Chapter 63: Before Dawn

"Hello, what’s the matter?" Zhang He responded without a hint of emotion. "It’s like this, Sister Zhang He, I have evidence of Mingsheng’s tax evasion and I’m looking to make a deal with Huasheng. Do you think that’s possible?" Wang Xin openly stated her purpose. She was in a hurry now, fearing that He Wei might reveal the truth. But she was overthinking it; He Wei wouldn’t reveal the truth. Given He Mingsheng’s current power, even if he did speak out, it wouldn’t affect He Mingsheng fundamentally. And currently, He Wei didn’t have that "taking someone down with me" revenge mentality. Zhang He considered the information that was exposed tonight and coupled it with Yu Xiaozhe’s confident demeanor... The boss truly lived up to the title, holding even more lethal evidence. If it were her, she might have already released the evidence. Zhang He was not one to swallow her grievances calmly. Though Zhang He had figured it out, she wouldn’t show it in front of outsiders. Besides, Wang Xin was a competitor, an "enemy." "What are you talking about? I don’t quite understand. If Mingsheng committed tax evasion, you could report it directly to the tax bureau." Wang Xin continued, "Sister He, I’m being so honest with you, please don’t play dumb. I know that the information I have on Mingsheng, you and President Yu could also find out, but it won’t be as detailed as mine and will take time. If you promise to help me get out of this later, I’ll send this information to your email right away." Zhang He clicked her tongue twice, thinking of the saying that "birds of a feather flock together." That Wang Xin could get involved with He Wei and He Mingsheng showed she was no saint herself. "I won’t beat around the bush either. What you said requires me to discuss it with our boss. Also, about helping you get out... you know yourself that it’s impossible, right? Once you’re involved, do you think He Mingsheng will let you go when he finds out you were the only one unharmed?" Wang Xin gritted her teeth and upped the ante, "I also have evidence of Zhang Jian inciting Zeng Xu to do drugs, which is related to Zhou Xue’s suicide. It’s true!" Zhang He thought, "We’ve already found that out; do we need you to tell us? Our boss wouldn’t have been wasting his time all these years if that were the case." "Alright. If there’s nothing else, there’s no need for us to continue this conversation." Zhang He prepared to end this pointless call. "Sister He, don’t hang up! I have He Wei’s phone card! Evidence of their crimes! Seriously, it’s true!" Wang Xin shouted anxiously, afraid Zhang He would hang up the call, which would mean she’d really have no chance! Zhang He paused her hand on the red hang-up button. Although Yu Xiaozhe could also find this out, it would require time, money, and resources. If Wang Xin could provide it effortlessly... "But you should also know that once you’re involved in something, you can’t entirely escape it." Upon hearing Zhang He’s softened attitude, Wang Xin quickly responded, "Sister He, I know all that. Apart from the company’s affairs, I haven’t been involved in anything else. I only discovered it while investigating the phone card!" "Wait for my call; I need to discuss it with our boss." Wang Xin hastily agreed. After hanging up the phone, Wang Xin collapsed onto the sofa. Her nerves were overly tense, and she had been standing on the edge of the couch while taking the call, forgetting to sit down. Now her only way out was to cling to Huasheng. Otherwise, if convicted for helping He Mingsheng with falsified accounts, tax evasion, and forging seals, she couldn’t bear the consequences. Initially, Wang Xin was lured by the high salary offered by He Mingsheng, willingly doing these shady things for him. Now that trouble had come, Wang Xin was scared and started looking for a way out. But once some things are done, there’s no escaping the law. ———Knock, knock, knock——— "Come in." Yu Xiaozhe was meticulously reviewing the documents in hand. Zhang He curiously leaned in, eager to see what billion-dollar case could make Yu Xiaozhe so attentive. The words "Artist Contract" caught Zhang He’s eye. "..." Zhang He was speechless. "Didn’t we draft the studio contract together last Chinese New Year? What else is there to understand?" Zhang He didn’t say out loud that she thought this was a billion-dollar case! Yu Xiaozhe, as usual, didn’t answer her question but asked instead, "How’s it online now?" Zhang He thought for a moment and replied truthfully, "People online are discussing the Mingsheng and Zhou Xue incident. To be honest, boss, didn’t you just ask me to release dirt on Mingsheng? Why release Zhou Xue’s story too?" Yu Xiaozhe just handed her a document, signaling her to take a look. Zhang He took the document and sat on the chair on the other side of Yu Xiaozhe’s desk. The document didn’t have much content, only a brief description of Zhou Xue’s aunt and brother’s life after her death. Her uncle, feeling the money tree was gone, intensified his domestic abuse against her aunt. Her aunt, already mildly depressed, worsened after learning about Zhou Xue’s suicide, and her uncle didn’t care at all. Originally, her aunt’s condition was manageable, but Zhou Xue’s brother’s situation became the last straw that broke the camel’s back. After Zhou Xue’s death, her uncle kicked Zhou Qing out. Protected by Zhou Xue, Zhou Qing, who was still in school, was unable to support himself. After leaving his aunt’s house, Zhou Qing didn’t have money to support himself, so he could only work part-time wherever he could. However, legitimate places wouldn’t hire minors. Zhou Qing could only find jobs at underground bars and dance halls. Having been taken care of all his life, with clothes washed by Zhou Xue, Zhou Qing just had to ensure he didn’t get hurt and focused on studying. Sending someone who couldn’t tell grains apart to pour drinks and serve meals to guests was bound to cause problems. Finally finding a job, Zhou Qing was thrilled. On his first night at work, the supervisor assigned him to deliver drinks to a VIP room. Though Zhou Qing had sheltered upbringings, he was good-looking and had a likable personality, so he quickly became popular. With just a day on the job, the supervisor assigned him a prestigious task. In such underground bar jobs, getting noticed by a wealthy patron was considered a blessing. Therefore, the prestigious work assignments were fiercely contested by the lower-level staff. Zhou Qing was assigned such a good job on his first day, naturally arousing others’ resentment. On his way to deliver drinks, someone deliberately tripped him. The consequences were severe. The drinks ordered by the guest cost over fifty thousand, and it was Zhou Qing’s first day, nowhere near able to afford such expenses. After waiting ages for drinks, the guests from the VIP room came out to check and planned to ask the supervisor what was going on.