actor
After a satisfying meal, the once elegant coffee table was now a mess, piled high with food scraps and empty packaging boxes.
Most of them were naturally eliminated by the incredibly powerful Qu Shiyao, while Su Wanwan simply enjoyed a taste of something new and experienced the joy of eating commoner food.
"Speaking of which...didn't President Si invite you to dinner today?" Qu Shiyao asked casually as she gathered the empty boxes and bamboo skewers on the table into a large trash bag.
Mentioning this, Su Wanwan's mood, which had improved slightly because of the food, instantly plummeted back to rock bottom.
She pulled out a tissue, elegantly wiped her mouth, and let out a clear, cold laugh: "Ha, do you think I'm a junkyard? You dump all sorts of trash into me?"
Qu Shiyao tied the garbage bag tightly, looked up at her with a hint of curiosity, and asked, "So when exactly did you start following us today?"
"I saw it on the first floor of the mall." Su Wanwan's tone was cold, clearly showing her displeasure.
"I was wondering what he was up to, but I ended up seeing you instead."
She grew angrier as she spoke, crumpling the tissue she had used to wipe her mouth into a ball and tossing it precisely into the trash can, as if the tissue were some annoying man:
"That's really something! Besides me, whom he married into, he's eyeing someone else while still harboring feelings for his ex! This kind of fickle man is utterly despicable!"
Seeing the young lady's expression, as if she wanted to disinfect Si Cheng immediately, Qu Shiyao quickly poured her a glass of warm water and handed it to her, signaling her to calm down.
"It's not worth getting angry over someone like that." Qu Shiyao sat down next to her, skillfully switching into her confidante mode. Seeing Su Wanwan's disgusted expression, clearly not wanting to talk about Si Cheng anymore, she naturally changed the subject.
"By the way, did you get back alright last night?"
"It's alright..." Su Wanwan took the water glass but didn't drink it. Her gaze drifted towards the deep night outside the balcony, as if lost in some memory. Her voice lowered as well.
"I just sometimes wonder... how can a person change so quickly..."
"Perhaps, it's not that he's changed," Qu Shiyao guessed softly, feeling that Su Wanwan was referring to Su's father.
"Or perhaps he was always this kind of person, but he was just too good at pretending before?"
"It's different!" Su Wanwan suddenly became agitated. She abruptly turned to look at Qu Shiyao, her eyes filled with stubbornness.
“I accept that his marriage to my mother was a business arrangement with no emotional foundation! But he used to treat me differently!”
She remembered that when she was little, every time that person came back from a business trip, he would bring her all sorts of strange and wonderful gifts, he would take her to the amusement park when he had time, and he would patiently read storybooks to her...
Those concerns and smiles, the feelings I had at that time, were so real...
Qu Shiyao looked directly into Su Wanwan's slightly reddened eyes and asked pointedly, "Is it possible that you possess something he needs to maintain a good father-daughter relationship to obtain?"
Su Wanwan seemed to be nailed to the spot by those words, staring blankly at Qu Shiyao, her lips slightly parted, but no sound came out.
Qu Shiyao stopped looking at her, lowered her head, picked up a damp cloth, and carefully wiped the greasy coffee table surface, her tone calm yet penetrating:
"Wanwan, you don't still think that your father's current state is entirely the fault of those third parties and those illegitimate children, do you?"
Su Wanwan opened her mouth, her eyes swirling with extremely complex emotions—anger, resentment, and a hint of embarrassment at having her secret exposed.
After wiping the table, Qu Shiyao went to the kitchen to wash her hands, then walked back and stood in front of Su Wanwan.
She looked down at Su Wanwan, who sat on the sofa and seemed somewhat vulnerable, her voice clear and calm:
“Su Wanwan, you must recognize this fact: that person is inherently like this. Greedy, hypocritical, and selfish. Even if there weren't these people now, there would be others in the future.”
She paused, a mocking smile playing on her lips, and delivered the most devastating blow:
"Besides... think about it carefully, aren't those illegitimate children who are older than you enough to illustrate the problem?"
Su Wanwan suddenly lowered her head, avoiding Qu Shiyao's gaze, staring at the polished floor as if she wanted to drill a hole in it.
The last glimmer of hope that had remained in her heart was shattered by Qu Shiyao's sharp and ruthless words.
Yes...aren't those irrefutable facts, those "brothers and sisters" who are even older than her, the most naked evidence?
After a long silence, just when Qu Shiyao thought she wouldn't speak again, Su Wanwan spoke slowly in an almost murmured, reminiscent tone:
“My maternal grandparents… transferred almost all of their assets and shares to my name before they passed away.”
“I was still young at the time, and my mother managed it for me, with the agreement that it would be formally handed over after my coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen…”
Qu Shiyao listened quietly without interrupting.
These crucial pieces of information need to be spoken by Su Wanwan herself so that she can be more certain about certain things.
“But… when I was nine years old, my mother fell ill and her health deteriorated. So he was temporarily put in charge of managing those businesses…” Su Wanwan’s voice trembled slightly.
"Then, when I was sixteen, my mother passed away." She took a deep breath and continued.
"And shortly after that, some of my businesses began to run into problems. Some were investigated by the tax authorities, some were embroiled in lawsuits, and some projects suffered inexplicable and serious losses..."
Upon hearing this, Qu Shiyao's eyes narrowed sharply, and she immediately called upon the system in her mind:
"Tongzi, investigate immediately the problematic businesses under Su Wanwan's name. Find out the specific reasons and whether there are any signs of manipulation behind them."
[Received!] Although the system didn't quite understand why the host was suddenly so interested in the Su family's old grievances, it still began searching.
"On my eighteenth birthday..." Su Wanwan's voice suddenly turned cold and sharp, filled with barely suppressed hatred.
"It should have been my day, but he chose that day to announce to everyone that he was going to officially marry that mistress! I have become the laughing stock of the entire upper class!"
As she finished speaking, her slender fingers unconsciously gripped the sofa cover tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
"Wanwan," Qu Shiyao finally spoke again, sitting back down next to Su Wanwan, turning her head to look at her. Her tone was unusually gentle, yet every word struck Su Wanwan's heart.
"To judge whether someone is good to you or not, don't just look at what they have done for you in the past, but look at how they treat you now."
She looked into Su Wanwan's eyes and slowly said, "It's obvious that your father is good at playing the role of a loving father. And I suspect there might be some problems with the businesses he's handled and those under your name..."
"That's what you think too, isn't it?" Qu Shiyao looked at her with a smile.
Su Wanwan was silent for a moment before saying weakly:
"I had someone check it privately, and the accounts and procedures on the surface are all clean. It really looks like it was caused by market fluctuations or poor management..."
【Host! Host! Major discovery!!!】 Just then, the system's excited voice rang out, returning with the thrill of having unearthed a huge surprise.
[My God! Su's father is practically a human teddy bear! He's a womanizer! He's planted his mistresses in many key positions across Su Wanwan's businesses!]
Besides these lovers, there are many others who are tied to him by mutual benefit, do the dirty work together, or are people placed there through connections to curry favor with him!
"Most importantly!" the system's tone turned serious.
I discovered that several companies and funds under Su Wanwan's name are essentially fronts for the Su Group to handle shady accounts, conduct illegal transactions, and transfer profits!
Many of the risks associated with illegal operations have been transferred to these businesses registered under Su Wanwan's name!
"What's the evidence? Have you collected any?" Qu Shiyao lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the fleeting glint in them.
【Hmph hmph hmph…】The system immediately straightened its back proudly.
[This system is invaluable! If he leaves even the slightest trace in the online world, communication records, or public and private databases, he will not escape my keen eyes!]
[I've got my hands on all the relevant emails, encrypted communication snippets, multi-layered money laundering transaction diagrams, and the hidden equity structures of related companies!]
Qu Shiyao quickly scanned the information packets transmitted by the system in her mind, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
She made a quick decision: "Tongzi, it's time to get to work and make money! You immediately build a dark web-style information trading website that looks mysterious and professional enough. We're going to start selling intelligence!"
【Alright!】The system excitedly rubbed its hands together.
After arranging things on the system side, Qu Shiyao looked at Su Wanwan again, her tone carrying a convincing certainty:
“Wanwan, you have to believe that as long as he does it, he will definitely leave a trace. There is no such thing as a perfect crime in this world.”
"You have a way to find these traces?" Su Wanwan looked up, a glimmer of hope rekindling in her eyes.
Qu Shiyao shrugged, a helpless expression on her face: "I personally certainly don't have that ability. But I know some very secretive channels that specialize in this kind of work, but they charge very high prices."
"Money is not a problem." Su Wanwan nodded without hesitation; she knew the value of this kind of information.
"Could you give me your contact information?"
“Of course.” Qu Shiyao took out her phone and sent Su Wanwan a website address that had just been temporarily set up by the system and looked extremely mysterious and complicated.
"This is one of their contact points; you can take a look first."
Su Wanwan clicked on the link, and her phone screen went black instantly, only to light up again in less than a second, revealing a dark screen with a technological and data-driven style.
The list above contains various confidential information titles and summaries, involving political and business circles.
This was the system following Qu Shiyao's instructions, releasing some eye-catching bait first, otherwise it would be difficult to gain people's trust.
Su Wanwan carefully browsed through the information and found that much of the information disclosed was so confidential that it would take a top-notch private detective team a lot of time to verify it.
She began to believe it to some extent.
Qu Shiyao also logged into the same website using her own mobile phone.
It must be admitted that after the system's permissions were raised to level 3, these capabilities did indeed experience a qualitative leap.
The website is clearly categorized into different sections, with the most confidential information displayed at the top being information that could cause an earthquake.
Each informant's ID that posts has a uniform prefix. Clicking on their profile reveals their reputation level and areas of expertise in investigation, making it a very professional process.
[Host! How is it? Isn't it incredibly realistic! All these accounts, information, and transaction records were all handled by this system, which single-handedly played multiple roles!] The system proudly boasted its achievement.
"Good, keep it up. Currently, our platform is probably only serving one VIP client, Su Wanwan."
At this point, Su Wanwan had already found the account of a senior intelligence officer on the website who was labeled as skilled in corporate investigations, financial audits, and the collection of evidence of commercial crimes, and attempted to initiate contact.
She stood up, looked at Qu Shiyao, and a genuine smile, filled with relief and gratitude, appeared on her face for the first time that evening.
"My gut feeling has always told me that asking you for help was the right thing to do. And sure enough, you always manage to surprise me."
Upon hearing this, Qu Shiyao deliberately exaggeratedly pulled out a small mirror she always carried with her, looked at herself from left to right, and asked with a puzzled expression, "Huh? This is the first time I've known that I have other uses for this?"
Su Wanwan chuckled at her silly antics, and her gloom of the past few days dissipated considerably.
She picked up her bag and said, "Okay, it's getting late, I'll head back now."
As she walked to the door and opened it, she paused slightly in front of the apartment across the street.
She didn't turn around, but spoke two words clearly in a very low voice:
"Thanks."
Thank you for listening quietly as I recount these painful memories.
Thank you for understanding my struggle and pain.
Thank you for seeing through my intentions but choosing not to expose them.
And... thank you for reaching out and helping me out.
Qu Shiyao was clearly taken aback by Su Wanwan's sudden and solemn thanks, and was visibly stunned for a moment.
Then, she looked at the closed door, shook her head with a smile, and her eyes showed a hint of understanding and helplessness.
[Host, why does her "thank you" sound a little strange?]
The system sensed that Su Wanwan's final thank you was filled with complex emotions, and its simple logic modules were somewhat unable to fully interpret it.
"Probably because..." Qu Shiyao stretched and yawned, explaining lazily.
"She knew I had seen through her little scheme all along, but I didn't say it directly. Instead, I gave her the help she needed most. That's why this thank you carries so much weight."
System: [...] What's your little scheme? Why doesn't it understand?
Human emotions are indeed very complex.
It felt that it still needed to learn more.
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