Shen Hongbin was laughing as he knocked on my door. I opened and saw him wearing a casual floral shirt, with a pair of sunglasses hooked on his collar. He appeared as an amiable, romantic person. One of his hands was leaning on the door frame as he asked, “Hey neighbor. You’ve just moved in, right? Can I come in so that we can talk?”

I wore a cold face as I invited him in. Shen Hongbin scanned the place. “Hey, don’t you feel this living room is a bit too empty? You should get someone to fix it.” 

I asked directly, “Are you here to check if I was screwed by the Hong Kong expert working for you?” 

“What are you talking about? I’m not a narrow-minded person like my sister-in-law.”

He waved his hand to dismiss the bodyguards in the room, leaving just the two of us. 

Shen Hongbin patted my shoulder, asking politely, “I definitely underestimated you. Are you interested in working for me?”  

“I’m sorry. Not interested.”

“Oh, I didn’t think you’d be one to uphold a code of ethics. How much does my sister pay you? I can pay you double.” 

“If you came here for that reason, please leave! It’s not about the money. We have our own principles in this business. Once we accept a deal, we have to follow it through until the end…” I outright rejected his offer. Li Mazi was still in the hands of the rich woman; I would not dare betray her at this point.

Shen Hongbin offered a round of applause. “Good, then. I’ve booked an entire floor of the Hilton Hotel for lunch. I’ve also invited the board of directors to the party, and my brother will also sign the equity transfer contract while we’re there. If you’re interested, you’re welcomed to join.”

I quieted down, wishing to know what he wanted. 

“I know my sister-in-law won’t give up, but I’m not afraid regardless of what she does. I still have an ace.” Shen Hongbin sneered. He brought out an envelope from his chest pocket and threw it on the coffee table. I opened the envelope and read the contents. It was the result of a DNA paternity test. It said that the DNAs of the tycoon and his two children only had a 0.1% match. They obviously weren't his children.

No wonder the rich woman had resorted to such schemes to get the money. I finally knew the story behind this ridiculous case.

Shen Hongbin sighed. “I went to great lengths to get this result! My brother and my sister-in-law don’t have the relationship they present to the world. They have cheated on one another more than once. That woman has a dark heart. My brother has become weaker and weaker, and I’m pretty sure it’s related to her. I don’t know what would have happened to my brother if I hadn’t come back to China and stepped in.” 

“Do you want the company for yourself?” I shot Shen Hongbin a glance. 

“Not only that. I will do everything in my power so that she doesn’t receive anything. Not a single dime,” Sheng Hongbin fumed.  

The more I listened to him, the more puzzled I became. I didn’t know why he visited me early in the morning. Did he really want to recruit me? I felt that he needed me to do something. 

I then probed. “Tell me, how should I help you?”

“Haha,” Shen Hongbin laughed. “You’re smart, aren’t you? I won’t beat around the bush. I want you to help me make my brother sign the contract and his will.” 

It turned out Shen Hongbin couldn’t handle Yuan Chonghuan, the spirit possessing the tycoon. Although he was just a departed soul, he had been a moral, righteous Confucian when he was still alive. He wouldn’t let people tell him what to do.

“Can you control him for a while and make him sign the contract?” 

I pondered. “What about the expert you brought from Hong Kong? Can’t he do it?” 

“He said you're the only one in this Circle who is able to. I’m not in your line of business, so I wouldn’t know. You guys also have labor divisions?” Shen Hongbin was somewhat puzzled.

I understood what was happening; Chuyi had urged him from the other side. This way, I would have a chance to get close to the tycoon and kidnap him.

Then, I proceeded with the plan. “Actually, I know a secret technique.” 

Shen Hongbin was so excited that his eyes were sparkling. “After everything is done, I will pay you double – ah, no, triple!”

“But how can you be sure that I will cooperate with you without reporting to your sister-in-law?” I sneered.

He patted my shoulder. “I believe you are a smart person; you’ll know which side to choose in the end. In any case, I’ve already arranged to have the paternity document sent to all the directors’ mailboxes at the appointed time! The situation will favor me by then.”

Shen Hongbin had told me that the rich woman had a dark heart, but it seemed that his own was just as dark. He had been born in a powerful and wealthy family, so his ability to fool people was an inborn gift.

Shen Hongbin said that he would send a car to pick me up around noon time, but I rejected the offer. It wouldn’t do any good to alarm the rich woman. I would get there by myself.

Shen Hongbin gave me a business card. It was a black card with his name; he was a Deputy General Director of some company. Its design was luxurious, completely different from the business cards from any ordinary shop.

“You should go to the hotel at noon. Just show this business card, and no one will stop you.”

A Phantom Roll Royce stopped at the villa’s gate as Shen Hongbin was about to leave. The rich woman got out of the car, wearing lavish clothes; her fat secretary followed her like a shadow. She walked on a pair of high heels and talked with an odd tone. “Shen Hongbin, who gave you the authority to schedule a board meeting? You held a rooster feather and thought it was a commander token? Don’t forget your standing! When you were expelled from your school abroad, you would have also been expelled from the Shen family if I hadn’t begged your father on your behalf!”  

Shen Hongbin didn’t finish his degree abroad. His Oxford master's degree must be fake... 

I guessed. 

Shen Hongbin sneered. “Sister, you have a good source of information. It seems like you really care about my brother’s life or death!”

The rich woman snatched the business card from my hand and looked at it. “As for the Board Meeting at noon, remember to prepare my favorite wine. Perhaps you won’t even have leftovers to eat if you don’t treat me well, mind you.”

The rich woman wanted to attend the Board Meeting. I secretly admired these people for their speaking skills. No matter what, I could not imitate them.

Shen Hongbin answered, “Not only have I prepared your favorite wine, but I’ve also prepared a wonderful stage for you!”

He patted my shoulder one more time and left the villa. The rich woman stared at me as if her eyes could spark fire. I guessed she had heard our conversation. She definitely had her ears and eyes all around me.

I could only explain the situation to her. “I’m just improvising since things have changed. We should try to approach the tycoon and rescue him.”

“You’d better not fool me. Otherwise, your friend and you... Both of you will be very miserable, I promise!” Then, the rich woman threw the business card back at me. 

“I wouldn’t dare. Look at me now... One of my friends is being held captive, my girlfriend is unconscious, and I’m being monitored all the time. Besides playing your cards, what else could I do?” I sighed.

The rich woman considered my words while sneering. “Cooperate with me and I promise I won’t mistreat you. If you need anything, just tell me.”

“I need a few cars. All of them should be identical. Park them at the hotel’s underground parking lot. We will put your husband in one of those cars once I get ahold of him, making them leave at the same time. Shen Hongbin won’t be able to tell which car we’re using!”

The rich woman nodded; she seemed to be satisfied with my plan. Actually, it was a trick I had seen in a cops and robbers movie; I just wanted to borrow this maneuver to help us to distract the rich woman’s men.

In fact, Yin Xinyue was no longer in the room. She had escaped through the window at around five o’clock in the morning; she was discreetly carrying out my plan.