Chapter 145: Chapter 145

"Shouldn’t you explain what’s going on before you leave?" Qi Longbing said to her coldly, his gaze piercing and corrosive, leaving her eyes, even hidden beneath her hair, nowhere to hide.

"My phone!" Hua Xiaomo snatched her phone from the coffee table, but when she flipped it open, it wouldn’t turn on. Opening the case, she found it empty. "My card... My SIM card?"

It was then that Qi Longbing revealed a SIM card in the palm of his hand. "This is your SIM card, isn’t it?"

"Give it to me!" Hua Xiaomo said, looking at him. She really didn’t want to recall what had happened in the hot spring pool.

This man seemed too dangerous... If possible, she would prefer to stay as far away from him as she could, never to meet him again!

"Give it to you? This is evidence; why would I give it to you?" Qi Longbing sneered, his blue eyes as cold as ice.

His handsome face was completely shrouded in that coldness, devoid of any warmth.

Hua Xiaomo was stunned. "What do you mean? What evidence? I don’t understand what you’re saying!"

Qi Longbing glanced at Yu Bao beside him, giving him a signal.

"Miss Hua, this SIM card has been tampered with. It’s not a regular SIM card, but a smart card that can record sound and automatically transmit signals—in simpler terms, a bug!" Yu Bao said slowly.

Hearing this made Hua Xiaomo’s head buzz. What? A bug? How could that be?

Yu Bao looked at her and continued, "And according to our investigation, such SIM cards are generally only used in investigations of economic crimes or high-level business negotiations."

"No! That’s not possible!" Hua Xiaomo denied in amazement. This phone was given to her by Brother Long; how could it contain a bug?

It couldn’t be! Brother Long... Brother Long would never do such a thing!

"Humph!" Qi Longbing chuckled coldly, holding the SIM card, his eyes frosty. "Even now, you still won’t admit it? I’ve had someone crack the encryption of this bug, and the signal source points directly to a data package named ZH."

"A ZH data package?" Hua Xiaomo was shocked once more.

"And whether this ZH data package is indeed associated with Mohai Zongheng International Group, or even with its subsidiary, Mohai Skyride Advertising Company, is something I can leave to the police to handle." Qi Longbing smiled cruelly. What an interesting situation this was!

Upon hearing this, Hua Xiaomo felt as if struck by lightning. Although she wasn’t a law major, even a fool could understand the seriousness of the implications.

This SIM card with a bugging feature clearly marked her as a corporate spy, and it was very likely that Brother Long would get dragged into this as well.

Just imagine, if the ZH data package really belonged to Mohai Zongheng International Group, it was likely that Mo Rutian would sacrifice Long Shangxuan... using him as a pawn for protection!

My God! How could this happen? Why?

Hua Xiaomo’s face turned ashen. She remembered Long Shangxuan giving her the phone around noon, and that afternoon, Qi Longbing had asked her to input the advertising budget prices and instructed them to submit a new quote.

The more Hua Xiaomo thought about it, the more her head ached. This meant all their conversations and the lowest quoted prices had been leaked...

Hua Xiaomo was speechless, unable to move from where she stood.

Aunt Wang and Yu Bao watched Hua Xiaomo from the sidelines, but no one interjected at that moment.

They all understood this was related to a very serious issue.

What exactly was going on in Hua Xiaomo’s mind? But this incident had already proved that she had betrayed the Qi Imperial Court! Betrayed President Qi!

"ZH, the initial letters of Zongheng—how obvious." Qi Longbing laughed, then pinched the SIM card between two fingers, his gaze skimming over to the man next to him as he commanded, "Yu Bao, call the police!"

Yu Bao’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. "President Qi..." He could well imagine the consequences if they called the police!

"I told you to do it, so just do it! Enough with the nonsense!" Qi Longbing suddenly scolded impatiently, his handsome face growing even colder.

Suddenly, THUMP! Hua Xiaomo’s legs gave out, and she knelt before him, her head hanging very low, her lips trembling. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, President Qi, I beg you..."

"Begging me? Ha!" Qi Longbing scoffed twice. Seeing this woman, who outwardly seemed submissive but had always been so arrogantly proud, finally willing to submit at his feet—the feeling was truly gratifying!

Yet, deep inside, a very, very strong sense of displeasure also emerged.

"Hua Xiaomo, Hua Xiaomo, at this point, what right do you have to beg me? Who do you think you are!" Qi Longbing crossed his legs, his handsome face filled with a cold sneer.

"I, Qi Longbing, have been in the business world for over a decade and have weathered all kinds of storms. And you... you dare to play tricks right under my nose? You’re too naive, too immature! A fool, used as a weapon by others, and you wouldn’t even know how you died!" Qi Longbing’s smile was dazzlingly intense.

Then he stood up, hands thrust into his trouser pockets. His long bangs draped across his forehead, partly obscuring his eyes. This lent a shadowy and sinister coldness to his blue gaze—a look that seemed to consume a person whole.

Hua Xiaomo’s body trembled slightly, and her hands grew cold. She hadn’t even graduated yet. If she were to go to jail, everything would be over, not to mention any dreams or aspirations.

Moreover, Brother Long would most likely end up in prison because of this financial crime case; everything he had would be destroyed...

Was this the retribution for her years of thievery? In the end, she couldn’t escape the harsh punishment of the law.

But it would also mean the downfall of the man she loved most...

A tear fell uncontrollably, dampening her beautiful, delicate cheeks.

Suddenly, Aunt Wang chimed in, "President Qi, please spare Miss Hua this one time! I believe she was used; this matter surely has nothing to do with her. If you make her bear this burden, you won’t feel good about it either!"

"No one is allowed to plead for her!" Qi Longbing snapped. His gaze, filled with absolute coldness, pierced Hua Xiaomo.

Hua Xiaomo wept silently, her mind a complete blank. But she knew that if she didn’t seize this chance, she was finished—and not just her, Brother Long would be finished too! For origınal chapters go to 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱

Hua Xiaomo lifted her head, sniffed sharply, wiped her tears, and looked at him. At that moment, she decided to risk everything. "President Qi," she began, "do you hate me so much that you have to send me to jail?"