Liang Mei hesitated, not speaking immediately.
Meeting Chen Jinzhao's gaze, Liang Mei asked nervously, "Mr. Chen, can I trust you?"
Chen Jinzhao smiled and said, "You can choose to believe, or you can choose not to believe."
"The choice is yours."
"If you don't believe, you can leave here and find someone else you deem trustworthy."
Liang Mei waved her hands repeatedly, "No, that won't do. If I do that, they will kill me. I think Mr. Chen is a trustworthy person, and there's another most important point..."
But she didn't continue.
Chen Jinzhao finished her sentence, "The most important point is that I have a grudge against Han Shangwen, right?"
Liang Mei's eyes widened in panic, wondering how Chen Jinzhao had seen through her thoughts. Just as she was about to deny it, Chen Jinzhao added, "Feel free to speak. Han Shangwen and I are indeed at odds, and with the Su family, it's a matter of life and death."
"Then... then can I speak?" Liang Mei hesitated.
"Manager Zhu and Miss Yang were killed by people sent by Han Shangwen. This matter also involves the Su family and Fang Mingchao, the president of Danshui Capital! They colluded to kill Manager Zhu and Miss Yang. I ask Mr. Chen to seek justice for them!"
Chen Jinzhao was not surprised; it was indeed these people.
He just hadn't expected Han Shangwen to be in cahoots with Su Hao and Fang Mingchao. The combined influence of these three could affect the entire Jiangnan region, which explained why many matters couldn't escalate.
With two major families suppressing them, anyone who dared to speak out would die.
"What are the specific details? And you'd best be responsible for what you say, understand?" Chen Jinzhao's expression was serious.
As Liang Mei spoke, her eyes turned red, and she choked back tears, "I am willing to bear legal responsibility for my words. Last night, when Manager Zhu and Miss Yang called me, I recorded the entire conversation, which can prove I am not lying. Miss Yang was to be sent by Su Hao and Han Shangwen to Taoyuan Villa to serve several powerful elders from Donghai. Manager Zhu told me that Taoyuan Villa is a den of iniquity, and once one enters this den, it is difficult to regain freedom."
"He didn't want Miss Yang to fall into the den of iniquity, so last night, after receiving notification from Han Shangwen, he asked Miss Yang to go to Jiangning to see you and seek your protection."
"He also said that if anything happened to him, it would be the Han family's doing!"
Chen Jinzhao tapped his fingertips on the table. Fearing Chen Jinzhao wouldn't believe her, Liang Mei played the recording of their conversation from last night for him.
In the recording, Zhu Xiaotian's voice was tense and hurried, while Yang Qianqian sounded somewhat panicked, indicating that they had already felt danger approaching.
Even from their tone, one could hear their despair.
Liang Mei choked back tears, "Manager Zhu and Miss Yang treated me very well. I beg Mr. Chen to avenge them. They did not die by accident but by the hands of the Han family."
Chen Jinzhao knew that this matter was most likely a joint effort by the three parties, but he still asked, "Liang Mei, do you know the Han family's influence in Donghai?"
Liang Mei was speechless.
Then she nodded bitterly, "I know, I know..."
"If Mr. Chen also finds it difficult, then forget it. I know my request is a bit too much to ask."
Chen Jinzhao shook his head, "That's not what I mean. I mean I need some time to prepare."
Liang Mei's sadness turned to joy. Chen Jinzhao added, "However, you'd best not hold out too much hope. I've been fighting the Su family for more than half a year and still haven't managed to bring them down. The Han family is entrenched in Donghai, and my reach is limited there, so I can only do my best."
The deeper reason was that Chen Jinzhao lacked solid evidence; otherwise, bringing down Han Shangwen would be relatively easy.
"It's alright, I believe Mr. Chen will achieve his goal!" Liang Mei said.
Chen Jinzhao then changed the subject, "By the way, you have worked in the entertainment industry for many years. Do you know of any other artists who have suffered similar fates? If you do, you can help me compile a list. It might reveal some clues."
Liang Mei thought hard for a moment and then said, "There are indeed quite a few, the most famous among them being Wu Rui."
"Wu Rui?"
Chen Jinzhao had some impression of her. She was one of the "Four Little Flowers" of the entertainment industry several years ago, considered a rising star.
However, she had suddenly died in an accident two years ago, leaving many questions unanswered.
"Was she also tortured to death?" Chen Jinzhao asked.
Liang Mei nodded, "There were rumors in the industry that Wu Rui was involved with the Han family's young master, and then she died mysteriously. Thanks to being in the same industry, I saw photos of Wu Rui's body. It was absolutely not suicide; she was beaten to death!"
"I understand. You can leave now. In the next few days, I will arrange for people to protect your personal safety. You help me gather information on other victims, the more detailed the better."
Liang Mei nodded and then left the office.
Chen Jinzhao repeatedly listened to Zhu Xiaotian's recording and found that every word Zhu Xiaotian spoke contained important information. However, one sentence seemed particularly redundant—
"Liang Mei, if I die, please bury me on the mountain in my hometown."
Chen Jinzhao couldn't help but let his mind wander.
If this sentence from Zhu Xiaotian also held some deeper meaning, what was he trying to convey?
"The mountain in my hometown?"
"Perhaps he hid something there, asking Liang Mei to retrieve it. If that's the case, then this item could very likely be some evidence against Han Shangwen."
With this thought.
Chen Jinzhao immediately contacted Yang Qin Hu, asking him to dispatch a five-person team to Zhu Xiaotian's hometown for a search, to retrieve the item before Han Shangwen could.
If they could use this to bring down the Han family, that would be even better.
At the same time.
The news of the two assassins' failure reached Han Shangwen, making him unable to sit still any longer. He urgently contacted Su Hao and Fang Mingchao, and the three agreed to meet at the Bund in Donghai.
At three o'clock that afternoon, the three met at the Jin Mao Hotel.
Only the three of them were in the conference room, and their faces were not good, making the atmosphere in the room extremely oppressive.
Su Hao broke the silence first, looking at the other two and asking, "Failing to kill Liang Mei was our biggest mistake. I wonder if that woman has any evidence. If she does, we're in trouble."
"She shouldn't," Han Shangwen replied, shaking his head.
He had been monitoring Zhu Xiaotian's phone and had listened to Zhu Xiaotian and Liang Mei's conversations dozens of times, but he hadn't heard anything out of the ordinary.
"But with this witness in Chen Jinzhao's hands, it's ultimately a problem for us. If Chen Jinzhao finds a breakthrough, then our troubles will be even greater," Fang Mingchao's face darkened.
Su Hao proposed sending more assassins to kill Liang Mei.
Fang Mingchao immediately vetoed the idea. The number of elite fighters cultivated by Black Blood was not large, and very few could enter China. At this critical juncture, Chen Jinzhao would undoubtedly have arranged extremely tight protection for Liang Mei. Sending people to kill Liang Mei now would be like sending them to their deaths.
"Then what should we do?" Han Shangwen was agitated.
"Are you saying that we, two great families, can't even deal with a mere foot soldier? Why don't we just kill Chen Jinzhao!"