Chu Xuelin could never have imagined how his secret affairs with Mina, so meticulously hidden, were discovered by Jiang Xiaofen. He was always careful, assuring everything was seamless. That night, he even called his wife, explaining he had social commitments and couldn't return to Binbei, suggesting she and their daughter stay at her parents' house. Yet, how did she find her way to Fenghu Villas?
What puzzled him even more was how Jiang Xiaofen discovered the secret accounts and funds he had stealthily diverted from Chu Xiao Group.
All the evidence was indisputable, and he was incarcerated without ever understanding how it all happened.
Similarly, Jiang Xiaofen, who was also imprisoned, had no idea why it all unfolded as it did.
The only ones who knew the truth were three people in the world: Mu Zi, Li Tian, and Ouyang Liuse.
Chu Xuelin's secret accounts were stolen by Ouyang Liuse, a hacking expert, who then sent them to Jiang Xiaofen's email. For someone of Ouyang's caliber, this task was effortless...
Before Li Tian sent Jiang Xiaofen the message about Chu Xuelin and Mina at Fenghu Villas, Jiang had already lost all hope in her husband after discovering his secret embezzlement from Chu Xiao Group. Witnessing her husband's infidelity in person only strengthened her resolve to turn herself in. For Chu Xuelin, it was his own indiscretions and cunning that led to his imprisonment. As for Mu Zi, his final plan was completed without his intervention, a more successful outcome than he anticipated...
Seeing Li Tian alive and well in front of her in the detention center, Jiang Xiaofen didn't show much surprise. Perhaps she had reached a state of inner peace, a sense of liberation after atoning for her sins. So, when she saw the man who had orchestrated her imprisonment, she actually smiled faintly.
"Congratulations," she said, picking up the receiver.
Looking at the woman he had once loved deeply and then despised, Li Tian felt a lump in his throat.
All he could offer through the receiver were his heavy breaths.
Silence.
All the words Li Tian had thought to say seemed pale and weak. His complexion matched his feelings – ashen and pale.
No joy of victory, no excitement of vindication, no thrill of revenge...
The brief moment of silence passed as the guards urged him to leave.
Li Tian watched as Jiang Xiaofen, still smiling, turned and walked away. Her unfamiliar smile left him feeling alienated.
As Jiang Xiaofen was about to leave, she suddenly turned back, grabbed the receiver, and shouted, "Li Tian! Chu Chu... is your daughter!"
Li Tian was stunned, the receiver slipping silently from his hand…
Mina must die.
Since the murders of the three men in Phoenix City, Mu Zi's hatred had been suppressed. Although he detested Mina and wished to dismember her, he never thought he would encounter her again, especially in this city!
In fact, had he not witnessed Mina and Chu Xuelin's shameless affair, he wouldn't have harbored such a resolute desire to kill her.
Now, as if by fate, he encountered her and witnessed all her despicable deeds.
So, it was destiny. This woman was meant to die.
After Chu Xuelin and Jiang Xiaofen's imprisonment, Chu Xiao Group collapsed, leaving Mina jobless and surviving on her savings. She resorted to her old ways, using her charm to lure wealthy men. Perhaps due to innate seductiveness or honed skills, her fishing tactics were nearly perfect. After her escapade with Old Li at the Binan Hotel, she successfully hooked him, leading him to buy her an apartment in a high-end residential area, effectively becoming his kept woman…
Mu Zi struggled to find a way to kill her since she rarely left her apartment, spending her days playing mahjong with like-minded friends. Her only outings were evening dog walks within the residential area, making it impossible to find an opportunity to act…
Even the most ingenious murder plans require the target's presence. Now, with the prey staying indoors, what was he to do?
As days passed, he found no solution, growing increasingly despondent and even hopeless, particularly in the oppressive heat.
He felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness…
At that moment, Mu Zi stood in a residential building's corridor, observing the movements inside the opposite building's windows.
The sweltering heat seemed to foreshadow something. The open windows offered no breeze, and sweat soaked Mu Zi's clothes, dripping from his flushed face.
Scratching his head as if to cool off, he watched through binoculars as Mina and her flashy friends enjoyed what seemed like a heavenly life, drinking chilled beer and playing mahjong.
Why is it always like this? Mu Zi thought angrily. This scene reminded him of nights spent hungry at the bus station in Phoenix City, while the likes of Boss Ma Liu slept comfortably in air-conditioned rooms… The wicked always seemed to live more comfortably.
After watching a while longer, a wave of irritation, like a blazing fire, ignited in his mind and quickly spread throughout his body, making him feel on the verge of madness.
He furiously threw the binoculars to the ground.
To hell with murder plans!
Now, he didn't want to devise any damned plans. What he needed was to leave this stifling corridor, find a restaurant with strong air conditioning, have a good meal, and drink a cold one!
With this in mind, he picked up the binoculars and quickly left the building…
This was Mu Zi's first experience with a "meltdown" when facing an unsolvable situation. In his later life, he would encounter countless challenges, occasionally experiencing similar outbursts. This experience of resolving his mental state became a valuable lesson for handling similar crises in the future…