Phoenix’s Revenge: The Business Battle

Chapter18: Catching a Turtle in a Jar

As if materializing from the very ether, Fang Jianguo's men, with practiced precision, converged from all directions, instantly shattering the tranquil facade of Central Park's afternoon. Sunlight still filtered through the sparse leaves, yet it cast shadows upon the grim visages of the men in black, lending an air of profound oppression.

The mysterious man's countenance underwent an abrupt transformation. The fleetingly sardonic smile vanished, replaced by an expression of alertness and tension. He swiftly pressed the USB drive into Shen Xubai's hand, his voice a hurried whisper, "Go! They're after you!"

Shen Xubai accepted the USB drive almost reflexively, the cold touch jolting him to full awareness. He seized Gu Wanqing's hand, intending to break through the sparse areas of the encircling group. However, the men in black moved with greater alacrity, already forming an impenetrable cordon, trapping the three of them at its center.

"It appears Mr. Fang was indeed prepared," the mysterious man remarked with a wry smile, though no fear touched his eyes. Instead, a hint of amusement flickered as he regarded the encroaching figures.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Shen Xubai demanded, his voice low and urgent, attempting to buy time and seek an opportunity for escape.

A black-clad man, evidently the leader, stepped forward, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "Young Master Shen, Miss Gu, our boss would like to invite you to a place for a little 'chat.' We hope you will cooperate."

"And if I refuse?" Shen Xubai's tone was icy; he was prepared to fight.

The black-clad man shrugged, a flicker of ruthlessness in his eyes. "Then don't blame us for any unpleasantness." With a subtle nod to his subordinates, the men began to close in on them.

As the confrontation teetered on the brink of eruption, the mysterious man suddenly moved. His agility was remarkable, his movements fluid as he weaved through the crowd. Within mere breaths, he had shed the encirclement and was sprinting towards the depths of the park. The men in black seemed to dismiss him as insignificant; their focus remained steadfastly on Shen Xubai and Gu Wanqing.

"Let's go!" Shen Xubai hissed, pulling Gu Wanqing in the opposite direction from the fleeing mysterious man. They sprinted along the park's winding paths, their footsteps pounding against the gravel, the দ্রুত and heavy footfalls of the pursuing men echoing behind them.

Gu Wanqing struggled to keep pace with Shen Xubai, her stamina not matching his. She found herself breathless and lagging. Sensing her distress, Shen Xubai tightened his grip on her hand, glancing back over his shoulder as they ran. The men in black were relentless, the distance between them steadily shrinking.

Just as they were about to be overtaken, Shen Xubai's sharp eyes spotted a small playground ahead, containing some dilapidated amusement park rides. He immediately steered Gu Wanqing towards it, taking cover behind a massive carousel.

"Let's hide here for a moment," Shen Xubai whispered, his own breathing becoming ragged.

Gu Wanqing nodded, leaning against the cold, painted wood of the carousel, trying to regain her breath. Through the gaps in the rotating horses, they observed their surroundings. The men in black soon caught up, fanning out across the playground to search for them.

"There are too many of them. We can't just keep hiding," Gu Wanqing said, her voice laced with worry.

Shen Xubai nodded, his gaze settling on a dilapidated slide not far away. An idea formed in his mind. "Let's climb up the slide. We might be able to leave from the other side."

They cautiously clambered onto the rusty slide. It was tall, and the climb was strenuous. Reaching the top, they discovered that the other side of the slide connected to a dense thicket of trees.

"We'll go down here," Shen Xubai whispered, sliding down first. Gu Wanqing followed closely behind.

Upon landing, they disregarded the dust clinging to their clothes and immediately plunged into the depths of the woods. The forest was dimly lit, the dense foliage offering excellent cover. They stumbled through the undergrowth, hoping to shake off their pursuers as quickly as possible.

The sounds of the men in black searching still echoed behind them, but gradually, the sounds grew fainter, eventually fading into the depths of the woods.

Shen Xubai and Gu Wanqing stopped beneath a massive oak tree, both of them panting heavily. They exchanged a look, each seeing the relief of narrow escape reflected in the other's eyes.

"Did… did we lose them?" Gu Wanqing's voice trembled slightly.

Shen Xubai nodded, but his expression remained serious. "We've lost them for now, but Fang Jianguo won't give up easily. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

They rested briefly in the woods before following a small path that led them out of Central Park. They hailed a taxi and returned to their hotel.

Back in their hotel room, both felt utterly exhausted. They quickly brushed off the dust clinging to their clothes before collapsing onto the sofa, a long silence stretching between them.

"That mysterious man… who exactly was he?" Gu Wanqing asked, breaking the silence with a note of bewilderment.

Shen Xubai shook his head. "I don't know, but he seemed to know a lot about what happened back then. And what he said at the end… that my father was the mastermind…"

Shen Xubai's voice trailed off, a look of incredulous pain clouding his eyes. Although he had already learned that his uncle was the shooter, hearing someone accuse his father of being the true orchestrator of the tragedy was still a devastating blow.

Gu Wanqing watched Shen Xubai's anguished expression, her own heart a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. She didn't know how to comfort him, for the news was profoundly shocking for both of them.

"Let's look at the contents of the USB drive," Gu Wanqing said softly, knowing that finding evidence and uncovering the truth was now paramount.

Shen Xubai nodded, retrieving the USB drive from his pocket and inserting it into his laptop. The computer screen flickered to life, revealing numerous files on the drive, including audio files, photographs, and documents.

They held their breath and began to examine the files one by one. They first opened an audio file, and a slightly hoarse male voice filled the room—the voice of the mysterious man they had met in Central Park.

"…Shen Zhenhai, in order to completely eliminate Gu Zhenhua as a competitor, instructed his brother Shen Hongyu to stage that shooting incident…" the voice in the recording stated clearly, detailing how Shen Zhenhai had meticulously plotted to frame Gu Zhenhua and ordered Shen Hongyu to carry out the shooting.

Shen Xubai and Gu Wanqing listened with growing horror. Many of the details mentioned in the recording corroborated the information they had previously uncovered. Moreover, the recording also revealed things they had never heard before, such as Shen Zhenhai bribing the police officers in charge of investigating the shooting at the time to ensure his plan went off without a hitch.

Next, they opened some photographs and documents, all of which pointed towards Shen Zhenhai, proving that he was indeed the true culprit behind the tragedy.

Looking at the evidence on the computer screen, Shen Xubai felt waves of dizziness and nausea washing over him. He couldn't believe that his father, the man he had always seen as a figure of strength and integrity, was so insidious and ruthless.

Tears welled up in Gu Wanqing's eyes once more. She gazed at a photograph on the screen, a picture of her father in his younger years, his face radiating confidence and joy. She couldn't imagine the pain and despair her father had endured.

A heavy, oppressive silence filled the room. Both were speechless, utterly stunned by the truth that lay before them.

After a long while, Shen Xubai slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with pain and struggle. "Wanqing, I… I don't know what to say. I never imagined things would be like this…"

Gu Wanqing shook her head and walked over to Shen Xubai, embracing him gently. "This isn't your fault, Xubai. You are also a victim."

Shen Xubai held Gu Wanqing tightly, his body trembling slightly. He felt his entire worldview collapsing around him. His father, the man he had always respected and loved, was the very person who had caused the deaths of Gu Wanqing's father and brother! How could he possibly reconcile with this?

"What should we do now?" Shen Xubai's voice held a note of helplessness.

Gu Wanqing took a deep breath, her eyes filled with determination. "We must make this evidence public. Everyone needs to know the true face of Shen Zhenhai. We need to seek justice for my father and brother!"

Shen Xubai nodded, a resolute fire igniting in his eyes. "Yes, we cannot let his crimes go unpunished. But… my father is still in the hospital…"

Gu Wanqing fell silent. She understood Shen Xubai's internal conflict. On one hand, he wanted to seek justice for her and her family; on the other hand, he couldn't bring himself to be ruthless towards his own father.

"Let's go back to China first," Gu Wanqing said softly. "Uncle's condition is very poor right now. We should go back and see him. As for this evidence, we can keep it safe for now and deal with it after Uncle's health improves."

Shen Xubai nodded, knowing Gu Wanqing was right. The most important thing now was to deal with his father's situation.

They quickly packed their belongings and left the hotel, heading for the airport. On the plane, Shen Xubai remained silent, his mind replaying the contents of the USB drive and the memories of his time with his father. He felt a profound inner turmoil.

Gu Wanqing sat quietly beside him, knowing he needed time to process everything. She gently held his hand, hoping to offer him some silent support.

The plane landed at Pudong International Airport, and Shen Xubai and Gu Wanqing immediately rushed to the hospital. When they reached the intensive care unit, the doctor informed them that Shen's father's condition had worsened significantly and that he could pass away at any moment.

Shen Xubai's heart sank. Without a second thought, he rushed into the intensive care unit. Gu Wanqing followed closely behind.

The atmosphere in the ward was even more oppressive than when they had left. The sounds of the medical equipment seemed more urgent. Shen's father lay pale and still on the bed, his breathing so shallow it was almost imperceptible.

Shen Xubai walked to the bedside and knelt down, clutching his father's hand tightly, tears streaming down his face. "Dad… Dad, wake up! It's Xubai. I'm back!"

Shen's father's eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly opening. His gaze was cloudy and weak, but a faint glimmer appeared when he saw Shen Xubai kneeling by his bed.

"Xubai… you… you're back…" Shen's father's voice was incredibly weak, as if he had used up all his remaining strength.

Shen Xubai nodded, his voice choked with sobs. "Yes, Dad, I'm back. How are you feeling?"

Shen's father shook his head with difficulty. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't produce any sound.

Gu Wanqing also walked to the bedside and said softly, "Uncle, please don't try to talk. Just rest. We are here with you."

Shen's father looked at Gu Wanqing, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions—guilt, gratitude, and perhaps a lingering unfulfilled wish. His gaze finally settled on Shen Xubai's hand clutching his, before his eyes slowly closed, a faint smile of relief seemingly gracing his lips.

A deathly silence descended upon the room, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the medical equipment, as if offering a silent eulogy for the departed life.

Shen Xubai knelt on the floor, clutching his father's hand tightly, tears falling like broken pearls. He knew his father had left them forever.

Gu Wanqing silently walked over to Shen Xubai and embraced him gently, offering him wordless comfort. She knew this was an incredibly difficult moment for him.

Outside the ward, other relatives of the Shen family had also arrived upon hearing the news. They looked at Shen's father's now still form on the bed, their faces etched with sorrow.

Shen Xubai slowly stood up, his eyes filled with grief and a complex mix of emotions. He looked at his father's peaceful face in death, a myriad of feelings washing over him. He didn't know how to fully assess his father—a successful businessman, a loving father to his son, but also a sinner who had resorted to unscrupulous means for his own gain.

Gu Wanqing walked over to Shen Xubai and held his hand tightly, her gaze gentle yet resolute. "Xubai, let's go home."

Shen Xubai nodded. He knew this was not the time for prolonged grief. There were still many things they needed to do. They had to uncover the complete truth, seek justice for Gu Wanqing's family, and also bring closure to his own life. The storm clouds were gathering, and they had to face them bravely.