Chen Ningxi looked at him with disbelief. Fang Zhiyi responded, "It's true! Do you think I've been socializing outside just for fun? It's all about networking!"
"And what we lack now is manpower and resources." Fang Zhiyi stood up and paced around before suddenly slapping his forehead. "Resources are easy—I'll just sneak some from my eldest brother."
Chen Ningxi's eyes gleamed. She hadn't expected Fang Zhiyi to be this foolish—it saved her the trouble. She even considered calling Zheng Shikai right then to report the news.
"But as for manpower..."
Chen Ningxi spoke up, "I have great relationships with the employees at Fang Corporation. Maybe...?" She studied Fang Zhiyi's expression carefully before adding, "Never mind, they’re all part of the family anyway."
"No!" Fang Zhiyi waved his hand dismissively. "Forget about that! Poach them all! Let that ice-cold bastard see what you’re capable of! Make him regret everything!"
Chen Ningxi was overjoyed but quickly composed herself. "Still, after all this talk, we don’t have the capital."
Fang Zhiyi waved his hand again. "Easy—give me your phone."
Chen Ningxi froze. Her phone contained intimate photos with Zheng Shikai—there was no way she’d hand it over.
"Brother, what do you need my phone for?"
"To take out a loan! Just face the camera, say a few words, fill out some forms—done!"
In the end, Chen Ningxi said, "I have friends who can lend me some. Why don’t you borrow from yours too?"
Fang Zhiyi agreed and left immediately.
Chen Ningxi quickly relayed everything that had happened to Chen Guodong and Zheng Shikai. Upon hearing she had been locked up for two days, Zheng Shikai was furious but restrained himself for the sake of their plan.
"Money? I’ll give it to you."
Meanwhile, Fang Zhiyi went straight home, joining Fang Zhiqing and Fang Yingyou for a meal before leaving—but not before smearing dirt on himself.
"They refused! Said that ice-cold bastard ordered them to cut off all my options! I argued with them—even got into a fight."
Chen Ningxi looked at his disheveled state with hidden disdain but feigned concern, urging him to shower while she went out to borrow money.
Things progressed smoothly.
Chen Ningxi’s company opened soon after, and her poaching efforts were wildly successful. Several high-ranking executives she was close with defected to her side.
Hearing long-missed flattery, Chen Ningxi beamed like a blooming flower.
Zheng Shikai, however, was struggling. To support Chen Ningxi’s venture, he had drained his savings and even siphoned off part of his company’s liquid assets.
Fortunately, Chen Ningxi’s operations moved quickly. With Fang Zhiyi’s connections, she secured several major contracts. After consulting her executives, she decided to expand production with additional investments.
Her skills were top-tier at Fang Corporation—hadn’t she effortlessly handled countless big clients? This was no different!
Zheng Shikai grew increasingly frustrated, unable to pull more funds from his company.
Thankfully, Chen Guodong stepped in, investing his secretly amassed fortune into Chen Ningxi’s company, eagerly awaiting Fang Corporation’s downfall.
At the same time, in the same place, Fang Zhiyi, out for leisure, spotted Zheng Shikai getting cozy with his sister—a deliberate move by Zheng Shikai to unsettle him.
But Fang Zhiyi didn’t take the bait, leaving Zheng Shikai baffled. Had he misjudged? Did Fang Zhiyi not have romantic feelings for Chen Ningxi?
Frustrated, Zheng Shikai drank alone after sending Chen Ningxi off. Fang Zhiyi was the key to breaking Fang Corporation—if he didn’t fall for the trap, the plan was flawed.
After a few more drinks, his consciousness blurred.
When Zheng Shikai woke up, he was naked in a large bed, his backside sore. Turning, he saw a towering dark-skinned man grinning at him.
"Hi, baby." As the man reached for him, Zheng Shikai bolted up, grabbing his pants and fleeing.
That night, a video went viral—though swiftly taken down, many saw it: Zheng Shikai of Zheng Group in bed with a Black man!
Zheng Group’s PR was powerless; the evidence was undeniable.
Zheng Shikai filed a police report, only to learn the man had left the country—a tourist who even posted a video praising Zheng Shikai as the most beautiful and enthusiastic man he’d ever met.
Now, Zheng Shikai couldn’t clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
Zheng Group’s stocks plummeted.
Misfortune struck harder—Chen Ningxi’s company produced defective goods. Furious partners switched to Fang Corporation, invoking the contract’s clause allowing termination and compensation for substandard products.
Fang Zhiyi was chuckling at his phone when a tearful Chen Ningxi stormed in.
"What’s wrong?"
"Wuwu, Second Brother!" Chen Ningxi believed in Zheng Shikai’s innocence, convinced the Fang family had framed him. But the bigger issue was her wasted investments and looming debts.
Fang Zhiyi suppressed his disgust and hugged her. "What happened?"
"Eldest Brother stole my clients!"
Fang Zhiyi feigned indifference. "And?"
Unnoticing his detachment, she pleaded, "I... I need more information."
Fang Zhiyi smiled. "Sure."
Meanwhile, at the Fang family villa, everyone except Chen Guodong gathered as Fang Yingyou placed a paternity test and incriminating photos on the table. Fang Yueyao turned pale.
Finally, an elderly voice broke the tension. "Divorce him. He leaves with nothing."
Fang Yueyao stared at the photos of her husband embracing another woman, then closed her eyes. When they reopened, only resolve remained.
The grandfather turned to Fang Yingyou. "You said your brother..."
Fang Yingyou nodded. "Grandfather, I follow his lead now. Zhiyi isn’t what we thought—he’s become formidable behind the scenes."
Fang Shijie chuckled. "True. When he asked me for men, I wondered if he was on drugs."
Stealing documents went smoothly—but Fang Zhiyi insisted Chen Ningxi join him.
Still traumatized from her confinement, she opted to stand guard outside. The theft was effortless—Fang Zhiyi strode into his brother’s office, called for the safe’s password, and retrieved the files.
Outside, Chen Ningxi grew anxious until Fang Zhiyi called from above. She looked up to see him grinning oddly before he tossed the documents down. She caught them hastily.