Liu Yifeng nodded. "I suspect this has been brewing for a long time. Most of the recent troubles in our company have been his doing. However, I lack concrete evidence. I've maintained a neutral stance precisely to see what other leverage he might have against me."
"Do you have a likely suspect in mind?" Su Wanru asked, also concerned. She'd thought it over but couldn't pinpoint anyone who would harbor such deep animosity towards him.
Liu Yifeng was known for his fairness; he offered the cheapest prices for fresh vegetables, ensuring quality. She genuinely couldn't understand who would make an enemy of him.
"Peng Zhou. I did cause him to lose face before. Although he outwardly made peace with me, I understand his ambition all too well."
This was Liu Yifeng's initial suspicion from the moment the video first surfaced. The only person he had offended who also possessed such influence was Peng Zhou.
Su Wanru still found it puzzling. "But I don't understand why he's targeting you so intensely. Is it just because you wouldn't cooperate with him on the matter of the spiritual elixirs?"
She didn't believe a failed business collaboration would lead to such a significant rift.
"It's not that. The main reason is that I discovered his leverage. Tong Tong found this out while investigating for me. His hotel's income has consistently been disproportionate, which raised a red flag. Further investigation into this discrepancy revealed the source of his illicit profits."
This was his only logical conclusion. Given Peng Zhou's personality, he would have confronted Liu Yifeng directly by now. However, that hadn't happened. Instead, people who rarely paid attention to such matters were now intensely focused on it, suggesting Peng Zhou was behind it.
Su Wanru finally understood. "So that's it. In that case, have you devised a solution?"
Even though they knew the perpetrator, if the situation wasn't handled, it would still impact the company's business progress.
"For now, I want to see what his ultimate goal is. If this is all he has, it's difficult to bring me down."
Liu Yifeng was confident. His company operated with utmost integrity, so Peng Zhou couldn't find any legitimate dirt on it, forcing him to resort to such slanderous tactics.
Su Wanru nodded, saying nothing more. She knew Liu Yifeng had his own strategies for resolving the issue and understood his current approach. She just hoped he would handle it effectively.
After dinner, Tong Tong and Liu Yifeng saw Su Wanru off. They didn't go straight home, as Tong Tong wanted to play in a nearby park.
"Daddy, Peng Zhou's leverage is quite useful, so don't worry. If he does anything too excessive, you just expose him."
On the way home, Tong Tong held Liu Yifeng's hand, expressing his concern for his father's predicament.
"Alright, Tong Tong, you're absolutely right. If he causes me any more trouble, I'll definitely bring him down." Liu Yifeng adopted a comical pose, mimicking Ultraman fighting a monster, his expression and actions amusing.
This sent Tong Tong into peals of laughter. "Okay, Daddy, after you've dealt with this, can we go out to play? Daddy hasn't spent much time with me and Grandpa lately."
Tong Tong pouted charmingly, clearly eager to go out, but Liu Yifeng understood that his son's primary motivation was to see him relax.
"Okay, Daddy promises. Once this is resolved, we'll go on a trip, alright?" Liu Yifeng truly understood what Tong Tong was implying.
Perhaps his son also wanted him to de-stress from his recent busy schedule.
The video incident continued to escalate. The mother and son involved remained unreachable. Liu Yifeng had wanted to contact them and confront them publicly, but they were currently missing.
"Yifeng, we have a lead. That mother and son were staying at a small hotel owned by Peng Zhou," Lu Fei announced as he entered.
Hearing this news, Liu Yifeng felt his suspicions were confirmed. Peng Zhou was indeed behind it, and it seemed he held a significant grudge.
He was willing to go to such lengths, disregarding their business relationship, to frame him.
"Announce it. Tomorrow morning at eight, I will hold a press conference at my company to explain the recent events."
Liu Yifeng looked at Lu Fei intently, ready to confront the issue.
Lu Fei nodded seriously, appearing as if he had been anticipating this moment. The lies could no longer be allowed to spread; it was time to put an end to them.
The next morning at eight o'clock.
Under Lu Fei's summons, all the reporters gathered in the company's conference room. Given the high public interest in the matter, nearly all of them were present.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm sure you've all seen the video. This is the truth behind it." Liu Yifeng glanced at Lu Fei, who then played the video prepared by Tong Tong on the company's large screen.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the screen. Upon seeing the other side of the story, the audience gasped in disbelief, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.
"This is the true account of the video. I didn't come forward earlier because I felt it was unnecessary. We are business partners, and I didn't want to make things ugly. However, the other party didn't feel the same way, so I see no reason to conceal the truth any longer."
After Liu Yifeng finished speaking, the reporters' cameras flashed incessantly, and a buzz of discussion erupted from the audience.
"I'm sure you're all curious about the identity of this so-called partner. I believe this will make it clear." He then signaled Lu Fei to display the video recorded when the mother and son were found.
The mother and son had been coerced. Upon being located by Liu Yifeng, they immediately apologized, and he expressed his understanding, which led to the creation of the truthful video.
In the video featuring the mother and son, the name Peng Zhou was mentioned, causing further shock. Simultaneously, footage of Peng Zhou's hotel engaging in illegal activities was displayed on the large screen.
At the same time, the police were already en route to apprehend Peng Zhou. This was Liu Yifeng's ultimate objective: to clear his name and bring Peng Zhou to justice. It was a win-win situation.
With all the truth laid bare, it was impossible for the reporters to fabricate any false narratives. Liu Yifeng's honorable deeds were now the talk of the town.
After enduring so many trials, Liu Yifeng's family lived in harmony, and their company, Lv Hui Kang Da Vegetable Co., Ltd., was successfully listed.