Yang Sandao was unmistakably dead.
If not for the pile of animal corpses, it might have been challenging to deduce who killed Yang Sandao. However, with those carcasses present, the answer became glaringly obvious.
Those animal carcasses were the same ones Yang Sandao had delivered to Wu Zhiming. Now, with Yang Sandao dead and those very carcasses found at the scene, it was evident that only Wu Zhiming could be responsible for his death.
"This is Wu Zhiming's way of taunting us. Very well," Shen Hongyue said through gritted teeth.
"Mom, should we hand over Yang Sandao's body to the police and tell them Wu Zhiming is the prime suspect?" Wu Zhixing suggested.
"Do we have any proof? The fact that he dared to leave the body at our doorstep means his tracks are well covered! If we hand over Yang Sandao's body to the police, they will undoubtedly investigate our connection with him. If it comes out that I paid Yang Sandao to attack Wu Zhiming, how can I ever return to the provincial capital?" Shen Hongyue retorted.
Wu Zhixing's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting such complexity.
"Wu Zhiming, oh Wu Zhiming, this man is deeply cunning. Leaving Yang Sandao's body at our door, along with the carcasses he gave him, is clearly a trap to bait us into reporting him!" Shen Hongyue continued.
"Why didn't I realize earlier that this guy is such a devious person!" Wu Zhixing said angrily.
"From now on, we need to change our perspective on Wu Zhiming. If we don't, we'll suffer even more in the future!" Shen Hongyue remarked, glancing at the bodies on the ground. "Get someone to clean this up."
"Got it!" Wu Zhixing nodded.
People observed Shen Hongyue leaving Haixia City with her son and trusted aides.
Wu Zhiming had just become the head of the Wu family yesterday, and today, Shen Hongyue was already departing with her son. The implication was clear.
Shen Hongyue had lost and admitted defeat. Thus, she decided to cease her struggle against Wu Zhiming and leave Haixia City.
Wu Zhiming had won. After two decades of biding his time, he had finally risen to the top in a spectacular comeback.
However, Wu Zhiming's future prospects were not optimistic.
The reason was Shen Hongyue's powerful backing—the Shen family, a colossal force.
The Shen family was one of the top families in the provincial capital, with assets worth over ten billion yuan. The family had produced numerous talents who were spread across the country, developing in various sectors.
The Shen family's overall strength far surpassed that of the Wu family.
Driving Shen Hongyue out did not mean Wu Zhiming had achieved ultimate victory. The Shen family would inevitably exert unprecedented pressure on the Wu Group in the future.
Moreover, during yesterday's succession ceremony, Wu Zhiming had managed to offend the entire upper echelon of Haixia City's society.
This effectively isolated Wu Zhiming from the high-society circle, limiting his connections and network.
Despite the many prestigious figures from across the nation who sent gifts to Wu Zhiming, it was common knowledge that these gestures were not to be taken too seriously. If those figures genuinely considered Wu Zhiming a close friend or respected him deeply, they would have attended the ceremony themselves rather than sending representatives.
The absence of any significant figures at yesterday's ceremony was telling.
It proved that Wu Zhiming's relationships with those people were superficial at best.
Having antagonized both the elite circle of Haixia City and the Shen family, Wu Zhiming's path ahead looked bleak.
Inside the Wu Group.
"Boss, the day after tomorrow is the 80th birthday celebration of Song Jingsheng, one of Haixia City's local magnates. Almost everyone from the city's upper-class society has received an invitation—except us," Wang Hai reported to Wu Zhiming.
"They don't want to include me in their games anymore," Wu Zhiming said with a smile. "The so-called high society is nothing but a pack of wolves in sheep's clothing. They fancy themselves as the elite, yet engage in the most base actions. They call themselves gentlemen but are often the worst hypocrites. I have no interest in such circles, nor do I want to be a part of them."
"Without you, Boss, any circle is just a low-class one," Wang Hai responded with a grin.
Wu Zhiming asked, "How is the investigation going?"
"I've found some information. After your father's car accident, the driver also died. But what's strange is that the driver's family immediately moved out of Haixia City and disappeared," Wang Hai reported.
"And then?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"I traced the family's movements and discovered they moved to the neighboring province and went into hiding, living very discreetly. The driver's wife even bought a house there in full," Wang Hai continued.
"Is that all?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"We're still investigating the rest," Wang Hai replied.
"Assign more people to keep an eye on that family. I don't want them to mysteriously disappear from the world," Wu Zhiming instructed.
"You mean to say...?" Wang Hai asked.
"Someone might be getting anxious and could try to silence them," Wu Zhiming said with a smile.
"Understood!"
At noon, Wu Zhiming hadn't left work yet.
Yao Jing pushed open the office door and walked in.
"Can I borrow the car?" Yao Jing asked.
"The keys are on the shelf," Wu Zhiming pointed to the shelf by the door.
Yao Jing took the keys and then asked, "Are you coming home for lunch?"
"No, there are still some things I need to handle at the office. Could you order me some takeout?" Wu Zhiming said.
Yao Jing frowned slightly. Wu Zhiming's words were calm but carried a tone of command. He had never ordered her to do anything before.
However, Yao Jing did not object. She nodded and left.
In Yao Jing's office, Zhou Yanqiu was idly wandering around.
Yao Jing walked in, and Zhou Yanqiu immediately ran over.
"So, did you get the keys?" Zhou Yanqiu asked.
"Here you go," Yao Jing handed Wu Zhiming's car keys to Zhou Yanqiu.
"You're such a good daughter!" Zhou Yanqiu said happily.
"Come on, we're family. Why go through all this trouble?" Yao Jing sighed.
"You know your uncle always looks down on our family, always badmouthing me at my mother's house, saying you married a useless husband. Now that Wu Zhiming has made something of himself, I need to show off a bit. This time, when they come to the city, I'll pick them up in this multi-million-dollar car. Let them see that our Jingjing's husband is a man of wealth and power!" Zhou Yanqiu said proudly.
"Be careful while driving. The car hasn't even been registered yet, and it's a luxury car. Any mishap will be magnified," Yao Jing said.
"Don't worry. I've been driving for over ten years. Didn't I often drive your Audi without any issues? Relax! Oh, by the way, Jingjing, this painting is nice. I'm taking it!" Zhou Yanqiu said as she walked over and took a painting off the wall.
"Mom, that's a piece of art! Don't mess with it," Yao Jing hurriedly said.
"I love art! I'm leaving now!" Zhou Yanqiu said as she stuffed the painting into her bag and headed for the door.
Yao Jing looked at her mother helplessly. If it weren't for their blood relation, she really wouldn't want to deal with her.
"Hope everything goes smoothly," Yao Jing muttered to herself.
Meanwhile, Wu Zhiming received a phone call from Zhou Wenwei.
"I've found that pawn shop!" Zhou Wenwei exclaimed excitedly over the phone.
"So fast?" Wu Zhiming asked in surprise.
"Yeah, the major pawn shop from over fifty years ago in Haixia City, the only one around at the time. Haha, I found it quite easily. However, the shop itself is no longer there; the owner switched to the jewelry business. But the original boss of the pawn shop is still alive, and his eightieth birthday is the day after tomorrow!" Zhou Wenwei said.
"The day after tomorrow? Eightieth birthday? Are you talking about Song Jingsheng?" Wu Zhiming asked in astonishment.
"Yes, it's Song Jingsheng. He's supposedly a local tycoon in Haixia City, doing big business in jewelry. Since you're also a big shot here, the head of the Wu family, you must know him, right?" Zhou Wenwei asked.
"I know him," Wu Zhiming said with a smile.
"That's great then. On his birthday, he's invited many high society figures. You must have been invited too. We should go together and see if we can find out about the whereabouts of the earrings!" Zhou Wenwei suggested.
"He didn't actually invite me, but if I want to go, I can go," Wu Zhiming chuckled.
"He didn't invite you? That's impossible. You're both part of the upper class circle. If he didn't invite someone, he wouldn't exclude you, the head of the Wu family, the largest family in Haixia City!" Zhou Wenwei exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm not really part of the upper class circle. But if I decide to go, I'll just show up. Prepare a decent gift. One should never turn down an extended hand," Wu Zhiming said.
"Why do I have to prepare..." Zhou Wenwei began.
"You don't have to if you don't want to. I'll handle it myself," Wu Zhiming interrupted.
"Alright, I'll prepare!" Zhou Wenwei conceded.
After hanging up the phone, Wu Zhiming couldn't help but smile. It's a small world indeed, where two seemingly unrelated matters miraculously intersect.
Song Jingsheng was an interesting old man. Inviting all of high society except himself was likely a deliberate act to amuse himself.
After pondering for a moment, Wu Zhiming picked up the phone on his desk and made a call.
In less than a minute, Wang Hai entered the room.
"Look into Song Jingsheng's background. I don't know much about this person," Wu Zhiming instructed.
"It's already been done!" Wang Hai said with a smile.
"Oh?" Wu Zhiming raised an eyebrow, impressed, and remarked, "You're making progress, somewhat like Dong Jian."
"Well, Mr. Dong has always been my role model. I've been studying his way of handling things. Boss, this Song Jingsheng... turns out he's a hidden billionaire," Wang Hai said with a grin.