The Operation Begins

A week passed, and the pleasant journey came to an end.

Amidst the villagers' hopeful gazes, the family of three embarked on their return trip.

Gu Jia was eager to get back to Shanghai. She had organized a lot of materials during her time away and had many ideas brewing, itching to dive into work.

Wang Yan, however, wasn't in a hurry. Xu Ziyan, even less so. Knowing they still had another week of freedom, he was ecstatic. With a two-to-one vote, Gu Jia had no room to object.

They still made a few stops along the way, visiting Ningbo and Zhoushan. They went out to sea, saw Dongji Island and Mount Putuo, and more.

After taking a long detour, they finally returned to Shanghai.

Back home, the family rested for a day. They were all tired from their travels and just wanted to lounge around, doing nothing.

Even Xu Ziyan, who had been bouncing with energy the whole trip, seemed drained.

It was understandable. They had been traveling for over twenty days, with more than half of that spent on the road. They had seen so much in such a short time, it was hard to readjust to home life.

Through this trip, Wang Yan gained some valuable experience.

He realized that traveling like this, just seeing new sights, could become tiring after a while.

It was better to live in a place for a period, to experience it firsthand and understand it deeply. Only then could one gain insights that weren't merely superficial.

They slept soundly in their comfortable home beds.

Xu Ziyan happily went to kindergarten and bragged to his classmates.

Gu Jia visited the dessert shop and met up with the ladies from her social circle. This time, she had learned her lesson and wouldn't foolishly believe she was someone important.

She didn't bring up Mrs. Li's past actions. Instead, she greeted them warmly.

News of Gu Jia's association with Wang Yan had spread through the social circle. This was natural, as some of their husbands collaborated with Wang Yan, and their subordinates would chat with him, providing insights. There were few secrets in this circle, and a little digging revealed Wang Yan's true standing.

In the original story, Gu Jia, despite the significant gap in status, managed to elevate herself to a core position. Now, aligned with Wang Yan, her position was even more secure.

Even Mrs. Li approached Gu Jia to offer an apology, claiming it was her subordinates' doing and that she was unaware of the situation.

This wasn't Mrs. Li truly submitting. In reality, the Li family held a dominant position over Wang Yan. However, this was an acknowledgment of Gu Jia's elevated status and an effort to maintain appearances.

Gu Jia clearly noticed the shift in their attitudes towards her but was unsure of the reason. It wasn't until she asked her acquaintance, Mrs. Yu, that she understood.

Upon realizing the situation, she murmured to herself, "So, I'm Mrs. Wang now."

The feeling was strange. Before, without a powerful backing, she had looked down on these women, thinking they were all just the same.

But now, as "Mrs. Wang," she had truly become one of them. As she mingled, she understood how good it felt. She no longer felt repulsed or looked down on them. People were like this; why stand when you could lie down?

Moreover, as a beneficiary, who knew when she might lose sight of her original intentions and start treating the next "Gu Jia" the way she had been treated?

After the gathering, she met up with her close friends.

They had been in contact during her trip, mostly sharing photos of food and scenery to show off, without much deep conversation. Everyone was busy, after all.

They met again at their usual coffee shop.

Upon seeing Gu Jia, Zhong Xiaoqin excitedly hugged her and pouted, "Gu Jia, I missed you so much! Why did you take so long to come back?"

Gu Jia smiled and explained the reason, then expressed her own longing to see them.

They ordered drinks and settled in for casual chatter.

"I saw your photos; that tea plantation looked so beautiful," Wang Manni said after taking a sip of her coffee.

Zhong Xiaoqin nodded in agreement, also finding the place lovely.

"It was alright. I'll take you both there sometime if we get the chance," Gu Jia replied. She then described the place, enjoying their envious reactions.

The three sisters chatted for a long time about their recent experiences.

Mostly, Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Manni asked questions, and Gu Jia answered them casually.

This was understandable. They usually traveled abroad or to well-known domestic destinations.

The places Wang Yan and his family had visited included many lesser-known but equally scenic spots. Sometimes, an unnamed stretch of road or a mountain could be a rare and beautiful sight.

The greatest charm of travel was the unexpected discovery – a place, a thing, or a person that could surprise and delight you at any moment.

After discussing their travels, Gu Jia asked, "Alright, enough about me. How have you two been lately?"

She then turned to Zhong Xiaoqin, "How are things between you and that Zhong Xiaoyang?"

Mentioning him made Zhong Xiaoqin conflicted. "Ugh, it's the same old story. I don't know what to do. When I'm with Zhong Xiaoyang, I think of Chen Yu. When I'm with Chen Yu, I can't help but think of Zhong Xiaoyang. What should I do?"

She looked at Gu Jia and Wang Manni with a pleading expression.

Gu Jia comforted her, "Since you feel this way, perhaps it's best to enjoy being single for a while. Maybe you'll figure things out after some time."

Wang Manni chimed in, "Exactly, Xiaoqin. When you have free time, focus on yourself. You're naturally beautiful, and a little self-care will make you even more radiant. Who knows, maybe some other handsome guy will confess his feelings to you."

Gu Jia and Wang Manni burst into laughter, making Zhong Xiaoqin blush.

"Oh, you two are teasing me again!" she playfully pushed Wang Manni, her youthful demeanor evident.

After some playful banter, Gu Jia said, "Hey, Xiaoqin, speaking of Chen Yu, what's he up to? We haven't heard from Teacher Chen in a while."

Wang Manni remained silent, as she wasn't close to him.

When Chen Yu was mentioned, Zhong Xiaoqin's expression became a little complicated.

Seeing her like this, Gu Jia's spirits lifted. "What's wrong, Xiao Qin? What's with that expression?" Wang Manni beside her also had a gossipy look.

Facing their two pairs of big, gossipy eyes, Zhong Xiaoqin said helplessly, "Him? He's really hit the jackpot. He quit his job at the TV station a while ago, because..."

Zhong Xiaoqin chattered on, recounting the previous events.

After listening, Gu Jia and Wang Manni were both

"What, you think I'm as brainless as you are?" Liang Zhengxian felt wronged. "Don't you think I'd investigate before trying to pick up girls?"

He lost confidence, "Could it be that I really offended someone?"

He then started to recall everyone he might have offended, going forwards and backwards through his memories.

He enumerated all the women he'd been with and men he'd stepped on over the years.

After much thought, the only person he could think of was Wang Yan, with whom he'd had a minor conflict recently. In his eyes, it was nothing, not enough to warrant wanting him dead.

If there was suspicion, he had to investigate. How could he rest easy without knowing the truth?

There was no solution in sight; the only option seemed to be a direct confrontation. He told them to go back and prepare funds to deal with the upcoming blow. Old Master Liang waved them away.

Liang Zhengxian left the Liang family's old residence in a sorry state and returned to the home he shared with Zhao Jingyu.

On the way, he had planned to vent his frustrations, but upon returning home, Zhao Jingyu was nowhere to be found.

He didn't think much of it, assuming she was out running errands.

He immediately took out his phone and called Zhao Jingyu.

Hearing the automated voice say, "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off," Liang Zhengxian felt a sense of unease.

He hurriedly called his subordinate to inquire about Zhao Jingyu's recent activities and the whereabouts of some funds.

"BOSS, it's like this, Miss Zhao she..." the subordinate finished his report.

Liang Zhengxian was stunned for a moment, and his phone clattered to the floor.

The subordinate called out, "BOSS? BOSS? Are you there?" before hanging up, saying something else.

He didn't know what had happened to Liang Zhengxian, but the recent troubles of the Liang family had spread throughout Hong Kong Island. He was well aware of the rumors circulating about Liang Zhengxian, most of which he believed to be true.

Based on his years of experience, the chances of recovery were slim to none. His boss was about to be finished, and completely so. Moreover, with the typical capitalist's demeanor, he wasn't friendly to them. He was busy looking for a new job and didn't have time to care about his boss; whatever happened, happened, it had nothing to do with him.

Liang Zhengxian sat on the floor, lost in despair. "Pick up! Pick up!" He frantically tried to contact Zhao Jingyu through various means using his cracked phone screen. The result was predetermined; all attempts vanished without a trace.

Unable to reach her for a long time, Liang Zhengxian let out a roar, "Ah!" and in his rage, threw the phone against the opposite wall, shattering it.

He had been stripped of more than half his fortune, leaving him with virtually nothing. Coupled with the current situation of the Liang family, he was essentially ruined.

This was also why Zhao Jingyu hadn't been entirely ruthless with Liang Zhengxian, lacking confidence in him. Otherwise, he would surely be sleeping on the streets.

"Bitch, you wretched bitch. Zhao Jingyu, just let me catch you. Ah..." Liang Zhengxian raged impotently.

Wang Yan was aware of these events. After all, the cunning old fox enjoyed the sense of accomplishment that came from pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

It was like in those crime psychology shows where a criminal returns to the scene of the crime out of a morbid curiosity.

This was just the beginning. As Zhao Jingyu had thought, bringing down such a large enterprise would take time.

He only paid attention for a day or two; he didn't need to worry about the rest. These matters were handed over to his subordinates, who would handle them perfectly.

A starved camel is still bigger than a horse; there's a reason for that saying. The Liang family's businesses were mostly in Hong Kong Island and the mainland. Of course, they had made preparations. Wealthy individuals always liked to diversify their assets. It was normal for the Liang family to transfer some assets abroad and have overseas industries, but according to Wang Yan's findings, it wasn't too much.

He didn't care if they went abroad to live in comfort.

Owning property abroad relied on their domestic foundation and influence. They had connections with foreign elites, selling them some face.

But without their domestic roots, like duckweed without water, could their family live in peace abroad? Impossible.

Did they really think that going abroad would solve everything?

Their former partners wouldn't even give them a second glance. They had no face, only the soles of shoes. Who would they try to curry favor with?

They lacked influence and connections. Coupled with various ethnic issues, locals wouldn't care about them. All sorts of problems would torment them to death.