Rebirth of the Scumbag and the Retribution of the White Lotus

Zhao Shufang was stunned for a moment. As she listened to Lu Lingyuan's voice on the phone, a sense of unease crept into her heart. She knew Lu Lingyuan was decisive and ruthless, and would never call her easily. Furthermore, he actually took the initiative to contact her at this moment, clearly having some ulterior motive.

"Lu Lingyuan." She called softly, her tone calm but with a hint of vigilance, "What do you want from me?"

A light laugh came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of teasing: "Mr. Zhao, what's wrong? Are you unhappy to hear my voice?"

Zhao Shufang did not answer, but silently clenched the phone in her hand, and her sense of alertness became stronger and stronger.

"I know what you're doing," Lu Lingyuan's voice was understated, but it reached Zhao Shufang's ears clearly. "You think you can uncover my plan and find something to hold against me. But unfortunately, you're already one step too late."

Zhao Shufang's heartbeat quickened slightly, but she remained calm. "What do you mean?"

Lu Lingyuan's voice became low and threatening: "I know you have clues about me. Zhang Tao has already told you, right? However, you don't have to be too proud. Even though you have found some clues, do you think you can defeat me?"

Zhao Shufang's eyes flickered, a chill running down her spine. Zhang Tao had betrayed her and told Lu Lingyuan everything, completely exposing her plan. She thought for a moment, then said, "Since you know, let's be direct. Our game isn't going to be any more fun."

On the other end of the line, Lu Lingyuan's laughter grew even colder. "Boss Zhao, you're truly decisive. However, I'm not in a rush to confront you. I'm calling you to tell you that everything is just the beginning."

Zhao Shufang's heart tightened, and her voice froze for a moment. She took a deep breath and asked, "What do you want to say?"

"You might feel that every move you make is steady, and that you're about to win." Lu Lingyuan spoke calmly, as if he were making the final move in a game where the outcome was already decided. "But I want to tell you, Mr. Zhao, the real game has just begun."

Zhao Shufang stood up suddenly, the phone in her hand almost deformed from being crushed. A flash of unease flashed through her heart, but she forced herself to calm down. "What do you want to do?"

After a moment's silence on the other end of the line, Lu Lingyuan finally spoke: "It's very simple, Mr. Zhao. The little information you have now is far from enough to threaten me. You are just a chess piece controlled by me. Just wait and see, the next step is the most exciting part."

A chill suddenly rose in Zhao Shufang's heart. She could almost sense the confidence and contempt in Lu Lingyuan's tone. She knew full well that this man's scheming was unfathomable, and that all her efforts might simply be a carefully crafted scheme on his part.

"You think you can control everything, but you're wrong." Zhao Shufang finally responded coldly, "I will never let you succeed."

"You can try," Lu Lingyuan said provocatively, "but you also know that all you can do now is surrender."

The call ended, and Zhao Shufang's hand trembled slightly as she held the phone. She had never before realized so clearly that she had fallen into a huge trap. Lu Lingyuan was approaching step by step, and she seemed unable to see the full picture of this duel.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Shufang did not sit back in her chair immediately. Instead, she hurried to the window and looked out into the distance. The tall building seemed to be a watchtower for the entire city, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

Shen Yu had already noticed her uneasiness. He gently pushed the door open and walked in, frowning slightly: "Boss Zhao, was there something wrong with Lu Lingyuan's phone call?"

Zhao Shufang didn't answer, but looked back at Shen Yu. After a moment's silence, she spoke: "He knows that Zhang Tao betrayed me, and he seems to be threatening me."

Shen Yu's expression immediately turned serious: "How did he know? We have always been very careful in handling these matters."

"He already has more information," Zhao Shufang said in a low voice. "Every move he makes seems to have been anticipated."

Shen Yu frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Did he set up the chess game long ago? Was everything arranged by him on purpose?"

"It's possible." Zhao Shufang nodded, "But I'm still not sure of Lu Lingyuan's true intentions. Perhaps he doesn't have complete control of the situation, and maybe he's waiting for a chance."

"Then what should we do next?" Shen Yu asked.

Zhao Shufang took a deep breath, walked back to her desk, sat down, and picked up the documents on it. "The only thing we can do now is to continue collecting information about Lu Lingyuan's plans and force him into a desperate situation as soon as possible."

Shen Yu looked into her eyes and nodded firmly. "I understand, Mr. Zhao. I will expedite the next steps."

"I still have some unfinished work to deal with. Go get ready first." Zhao Shufang paused, then continued, "If there is any new progress, let me know immediately."

Shen Yu nodded. As he walked out of the office, Zhao Shufang looked out the window again, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew she had to find Lu Lingyuan's flaws as soon as possible, otherwise she would be trapped in his carefully woven web and would never be able to turn over.

At this moment, Zhao Shufang still hadn't noticed that Lu Lingyuan had already quietly laid another, even larger net behind her back—a net not only targeting her, but also everyone who had ever opposed him. As the game progressed, the true showdown had just begun.