Chapter 10: A Deathbed Confession

The next day.

Inside the Yun Corporation building, employees busied themselves at their respective posts as if the sudden upheaval from the day before had vanished with the wind.

Though everyone strove to remain composed, the oppressive atmosphere lingered stubbornly.

In their eyes flickered varying degrees of unease and suspicion, as if each silently pondered the truth behind yesterday’s incident.

Within the general manager’s office, He Lingfeng stood out sharply in a brand-new black suit. He sat in his chair, legs crossed atop the desk, fingers holding a cigarette. The curling smoke framed his grim visage, deepening the shadows on his face.

The glass window beside him had been replaced overnight, pristine and new, as if signaling that everything was to begin afresh.

A soft knock broke the stillness.

“Come in,” he said curtly.

A man in a security guard uniform entered, his steps hurried and eyes flickering anxiously toward He Lingfeng.

He Lingfeng cast a sharp glance his way, his gaze suddenly turning piercing. With a swift motion, he seized the jade ashtray from his desk and hurled it fiercely at the window.

A thunderous crash echoed through the room.

The guard trembled violently, too afraid to raise his head.

The jade ashtray struck the glass but only left a small cracked mark before falling to the floor. The window itself remained intact.

“Do you even know what ‘mutual destruction’ means?” He Lingfeng’s voice was low, fierce, squeezed through clenched teeth. His eyes were like twin blades piercing the guard.

The guard shuddered, lifting his head with a trembling voice: “N-no… I don’t.”

Suddenly, He Lingfeng’s eyes blazed with ferocity. He growled, “How dare you demand five million! Have you any idea whether you’re worth that much?”

The guard seemed struck by lightning, collapsing weakly to his knees with a thud, tears streaming as he cried out, “General Manager, I’m just a low-income man, over fifty and unmarried. My parents are hospitalized, and bills are pressing. The hospital is urgent. If it weren’t for desperation and lack of funds, I wouldn’t have become Miss Quan’s accomplice, nor committed such a grievous mistake involving a life.”

He Lingfeng listened coldly, his tone icy as winter: “Shut your mouth.”

Yet the guard seemed to have opened a floodgate, continuing relentlessly, “I only intended to do Miss Quan a small favor, but I never imagined it would escalate like this. Now I can’t sleep at night, fearing Miss Yun’s restless spirit won’t forgive me. After all, I am one of the culprits in this tragedy.”

The guard pressed on, “What I want isn’t much. Five million is pocket change to you. Once I have it, I’ll vanish immediately, never to appear in Yun City again. I swear no third party will know of this. That way, the matter between you and Miss Quan will sink to the bottom of the sea. Isn’t five million worth buying you a lifetime of peace and endless prosperity?”

“Besides, do you think your plan is flawless? Yesterday, people saw me talking with Miss Quan and started suspecting us both. They even came to me for answers, which I denied. But if I don’t get five million in three days, who knows what my next answer will be?”

Though the guard’s voice quivered, He Lingfeng detected the veiled threat beneath.

He took a deep breath and stared him down fiercely. “I haven’t fully taken control of Yun Corporation yet. The finances aren’t mine to command. Five million is simply too much under these circumstances. I can only offer you one million.”

The guard shook his head resolutely, giving up all pretense. Looking directly at He Lingfeng, he said, “No negotiation on five million! If you’re willing to find a way, it’s easy to get. But if you don’t deliver in three days, don’t blame me for losing face. Then your secret with Miss Quan will spread throughout Yun City. You decide which matters more.”

Having spoken, the guard turned and left without looking back.

He Lingfeng was left alone in the room, trembling at the weight of the threat.

His eyes were bloodshot like coals, veins bulging on his clenched hands.

“A mere security guard dares threaten me? He truly underestimates who I am!”