Zi Ning sat in her office, scrolling through the latest news on her phone. After the police statement cleared her name, public opinion shifted in her favor. People were calling out the fake articles, demanding to know who was behind the smear campaign. Some even suspected Wang Yin and Guo Bao, though there was no proof yet.
Despite this victory, Zi Ning felt uneasy. Guo Bao's last words kept replaying in her mind. He had sounded too confident for someone who had lost everything. What was he planning?
Her phone vibrated, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was Fang Min.
"Zi Ning, we have a problem," Fang Min said urgently.
Zi Ning sat up straight. "What happened?"
"Guo Bao disappeared."
Zi Ning's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean disappeared?"
"He's gone," Fang Min said. "His family doesn't know where he is. The police were supposed to question him again today, but when they went to his house, he was missing."
Zi Ning felt a chill run down her spine. "He ran?"
"That's what it looks like," Fang Min said. "But I don't think he's just running. I think he's planning something."
Zi Ning's grip tightened on her phone. "If he's hiding, that means he's preparing his next move. We need to be ready."
Fang Min hesitated. "Zi Ning, be careful. He's desperate. People like him are dangerous when they have nothing to lose."
"I know," Zi Ning said, her voice steady. "But I'm not afraid of him."
Fang Min sighed. "Then at least let me send some security to stay with you."
Zi Ning shook her head. "Lu Yichen already increased my security. I'll be fine."
There was a short silence before Fang Min spoke again. "Alright. But call me if anything happens."
"I will," Zi Ning promised before hanging up.
She put her phone down and took a deep breath. Guo Bao was gone, but he wasn't finished. She could feel it.
That night, Zi Ning had a late photoshoot for an upcoming magazine cover. The studio was in a quiet part of the city, and only a few people were there—the photographer, a couple of assistants, and her security guards.
The shoot went smoothly, but as she was changing into her final outfit, her phone buzzed with another unknown message.
"Come alone to the abandoned warehouse at Pier 17 if you want to know the truth about Guo Bao. Midnight. No security, or you'll regret it."
Zi Ning stared at the message, her heart pounding.
A trap. It had to be a trap.
But something about the message made her pause. "The truth about Guo Bao"—what did that mean? Was there something she didn't know?
Her first instinct was to ignore it. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt she had to go.
She couldn't just sit back and wait for Guo Bao to make his move. If there was a way to get ahead of him, she had to take it.
Making up her mind, she deleted the message and finished the photoshoot.
At exactly midnight, Zi Ning arrived at Pier 17. She had followed the instructions—no security, no backup.
The air was cold, and the old warehouse looked abandoned. Rust covered the metal doors, and the windows were cracked. The entire place was silent except for the occasional creak of the wind against the building.
Zi Ning took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The warehouse was dimly lit by a few hanging lights. Dust covered the floor, and the air smelled like old wood and metal.
"You're braver than I thought," a voice said.
Zi Ning turned sharply. A man stood in the shadows near a stack of wooden crates.
She narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"
The man stepped forward, revealing his face. He was in his late thirties, with sharp features and a scar across his cheek.
"That doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is what I know."
Zi Ning crossed her arms. "Then start talking."
The man smirked. "Guo Bao isn't acting alone."
Zi Ning's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"He has a backer," the man said. "Someone powerful. Someone who wants you destroyed just as much as he does."
Zi Ning clenched her fists. "Who?"
The man shook his head. "That, I can't tell you. But I can give you proof. Real proof. The kind that will make sure Guo Bao and his backer never rise again."
Zi Ning didn't trust him. This was too easy.
"What do you want in return?" she asked.
The man chuckled. "Smart girl. I want money. Five million yuan. You pay, I give you everything you need to finish this fight."
Zi Ning studied him. He didn't seem nervous, which meant he wasn't lying. But that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.
"I need proof that your information is real before I pay anything," she said.
The man pulled out a USB drive and tossed it to her. "Consider that a sample. Look through it. If you want the rest, you know my price."
Zi Ning caught the drive and glanced at it before looking back at him. "How do I contact you?"
The man smirked. "I'll contact you."
Before she could say anything else, he turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Zi Ning exhaled slowly. Her instincts told her this was real. If Guo Bao had a powerful backer, then this fight was far from over.
Clutching the USB drive tightly, she walked out of the warehouse.
Back at her apartment, Zi Ning plugged the USB into her laptop.
Files appeared on the screen—documents, emails, financial transactions. She opened one of the emails and her blood ran cold.
"Guo Bao, we'll protect you for now. Make sure Zi Ning is completely destroyed. She cannot survive this scandal."
The email was signed with a single letter: H.
Zi Ning's mind raced. Who was H?
She clicked through more files. They contained detailed plans—how Guo Bao was supposed to frame her, how the fake articles were planted, even payments made to reporters.
This was the proof she needed.
But it also meant her enemy was more powerful than she had imagined.
Zi Ning took a deep breath. She wasn't afraid. Whoever "H" was, they had made a mistake.
They thought they could destroy her.
But they were wrong.
Now, she was the one who would destroy them.