Chapter 26
The suppressed anxiety in his father Li Jianhua's phone call, and the stern warning Li Yuanshan conveyed through Li Ziqing, struck Li Ming like two unexpected bolts of lightning, shattering the slight relief Li Ming had felt after the funds arrived. The other party was no longer content with mere business suppression; they were now directly targeting his parents in Lincheng, completely crossing the final line Li Ming could tolerate! Anger surged within him like magma, threatening to scorch his reason.
"Dad, you and Mom, pack your essentials right now, lock the door, and don't open it for anyone! I'll arrange for someone to pick you up and bring you to Jinyang immediately!" Li Ming's tone on the phone was more urgent and forceful than ever before, brooking no argument from his father. He couldn't let his parents stay in that small county town where they might face unknown risks at any moment.
After hanging up the phone, he immediately turned to Liu Qiang, his eyes chillingly cold: "Liu Qiang, you drive yourself, take two absolutely trustworthy and efficient friends, and go to Lincheng right now to bring my parents here safely! Call me immediately if anything happens on the way!" He shoved the tens of thousands of yuan in cash he had just received into Liu Qiang's hand, "All expenses will be covered by this. Be quick, steady, and keep it a secret!"
Liu Qiang had never seen Li Ming look like this before. Knowing that the matter was serious, he nodded heavily without saying a word: "Don't worry, Brother Ming! I will definitely bring Uncle and Aunt here safely!" After saying that, he turned around and ran out of the office.
After settling things with his parents, Li Ming forced himself to calm down. Anger wouldn't solve anything; he needed to retaliate, to make the other party feel real pain, to force Zhou Ruilin, this mad dog, to withdraw his claws. Simply defending himself would only embolden the other party.
“Wang Hao,” Li Ming looked at the core of the technology team, “we need to immediately compile a list of the remaining domain names we have, focusing on those short domains related to mobile social networking and online payment. We need to find potential buyers and spread the word that we can accept a transaction model that combines cash and options to speed up the monetization process!” He needed more cash, not only to cope with the crisis, but also to stockpile ammunition for the next counterattack.
"Understood!" Wang Hao realized the situation had escalated and immediately returned to his computer.
“Ziqing,” Li Ming looked at Li Ziqing again, “use your channels to find out as much as possible what resources Zhou Ruilin mobilized this time, and who else is behind it besides the Zhou family? The key point is, what exactly are they trying to do by investigating my parents? Have they found any leverage over them?” Information is the key to decision-making.
Li Ziqing nodded solemnly: "I will do my best to investigate."
Li Ming sat back down at his computer, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. He opened an encrypted document containing a list of potential "gray areas" and risks associated with the Zhou Group and its affiliated companies, compiled from his memories of his past life—including taxation, land approvals, environmental protection, and demolition disputes in certain projects. Before, he had only spread rumors; now, he needed something more concrete and impactful.
He contacted Shen Yan. This time, he didn't beat around the bush.
“Reporter Shen, Zhou Ruilin has laid hands on my parents.” Li Ming’s voice, carried with it a chilling edge, came through the phone line.
After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Shen Yan's tone became serious: "He's crossed the line. What do you plan to do?"
“I need a report, or a series of follow-ups,” Li Ming stated clearly. “Not a direct attack on the Zhou family, but a focus on ‘the bottom line and the spirit of the rule of law in business competition,’ exploring the phenomenon of some companies using non-market means to suppress competitors and even threaten the safety of their families. You can start with the series of ‘coincidences’ that our ‘Mingyu Technology’ has recently encountered, including the previous malicious reports, media attacks, and now the investigation targeting my family. You don’t need to name names, but it should be clear to anyone with eyes that it’s about who you’re talking about.”
He pondered for a moment and said, "This is a sensitive topic, requiring a solid chain of evidence, especially regarding the part involving threats to personal safety..."
“I will find a way to provide some of the evidence,” Li Ming interrupted him. “More importantly, I will create public pressure. At the same time, I will give you some ‘clues’ about Zhou’s Real Estate’s past projects that may exist and are worth exploring in depth, such as the demolition compensation issues of the ‘Jinxiu Jiayuan’ project, or the approval process of the ‘Xincheng International’ plot… You can follow up as an independent investigative journalist.”
This is a two-pronged approach, combining a propaganda war with a legal risk investigation! Shen Yan took a deep breath on the other end of the phone, sensing the do-or-die determination and fierce will to fight back in Li Ming's words.
"Li Ming, are you trying to... flip the table?" Shen Yan asked in a complicated tone.
“There’s too much filth hidden under the table. Let’s expose it to the sun; it’ll be good for everyone,” Li Ming said coldly. “I just want to protect my family and my company so we can survive. If we can’t even do this basic thing, then we shouldn’t care about dignity.”
After communicating with Shen Yan, Li Ming began to utilize the limited but crucial connections he had previously built through Zhao Zhen and himself. He precisely conveyed, in the form of a "victim's accusation," the news that the Zhou family was investigating Li Ming's parents and attempting to find "dirt" to exert pressure on them to several local entrepreneurs who had a competitive relationship with the Zhou family or were dissatisfied with their style of doing business to several influential retired cadres. This tactic was extremely despicable, and in the traditional concept of "not letting family members suffer," it was easy to arouse the resentment and vigilance of his peers.
Li Ming's series of actions were swift, precise, and ruthless, completely unlike anything a high school student would do. He was no longer on the defensive; instead, he was utilizing every available resource to launch a fierce counterattack against Zhou Ruilin and the Zhou Group behind him, targeting multiple dimensions including public opinion, potential legal risks, and industry reputation!
Just as Li Ming was busily preparing for the counterattack, good news came from Liu Qiang: he had safely picked up Li Jianhua and Wang Xiuqin and they were on their way back to Jinyang. The elderly couple were clearly frightened, but unharmed.
Li Ming felt a sense of relief. With his parents by his side, he could better protect them.
At the same time, Li Ziqing also uncovered some crucial information. Her face pale, she told Li Ming, "We found out. Zhou Ruilin this time...colluded with the nephew of a vice mayor in charge of urban construction, who has connections in the public security system. They're investigating your uncle and aunt to find out...whether your uncle had any 'economic problems' at the factory back then, or if your family has any...unclear social connections, trying to use this to smear you, or even...pressure you into compromising."
So they're trying to find a breakthrough by targeting my parents! Li Ming's eyes flashed even colder. His father, Li Jianhua, had been an honest, hardworking man his whole life, a gatekeeper at a factory. What financial problems could he possibly have? They were clearly trying to fabricate charges against him!
"I understand." Li Ming's voice was eerily calm. "It seems they won't understand unless they experience real pain."
The following day, Shen Yan's in-depth report, titled "A Cold Arrow in the Startup Winter: Who is Stifling the Spark of Young Innovation?", was published simultaneously in several local media outlets and emerging financial websites. Using the experience of "Mingyu Technology" as a case study, the article profoundly analyzed the chaos of certain forces using non-market means for unfair competition. Although it did not name the Zhou family directly, its target was extremely clear. The article particularly emphasized the view that "competition should not cross legal and moral boundaries, and even less should it involve family members," sparking widespread social discussion and sympathy.
Almost simultaneously, old grievances regarding Zhou's Real Estate's unfair compensation and alleged forced evictions during the demolition process of the "Jinxiu Jiayuan" project began to resurface and escalate online. Although the Zhou family quickly mobilized resources to delete the posts, the negative impression had already been sown.
What troubled the Zhou family even more was that several rivals with whom they already had a strained relationship, as well as several highly respected elders, expressed subtle criticisms of the Zhou family's "domineering behavior" and "ugly manners" on different occasions. This pressure from within their circle was far more difficult for Zhou Guangkun, the head of the Zhou family, to handle than external public opinion.
Zhou Ruilin hadn't expected Li Ming's counterattack to be so swift and fierce, and to escalate directly to a public opinion siege and threaten the foundation of the family! He had thought that by holding leverage over the other party's parents, he could force them to submit, but he hadn't expected to kick a hornet's nest!
The pressure quickly reached Zhou Guangkun. It is said that Zhou Guangkun severely reprimanded Zhou Ruilin in his study, ordering him to immediately stop all "petty actions" against Li Ming and his family, and to find a way to quell the situation and mitigate the damage.
Zhou Ruilin was seething with anger, but he had no choice but to suppress it for the time being.
Inside the Mingyu Technology office, the tense atmosphere eased slightly. Li Jianhua and Wang Xiuqin were temporarily settled in a small house not far from the company, which Liu Qiang had helped rent. Although still shaken, they were finally out of immediate danger.
Looking at his parents' faces, which had calmed down but still showed signs of exhaustion, Li Ming felt a surge of guilt and anger. He knew that this turmoil had only temporarily subsided and was far from over.
However, just when he thought he could catch his breath and refocus his energy on platform development and dealing with Zhao Zhen's repayment pressure, Wang Hao approached him with a laptop and a serious expression.
“Li Ming, there’s something going on.” Wang Hao turned the screen to him. “I’ve detected a strange data flow that’s been continuously and in a low-intensity manner scanning and probing the ports of our platform’s servers. The method is very professional and doesn’t seem like that of an ordinary hacker.”
Li Ming frowned: "Can we trace the source?"
“The IP address is overseas and has been redirected multiple times, making it very discreet,” Wang Hao shook his head. “But my intuition tells me that this doesn’t seem like the kind of trick Zhou Ruilin would pull off. He’s more used to simple and direct methods.”
Not Zhou Ruilin? Li Ming's heart sank.
Just then, Li Ziqing also walked in quickly, her face showing a hint of doubt and unease.
“Li Ming, I just received a message from a friend… She said she saw Zhao Zhen… having dinner with an investment manager from Lei Yao Capital yesterday.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
