The silence from Liu Feng stunned many present.
They had anticipated that he would stubbornly deny everything and resisted all efforts to extract information. However, they had never imagined that a simple statement from Yu Zhou would deflate his defiance, leaving him sitting there wordlessly.
It seemed as though he was struggling internally, but his expression carried a heavy trace of performance.
"Alright, I'll confess! Does this count as atoning for my crimes?"
Liu Feng paused deliberately before speaking directly. However, his performance was so transparent that even the most clueless technician found it bewildering.
If he had just waited a little longer, or feigned his deliberation a bit more convincingly, people wouldn't be looking at him this way.
Was that thinking? It couldn't even be called thinking.
Yet, since a breakthrough had been made, and Yu Zhou hadn't uttered a word, they weren't going to press the issue at this moment.
Internally, they were quite pleased.
"Since you've investigated me so thoroughly, you must already know who instigated me, right?"
"It was indeed the Su family. I have a connection with a distant relative of the Su family. They approached me at the time, saying they would give me eight thousand yuan if I obtained the formula. I didn't think much of it then and gave them the recipe."
"I truly didn't expect them to be so shameless, to start counterfeiting it directly, without even changing the packaging much."
Liu Feng's accusation carried a hint of indignation, primarily because this situation was beyond his own expectations.
Who would have thought the other party would be so blatant? Without any pretense at all?
If they had just made a slight effort to conceal it, he wouldn't have been targeted so quickly. In this scenario, he truly didn't know what to say.
If only his eyes hadn't been blinded by money, he believed his intelligence would have prevented him from being caught.
Now that everything had fallen apart, he realized that even a full confession wouldn't change the inevitable consequences.
"Do you resent the Su family?"
Yu Zhou found it somewhat amusing. While Liu Feng's words weren't particularly pleasant, the underlying resentment towards the Su family was undeniable.
Under these circumstances, he understood that with proper guidance, there might be further gains. However, his immediate priority was the matter of the melon seeds.
Once this issue was resolved, all subsequent confrontations with the Su family would be much easier to handle.
In this situation, regardless of whether he ultimately triumphed, he could consider this the initiative in the game to be in his hands.
"Of course, if it weren't for them, why would I be here now?"
"They offered too much. They gave me eight thousand before, and now they've promised me ten thousand. Think about it, ten thousand yuan is a terrifying sum. I've never seen so much money in my life."
Liu Feng began to justify his actions.
Even Yu Zhou could understand such reasoning.
After all, it was only 1992, and he knew better than anyone the impact of ten thousand yuan.
It could be said without exaggeration that if he were starving, and an opportunity arose to gain ten thousand yuan, even if the opportunity was not ideal or even morally questionable, he couldn't be certain he would outright refuse.
Remember, in this era, ten thousand yuan could even build a house and change a family's living conditions.
"That's why you are in this situation now! You need to understand that some money can be taken, but some cannot."
"If I were to pursue this matter relentlessly, the immense losses could cost you your life."
Yu Zhou looked at Liu Feng with a hint of helplessness. If Liu Feng hadn't been so forthcoming, and considering he was a veteran employee at the factory with countless acquaintances, Yu Zhou might have indeed wanted to crush him completely, ensuring he never rose again.
Unfortunately, that thought ultimately fell through. He understood better than anyone the consequences of being completely unmerciful in such an environment.
It would only alienate everyone in the factory. Ordinary employees wouldn't care about the severity of Liu Feng's mistake or whether he was generally liked.
They would only know that the factory didn't even offer a chance for redemption. Once this impression was established, it would be difficult for him to achieve anything in the future.
"Regardless of what you say, if you provide crucial evidence, it will be considered a significant contribution."
"However, without it, even if I want to help you, I can't help much. At most, I can ensure you're not prosecuted, but without a meritorious deed, you will still go to jail."
After some thought, Yu Zhou continued.
In this era, prosecution was one thing, and the law was another.
"So, you're saying that if I can provide evidence, it will be considered a major meritorious contribution? And I might not even have to go to jail, just serve a few years of reform through labor?"
Liu Feng's eyes suddenly lit up.
His expression made Yu Zhou and the others somewhat perplexed.
Could it be that this fellow possessed some crucial evidence?
If that were the case, everything would be much simpler.
Not just him, but even Liang Xiaohai and the others brightened up. No one had expected that this person might still hold key evidence.
It was like a windfall.
"It's nothing much, really. I just brought a radio with me when I was negotiating prices with the young master of the Su family."
"And it was nighttime, so even with the radio placed nearby, they didn't notice."
"The cassette tape is with me now. If you don't pursue the matter further, I can hand over the tape then."
Liu Feng finally revealed his trump card.
But as soon as he spoke, Yu Zhou and the others were utterly dumbfounded.
Good heavens, they were incredibly fortunate to have been so cautious.
Had this fellow been a spy in his past life? To even think of such a tactic?
If he had possessed strong vigilance and hadn't been blinded by money, they might not have been able to apprehend him today, no matter how elaborate their plans.
This Liu Feng was indeed quite a talent.