When Vice President Wu suddenly mentioned Cao Jinbo, my body tensed up instinctively, and cold sweat broke out on my palms and forehead... It felt like I had been emptied out, and suddenly, many things gradually became clear in my mind.

I forced myself to calm down. I didn't speculate on the phone, but simply said to Vice President Wu, "Name a place, and I'll come over right now."

"The night market in Patong, I guess."

...

After agreeing on a meeting place, I immediately took a taxi to Patong. On the way, Yang Sisi sent me another message, asking why I suddenly hung up the voice call. I explained that the signal was bad and told her to get some rest, but she didn't reply.

While things were calm on her side, things were in turmoil on mine.

I was just instinctively trying to infiltrate, but I didn't care at all whether I had the ability to influence the situation, because I had been tormented by this nightmare for three whole years, and I desperately wanted to break free from this nightmare and rebuild a pure self.

I'm not exaggerating. I still can't bear to recall the experience of searching for Ye Zhi in Phuket. Whenever I think about it, all I can feel is darkness and devastation.

...

A moment later, I arrived at the place I had arranged to meet Vice President Wu. He was sitting in a quiet corner. I sat down opposite him, and he smiled at me, but I couldn't manage a smile. I just nodded slightly to him.

Vice President Wu poured himself a full glass of beer. He took a sip and then exclaimed, "Brother, I'm growing to love Phuket more and more... Back home it's the dead of winter, but here we can enjoy the sea breeze and drink ice-cold beer... This feeling of being outside the rules is just so liberating!"

I kept my composure, forced a smile, and replied, "There is no absolute freedom in this world. Even in Phuket, you have to respect the rules... There are laws, human relationships, and life here too."

"No, you're wrong."

I looked at Vice President Wu without saying much. I knew that too much talk could lead to mistakes, especially in front of people with whom I had a vested interest.

Vice President Wu took another big gulp of beer, then said to me in a low voice, “You know what? The world of fame and fortune is like a towering tree, covered with monkeys. Looking down, all you see are smiling faces; looking up, all you see are butts; looking left and right, all you see are eyes and ears… It’s exhausting, really exhausting!… But if you don’t want to see those ugly butts, you can only climb desperately upwards. Unfortunately, this tree has no end, and not only does it have no end, it also branches out. Many people climb and climb, and then they go astray… If you don’t want to fall to your death, you have to climb back to the largest trunk, but the way back is blocked by countless silly monkeys who have also gone astray… So what should I do in this situation?”

“You’re the one walking this path, you should have a better idea than me.”

"Actually, I'm telling you all this so you can understand my current situation... I can't..."

"I'm not senile enough to be at odds with Mr. Ye... If it were just me, I'd probably let it go, since I'll never have to worry about food or drink... But I can't let my son's future be affected, because these disputes were all caused by our previous generation. He deserves a fair environment to develop his career... Don't you think so?"

"I agree with that statement."

"But President Ye doesn't really think that way. Everything she's doing now is aimed at eliminating the problem completely."

After a brief silence, I replied, "With your network of connections, it shouldn't be too difficult for your son to start his own business, right?"

"Your idea is too naive... Do you know how many people worked hard to get Binjiang Group to its current size?... Now that we're already on this big tree, who would be interested in nurturing another tree... especially shareholders like us?"

“We’re on different sides, so I really can’t understand your thoughts… But I can feel your feelings… I also hope you can understand mine. Who was behind what happened to Ye Zhi in Thailand?”

After a moment of contemplation, Vice President Wu replied, "Since I've invited you out, I'll definitely tell you everything I know... but you have to give me an answer first."

"I will communicate with Ye Zhi again, and this time as the person directly involved."

"Okay, I believe you..."

I stared intently at Vice President Wu. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke to me, “The mastermind behind this whole affair was Ye Lifan, and the executor was Cao Jinbo… because they shared common interests… At the time, President Ye was very powerful. She used many methods to try and sideline Ye Lifan within the Binjiang Group. Many of the group's shareholders were already wavering, and Ye Lifan was in a precarious position. Perhaps it was fate, but during this process, Ye Lifan crossed paths with Cao Jinbo because of the Dali Cangshan Villa project… Ye Lifan knew that Cao Jinbo had a history of involvement in organized crime and possessed resources in Thailand. The two made a private deal: Ye Lifan would ensure that Cao Jinbo could successfully secure the Cangshan Villa project; in return, Cao Jinbo would place President Ye under house arrest in Thailand, giving Ye Lifan a chance to breathe and weather the crisis…”

"Household confinement?...That time, it almost cost Ye Zhi her life!"

Vice President Wu shook his head and replied, "Even if Ye Lifan is ruthless, he wouldn't go so far as to kill his own daughter... I suspect that Cao Jinbo had malicious intentions during this process. For someone with a criminal background like him, killing to silence witnesses is definitely safer than leaving them alive, especially in Thailand... After all, cross-border investigations are extremely difficult for China... Even if the Thai police have some suspicions, as long as the connections are right, they will turn a blind eye and treat it as a normal shipwreck... If it weren't for President Ye's good fortune, the truth might have been lost forever!"

I was shocked by the ugliness of human nature.

I was shocked and remained silent for a long time. I just frowned and tried to recall the details I knew at the time.

I suddenly spoke up to Vice President Wu, saying, "No, I remember the situation was that Ye Lifan disagreed with Cao Jinbo's participation in the Cangshan Villa project... Ye Zhi was in a difficult position. If Ye Lifan hadn't been there to obstruct her, she might have agreed."

"Brother, you can't judge a book by its cover... Back then, President Ye was eager to win over the group's shareholders to deal with Ye Lifan. Why would she hand over the group's interests to Cao Jinbo and upset the shareholders?... It's even easier to explain why Ye Lifan disagreed. He was trying to cover things up and prevent others from having any extra suspicions... The father and daughter are like gods fighting, there are many tricks involved!"

(End of this chapter) Want to chat with more like-minded people about "My Tenant Sister"? Follow "Youdu Literature" on WeChat to read, discuss life, and find kindred spirits!