Fang Chu wasn't planning to use force. In the end, he would let Li Yun make her own choice — though he already knew exactly what that choice would be. After all, Zhao Yingying was her daughter.
A Visit to the Old District
In the urban village of Jiang City, Fang Chu parked his car by the roadside and walked up to Li Yun's small house. He knocked lightly.
Inside, Li Yun was pacing back and forth anxiously. Hearing the knocking, she thought her daughter had come home and hurried to open the door.
When she saw who it really was, her face instantly darkened.
"Fang Chu… what are you doing here?"
"Did something happen to Yingying?" Fang Chu said, putting on a concerned face. "I wanted to call you, Auntie, but it looks like you blocked my number, so I came in person."
Li Yun's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you know what happened?"
Could it have been him?
"Auntie, don't misunderstand," Fang Chu said quickly. "It's just that I happen to know the man involved."
He pulled out his phone and opened his social feed, handing it to her.
Li Yun took it half-believingly. On the screen, someone named Liu Ping had just posted a few photos — one of which showed her daughter, Zhao Yingying.
The caption read:
That little devil killed my father with her scooter, then tried to pay me off with money? I'll make sure she rots in prison!
Li Yun's eyes widened. "You… you know him?"
"Yes," Fang Chu nodded. "When I started my business, he was one of my partners. We used to be on good terms, but we lost contact a couple of years ago."
He slipped the phone back into his pocket. "I saw that post this morning — that's how I found out about Yingying's accident."
Li Yun's tears began to fall again. "Xiao Fang, please! Please help us! You know what kind of child Yingying is — she's a good girl. She doesn't deserve this!"
She grabbed his arm and begged, her voice trembling.
"Auntie, don't worry. Of course I'll help," Fang Chu said, feigning helplessness. "But he's a small business owner and deeply devoted to his father. It won't be easy to talk him down."
Li Yun's face crumpled. In her desperation, she dropped to her knees.
"Xiao Fang, Auntie is begging you!"
"Please, don't!" Fang Chu quickly helped her up, pretending to look flustered. "There's no need for this — I'll try to talk to him."
"Thank you, Xiao Fang… thank you…" Li Yun sobbed uncontrollably.
"Of course," Fang Chu said smoothly, turning to leave.
But as soon as he stepped out, his lips curled into a cold, victorious smile.
Got her.
He had no intention of solving the problem quickly.
The longer it dragged on, the deeper Li Yun's sense of guilt and dependence would become. The harder it felt to owe him a favor, the easier it would be to control her later.
He'd wait until Li Yun came begging again — and then, with just a few subtle hints, he was sure she would agree to anything for her daughter's sake.
Whistling lightly, Fang Chu slid into his Ferrari and slammed down on the accelerator.
He wanted speed — and a way to vent the dark fury still smoldering inside him.
The Search for Evidence
Meanwhile, Xu Mu had met up with Meng Wanyue.
She parked her old Wuling van nearby and hopped out, carrying a backpack.
"Manager Xu!"
Seeing him from a distance, she jogged over.
[Favorability +10]
"Wanyue," Xu Mu said, "let me explain what happened."
He told her everything — Zhao Yingying's "accident," the sabotaged brakes, and the destroyed surveillance cameras around the scene.
Meng Wanyue frowned. "That's way too coincidental. Someone set her up."
"Exactly," Xu Mu said. "But all the street cameras are gone. Without footage of her braking, it'll be hard to prove she's innocent."
"Then we'll check the private ones," she said, powering up her portable scanner. "Let's see which nearby shops have working cameras."
"Good idea." Xu Mu nodded.
They began moving from shop to shop. Xu Mu paid a hundred yuan for each one willing to share footage — and people were quick to agree once money was involved.
After two or three hours, though, nothing useful had surfaced.
Most cameras faced their own storefronts, not the street.
Finally, they arrived at a small convenience store. When Xu Mu asked, the owner nodded.
"Yes, I've got several — inside, outside, and one at the drinks stand by the entrance. Too many kids try to grab-and-run, so I had to install one there."
That made Xu Mu smile. He handed over five hundred yuan immediately.
The owner happily loaded the footage.
They could see the street — including the area where the accident occurred.
But then—
"Damn," Xu Mu muttered. "The tree blocked the view."
The owner looked embarrassed. "Then I can't take your money. Here, let me refund—"
"Wait," Xu Mu suddenly said. "Rewind a few seconds."
The man did as told. "What is it?"
"Look — that car."
The owner leaned closer. "You mean the dashcam?"
"Exactly." Xu Mu nodded. "Everyone drives with one these days. That recording could have everything."
Meng Wanyue peered at the footage. "Looks like a Lexus LX… but the plate isn't visible."
"No problem," Xu Mu said. "There can't be many of those in Jiang City — we'll find it."
He immediately sent the footage to Jiang Huihui, asking her to trace the vehicle through surviving street cameras.
Before long, Huihui replied: they'd found the car — it belonged to the Sony Electronics Flagship Store in Jiang City.
Xu Mu frowned. That car looked familiar.
He'd seen one just like it before… Shingū Fuka's car.
Could it really be the same one?
If so, the timing was far too suspicious.
Xu Mu didn't take his own car. Instead, he climbed into Meng Wanyue's van, and together they drove to the Sony store.
The moment he stepped inside, his spiritual perception swept across the building — and sure enough, he sensed Shingū Fuka upstairs on the second floor.
A woman in a tight uniform and black stockings quickly approached.
"Young Master Xu! What brings you here today? Looking to buy something?"
"Sony's a big brand," Xu Mu said with a faint smile. "If it were you, what would you buy?"
He brushed past her and started toward the staircase.
"Young Master Xu, wait — the second floor isn't a public display area," she said, moving to block him.
"What if I insist?" Xu Mu replied coolly, his eyes narrowing.