Rebirth of the Scumbag and the Retribution of the White Lotus

Li Ting walked out of the hotel, and the night gradually enveloped the entire city. The neon lights on the streets cast a faint glow in the mist, as if foreshadowing the coming storm. Cheng Jie walked beside her, his eyes still sharp. Although he had long known that Li Ting had a strong ability to cope with things, he still felt a little uneasy about tonight's meeting.

"Cheng Jie, tomorrow's operation will still be carried out as planned." Li Ting broke the silence, her tone calm but firm.

Cheng Jie nodded: "I understand. All the information and evidence have been prepared."

"That's good." Li Ting looked into the distance and suddenly stopped, her eyes a little blurry. "The situation this time is far more complicated than we imagined. The forces behind Zhao Shufang and Li Xin are not as simple as we thought."

"How do you think they will react?" Cheng Jie asked, his eyes becoming more alert.

Li Ting frowned slightly and spoke in a low voice, "There will definitely be a counterattack. Zhao Shufang's situation is still easy to deal with, but if the power behind Li Xin really moves, we might face even greater pressure."

"Li Xin's background has always been a mystery, but we also have a lot of information about him, so it shouldn't be easy to overturn the situation," said Cheng Jie.

"Yes," Li Ting nodded. "But this game of chess isn't just about Zhao Shufang and Li Xin. The people behind the scenes are the ones we should be most vigilant about. Every move we make now is carefully balancing the interests of all parties. The slightest inadvertent move could lead to a fatal counterattack."

Cheng Jie was silent for a moment, his eyes darkening: "You mean, the person behind this won't give up?"

"That's right." Li Ting's voice was neither hurried nor slow. "Li Xin is not the weakness we imagined. That power may not be enough to confront us, but it is enough to cause unforeseen changes in the situation."

"So what should we do next?" Cheng Jie asked.

Li Ting looked up at the night sky in the distance and took a deep breath. "Tomorrow's operation must proceed as planned. We cannot give the other party any breathing space. All evidence must be flawless. And I must have a final conversation with Zhao Shufang at the appropriate time."

Cheng Jie narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly: "The last conversation?"

"Yes." Li Ting sneered. "Zhao Shufang is a smart person. She knows the key to this struggle, but she definitely doesn't realize that the real chessboard is far more complicated than she imagined."

"You want to face her in person?" Cheng Jie was a little surprised.

"Yes." Li Ting's eyes grew sharper. "Zhao Shufang always thought she was the center of the chessboard, but she didn't know that she was just a pawn being used. I need her to understand this. Give her one last chance and let her make her own choice."

The two were silent for a moment. The city lights that Li Ting saw from the car window were reflected in her eyes, flashing a cold light.

The next morning, Li Ting woke up early. She had more to deal with than just Zhao Shufang; it could even be the entire situation. She dressed, ate a quick bite, and headed to the agreed-upon location with Cheng Jie.

This action not only affects Zhao Shufang's future, but also the success or failure of the entire plan. She knows that this game has entered the most critical moment, and any negligence will lead to irreversible consequences.

Cheng Jie drove toward Zhao Shufang's villa complex, the scenery outside the car window receding. Li Ting sat quietly in the passenger seat, her hands folded in her lap, her gaze focused, her mind racing. She knew this conversation with Zhao Shufang wasn't a simple exchange of threats and counter-threats, but a decisive game of chance. She wanted to make Zhao Shufang realize that she wasn't the "safe haven" she once relied on, but a rival who had completely severed ties with her.

"Li Ting, how is Zhao Shufang's reaction to today's operation? We need to be fully prepared." Cheng Jie's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Li Ting turned her head and looked at him with a hint of smile in her eyes: "I don't care how she will react. All I want is her answer."

The car drove into Zhao Shufang's villa complex, and from a distance, tall walls and neatly-knit gardens could be seen. Li Ting asked Cheng Jie to park the car, put away the documents, and then got out and walked towards the villa.

Zhao Shufang was sitting on the sofa in the living room. When she saw Li Ting and Cheng Jie coming, she stood up with a polite smile on her face, but there was a hint of wariness in her eyes.

"Mr. Li, Mr. Cheng, hello." Zhao Shufang's voice was gentle, but with a clear sense of distance.

"Miss Zhao, it's been a long time." Li Ting smiled faintly and nodded at her. "I wonder what's going on today that gives me the honor of coming here to chat?"

Zhao Shufang politely gestured for them to sit down and sank back into the sofa. "Mr. Li, thank you for your compliment. I just wanted to invite you here today to chat about recent events. Things have developed somewhat unexpectedly, and I know you must be very busy."

Li Ting sat down, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Ms. Zhao, we're not here just to discuss business today. Perhaps it's time to sort out the things between you and me."

Zhao Shufang frowned slightly, trying to remain calm. "Mr. Li, what do you mean? If it's about Li Xin, I've already given you the answer. I will cooperate with your actions, so you don't have to worry."

"Cooperate?" Li Ting chuckled. "Ms. Zhao, I'm afraid you don't understand. The real situation is beyond Li Xin's control."

Zhao Shufang's face suddenly changed, and a trace of panic flashed in her eyes: "Mr. Li, what do you mean?"

"My point is very simple." Li Ting's voice turned cold. "From the beginning, your relationship with Li Xin was not a true partnership. Instead, it was a game in which you were a pawn for Li Xin. And you were just one of the pawns being used."

Zhao Shufang's expression suddenly changed. She obviously didn't expect Li Ting to bring up such a topic directly, but she forced herself to calm down and said with a smile, "Mr. Li, I don't seem to understand what you mean."

Li Ting stopped beating around the bush and got straight to the point: "Zhao Shufang, we're meeting here today not to fight you, but to give you a chance to choose. You can continue to be Li Xin's pawn, or you can break away from him completely, stand on our side, and participate in this coming storm."

Zhao Shufang was obviously shocked by her words. After a moment, she regained her composure and looked at Li Ting coldly: "Do you think I will choose to stand on your side?"

Li Ting shrugged lightly, her eyes firm. "If you want to continue to protect yourself and the forces behind you, you have to make a choice. And Li Xin will never be a force you can rely on."

Zhao Shufang bit her lower lip, looked at Li Ting deeply, and finally said softly, "Are you telling the truth?"

Li Ting smiled slightly: "Everything is up to you."

The tense atmosphere in the air intensified, and Zhao Shufang's expression gradually became heavy. She knew that what Li Ting said was far from empty talk, but a huge change that was about to come.