Rebirth of the Scumbag and the Retribution of the White Lotus

Zhao Shufang stood by the window, gazing out at the increasingly busy streets. The hustle and bustle of the city seemed to have no bearing on her, yet her thoughts had already drifted far beyond—to Li Xin, Zhao Yongkang, and those who had once pushed her into despair. She knew full well that this war had just begun, and she had no choice but to move forward.

In the past few days, she has been closely following the movements of Li Xin and Zhao Yongkang. Li Xin's threats have made her feel unprecedented pressure, but she knows better that she can no longer just passively defend herself. She must take the initiative, find the breakthrough point, and launch a counterattack.

"Ms. Zhao, Li Ting called." The secretary outside the door suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

Zhao Shufang nodded and motioned her to come in. The secretary handed her the phone, and Zhao Shufang took it, her voice still gentle: "Li Ting, how is it? Is there any new progress?"

Li Ting's voice on the other end of the phone sounded a little hurried. "Ms. Zhao, things are a bit complicated. Li Xin and Zhao Yongkang have indeed made new moves recently. Their alliance is getting closer and closer, and it seems they are preparing for further cooperation."

Zhao Shufang frowned slightly: "Cooperation? Why would they cooperate?"

Li Ting whispered, "According to our investigation, Zhao Yongkang has recently had more contact with Li Xin on certain military projects. Moreover, the portion of shares held by Li Xin seems to be related to Zhao Yongkang. Their cooperation seems to be a preparation to deal with you."

"They want to unite and suppress me?" Zhao Shufang muttered to herself, a sneer on her face. "Ridiculous."

Li Ting hesitated for a moment and continued, "Ms. Zhao, I suggest you keep a low profile for now. After all, their cooperation has just begun. If we confront them directly, it may cause more trouble."

Zhao Shufang remained unmoved. "Keep a low profile? That's your choice. I don't need to be low-key. The alliance between Li Xin and Zhao Yongkang is just a superficial phenomenon. How long they can stay together is still unknown. When I do things, I never fear any pressure. On the contrary, I always find opportunities to fight back under pressure."

"So, what are you going to do, Miss Zhao?" Li Ting's voice was filled with worry. "You already have a certain influence in the business world. If you act rashly..."

Zhao Shufang's eyes grew firm. "Since they dare to unite against me, it means they have become a threat to me. I don't have time to delay them. I will use their cooperation as a breakthrough. Collect more detailed information, especially the recent contacts between Li Xin and Zhao Yongkang. I need to know more."

"Understood." Li Ting agreed. "I will speed up and make sure all relevant information is collected."

Zhao Shufang hung up the phone and looked out the window again, her mind already determined on her next move. Li Xin and Zhao Yongkang's collaboration was an opportunity, no matter how you looked at it. Having already decided to strike back, she wouldn't hold back.

She glanced down at the documents on her desk, which documented her recent plans. She had already begun gradually laying out her strategy, focusing on business partnerships, political and business relationships, and even internal personnel adjustments. The "collaboration" between Li Xin and Zhao Yongkang was precisely one part of her plan.

Li Xin has apparently been busy collaborating with Zhao Yongkang these days, not just in the business world, but also with Zhao Yongkang getting involved in some of their personal affairs, seemingly intending to build a deeper relationship. Zhao Yongkang's support has undoubtedly solidified Li Xin's foothold in the business world.

In their cooperation plan, Zhao Shufang was clearly a potential enemy. Although Li Xin was in awe of Zhao Shufang on the surface, deep down, he always felt that she was an opponent who could control the situation at any time and that her threat must be eliminated as soon as possible.

Zhao Yongkang clearly recognized this problem. In recent meetings with Li Xin, he repeatedly emphasized the need to "proceed cautiously" and avoid being overly aggressive. After all, Zhao Yongkang knew that Zhao Shufang was not just a business rival but also a potential political threat. Her background and methods were beyond the imagination of the outside world.

"Do you think Zhao Shufang will give up so easily?" Li Xin said with a gloomy face after a meeting with Zhao Yongkang.

Zhao Yongkang glanced down at the documents on his desk and pondered for a moment. "Although Zhao Shufang is somewhat passive now, she is not without options. If she wants to fight back, she will definitely look for an opportunity. What we need to do most now is to prevent her from finding that opportunity."

Li Xin sneered, "What can she do? She's just suppressing my business plan. It's nothing big. As long as I continue to suppress her resources, she will be helpless."

"You're wrong." Zhao Yongkang shook his head. "You don't truly understand Zhao Shufang's abilities. She's more than just a businesswoman; there's a lot of potential power behind her. Her counterattack isn't as simple as you think. You have to be careful. She can find a breakthrough in the business world, and she can also seek support in politics."

Li Xin frowned, clearly somewhat dissatisfied with Zhao Yongkang's tone, but he still listened patiently to the end: "Then what should we do?"

Zhao Yongkang looked up at Li Xin and said, "Don't act rashly for now. Hold your ground. We need to force her to reveal her true intentions. Only by making it impossible for her to hide her plans can we defeat her in one fell swoop."

Li Xin nodded, apparently accepting Zhao Yongkang's suggestion. Although he felt a little uneasy, he believed that the current situation required more careful handling.

One afternoon a few days later, Zhao Shufang received an unexpected call from someone she didn't often contact: Zhao Yongkang's assistant.

"Ms. Zhao, General Zhao wants to discuss something with you. Would it be convenient for you to come over?" The assistant's voice came from the phone, and no special emotion could be heard.

Zhao Shufang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "General Zhao wants to talk to me about something? He's quite direct. Okay, I'll come over."

She put down the phone, her brows raised slightly. Zhao Yongkang had called her to discuss something, clearly trying to test her. She had a premonition that while Zhao Yongkang appeared to be collaborating with Li Xin, his actions were far from simple. Perhaps a game of chance would soon ensue between her and Zhao Yongkang.

"It seems that today's conversation is destined to be complicated." Zhao Shufang said to herself with a sneer on her lips.

She stood up, straightened her clothes, and prepared to leave. She knew that this game of power had just begun.