rest myself."
Director He nodded in satisfaction. "We trust your character. But regarding this plagiarism incident..."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xi perked up again, "That's right, you haven't explained the plagiarism incident clearly yet. I'm eager to see what evidence you can find!"
He couldn't help but feel triumphant. There was no evidence, and there never would be.
Shen Qingqing tapped her fingertips on the table, drawing everyone's attention. She said slowly, "Speaking of evidence, I have some."
She took out her laptop and tapped twice on the keyboard with her slender fingers. A scene appeared on the large screen.
It was surveillance footage from the company's work area.
The video showed that at five in the morning, while everyone was asleep from exhaustion, a person quietly weaved through the crowd and approached Lin Mo's office door. He pushed the door open, and through the gap, it was clear no one was inside.
The person immediately entered, took pictures of the items on the desk, and left.
The entire process took less than five seconds.
Lin Mo returned almost immediately after the person left, holding a cup of coffee, his face visibly tired.
"So, it was taken at this time. How cunning," Lin Mo said, turning to look at Zhao Xi.
He was the one who entered the office.
For some reason, he acted fearlessly, not even concealing his face as he entered the office.
As a result, his face was clearly captured on camera when he left!
Zhao Xi's face turned ashen. "It wasn't me! This video must be fake. The surveillance cameras were broken, they couldn't have recorded me!"
But his words were a clear confession!
Director He stood up in anger. "Good heavens, Zhao Xi, it was you! We thought you were talented and even included you in the project competition. I never expected you to do something like this!"
Zhao Xi naturally denied it. "No, it wasn't me!"
But the video was so clear, who could still believe him? Fu Jingshu's cold voice rang out.
"You're fired."
"No!"
Before Zhao Xi could say anything else, Director He called for security. Two guards grabbed him by the arms and easily lifted him up. He was completely defenseless, his legs kicking ineffectually.
"No, it really wasn't me! You're framing me! I know I was wrong, please forgive me this once..."
His voice faded into the distance, eventually disappearing outside the door.
Director He looked at Lin Mo with a pained expression. "I'm truly sorry. We almost misunderstood you."
"It's alright."
Lin Mo appeared magnanimous.
The directors surrounded him, speaking to him. He remained humble and composed. Shen Qingqing, standing at the back of the crowd, glanced at Fu Jingshu and turned to walk towards the exit.
Fu Jingshu, with some concern, followed her out.
They exited one after another. At the entrance, security had already thrown Zhao Xi to the ground.
The fall was hard, and he couldn't get up for a long time.
When he looked up and saw Shen Qingqing, his face contorted with rage. "How dare you show your face to me again? You..."
"Do you know where Chenchen is?" she asked directly.
Zhao Xi paused, then realized this was his chance to turn things around. He patted his backside and stood up, not caring about his limp. He walked over to a nearby flower bed and sat down.
He even tidied his collar as if to appear less disheveled.
"I do."
Shen Qingqing asked, "Be direct. What are your conditions?"
Zhao Xi ran a hand through his hair and said triumphantly, "Then I'll have to think carefully. After all, you're the one begging me now. You just watched me being dragged out without a word."
Shen Qingqing's expression remained impassive.
"You refused my terms before and slapped me, remember?" he said with malicious glee. "Now I'll have to think hard about how to make you pay me back for that slap."
"Are you threatening me?"
"You can think of it that way," Zhao Xi said smugly.
Shen Qingqing walked up to him and leaned forward slightly, her clear eyes reflecting his smugness. "Then you don't want any benefits?"
"Of course I do!"
"What do you want? A position or money?" she asked rapidly.
Zhao Xi answered just as quickly. "Then I'll have to think carefully. Maybe I want both."
Shen Qingqing suddenly smiled.
Her beauty was captivating, and her smile was truly stunning. The intense radiance was dazzling.
Zhao Xi was momentarily taken aback. "What are you laughing at?"
"Laughing at how stupid you are."
She straightened up, placing one hand behind her back and taking a step back. With her other hand, she reached into her pocket and pulled something out.
Zhao Xi's expression changed drastically when he saw it.
On the phone screen, it first showed—recording.
Without thinking, he lunged to snatch the phone, but Shen Qingqing easily dodged him. Instead, he tripped over his own feet and fell with a thud! Face-planting on the ground.
"Now, this should be enough to get you a nice long stay," Shen Qingqing said. She saved the recording and, in front of him, sent it to Fu Jingshu.
Zhao Xi experienced true despair.
If he had had a slim chance to snatch the phone back and delete it earlier, now there was not a glimmer of hope.
Shen Qingqing turned to leave.
Zhao Xi, unwilling, called out, "Don't you want to know where your son is?"
She stopped abruptly and looked back at him, her gaze filled with coldness and disdain. "You? Do you know where he is?"
This was not a question, but a taunt.
She was certain Zhao Xi didn't know.
He instantly deflated.
Shen Qingqing called the police. The officers arrived quickly and apprehended him. With the recording, regardless of his involvement in Chenchen's disappearance, the charges of threat and extortion were undeniable.
As for the others in the company, without Zhao Xi's leadership, they were no match for Lin Mo and left the company dejected.
Shen Qingqing walked past the office area and stopped, looking at Xiao Yi.
"Come here for a moment."