Choosing His Own Dead End

They had planned it all out beforehand. Even if Xu Ren discovered something later and took it to the university, the experimental data in his possession would already have been destroyed. He would have no way to prove anything and could only suffer in silence.

The couple had never imagined that, after they had planned everything so flawlessly, someone like Ji Yanzhi would suddenly throw a wrench into their plans.

Everyone present could see the panic on Wang Jianming's wife's face. Lawyer Liu immediately shifted his focus. "Ms. Yang, you seemed to be trying to remember something just now. Is there anything..."

"No, no!" Wang Jianming's wife denied loudly, as though something had set her off. "I wasn't thinking about anything!"

Afraid Ji Yanzhi and the others would notice something, Wang Jianming hurriedly stepped in front of her. "Sorry, this whole thing has frightened her a little. She's not in a good state emotionally."

"Understandable." Ji Yanzhi's lips curved faintly. "If you remember any relevant details, Mr. Wang, please contact Lawyer Liu at any time. As long as we can recover Xu Ren's computer, you two can name your terms."

Those words suggested he would spare no expense. Wang Jianming felt as though a massive stone had been suspended over his heart, swaying there, ready to come crashing down at any moment.

He clenched his fingers tightly. He had originally considered finding a chance to make it up to Xu Ren once this was over. But now that he had been pushed to the edge of a cliff, he could only strike first to protect himself.

Xu Ren had yet to come out. After finishing their conversation, they sat for a while longer before Wang Jianming said he was going out to buy a bottle of water.

Ji Yanzhi cast a casual glance at his side. Liao Kai immediately understood, rose, and went outside as well.

About fifteen minutes later, at the street corner near the police station, two bodyguards crossed the road and jogged over to Liao Kai.

"How did it go?"

The bodyguard in the black coat turned and pointed across the street. "He started making calls as soon as he entered that little supermarket. I pretended to browse and heard him call the university's academic affairs office. He said Xu Ren had stolen things from his home and had already been arrested."

Liao Kai pressed his tongue against his cheek in irritation, then turned to the other man. "What about you?"

The other bodyguard said, "I followed him after he left the supermarket. He said Xu Ren had been his student for several years, and he didn't want a momentary lapse in judgment to ruin Xu Ren's future. So he wanted the university to notify Xu Ren's family and have them come sign a settlement agreement."

Liao Kai had handled the investigation into Xu Ren's background. His father had died young from a workplace injury, and his mother had died of illness. He had grown up with only his grandfather to rely on. His grandfather had not even finished primary school and certainly knew nothing about legal matters. When the time came, he would have no choice but to accept whatever Wang Jianming said.

"Liao Kai, that Wang guy started sending messages after he finished his calls. I pretended to walk past him. I couldn't see exactly what he sent, but the chat window was a WeChat group."

Liao Kai raised a hand and patted his shoulder. "Good work. Head back to the car for now."

He returned to the police station. Wang Jianming was not back yet. Liao Kai sat beside Ji Yanzhi and lowered his voice as he told him what had happened.

A trace of coldness crept into Ji Yanzhi's smile. He had originally intended to wait for Xu Ren to come out and let him decide for himself. But with this move, Wang Jianming had thoroughly sealed his own fate.

"Notify the legal department. Have them send two people to the Capital University of Science and Technology."

With that, he uncrossed his long legs, stood, and walked straight over to a police officer. "Officer, I'd like to report a crime. Someone is suspected of stealing documents containing our company's trade secrets."

At the same time, Ji Ting was looking up at an apartment building.

He was standing inside the residential complex where Wang Jianming lived. Wang Jianming's home was the east-side apartment on the eighth floor of this building. Strangely, however, the last communication signal from Xu Ren's phone had come from the fourth floor.

Ji Ting lowered his gaze and walked into the building.

He took the elevator to the eighth floor and spotted the camera outside Wang Jianming's door as soon as he stepped out.

Ji Ting did not linger. He turned and went back into the elevator.

By the time the elevator reached the fourth floor, he had already accessed the camera's system.

Ji Ting had originally intended to replace the footage from the past minute, only to discover signs that the camera's recordings had been tampered with.

He saved the evidence just as the elevator arrived at the fourth floor.

Ji Ting stepped out and walked to the west-side apartment, then called Xu Ren's phone again. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off..."

He lowered the phone from his ear and confirmed the signal's location once more. By now, he had a clear understanding of the whole affair.

The complex only had surveillance cameras along its main roads. Inside the buildings, there were none except in the elevators.

Wang Jianming and his wife naturally knew this. That was why they had rented the fourth-floor apartment in advance and moved the items here in the middle of the night. After returning home, they had tampered with the camera footage, making it an indisputable fact that Xu Ren was the only person who had entered their home before the incident.

Ji Ting slipped his phone into his coat pocket. His gaze swept over the rental advertisement on the security door before he turned and left.

After leaving the complex, he went to a private cinema across the street.

Once inside a private screening room, Ji Ting first checked the nearby rental listings, then selected the real estate agency closest to the complex. "Hello, I'd like to rent a three-bedroom apartment with a living room and dining room near the Heyuan Community."

"...Yes, there's an elderly person in my family, so I don't want too high a floor. Somewhere between the third and fifth floors would be best."

Half an hour later, a real estate agent arrived at Building Five of the Heyuan Community.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she placed a video call. When it connected, a bespectacled man with a somewhat scholarly air appeared on the screen.

"Sir, I'm here." As she spoke, the agent unlocked the security door of the west-side apartment on the fourth floor. "Look, this is the entrance. The shoe cabinet and everything are practically new."

Holding up her phone, the agent gave her client a video tour, showing him the living room and kitchen before moving on to the bedrooms.

"The landlord said these beds were only bought last year, so they're all very clean."

Throughout the tour, Ji Ting saw nothing beyond some basic furniture.

"Xiao Yang, would you mind showing me the cabinets?"

"Of course, sir."

As she spoke, the agent walked over to the nearest wardrobe. "Let me tell you, sir, these built-in wardrobes can hold a lot. Take a look..."

She pulled the wardrobe open to demonstrate, only to find a jumble of items stuffed inside, with a laptop sitting on top.

The agent looked a little embarrassed. "These probably belong to the tenant, but don't worry. Everything will definitely be cleared out before they leave."

"Hmm..." The man on the screen paused, seemingly hesitant. "I'm quite happy with this apartment, but are you sure the tenant can move out before the end of the month?"

"Absolutely. It'll all be written into the contract."

The man pressed his lips together and thought for two or three seconds. "How about this? I'd like to confirm that with the landlord personally. If he can guarantee it, we can sign the contract today."

It was rare for the agent to encounter such a decisive client. She quickly assured him that the landlord lived nearby and could come over right away.

The agent had not exaggerated. A little over ten minutes later, Ji Ting saw the landlord on the video call.

They first confirmed the points he had raised earlier. Just as the rental seemed about to be settled, Ji Ting began bargaining. "Eight thousand five hundred a month is a little steep. I've only just found a job as a student counselor at the Capital University of Science and Technology. Could you lower the rent a little?"

The landlord raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, what a coincidence! My current tenant is from the Capital University of Science and Technology too. He's even a professor."