Rebirth of the Scumbag and the Retribution of the White Lotus

Zhao Shufang leaned against her desk, staring out the window at the cityscape, her heart pounding. Despite her outward composure, the game had reached a fever pitch. She knew Lu Lingyuan's every move was carefully considered, while her resources were dwindling, and she faced a cunning and ruthless opponent.

"Boss Zhao, Shen Yu has found clues to the mole." Li Chen walked into the office, breaking her reverie. "They've confirmed that Lu Lingyuan's men are indeed plotting inside our company."

Zhao Shufang turned her head, her eyes sharp. "What was the result? Who did he send?"

"We've found leads on three people," Li Chen handed over a document. "One of them is Zhang Tao from the marketing department. He has a close relationship with Lu Lingyuan, and there are clear signs of capital flow."

Zhao Shufang nodded, took the document, and flipped through the information. Zhang Tao was the company's marketing manager. Although his position wasn't high, he had numerous connections within the company. It was clear that Lu Lingyuan's goal was to gradually weaken the Zhao Group's foundation through this layered infiltration.

"Are you sure these evidences can be used against him?" Zhao Shufang frowned slightly.

Li Chen's expression was serious. "At the moment, the evidence isn't direct enough. For now, we can only trace his whereabouts through internal surveillance and financial transactions. We need more evidence to apprehend him."

Zhao Shufang closed the file, her eyes sharp as a knife. "Have Shen Yu continue the investigation. If these people are truly behind this, we must expose them as quickly as possible."

Li Chen nodded and was about to leave when Zhao Shufang suddenly called him, "Wait a minute, help me arrange a meeting."

"Okay, Mr. Zhao, what kind of meeting?"

"I want to talk to Zhang Tao in person," Zhao Shufang said coldly. "I want him to know that just because he can hide until today, it doesn't mean he can hide until tomorrow."

Zhang Tao hadn't anticipated receiving a call from Zhao Shufang today. As one of the company's most capable executives, he'd assumed he was operating behind the scenes, undetectable. But Zhao Shufang always managed to find his flaws at the crucial moment.

Zhang Tao seemed a little nervous when he walked into Zhao Shufang's office, but he remained calm. He smiled casually and said, "Boss Zhao, you called me here today. I guess there's something you need me to take care of, right?"

Zhao Shufang stood in front of the desk, her expression stern. "Zhang Tao, do you think you're so smart that you can hide this from me?"

Zhang Tao's smile faltered, and he instantly felt a sense of oppression. He hadn't expected Zhao Shufang to start doubting him. But he still gritted his teeth and replied, "Mr. Zhao, you're... I don't quite understand what you mean."

Zhao Shufang gave him a deep look, then walked over to the table, opened a document, and pushed it towards Zhang Tao. "I just found this document from the company's surveillance and financial data. It contains a crystal clear record of your transactions with Lu Lingyuan."

Zhang Tao's face turned pale and his heartbeat accelerated. Although he reminded himself countless times to stay calm, Zhao Shufang's eyes were cold at this moment. He knew that he had no way out.

"Mr. Zhao, you misunderstood. My...my contact with Lu Lingyuan was just business dealings. I didn't expect it to cause your misunderstanding." Zhang Tao tried to defend himself, but his voice trembled a little.

Zhao Shufang sneered and picked up a pen from the table. "Misunderstanding? Zhang Tao, do you think I'll believe you so easily? When did the deal between you and Lu Lingyuan begin? How did you leak some key company information?"

Zhang Tao's face grew increasingly grim, and he was completely panicked. But he knew that if he admitted his mistake now, he might still have a chance of survival. So, he took a deep breath and whispered, "Boss Zhao, I had no choice. Lu Lingyuan knew that my family was under his control, and I..."

Zhao Shufang frowned slightly, "Are you threatening me?"

"No, Mr. Zhao..." Zhang Tao said in a pleading tone, "I just hope you can understand me. I didn't originally want to betray the company, but Lu Lingyuan threatened me with my family, and I had no choice."

Zhao Shufang said calmly, "You have no choice? If you truly wanted to protect your family, you should have told me sooner rather than resorting to trickery behind my back." Her tone gradually grew colder. "Zhang Tao, what you have done is unforgivable."

Zhang Tao's heart sank completely. He knew there was no turning back. Even if he explained, no amount of words could change Zhao Shufang's decision. But right now, his family was still in Lu Lingyuan's hands, and he couldn't bear to see them hurt.

"Mr. Zhao, I can do anything for you as long as you can protect my family..." Zhang Tao's voice almost turned into a plea.

Zhao Shufang was silent for a moment, then said coldly, "If you really want to protect them, tell me everything you know from now on. All of Lu Lingyuan's plans, all of his behind-the-scenes plots, no matter how subtle."

Zhang Tao hesitated, a flicker of struggle in his eyes, but he finally lowered his head. "I'll tell you everything, Mr. Zhao, as long as you can save them..."

Zhao Shufang nodded and said, "Remember, you don't have much time left."

Zhang Tao left Zhao Shufang's office with a heavy heart. Although he had decided to tell Zhao Shufang everything, he knew that at the end of this road, there was still an abyss that could not be avoided.

Zhao Shufang watched Zhang Tao's retreating back, a cold look in her eyes. She knew that Lu Lingyuan was closing in on her, and she had to act before him. She couldn't delay any longer; she had to act quickly to reverse the situation and break this seemingly perfect situation.

However, just as she was about to take action, a phone call suddenly rang. Zhao Shufang picked up the phone and saw an unfamiliar number on the screen. With a sudden thought, she answered the call without hesitation.

"Hello, Mr. Zhao, I'm Lu Lingyuan." The voice on the other end of the phone was cold and calm, as if telling her that a bigger storm had quietly arrived.