The truth is like peeling an onion, layer by layer, the pungent aroma making one's eyes redden. Zhong Hua, holding his phone, walked to the window, watching the streetlights gradually illuminate through the rain. His father's death, Ah Yu's framing, Lin Wanqing's surrender—all of it stemmed from the vast web Gu Yanting had woven to cover up his commercial crimes.
Chapter 3: The Final Game
In the top-floor CEO's office of the Gu Group, the cold light of the crystal chandelier fell on Gu Yanting's face. On the mahogany table in front of him lay a newly released asset transfer list. His personal assistant, Secretary Wang, was cautiously reporting, "Boss, the accounts in Switzerland have been emptied. The remaining funds can be transferred through the shell company 'Yuanxing Capital'..."
"Shut up!" Gu Yanting abruptly swept the list to the ground, his expensive pen leaving a mark on the carpet. "What's going on with Zhao Jianzhe? Didn't he say it was all done?"
Secretary Wang's face turned pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead: "Boss, Mr. Zhao... he suddenly went missing yesterday afternoon, and we can't get through to the Swiss bank's dedicated line either."
Just then, the door to the president's office was flung open, and Gu Yanting's special assistant rushed in, his face pale: "Boss, something bad has happened! The Municipal Public Security Bureau has sealed off the downstairs area, and Captain Chen and his team are on their way with a search warrant!"
Gu Yanting's pupils contracted sharply. He grabbed the encrypted phone on the table, wanting to dial the number that had never failed him. But this time, only a monotonous busy tone came from the receiver. He remembered the last message Zhao Jianzhe had sent late last night: "Things are hopeless, self-preservation is paramount." At the time, he had simply thought the other party was cowardly, but now he realized with a start that the pawn he had been controlling had already been secretly laying the groundwork.
"Delete the backups on the server!" Gu Yanting roared, rushing towards the safe in the corner. "Quickly!"
However, when he entered the password to open the safe, it was empty. There was only a note with the following printed message: "Evidence has been handed over to the police. — Someone you forgot."
Downstairs, Chen Feng, holding a search warrant, led his officers into the server room of the Gu Group. Technicians were already in place, the rapid clatter of keyboards like drumbeats. Suddenly, Xiao Li pointed at the screen, his voice excited: "Found it! The attachment sent by Secretary Wang on October 22, 2019, is an encrypted electronic contract. The first party is Gu Yanting, and the second party is Zhao Jianzhe. The content is about entrusting Yuanxing Capital to handle 'special matters' related to the Xinggang plot. The attachment also contains detailed information on the flow of funds and..." He paused, enlarging the signature section at the end of the contract, "...and Gu Yanting's electronic signature, with a timestamp showing 11:59 PM on October 22, 2019, exactly one hour before Engineer Zhong Zhiyuan submitted the re-inspection report."
The chain of evidence is now completely closed. From misappropriation of funds and forgery of qualifications to suspected murder, every link in the chain is sealed by this electronic contract that was six years overdue.
Chapter Four: The Glimmer of Dawn
In the shipyard warehouse, Ah Yu hung up Chen Feng's phone, her fingers turning white from the force. Lin Wanqing looked at him, tears welling in her eyes: "Brother, is it... is it all over?"
Ah Yu didn't speak, but walked to the window and pushed open the rusty iron pane. The rain had stopped sometime earlier, and a faint light of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon. In the distance, the long, clear sound of a ship's horn drifted in. He remembered his father in his supervisor's uniform, Zhong Hua's stubborn gaze amidst the online bullying, and Lin Wanqing's tearful farewell before turning herself in.
“It’s not over yet,” he turned around, his eyes resolute, “but we won.”
When Zhong Hua arrived at the warehouse, the morning light was streaming in through the hole in the roof, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. Ah Yu handed her a cup of warm mineral water, the bottle condensed with water droplets, like the sweat and tears they had shed along the way.
"Captain Chen said that the electronic contract has been forensicly authenticated, and Gu Yanting's electronic signature and timestamp cannot be forged." Ah Yu's voice was a little tired, but she couldn't hide her relief. "And Zhao Jianzhe, before he was arrested in Switzerland, he voluntarily provided the police with all the transfer records and recordings, including the calls where Gu Yanting instructed him to deal with 'trouble'."
Zhong Hua held the mineral water bottle, the icy touch clearing her muddled mind somewhat. She recalled a line from her father's diary: "An engineering project can have errors, but the human heart cannot be flawed." It turned out that her father had long ago noticed the flaw, but paid the ultimate price for it.
“My father…” she choked up, unable to continue.
Ah Yu gently patted her shoulder: "Captain Chen said that the fire case from back then will be reinvestigated. The truth may be late, but it will not be absent."
Lin Wanqing walked between the two, holding a printed press release in her hand, which she had written overnight: "I want to write an in-depth report on the shady dealings of the Gu Group over the years, as well as the evidence from this incident. It may not be able to make up for all the damage, but at least it can let more people know the truth."
Ah Yu and Zhong Hua exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously. Outside the warehouse, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the distant sea. The grudges and entanglements that had once bound them gradually came to light under the sunlight of the law, and the truths that had been concealed finally surfaced like a sunken ship.
Chapter 5: Turning Point and Aftermath
At 9:00 AM, the Binhai City Public Security Bureau held a press conference. Facing the camera, Chen Feng solemnly displayed a copy of the electronic contract and evidence of financial transactions provided by a Swiss bank. The number of viewers in the live stream instantly exceeded ten million, and the hashtag #GuYantingSuspectedOfMultipleCrimes# quickly rose to the top of the trending topics list.
Gu Group's stock plummeted to its daily limit after the market opened, prompting an emergency trading halt. A large crowd of reporters and investors gathered outside the group's headquarters, with police standing by behind barricades. During questioning, Secretary Wang completely broke down, confessing to Gu Yanting's instructions to destroy evidence and threaten witnesses.
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