Chapter 21: Finding His Wife More and More Unfathomable

The place she had agreed to meet her husband for dinner was Lixuan Plaza, right beside E.D Group—this was the largest commercial plaza in all of G City, divided into four buildings named Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. It was a colossal complex, encompassing hotels, office towers, luxury shopping centers, and all manner of upscale clubs and restaurants.

Zhang Guoguo had just parked her car when she received a text from Xu Mengdie. It was a short video clip, featuring An Xiong, the owner of Yaohonor International Group, and her former uncle, Shen Yi.

They were reclining comfortably in an elegantly decorated private room, smoking cigars, exchanging meaningful glances. Then An Xiong spoke: “Shen Yu is your own younger brother, yet you had someone tamper with his car, consigning him and his wife to a watery grave. That’s ruthless. But as the saying goes, if you aren’t ruthless, you’ll never stand firm. Now that you’ve gotten rid of Shen Yu, you can finally dominate the Shen family.”

“He should have died long ago,” Shen Yi snorted. “He was five years younger than me but always bossed me around in the company, never giving me any respect as his elder, especially in front of subordinates. I can’t be blamed for being so merciless.”

The video lasted only a few seconds, but Zhang Guoguo felt as though she had lived through an entire century. Her mind went blank, and then tears began to spill uncontrollably.

Technology was advanced now, and videos could be faked, but this one was absolutely genuine—the dates matched fifteen years ago, and her uncle’s mannerisms and accent were unmistakable, impossible to imitate. It was real.

Almost immediately, Xu Mengdie sent another message: “Did you finish the video? Maybe you’re not interested, but I sent it to you to prove my capabilities. I have plenty of dirt on the An family, and I think you’ll find it very interesting.”

Indeed, Zhang Guoguo was interested. She felt a new confidence in her revenge, seeing Xu Mengdie as a valuable piece on her chessboard. Yet she was shaken to discover that the uncle who always seemed so innocent was the murderer of her parents, who, for the sake of profit and pride, had turned on his own brother. His cruelty rivaled that of An Ruier and An Xiong when they dealt with her—truly, a nest of snakes and rats. It was terrifying.

Unable to accept the reality, she nonetheless forced herself to call Xu Mengdie.

Xu Mengdie had anticipated the call, and immediately appeared behind her, phone in hand. “So,” she said, “are you ready to discuss our cooperation, Madam Billionaire?”

Zhang Guoguo was startled by the sudden voice. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?”

“I’m not following you—I just happened to be here. Remember what you said before? I thought I’d send the video and see what happens.”

“This isn’t the place to talk. Come with me.”

“There’s no one here, and we’re in a blind spot for the cameras. What are you afraid of? Or is it that Madam Billionaire feels embarrassed to be seen with me?”

Zhang Guoguo was speechless, but pulled Xu Mengdie to a secluded corner. “Fine, some things are hard to say over the phone. Since you’re so direct, I’ll get straight to the point. Listen, I can clear your name in front of An Ruier and keep you alive, but from now on, you must follow my orders.”

“I want money. Lots and lots of money.” Xu Mengdie declared boldly, a confident smile on her lips. “I doubt that’s a problem for you?”

“How much?”

“One hundred million.”

“Hah, now you’re being greedy. Xu Mengdie, take a good look at your situation—you’re in no position to bargain with me.”

“You know better than anyone whether I have leverage. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have called me, would you?”

“Money isn’t a small matter for me, but in business, one must at least break even. For every task you complete, you’ll get a portion, but the total sum will be halved. And what I ask you to do will never be a losing deal for you.”

Xu Mengdie was tempted by Zhang Guoguo’s confident, resolute demeanor. “What do you want me to do?”

“Heide chip.”

Just two words—succinct and clear. Yet Xu Mengdie’s face fell. “That’s the lifeblood of Yaohonor. How could a weak woman like me possibly get my hands on such core technology? Pick something else.”

“If you want money and you want your life, then do as I say. People die for wealth, birds for food.” A cold smile curled on her lips, her gaze wild as she looked at Xu Mengdie. “You have no other choice. As for anything else, I’ll decide based on your performance whether to raise your price.”

Around the corner, Luo Minglang and Tao Deli stood together, overhearing the women’s conversation. They were equally perplexed by Zhang Guoguo’s actions.

As the sound of high heels faded, Tao Deli commented, “I hadn’t expected Madam to be so interested in Yaohonor’s Heide chip.”

“Pretend you didn’t hear anything. Also, prepare a valuation report for Yaohonor—I want it in my office tomorrow.”

“President, are you planning to acquire Yaohonor just because of Madam’s interest?”

“Less talk, just do as I say.”

At the window-side table of the Moyee Restaurant, Luo Minglang looked at his wife, Zhang Guoguo, puzzled. The conversation he’d overheard earlier in the underground garage troubled him. He’d just heard from Tao Deli about Xu Mengdie—she was Shen Linyue’s close friend, now An Ruier’s lackey. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his wife was becoming increasingly unfamiliar to him—not in the way she had been distant before, but in a way that touched the soul.

Zhang Guoguo glanced back at Luo Minglang, flashed him a sweet smile, got up and took his arm. “Honey, you’re here and didn’t say a word. What are you staring at? Is there something interesting?”