Chapter 28: Confession

Cen Mo felt that Su Xingzhi’s question, "Who were you pointing at just now?" was delivered with such an intense, cool air of authority that it held a similar charm to the classic "What are you looking at?" challenge from a tough guy in the Northeast.

To be honest, she had never seen him get into a physical altercation before. All this time, this man’s image had been one of detachment from the crowd; he loathed excessive physical contact and disliked dealing with such disputes.

Feeling a cool draft on her neck, she instinctively looked down and realized that Su Xingzhi had used the tie from her collar to wrap his hand. It must have been because he thought Sun Qiang was filthy and didn't want to touch the man directly with his bare skin.

What a peculiar reason! She had been startled just a moment ago, wondering what on earth he was doing.

Up ahead, Sun Qiang had already started wailing. He was half-crouched on the ground, clutching his injured wrist and shouting at the top of his lungs, "My hand is broken! It’s broken! Why are you just standing there? Take me to the hospital!"

By the end, he was roaring. Despite his initial aggressive posturing, the moment he was the one injured, he turned into a spineless coward.

The reporters seemed shaken by this sudden turn of events, and they all instinctively took a step back, save for the cameraman who was still dutifully holding his post.

Seeing the lens still recording, Cen Mo realized things couldn't continue like this. The only reason she hadn't asked security to block the interview earlier was to avoid causing trouble for the company and to prevent them from twisting the truth later.

But things were different now. As the President of Yachuang, if footage of Su Xingzhi hitting someone were to circulate, it would be a major scandal that would undoubtedly be exploited.

Decisively, she turned around and summoned the head of the security department: "Don't just stand there! Get someone to seize that camera. Under no circumstances can this video be allowed to spread!"

Su Xingzhi had come down alone and hadn't brought any of his own people, so everything had to be managed by her.

Only then did the security team snap to action. A group of them rushed over, finally surrounding the cameraman; they negotiated to retrieve the memory card while simultaneously blocking the lens.

Cen Mo breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to look at Su Xingzhi. The man was still standing in the same spot, calmly unwrapping the ribbon from his hand and tossing it into a trash can.

At his feet, Sun Qiang was still howling.

As if he hadn't heard a thing, Su Xingzhi turned around with composure and walked toward Cen Mo. He looked down at her and said, "The ribbon on your collar is dirty. I’ll buy you a new one next time."

That he had the presence of mind to mention such a thing at a time like this left Cen Mo feeling a bit of admiration. She shook her head and said, "It’s alright, Mr. Su. I am very sorry that I didn't handle these people well... Thank you."

Her voice dropped when she said the last part. Bringing her personal affairs into the company and causing a scene in front of everyone was the outcome she had wanted to avoid most.

But it had already happened, and there was no changing it now. She felt a twinge of regret for not dealing with it decisively a few days ago, which had given Sun Qiang and his cohorts the opportunity to keep making trouble.

Ignoring Sun Qiang for the moment, she said directly to Su Xingzhi, "Let me handle the rest, may I?"

The woman's face was slightly pale, but her eyes were surprisingly calm, and her expression was more resolute than ever.

Su Xingzhi watched her for a long moment before nodding. "Go ahead."

He knew his little secretary's character well; she was always very independent and disliked bothering others. Even if it felt a bit distant, it was fine; after all, the result was hers to control, and that suited her wishes.

***

As for Sun Qiang on the ground, Su Xingzhi felt nothing but utter disgust. He had been in a meeting when he heard voices outside, and then he realized Cen Mo was nowhere to be seen, which was why he had asked someone to report what was happening.

When he came down, he saw this thin, short man pointing a finger in Cen Mo's face and yelling. He had been instantly incensed and wanted to snap those two fingers off.

*Pointing?* "Is my secretary someone you can point at?" He hadn't thought about anything else; that was the only thought in his mind.

Seeing that Su Xingzhi had agreed, Cen Mo turned back, called over a security guard, and headed upstairs to the company restroom.

She checked every stall, but they were empty. She then searched the pantry areas. A while later, she finally spotted someone near the stairwell landing wearing a cleaner's uniform, holding a mop and pretending to clean the floor.

The figure looked very young, not at all like the cleaning ladies who usually worked there. Her head was tightly wrapped in a cap, and she wore a mask, making her look highly suspicious.

Cen Mo walked straight up, ripped the mask off the person, and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her around so her face was fully exposed.

Looking at the familiar young face, Cen Mo raised an eyebrow, her voice icy. "Jiang Lingling?"

The young woman, who looked to be about twenty, had delicate features but appeared far more worldly and cunning than her peers. Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly offered a ingratiating smile. "Sister, you're finally willing to acknowledge me?"

Cen Mo looked her up and down without responding. She suddenly reached out, took a phone from the side pocket of the woman's uniform, used her right thumb to unlock it, and opened the screen.

"What are you doing? That's my phone!" Jiang Lingling’s expression changed, and she lunged forward, trying to grab it back.

Cen Mo stepped back, and the security guard nearby immediately stepped in to block the woman.

Opening the photo gallery, Cen Mo scanned it briefly and felt she had the gist of the situation. She tucked the phone into her own pocket and told the security guard, "Help me take her downstairs, please. Thank you."

As they returned to the elevator, Jiang Lingling kept trying to snatch the phone back, only to be restrained by the guard each time.

Finally, the woman's expression twisted, and she shrieked crudely, "Cen Mo, you bitch! You’ll die a horrible death! Don't let me catch you, or else..."

The rest of the tirade was too vulgar to listen to. Even the middle-aged security guard looked shocked; how could such a young girl spout such dirty, vile language?

Cen Mo stood on the other side of the elevator, merely frowning slightly, a look of disgust on her face.

When the elevator finally reached the ground floor, everything was as it had been. Sun Qiang was still sitting on the ground, wailing loudly as if he were on his deathbed.

Beside him, the tall man stood, watching him from a short distance away.

Sun Qiang didn't dare make any rash moves, though his expression grew increasingly fearful.

A medical staff member in a white coat approached and greeted, "Mr. Su."

"You're here?" Su Xingzhi turned to him. "Go ahead. Fix him up."

The doctor acknowledged him, walked over to Sun Qiang, and knelt down. He examined the wrist for a moment without a word, then grabbed it with both hands and snapped the fractured bone back into place.

There was no anesthesia or anything of the sort; it was clean and swift. Sun Qiang couldn't even get a scream out, his eyes rolled back, and he nearly fainted from the pain.

"You're torturing me! You're doing this on purpose! I’m calling the police! I’m calling the police!" After a moment, he recovered and jumped to his feet.

Nobody paid him any mind. Trembling, Sun Qiang pulled out his phone and started making calls, yelling that someone was beating him to death.

But in reality? His wrist fracture had been perfectly set. He looked perfectly capable of jumping around, if not a bit mentally unhinged.

It was then that Cen Mo arrived with Jiang Lingling.

When the two of them caught sight of each other, Sun Qiang was stunned. He immediately complained, "Why didn't you hide properly? Do you have no brain at all? You idiot, what are we going to do now?"

As he said this, he realized how many people were listening and abruptly shut his mouth.

Upon seeing Sun Qiang, Jiang Lingling clearly became timid, appearing quite afraid of him. She fell silent, only turning to glare hatefully at Cen Mo.

Cen Mo didn't let the gaze bother her.

Facing the onlookers, her expression was sincere and open. "I am very sorry for the trouble I have caused you all. I apologize that my personal matters have disturbed you. However, since this has escalated to this point, I feel it is necessary to address it directly, as it concerns my reputation."

With that, she glanced toward the cameras, noting that the reporters had been persuaded to stop recording, which put her slightly at ease.

Although she needed to clear her name, she didn't want her private affairs to be on television, becoming the subject of gossip for people to pick apart in their spare time.

Looking at the crowd, she added, "I also ask for your cooperation—please do not record any video. If anyone is caught doing so, I will sue you for infringement of portrait rights."

After the preliminary remarks, Cen Mo got to the point. She turned to Jiang Lingling and asked, "Tell me, what was your purpose in coming here today?"

"What purpose? Just to expose your true colors! To let people see what an ungrateful person you are. My parents worked hard to raise you for so many years, and as soon as you were an adult, you disappeared without a trace, not even paying a cent of support."

Jiang Lingling lifted her chin, deciding to drop the facade, and said with a sneer, "Honestly, we’d have been better off raising a dog than you."

Cen Mo glanced at her. "The parents you speak of are my aunt and uncle. When my parents died in an accident, I was still young and was taken in by those two. Not only did they sell my family's house and keep all the money for themselves, but they even took my parents' compensation. They made me do farm work all day, wouldn't pay for my schooling, and abused me. Why should I be filial to people like that?"

She spoke calmly, but the people around her were shocked, their expressions turning somber as they fell into a heavy silence.

Jiang Lingling hadn't expected Cen Mo to reveal her background so directly, and she panicked. "What are you talking about? My parents were nothing but good to you! How dare you slander them like that? If it weren't for them taking you in, you would have starved to death on the street years ago!"

Cen Mo stepped forward, looking at the woman's hypocritical face, and gave a mocking laugh. "Whether that's true or not isn't for you or me to decide. There is clear evidence, and we can have it verified when the time comes. As for you, I don't believe I ever treated you poorly."

She paused, as if she didn't want to dwell on the past. "As your cousin, Jiang Lingling, your parents were obsessed with having a son and treated your brother like gold, while they would beat and scold you at the slightest provocation. I felt sorry for you because you were a girl, and I don't know how many times I stood between you and their blows while we were growing up. Though I never asked for anything in return, I never imagined you would turn out to be such a heartless person."