She was immersed in ecstasy and luck, and did not notice at all that Zhang Xuanhua had not gone far from an inconspicuous rest area not far away.
He sat on a high chair, holding a glass of iced drink he had just bought. His light blue eyes, through the bright lights of the mall, locked onto the woman behind the jewelry counter, whose face was glowing again and who was excitedly flipping through the product brochure with her head down.
"Idiot." He uttered the two words softly, so softly that only Chen Mo next to him could hear it.
Liao Feng pushed his glasses and asked in a low voice: "Xuanhua, do you really want to introduce a client to her?"
Zhang Xuanhua took a sip of the iced drink, feeling the stimulation of the cold liquid sliding down his throat. His eyes were deep and he said, "Of course I have to introduce her. And, I have to introduce her to a 'big client' that she...can't refuse."
He paused and added, "Get the 'gift' ready. The time... is coming soon."
Liao Feng understood and nodded.
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A few days later, the "friend" Zhang Xuanhua had mentioned arrived. He was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed modestly but elegantly. He introduced himself as Wang.
Mr. Wang has a calm temperament and good conversation. He showed great interest in the high-end jewelry introduced by Xi Wanrong, and was particularly fond of a limited edition jade brooch, which was very expensive.
Xi Wanrong used all her skills, explaining until her mouth was dry, and tried her best to make the deal happen.
Mr. Wang seemed very satisfied with her professionalism and readily paid the deposit, agreeing to pay the full amount and pick up the goods three days later. Before leaving, he specifically thanked Zhang Xuanhua for the recommendation and hinted that there would be more opportunities for cooperation in the future.
After seeing Mr. Wang off, Xi Wanrong was so excited that she almost jumped up. Once the deal was completed, the commission alone would be enough for her to make up for her previous deficit, and there would even be a lot left over! She seemed to see the dawn of her way out of the predicament and back on the road to climbing up.
Zhang Xuanhua really still remembered the "old feelings"! She even began to reflect on whether she was too sensitive before.
Three days later, the agreed-upon pickup time arrived. Xi Wanrong had already taken the priceless jade brooch from the safe, carefully wiped it, and placed it on a velvet tray, her heart racing as she waited for Mr. Wang's arrival.
However, Mr. Wang did not show up until the mall's closing music sounded.
Xi Wanrong's heart sank. She started to call the number Mr. Li had left, but it was always busy.
An ominous premonition coiled around her heart like an icy snake.
The next morning, Xi Wanrong came to the counter with dark circles under her eyes. The first thing she did was to call Mr. Wang again, but the call was still busy.
She was restless and tried to contact Zhang Xuanhua, but her messages fell on deaf ears and no one answered the phone.
At this moment, the mall's security director and finance director appeared in front of her counter with serious expressions.
"Ms. Xi, please come with us to the office." The security director's voice was serious and left no room for doubt.
Xi Wanrong's face turned pale as paper in an instant, her legs went weak and she could hardly stand.
Under the surprised, confused, or gloating gazes of her colleagues, she was taken to the management office on the top floor of the mall.
In the office, besides the security director and the finance director, there were two men in casual clothes with cold demeanors. One of them flashed his ID—he was from the Economic Investigation Detachment of the Public Security Bureau.
"Ms. Xi Wanrong," the leading officer said in a cold voice, his gaze sharp as a knife, "We've received a real-name report and have solid evidence. You're suspected of abusing your position to embezzle a substantial amount of business funds from the mall multiple times."
"Furthermore, the whereabouts of a jadeite brooch worth 3.2 million yuan that you handled and sold are unknown, and you are suspected of embezzlement."
The police officer pushed a thick stack of documents in front of Xi Wanrong. On it were clearly printed bank statements, photos of forged documents, and... a close-up of the cash hidden in the compartment of her handbag in the locker.
There are also surveillance screenshots of her conversation with "Mr. Wang", and half of Mr. Wang's face was revealed with the window rolled down after he left the mall and got into a car waiting on the roadside - it was actually Zhang Xuanhua's assistant named Liao Feng.
Xi Wanrong felt as if struck by a bolt of lightning, her mind went blank.
Her whole body began to tremble violently, and she could no longer hold on and collapsed on the cold chair.
"No...it's not me...it's Zhang Xuanhua...he framed me..." She spoke incoherently, her voice hoarse and desperate.
"Mr. Zhang Xuanhua?" The officer's expression was impassive as he flipped through another document in a businesslike manner. "We've verified that Mr. Zhang Xuanhua and you have no direct financial dealings. As for Mr. Wang, we've found that his identity information was fabricated."
"The whistleblower provided a complete chain of evidence, including detailed records of your embezzlement of public funds and the locations where the stolen money was hidden. Ms. Xi, if you have anything to explain, you can talk to my lawyer."
Falsified identity? Complete chain of evidence? Whistleblower?
Xi Wanrong suddenly raised her head, her eyes bloodshot.
Who is the informant?! Who is it?! Zhang Xuanhua! It must be him! That devil! He never thought of letting her go.
"Ah!" Xi Wanrong let out an extremely shrill scream, like a dying beast, filled with regret, fear and endless resentment.
She lunged at the table and tried to tear up the documents, but was held down by the security guard nearby.
"Take him away!" the police officer ordered coldly.
The cold handcuffs "clicked" and handcuffed Xi Wanrong's wrists, which had been carefully maintained and painted with nail polish.
She was escorted by two policemen as she stumbled out of the office, the bright lights of the mall and the curious or contemptuous glances of the customers hitting her like a whip.
At the moment when she was about to be escorted out of the mall, Xi Wanrong subconsciously and desperately looked up in the direction of the private club on the top floor.
The huge floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall reflected the dazzling spring sunlight. In the blurry halo of light, she seemed to see a vague figure.
The man was wearing a simple black shirt and had a tall figure. He stood by the glass railing on the top floor, looking down at the bottom in a leisurely manner.
It's too far away and I can't see the face clearly.
But Xi Wanrong seemed to see those light blue eyes clearly - cold, indifferent, with a hint of boredom after the dust had settled and the garbage had been disposed of.
As if sensing her gaze, the man tilted his head slightly and seemed to glance in her direction.
Just one glance.
Then, as if he had lost interest, he turned around casually and disappeared behind the bright glass curtain wall, as if he had never appeared.
Xi Wanrong's last bit of strength was completely drained away. Everything went black before her eyes, and she was dragged by the police into the police car outside the door, its lights flashing cold red and blue.
The bright spring sunshine shone through the car window onto her pale and twisted face, but it could not bring the slightest warmth.
The icy shackles on her wrists announced the complete end of her dream of clinging to her beautiful life and the long and cold life behind bars that she was about to face.
Under the huge glass dome of the shopping mall, the flow of people is still bustling, and the warmth and vitality of spring seem to have never been disturbed by the coldness of this corner.
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