Jiang Yuzhuo's voice cut off abruptly. He clamped a hand over his mouth, and his hazy, tipsy eyes cleared considerably.
Ji Hanxing asked, "Why did you stop?"
He stared intently at Jiang Yuzhuo. He hadn't expected Jiang Yuzhuo to have guessed what had happened between him and Yan Jinyue after watching the surveillance footage. That made it all the more important for him to get his hands on it.
If that surveillance footage accidentally leaked later, the plotline would definitely collapse.
Granted, the chances weren't high. After all, Jiang Yuzhuo and Yan Jinyue were close, and besides him, Yan Jinyue also featured in that footage.
But even with such a minuscule chance, Ji Hanxing didn't dare gamble on this matter. If the plotline collapsed, it would cost him his life.
Jiang Yuzhuo shook his head fiercely and stammered, "I-I didn't see anything."
Ji Hanxing remained silent, his expression saying, Do you think I'd believe that?
Jiang Yuzhuo felt like crying but had no tears. He smacked his own mouth. Why couldn't he keep it shut?
"Brother Ji, I really didn't see any-any..."
Meeting Ji Hanxing's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, Jiang Yuzhuo grew increasingly uneasy as he spoke.
Ji Hanxing asked, "What about that footage? Where is it now?"
Only upon hearing this did Jiang Yuzhuo suddenly remember: hadn't he come prepared to give Ji Hanxing the footage?
It was a fallback Jiang Yuzhuo had kept, with Yan Jinyue's permission. If Ji Hanxing refused to reconcile, he would bring out the footage and give it to him, both to demonstrate his sincerity and to carry a slight threat.
He hadn't expected them to get along so well earlier, with everything falling naturally into place. Then he'd had some alcohol and forgotten all about it.
Jiang Yuzhuo was now completely sober. He stared straight at Ji Hanxing.
He could now be certain that Ji Hanxing had deliberately baited him into talking. He'd had an ulterior motive: Ji Hanxing had come for this surveillance footage from the start.
The corners of Jiang Yuzhuo's mouth slowly flattened. Only now did he clearly realize that the man before him was a rising star in the business world. Ji Hanxing was nowhere near as accommodating as he had appeared earlier.
From the moment they met, Ji Hanxing had laid a trap. The hunter had feigned kindness to trick a little rabbit into it, and he was that clueless little rabbit, deceived into falling into the trap.
No, wait. He was more like a stupid roe deer, the kind that would walk right up to a hunter carrying a rifle.
If Yan Jinyue had been here, he would certainly have complimented Jiang Yuzhuo: "A very accurate assessment of yourself."
Jiang Yuzhuo shook his head fiercely, his eyes filled with anguish. He felt that all those times he'd called him "Brother Ji" had been wasted.
His wholehearted sincerity had been misplaced after all.
Jiang Yuzhuo felt he had to win a round back, and that surveillance footage was now his best bargaining chip.
He cleared his throat and was just about to speak when Ji Hanxing narrowed his eyes. Was Jiang Yuzhuo unwilling to hand it over?
"You're not about to tell me the surveillance footage is gone, are you, Young Master Jiang?"
Ji Hanxing spoke at once, interrupting Jiang Yuzhuo before he could launch into his speech. He had also changed how he addressed him.
Jiang Yuzhuo nodded decisively. "That's right. There was a problem with the surveillance system at our Grand Prosperity Hotel that day, and the footage from that particular time period happened to be lost."
He even deliberately stressed the words "that particular time period," his eyes revealing a challenge.
He hadn't forgotten Yan Jinyue's earlier instructions, but the Jiang Family's young master had a temper too. He couldn't swallow this insult!
Here it comes, here it comes. He's showing his true colors!
Ji Hanxing wasn't surprised by Jiang Yuzhuo's behavior. This was the young master of City A's Jiang Family, raised in the lap of luxury. How could he possibly have no temper?
Earlier, Jiang Yuzhuo had humbled himself before Ji Hanxing and gone along with his every wish. That had only made Ji Hanxing think it was an act, with some follow-up move surely waiting for him!
He had tested him ever so slightly, and now that follow-up move had come.
However, on his way here, he had already considered the issue of the surveillance footage and thought about asking Jiang Yuzhuo to hand it over. After learning that Jiang Yuzhuo had personally watched it, Ji Hanxing was even more determined to get that footage back.
Abandoning his earlier meek, obedient demeanor, Jiang Yuzhuo displayed Young Master Jiang's usual arrogance and smugness. He had already seen that Ji Hanxing wanted the surveillance footage, and that footage was currently in his hands.
He leaned back in his chair, relaxed, his voice languid. "Yes, the surveillance footage was corrupted. There's nothing I can do either."
Jiang Yuzhuo shrugged, looking as though there was nothing he could do.
Ji Hanxing's slender fingers tapped lightly against the table, producing a rhythmic knocking. His eyes were lowered, his gaze resting on the teacup.
"Was it really such a coincidence?"
Jiang Yuzhuo looked utterly shameless. "Yes, it was exactly that much of a coincidence. Ah, the equipment broke. What could I possibly do?"
Ji Hanxing sighed softly. "It seems it really was a coincidence."
"I wonder whether you reported the surveillance malfunction at the Grand Prosperity Hotel that day to the public security authorities, Young Master Jiang?"
At these words, Jiang Yuzhuo stiffened. The surveillance system hadn't broken at all. How could he have reported it?
But he had already made the claim, and now he could only stubbornly insist, "Of course I reported it. Our Grand Prosperity Hotel has always obeyed the law."
Ji Hanxing nodded and offered Jiang Yuzhuo a seemingly considerate suggestion. "Then you should put the reporting documents, approval form, and filing certificate on display for everyone to see, Young Master Jiang."
"After all, that day was City A's business networking conference. Everyone attending was a leading figure in our city's business community. They have a right to know about something this important."
"It's only been a few days since the conference ended. If someone discovers they lost something at the Grand Prosperity and comes looking for it, you'll be able to give them a clear explanation, Young Master Jiang."
Jiang Yuzhuo's expression had already turned very ugly. Earlier, Ji Hanxing had been a man of few words, appearing aloof and distinguished. Now that he was digging pitfalls for him, however, the clever remarks flowed freely, with traps lurking in everything he said.
He pressed his lips tightly together and said nothing for a moment. It wasn't that he couldn't obtain some filing certificate. With the Jiang Family's influence in City A, wouldn't getting that single piece of paper take no more than a word?
But if he actually obtained that certificate, he would be substantiating the lie he'd just told, confirming that the Grand Prosperity Hotel's surveillance system had malfunctioned on the day of the business networking conference.
Then that would be the beginning of his troubles.
To start with, those bigwigs who had attended the business networking conference valued their privacy, but they cared even more about their safety. A surveillance malfunction was a major security risk.
This matter would cause them to distrust the Grand Prosperity Hotel.
And if Jiang Yujing learned about it, he would seize on it and refuse to let him off.
If Jiang Yuzhuo really admitted to it, he would be handing Jiang Yujing a knife himself.
How else could he threaten Ji Hanxing? Release the contents of the surveillance footage?
Looking at Ji Hanxing, who remained as unshakable as a mountain, Jiang Yuzhuo's face showed a trace of defeat. Ji Hanxing had correctly judged that he wouldn't expose the footage now.