Zheng Jinghe instantly felt a pain at his neck. He reached out and felt a smear of red blood.
Terrified, he shivered all over, clasped his hands together, and begged repeatedly, "Please... please calm down. I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything."
For him, staying alive was the most important thing for now. Jian Fan then moved the knife away from his hand, and Shen Xi curved her lips, taking out her phone to record.
"Can you take the knife away? With it at my neck, I can't speak properly," Zheng Jinghe glanced sideways at Jian Fan and requested cautiously.
Shen Xi gave Jian Fan a look, and Jian Fan slowly retracted the knife.
"Can you talk now?" Shen Xi raised her hand and pressed the record button.
Zheng Jinghe secretly glanced at her, understanding that his current situation was that of "a man at the mercy of another," so he had no choice but to obediently recount the events of that year.
"Five years ago, President Yin expanded his business and entered the pharmaceutical industry. Due to excessive investment, his capital chain suddenly broke.
He had to find investors everywhere. The president of Lu's Group approached me and asked me to cooperate with industry peers to obstruct this matter. After it was done, he would give me a sum of money..."
After he finished speaking, Shen Xi clenched her fists in anger, her eyes turning red, "So, the overnight stock plunge and the company's bankruptcy of Hongrui were caused by your collusion with Lu Huai'an, your unholy alliance?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Jinghe retorted, "The company went bankrupt because President Yin suddenly died in a car accident, it has nothing to do with us."
"Us? You speak so intimately, it seems Lu Huai'an gave you a lot of money back then," Shen Xi glared at him, her voice almost breaking, "If you hadn't joined forces to deal with him, how could he have lost focus and gotten into that car accident? You... you are the main culprits!"
A trace of guilt suddenly appeared on Zheng Jinghe's face, "No. Yin Yuan had always treated me very well, and I never intended to harm him.
These years, I have regretted it immensely. I shouldn't have been blinded by greed and taken Lu Huai'an's money back then."
"Is that so? Don't say such nice things. If you truly repented, why didn't you attend his funeral? Why did you steal the antique he liked the most after his death? Why have you been operating a new company peacefully in K City these past years, living a comfortable and leisurely life?" Shen Xi stared at him with bloodshot eyes, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"I..." Zheng Jinghe was rendered speechless by her words.
Shen Xi took a deep breath, gently pressed the pause button on the recording, adjusted her emotions, and continued, "I am not here to listen to your repentance, nor do I intend to forgive you. The antique is now in my hands, so it has returned to its rightful owner.
Things that should not have belonged to you, obtained through illegal means, must not only be returned but also be subject to legal sanctions."
"Ah?" Upon hearing the word "legal," Zheng Jinghe felt as if struck by lightning, and frantically pleaded, "I don't want to go to jail, please show leniency. Whatever you ask, I will agree to it."
"Are you suggesting a private settlement?" Shen Xi asked with a cold face.
Zheng Jinghe quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes. As long as I don't have to go to jail, I'll pay any price."
He lowered his head, feigning thought, and after a while, Shen Xi looked up and said, "Alright. What you just said has all been recorded. Considering you still have a sliver of remorse, I will give you a chance to atone."
After speaking, she took out several papers from her bag and handed them to him, "Once you sign these agency agreements, I can let you go for now."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Jinghe took the papers on the table with trembling hands and after looking at them for a moment, said, "You want to take all my assets?"
"That was all your illegal gains in the first place, and besides, I'm merely using them to revive your company," Shen Xi looked at him with a chilling expression, "Don't forget, the antique you stole is worth thirty million, and coupled with selling commercial secrets, the sentence for the double crimes would not be short."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zheng Jinghe hurriedly lowered his head and bowed, picking up the pen, "Okay, okay, I'll sign. I'll do whatever you say."
At this moment, Jian Fan once again approached the window and looked down vigilantly. The two people in the car remained motionless.
Shen Xi picked up the signed agency agreements from Zheng Jinghe and looked at them for a few seconds before slowly putting them into her bag, "The person standing by the window is Jian Fan. All your affairs will be handled by him. If you need to sign anything else, he will personally come to find you.
You will temporarily reside here. Do not have any other improper thoughts, and you are not allowed to contact anyone. We will arrange for people to 'protect' you."