Chapter 106: Compromise

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yunzhu could no longer control her expression. The veins stood out on the back of her hand as she gripped her phone, unable to suppress the fury rising within her. Who on earth had such power? Jiang Yunzhu couldn't fathom it.

As night deepened, Jiang Yunzhu, exhausted from a day's work and dizzy with fatigue, finally went to bed. The next morning, she habitually picked up her phone and found a message with an address—sent by Shen Ruizhang. She glanced at it, resolutely closed her phone, and rubbed her brow tiredly.

Upon arriving at the company, her first question was whether any gifts had been received again. The staff shook their heads. "Sister Jiang, it probably won't be so frequent." The speaker recalled yesterday's gift and his face grew even paler. "Besides, we've already stopped. His threats have achieved their effect."

Only then did Jiang Yunzhu feel a slight sense of relief, though her face remained expressionless. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you." "No, Sister Jiang, this was our responsibility anyway. We just didn't expect that person's background to be so formidable." Even reporting to the police was useless. And putting a severed finger in the gift box—that was truly depraved!

Jiang Yunzhu nodded. "Alright, go back to your work. There's nothing else here." "Okay, Sister Jiang."

After sitting in her office in a daze for a while, Jiang Yunzhu picked up her phone and sent a message to Shen Tingxiao. But Shen Tingxiao didn't reply, which puzzled her. Normally, he responded to her messages almost instantly; even if not immediately, he never delayed for long. Nearly an hour had passed, and still no reply!

A trace of worry flickered in Jiang Yunzhu's eyes. She wondered what Shen Tingxiao was doing. After a while, she remembered the housekeeper's phone number at Shen Tingxiao's home and dialed it—only to find the number was no longer in service.

Jiang Yunzhu was stunned. She was certain the housekeeper's number was valid; sometimes the housekeeper even sent her messages. Anxiety overtook her, and she began calling Shen Tingxiao's friends, but still found no trace of him.

It felt as if someone was deliberately hiding him from her. Jiang Yunzhu bit her lip, her face so dark it seemed ink could drip from it. What exactly was Shen Tingxiao up to? Or was he concealing something from her?

Unable to figure it out, Jiang Yunzhu decided to go to Shen Tingxiao's house to look for him. The villa where he usually resided was completely deserted and locked, as if no one had ever lived there. Panic set in as she circled around the villa. No matter how many times she searched, there was not a soul inside. Through the glass she saw the furniture covered in white sheets, collecting dust.

With no one else to ask, she approached the security booth. The guard smiled and shook his head. "We can't disclose information about residents. I'm sorry. Perhaps you should try contacting the resident directly."

Jiang Yunzhu pressed her lips together, her expression grim. If she could reach him, she wouldn't be here asking! "Sorry to trouble you." "It's nothing."

Helpless, Jiang Yunzhu returned to the company. Her gaze fell upon her office desk—a letter lay there. Instantly, her demeanor chilled. She picked it up and read. The threat was glaringly obvious, making her flush with anger.

She grabbed her phone and called the director. "Director Xu, don't you fear karma after all those guilty deeds?" Director Xu sounded surprised. "Oh, I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Jiang. I'm busy. I don't have time to chat."

"Director Xu, stop pretending. Wasn't it you who sent threats to my company's staff?" Jiang Yunzhu couldn't believe otherwise.

"Miss Jiang, you should speak with evidence. You have none, and you're slandering me?"

Jiang Yunzhu gritted her teeth, her face stormy. "I will get the evidence. You'd better hope no one dies because of what you've done!"

Xu Sen narrowed his eyes, then chuckled coldly. "Anyone can make threats. But Miss Jiang, I advise you to behave yourself. I heard your staff received plenty of threatening letters; if you don't, it won't just be letters next time."

Jiang Yunzhu's eyes widened as she shouted, "So it was you!"

Xu Sen replied nonchalantly, "Did I admit it? I'm merely reminding you, Miss Jiang. Don't let innocent people get hurt over a trivial matter."

His words were steeped in menace; Jiang Yunzhu's hands nearly turned red from gripping so tightly. "You won't be arrogant for long!"

"Is that so? Miss Jiang, your tone is quite something. Let's meet sometime and have a proper chat. I'm curious what a woman with such a temper is like."

Disgusted by Xu Sen's words, Jiang Yunzhu hung up abruptly, pacing her office in fury. So brazen! So fearless! Xu Sen showed no fear of exposure. Who was backing him?

Unable to resist, Jiang Yunzhu contacted Liu Mo, hoping to glean information about the person behind the director. Liu Mo seemed thoroughly intimidated, keeping his lips tightly sealed, urging her not to investigate further, warning that it could really end in tragedy.

But Jiang Yunzhu would never give up; surrender wasn't in her vocabulary. Since Liu Mo gave nothing away, she tried to reach Shen Tingxiao, but still had no news of him. This worried her, for she knew the situation with the Shen family. She couldn't understand why, if he was truly in trouble, he wouldn't confide in her.

Did he simply not care about her at all?

Jiang Yunzhu felt she was being overly sentimental, so she forced herself to dispel the vague emotions clouding her mind. With no other choice, she dialed Shen Ruizhang's number.

"Can you really help me?" she asked as soon as the call connected.

"Of course," came the assured reply.

Jiang Yunzhu pressed her lips together, hesitated, then said, "I'm talking about Director Xu, Xu Sen. I don't know how much you know about his background, but he has very powerful connections." She offered a reminder.

"I can help you. Come to the address I sent you when the time comes."