Chapter 362: The Dominance of Xu Shaochen

Zhang Qingsong never imagined that Xu Shaochen would be aware that he was the mastermind behind the situation with Zhou Shuang.

He also never expected that Xu Shaochen would send someone to investigate Zhou Shuang’s background.

Originally, he just wanted to check on Zhou Shuang’s character to prevent Mei Liangxin from getting tricked. However, it unexpectedly led to his own involvement being discovered, which could only be described as a miscalculation.

With Xu Shaochen’s abilities, he could easily find anyone in Jiangzhou as long as he had their name and likeness.

So, the next day, Zhang Qingsong received a ‘friendly’ visit from Xu Shaochen.

…

In the morning, Zhang Qingsong had lunch at a restaurant outside his rented apartment, as he usually did, and then planned to head back for a nap.

“Waves upon waves, waves upon waves~”

Perhaps the thought of successfully taking revenge on Xu Shaochen had cleared his recent frustrations, and he even started humming a little tune.

He took out the keys, unlocked the door, entered, and closed the door behind him.

The whole process was smooth and seamless. Considering his slightly lame leg, it wasn’t that easy to pull off.

“Clink!”

Suddenly, he froze in his tracks, dropping the drink he was holding because there was someone sitting on the sofa in the living room.

It was Xu Shaochen, the very person he wished he could tear to pieces. Sitting on his sofa, Xu Shaochen was eating some of the fruits that Zhang Qingsong had bought just yesterday.

“You’re back. The fruits aren’t bad. Where did you buy them? I might pick some up later.”

Xu Shaochen took a bite of the apple in his hand, then looked at Zhang Qingsong with a playful smile and a slight nod.

Zhang Qingsong snapped out of his daze, turned around, and tried to bolt. Xu Shaochen’s presence here could only mean trouble.

“Bang!”

He had barely opened the door a crack when two strong hands firmly pressed against it, shutting it closed again.

Zhang Qingsong looked up and saw the cold, sneering faces of Long Yi and Long Er standing in front of him.

“Click!”

Immediately after that, Zhang Qingsong felt a chill on his forehead. A pitch-black handgun was pressed against his head. The cold feel of the gun’s muzzle made his mind extraordinarily clear at that moment.

“What? An old classmate shows up at your door and you don’t even invite me in for a glass of water? You’re really in a rush to leave, huh?”

Xu Shaochen’s voice was calm, but there was a playful glint in his eyes as he spoke to Zhang Qingsong.

“What… what do you want, Xu Shaochen? Our grudge from before is long settled, right? Are you really that petty? Is this all you’re capable of?”

Zhang Qingsong gulped nervously, then forced himself to stay calm as he questioned Xu Shaochen.

He hadn’t even considered the possibility that Xu Shaochen already knew about his scheme involving Zhou Shuang getting close to Mei Liangxin because he believed there were no flaws in his plan.

“Zhang Qingsong, you’re right. Our little grudge from before is in the past, and I’ve let you off many times. But why do you keep looking for trouble?”

Xu Shaochen’s expression darkened, his eyes cold as he stared at Zhang Qingsong as if he were a dead man walking.

Xu Shaochen’s words were like a thunderclap to Zhang Qingsong’s ears, leaving his mind blank and causing him to momentarily lose the ability to think.

How… how could he know? No! He couldn’t possibly know! There was no way Xu Shaochen could know about this!

Even Zhang Qingsong himself had only come up with this plan after seeing Mei Liangxin in the hospital. So how could Xu Shaochen know about it?

Zhang Qingsong kept repeating these thoughts to himself, trying to calm down. He forced a stiff smile and said to Xu Shaochen:

“Xu Shaochen, what do you mean by that? I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t remember provoking you recently.”

Hearing Zhang Qingsong’s words, Xu Shaochen chuckled. He stood up from the sofa and took a few steps towards Zhang Qingsong. Grabbing him by the hair, Xu Shaochen pulled his head down and said coldly, “Zhang Qingsong, I see you won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin. You might not have directly provoked me, but targeting the people around me is the same as coming after me!”

“Ah!”

Zhang Qingsong screamed in pain as Xu Shaochen yanked his hair. Though he was terrified, he stubbornly held his ground, desperately saying through gritted teeth, “I… I don’t understand what you’re saying! When did I ever target anyone around you? I wouldn’t dare, not even with a hundred guts! I’ve already accepted my fate.”

His mind was in turmoil. Damn it, how did Xu Shaochen know?

Only three people knew about this from start to finish. He couldn’t have said anything, and the Boss wouldn’t have either. Could it be Zhou Shuang?

No wonder she was acting so strange when they met last night. She must have sold me out.

No matter how Zhang Qingsong thought about it, he couldn’t think of anyone else besides Zhou Shuang.

In that moment, his hatred for Zhou Shuang reached its peak.

“Still not admitting? Let me give you a hint: Zhou Shuang, that name rings a bell, right?”

Xu Shaochen tightened his grip on Zhang Qingsong’s hair, his tone becoming more menacing.

“She’s just a classmate. What… what about her? I haven’t been in contact with her for years,” Zhang Qingsong stubbornly denied everything, thinking he might still have a chance to save himself.

At first, Xu Shaochen was only 70% sure that Zhang Qingsong was involved. But now he was 100% sure.

Zhang Qingsong claimed he hadn’t been in contact with Zhou Shuang for years, but according to Long Yi’s investigation, they had been in frequent contact.

A lie is often used to cover up a greater truth.

“You had Zhou Shuang approach Mei Liangxin as a roundabout way to deal with me, didn’t you? If I could find all that out, do you think staying silent will help you now?” Xu Shaochen coolly asked as he released Zhang Qingsong’s hair.

The pain subsided, and Zhang Qingsong breathed a sigh of relief. However, he gritted his teeth and said, “Xu Shaochen, you’re just trying to pin this on me! Where’s your proof? Show me the evidence! Don’t tell me Zhou Shuang told you—it’s no secret that she bears a grudge against me. Of course, she’d want to frame me! If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a reason!”

He tried to block off the Zhou Shuang angle, claiming that her words couldn’t be considered evidence.

“Evidence? Zhang Qingsong, after being classmates for two years, you still don’t get me, do you? When I start suspecting someone, do you think I need evidence?”

Xu Shaochen looked at Zhang Qingsong as if he were hearing the biggest joke of the century, with a few hints of pity in his gaze—pitying Zhang Qingsong’s pathetic intellect.

Zhang Qingsong’s face turned ashen, and cold sweat began to drip from his forehead like beads. He realized he had made a grave error.

Yes, with Xu Shaochen’s ruthless methods, when has he ever needed evidence to act on his suspicions?

If he says you did it, then whether you did or didn’t doesn’t matter.

If there’s a mistake, the mistake isn’t his—it’s yours.

How could Xu Shaochen ever be wrong? Xu Shaochen is never wrong!

His domineering nature had become ingrained in his very bones, to the point where it bordered on extremism.

Talking about evidence with him? What a joke!